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bench seats in Defender, is it legal?


jameshub

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i'm thinking of putting rear bench seats in my ex-MOD Defender 90 but is this legal to have and then carry people in the back, assuming i also put seat belts in it?

i asked a friend who is in insurance and he said as long as its an extra that could have come with the vehicle when new, it is legal, but as this is ex-MOD i have no idea what would be standard.

any thoughts?

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Yes, but only needs seatbelts depending on what year it was built, my 110CSW had rear bench seats no seatbelts [1989 vehicle]

most MOD LR's had side facing bench seats from new, if yours had these the bolt holes will be on the top face of the rear arches. 2 at each end.

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i'm thinking of putting rear bench seats in my ex-MOD Defender 90 but is this legal to have and then carry people in the back, assuming i also put seat belts in it?

i asked a friend who is in insurance and he said as long as its an extra that could have come with the vehicle when new, it is legal, but as this is ex-MOD i have no idea what would be standard.

any thoughts?

There are some insurers that don't insure you if you have inward facing seats. Direct Line and Churchill being two (they share under righters and are owned by RBS IIRC).

This might be a trend...

I'm putting forward facing seats in the back of my 110, using minibus seats and unwin tracking.

Cheers,

Mike

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Always check insurance before making any mod, especially seating.

If the vehicle is pre 2007, as any MoD green fleet vehicle will be, then it is no problem, though lap belts may be needed. Post 2007 is a bit trickier - side facing seats were outlawed, so only vehicles built for the MoD might be exempt, but a retro fit once in civilian hands might not qualify. Since no green fleet Defenders were supplied to the MoD since well before that date, it's a bit hypothetical anyway. White fleet (civvy spec) vehicles supplied since that date would have all forward facing seats where installed, but a white fleet utility with no rear seats would have to have forward facing seats if the vehicle was registered after the regs changed in 2007 (September, I think). The change was coincident with the introduction of the Puma engines, so it will be easy to tell if you have a lumped bonnet, but the MoD may have had some "rest of the world" white fleet vehicles with Tdis registered after 2007, so you still need to check.

If concerned, check with the DVLA.

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Always check insurance before making any mod, especially seating.

If the vehicle is pre 2007, as any MoD green fleet vehicle will be, then it is no problem, though lap belts may be needed. Post 2007 is a bit trickier - side facing seats were outlawed, so only vehicles built for the MoD might be exempt, but a retro fit once in civilian hands might not qualify. Since no green fleet Defenders were supplied to the MoD since well before that date, it's a bit hypothetical anyway. White fleet (civvy spec) vehicles supplied since that date would have all forward facing seats where installed, but a white fleet utility with no rear seats would have to have forward facing seats if the vehicle was registered after the regs changed in 2007 (September, I think). The change was coincident with the introduction of the Puma engines, so it will be easy to tell if you have a lumped bonnet, but the MoD may have had some "rest of the world" white fleet vehicles with Tdis registered after 2007, so you still need to check.

If concerned, check with the DVLA.

mine is 1987, so sounds like i wont have a problem, but will check DVLA first......does that apply for middle seat in front as well do you know?

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Yes, but only needs seatbelts depending on what year it was built, my 110CSW had rear bench seats no seatbelts [1989 vehicle]

most MOD LR's had side facing bench seats from new, if yours had these the bolt holes will be on the top face of the rear arches. 2 at each end.

yes i have the 2 bolts, about 3o" apart and to front of rear wheel arches......is that all the bench seats fit to?

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