Popular Post nacnud Posted February 12, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted February 12, 2017 Link to Discussion Thread Hello team, Thought I would start up a project thread for my old Range Rover project. It all started with my parents vehicle choices. They had a bunch of rad old cars (most all sold now unfortunately) from Triumph TR2's & 6's, split window Kombi's, old Mercedes and Jags and a bunch of old english motorbikes. The ones that really got me were the Land Rovers. It must have been the family holidays bouncing around the back in the SIIa Dormobile camper or their old Range Rover. Anyhow, long story short, I have a couple now that I am working on that you will see in the following posts but this will mostly be for the 1971 Rover. This truck is Masai Red and was brought over from the UK in 1973 and then sold to the chap I got it off in the same year. They used it regularly to pull their jet boat and horse floats up until around 2000 when they purchased a diesel vehicle and parked the rover in a shed. During their ownership around the mid 80's they added the stripe down the side, re trimmed the interior and wrapped the C pillar in vinyl to make it look like a later model one ( it should be painted to match the body colour like in the first photo). As it sat in the shed, untouched for around 18 years! I purchased it of them around November last year and have been slowly chipping a way at it ever since. Great thing as it was shed stored it is pretty rust free but I will need to do the sills for a WOF. Another bonus is that the registration is still on hold! Bunch of small jobs done (coolant and radiator flush with all new hoses, new distributor, coil and condenser and a few other bits needed to crank an engine that hasn't moved in so long.) Good progress this weekend, Leak in the coolant system sorted and clutch bleed and we now have it moving under its own steam! Still a long way too go... Next weekends job is replacing the old discs and pads and some of the brake lines and look at giving it a bit of a tune. 34 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted February 12, 2017 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 12, 2017 Awesome brochure shots from the 70s. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted February 22, 2017 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 22, 2017 No real updates yet. Work seems to be getting in the way! Hopefully getting started on a brake rebuild this weekend Anyway, my buddy Kieran who is helping out me took these rad photos with his Leica a few weeks back. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nacnud Posted March 26, 2017 Author Share Posted March 26, 2017 Pretty slow progress on the Red Rover. Spent the last few weekends sorting out my daily Rover with new brakes, hub seals and full service. Anyhow, started on rebuilding the front brakes on Red. Old discs were stuffed, very pitted and some of the brake lines were blocked as well as some very leaky hub seals and bad wheel bearings. Started by stripping them all down, big job cleaning it up! So much grime! Great fun removing caliper bolts that haven't come off in who knows how long. This week's job will be rebuilding the calipers and hubs with new seals and bearings. Then hopefully in the weekend installing them all with new rotors, pads and lines. Also been trying to get to the bottom of why it seems to be down on power. Starts and idles fine but very rich and plugs are coming out very black. Replaced a torn diaphragm in one of the carbs but still no luck. Think I will just take it to a carb wizard to sort - I have heard Hitec Motorsports in Dury are good. Any suggestions? Looking forward to bolting nice shinny bits on next weekend. Parts hauler is going well now. Wof passed and running well. Looks massive compared to the little Turbo City. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted May 8, 2017 Author Popular Post Share Posted May 8, 2017 A little more progress! I rebuilt the front hubs and swivel housings. Nice new brake rotors, wheel bearings and coat of high temp paint for some of the bits. New favourite tool - Gift from the wheel bearing gods (Mitre 10). Front end light surrounds and grill powder coated - looks good but the old one had some small areas of filler which hide the small dents. Any recommendations on powder coating places? Hope to get the bumpers and steel wheels done shortly. Front headlights also got a refresh and secondhand light surrounds came up well after an afternoon of polishing. I've started to rebuild the callipers and I hope to have them ready to bolt on next weekend with new flexi and hard lines. The old callipers were seized solid and the pistons are pretty stuffed - luckily the bores are still in good condition! A coat of high temp paint and they are starting to look good again. Assembling bits in the living room. I'm still on the hunt for some bits - if any one has any, let me know! I'll end on a full Barry moment. Factory tool kit that is 100% complete and what looks to be brand new. Half of the bits look like they have never been used! (which is strange if you own anything British). Duncan out. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nacnud Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 Love a good cutaway drawing. Correct colour too! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted June 11, 2017 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 11, 2017 I finished of the caliper rebuild. First time I've ever rebuilt calipers so I am pretty chuffed with them! Also front lights and grill are on. Makes the rest of it look pretty rough now. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nacnud Posted September 6, 2017 Author Share Posted September 6, 2017 Slow progress! I need to get more time to spend on this thing. Doesn't help another one I had stashed at my parents place in Canterbury has also turned up. Back to Red. Brakes are all on, little spongy still. Might need another crack at bleeding. I borrowed a polisher and got to work last Sunday. First time I have ever polished a car ha! Pretty amazed how the old paint came out. It's still shit, falling off in places and different colours in places but it has a sweet shine to it now! Makes me feel much better about the project. Also removed the vinyl on the C pillar. Last owner put it on to make it look like a later model. Super freaked out to what I might find behind the vinyl but I was pleasantly surprised. Paint is slightly different shade to the rest... Looking at getting the original radiator rebuilt for it. It has had a few patches and repairs and some of the corner folds are leaking. Brad from Auto Radiators in Grey Lynn blew my mind with his radiator knowledge. Priced it at around $950. Ouch. I kinda want to do it, I kinda don't.... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nacnud Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 Ok time to face the elephant in the room. RUST. Range Rovers are great for hiding it under their exterior aluminium panels. I was hoping I could get it through a WOF with a few patches to the sills and the rear but more I think about it, more I want to do it properly. Hope to keep this truck for a long time. All carpet pulled out to see what lies benith. Front floors bit of mess, some nasty old sealer put over it. Rear floor will need both sides done as well as inner and outer sills and A Pillar. Fingers crossed the bulk head is ok. Doors and tail gates are solid so I am pretty stoked on that. Heat gun needed to remove all the old carpet residue from the paint. Doors solid, will get some replacement trim in the correct colour later on. Or pinch off my other one. Had some scary quotes from panel and paint places on the work, I would love to drop it there and get them to do it all but budget won't allow for that. I hope to dismantle as much of the truck as I can ( its a big Meccano set ). and deliver them bits to work on and then I reassemble... Looking at removing glass, a few other major bits and then the entire side frame can come off which holds most of the problem areas. As per below. Fuck it, he goes - whats the worst that can go wrong...? Lots of bagging and tagging bits. Wish me luck. (also keen to hear some recommendations in Auckland for the rust repair and bit of paint ) 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nacnud Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 Started on the strip down. Find some good and some bad but overall pretty good. Hoping to get it into Auto blast in the next month to give the chassis a clean up. Meanwhile the other one waits in the corner. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nacnud Posted November 6, 2017 Author Share Posted November 6, 2017 Bagging and tagging has begun. Think I am going to need more bags. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted February 9, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 9, 2018 Update time! I have been chipping away removing more bits from the Range Rover. Trying to build up courage to remove the dashboard. Hoping to have the body off the chassis soon then the chassis and drive components can go in for blasting and the body off to the panel beaters. (keen on some recommendations on places for this if you have any) Also came across a really good set of side frames. One NOS never used and one near new. This will sort the sills, rear floor and pillars. End goal... Also, to make matters worse, I sold the white one I had, which was supposed to free up some cash to spend on Red. But then I went and got another one... NZ new 1973 Suffix B in Bahama Gold (reg on hold woohoo!). Buddy and his bobtailed one helping me move it. It has some massive V8, I think LS1. It didn't even know it was towing another. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted March 28, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted March 28, 2018 Some real progress! Photo heaving as I am fizzing. I stripped the body down some more. Everything apart from front window and steering column. Pretty light now and easy to push around! Some of the bagging and tagging, a bunch more boxes of bits to be powder coated, galvanised or painted. Then picked up by the team at R3 Fabrication. They then lifted the body off the chassis, broke the frame down into the individual bits and got stuck in! Bulkhead started then the rest will follow. So stoked on it so far. These guys are doing a great job! Chassis to be also stripped down, blasted and epoxy. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted January 8, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 8, 2019 Long time no update! Unfortunately the project is moving pretty slowing, same old story of life stuff getting in the way etc. Any how I am ok with it, I am spending a lot of time trying to get all the details 100%. Since last update I have had the chassis, axles, suspension components and a bunch of other bits blasted and painted. A stack of new fasteners and I am now starting to slowly reassemble! What an awesome feeling it is putting fresh fasteners on newly painted bits! I have also had a bunch of bits re-passivated and managed to find some new old stock indicator lenses Does anyone else lay out refurbished bits on their lounge floor?? Best way to sort new fasteners I have found! Phil at Key West has been heaps of help. New Old stock front lenses I found in Timaru! So stoked on these. New Old Stock rear lenses too The start of the re-passivated bits coming in. Half of them you will never see but I can't help my self! 19 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted February 24, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted February 24, 2019 Got the front and rear axles installed! Starting to look a bit more complete... Rear axle and hubs are all back together with new seals, bearings, gaskets, fasteners and discs. New ball joint for the rear A-Frame load leveller thing. Man this took a bit of pressure on a friends press to get in. Seated perfectly in the end. Next up is rebuilding the front swivel housings. It took me a while to find a good set of original chrome swivels without any pitting. I then blasted and painted the swivel housings then proudly displayed them on the dinning room table... Waiting on some swivel shims and bearings and then I can get started on those. Another load of fasteners for the next round, all nicely sorted by part number 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted October 30, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted October 30, 2019 Long time no update! Bathroom renovations and other life suff getting in the way of projects. Front axles and swivels all built up with new rotors, bearings seals etc. Refurbished Borge Self levelling unit fitted with new balljoints and gaiters. Original Rostyle wheels got blasted, primed and 2k painted by Paul from Darth Vapour Blasting Service out West. Damn he did a good job. Much better than the factory would have ever! Fitted up a set of old tyres I had laying around so I can get it rolling, still need to nip a few bits up in the suspension department but I had to stick them on to feel some progress. I will need to replace the tyres with a nice set of Michelin's when I find a place in the UK will to send me a set. Paul also went to town on my gearbox and engine. Can't believe how good they came out with a squirt of the vapour blaster. Before After! 22 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted November 3, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted November 3, 2019 Pushed it outside for some vitamin D. Still lots of bits missing and bits to torque up but at least it rolls! And some old sales material I came across. Early shot of the production line and a sweet exploded view of the side frame and panels. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted December 10, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 10, 2019 Small update - a whole post on brake calipers... My last set I ended up using on another Range Rover to get it on the road so I had to do the whole process all over again. This time I had them HPC coated in their HiPerCoat, which should not be effected by brake fluid and all that and look great for a long time. The finish came out amazing! Shame I will never really see them.. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nacnud Posted January 21, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 21, 2020 Making a start on the gearbox and transfer case. The gear box is called a LT95 and is a 4 speed manual box with integrated transfer case. What is cool about the early boxes is they used a Salisbury limited slip differential on all Suffix A vehicles (easy to spot spotted as they were all painted red). In addition to the LSD function in the centre diff, the centre differential could also be locked via a vacuum actuator. But only around 300 vehicles were delivered with this LSD and sadly mine isn't equipped with it. After the first pre production and first year vehicles (1969-1970) they moved away from the limited slip feature with the differential as the gearbox had a serious amount of whine and felt pretty agricultural and stiff. To stop this they removed the friction discs on the differential and replaced them with distance discs instead but still retained the Salisbury differential, only now not limited slip but still retains the locking centre differential. They also managed to retain the agricultural feeling and gearbox whine... Shot of the early friction disc. Shot of the later style with the distance discs. This bit freaks me out a bit so I have a friend Glen giving me a hand on it. It is not his first rodeo with these boxes so I am in good hands! Gearbox and transfer case are now broken down into bits for a check up. Overall it is pretty good apart from a toasted needle bearing, worn intermediate shaft in transfer case and a bit of play in the mainshaft. All the gears are in good condition which is great as they get expensive to replace. Most of the parts have now been plated and all new fasteners. Now waiting on seal and bearing kit as well as the main shaft from the UK. Looking forward to getting it back together and in the chassis. Calipers test fitted and looking great with that HPC coating. Now to fit the rest of the hard lines. 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nacnud Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share Posted April 15, 2020 Lockdown means no RR time for me. Unfortunately it is stashed 40mins from home so getting out to it isn't advised at this stage. I am also waiting on some gearbox bearings so it has ground to a halt at the moment. Here is a great period photo I found online of some English chaps doing some cornering tests... Stay safe gang! (envious of you buggers with a garage at home) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.