Door top rust fix

[stevesharpe]

Hi allos)

My door tops look as if they are fairly new. However rust is appearing along the steel seams and my guess is the steel box section is rusting inside. (see photo)
Any suggestions on how to approach this or should I go for new galvanised/aluminium units (I think that is my preference) - if the answer is to go new - is there a preferred choice of make/manufacturer?
Many thanks
Steve

[2286]

Do you intend to keep the vehicle for a long time?

I went for mod alloy door tops, expensive then and now.  Getting more difficult to find.  £400+ each new.

Secondhand

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266327300218?hash=item3e0258187a:g:qhQAAOSwY-1kqIdx&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8HzipyBl2ylsfvd9l94uRD1TNO%2BqvHLUEoHu0wHENOmEZgMNFfKr5H0eU%2B6MOTbLvFi0tScz2kixJ6OJbxW%2BZs8NSXpS%2FZ2n5J3yPwWgZcA38YPuB58oiQFPMe%2BVFtBifI7iKC6y0gYZUXKIhm9eABMRRcnxoq79RNPd0sKl8cximNCXnQ5A8B4Hw%2BvjtQNBZLkACOdOsC%2BOVWwQ0r0RH6u5jXfyAITPosf6joCMCZ5tuFmKuAINEQVnunLB%2FGwQzrV4D1EH3ybbqecwHntYFpa7Iy3iEu7LRV%2FDkZ6n9PkC4Q0lF%2B6OOhACw9x0pSFR2Q%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9ji5djnYg

Not sure how they compare with other alloy tops that can be bought?

Galvanised I have not encountered in the flesh, sp make or supply them.

[diffwhine]

I have had two sets of SP panels galvanised & alloy door tops. One set I bought built up to fit to a rebuild project during lockdown and the other pair are bare, waiting to build up for my Lightweight or Station Wagon rebuild. The fit was OK (against a soft top) although a bit of pulling and pushing was needed to line things up. Solid and well finished and do the job I'd say. Don't expect perfection at that price, but more than adequate.

[stevesharpe]

Thanks for info
Did you buy bare or glazed? Did you paint them?
Cheers
Steve

[diffwhine]

One bare, one built up. The built up ones I painted after having T-washed the frames. The bare ones are still in their box waiting for me to pull my finger out and start rebuilding at least one of my vehicles. The built up ones just need a bit of masking round the glass, but not difficult.

[Peter Holden]

I bought a pair of base ones last year, I have only painted the aluminium part habving use tech primer.  I glued the runners in so that I didnt need to breach the galvanising.  The fit is OK on mine though not perfect which fits because nothing else is.  I am happy enough considering the cost and yes there was a bit of pulling and pushing but there is when fitting any car door.  (I went on the defender tour at Land Rover in 2016 and watchwed the brutality involved in ditting the doors on the production line).  The ex Mil aluminium door tops are good but at a price if you can get them and being secondhand a number have been mistreated and will never be right.

Peter

[Craig T]

Personally I would clean up what you have, paint it again and spray some wax treatment down the inside. Will last another 20 years yet.

Craig.

[2286]

I bought a pair of base ones last year, I have only painted the aluminium part habving use tech primer.  I glued the runners in so that I didnt need to breach the galvanising.  The fit is OK on mine though not perfect which fits because nothing else is.  I am happy enough considering the cost and yes there was a bit of pulling and pushing but there is when fitting any car door.  (I went on the defender tour at Land Rover in 2016 and watchwed the brutality involved in ditting the doors on the production line).  The ex Mil aluminium door tops are good but at a price if you can get them and being secondhand a number have been mistreated and will never be right.

Peter

I was fortunate to source my mod tops, they were either nos or not issued or similar.

They are finished in the black (i think polyester coating) and have never had any camo daubed on top.

They were a hefty price, even more so when you looked at the price of standard tops that were pennies compared to wht they cost now.

The mod tops have thicker glass than civilian for some reason, the window tracks are plastic and aluminium.  The only slight problem I have encountered is when the upper window track felt decides to kink up or drop.

The lock catch differs to the civilian standard and alloy door top too.

Out of interest how much is a bare galv door top and bare s3 door bottom from sp as I cannot find the price/part on the site.

[diffwhine]

The good thing is that the felt in MOD door tops is easily replaceable!

[GHOBHW]

I have some standard door tops but made of aluminium, exactly like the series 3 type, no idea who made them or when. but theyre amazing and feel much stronger than the 'wolf' type.

never seen any like them either. anyone seen those type before?

[Bloke]

I've always been a big fan of the Rocky Mountain aluminium doortops. Very well made, and they look and fit great. I love being able to slide the front part of the window open too.

Just a shame RM don't have a UK distributor currently, so you have to buy direct and pay hefty postage and customs fees.

Tom

[Adam1958]

I have a pair of the SP galv door tops, they fit pretty well with the truck cab I have. the galvanising is great, but I did have to run a die up the bolts to clean the excess off. They did need a little shim on the inner edge to cant the door top outwards slightly for a better fit. That could well be my door or seal though as the old S3 ones that where fitted also looked a little tipped in.

[Noddy]

I have alloy door tops from a 110 on all four doors of our Dormy and found that they are about 5mm shorter than Series ones. Also the round window catches used on civy 110s are scarcer than hens teeth. The exWolf door tops are prone to cracking where the leading edge meets the bottom piece.

Alec

[2286]

I know standard tops can become window boxes for moss gardens if left long enough unchecked.

But why when the made the factory door tops did they go belt and braces to make them the best they could be whilst leaving the door bottoms unaltered to crack and corrode as they do.

Was it just that the tops were in line of sight?

The alloy door tops always put me in mind of the range rover alloy upper tailgates, that I think were made as an aftermarket upgrade.  Not sure if rr got alloy upper tailgate out of the factory and if they did was that supplier the same as made the door tops?

The round window catches, were they unique to the civilian tops and not from the BL parts bin?

The quarter light press button and l shaped catch used in the range rover was used in Leyland trucks too.