Roof off - Can it still be done?

[carjunkieanon]

Can you still take the roof off (officially, by undoing things, not with a cutter) the new Defender?

If not, which is the last Defender you can do it to?

r

[JDNSW]

The roof has never been removable on five door wagons (well, the roof isself strictly is, but I don't think that is what you meant), I don't think even on the Series 1. Since the only Defenders sold in Australia today are (I think) the five door wagon and the dual cab 130 (which shares the one piece B-pillar with the five door), the answer for the new version, for Australia, is no. But overseas the roof is still removable on any version except the five door wagon and dual cab 130 and 110, although since this involves removing the seat belt anchorage on most bodies, the legality may be a problem, and most non-military body styles have one piece doors, and have done so since the mid eighties, and in the case of the five door wagon and derivatives have had for at least the rear doors since the Series 2.

John

[carjunkieanon]

Thanks JDNSW

My dad must have had a hard top/non station wagon series 2 then. He used to drive round no roof & the windscreen flat.

I was picturing doing the same in a few years time when my boy grows up - hoping for a newer Defender tho.

Might have to 'invent' a method.

Knew I'd get the answer here!

[mcrover]

Technically you can remover the roof from anything.....puting it back is the tricky part :p

The seat belts can be fitted to roll hoops but that would need engineering if you were wanting it legal and for the fold down screen, Im not 100% sure but I did fit a screen to a Deefa Ute a long time ago when I was at Lowline which was fold down, we fitted a sliding insert instead of him folding it down as I think it was a bit fiddly.

I remember because we took the frame out and did the job on the bench....Much easier that way :D

[abaddonxi]

If you're looking for one, I know of one that's probably for sale in Leichhardt, think it's a Series 3. No roof, and run without one for years.

PM me if you're interested.;)

Cheers
Simon

[JDNSW]

Technically you can remover the roof from anything.....puting it back is the tricky part :p

The seat belts can be fitted to roll hoops but that would need engineering if you were wanting it legal and for the fold down screen, Im not 100% sure but I did fit a screen to a Deefa Ute a long time ago when I was at Lowline which was fold down, we fitted a sliding insert instead of him folding it down as I think it was a bit fiddly.

I remember because we took the frame out and did the job on the bench....Much easier that way :D

The windscreens on the pre-Defender 90/110 are hinged even where the roof is not removable, and these hinges would fit any Defender - most of these have a fixed bracket not a hinge except for military ones.

John

[Gillie]

Can you still take the roof off (officially, by undoing things, not with a cutter) the new Defender?

If not, which is the last Defender you can do it to?

r



So what year is the last Landie that you can do it to and what is it?

[87County]

So what year is the last Landie that you can do it to and what is it?


well the army had rag-top S3s made up to 1981 as far as I am aware with over-shoulder lap-sash belts that could be civvie registered....

and from that time 2 piece doors were on hard-top Stage 1s from which the roof could be unbolted, but whether this is legal or not would be questionable as the lap-sash seatbelt mountings are bolted to said hardtop...

Laurie

[mcrover]

So what year is the last Landie that you can do it to and what is it?

Well the ute I was refering to would have been in 96/97, it was new when we did the job but as far as wagon goes, I would have to say series 3 but maybe Stage 1 or county Im not all that sure but any of the wagons you will have engineering hassles with seat belts.

[87County]

I suppose if you could get an ex-army 110 (with the roll cage) you could run it bare-top too, so that puts the date up to about 1986? .... subject to correction of course

[JDNSW]

As indicated above, since the army S3s met all the ADRs, then certainly by duplicating their seat belt installation, any S3 could be operated with the roof off except, as noted above, the five door wagon, and should not need engineering. The same could be applied to any two door 110 by duplicating the army roll cage up to the last time the army acquired 110s that were the same as the civilian model (1989?). For later 110s or 130s (or even 90) it would require engineering approval for the change, and the key problem would be the seat belt mount, but something similar to the army setup should be easily approved.

Removing the roof on any five door wagon would require engineering approval for the changes to the B pillar, and this would need major structural reinforcement.

Series 2/3 doors with removable tops fit any 90/110/Defender, but as mentioned in an earlier post, no rear or back doors on any five door wagon have removable tops. The back door can be replaced by a drop S2/3 tailgate on any Defender with the standard tub.

John

[foz.in.oz]

Can't remove the roof from a 5 door station wagon eh?, someone must have forgotten to tell this guy then..

Taken from the following website.

All Wheel Trim Ltd. Land Rover 90/110 Defender (http://www.allwheeltrim.co.uk/defender.html#Defender)

[mcrover]

Can't remove the roof from a 5 door station wagon eh?, someone must have forgotten to tell this guy then..

Taken from the following website.

All Wheel Trim Ltd. Land Rover 90/110 Defender (http://www.allwheeltrim.co.uk/defender.html#Defender)

Ummm I think the oginal poster wants to be able to put the hard roof back on again after driving it around as a convertable for a while.

As I posted before, you can just about cut the roof of anything it is putting the roof back on and the legalities are your only hurdles.

Doesnt look bad though that soft top wagon.

[JDNSW]

Can't remove the roof from a 5 door station wagon eh?, someone must have forgotten to tell this guy then..

Taken from the following website.

All Wheel Trim Ltd. Land Rover 90/110 Defender (http://www.allwheeltrim.co.uk/defender.html#Defender)

I am aware of a few like that, but it does not alter the fact that for all Landrover Defenders other than the five door wagon and derivatives, it is a simple spanner job to remove (and replace) the roof (ignoring for the moment the seat blet mounts), but with the five door wagon and its derivatives major structural changes are needed because the 'B' pillar relies on the roof for strength and rigidity. (although in fact removing the roof is just as easy on these - but it is not driveable with it off).

John

[EchiDna]

there was a 5 door 110 softop for sale on here earlier this year from memory... it had a white roof I think?

[Michael2]

Perhaps you can order a 110 hardtop, though I don't know whether they will still let you put side facing seats in on a 2008 model. There are a few Tdi Defender Hardtops around that can be had for around $10-$14K (when they come up for sale).

[Sea Bee]

Hi Guys,
I thought I might drag this up, rather than start a new thread. Has anyone done the 5 door soft top conversion offered by All Wheel Trim mentioned in the posts here. I really like the look of it :)

[bcj]

Originally Posted by Gillie
So what year is the last Landie that you can do it to and what is it?
pre '78 series3 with low mount seat belts can remove h/top .
Post '78 civi's had inertia reel seatbelts to comply with new ADR's -mounted on pillar and require engineering cert. to register in NSW if removing roof

Brett

110 300tdi

[cal415]

While i havnt done the soft top conversion i have driven my 110 without a roof and my mate has done this for the last few years as well, its alot of fun, but your doors sag and never close properly without the roof so if unless the kit comes with bracing for the A to B and C pillars it might not be worth the head ache.

[Loubrey]

How about these... :D

2009 Wolfs pictured in Afganistan in 2010.

The problem with any Defender is the top of the windscreen has "tabs" for tying into the roof and an entirely new windscreen was built for the SVX 90 (60th Anniversary). There are company's doing soft top conversions in the UK, but they are VERY expensive!

Land Rover Defender SVX 90 soft-top (2008) CAR review | Road Testing Reviews | Car Magazine Online (http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Land-Rover-Defender-SVX-90-soft-top-CAR-review/)

[Sea Bee]

All wheel trim offer a range of different tabs etc to fit your roof at the windscreen. I will ask them about a kit to reinforce the body around the pillars. I always assumed the Landy's big chassis rails kept her rigid? I pulled the roof on my old SIII 109 and never noticed any flex issues?

Cheers and thanks, Chris.

[JDNSW]

All wheel trim offer a range of different tabs etc to fit your roof at the windscreen. I will ask them about a kit to reinforce the body around the pillars. I always assumed the Landy's big chassis rails kept her rigid? I pulled the roof on my old SIII 109 and never noticed any flex issues?

Cheers and thanks, Chris.

The problem is only with the five door wagon. The difference from the 109 five door wagon is that the older models have a very substantial bar between the 'B' pillars at seat back height. The pillars must be kept rigid as they support both the striker plate for the front doors and the hinges for the rear door. With the roof removed there is no support for the pillars above the seat box on the coil sprung models. It has nothing to do with chassis rigidity, but with the security of the door hinges and lock plates.

John

[roverfan]

Get a wrangler, roof off and screen down no worries :)

[Loubrey]

Get a wrangler, roof off and screen down no worries :)

Sacrilege!... Heresy! :eek:
:D

[Sea Bee]

Thanks guys. I have seen a kit to brace the pillars after removing the seat 'backing'. I guess that would work? It looks like large BMX handlebars. Has anyone else seen or used one?

[Sea Bee]

Theres a stage 3 omnibus for sale with a canvas roof in the market section. Sold already :( Has got me thinking though...

Cheers, CB.

[Didge]

sorry to highjack the thread but; John, you are confirming what I suspected; that I can easily remove the roof from a 5 door 110 wagon to repaint it and then replace it and hopefully fix the roof leaks in the process.
and, roverfan, yep, if I couldn't own a land rover I'd have to go with the wrangler.
cheers Gerald