Soft-Top Discovery.... Self build. Am I Crazy?

Hi All
I am seriously looking at cutting the roof off my 1996 Disco 300TDI and wondered if anyone else has attempted to do this?
I need as much advice as I can get as to the pitfalls. It's my daily drive and cannot screw this up. I don't want a sieve for a ride either so if anyone knows where to get a hood made up that doesnt look like a tarpaulin I would very much app that too.
Hope you can help guys
P

Why?

theradiojock said:

Hi All
I am seriously looking at cutting the roof off my 1996 Disco 300TDI

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Isn't it a bit radical for a leaking sunroof

Out of jokes.......think again

This is my first Land Rover. I have always driven sports cars, Mercedes SL sports cars to be exact. I parked up my R109 500SL AMG in March last year and haven't driven it since. I love the practicality and reliability of the TDI but miss the convertible roof!
The whole car is only worth £1500.... Why not?
Paul
Besides, I thought all Landie owners were always modifying, improving and changing there 4x4's? I can't believe no one has done it before?

I've never seen or heard of it been done. But if done properly I suppose it would be an interesting project. You'll need to google around for convertible roof manufacturers. or Kit Car suppliers. If it was my project I'd be heading to Exmoor Trim for advice & info. Bearing in the mind the disco's body shell is seperate to the chassis and relies on the bodyshells structural integrity for it crash resistance.

hmmmm rrc and l322 soft tops look gash, think a disco soft top hideous-if you do at least post photos.

how about a removable hardtop and roll cage

theradiojock said:

Hi All
I am seriously looking at cutting the roof off my 1996 Disco 300TDI and wondered if anyone else has attempted to do this?

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nope, probably because it looks so crap

there was a disco 1 soft top on ebay a couple of years back. Have you thought about roll over protection to replace that lost by removing the roof?

Whoops he's been beaten to it Rover the top? Convertible 4x4 - Auto Trader UK - News and Reviews Hub

theradiojock said:

This is my first Land Rover. I have always driven sports cars, Mercedes SL sports cars to be exact. I parked up my R109 500SL AMG in March last year and haven't driven it since. I love the practicality and reliability of the TDI but miss the convertible roof!
The whole car is only worth £1500.... Why not?
Paul
Besides, I thought all Landie owners were always modifying, improving and changing there 4x4's? I can't believe no one has done it before?

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Buy a Jeep Wrangler in that case! They're designed for abuse and have the roof taken off. Performance to whoop most sports cars, removable roof/convertible, ability to drive over or through nearly anything, and cheap-as-**** to maintain.

I'd been toying with options before buying the Jeep, and was agonisingly close to buying a brand spankers, black n fully spec'ed out C-Class, or spend a bit more for an SLK. Something inside me said no, so I bailed out in favour of a $25k cheaper, crude, loud, fast, bumpy, and fun machine which imo is the ultimate 'all-rounder'. Best decision I've ever made, n was paid off in 2yrs! It also meant that I could buy the sports motorbike of my dreams, and the Disco I'd always wanted. Hehehe!

If you want a soft-top new, the Fisher-Price plastic'y JK is your choice...otherwise, I'd HIGHLY recommend buying a late model Jeep TJ Wrangler...grins are guaranteed!

Start with taking a pic of your car, then photoshopping it and showing it here, to see if it looks alright. If you can't draw it, how are you going to build it (and make it look neat)??? It will also guide you on what/where to cut, etc.

Rollover protection shouldn't be a massive issue, I bet there's plenty of threads on roll cages etc and plenty of companies who can help you out building a proper one.

Its the details that will count - like the trim, the way the hood folds and unfolds, etc.

paul_c said:

Start with taking a pic of your car, then photoshopping it and showing it here, to see if it looks alright. If you can't draw it, how are you going to build it (and make it look neat)??? It will also guide you on what/where to cut, etc.

Rollover protection shouldn't be a massive issue, I bet there's plenty of threads on roll cages etc and plenty of companies who can help you out building a proper one.

Its the details that will count - like the trim, the way the hood folds and unfolds, etc.

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Sorry, but crazy threads like this annoy me when a bleedingly obvious answer is already made and asking to be bought!

Like I said, buy the Jeep TJ if you're a purist, or a JK if you want new. These are the only vehicles designed and capable of doing what you want...period. The factory has it sorted already, it'll do anything you ask, n throw in sportscar performance as a bonus.

mbikeboy said:

Sorry, but crazy threads like this annoy me when a bleedingly obvious answer is already made and asking to be bought!

Like I said, buy the Jeep TJ if you're a purist, or a JK if you want new. These are the only vehicles designed and capable of doing what you want...period. The factory has it sorted already, it'll do anything you ask, n throw in sportscar performance as a bonus.

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Why allow yourself to get annoyed by a thread on an internet? He didn't ask advice for buying a different car, he wants to modify his Disco!!!!! Since its a LR site, lets at least give him the support he deserves. It probably won't work out, most people probably won't like the look of it, but so be it.

ok buy a defender/series with a tdi engine in and unbolt the roof - problem solved

paul_c said:

Why allow yourself to get annoyed by a thread on an internet? He didn't ask advice for buying a different car, he wants to modify his Disco!!!!! Since its a LR site, lets at least give him the support he deserves. It probably won't work out, most people probably won't like the look of it, but so be it.

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It annoys me immensely because the op's suggestions is possibly one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard, n will be jaw-droppingly expensive for fark-all! There's already a superior and ideal product for this kind of thing, so why someone want to blow themselves and a suitcase of cash to do this just seems like a major ****...am I not the only person thinking this?!?!

Christ, I own both types of vehicles and know their strengths n weaknesses! BUY A ****ING JEEP WRANGLER TJ if you want soft-top fun n offroad ability ffs!!! *btw my hard-top comes off in 30 seconds*

If it's any help a company called longranger do a pick up conversion kit for the discovery maybe possible to convert this into a freelander type back
Build

Thanks everyone.
Ive often thought of a jeep wrangler/toledo/renegade, but the engines are huge and expensive to run. that's the only downside to them. Oh except the bloody awful leafspring suspension of course.

Thanks for the pic of the conv disco who every that was. I thought it looked ok, but the rag top needs a lot of attention.

As far as roll over prot goes and body integrity, i thught i would engineer a reverse roll over bar. I won't be going greening in it any longer so. I will develop a u shaped roll bar that tucks down behind the front seats and is bolted to the floor and the remaining half of the B pillar. leavibnf a nice clean line to the eye when the roof is down. The roof needs to have an integral frame stiff enought to support the weight of the canvas and have a pleasing shape to stop it looking like an angle grinder job.
Will keep you posted if interested.
Please kep the tips coming in. i never got this kind of help with the snooty Merc drivers club. Really impressed with you guys.
cheers
Oh! Why does everyoine ina landie wave at me?
Paul

do it, but do it right,maybe make a sliding rag top like the older shape polos? then build a roll cage over? or ,just above the line of windows all round,leaving the rear door and outer support frame,then replace the middle section with new roof? dont worry about the people trying to **** on yyour bonfire,its our car and you can do what you like! i cut the back off mine,and so many people disaproved.but its my landy and i love it

good luck ,show us the pictures too!

why not ask Jeremy Clarkson & Co to try it first, just might save you a few quid and the hassle of doing it yourself?
As for the integrity of the body, that'd why the discovery was originally only available in 3dr format as LR didn't think a 5dr shell would be strong enough to withstand a roll over.

Defo build in a good roll cage first, then look at how the RRC roofs were manufactured.

It's always gonna look like. Bit of a tarpaulin though!

Look at a Suzuki vitara for ideas, that's the kind of roof you'd have to make, and they do look nice because they fit tight.

Speak to an adventurous classic car trim shop local to yourself for technical help on the project.

Oh, and offer lots of money, otherwise you'll just get laughed at