Grommet becomes a Utility, Gone the days of a hard top

**sclarke** · 4th March 2007, 06:47 PM

OK,
Due to the rush to get it on the road i have been spending more time on Grommet than any woman would like.......

Then i had to go to Morwell last night for a party, got home today at about 1pm and got back into it.

So.....
last week i repainted the firewall/bulkhead and the rear cab.

Then yesterday i fixed the rust that was on the Gal runners on the tub top, or waist height for those with a wagon.
Then i painted it also.

Then today i re-assembled the whole thing.
Screen back in, Rear cab on and glass and new slides and trim fitted, then the roof and all the seals.
i needed to adjust a few things with a big hammer to make it look right.
The 4 brakets that hold the rear cab to the rear bulkhead came up spanky.....

So now it looks like this.............. 90% complete. Needs the tailgate sorted and the corner glass fitted.

Now the Negative to a ute conversion......... NO ROOM.
the series back kills an extra inch of room so the seat is not as far back as i would like. time will tell if this is going to crap me off. if it does i will replace the rear cab with a Defender 110 or 130 one.

1 week until its registered............. YAY

**rangieman** · 4th March 2007, 06:52 PM

it,s realy looking great mate

**incisor** · 4th March 2007, 06:58 PM

great job mate....

**JDNSW** · 4th March 2007, 07:29 PM

Looking good! What are you doing about the upper seat belt mounts? There were several different solutions to this in the Series cabs?

John

**sclarke** · 4th March 2007, 08:44 PM

Ahhhhhhh the old "seat belt mounting trick"
I have the original Hardtop ones, well a set from a hard top, well would you believe a boy scout with a pocket knife.
I have cut them and rewelded the brackets to suit the cab. i'll post pix tommorow when i take some pix.

Tailgate has me thinking, Drop down or swing out???
or get a drop down and make it swing to look retro??? then i can use the std fender catch.

**LRHybrid100** · 5th March 2007, 08:12 AM

Looks good mate,

the tailgate show be a swing away conversion I recon.

LRH

**sclarke** · 5th March 2007, 08:42 PM

ok Seat belt mounts as requested.........

not a detailed pic, but an idea on what i did.....

then i put the glass in today and pulled the bull bar off and put the STD bumper on with the tow eyes.

Next is the clean up and then the tail gate.

**sclarke** · 6th March 2007, 08:20 PM

Today i picked up my tailgate.
i was going to cut down a Wagon door, but then the handel would be in the wrong spot for the right look.
So i opted for the Series 2/3 tailgate.

Its grown on me, i like the look of it.

But do i hinge it like std and have it folding down??? or do i go the Mod look and have it swing out???

if i go swing out, i can use the Std lock and cut it down so it has no outer handle or keylock (i have a spare as i sold the one from Grommet).
Or do i use the pin style the Series had and have it only on the LH side??

i have it mounted for now with the lower hinges from a Series 3 chassis, i cut the old cross member up and have used them as bolt on for now. this is only to get an idea on what i want.

So fold down or Swing out???

**rangieman** · 6th March 2007, 08:28 PM

fold down then you can use it as a table plus if you get a long load the tail gate just folds down a bit hard for a swing door to stay open

**MacMan** · 7th March 2007, 07:45 AM

I reckon fold down would look better, but unless you can drop it all the way down you'll get the sheets with it reaching over it to put things in the back or remove them once the canvas is on.

Love your work!

Thread: Grommet becomes a Utility, Gone the days of a hard top

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