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Home > My Defender > My next Project 90 Hardtop to soft top

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jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 8059

My next Project 90 Hardtop to soft top Well the Defender bug is biting deeper. I had been looking for a straight early Puma 90 Hardtop for our driver training needs to replace our early 90 (tdi) nothing wrong with it but people seem to like something newer. Nothing seemed to be about for good money for around 6mths or so and the urge sort of moved on. (i didn't want to pay what people wanted for the ones that were for sale) Then in early November 15 this little gem came up for Sale, local to me, and i knew the seller. So bought it, in the end as a private purchase for me to undertake a little transformation with, it may be used for training at a later date. She has sat as arrived less some essential maintenance in Nov until the end of last week where i started the front end panel replacement. As she came: Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Spec: 07 2.4 62k Miles vinyl seats, std spec hardtop Ashcroft ATB in rear Ashcrfot shaft and CVs all round Bikini front winch mount Devon 4x4 HD std bumper Goodwinch TDS front winch with Dyneema Bowrope CB Some bent rock sliders Gwyn Lewis HD steering arms Gwyn Lewisx track Rod Protection First Four steering guard QT Diff guards OME springs and shocks with + 35mm lift (or similar) Devon4x4 Fuel cooler guard Devon4x4 Transmission guard Spacers with Boost alloys and BFG 255.85R16s Qt internal roll hoops - chassis mounted. lots of battle cars. After picking her up and driving her home in Nov the first two problems were encountered. Rumbling from rear when moving and it ran out of grunt when pushed at 70mph for 5mins or so. the former rumbling i found to be the rear near side wheel bearing had collapsed and rendered the stub U/S too. a simple fix for that. Not ideal: Click image to enlarge The running out of power i knew about at purchase. First thing i checked was the tank breather which sure enough was blocked. i assumed with mud or similar. Not wishing to blow it back into the tank i investigated further, i ended up dropping the tank - to find it had been crushed by the rear cage stay mounting bolts! another simple fix. sorry about quality, you can just see the nut of the cage mount bolt above where the pipe was crushed Click image to enlarge Next on the list was a full fluid service, plus i dropped out the rear ATB and replaced it with a std open diff and fitted a std LR tow pack to the rear. The front winch was also removed as were the wheels, spacers and tyres. i wanted it to be on std tyres/ATs. To check she was all now running well i used her on a social weeked at Walters Arena by joing J33P for their 7s winter warmer. Click image to enlarge So having completed that back in November she has then sat in the garage since then looking a little unloved! This did give me some time to try and source some parts. The plan is/was: Replace front wings and bonnet Fit matec snorkel with sealed supply fit a Goodwinch HD bumper and TDS Fit Exmoor Trim XS style hood on the Safety Devices support (if it fits with the internal hoop) Wright Off Road sound proofing in the front Exmoor Trim rear sound proof kit Come up with a plan to sort out the damage to the rear quarters above the cross member. It also needs a new radiator plus new front calipers. pistons are corroded and seals are blown on three pistons. Whilst contemplating the calipers i thought i would upgrade the braided brake hoses to go from the chassis straight to the front caliper via a 45deg banjo, its worked well on other builds and means you can pull the hub without having to mess around with the std brake line setup that uses a bracket on the top of the Kingpin housing. Will take some pics when they are on. And the timeline. Well the aspiration was to start it beginning of Feb to have it all done in time for the BigOutdoors event in May. With the soft top i am just hoping for sun! Oh did i mention its needs a respray too! So work is under way as of the end of last week ish ( i had the odd hr here and there before)! time seems to be ticking! only 3weeks late starting! i hope i have all the parts i need! Cheers James 110 2012 XS Utility 130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper 90 2010 Hardtop 90 M57 1988 Hardtop Last edited by jst on 24th Feb 2016 9:28pm. Edited 1 time in total

24th Feb 2016 9:03pm

JAY BOY Member Since: 04 May 2010 Location: Not here Posts: 1706	Looking forward to more pics of your progress
24th Feb 2016 9:24pm

jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 8059

Wings came off ok! Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge and went back on sort of OK, near side was complete off ebay, the drivers side took three parts to mash together from various older vehicles, thank you Tim for the top. Click image to enlarge managed to get the engine bay side of the snorkel sorted too. Click image to enlarge there are two holes in the bottom of the air box, one shown central clearly and the other in the bottom of the front foot just about visible Click image to enlarge The air pipe conversion does sit close to the engine where the eccentric adpator goes into the air box. to improve the clearance i spaced out the airbox mounting at the front on the top side and drilled some appropriate holes to take some cable ties to pull the back of the box closer to the wing. Name of the kit currently escapes me. the other mod was to allow the bottom of the mantec snorkel metal bracket to sit properly you need to increase the depth of the slots in the grp(?) wing box (bottom edge) that goes on the inside of the wing. heating up the two metal lugs to get them to melt their own way in worked well, after reducing the length of the lug to make sure it couldn't go all the way through the box! Cheers James 110 2012 XS Utility 130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper 90 2010 Hardtop 90 M57 1988 Hardtop

24th Feb 2016 9:25pm

jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 8059	air box mounting spaced at front Click image to enlarge cable ties to pull the back end in tight Click image to enlarge some clearance on the pipe, just need to rotate the jubilee a bit now Click image to enlarge was getting on well with it until this came along Click image to enlarge Cheers James 110 2012 XS Utility 130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper 90 2010 Hardtop 90 M57 1988 Hardtop
24th Feb 2016 9:28pm

TJ101 Member Since: 30 May 2007 Location: Taunton Somerset Posts: 3750	jst wrote: . Name of the kit currently escapes me. Nugget Stuff http://www.firstfour.co.uk/item/2176798/de...ystem--rhd Had the same with mine, and took the time to line it up with the door post and A pillar Glad the wing top was usable California F1, 75th 110 "Kermit", 50th Ann V8, 90 V8 Hybrid, 55 Series 1 Main Brian James Trailer Dealer for South West UK
24th Feb 2016 10:23pm

Les Brock Member Since: 20 Mar 2012 Location: Stroud, Glos Posts: 152	Nice work, nice work area to
25th Feb 2016 10:56am

jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 8059	yep, thats the one, thank you tim Cheers James 110 2012 XS Utility 130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper 90 2010 Hardtop 90 M57 1988 Hardtop
25th Feb 2016 7:04pm

jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 8059

Its slowly coming along, i managed to get the roof off over the weekend Click image to enlarge and the front safety devices hoop in place along with the brackets which go down to pick up on the tubular outriggers. Click image to enlarge# Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge the Wright off Road sound proofing is in too. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge also had a bit of time to take the damaged sections out of the rear quarters/tub. i dont really like these but there was little choice really. Click image to enlarge its coming along. Cheers James 110 2012 XS Utility 130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper 90 2010 Hardtop 90 M57 1988 Hardtop

1st Mar 2016 10:41am

jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 8059	New Calipers on the front now and brake fluid all replaced. best to be sure, didnt know how old it was. Click image to enlarge Cheers James 110 2012 XS Utility 130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper 90 2010 Hardtop 90 M57 1988 Hardtop
1st Mar 2016 12:44pm

mikeh501 Member Since: 07 Jan 2013 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1142	how much was the wright off road sound proofing? can it be washed out?
1st Mar 2016 5:29pm

jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 8059	i got it from Exmoor Trim with the hood etc, http://www.exmoortrim.co.uk/store/defender...etail.html £330 or so i have it in two other Defenders. ones 7 years old now the other about 5years old, i tend to pressure wash it, and its lasted ok to date. so much so i spent out on the new one! Cheers James 110 2012 XS Utility 130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper 90 2010 Hardtop 90 M57 1988 Hardtop
1st Mar 2016 8:44pm

jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 8059	the pads looked ok thickness wise, thought i would take them out to check, material came off the backing plate on one, the other was cracked! # glad i bothered to check them! Cheers James 110 2012 XS Utility 130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper 90 2010 Hardtop 90 M57 1988 Hardtop
8th Mar 2016 5:53pm

tookaphotoof Member Since: 18 Mar 2013 Location: dordrecht Posts: 1279	Looks like a fun project!
8th Mar 2016 5:58pm

jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 8059

Cut down the rear door and used some ali u channel on the top of finish it off. the Exmoor Trim rear flap holder seems well made and a cracking idea. need to get the rear frame sorted now with holes all drilled up ready for painting thats due week after next. its going to be close to the Big Outdoors event at this rate, once its back Easter is sort of in the way, and it needs snorkel, rear seats, sound proofing in the rear, frame back on, tyres etc etc.... Cheers James 110 2012 XS Utility 130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper 90 2010 Hardtop 90 M57 1988 Hardtop

8th Mar 2016 6:02pm

pjb Member Since: 08 Apr 2009 Location: Sunny Oxford Posts: 1244	Looking good Nice to see another soft top evolve I pick up tips from everyone I see being done to make mine better Keep up the good work 2020 P300 HSE
9th Mar 2016 8:47am

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