I have long been wound-up at trials by the fact that a hard top vehicle is penalised when trialling against a truck cab. This is because as the vehicle tilts towards a cane the hardtop quite often hits the cane and a truck cab misses. This was something I have long intended to do something about, but delays have been thrown in my way. First I was made redundant, then major engine problems caused a financial drain, and finally HM's Land Rover was stolen, so she had to use mine. It's true what they say about Land Rovers "You can't fix 'em 'cos the're being used."

Any way, at last HM found a replacement for the 110, a TDi Disco Auto, so my project could proceed after all these delays. The idea was to convert my blue 90 to a truck cab and place a cage round the cab section. This would allow me to CCV the vehicle as well. Now I know most CCV vehicles are open top motors, but I wanted the opportunity to stay dry. I am, as my father puts it "A pasty faced office worker". It is my intention to be able to remove the truck cab should the weather be upto it.

So the search was on for a decent truck cab for a 90. This isn't as easy as you may think, but eventually I found one at Simon Services of Wakefield. An inspection proved that it looked good enough for my needs, this is to be a CCV motor remember not a concourse special. The only problem was that it was grey not blue so after I had agreed a price I arranged to pickup the truck cab. Now obviously a 90 truck cab won't fit in the back of a 90. So I arranged for a taxi driver (MR. Ed) to collect it at the weekend in his Range Rover.

So it was that on Saturday 27th February we set off with HM in the lead in my 90 and John and myself in his Range Rover to collect the truck cab. HM was going to Stonelake to check out their vehicles, just on the off chance they had something worth considering. When JD and I got to Simon's he was still out to lunch but we had a good look round his lifted Series III LWB. Mounting the axle under rather than on top of the leaf springs has lifted the vehicle.

We got back in the Range Rover to keep warm and HM called to say that there were two vehicles that she was interested in, a Disco and a 110 CSW. HM was like a kid in a candy shop. The 110 was a mint vehicle with 30,000 on the clock but was a little out of her price bracket. The Disco was an Auto and was within her price bracket but had a lot of miles on the clock. Both vehicles were keenly priced even for a private sale. The Ed and I checked each vehicle out first we checked the 110 whilst HM road tested the Disco, then on her return knowing it likely she would get the Disco we went over it with a fine toothed comb. The rust on rear the bumper, yep that was there, we also found a worn track rod end, rusty brake pipe and requirement for two new front mud flaps.

All in all, a good motor and it really didn't look as old or as well used as the mileage would suggest. So, that is how we went to Wakefield to collect a truck cab and came back with a Discovery.

Back to the story then. The truck cab was collected and put in the back of the Range Rover, well all apart from the last inch and a half! That was an interesting drive home.

Back at home we removed the truck cab from the Range Rover and left it in the house for the night. The following day the garage was prepared to become a spray booth and the modification from grey to blue began. First, the side windows were removed. Truck cab owners beware, the side windows take two seconds to remove and as the glazing strip is on the outside, that's how long it would take to get inside your vehicle. This strip has now been fitted inside the vehicle. The rear window was masked off with news paper and tape as was the roof.

Firstly I rubbed down the inside and sprayed that. This was quite easy as I had plenty of room to work around it and quite a good job was made. However, the outside was quite different. You see My garage isn't really designed to be a spray booth. I did the best I could but room was limited and I was using small spray cans. Another warning, You will use approximately twice as much paint as you would expect. I also took this opportunity to spray a set of door hinges to be fitted later.

Helen was away for 3 days and a time was arranged with the Ed and Lee to fit the truck cab. As with all the best plans something always has to go wrong. It rained and it rained. It didn't rain as much as it did in the North York Moors but the fitting had to be called off.

The weekend came and the weather was brilliant. I slowly started to undo all the bolts that hold the roof on. Three (I only found two because the seats were hiding one at each side) down each side in the back. The roof lining is held up with a combination of clips, the rear view mirror and the sun visors. Finally, the roof is bolted to the screen with one bolt in each corner and a row of bolts across the top of the screen. The best thing is that all these bolts are inside so have been kept nice and dry, so no seized bolts due to rust. This done and I was in need of some bodies. Although made of aluminium the roof is still quite heavy. So, whilst I was waiting for the crew I fixed a few other things, like the broken heater cable.

Help arrived and I soon had an open top Land Rover, after the Ed pointed out the two bolts that I had missed. On went the truck cab. The only minor problems being the head rest would not allow the seat to go back far enough and one of the windscreen captive nuts wasn't. Unfortunately, we had to stop here because Helen and I were going out to celebrate an old friend's birthday. Tim was the guy who inspired me to buy a Land Rover in the first place. So the first night as a truck cab had to be spent with a full height back door in place. Next morning and we took Vera out for her first run since November. Her lead free head, new valve stem oil seals and a few new valves seemed to be working OK. However, that as they say is another story.

The head lining was fitted, speakers and light wired up and try the ignition. Smoke, sparks and flames did not follow and beautiful music came out of the speakers. Once balanced all seemed well so I turned my attention to the back door.

Now like most people, if I can see something happening I get excited. So although I did not have a proper tailgate I still went ahead and converted to a truck cab with the intention that I would cut the back door down. What! Cut the back door down on a 90? But they're new and expensive! I hear you cry! Well, they can be, but as my 90 is fourteen years old (1985) and a few years ago I recovered Helen with the back door instead of the Nato hitch it was already in a bad way.

Think about it, 1985, the old Discovery was so "New" it only existed in clay and drawings. The Land Rover was just that, not a Defender. The Range Rover was not then the Classic. There was no Freelander, no New Range Rover, no New Discovery, and no TDi. The V8 was still Carb fed and only 3.5L. Land Rover was a major sponsor of the worlds toughest off road adventure The Camel Trophy. All those changes since my motor came off the production line, yet a new Land Rover Defender still looks like a Land Rover.

A tailgate has now been found and will be fitted. Next comes the roll cage. So, watch this space for the continuing story of this conversion. In the next issue, we will find out if they are still welding things better at Betta Weld.