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CarMan



Member Since: 29 Nov 2010
Location: Cotswolds
Posts: 1767

United Kingdom 
Soft-top Defender folding windscreen
I was looking at https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic77739.html and it started me thinking Rolling Eyes

1. All those pictured at the top of the thread have painted wheel arches which look good to me, so do these need to start-off as gloss or matt?

2. I think I like the idea of a folding windscreen and now know these were available on early 90's so would that be a good or daft idea Question

Thinking about my 300tdi now MOT'd and back on the road from April Fools Day Laughing Rob

1993 200tdi 90 hard-top
1998 300tdi 90 soft-top
2016 2.2 XS 90 hard-top
Post #894732 29th Mar 2021 5:28pm
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Shroppy



Member Since: 25 Feb 2016
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 846

United Kingdom 1986 Defender 130 V8 Petrol HCPU Aintree Green
Some lovely colours in that thread, I have been pondering some of them for my 130....

To answer your questions;

1 - Personally I'd buy a new set (think they can be had quite cheaply) of the unpainted spats and use a good quality plastic primer, then top coat in a colour of your choice. I'm almost certain the more expensive primered versions started out life the same as the matt ones.

2 - It's a nice idea, you'll need both the hinge type windscreen blocks and their counterpart inner clamping bracket. I dare say it'll be a right pain to re-seal though if you're parking it outside. 1985 127 V8 Build Thread
Series 2 109"
Series 1 80"
Post #894736 29th Mar 2021 5:37pm
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Litch



Member Since: 10 Mar 2013
Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 758

England 
I once drove my S111 with the windscreen folded flat, great for posing but useless for driving unless you are wearing goggles.

The windscreen on my 90 soft-top has stayed firmly in the "up" position, in fact I even replaced the hinges with fixed blocks. ONE LIFE, GET IT!
Post #894740 29th Mar 2021 5:53pm
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camelman



Member Since: 27 Feb 2013
Location: Peak District
Posts: 3308

United Kingdom 
^^^ Or just buy a series or a mog Whistle



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Post #894741 29th Mar 2021 5:55pm
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CarMan



Member Since: 29 Nov 2010
Location: Cotswolds
Posts: 1767

United Kingdom 
Thanks and both lovely Thumbs Up Rob

1993 200tdi 90 hard-top
1998 300tdi 90 soft-top
2016 2.2 XS 90 hard-top
Post #894746 29th Mar 2021 6:17pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16809

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
I used to drive my first SI 80" a lot with the screen down, but unless you are (for example) green laning at very low speed, goggles are a must. I have had large bugs splatting me on the face, it hurts, and could very easily take out an eye if unprotected. I am reliably informed that driving with the screen down, flying goggles, and your hair and clothing doing Red Baron impressions actually doesn't look cool but manic, and any form of social intercourse when you are covering in bug cadavers is difficult. But you're only young once, and when you are young you know best!

I did once make a serious mistake when dusk fell of continuing to drive with the screen down after turning on the headlights. Never do this, the result is very predictable (think what your windscreen looks like after a summer night drive in terms of cadavers).

I did also once also have a near miss so close with a pheasant that I felt its wing. That scared me, a pheasant in the face at 50mph would not be fun.

In summary it is fun once or twice to fold the screen down, but the novelty rapidly wears off and it really isn't very useful.
Post #894759 29th Mar 2021 6:50pm
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90 Dreamer



Member Since: 13 Jul 2019
Location: Oop North
Posts: 2045

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Have alwyas been into bikes and a good friend managed to 'catch' a pheasant one night down the local bypass
Even with a full face helmet / visor down it made him black & blue for weeks after........not pretty
Post #894777 29th Mar 2021 7:49pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16809

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
The other important thing to remember if driving with the screen folded down, which I forgot to mention above, is to keep your mouth shut! The reasons are obvious.
Post #894804 29th Mar 2021 9:35pm
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Harry.O



Member Since: 25 Jul 2014
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 704

United Kingdom 1989 Defender 90 300 Tdi ST Nato Green
I've got a folding screen on my soft top 90 and whilst it is amusing for small amounts of time, bugs and debris from other car tyres are not very comfortable. Screen up and roof off is much more comfortable Thumbs Up

If you do want to fold the screen down then you'll need to remove the windscreen wipers but the frame will pass over the screen washer jet. Maybe think about some kind of rubber buffer to stop the screen frame damaging the bonnet paintwork also? 2005 Td5 110 Hardtop
1989 300Tdi 90 Soft top
1992 200Tdi 90 Truck cab with Land Cruiser axles
Post #894869 30th Mar 2021 8:46am
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The Crab Botherer



Member Since: 07 May 2020
Location: WIRRAL
Posts: 55

United Kingdom 2001 Defender 90 Td5 ST Nato Green
I had a battered old V8 series 2 swb when i lived in South London 25 years ago and ran it screen down, no doors through the summer. Great fun unless it hammered down, but highly recommended! Glasses a must at the very least. My cousin always used to ride his Triumph Bonnie with no goggles til he copped a bumble bee in the eye at 60+ MPH, he looked like he'd been punched.
Post #894894 30th Mar 2021 10:37am
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diesel_jim



Member Since: 13 Oct 2008
Location: hiding
Posts: 6026

United Kingdom 2006 Defender 110 Td5 SW Epsom Green
I had a bumble bee hit me in the face once.... OK I was riding my motorbike, and had helmet on with the visor down.

Was a CBR600 and I was on the M4, so I may been going a tadge over 70..... the bee splatted well! I remember thinking, thank god I had the visor down. Shocked
Post #894985 30th Mar 2021 6:38pm
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Dinnu



Member Since: 24 Dec 2019
Location: Lija
Posts: 3141

Malta 2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Santorini Black
Hitting a bird (I think the size of a pigeon) at autobahn speed limit (pedal to the metal, on a Toyota Camry 2.5L petrol) was enough to scare the s#!t out of me. I did not see the bird coming, and probably neither did it see me.
Having a near vertical windshield as on a Defender would have probably seen it fly out of the back door screen as well. But then, who is out of his mind enough to drive at those speeds in a Defender (only those with 500+hp under the bonnet). 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing
2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black
Post #894995 30th Mar 2021 7:28pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16809

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
I hit an unfortunate pheasant the other day with my Disco 2 with the top left hand corner of the windscreen, and the impact was hard enough to cause the blanking plate for the sunroof switches (mine sunroof is manual) to fall off the roof console. I have no idea how the screen didn't break. I an pretty sure that had I been driving a vehicle with no screen, and it had hit my face, I would be dead.
Post #895012 30th Mar 2021 9:15pm
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