Why the Man Bun? Interesting Read....

[Indavis01]

I came across this today on the inter webs- It may explain a bit why the man bun exists on the Gladiator and Not "the pile of vinyl in the cargo bed with the top down". Chrysler had already been there and done that, and had the receipts (or lack of them)...... Either way, interesting read about the other Mopar Convertible truck.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/1989-91-dodge-dakota-sport-convertible/

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[Hootbro]

That was a weird time for the compact and the then new "mid-size" truck market started by the Jeep Commanche and shorthly thereafter Dodge Dakota.

I had bought a then new 1988 Dodge Dakota and loved it and remember when that Dakota convertible came out. I thought it was a lost opportunity that they should have put the V8 into the regular production Dakota's and not just the basic conversion convertible Dakota.

Also, if you had looked in any Truck magazine rag of the time, there was a brief fad that was all the rage with vendors selling "convertible" kits that were basically gaskets and directions where to sawzall your cab top off. No consideration given to lost rigidity and safety with a lot of stupid people having regret once the summer was over and now having basically junked their trucks. Dodge was hoping to cash in on that with a somewhat less intrusive and more OEM setup and it fell flat.

 

[DocMike]

Wondering if these is where the "plywood standard" originated......


"The Dodge Dakota itself was a bit of an outlier on the pickup truck scene. Introduced in 1987 as a larger-than-compact alternative to the Ford Ranger and the Chevrolet S-10/GMC S-15 twins, the Dakota effectively invented the mid-size truck segment that continues on to this day. It also allowed buyers to haul a 4×8 slab of plywood or drywall without having to leave the tailgate open, which was a stark contrast to the more modest Blue Oval and Bowtie entries."

Oh wait.....they didn't have to leave the tailgate open....

I came across this today on the inter webs- It may explain a bit why the man bun exists on the Gladiator and Not "the pile of vinyl in the cargo bed with the top down". Chrysler had already been there and done that, and had the receipts (or lack of them)...... Either way, interesting read about the other Mopar Convertible truck.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/1989-91-dodge-dakota-sport-convertible/

 

[Motoarch]

I for one appreciate the man bun.

I love the convenience of a soft top and with the way I use my truck daily its nice to have the top not fold onto the bed.

The look of it never bothered me and until I was on this forum I didn't realize it was such a controversy.

 

[PDiddy]

I would convert my gladiator to a soft top, if I could get one that went all the way down. I don’t mind the man bun, but I don’t want to deal with panels. Just give me one that drops with everything attached to it.

 

[DocMike]

Like what you like. I think my whole roof and doors have been off since I got back from Ouray in the beginning of August. I did get caught in a hail storm like this and I still think Jeep owes me a badge of honor for that unique experience.

I for one appreciate the man bun.

I love the convenience of a soft top and with the way I use my truck daily its nice to have the top not fold onto the bed.

The look of it never bothered me and until I was on this forum I didn't realize it was such a controversy.

 

[Motoarch]

Like what you like. I think my whole roof and doors have been off since I got back from Ouray in the beginning of August. I did get caught in a hail storm like this and I still think Jeep owes me a badge of honor for that unique experience.

I will, guy wearing a fedora unironically

 

[869 KPH]

Wondering if these is where the "plywood standard" originated......


"The Dodge Dakota itself was a bit of an outlier on the pickup truck scene. Introduced in 1987 as a larger-than-compact alternative to the Ford Ranger and the Chevrolet S-10/GMC S-15 twins, the Dakota effectively invented the mid-size truck segment that continues on to this day. It also allowed buyers to haul a 4×8 slab of plywood or drywall without having to leave the tailgate open, which was a stark contrast to the more modest Blue Oval and Bowtie entries."

Oh wait.....they didn't have to leave the tailgate open....

We had one when I was a kid for this exact reason. Fantastic little 4x4 truck, I dearly miss it.

 

[DocMike]

Exactly.

I will, guy wearing a fedora unironically

 

[MrFahrenheit]

The man bun is still a stupid design no matter why they came up with it. Bestop has the ultra top design on the JL that is essentially similar to the man bun, except that it has another mechanism that allows the entire top to slide back behind the rear seats on the JL. You can't tell me they couldn't have done a similar design to have the top flip 90 degrees and sit behind the rear headrests on the JT. it doesn't need to fold down into the bed or rest on the bed or whatever, it could just flip back another 90 degrees.

My tin foil hat says Bestop kept that design for themselves to sell after a required waiting period.

 

[Montana_Wildcat]

It honestly doesn't bother me. I like being able to just push it back and pull it closed when I need to at a moment's notice. Wouldn't drive on the interstate with it back, but around town...It works.

 

[gmcul8r]

Recently saw this:

https://mytop.us/products/gladiator...GNQOQHkkxB3GrH4nCMiFpcov9HLAmwi0aAt6FEALw_wcB

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