Rarity of Tropical Top?

[Bostonian1976]

Hey all,

I just purchased a tropical top for my Rover this past weekend. Just wondering (more out of curiosity than anything) how rare these are anymore, and what the average price of them is. Thanks!! (it's a '67 88 by the way)

Jason

[jp-]

Hard to say really. I looked on the fourfold website, but the Station Wagon 88" production numbers are not listed separately from the regular 88" 's. I know that the 109" Tropical tops are rarer than the 88" ones. I have seen the 109" ones go for over $1000.

It is a very nice option, that was only put on the Station Wagon versions.

[KingSlug]

It is a very nice option, that was only put on the Station Wagon versions.

Arent you forgeting the most beautiful, stylish, long serving, and worst power to weight ratio of all the Land Rovers. The 109" ambulance. It has a sunsheet and vents. Is it like the 88/109 tropical top, no but is still would be considered a tropical top by definition.

I can understand how you would not catch this as only the most beautiful, smartest, dashing, daring, bravest and a number of other glossy adjectives drive these fine vehicles. Good lord, there is one parked out front of my house.

[Jeff Aronson]

Hey all,

I just purchased a tropical top for my Rover this past weekend. Just wondering (more out of curiosity than anything) how rare these are anymore, and what the average price of them is. Thanks!! (it's a '67 88 by the way)

Jason

While the option was popular in terms of Land Rover's image, and was certainly important in tropical markets, it was not a big item in the USA because of the high pound/dollar exchange rate. Land Rovers were already expensive for the NAS market - they didn't need another option to add to the cost.

In fact, to keep the marque competitive, a NAS version came into being with the late II-A's. The hardtop became the only top for the "standard" Land Rover.

There's no question that the tropical top you purchased was very symbolic, and it was the top featured in the "station wagon" version - along with jump seats in the rear. You'll love fooling around with the vents in the summertime.

Jeff Aronson
Vinalhaven, ME

[Bostonian1976]

While the option was popular in terms of Land Rover's image, and was certainly important in tropical markets, it was not a big item in the USA because of the high pound/dollar exchange rate. Land Rovers were already expensive for the NAS market - they didn't need another option to add to the cost.

In fact, to keep the marque competitive, a NAS version came into being with the late II-A's. The hardtop became the only top for the "standard" Land Rover.

There's no question that the tropical top you purchased was very symbolic, and it was the top featured in the "station wagon" version - along with jump seats in the rear. You'll love fooling around with the vents in the summertime.

Jeff Aronson
Vinalhaven, ME

thanks Jeff!

In terms of rarity though.....is it worth the 500 bucks I paid for it? Was that a good price? I'm just trying to get a sense of these. Can't wait to get it on the truck. I need to redo the headliner first and possibly paint it....sunsheet white and top itself body-color, correct? Right now the whole thing is a faded limestone.

Also unfortunately someone drilled a small hole just before the sunsheet for an antenna, so I need to plug that...

[J!m]

$500.00 is a reasonable price for the condition you describe.

As far as painting goes, it depends on the year of the truck.

on earlier ones, it is body color with a limestone sheet. On later ones, the entire roof is limestone (as you describe all faded).

Mine is a 1971, and I should have the entire roof limestone. What I did was to paint the roof limestone, and leave the sheet plain aluminum.

I guess it depends on how much of a stickler for originality you are...

[Bostonian1976]

excellent thanks a lot! Year is subjective on mine, but 1967 fits it the closest (though VIN would tell you 1971)

[J!m]

I can relate...

[davidd]

My '73 88 has a tropical roof, with Alpine windows and the vents. The top and sides of the roof are in blue body color, and the sheet is limestone. That never seemed right to me; I believe the whole thing (sides/top/sheet) should be limestone. But what a huge PITA to get it redone correctly ... will just leave well enough alone.

The tropical roofs do as they're designed to, and most of them have nice liners to boot. Wonder why they weren't more popular.

[sayers]

I have recently bought a 1974 series 3, the man had the window sticker for it the tropical roof option was $61.30.