Series III ½ Ton Air Portable (aka “Lightweight”) - Restored

[jac04]

Here is a picture showing the Badger door tops:

[ducttape]

I looked on the badger site and didn't find those door tops. Does anyone have a handle on alternative tops for doors?

Thx

BTW, STILL a great looking truck.

[jac04]

Here they are:
http://www.badgercoachworks.com/index_files/Page309.htm
However, the price on the web site is outdated. They are now $575.

Anyhow, they supposedly work well on civilian Series vehicles. They required a significant amount of 'tweaking' to be used on my Lightweight. Chris advised that he will not offer these for sale to Lightweight owners because they won't fit "out of the box".

Keep in mind the purpose of the Badger door tops. They are intended to be used as a quick on-and-off, lightweight, and easy to transport door top during the months when you normally run without door tops. You use them in case of a pop-up thunderstorm or driving home on a Fall evening after the sun has gone down. The plastic window unzips, but only so you can pay a toll or pick up a coffee at Dunkin Donuts. They are not intended to be normal every day door tops.

For new door tops, take a look at Rocky Mountain aluminum door tops. They are reasonably priced and well made.

[DuckDoc]

Beautiful. Stunning.....but enough about me!

No, seriously, your truck is absolutely gorgeous. If only I didn't have 7 trucks already! What can I say.......love is in the air......

[mrdoiron]

Jac04, anyone -

Any idea where I can find new rear upper body panels and associated galv caps for the Lightweight ? (sample pic enclosed ref).

thanks , mike

[jac04]

Mike-
PA Blanchard has the entire assemblies listed as still being available (Item #1 on the diagram).
RTC2229 = RH = 335 GBP
RTC2230 = LH = 265 GBP
Not too bad of a deal if shipping isn't too expensive.

[mrdoiron]

excellent, thanks alot ! the existing panels are bowed and beat up... need to fix that...

[Gremlin]

First thought-impression was WOW! Secretly was hoping this was Tata's new rover for NA. How did you do the Desert Rat, by stencil, by hand, decal?

[jac04]

^^ I had decals made.

[jac04]

Remember, a restored Land Rover Lightweight makes a great Christmas gift!

My 68 Camaro restoration project is back in full swing, so my focus on vehicles has changed. The Lightweight has been tucked away in storage mode for a few months now, and will likely remain there for quite some time. It would be nice to see it go to a good home where it would actually get used.

[AU_88]

Wow... I love it. Definitely cant afford it, but it encourages me to put some quality work into my RRC and new to me IIa, and maybe someday my IIa will look that nice and I can start looking for a lightweight.

[jac04]

It's springtime again, and the Lightweight is out of hibernation & patrolling the streets of East Granby, CT.

I won't have much time to enjoy this vehicle after my other project comes home from the body shop this summer/fall. I'd like to see this go to a good home where someone will use it more than I do.

Additional pictures:

With the Badger Coachworks door tops on and the canvas down:



Interior:


Checking out the articulation on the parabolics (can't risk getting the tires dirty!):



A little dusty, but I'll detail the undercarriage before delivery of the vehicle:


I also installed mud flaps front & rear. You can kind of see them in this picture.
(I guess I shouldn't call them mud flaps, they're more there just in case I run over something dirty on the pavement, yikes!)

[ducttape]

Could be one of the nicest cars I've ever seen.

[derekchace]

Amazing JAC.....I remember looking at that Rover before you bought it and saying that way to much work to get drivable never mind restored. Lighweight go for a lot more money in the UK. Might we worth listing it on MILWEB.NET

[jac04]

I may also be interested in a trade for a Defender 90 (although it would have to be a nice D90, LHD).

Forgot to mention: The Lightweight now has a new Roverdrive installed. Makes the vehicle a lot more road-friendly.