90/110 rear door mods

Hello All,
not been on the site for awhile but im back now. I want to modify the rear door on my fender90 but don't really know the best way to go about it.

ok this what I hope to end up with.
a rear window I can ( lower, swing or remove ) but if poss keeping the lower half of the door intact to retain latches,hinges and spare carrier. Reason being my health aint what it was but I still like to get out around the farms shooting, now if the rear glass weren't in my way I can sit and shoot from the back of my motor, that way still help out with the pest control but have a cumfy mobile hide to do it from.

ok the lower half of the door isn't much of a problem as I could retain everything below the glass, the problem is the glass ie, mounting sealing and security.............. so any ideas would be most helpful. ps I don't have a bodyshop to play in just a few hand tools and a helpful daughter and a long suffering wife.
Thanks All look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Tom

Tailgate and cat flap? Keeps things 'standard'

I see your point W/M, but would that not mean having eye plates and toggle pins on the outside, I was hoping maybe someone had done it along the lines of a range rover with internal latches. But as you rightly say standard would be a good option.... Thanks matey...Tom

I just put a cat flap on my defender to go over the rear door. It was a 110 double cab pick up that's now a station wagon. Hence the need for a door top part.

The bottom is on the same two hinges it always was. Not a lowering down, but a swining out door. So a normal door cut in half. The cat fap lifts up and there are no external catches or eyes.

BUT... it was a pain to find a good catflat in nice condition, then to source the fittings for it (some of which I had to make myself). plus a cat flap would mean you wouldn't be able to shoot upwards.

On the route to doing this though, I did find some one who had cut their rear door in half, used a section of door frame replacement steel and added it on above the cut to make a 'stable door' type. Looked surprisingly easy, just need to weld a extra support to the frame, fit an extra hinge(s) to the top / bottom sections and then the top was locked by a sliding bolt to the bottom section.

You could have a removable piece of glass in the door that you take out when going shooting or have a piece of Perspex that is hinged at the bottom so it folds down and bolts up when you finish.

Good morning Niall.
That sounds just what im after, but as you say parts could be a problem. However I love to see some pictures if it possible, it may be worth all the hassle. Shooting up isn't a problem im after those red furry tailed rats that keep killing the lambs but im toooo damned old to sit in a hedge all night.
Wireman, Good morning,
Like your idea too would be a lot less work and cheaper. Only concern is weather proofing, im sure I could solve the security angle, if it were on bolts and wingnuts I could just remove the window when needed, but as I only need it during lambing the seal for the rest of the year needs to be good. Having said that you have kicked my grey cells into life,,,,,,,,,,lol both of them. Gentlemen thank you you've both given me something to work with.
Thanks Tom

here's some photos of how it looks...


We went for this system as we use the car mostly for camping / touring and we cook off the back door so a cat flap made sense for rain cover and keeping the system we had already in place. With the rear carrier we have to close the catflap first so we had to slightly mod the 'join' between the two.

The other bit is finding the little bits to make the cat flap work. There are the brackets that the door hinges from which tuck up on the inside gutter...


Then there is the stays to keep it upright and the fittings that they go on. I opted to to use gas struts...


The lock is two rams that go out either side and then fits into a another fitting. I couldn't find them, so I made my own by welding a socket to the flat plate...



I'm really proud of it, spent some real time on it, all the painting and work was myself - BUT I wouldn't recommend it for you, sounds like a simply perspex solution on a hinge would be great for your use.

You could buy a second rear door and convert it to your 'shooting door' fitting it to the Land Rover when needed during lambing then fitting the normal one for the rest of the year. That way, when/if you sell the motor you can sell it with the standard door keeping your shooting door for your next vehicle.

NiallRussell said:

here's some photos of how it looks...
View attachment 176500 View attachment 176501 View attachment 176502

We went for this system as we use the car mostly for camping / touring and we cook off the back door so a cat flap made sense for rain cover and keeping the system we had already in place. With the rear carrier we have to close the catflap first so we had to slightly mod the 'join' between the two.

The other bit is finding the little bits to make the cat flap work. There are the brackets that the door hinges from which tuck up on the inside gutter...
View attachment 176503

Then there is the stays to keep it upright and the fittings that they go on. I opted to to use gas struts...
View attachment 176504

The lock is two rams that go out either side and then fits into a another fitting. I couldn't find them, so I made my own by welding a socket to the flat plate...
View attachment 176505 View attachment 176506


I'm really proud of it, spent some real time on it, all the painting and work was myself - BUT I wouldn't recommend it for you, sounds like a simply perspex solution on a hinge would be great for your use.

Click to expand...

Very nice job there

I want to do something very similar as we have dogs which i prefer to keep in the truck whilst allowing them air with the cat flap open when stopped

Cat flap to the upper half looks a good idea. Also you can side hinge a tailgate but it still uses the toggles to hold it closed (some soft top military wolfs have had this done). Suppose it depends how neat and original a solution you fancy