IN ASSOCIATION WITH
NEED TO KNOW
TIME: 4 hours.
DIFFICULTY
MODELS: Defender, Ninety, One Ten plus other beam axle models.
TOOLS NEEDED: General workshop tools, trim plug removal tool.
WORK SAFELY:
• Wear eye protection when releasing trim clips.
• Protective gloves may be cumbersome when releasing fiddly trim fittings. If not wearing them, take care to ensure fingers are clear if the trim tool slips.
• Follow the manufacturers’ safety precautions when using adhesives and cleaning materials. Ensure good ventilation.
• Be aware that working overhead in a confined and irregular space to release roof fittings involves a lot of bodily contortion – take it at a comfortable pace.
• Wear eye protection and gloves when using cleaning substances. Eye protection is essential when working overhead to clean a headlining that is still fitted in position.
WHEN Steve Grant and I rebuilt my 1989 pre-Defender Ninety I was determined it would have none of the multiple body leaks that bugged its previous owner. When I bought the truck in 2016, the sunroof had been sealed over with gaffer tape – a desperate and messy cure that illustrated the previous owner’s frustration. Three years later, the sunroof was one of the last items to be fitted to the newly painted roof to complete the rebuild, together with new seals and meticulously applied sealant in all the necessary places.
That worked. The rebuilt
