Safari Top Question

[aluke0510]

Question:

On the safari/tropical top on old series land rovers, do the roof vents just open to the gap between the lower layer and top layer or did the open through the top layer? Second which direction did the mount? Third anybody making good reproductions?

I want to do a safari/tropical top modification on my Alaskan Postal Jeep Scambler hard top. I have seen five dozen of these but never paid much attention to how the vents were set up and worked.

Thanks

 

[UnfrozenCaveman]

Just to the gap between the panels.

There seem to be at least two answers...mine are two facing forward and two facing rear.

I'm not aware of complete repro bits but I think Ike at Pangolin 4x4 has some replacement bits.

 

[proper4wd]

I believe the front two open towards the front, and the rear two open towards the rear to provide some flow through the cabin.

You can buy new vents (look for them for a grumman bread truck) that will suit what you are trying to to without having to buy new Land Rover parts.

http://store.stepvanparts.com/SIDE-VENTS-STEPVAN.HTM

 

[I Leak Oil]

They all open facing forward. There are no reproductions of the original rover parts so if you want rover stuff you have to find used, otherwise buy other types of vents as has been suggested.

 

[LR Max]

I believe the front two open towards the front, and the rear two open towards the rear to provide some flow through the cabin.

You can buy new vents (look for them for a grumman bread truck) that will suit what you are trying to to without having to buy new Land Rover parts.

http://store.stepvanparts.com/SIDE-VENTS-STEPVAN.HTM

That would be nice to install on my doors to get some air into the floorboard area. Nice!

 

[aluke0510]

Thanks,
I have seen those but have to concerns with them. The first is they have no seal, could probably work out some sort of foam seal though if they can be disassembled. The second is the look like they will hang down into the cab too far. The rover ones look almost perfect, I guess because they were design specifically for the roof vent task.

I have contacted two companies that claim to have new old stock to see what their price is. Probably expensive. If too expensive I will have to look for some sort of vent like those to suit my needs.

Those with the safari top, how necessary do you think a seal is? My concern is mostly driving when it is raining; wouldn't be nice to have water dipping on my head and gear because I didn't pay the extra or search until I found ones with a seal...

 

[tacr2man]

IIRC they open facing backwards , although it was not unknown for people to refit them the other way . Landrover call it a tropical roof , they also did one for the truck cab but even rarer HTSH

part no 333836 but they are about £130 each (in UK)

 

[I Leak Oil]

Every top I've seen has had them facing with the open part forward, acting as a scoop. I've parted several trucks over the years and any tropical top has had them in this configuration. I doubt all the PO's happened to switch them, that would be quite a coincidence. My own top also has them in this configuration.
I looked around and you can still by some of the parts new. LRSeries in particular is one place I found.

 

[I Leak Oil]

That would be nice to install on my doors to get some air into the floorboard area. Nice!

I seen it done with original series vents and would like to try this myself. My right foot gets DAMN hot in the summer!

 

[aluke0510]

Thanks,
When I get to this I think I will put them facing forward, can always reverse them. I found some for $100USD each. Fairly pricey, still looking for an aftermarket alternative. Not finding anything yet in about the right size and low enough profile. I am sure it exists though. As I am not using a series top so I have no regrets not using the correct part... But worse comes to worse I will get them.

I would be a bit worried about rocks and dirt being thrown up and hitting ones near the doors. What I am planning to do is apply Lizard Skins thermal insulation on the front floor and bulkhead then bed liner over that. Seeking the thermal insulation from the Lizard Skins stuff and the sound deadening from the bed liner.

My Jeep is going to have a couple of land rover mods, with a twist of south african and australian products, my own inventions, and a bit of modernizing. Perhaps a few years down the road a Mercedes G-wagon turbo diesel even...

 

[JackW]

That would be nice to install on my doors to get some air into the floorboard area. Nice!

There was a Rover enthusiast in California named Doug Richardson back in the late 1960's who did a lot of modifications to his 109 including adding roof type vents to the front lower corners of the front doors to improve airflow into the foot well. He also pioneered the "Demolition Bumper" which carried an on board supply of oil within the front bumper tube.

http://www.landrover-motorhome.com/

 

[tacr2man]

Putting vents in the doors , not the roof type ones more like the ones in illustration previous post , was quite a common mod in Australia , they are usually mounted about a third the way up and about six to ten inches back HTSH