C-pilar for hard top

Hi,

I am planning to remove my slantback kit on the M1045a2 and just keep the hardtop. I was planning on using a c-pilar for soft top to get the right door gap for the rear doors and make a rear curtain with window. I want to obtain the "pickup" look again on the hmmwv and make it easier to view behind you. The slantback feels very closed and I can only use the mirrors to see behind me.

Have anyone done this before? Will the soft top c-pilar fit in the steel roof?

Thank you
From Zeke

I'd just try and find a Special forces type C pillar and use the side rails that go with it.
You may be able to sell or trade your existing c pillar and sponson's for one
Or you can cut and modify your Sponson's. That's what I did.

When it comes to the curtain part your going to be custom making something so you might as well make it work with the original hard top C pillar.

OR:
You can always install a back up camera and leave the vehicle like it is.
It will retain it's value un molested. IMO

BH

If you pull the sponsons and remove the C pillar you will lose a great deal of value on the truck. Like between 10-20 thousand. In the USA. In Europe, much more.

Get a backup camera like the rest of us.
I have a slant back and I don’t feel closed in. I also am installing a backup camera.

Another way would be to cut windows into the rear hatch and sponsons like the civilian vehicles have. Not hard but will lose value. I have a second set of sponsons and rear hatch for just that but I’m holding off on pulling that trigger for now.

Your call.

BTW- your current C pillar is worth at least $650 in the USA. Once you take a saw to it... $50.

At the very least you should sell the C pillar and rear sponsons and hatch for $4-5K in the USA and 7-9000 Euros in Sweden. Remember, everyone knows the slant back and it is in every movie and TV show where you see HMMWV’s. You will be downgrading your rig to a plain HMMWV. Less iconic. IMHO

Like the gentlemen before me said.
PLUS, there has been a recent ban by the United States on the export of any slantback humvees or armoured hardtop roofs (including basic armour). Even the usual dealers with an export license don´t get any more slantbacks exported to Europe (and anyplace else, I guess)

So your M1045 just has risen considerably in value. The Humvee dealers in Germany immediately raised their asking price for slantbacks (that were exported before the ban) by 30 %. So you have to consider your M1045 a rare thing in Europe for the forseeable future.

Would be a shame if you would cut up such a vehicle. I´d rather consider to sell the slantback for a good price, buy a softtop and add a comercial roof to that.

AAVP7 said:

Like the gentlemen before me said.

Click to expand...

Gentleman! Surely, you jest.

(Thanks for the compliment.)

Thank you for answers. I agree with you to not cut the slant back cause I want to keep it as original as possible. I was hoping I could wrench it out in a whole unit? And just add the old C-pillar

What do you think the m1045a2 are worth in Europe?

Zeke

Perhaps 45k Euros. More soon because they are no longer available. Taking her apart is foolish and you should not do it. Sell it and buy what you want. You are making a mistake.

I think I will sign off this thread because it is too ridiculous. A man has Gold and he wants to spin it into Lead. I don't get it, I don't agree with it, I'm just being honest.

Good luck and goodbye.

T

Just try and find another C pillar. it won't be cheap but they may be easier to source in Europe then here.
Or have something made custom and keep all the original parts
Go ahead and take off the sponson's and the hatch.
Set them aside and see how you like the truck .
It's your truck. How many years have you owned it.
Eventually you will get used to backing up in it .
Thankfully they have a pretty sharp turning radius for their size.
I've had mine for almost 20 years.
I change it back and forth every so many years.

Just have fun with it.

Zeke,
if I understand you right, you seem to be under the impression that you can use a softtop C-pillar on your hardtop roof. That is NOT possible., unless you heavily modify the softtop pillar to fit the hardtop roof. There is a "standalone" hardtop C-pillar that can be used without the sponsons, but that is from the extremely rare special forces GMV version. Hard to get in the U.S., and impossible in Europe. Plus, VERY expensive.
Best bet would probably to fabricate a C-pillar for your needs.

The worth of an M1045A2 is a difficult question. Depends vastly on its condition, location, demand. Currently, demand is low due to the corona crisis; nobody wants to buy and lots of people need money and try to sell their Humvees. Better wait, if possible. Is yours 100 % original, is the drivetrain dry, does it have the complete turret hatch, etc.,etc. ?

Your attempting to convert your truck into a GMV, I would just sell the hatch and sponsons to fund purchasing a GMV C-pillar, or install an M1165 rear wall and add the rear window.