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Striker



Member Since: 04 May 2013
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 127

Puma 90 with full cage. Can it be converted to a rag top?
Before I get carried away, I need some advise from the collective on a few concerns.

My defender is on a 12 plate, farmer spec 90 and started life as a working pickup. I Installed a full cage then converted it to a hardtop.

I keep seeing the canvas 90's and think I'd like to go in that direction.

Are the soft tops higher than the pickup with 3/4 tilts and hard tops? The reason for the question is, I have the full roll cage fitted and this may or may not have clearance underneath the roll cage.

Hood sticks:

I assume they are all the same height otherwise the canvas will not fit. But I could be wrong.

I'm looking at the Purely HD hood sticks but I'm open to suggestions on the sticks and canvas but I'm not going down the mohair route.

Thanks in advance.


This is my 90.


Click image to enlarge
 Cheers Andy


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Post #543524 26th Jun 2016 1:25pm
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mikeh501



Member Since: 07 Jan 2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1142

United Kingdom 
Normally your roll cage would have the appropriate mounts for the tilt. The purely metal ones would probably interfere with the cage you have. Ive never seen anyone with both a cage and a heavy duty tilt. Doesnt mean it doesnt work though!

As for height, then I would say your cage will be taller than any stick set, whether original rattly ones or the purely ones.

Id also rethink mohair, its substantially better made than canvas and doesnt look out of place at all.

fyi, mine has purely metal HD stick set and a black mohair. All supplied by allwheeltrim.

Your also going to need a rear tailgate and to make the most of it, id look at series 3 style front doors. SP4x4 supply the doors for defender usage and the tailgate and door tops id very much recommend rocky mountain as they are excellent.
Post #543593 26th Jun 2016 5:44pm
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Striker



Member Since: 04 May 2013
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 127

Mikeh501,

Thanks for the reply. I know I'm doing this the wrong way round by fitting a roll cage first. But from your reply it is a show stopper unless I remove the roll cage.

The other thing is how will it look if it is possible to do. Will it look "just wrong"

Cheers Andy Cheers Andy


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Post #543637 26th Jun 2016 7:34pm
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mikeh501



Member Since: 07 Jan 2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1142

United Kingdom 
Looking at your cage, Id say the purely HD stick set will fit, as it mounts to the top of the tub in 6 places. It also has a mounting for the top of your seat belts at the front. The only thing is whether it would fit underneath the cage hoops. Im assuming you know the cage has to come off to remove the roof anyhow.

As for whether it would look right. Well, there will certainly be plenty of scaffolding up there!

Normally you would have a NAS type cage for a soft top. It is external above the doors like yours, but disappears inside the cabin at the rear thereby supporting the canvas. Be aware that the canvas must also match this type of cage as it obviously have holes where the cage goes from external to internal.
Post #543641 26th Jun 2016 7:44pm
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mikeh501



Member Since: 07 Jan 2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1142

United Kingdom 
like this NAS/SV cage/hood.

Post #543643 26th Jun 2016 7:48pm
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Striker



Member Since: 04 May 2013
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 127

Mike,
Thanks for your input. Your right about the amount of scaffolding.

Decisions decisions . Cheers Andy


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Post #543762 27th Jun 2016 7:09am
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pjb



Member Since: 08 Apr 2009
Location: Sunny Oxford
Posts: 1244

If it helps this is my ex soft top with the purely hoops fitted

Click image to enlarge


Plus finished with the hood on

Click image to enlarge


It should fit as purely metal hood sticks just bolts on top of the cappings, however it looks tight !

The only thing I would say have you driven a soft top ?

Over 50 mph it is very noisey even with the window partly open to balance the pressure to stop some noise ! 2020 P300 HSE
Post #543770 27th Jun 2016 7:56am
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Striker



Member Since: 04 May 2013
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 127

Yours looks great, but I'm having second thoughts because of the roll cage.

Thanks to everyone that replied Thumbs Up Cheers Andy


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Post #544242 28th Jun 2016 4:52pm
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Striker



Member Since: 04 May 2013
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 127

I've been in touch with Kim from All Wheel Trim today and he assures me there are no clearance issues. So watch this space. Cheers Andy


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Post #546075 4th Jul 2016 9:17pm
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GREENI



Member Since: 22 Aug 2010
Location: staffs
Posts: 10383

United Kingdom 
Here's a pic of my mates 90.. External cage n ragtop.
Sorry it's a bit.....upside down Mr. Green


Post #546086 4th Jul 2016 9:29pm
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Striker



Member Since: 04 May 2013
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 127

Greeni
Do you have a photo of the 90 before it rolled? Cheers Andy


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Post #546100 4th Jul 2016 9:52pm
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GREENI



Member Since: 22 Aug 2010
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yeah will try find one later for you.
Post #546175 5th Jul 2016 10:04am
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GREENI



Member Since: 22 Aug 2010
Location: staffs
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Actually, come to think of it, no. Not with the cage on, this was his second day with the cage fitted.... total wreck Crying or Very sad
Post #546176 5th Jul 2016 10:05am
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CY88



Member Since: 05 Jan 2016
Location: Offshore
Posts: 255

1986 Defender 90 V8 Petrol ST Keswick Green
Quite a few pictures on this link....

http://www.whitbread-offroad.co.uk/roll_ca...php#switch

And this one looks a bit like your cage:



However, one thing that stands out is that despite marketing the cages as ideal for soft-tops and allowing easy removal of the canvas, none of the pictures actually show one with the canvas removed.

My hunch is that this is because in actual fact the cage might look a fairly unwieldy and comedic once the innards are taken out, another good reason why the cage on the NAS model was built inside the hood frame.

Having gone down the soft-top route myself (with the older style two part doors) one of the things that makes a soft-top really desirable is the ability to strip back everything to basics if possible.

If a soft-top is what you want, then the only reason to have a cage on the outside would be if you wanted to also have a roofrack. There's plenty of examples of this in the US on NAS models. Even then, I think that a rack on-top of an external cage makes for an unnecessarily towering truck for the UK! Shocked


Click image to enlarge
 
FFRR Supercharged - Series One - Defender 90 V8
Post #546183 5th Jul 2016 11:00am
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Striker



Member Since: 04 May 2013
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 127

GREENI wrote:
Actually, come to think of it, no. Not with the cage on, this was his second day with the cage fitted.... total wreck Crying or Very sad


I bet he was gutted. I take it he was ok. Cheers Andy


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Post #546195 5th Jul 2016 11:52am
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