Hard or Soft?

Hey mate,

I'm actually in the same boat and I've got a hard top tropical roof for my 2a 88 but also a truck cab. I have half the hood bows and fittings for a ragtop and plan to have all three as I already have 110 bench seats to fit into the back. The idea is to stay modular and as flexible as possible. There are times when for long trips or camping when I want to lock stuff up so having the hardtop is a bonus ... then theres times when I may want to use to tub for carrying materials and loads so the truck cab is better and other times in summer when you want more air circulating generally so having the soft top with the sides and back rolled up is just the ticket.

You can have your cake and eat it!

Good Plan!!! I guess a seasonal change wouldn't be a major problem. I love the idea of soft top in the summer, but wasn't sure about it's practica;ity in the winter...but what do you think the insurance companies would say about the occasional change? Dunno, maybe get rag now, then see how long we can cope in winter?!

Hey Ross,

Well I live in Australia so the summer issue is more important here but no less so winter since where I live in the Mtns we get down to zero and it can snow from time to time. I'm not quite up on all the wacky taxes and insurance issues you guys have there though - so you will have to weigh your options.

Hope you had a great Easter!

Best, Simon.

Oh that's easy. Tax is free 'cos its so old. Insurance is nasty 'cos me and wife are only 21!!!

Ross+Pug said:

I like the idea of full rag-top but then maybe hard top is more sensible.

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Sensible? Sensible? When did being sensible ever come into it?

Mine's a soft-top and I've never really wished for anything else.

As far as insurance goes: I don't think my insurance company has record of what kind of roof she's got. It just says "Land Rover 109 Diesel" on the papers.
I have heard one or two soft-top owners say they've got a hard-top sitting in their garden/shed/garage/living room in case they feel like swapping, but they always seem to stick with the canvas. If the sun comes out it only takes a couple of minutes to whip off the top. And when it rains you can put it back on again just as easily. Once the hard-top is on you're much less likely to want to take it off (and leave it at home) when you go for a spin.

Gareth

I'm with Gareth on this, mines full canvas and I wouldn't go back to hardtop now. Taking the hardtop off is a ball ache just for a couple of days.

Regards WP.

My 90's a truck cab at the moment, and I can't decide wether to change to a soft top this summer. My biggest worry is the fear of vandalism and the lack of security.

Wesley Pegden said:

Taking the hardtop off is a ball ache just for a couple of days.

Regards WP.

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I removed my hardtop in about two hours when I did mine and lifted it off by myself ... they aren't that hard to remove.

maybe not hard to remove, or fit, but in two hours where we live, the sun will have disappeared again!!!

I grew up where you live as well as where I live and you get more than one day of sunshine in a row ... last time I was there in 2003 it was a bleedin Indian Summer! You need to be looking to the future, what with global warming, your summers are getting hotter and temps will go up so maybe the softy is for you afterall.

I've got hardtop now but I miss my old softop. Hardtop still leaks in the rain and is cold in the winter, so what's the advantage? I made a wooden "strong box" with a padlock in which I put anything valuable - ex-army so no seat lockers. The hard top version isn't really secure by modern standards anyway.

Percyatok

percyatok said:

The hard top version isn't really secure by modern standards anyway.

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It is with a bloody great German Shep sitting in it.

Fellows,
canvas is the way to go - I put one on last year after getting the M.O.T. It's now due again how have other UK soft-top drivers dealt with inertia belts - mine used to go onto a bracket in the hardtop and now just rest over my shoulder - is that a passable solution,

tom

Yes Tom, Heidi's seatbelts are mounted on the rear bulkhead and the belts just cone over your shoulders. These have passed many MOTs at different testing stations. They test for secure mountings, function of the coupling and condition of the webbing, nothing else.

You still got the candlestick on the bonnet?

Tikirocker said:

I removed my hardtop in about two hours when I did mine and lifted it off by myself ... they aren't that hard to remove.

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Didn't say it was hard, to me it's a ball ache.

Regards WP.

Wesley Pegden said:

Didn't say it was hard, to me it's a ball ache.

Regards WP.

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dead easy!!! 4" lift and drive into a car park..roof off, no problem!

Go for the soft top. If it's fitted well it's as quiet and as well insulated as a tin top, with the added benefit of being able to roll up part or all of it in good weather. Your IIa will also look better!

Cheers,

paulwoj

Get a station wagon top; way more cool than canvas

for all those poor misguided fools who want hardtops I have two in good condition that are free to anyone who wants one or both - collection only.
I will never re-attach the hardtops.

Alternatively if anyone sends me 70 plus A4 prepaid envelopes I will take a hacksaw to one and then post to the lucky recipient. Should you put it back together correctly then it might leak less than a Solihull original.
My canvas is, so far, the best mod I have made to my SIII.

the view of the sky and fresh air are so far under recent governments still free - I intend to make the most of both.

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