Thread: First Beach trip for S3 wagon after rejuvenation

Originally Posted by BeepBeep

Have had 82 Series III LWB wagon for over a year and, after 4 cyl engine rebuild of head, new rings/bearings etc., and new Zenith, it's now reliable enough to enjoy.

Next project is window tracks and door seals.

Here's a photo mid August at Rainbow Beach. The vehicle performed well and everything works well.

Nice to see people spending some cash on some old Series, you'll get a lot of years out of her yet and she'll pay you back a few times over!

I'm pretty sure Rocky Mountain supply some window tracks which are rubber and better than the original (for the back windows too). I installed new "original" type less than 6 months ago and they're showing deterioation already.

I'm going to save my pennies and get Rocky Mountain door tops with front sliding glass and better tracks incorporated.

Most tropical roofs have vents that open between the 2 roof layers if these are missing your up for big bucks

Adam

Originally Posted by agrojnr

Most tropical roofs have vents that open between the 2 roof layers if these are missing your up for big bucks

Adam

Interesting,that makes me think mine may not be original and is actually one that has been made up! I still have your old "Zebra" bus down on the spare block which has a tropical roof. I might check it out tomorrow, if it has the vents I'll see if I can transfer them across.

I can't see why venting is necessary between the two roofs.

The tropical roof is there to provide an airspace and shade for the roof under it; if venting is needed open a window

A cobber of mine had a S3 with a homemade wooden troppy roof, strong enough for us to sit on; it worked well,

Cheers Charlie

Originally Posted by dangermousehouse

Oh right.

Not too hard then.

I thought there may have been some sort of venting from inside the cabin roof to circulate the air.

There is, but that is to ventilate inside the cabin. The main purpose of the tropical roof is to add an air space (insulator) between the hot side where the sun hits the metal skin and the inside cabin metal skin. They work most efficiently when moving forward, when the vehicle is parked the tropical roof is relatively inefficient.

A little bit of information, the tropical roof is also riveted to the "top hat" ribs on the top of the original roof and there are reinforcing ribs spot welded to the underside of the tropical roof in between each of the "top hat" ribs. If you don't reinforce the sheet you will get vibrations at speed.

The tropical roofs were standard on all "station wagons" and optional on other hard tops.

I've since read that some of the 88" tropical rooves had no ventilation. Mine looks as though it was original. Despite the plastic stand off's in the corners it has attachments to the original roof ribbings just as Lotz-A-Landies' diagram shows. We pulled it off another 88" roof that had damage at the rear (tropical skin was ok though). Before fitting it to our roof we also coated the underside with thick body deadener.

The roof vents are great cause they get the cooler air unlike the front vents

You can still buy the vent but there around $200 each

Adam