All Defender 110 Hardtop owners

[LesDef]

Gidday Gentlemen,

Could an owner of a Defender 110 - 2 door hardtop 1996 onwards please PM me with their Email address.
I fancy buying a new Hardtop and creating a real Expedition vehicle, but am unable to view a specimen because of rarity.
Salesmen advise there is not enough room in the front seat because of the bulkhead.
I would like to forward any helper a PDF drawing with a number of dimension questions or arrange a meeting in the Perth area to view.
Thanks in anticipation.

Regards, LesDef.

[uninformed]

someone in the UK makes or made a structural replacement for the rear bulkhead. It was a tube bar that went across from left to right behind the seats. I believe this offered some extra room.

[Reads90]

someone in the UK makes or made a structural replacement for the rear bulkhead. It was a tube bar that went across from left to right behind the seats. I believe this offered some extra room.

Yeah they are quite a few that do them
Mud stuff is a good one

http://www.mudstuff.co.uk/Bulkhead_Removal_Bar.shtml

Ali

[uninformed]

Thanks Reads90, most of the LR stuff in my head was read many years ago in LRO and then LR Monthy before they became junk....Have you seen the tubular bar type?

[LesDef]

Thankyou Gentlemen,

Your feed back regarding the MUD mod helps alot.
It means whatever the resriction in the drivers seat clearance is, it can be overcome with their modification.

Regards LesDef

[Marleydef110]

Mate, take a look at all the military two door defenders coming for auction. I purchased one about a year ago been great with nice little extras for touring like storage boxes each side. As for the drivers seat im 6.1 and my seat is not all the way back, plenty of room but its each to there own.
regards Marley

[NT5224]

Hey LesDef

I was faced with exactly the same dilemma as you a few months ago, considered a Hard Top as plan B but had my heart set on a single cab ute. But was unsure if I would fit in one owing to the tightness of the cab (and I'm 6'2').

Because of changes in seating of the later models, and the rarity of late model single cabs I ended up going all the way to UK to sit in one on the Land Rover production line in Solihull.

So stuck with Plan A, the Single cab which arrived about a month ago. Absolutely love it- Sure its tight but somehow it fits and in its own way is quite comfy on long drives. The single cab is much tighter than the Hard Top because the seat doesn't tilt at all when fully back. And as other have said the bulkhead on the Hard Top quite easily removed.

Its great having such an distinct, made to order vehicle. Hey -one final point since you want a Hard Top, consider the heavy duty option for your build. It rides a little harder but sets your vehicle in a class aside from all other wagons/utes in payload. Our ute is rated to 1.5 tonnes!

Hope this helps

Alan

[LesDef]

Gidday Gent,

Thankyou for you comments.
I have ordered a Hardtop. Arrives late November.
Would have liked the heavy duty option but can't have it with ABS/traction control (very desirable).
Requested Wolf rims over allys because they're easier to manually change tyres in the bush.
Will be fitting out for long desert trips & sleeping inside.

Looking forward to getting started.

Regards LesDef

[NT5224]

Congratulations on the Hard Top order . As I previously mentioned would have been my second choice after a ute, but we have a property so really needed a ute tub.

Steels 130 rims are definitely the way to go for the bush, for the reason you give. Don't understand all those posers in tricked up 4WDs with fancy alloys - like do they actually go off road?

Personally I don't rate Traction Control and ABS over good old additional chassis strength and payload, just see the electronics as something else to go wrong in the bush, but I understand others may see it differently.

Good luck with the new wagon. If you bring it through the Territory I'd love to see it. So few new Hardtops about.

Cheers

Alan