Defender Extracab / Extended cabs

[steveG]

I'm after some info about the cab construction of the tdi and td5 130 extra cabs that were made back in the '90s and early 00's.
I've searched and found some info, but not much detail. Seems they were made by a few different body builders, and the construction varied a bit.

Can anyone help answer these questions for a start?


Was there a standard amount that the cabs were extended by?
Some had windows instead of solid infill. Were the windows custom or perhaps standard defender glass (110 rear quarter windows look a possibility)
Was the roof construction pretty standard, or did it vary depending on who built them? shortening a dual-cab roof would seem to be the likely option.
How are they supported/attached to the chassis at the rear. If anyone has got one I'd love to see some photos of how they are attached.


I know some people here have made their own from standard single cabs, and that's the route I'm planning to take. Partially because they are pretty scarce, and partially because I enjoy building stuff.
If there are some standard sizes and mounting methods its going to be simpler to get it engineered than if I have to re-invent everything from scratch.

My ideas so far:

I need at least 50mm extension to get the same seating position as what I currently have in my county.
If its being extended I might as well put in a decent amount - as long as it doesn't a)look stupid or b)make the tray too short
Assuming its going on a 130 chassis, up to roughly 300mm extension would be practical for my purposes - longer than that and the tray would be too short
Having a fixed window seems to be a practical idea rather than a solid panel (and the 110 rear quarter windows look like a likely candidate for glass)


Any other ideas/info warmly appreciated.
Also, I'm pretty sure that DeeJay had a thread on the one he made, but I'm buggered if I can find it despite giving the both Google and the search on here a good workout. If someone could post a link to that would be great.

Steve

[uninformed]

Steve, I cant give you the exact measurements, something like a 200mm extension. I would have thought all the offical extra cabs be made by one company?

One thing I cant understand, is when people custom make their own, why not make a longer door instead of the cab. If its for comfort, I can tell you as an average built Aussie, that I have the window down and my arm out, which rolls my shoulder forward somewhat in my truck cab. Now If the door was 200mm longer it would allow the seat to move back 100-125mm and have the door frame a further 100-75mm rearward of my shoulder.

[Landy Smurf]

All i remember about the company that built them is that it was in brisbane. well I think it was

[steveG]

Steve, I cant give you the exact measurements, something like a 200mm extension. I would have thought all the offical extra cabs be made by one company?

One thing I cant understand, is when people custom make their own, why not make a longer door instead of the cab. If its for comfort, I can tell you as an average built Aussie, that I have the window down and my arm out, which rolls my shoulder forward somewhat in my truck cab. Now If the door was 200mm longer it would allow the seat to move back 100-125mm and have the door frame a further 100-75mm rearward of my shoulder.

I think the reason people don't extend the doors is its a LOT more work and expense than filling a panel and putting in a bit of fixed internal structure to support it. Custom glass (probably $300 per window??), new door skin, modified structure to support window regulator, and messiest of all - new door card to finish it off nicely.

As far as Defenders go I'm lucky in that most of my height is in my torso rather than my legs, so I don't need to extend the seat rails - just lay the seat back slightly - to be comfortable.

Agreed - it would have been logical to have a single supplier for the cabs, but there's quite a few logical things on Landrovers that never happened.

Steve

[uninformed]

I could understand the problems of door extension of a new puma.....but in my Tdi, id be happy with a series type door. Which means, no door skin, no window mech problems, Make both glass slide, aka the military window tops. Even then a wind up window door would not be rocket science to produce up to LR fit and finish standard.

Re the door skin, 2 doors to make 1, and simply rivet, it is a LR after all....

JMO.

[Vern]

Steve, when I first started building mine (what was I thinking), I extended the cab by 9", then woke up to what I was doing(went and bought a new car), gave the car to matt, he reduced it down to 6" I think. I found the 9" was perfect for me, but the 6" was to cramped. Remember the seat will only recline as far as it can until it hits the back of the cab.
I do have some pics somewhere:(
So as they say, bigger is better:D

[Don 130]

I remember going into a body builders workshop in Rosehill Sydney. River road I think, searching for someone to build a canopy for my 'new' truck. That was in 1999. They were building extracab bodies for telstra. I can't give you the sort of build details you seek, but someone might remember the company name or someone who worked there. It was between trivets workshop and silverwater road on the river side.
Don

[rovercare]

I'd spend the time and do the door extension

[steveG]

I'd spend the time and do the door extension

I hadn't seriously thought about a door extension as I thought it would be too much hassle - for all the reasons I stated above. But since you've already been there.....

How big to you reckon you'd go, and would you put it all in the door, or some in the door, some in the cab?

Only had the card off mine once, and never paid much attention to how they are constructed.
How would you approach the extension? Extend the door or stick 2 doors together to make a longer one?
Do you think the door structure would need beefing up to handle the extra length/weight?
Any ideas on making a longer door card?

Going back over your 120 thread, it looks like you only ended up with a 4" extension in your cab. Was that right?

Steve

[rovercare]

I hadn't seriously thought about a door extension as I thought it would be too much hassle - for all the reasons I stated above. But since you've already been there.....

How big to you reckon you'd go, and would you put it all in the door, or some in the door, some in the cab?

Only had the card off mine once, and never paid much attention to how they are constructed.
How would you approach the extension? Extend the door or stick 2 doors together to make a longer one?
Do you think the door structure would need beefing up to handle the extra length/weight?
Any ideas on making a longer door card?

Going back over your 120 thread, it looks like you only ended up with a 4" extension in your cab. Was that right?

Steve

You would need to roll on new door skins, so welding 2 doors would work, roll new lower skin, having join under the capping

Yea 4" was ample for leg room, but found myself slumped over to avoid pillar blind spot/ allow arm out window

I don't think doors would be to hard in hindsight and your certainly no dummy, so I think you'd be better off

Cons are as you say, custom glass and ease of replacement, but no buggy really

I am a bit ganglier than yourself though :D

[steveG]

I actually find the seating position in my County really comfy, but don't think I could live with a solid panel behind the A pillar from a visibility perspective (assuming standard door length). I've been taking notice lately and I'm always looking out the RHR passenger window for blind spot checking.

Need to have a look at where an extended door would end up, and how long it would have to be to not end up with a solid area where you want to look out of. Also wondering if the wide/short glass in an extended door would challenge the standard window regulator.

Steve

[roverrescue]

"Do you think the door structure would need beefing up to handle the extra length/weight?"

If you were adding 300 into the door and worried about length / support AND you will be running custom glass anyways.....
Maybe take a tape measure to your nearest friendly rusty old cruiser and see if you could massage a quarter window into the leading edge of the door with a small verticle strut and then just use flat square glass going upsie-downsie?

Would make the custom glass cheaper, With some poke-jiggery you could be able to use the existing regulator.

Would be time consuming but would have some benefits.

Steve

[bitdist]

See here for mine. I really must update the thread as it is all finished now

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/members-rides/127037-defender.html

If you get up to Melb you are welcome to come and have a look at it

[steveG]

See here for mine. I really must update the thread as it is all finished now

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/members-rides/127037-defender.html

If you get up to Melb you are welcome to come and have a look at it

Thanks - that's a really nice looking buildup. I hadn't found that thread before.
Any updates you have would be great.

Definitely keen to have a look at some stage as it would be good to actually sit in one and check out the seating position and visibility etc. Whereabouts in Melbourne are you?

Steve

[Bazzle218]

Im just in the last stages of extending my 110 ute 200mm. An easy enough job with a few fiddly bits. I used b pillars from a wagon for the door frame and fitted the extension behind the old seat position. split the roof and joined it, rough but good enough for me. I will post some pictures soon. i'm confident the body is now stronger then when it was built. I used 1.6 mil zinc aneal. Pm me and I will pass on my phone number if you want to chat.

[bitdist]

Thanks - that's a really nice looking buildup. I hadn't found that thread before.
Any updates you have would be great.

Definitely keen to have a look at some stage as it would be good to actually sit in one and check out the seating position and visibility etc. Whereabouts in Melbourne are you?

Steve

Ringwood North, which is a bit opposite to you, but might be worth the trip as it is a lot of work...
Visibility is great, but I would not like to be without the extra little window

[87County]

Bazzle - your build sounds interesting - I have sent you a pm

[steveG]

Im just in the last stages of extending my 110 ute 200mm. An easy enough job with a few fiddly bits. I used b pillars from a wagon for the door frame and fitted the extension behind the old seat position. split the roof and joined it, rough but good enough for me. I will post some pictures soon. i'm confident the body is now stronger then when it was built. I used 1.6 mil zinc aneal. Pm me and I will pass on my phone number if you want to chat.

Thanks Bazzle. PM sent.
Would be great if you could get some photos up too :)

Steve

[steveG]

Ringwood North, which is a bit opposite to you, but might be worth the trip as it is a lot of work...
Visibility is great, but I would not like to be without the extra little window

Sounds good.
I'll be over your side of town on Sunday 2nd June (Narbethong actually), so could maybe catch up later in the afternoon on my way home if you're around.
Will PM you my number.

Steve

[steveG]

"Do you think the door structure would need beefing up to handle the extra length/weight?"

If you were adding 300 into the door and worried about length / support AND you will be running custom glass anyways.....
Maybe take a tape measure to your nearest friendly rusty old cruiser and see if you could massage a quarter window into the leading edge of the door with a small verticle strut and then just use flat square glass going upsie-downsie?

Would make the custom glass cheaper, With some poke-jiggery you could be able to use the existing regulator.

Would be time consuming but would have some benefits.

Steve
Good thinking, but might have to be mindful of the winder handle getting too far aft.

Also gives me something else to spot for on my boring drives to/from work - any vehicle with flat glass winding windows ;)
Thinking about larger glass - maybe there's an older truck with the same windscreen angle?? I could do more Isuzu parts - not sure about Toyota though :p

Steve

[modman]

Saw bitdist's build up being done at burbs engineering ringwood
(I frequent brooks fire around the corner)
THE nicest stretch I've ever seen
I particularly like the upper seat belt anchorage being moved back to the new pillar
They were next to useless on standard seat sliders, must be a nice air gap with any extended seat sliders on the furtherest positions
Some more photos on burbs engineering website, some more on LROCV possibly


With longer doors maybe initially make them with sliding windows military like as serg suggested while dabbing up new ones(sliding windows)
Landcruiser 79 ect... front door glass might be the right shape and flat, don't know about windscreen rake though??
Could just use custom glass, pricey but would look the best
Use oem front glass and have a small strip custom made for the front infill( may as well have the whole piece custom made)
Damn weetbix gone cold!!
David

[yt110]

Re longer doors.
They can be a problem in car parks,I had an old 2 door valiant and because of the length of the door it can be tight getting in and out of the car,

[steveG]

Re longer doors.
They can be a problem in car parks,I had an old 2 door valiant and because of the length of the door it can be tight getting in and out of the car,

Yes, I know what you mean. Particularly if the door extends further back past the seat than standard as you're effectively trying to get out through a smaller gap in the middle of the door.

Steve

[rijidij]

Here's some pics of the cab I have. Can't take measurements at the moment as it's stored elswhere now.

Cheers, Murray

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/265.jpg (http://s204.photobucket.com/user/rijidij/media/120/Extra-Cab.jpg.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/266.jpg (http://s204.photobucket.com/user/rijidij/media/120/Extra-Cab1_zps9861bded.jpg.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/267.jpg (http://s204.photobucket.com/user/rijidij/media/120/Extra-Cab2_zps48c736cf.jpg.html)

[Westie]

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/36589-defender-130-kingcab.html

An old thread that has some of the info you're looking for.

[billy bob]

If you go to the "members rides" section there is a thread there called
The Reactor
He extended the doors by 200mm.
No photos thou

[steveG]

If you go to the "members rides" section there is a thread there called
The Reactor
He extended the doors by 200mm.
No photos thou

Thanks billy bob :D
Here's the thread to save others having to search:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/members-rides/134811-reactor.html

There's a photo of the extended doors in the first post.

Steve