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affiliate13



Member Since: 29 Jan 2012
Location: Belfast
Posts: 82

2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Sumatra Black
Soft A-Bar Alternatives
Local dealer has quoted over £450 for the LR Soft A Bar.
I've looked around at spares places and some of them are not far off this price too.
Are there other after-market options instead?
All i can find are the steel kinds.

Thanks.
Post #130282 10th Mar 2012 11:55am
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MartinK



Member Since: 02 Mar 2011
Location: Silverdale (Lancashire/Cumbria Border)
Posts: 2664

United Kingdom 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Orkney Grey
I'm also keen to see how this pans out.

The cost of the actual lights pales into insignificance when you look at the overall cost of fitting driving lights "properly"...

£400 for a LR "A" Bar
£180-ish for a decent set of Spots
£120-ish for a LR original wiring loom (although thans to this forum there's now an alternative Thumbs Up ).

Overall - £700 to do it the LR route... It's a lot of cash!

I'm putting mine off for nos (summer is here!) but will probably fit some for next winter.

If someone does know an alternative to the LR Soft A Bar...that would be great Thumbs Up

Do you have Air Con or not? IIRC it makes a difference to the A Bar you need... Defender "Puma" 2.4 110 County Utility (possibly the last of the 2.4's)
Post #130298 10th Mar 2012 2:15pm
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affiliate13



Member Since: 29 Jan 2012
Location: Belfast
Posts: 82

2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Sumatra Black
I havent picked it up yet, i get it in April and it will have aircon.
I thought i could just get some Wipac spots for it, Paddocks do the 7" ones for £39ea but the wiring i will get help with.
I just dont understand how a plastic/rubbery one is 5-6x the price of a basic steel one and more than £100 over what a decent heavy duty winch bumper A bar costs, ive seen them for about £330.
Post #130321 10th Mar 2012 3:55pm
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affiliate13



Member Since: 29 Jan 2012
Location: Belfast
Posts: 82

2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Sumatra Black
I have asked around and £450ish is about right it seems for the Soft A Bar.
So i'll get the dealer to fit it but i wonder will a pair of these fit properly under it?
http://www.paddockspares.com/s6013-8inch-1...-back.html
Post #130511 11th Mar 2012 5:27pm
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ericvv



Member Since: 02 Jun 2011
Location: Near the Jet d'Eau
Posts: 5816

Switzerland 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
affiliate13 wrote:
I havent picked it up yet, i get it in April and it will have aircon.
I thought i could just get some Wipac spots for it, Paddocks do the 7" ones for £39ea but the wiring i will get help with.
I just dont understand how a plastic/rubbery one is 5-6x the price of a basic steel one and more than £100 over what a decent heavy duty winch bumper A bar costs, ive seen them for about £330.


Aren't all the steel ones outlawed by now? The LR original soft A bar is EU marked, so still can be added on new vehicles legally. I would be very careful with insurance companies, and don't want to think what may happen after you have an accident with a steel bull bar on a new vehicle.
I think on older vehicles where the steel bull bar was already installed prior to the date that the new law came in force it is ok to leave them on. However, I believe also on older vehicles after the date that the new regulation came into force, you can not put a non-EU marked bull bar anymore. Pretty sure it is like that here in Switzerland and have read the same about France, but believe what applies in one EU country will apply in all the other ones too in this respect, so that is including UK. You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation.
http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o
https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I
https://vimeo.com/201482507
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw
Post #130519 11th Mar 2012 5:50pm
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affiliate13



Member Since: 29 Jan 2012
Location: Belfast
Posts: 82

2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Sumatra Black
Yes, i wouldnt add a full steel one, i just noticed that some of the steel ones with all the bells and whistles were still less than the soft ones.
I am happy enough with the standard soft models, i just didnt understand why they are the guts of £500ea.
That said i am resigned to the cost.

Has anyone tried the lights in my previous post on the soft A bar?

Thanks chaps.
Post #130521 11th Mar 2012 5:56pm
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Glynparry25



Member Since: 16 Feb 2009
Location: Miserable Midlands
Posts: 3015

Wales 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS DCPU Tonga Green
I saved myself £350 and went for this one:


Click image to enlarge


affiliate13 wrote:
Yes, i wouldnt add a full steel one, i just noticed that some of the steel ones with all the bells and whistles were still less than the soft ones.
I am happy enough with the standard soft models, i just didnt understand why they are the guts of £500ea.
That said i am resigned to the cost.


The reason why they are soo expensive is because people are now scared to put metal ones on because they think they are illegal.

The law is in respect to manufacture of bull bars or manufacture of vehicles with bull bars......... so....... as long as your vehicle wasn't manufactured with a metal Bull bar you are OK, and as long as your bull bar was manufactured before 2007 you are OK..... there is nothing in the law that states that you can't fit a pre-07 bull bar to a post-07 vehicle.

The main thing to check first is that your insurance company would be happy with it- I know several people (including myself) on this forum are running metal bull bars on their trucks and have had them approved by insurance.

Glyn Dog :sheep:

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated Mr. Green
Post #130535 11th Mar 2012 6:27pm
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affiliate13



Member Since: 29 Jan 2012
Location: Belfast
Posts: 82

2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Sumatra Black
Ah OK,
I have seen folk with new(ish) vehicles with them on and wondered how it was done and the fact they are still for sale of course.
I had assumed it was for some kind of commercial exemption.

We spoke with the dealer yesterday he said he would discount some other bits down and fit anything we could source cheaper elsewhere for a moderate amount to be confirmed later, given my whinging about the cost of it.

So i have ordered up the mudstuff seat rails and bulkhead bar removal kit.
Some stainless fittings from Paddock and BoB and some better bulbs, Cree reverse LED and Philips Ex's +100%
I found some nice black chequer sil guards on ebay too so they can do all that when waxoyling it.

I am not entirely sure about those Wipac 8" jobs though, i seem to remember reading that two 8" spots wouldnt fit under the soft A-Bar.

If those Wipacs are not suitable what does everyone else use?
Post #130558 11th Mar 2012 7:30pm
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