What Series got what rear door?

[crankin]

Was there a rhyme or reason why some series have the solid rear doors where others have the lift gates?

Was it specific to Series IIa's, III's, County, Station Wagon, etc...?

[Leslie]

The tailgate/liftgate was more of a 'work truck' orientation, the 'station wagons' were back-doors, for sure. Countys are all 'station wagons' as far as I know. Not IIa/ III specific, but, I have seen more IIa's with liftgates than III's.... of course, the 'newest' SIII is over 25 years old now, anything could have been swapped around on about any vehicle by now, eh?

[Jeff Aronson]

Rear Doors

Leslie's on top of the rear door options; you will see more liftgates on II-A's in the US because you could secure them as options on the Series II and early II-A's. By the time that Rover had to focus more on emissions and lighting standards, the options lists for NADA models begins to diminish. I think that's why you see fewer late Series II-A's and Series III's with the liftgates.

As Leslie noted, the lift gate was perfect for the working hardtop, and working trucks led a harder life than their passenger carrying counterparts. So there are fewer still around. The tailgate alone would, of course, come with the soft top.

Jeff

[SafeAirOne]

If I'm not mistaken, there was a certain point where ordinary vehicles became heavily taxed in the UK, so Rover got around the tax by cramming seats in all over the place to qualify as a bus and thereby avoid the tax on ordinary vehicles. I don't know if this applied to 88s so much but certainly to 109s, so there goes a whole slew of possible split rear door vehicles.

This a vague generalization because my memory of the details are similarly vague and generalized...

[leafsprung]

door vs gate

In the US:

-All 1967 and earlier hardtops received liftgate/tailgates
-All station wagons received a rear swing door
-All 68 and later "deluxe hardtops" received a door

[crankin]

In the US:

-All 1967 and earlier hardtops received liftgate/tailgates
-All station wagons received a rear swing door
-All 68 and later "deluxe hardtops" received a door

Leafsprung, did this also hold true with UK Specs?

[leafsprung]

UK

Yes and no. SWs always got the rear door as standard, but production was not standardized in 67 as it was in the US. They continued to be able to get gates there after 67. Are you trying to determine if your truck came with a gate or a door?

[crankin]

Yes and no. SWs always got the rear door as standard, but production was not standardized in 67 as it was in the US. They continued to be able to get gates there after 67. Are you trying to determine if your truck came with a gate or a door?

Well, yes and no. I was trying to figure out if the SIII SWB came with them...and also entertaining the thought of getting one.

I just wanted to know a little bit of history on them. I haven't really been able to find anything on the web.

[leafsprung]

Not here in the US, but could have come on a UK model. The liftgate goes all the way into the defender. Even some NAS defenders got the liftgate . . .

[Blueboy]

Even some NAS defenders got the liftgate . . .

yes, but very few in late 1994 as they were kinda the pre-production models of the eventual '95 HT SW model.

also known as Port of Entry D90s - I once read somewhere that the aluminum tops and hardware were installed at the port when they arrived although I never did confirm that.

not many around from what I can tell - some sources say 37 others 65.

ECR worked on one awhile back and pics are on their site.

Jaime

[leafsprung]

The fiberglass hardtop 90s also got a liftgate in addition to the POE models. Rarity is relative. Given the small number of 90s brought to the US, a significant percentage got liftgates. Either way, thats not really the point, they were only mentioned to show that production of liftgate equiped vehicles contined through and beyond the series 3 production. Besides, leafsprung rovers are the only ones worth discussion here