4x4 you say? Do it properly then!

[Diabolu]

I will update the title in a sec


Many moons ago, you may have seen it on the 'Cars you miss' thread, I had an Isuzu MU.


Isuzu MU by Diabolu80, on Flickr

Fabulous machine. Looked cool as I liked the Frontera's when they came out... I must have been about 14... but with bulletproof japanese running gear.

Made you feel invulnerable to drive, and when it did (rarely) break down you felt like you were fixing it by welding scaffold pole to it. Everything was just so big and accessible... plus it towed my infamous dream car back a few years ago... one which I'm sure you're all aware of now, and if not, click the link thread in my sig



As I said, it's a car I miss, as I it had to go to help fund the purchasing of a Galant GTO (see below hehe)

Recently I've been yearning for that feeling again. The unstoppable object, high and mighty, fix with a solid lump of metal, feeling. I thought I may as well do it properly this time and get a Land Rover.

I really liked the old Series 2's and so the search was on for a diesel engined Series as I was informed that having a diesel would make the planned 200TDi transplant much easier.

A few came and went, even a barn find 1960 Series 2 with gearbox powered winch went for more than I could stomach at the time.

I had been waffling over all the V8's that had turned up, writing them off for being too thirsty, or unreliable, but of all people, it' was my Dad who actually convinced me.

"If you're going to get a Land Rover, you may as well do it properly!"

Unfortunately, at the time, there was a V8 Series 2a on the bay of evil all but 20miles away from me. A quick phone call to arrange a viewing, and a couple of conversations with Butterz and Rich to ask about reliability, mpg, and what to check for and I had my test drive.

After that, it all happened rather quickly! My god is it good fun.

I collected today and haven't stopped grinning since!


_DSC2565.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr


_DSC2560.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

The Spitfire sticker on the back door has a cool story to it too...


_DSC2558.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

The pilot with the call sign JEJ went to the same school as the previous owner. He was one of the only pilots in WW2 to have his call sign as his initials as he was a bit of a spiffing pilot at the time.

But he got himself expelled from his boys school for...

... inviting 14 girls to the school swimming pool at night and, well, lets just say having a good time. Brilliant! That is without doubt staying on! Maybe even going down the rear quarter!


_DSC2556.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

Plans? Well, a little tidy up of some of the body panels (there's a couple of very very small crusty bits... and only a couple), sort out a thinner, and therefore lower and further back seating position, make a rear tonneau for the back so I can a little more safely store my tennis balls in there when going to work and after that...

... There will be a military theme as I'd really like to have a small tribute to the guys out there in some way, and this seems like a very good opportunity. Plus I'm never going to have another chance to go military on anything and feel comfortable doing it (I wouldn't do a military polo for instance)

Other than that, I'd love to know what to check over, keep an eye on and some tidy mods to do which will improve it mechanically etc.

I've read that Range Rover diffs make a big difference to the gearing, and seeing as I'm only using 3rd and 4th at the moment as it's got plenty of power for that, the diffs can only be a good thing. I believe this year is 12 spline diffs? And imagine they're straight forward to swap over.

Also looking for a Fairey Overdrive to help the cruising revs.

Fuel cut off and a battery cut off switch, and some series 2 'inside' headlights.



Keep your eyes peeled, and feel free to Inspire

Chris

And yes, I know I've been curse word and not posted piccies of the V8.. I shall do tomorrow!

[bigrod]

Like!

[georgeb]

Very nice. Am liking that very much. ;D ;D Soft top too FTW

Biggest improvement I made to my S2 was a remote servo. It blew all the old brake seals mind. Not sure if the 2A had one from new, if not, get one. New springs improved ride no end as well, you could get away with softer parabolics if there's no towing involved. I fitted early Renault 5 seats as well, which was pure luxury, but the bulkhead really needs to go first.

Diffs will make a great difference for cruising as well and it's already got FWH.

Had mine 10 years, towed horse trailers all over the UK and only ever once got stranded when the alternator adjusting bracket snapped. Up the road to a local blacksmith, 2 minutes with the welder and away again. I loved it and the only reason it had to go was a change of job that meant a rush hour commute into the middle of Manchester every day which gave me a left leg like Popeye's arm and an unmanageable fuel bill.

[tickman]

Sept 14, 2012 2:46:00 GMT georgeb said:

you could get away with softer parabolics if there's no towing involved.

Already fitted.

Free wheeling hubs up front as well, they should help the MPG a little, just make sure you use the regularly so they keep working.

Do you have the hood and sticks? If so what colour?

The front lights may have been moved for room for the V8.

John.

[darrenh]

69/70 wouldve been headlights in the wings as standard, so most likely just be a 2 or early 2a nose panel retrofitted and holes blanked off. front bumper looks weird, it should be tucked up under the wings, wonder why/how thats been done ? is that the exhaust poking through the PTO hole in the rear cross member ? neat touch

if its on the standard gearbox/transfer box combo your reliability worry will those primarily. well that and the usuall rust points, front dumb irons, outriggers, bump stop mounts, rear cross member

[darrenh]

forgot to say, that I love it

p.s overdrive might be more user friendly instead of the RR diffs, as it wont effect low range, and also gives you a three and a half gear for towing or just removing the bombhole between 3rd and 4th ratio

[sowen]

Nice one, looks tidy in the pics! Also has it had a body lift?

I did have a v8 in my series, but it's just been hoiked out for a tuned 300tdi to go in it's place. It wasn't the fuel consumption (anywhere between 10-20mpg depending on what I was doing ) but the small fuel tank which meant I would almost always have to fill up whenever I went out in it

Diffs are dead easy to swap, just damned heavy! The rear just needs the halfshafts popping out a little, and the front only needs the swivels unbolting from the axle case and pulling out a little, then struggle with the weight of the damn things underneath! I have a pair on ebay right now if you're interested . I removed the free wheeling hubs off my Landy as they made no difference in my opinion. The front swivels are designed to be splash lubricated and that stops when the freewheel hubs are disengaged, which can eventually cause issues within the front swivels.

Has the bulkhead been cut away much for the v8 to fit in? I was quite brutal with mine and ended up with loads of room to get to the rear spark plugs, and does it have a remote oil filter kit fitted? I had one type of remote filter adapter that hit the axle case even with a suspension lift.

I will assume it has an electric fan in the rad panel hence why the headlights are in the wings, just make sure the fan is big enough to cool it on the hottest of days when in traffic after a hard run and all should be good

Oh and moar pics needed

[Dez]

yeah, its body lifted, hence the front bumper allignment, and the bit of box welded on top of the rear crossmember. no doubts give a lot more engine room too. id expect the box section 'sills' went in at the same time as well.

good purchasing skills though chris, its a good looking example. love the exhaust mod too, always wanted to do that with mine but never got round to it. next time maybe

[ianc]

hello mate. it's a late series 2a.. the wings are correct, it's had an earlier front panel and grill fitted.. they look like military wings too, the holes should have rubber bump stops in them so the doors can open all the way round.. it's 10 spline diffs you need.. range rover classic or discovery, both up to 1993.. petrol or diesel as the ratios are the same.. cheers ian.

[Violet Vivid]

As you already know hun I Love it! ;D

IF you do decide you want some softer parabolics let me know, I've got some standard-duty ones on mine that are too soft for my hardcore tastes

A 3.9 v8 won't struggle with RR/disco diffs at all, and a damn sight cheaper than a overdrive. If ones from a pre-1993 Range Rover do fit let me know as well, have several of those, one of which is being broken eventually.

LOVE the story behind the spitfire logo!! ;D

Main thing to do is Enjoy (& when I get around to organising a weekends laning in the Peak District join us!)

xXx

[stevea]

Sept 13, 2012 22:46:13 GMT Diabolu said:

....
Also looking for a Fairey Overdrive to help the cruising revs.....

Might be able to help you out here, we have a couple of overdrives looking for new homes. The one on the left is a Bearmach/Toro overdrive, which has stronger splines and a larger oil capacity (helps cooling) and the one on the left is a Fairey.

[Violet Vivid]

Sept 14, 2012 11:07:30 GMT stevea said:

Sept 13, 2012 22:46:13 GMT Diabolu said:

....
Also looking for a Fairey Overdrive to help the cruising revs.....

Might be able to help you out here, we have a couple of overdrives looking for new homes. The one on the left is a Bearmach/Toro overdrive, which has stronger splines and a larger oil capacity (helps cooling) and the one on the left is a Fairey.

Oooh, could I perchance ask what you'd be after for either of them (am looking for one for at least one of my trucks lol)

Obviously Chris has first refusal!

xXx

[Diabolu]

Sept 14, 2012 8:30:53 GMT sowen said:

Nice one, looks tidy in the pics! Also has it had a body lift?

I did have a v8 in my series, but it's just been hoiked out for a tuned 300tdi to go in it's place. It wasn't the fuel consumption (anywhere between 10-20mpg depending on what I was doing ) but the small fuel tank which meant I would almost always have to fill up whenever I went out in it

Diffs are dead easy to swap, just damned heavy! The rear just needs the halfshafts popping out a little, and the front only needs the swivels unbolting from the axle case and pulling out a little, then struggle with the weight of the damn things underneath! I have a pair on ebay right now if you're interested . I removed the free wheeling hubs off my Landy as they made no difference in my opinion. The front swivels are designed to be splash lubricated and that stops when the freewheel hubs are disengaged, which can eventually cause issues within the front swivels.

Has the bulkhead been cut away much for the v8 to fit in? I was quite brutal with mine and ended up with loads of room to get to the rear spark plugs, and does it have a remote oil filter kit fitted? I had one type of remote filter adapter that hit the axle case even with a suspension lift.

I will assume it has an electric fan in the rad panel hence why the headlights are in the wings, just make sure the fan is big enough to cool it on the hottest of days when in traffic after a hard run and all should be good

Oh and moar pics needed

Moar pics incoming (check below) Clearance behind the headlights seems ok, I may just mount the inside headlights a fraction further forward away from the front panel to help with the clearance behind and also improve (haha) visibility forwards as I hear headlights mounted there are appalling lol

Diffs on ebay? Link me up and I'll have a look! Definitely DEFINITELY interested, especially if I know they'll fit. Takes the hassle out of worrying lol

Sept 14, 2012 8:55:20 GMT Dez said:

yeah, its body lifted, hence the front bumper allignment, and the bit of box welded on top of the rear crossmember. no doubts give a lot more engine room too. id expect the box section 'sills' went in at the same time as well.

good purchasing skills though chris, its a good looking example. love the exhaust mod too, always wanted to do that with mine but never got round to it. next time maybe

Thanks Dez! And yep, remote oil filter fitted, makes everything so easy. There's a lot of room in the bay, although a few body panels have been cut back to clear.

Sept 14, 2012 11:07:30 GMT stevea said:

Sept 13, 2012 22:46:13 GMT Diabolu said:

....
Also looking for a Fairey Overdrive to help the cruising revs.....

Might be able to help you out here, we have a couple of overdrives looking for new homes. The one on the left is a Bearmach/Toro overdrive, which has stronger splines and a larger oil capacity (helps cooling) and the one on the left is a Fairey.

Wow, that Bearmach one looks mean! Looks much more robust. Not saying that the Fairey isn't but compared to that one everything looks much more suited. Whats the fitment like on these and how much are you wanted to move them on for??

[mdh]

Sweet! Love the Spitty logo/story - he's my kinda guy!

Is it carb or efi? If its the latter Ive probably got enough bits to make an lpg kit.

Ive seen 5 speed lt77's grafted onto the series transfer boxes. You might then be able to use a Disco transfer ratio to cut the revs.

[Diabolu]

Sept 14, 2012 8:17:02 GMT darrenh said:

69/70 wouldve been headlights in the wings as standard, so most likely just be a 2 or early 2a nose panel retrofitted and holes blanked off. front bumper looks weird, it should be tucked up under the wings, wonder why/how thats been done ? is that the exhaust poking through the PTO hole in the rear cross member ? neat touch

if its on the standard gearbox/transfer box combo your reliability worry will those primarily. well that and the usuall rust points, front dumb irons, outriggers, bump stop mounts, rear cross member

It is on standard gear and transfer box... Should I be 'worried'. One of the things I did mean to ask about is how the transfer box etc cope with the higher speeds that the V8 is going to have access to...? It does wine a fair bit, but have been told it had a complete oil change a few months ago. The previous owner was very good to her it seemed!

Sept 14, 2012 9:04:36 GMT ianc said:

hello mate. it's a late series 2a.. the wings are correct, it's had an earlier front panel and grill fitted.. they look like military wings too, the holes should have rubber bump stops in them so the doors can open all the way round.. it's 10 spline diffs you need.. range rover classic or discovery, both up to 1993.. petrol or diesel as the ratios are the same.. cheers ian.

Well I never! I need to find some bump stops for the wings then! That's quite cool, never guessed they'd be for that!

Thanks for the spline information! I'll keep that in mind when looking

Sept 14, 2012 9:27:13 GMT Violet Vivid said:

As you already know hun I Love it! ;D

IF you do decide you want some softer parabolics let me know, I've got some standard-duty ones on mine that are too soft for my hardcore tastes

A 3.9 v8 won't struggle with RR/disco diffs at all, and a damn sight cheaper than a overdrive. If ones from a pre-1993 Range Rover do fit let me know as well, have several of those, one of which is being broken eventually.

LOVE the story behind the spitfire logo!! ;D

Main thing to do is Enjoy (& when I get around to organising a weekends laning in the Peak District join us!)

xXx

I KNOW! How cool is the spitfire story!! Hoping to ask Bruce if he can cut a couple of extra's, and maybe slide one down the rear tub side! Brilliant!

I will most definitely keep you in the loop RE diffs etc, and very much up for some greenlaning if I get chance! Let me know when you're heading out.

[Diabolu]

Moar pics you say???

Oh, ok then!


_DSC2618.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

Necessary arty farty bokeh shot! lol


_DSC2612.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr


_DSC2584.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

Bombs you say??


_DSC2596.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

Apparently a deterent... and also, the PO's mate has a gun ROOM... not a cabinet, a room! lol


_DSC2598.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr


_DSC2591.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

Whats that in the water temperature gauge??


_DSC2592.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

LOL!!!


_DSC2581.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

SCENE!... they're bloomin' everywhere aren't they lol


_DSC2580.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

Nearside bulkhead has been trimmed... Downside to massive V8's I guess.


_DSC2577.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

Remote oil filter goodness.


_DSC2575.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

Yes, that's a bright blue anodised shovel... that's being replaced.


_DSC2574.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

The Underside is caked... but all solid!

_DSC2604.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr


_DSC2602.jpg by Diabolu80, on Flickr

Chris!!!!

[stevea]

Sept 14, 2012 11:33:20 GMT Violet Vivid said:

Oooh, could I perchance ask what you'd be after for either of them (am looking for one for at least one of my trucks lol)

Obviously Chris has first refusal!

xXx

Sept 14, 2012 11:53:55 GMT Diabolu said:

Wow, that Bearmach one looks mean! Looks much more robust. Not saying that the Fairey isn't but compared to that one everything looks much more suited. Whats the fitment like on these and how much are you wanted to move them on for??

They belong to my boss, but he's looking for £300 each. They're all ready to go with the drive gear and gear lever and have been used in recent years on his Lightweight, but he has gone for a roverdrive unit instead.




Chris, the Fairy and Bearmach fit the same as the above on a normal series gearbox, with the overdrive gear stick next to the handbrake.

[darrenh]

the witness marks on the dashboard where a set of keys have been swinging away for 40 years. you just couldnt replicate that sort of thing, I love all that type of stuff

yeah the gearbox will be a weak point when you go from 120lbs of torque to 185+ same old story you get a couple of people who come out of the woodwork and say mines been fine for 20 years towing caravans up sand dunes, while most that have shreaded gears in a few months.

for me land rovers are supposed to be big and tough, over engineered and not worry about things breaking. the v8s native LT95 would be allot of repackaging work and have to lose the recessed nose, as would defender LT77+ LT230 (or r380) either that face worryingly short and daft prop angles. so whats the solution, take it easy and hope ?

[cianha]

I love this, in so many ways! It's a "proper" one alight! I've had to come back into this thread to look at it some more…

[kevfromwales]

hey chris - now you've got something you could tow me home with;)

- looks cool mate - I'll deffo need a passenger seat ride in it - can you believe I'm a welsh country boy and I've NEVER been in a landy?