Freelander 1 Any 3 door owners out there?

bukko · Aug 12, 2022

Hi all, I'm after a cheeky favour!
I'm trying to fit a soft roof onto my commercial. The problem is the brackets for the struts don't come as standard on those.
I've managed to get some brackets and I can see which screw holes I need to use, but it seems like there must be something else like a spacer between the bracket and the C pillar, to keep them in the right position.
Or maybe it's part of the internal trim that comes on the non-commercial 3 doors that I might be able to replicate somehow.
Is anyone in a position to check for me please? You may need to remove the screws from the edge trim and pull it out to get a good look. A photo would be even better!
Thanks for any help

GrumpyGel · Aug 12, 2022

This is the type of situation where finding one in a good old fashioned breakers yard would be useful. Climb over it and dismantle stuff to your heart's content to see how it goes together.

Nodge68 · Aug 13, 2022

GrumpyGel said:
This is the type of situation where finding one in a good old fashioned breakers yard would be useful. Climb over it and dismantle stuff to your heart's content to see how it goes together.

I would think the chance of finding a Freelander convertible in a scrap yard now, would be pretty much impossible.
The wife always fancied another 3 door, but would want to put a convertible roof on for the summer.
She probably still would if one came along in immaculate condition inside and out of the right specification, although running costs would be prohibitive now unfortunately.

bukko · Aug 13, 2022

GrumpyGel said:
This is the type of situation where finding one in a good old fashioned breakers yard would be useful. Climb over it and dismantle stuff to your heart's content to see how it goes together.

Yep been looking.
There's not actually that many scrap yards around any more.
Plenty of places advertising collection but nothing you can go and look at.

GrumpyGel · Aug 14, 2022

bukko said:
Yep been looking.
There's not actually that many scrap yards around any more.
Plenty of places advertising collection but nothing you can go and look at.

Yeh, hence the reference to old fashioned.

We have a company over here called "Pick a part" that have locations in various places that are like the breakers yards of old. They call themselves "Self Server Auto Dismantlers".

Unlike the breakers yards of old where cars are stacked up 3 high, they are individually placed on blocks, wheels off, to make it as safe as pos. Suppose they know that if there's a serious injury, they will be closed down. It does mean they can't get as many cars in, so stock is more limited. But I've had parts from them and it is (almost) as satisfying/fun as crawling around a breakers yard ever was

Nodge68 · Aug 14, 2022

In the UK the rule for breakers yards changed in early 2000s. They had to had proper hard standing laid, vehicles were no longer allowed to be stacked on each other, so racking is now used. They also needed to ensure environmental pollution was minimal, which meant the hardstanding needed to be concrete, and they also needed huge amounts of public liability insurance for the general public to be allowed to roam the yard.
All this has lead to the demise of the small traditional breakers yard, especially when you factor in that many people these days simply don't repair their own cars now.

We've 1 traditional breakers yard in Cornwall that I know of, but they've not had a Freelander 1 on there inventory for a couple of years now, as it seems they're not getting scrapped now.

potus · Aug 14, 2022

Had a road trip across western USA earlier this year.
My brother was after some parts for a 1970's Jap enduro bike. Managed to stop at Bob's Used Motorcycle parts in Phoenix an hour after landing. Mrs was chuffed to bits

Traditional scrapyard with bikes over many acres, wander round and find the bits you want....good times.

GrumpyGel · Aug 14, 2022

This is on the North Island here. Cars from every age in here, massive cross section of old tat...

bukko · Aug 14, 2022

Ok I'll try a slightly different tack.
Is anyone able to give accurate measurements of the position of the bracket relative to the roof switch?
It would be useful to know how vertical it needs to be as well.
Thanks

bukko · Aug 14, 2022

This isn't a great image, but to me it looks like the edge of the loop on the bracket is pretty much aligned with the roof switch.
Also the loop looks vertical, which would make sense.
Is anyone able to confirm?

Freelander 1 Any 3 door owners out there?

bukko

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Nodge68

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bukko

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