Removing the Rusty Cappings

The body cappings and light cluster corner cappings are held in place predominantly by blind rivets, with only a couple of additional bolts in place, depending on the model. These rivets are easily drilled out with a 5mm drill and the bolts are also easy to remove. (This is, of course, after the hard top sides has already been removed, as described in LRM July issue.)

There is a row of rivets on the outside of the body tub on each side, which need to be drilled out – beware of the possibility of the drill slipping or snapping through the rivet, so that the paintwork does not get inadvertently damaged.

Bit of a puzzle

The top of the aluminium bodywork has a folded inner edge which makes it a little tricky to get the capping off, but it will come with jiggling.

13 More drilling

With the light units removed from the corner cappings, the rivets that fix the cappings to the rear body tub are drilled out.

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Ease them down

The corner bracket and cluster corner cappings are fitted in place. The main body cappings are negotiated into position in the same way that the old ones were removed.

23 Not so tricky

The replacement cappings are the earlier two-piece types which are a little easier to fit over the sides of the aluminium body tub.

24 Finished job

The new galvanised replacement cappings have considerably tidied up this Land Rover, both when the soft top is raised and when it’s down for summer.

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