Thread: Series III 88 Restoration

Hi all,
Well I have made some real progress and the Series 3 is just about ready for roadworthy. I have replaced the blinkers, tail/stop lights, headlights (Traxide kit) parking lights and improved all earths and replaced the flasher unit and number plate light. And yes all lights are working!! With the Traxide headlight kit I recommend printing off the wiring diagram from their web site as it makes the instructions much easier to follow. The wipers and reverse lights are also fixed and working. I now have a trailer full of old cable much of which went nowhere and tool box with every variety of crimp connectors there is. I have one more coat of Kill Rust to go on the new bumper from Craddocks and that will go on. So basically all I have to fix before roadworthy is the speedo cable.

One funny thing, I was underneath swearing at the speedo cable when I noticed a curious gap between the transfer case and the front diff. Yep no prop shaft. I asked my dad if he had it and he didn't even know it was gone so I guess he has been 4WD for years in a rear wheel drive only Land Rover.
cheers all
FLF

Originally Posted by francoisleflaneur

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Yes the door top is rocky mountain from FWD in Brisbane cost $330
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Great service, well made window.

Is the door top steel or aluminium?

If it's aluminium, I wouldn't mind a few more photos just to see what they are like?

I have a pair of aluminium door tops, which have been rendered useless.
Make sure you look after the steel mounting bolts, because the bolts on mine are rusted and they can't be replaced because the door tops are welded into one piece. Otherwise they'd be the duck's nuts.

Yes the door top is alloy and is much sturdier than the original. The 2 piece glass slides either way with no play. The corner welds are unground mig welds which some may not like but I think suits the vehicle. They come unpainted and I am going to leave them that way. I plan to only have them on in winter and take them off in summer as well as the roof for rag top days. All in all I think they are worth the $330 as they will last until the veh rusts out from under them.
If you email me out of this site I will send you some close ups of the door top.
Cheers
FLF

Mark,
On mine the steel bolts are like studs and threaded on either end. When I put mine in I used loctite on the end that goes into the alloy which reduces-not stops the dissimilar metal corrosion and to release you just heat the bolt if you ever need to. If your bolts are rusted you could drill them out and either retap the alloy or drill it out oversize and put a helicoil in and then fit new bolts. I have fixed a few British motorbikes so loctite is god with all things British as far as I am concerned.
Cheers
FLF

Hi FLF,
Thanks for that, i'll have a go at reworking them one day and keep what you said in mind.
Mine are a different internal design though, the bolts go through two steel plates inside the door top, which can slide back and forth for adjustment. It is only the steel that has corroded, not differential corrosion.
Cheers,
Mark