CAN I TAKE THE ROOF OFF MY DEFENDER?

[Jonny TVR]

Recently bought a 97 defender hardtop. It seems that the hardtop is just bolted on. Can I simply unbolt it in the Summer to make it an open top?

[BLUETHUNDER]

Yes you can. You will need to buy the hood sticks and mouning points from an ex-mod landrover to complete the conversion.

[budrover]

Yes...it just unbolts with alot of nuts and bolts.

You will need something to mount the front seat belts on to....

wolf roll bar

http://www.allwheeltrim.co.uk/Frames.html#rollbar

or seat belt bracket

http://www.johncraddockltd.co.uk/products/mrc7354_...

[anonymous-user]

Be aware there may be wiring and stuff running through the roof lining.

[phib]

About £750 all in from memory did it to my truck cab :

You need hood sticks,Hood,Roll bar for attaching seat belt too and if its a hard top rather than a truck cab you will need a tailgate.

Edited by phib on Sunday 19th December 16:26

[Jonny TVR]

actually yours was the one that got me thinking about it. £750 sounds OK .. was this doing it yourself?

[phib]

Yes did it myself ( and I am rubbish with spanners !!!) took the morning to fully complete.

The sold the roof for 250 to my local specialist, its much warmer with the soft top and much more useful, easier to load.

The only thing I would have done in hind site is to have had all the bits sprayed black at the start. I did mine after they were on the car.

Never looked back though just love soft top landy's

Phib

[thinfourth2]

Seriously considering going soft top in the summer BUT

I've got an external cage, anyone got any pics of a softtop with an external cage to see if it looks too silly

[Jonny TVR]

phib said:

Yes did it myself ( and I am rubbish with spanners !!!) took the morning to fully complete.

The sold the roof for 250 to my local specialist, its much warmer with the soft top and much more useful, easier to load.

The only thing I would have done in hind site is to have had all the bits sprayed black at the start. I did mine after they were on the car.

Never looked back though just love soft top landy's

Phib

Hi Phib, In the process of ordering all the parts. Where did you get your roll bar from? Regards Jon

[Lefty]

Anyone seen the 110 sw soft-top kit that exmoor trim do now? It's freakin cool, but freakin expensive!

[Bish]

Get it done, nothing better than a soft top Defender:

[Lefty]

Proper slidey doortops too, quality!

[anonymous-user]

Lefty said:

Proper slidey doortops too, quality!

Standard on a military spec Defender.

[phib]

My roll bar came from Lucy at challenger 4x4 in aldershot, they do mail order as well.

http://challengeroffroad.co.uk

Phib

Edited by phib on Monday 3rd January 14:58

[Jonny TVR]

phib said:

My roll bar came from Lucy at challenger 4x4 in aldershot, they do mail order as well.

Phib

thanks .. i will post some pics when its done

[BLUETHUNDER]

Soft top for me is the 101....



Feels different with the top off. I dont know why but it does.

[Lefty]

Very nice FC but NATO bar treads?

Had them for a week on one of my old 'Mogs and they were fking lethal. Even MPT's felt like track-spec tyres after those fkers!

[BLUETHUNDER]

The bar grips have gone. Replaced them with slightly better pattern continentals.....

[Lefty]

That's nice They are really lovely things to drive and sound great too

How's the box? I just took an LT95 out of my old 110v8 because it was goosed, very noisy, very hot, difficult to get 1st or reverse.

[BLUETHUNDER]

Lefty said:

That's nice They are really lovely things to drive and sound great too

How's the box? I just took an LT95 out of my old 110v8 because it was goosed, very noisy, very hot, difficult to get 1st or reverse.

Gearbox on this is very smooth. No notchiness when selecting gears. Even when i am carrying a full load and towing a fully loaded sankey behind. And has for the V8 its one of the best sounding 101,s i have had.And has to be the best i have heard.Its got a rimmer bros sports exhaust fitted.: