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.

[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

[KingSlug]

What about the Land Rover Ambulance????

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.

[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...

[sayers]

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

[mikeshaw247]

I've got the tropical roof on my '71 Series 2A. I have the vents in side, but fear opening them until I am sure sunny weather will prevail for more than 2 days. (I live in Virginia and it is mid-December). I cannot risk rain getting inside yet by yet another method. My plan is to remove the headliner (soaked and squishy after each big storm), and take it from there. These inside vents cannot open very far I think, so should be interesting.
Have a great day (from the year 2018).
Mike

[Moritz]

I put a tropical roof on my 74 Series III when restoring. I read somewhere they were not common on US import III's. Apparently they sold some with sun screens but very few with alpine windows and vents. I also read a few with tropical roofs originally intended for the middle east made it to the US but I can't find that reference. My roof came from an old '68 and I paid (great shape, just faded) $1000 for it. Cleaned it up, painted the roof itself limestone white, and the sunscreen white. Used the Badger Coach Works liner. Didn't need it, no it's not stock, but damn does it look Daktari awesome.

[J!m]

The NAS series III tropical roofs had the sun sheet and alpine lights by did not have the roof vents. Pretty sure anyway. May not have had the alpine lights either.

Al took his series III to Africa with us an he had an original NAS safari roof. Check the pictures (white truck) from our expedition. I’m sure it didn’t have vents but I can’t remember if it had the windows or not. That was 18 years ago...

[cedryck]

The NAS series III tropical roofs had the sun sheet and alpine lights by did not have the roof vents. Pretty sure anyway. May not have had the alpine lights either.

Al took his series III to Africa with us an he had an original NAS safari roof. Check the pictures (white truck) from our expedition. I’m sure it didn’t have vents but I can’t remember if it had the windows or not. That was 18 years ago...

Hi Jim from CT. This is Jeff. You know that AL sold the White Series three years ago, I believe it now lives in Vermont somehwere at a ski resort. I still run into him when he comes back to CT. Cheers.

[J!m]

Hey Jeff how are you!

Will you be hitting any events this year?

[cedryck]

Hey Jeff how are you!

Will you be hitting any events this year?

I will fill you in with a PM message. Cheers.