first post - troopy roof removal?

[wedgetail]

I'll start by saying a quick hi - great forum and I've spent a while browsing it picking up things. I have a 1981 HJ47 troopy and recently did the pump governor diaphragm using descriptions I got off this site - fantastic!

I love my troopy, and have been from the southern highlands to the west Kimberlys (did a season on a cattle station), then from the southern highlands to lake mungo and back. It never missed a beat.

However, I've now settled down living on a cattle property (I'm the mechanic here) out of near Coolah NSW and find a troopy is useless. I need something I can cart timber, firewood and go hunting in. Short of trading it for a (rego'd) HJ47 ute (an attractive option) I'm stuck with pulling off the roof. It looks awesome, and is way more practical if a bit late in the season.

But I'm wondering how legal it is to drive on the road like this? I'd put the doors on and screen up, but is it legal to drive a 40 series cruiser with no roof and roll bar in NSW? I'd fit lap belts using the original mounts, which I think is a grey area - but that's not my main question. If it's legal to use without the roof I might end up getting an engineer's certificate for the lap belts. I'm thinking as they were designed to have the roof removed, like an old land rover (that's where I caught the topless bug) it should be legal...

Or can someone point me towards a good HJ47 tray back that could be traded for my troopy?

 

[sneaky]

Hi Wedgetail,

Good looking troopy. I'm not too sure on the legal requirements in NSW as they differ a bit to Queenslands, but up here if you take the roof off, you need a roll bar to mount the upper part of the seatbelt too, as the vehicle was originally complianced with three point belts, it needs to be to that standard.

The other option would be to get a 45 cab rear panel and roof and put that on the troopy, and make up a panel that goes in the tub. There is a member here named Uted that has done that and it looks good.

 

[cjgoode]

It looks cool, nice rig. I would put a rollbar and good seat belts in it. There is cool, and then there is foolish. For me driving without a seat belt and some protection does not make sense. Although my son was going to take his drivers test, and here in the US a tester rides with you. It was tempting to take the 1962 fj40 with no rollbar no top and no seatbelts and see if that tester person was willing to get in and go for a ride with a kid learning to drive. Even the DMV document for the test here says you do not have to have the seatbelts if it was not original equipment.

 

[cult45]

Rollbar and seatbelts are required by law or they'll be all over you. Plus as cjgoode says it'd make you safer. Why not put a ute wraparound and roof on it?

It'd look trick and be roadworthy too.

 

[MicahMan]

Here in Utah it doesn't matter. If thats how it came from the factory. My problem would be the close hair cut you'd get if you roll it!
I've got a fj40 factory softop that since got a hard top. I'm thinking of removing it this summer too. TLCA won't let you roll on a run without a cage though. So i'd figure something out!

 

[skidplate]

Sneaky has a good idea. This is what a friend has done to his '40. With all the '45's in your area seems you could give it a go! then youd have the best of both worlds. Welcome to MUD!

 

[wedgetail]

Thanks for all the suggestions and welcomes guys, and skidplate that 40 looks pretty neat. I could make a roll bar and fit the seat belts too it, but I'd need to get an engineers certificate as well. One problem is I don't have the spare cash to get this done - last time I tried to get a certificate for extra seats and belts in the back after work I'd done and he wanted $500 to look at it and $250 to drive an hour and a half to get there. Now I am further out too.

Also, I'm not trying to be gung ho, I just don't like them. I don't where a helmet when I ride a horse or a quad, most of my chainsaws don't have chain brakes and I grew up driving land rovers with no roof, windscreen or seat belts (in the UK). In general I'm careful and not accident prone, but I resent having the authorities tell me how to be safe.

I'll just use it on the property (I'm thinking it was a waste getting it rego'd anyway - 28000 acres is enough to go quite a way) and put the roof on when I go on public roads.

I also don't want to put time into converting it to a ute as it'd still need an engineers certificate. It would also be a lot of work compared to selling it and buying a proper tray back, which would end up much more useful than a hybrid well back.

 

[skidplate]

Wedgetail, I'm with you on the nanny state! Funny how politicians know how to take care of you more than you! I think your Aussie mates need to chime in on your regulations for seatbelts and what not. Good luck, and by the way, I think your troopy looks awsome the way it is. They are very rare in the U.S. and I'd love to have one, but it's yours so do what you want.