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rossy

Member Since: 29 Nov 2010
Location: Co. Roscommon
Posts: 1296

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Stornoway Grey

lamp guards and rivnuts Aaaarrgh !

Click image to enlarge

fitted these Paddocks guards this morning. Much trickier than I thought it would be. Firstly you have to decide if you want them to be out of line with either the grille or the light surrounds (as mine has quite droopy wings like a few others ). I thought it would be less noticable if they were in line with the lights and not the grille.

The primitive rivnut tool supplied (a bit of metal and a bolt) was bordering useless and I didn't get the hang of it until the last one by which time I had to go back and re-do all the others. Stupidly I had no idea of how rivnuts actually work until the end and managed to half compress a couple before they were even fitted (and burred all the nuts in the process !)

Then when you tighten it all up the top rivnuts get pulled kind of sideways as the angle on the top of the guard isn't quite right

Anyway they're on now so we shall see if they fall off at the first pot hole

24th Mar 2012 1:43pm

ginjez

Member Since: 18 Sep 2011
Location: huddersfield
Posts: 1763

2011 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 ST Santorini Black

Front light guards always look better on aircon models. They seem to take your eye away from the extended snout.

24th Mar 2012 4:36pm

ZeDefender

Member Since: 15 Sep 2011
Location: Munich
Posts: 4731

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Baltic Blue

Coincidence! I'm fitting rivnuts for my lower lamp guard brackets tomorrow (stupid fiddly tiny bolts at the mo).

Even though I have a "proper" rivnut tool and use it loads (I do lots of fabrication with my lads), I still forgot to change to the right compression collar the other day and realised too late when the holes didn't line up

If you're not happy, why not just drill them out and ask a local garage to fit them? Only take a couple of minutes...

Cheers
Matt Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing...

24th Mar 2012 10:24pm

bpman

Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black

if I had those style lights, I would probably go for the perspex covers, however if you are going to change the headlight units, the grills are a great idea because you could use security nuts to ensure the grills are not removed before the 8700's get pinched

25th Mar 2012 6:00am

Zagato
Site Supporter

Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Billingshurst West Sussex
Posts: 5013

Do they flip up, how do you get underneath? If you do take them off again it might be an idea to paint them with POR-15 uv type as they do like a bit of rust

Sealant will slow down corrosion around the holes

She's looking very nice Rossy

25th Mar 2012 7:25am

bpman

Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

Zagato wrote:
Do they flip up, how do you get underneath? If you do take them off again it might be an idea to paint them with POR-15 uv type as they do like a bit of rust Sealant will slow down corrosion around the holes

She's looking very nice Rossy

stainless versions might work better ?

25th Mar 2012 7:30am

Zagato
Site Supporter

Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Billingshurst West Sussex
Posts: 5013

Can you get them Steve? The trouble with most of these parts from Paddocks, Bearmach, LR etc is that they don't prime/treat the metal first properly or at all so the rust within a couple of years. They thin powder coating or plastic coating will last long enough before the rust shows. Not to bad on light grills just buy some more but on the roof-racks etc that's a lot of money to go rusty on you

I know people stopped selling the Bearmach racks because of the complaints.

25th Mar 2012 7:38am

rossy

Member Since: 29 Nov 2010
Location: Co. Roscommon
Posts: 1296

Zagato wrote:
Do they flip up, how do you get underneath? If you do take them off again it might be an idea to paint them with POR-15 uv type as they do like a bit of rust Sealant will slow down corrosion around the holes

She's looking very nice Rossy

They hinge at the bottom so you have to undo the top nuts to, say, change a bulb. But for cleaning purposes theres so much clearance between the grilles and the lights that you can easily get between them

25th Mar 2012 8:02am

leeds

Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8581

Persplex covers are good. They provide better protection to gravel rash then the grille type light guards.

If using beam deflectors with perplex guards then after quite a long period of sustained head light use then the adhesive will slowly turn brown.

We do know that the perplex covers have saved head light at least on one occasion due to to star shaped crack in it.

Going into extremely sandy conditions then the clarity of the perplex is diminished due to the sand.

On our red 110 we have a perplex rear door window, be there 4 years

Clarity not brilliant but not important as I reverse on mirrors

Pros and cons!

Brendan

25th Mar 2012 8:16am

rossy

Member Since: 29 Nov 2010
Location: Co. Roscommon
Posts: 1296

I've already replaced a busted headlight but they are only about £15 from Paddocks and apart from all the screws that have to be undone they are easy to change. Standard does me but with brighter bulbs. I get these '90% brighter' ones from Halfords when they are BOGOF

The chances of a stone hitting the guard and not the light are quite slim I know but they just liven up the plain non XS black grille. I was going to get a KBX or a Brunel grille but for £50 and 2 hours of foul language/fitting they look like they were always meant to be there ! (I think)

25th Mar 2012 8:40am

ZeDefender

Member Since: 15 Sep 2011
Location: Munich
Posts: 4731

Done mine - 15 minute job

Ally rivnuts, steel guards and stainless screws - a delightful combination, ripe for trimetallic corrosion - hopefully the Duralac will help.

Bit rusty around the holes but it'll never be a serious problem - Hammerite once a year should take care of that

Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing...

25th Mar 2012 9:21am

bpman

Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

Zagato wrote:
Can you get them Steve? The trouble with most of these parts from Paddocks, Bearmach, LR etc is that they don't prime/treat the metal first properly or at all so the rust within a couple of years. They thin powder coating or plastic coating will last long enough before the rust shows. Not to bad on light grills just buy some more but on the roof-racks etc that's a lot of money to go rusty on you I know people stopped selling the Bearmach racks because of the complaints.

cor4 would be a good place to start looking ...

25th Mar 2012 10:46am

rossy

Member Since: 29 Nov 2010
Location: Co. Roscommon
Posts: 1296

ZeDefender wrote:
Done mine - 15 minute job

Ally rivnuts, steel guards and stainless screws - a delightful combination, ripe for trimetallic corrosion - hopefully the Duralac will help.

Bit rusty around the holes but it'll never be a serious problem - Hammerite once a year should take care of that

Yeah yeah yeah rub it in why don't you

There's always someone who can do a job that would take me all day in 10 minutes !
But the scary thing is standing in front of your pride & joy with a drill thinking 'I'm about to knock eight holes in you and after that there's no way back'

25th Mar 2012 11:46am

ZeDefender

Member Since: 15 Sep 2011
Location: Munich
Posts: 4731

rossy wrote:
the scary thing is standing in front of your pride & joy with a drill thinking 'I'm about to knock eight holes in you and after that there's no way back

Well, I've passed beyond the point of sanity after drilling 100+ holes for the window grilles, chequerplate (corners, sidesteps, wings and bonnet) and parking sensor

I've tried to reduce corrosion (according to "the book of Zag") as far as possible but it's going to rust eventually anyway, so what the hell

Good luck with yours - I'm sure it will be neater than mine

Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing...

Last edited by ZeDefender on 25th Mar 2012 12:20pm. Edited 1 time in total

25th Mar 2012 12:11pm

LandRoverAnorak

Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11324

There's a company on eBay that sell GALVANISED LIGHT GUARDS. Ripe for painting or powder coating. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia

25th Mar 2012 12:20pm

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