How to Add Alpine Windows to Your Defender

VIEW ALL BLOGS
VIEW LATEST

How to Add Alpine Windows to Your Defender

Written By: Gibson Hull
March 08, 2025

Corranta may earn a commission if you make a purchase through included links.

Est. Completion Time: 3 Hours - (for me a few days)

Tools Required:
-Window installation tool kit
-Masking tape
-Marker
-Metric tape measure
-Digital calipers
-Window cleaner
-Drill
-Christmas tree bit
-Jig saw
-Angle grinder
-Safety glasses
-Gloves
-Flash light

Parts Required:
-Alpine window kit
-Alpine window template

One of the most iconic design elements of Land Rovers is the Alpine Windows. Those little skylights in the side corner of the roof of most Land Rover SUVs since introduced on the Series I Defenders from the 1950’s. They completely change the ambiance inside the cab, bathing the interior with natural light. Imagine the Pantheon without its famous hole in the roof. With alpine windows, the humble farm tractor suddenly evolves into a delightful luxury farm tractor. When you are sitting in the drivers seat looking forward, the change is so subtle, but it just “lifts” the experience. A sort of lightness, reducing the implement’s weight. It is one of my favorite design elements of Land Rovers, and unfortunately my 1993 Land Rover Defender 90 came without them. Until now, when a hack with some guts and a cordless jig saw is unleashed.

The windows and seals themselves are not terribly hard to come by. The hard part is the dear and anxiety of cutting two massive holes in the roof poorly or in the wrong place. Get it wrong and the true financial impact is painful to put it mildly. There are few retailers out there selling templates that work very well. I wish I had another defender to use to ensure my measurements were correct down to the millimeter. But I decided to bite the bullet and trust my internet sleuthing and the template I bought from Masai Outfitters.

The cutting is the easy part. Getting it correct, then installing the curved glass into a curved place with an unforgiving seal is the hard part. I could not be happier with how it turned out, and it truly does transform the experience inside.

Part 01 - The Setup

Step 01: Gather your tools. You’ll need to make accurate cuts, on a curved surface, and the tools necessary to get that curved glass into a seal.

Step 02: Christmas tree bit. I love this drill bit. One bit for a number of different sized holes. I find that it is really good with clean holes in sheet metal. A standard drill bit would still work too.

Step 01: Gather your tools.

Step 02. Christmas tree bit.

Part 01 - The Job

Step 03: Take one last look. There is no going back, admire your whole roof now.

Step 04: Apply masking tape and prepare template. Adding a nice layer of masking tape will allow you to mark out the cutting line, perfect it, and will protect the existing surface from bumps and scrapes from the various cutting tools we will be using. Prepare your template following the measuring instructions. This is the most important part. I Taped it in place using the measurements provided.

Step 05: Draw out the cut lines. I actually drew mine out a few millimeters more narrow than the template. That way I could make the first cut, then slowly sneak up on the right size.

Step 06: Drill Pilot Hole: Take a deep breath, and drill the pilot hole for the jig saw blade. Drill it a few centimeters away from your edge to ensure you do not drill outside of it. I used a step bit or “christmas tree” bit, but use whatever you have that will comfortably allow you to start your cut. No going back now.

Step 07: Cut along your template line with the jig saw. I wish I had someone to take pictures of the work in progress but here we are. Turns out I cut the opening too small as I found out struggling to install the window for a couple days… Yes, this was worrisome. Until I remeasured and realized I was a millimeter too small top to bottom. Measure 10 times, pray, curse, and cut once too conservatively, then use a grinder to sneak the edge out to a wider mark along the whole edge to get it right.

Step 01: Take one last look.

Step 02. Apply masking tape and prepare template.

Step 03: Draw out the cut lines.

Step 04: Drill pilot hole:

Step 05: Cut along your template line with the jig saw.

Step 08: Install seal and glass. This is the hardest part. As I said, the first hole I cut was too small. I spent a couple days struggling to get the window in thinking it was just hard to do until I realized the size was off. After expanding the hole it went in, but it was still a fight. You fit the seal to the roof, cut it to length (a bit too long as it will relax and shrink and you dont want a gap), then with a lot of soapy water and glass installation tools, fit the glass into the bottom seal, then work the seal up and over the top edge of the glass. The last part, getting the other curved end in, takes the most force to the glass to seat. Prepare for sore hands and shoulders for a few days.

Step 09: Repeat. Same steps on the other side, except this time I ensured the hole was large enough the first time. As an old grizzled pro at this point, the second window went in much smoother.

Step 06: Install seal and glass.

Step 07. Repeat.

Part 03 - The Result

Step 10: Enjoy your new ambiance before and after. What a transformation, and now even more iconic. All is right with the world, and the tractor is now a lighter tractor.

Hope you enjoyed that nerve-racking journey. If you want to keep up to date with the latest posts, subscribe below.

Step 08: Before.

Step 08a: After.