Last month, we showed you the new GM Performance Parts 290hp 350 engine going into Hazel's '68 M-715, dubbed The Evil Truck. With the engine cinched down and broken in, all that was left to do before Jp Magazine's officially unofficial OD Convoy event was to add some traction to the rear Dana 70, fix a few odds and ends, and install the beautiful new canvas top Beachwood Canvas Works scrambled to build in time for our deadline. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans.
For the unenlightened, Beachwood Canvas Works makes and carries replacement parts for virtually all models of classic Jeep and military vehicles. Whether you need seat covers for your CJ-2 AgriJeep or a canvas top and cargo cover for your World War II weapons carrier, chances are the company has it. Not to mention Beachwood's extensive catalog of difficult-to-find parts ranging from engine-rebuild kits to shift knobs to everything in between.
As we mentioned before, Beachwood Canvas Works really bent over backward to pump out an M-715 top for us on short notice to meet our deadline. While the top arrived with plenty of time to install before our departure on the OD Convoy, a steady drizzle of rain and temps in the high 40s prevented us from actually tackling the installation. Canvas is a natural fabric and it shrinks in cold weather and stretches in warm, sunny weather, so the top installation you'll see in this story actually happened after the OD Convoy. Read on to see how we readied The Evil Truck for our 500-mile trip you'll read about next issue.
At some point in this truck's past, a heavy sheetmetal top had been formed and welded over the stock cab bows. While not poorly built, it lacked solid attachment points. We put a couple ratchet straps on as a safety measure, but every bump and pothole made the top bang, clang, and ring. It was like riding inside a snare drum. | 
After hefting off the 195-pound top, the offending sheetmetal was carefully cut away with an angle grinder. Just removing the rusted top improved the truck's appearance exactly one-million percent. | 
When the rains came, we used it to our advantage to wet sand the truck. We originally planned on shooting the truck in Gillespie OD paint, but after the sanding, we decided the nearly 40-year-old camo spray job looked nice enough and delivered way more character. After all, it just wouldn't be a Hazel vehicle if it had a nice paint job. Where's the fun in a rig being all one color and not having any surface rust? |
Our windshield frame clearly wasn't the original. It was rusty, but our truck wasn't, and it also lacked a top channel. We opened up a piece of 3/4-inch rectangular tubing with the angle grinder and welded it in place so the top would have something to attach to. | 
It doesn't matter if your Jeep is an MB, CJ, or M-715, it's important to verify your top bows aren't bent or mangled before you attempt to install your canvas if you want a proper fit. Luckily, our bows were straight and lined up with the mounting holes. | 
Once the warm, sunny weather returned, we laid the canvas out in the sun so it could become supple and stretch. Canvas shrinks as it cools or becomes damp, so it's best to install your canvas products on a warm, sunny day or inside a warm shop or garage. |