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colnerov Thanks for the info, I didn't know the P4 gearbox was so fragile! Obviously being a 50s gearbox it wouldnt shift quickly but I was hoping it'd handle a bit of 'spirited' use well enough, especially if I stuck with skinny tyres. They actually date back to the 1930's with the P3. A goodun will likely last a while with a Tdi in front of it, and if you started with a six cylinder box then it's going to have had an easier life than one that's spent 60 years being worked to death in a Series II.
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I recall the extent of permitted modifications being clarified somewhat in an ACE consultation with DVLA.
As something written down by them it serves as a pretty solid starting point, although it's also worth having gotten a chat with the local VOSA man as they usually happy to be as helpful as possible in these matters, and as is always the case, it never does any harm to have the officials on side from the start.
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It was my understanding of the rules (as someone else has already noted) that adding to the original structure is agreeable -for example 'boxing' a C section chassis, as is modification to bracketry, for example engine mountings, but further than that it's 'radically modified'. My own experience of a Q plate wasn't bad, the vehicle in question was a grey import Vitara which had been fitted with a Perkins Prima by the guy who imported it, and given a Q when he went to register it. My insurers were a little snotty about it, refusing anything more than 3rd party cover, but as it cost me the price of a head gasket and an MOT for a years running I wasn't that fussed. Would I buy another Q? I don't see why not. I bought mine at Continuum motors as they specialise in Q's I'm almost annoyed at my nerdiness for getting that straight away.... Bonus points if it went through your head in John De'Lancie voice.
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daslandroverman many thanks for the info, I must admit seeing the differences between the two chassis was a bit disheartening at first, but after a few minutes desperately looking it seems to me that the main difference is the height and shape over the rear axle? If my thinking is right this will mean there's more space for the body on the P4 chassis (correct me if I'm wrong). It's a bit more involved than that, for instance the wheelbase is somewhat longer than a SWB at 111", but would lend itself to a LWB (109") body relatively well. The front end is an independent coil spring setup rather than the leaf sprung live axle on a Land Rover, whilst the main rails taper outward front to rear. However, this isn't a reason to despair as you wouldn't be the first person to build a Land Rover bodied hotrod on a P4 chassis (see the slammed Series I mentioned a few times above) which started life as an 80" and a P4. Engine and gearbox wise, the Tdi and stack pipe idea holds up well, although i will relate that I recently picked up a good BMW M52 with 5 speed ZF auto on the back for £140 (engine is for my 110) whilst I've previously managed to score an M51 diesel with the GM auto -which wants throwing a long way away- as a swop for parts worth about £100. I accept neither lump is a worked over OM606, but they woukdnt murder a P4 axle, and do give some evidence that cheap and decent stuff is out there. Anyways, I'll be watching with interest when it happens.
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...which I would venture is a look that would work well if you started with a Lightweight. Like this one? With the rest done right to match the front view I'd say exactly like that.
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First up, the P4 chassis is quite different to the Land Rover one. Which is in turn quite different to a Jeep one. I will note the IIA chassis in the picture is missing a bulkhead outrigger. I will agree with the earlier link suggesting the 200/300 Tdi will attach to a P4 '80' gearbox as they're both the four cylinder Land Rover bellhousing pattern, but would mention the 200 hasn't been produced for 24 years, whilst the youngest 300 -in ROW spec vehicles- is now ten years old, with the youngest UK spec being around 19 years old with corresponding mileages, and good ones are beginning to fetch rather strong money. As with the Rover V8 -another engine I've run a few of and retain a fondness for- there are better options out there now for the same or less money, whilst there's also better gearboxes than the old Rover 4 speed plus O/D. As to bodywork, there's a few variation you could look to: This Series II sat on a Beetle. A 90 on a Corvette floor pan. A Jeep in the style you originally envisioned, which I would venture is a look that would work well if you started with a Lightweight. And a couple of photoshops/renderings.
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To be honest, I'd rather look up a vehicle transport firm and deal directly with them rather than going through a 'lowest bidder' agency like Shipley.
If nothing else there's a little more guaruntee that your vehicle is being transported on the right side of the law on a transporter correctly insured for the purpose.
I've seen far too many beaver tail transits running overweight with cars strapped to their backs in my time.
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Might as well share the story about my mates Mk V Astra...
It wasn't an awful car, just your average rather bland silver fleet spec Mk V 1.6 petrol Astra. Deciding that double the cylinders and not quite triple the cc's he decided thst he wanted to buy a P38 Range Rover with a 4.6 V8. Part of the funding was to come from sale of the Astra which had been sat on his girlfriends driveway whilst he had been out on deployment as part of her majesty's mostly floating armed services.
Whilst he was away the MOT had lapsed, and being an idle sort he couldn't be bothered putting a fresh ticket on it, but this was reflected in the fact it was listed at around £700 less than book price as he just wanted rid.
The advert attracted some interest, and eventually a young gentlemen arrived to view the car, gave it a good look over, produced an OBD2 code reader, plugged it in and checked for fault codes before pronouncing himself happy, handing over the cash and driving away.
Nothing more was thought of it until two months later when he received a text from the buyer stating that the gearbox in the car had blown up, the damage was significant enough it must have been a problem before he bought it and that having consulted a professional mechanic he was prepared to settle the matter by allowing my mate to pay half the £900 required to replace the gearbox with a new item.
A little research revealed that a decent second hand box would cost less than half that supplied and fitted, whilst a brand new one was somewhat more than £900, add in that we both felt our scammer sense tingling he received a polite reply running along these lines:
Whilst I thank you for your kind invitation to pay for half the repairs to your vehicle I must decline on the grounds that you bought it 'sold as seen' in a private sale approximately two months previously. Whilst I sympathise with your situation I am unable to accept any responsibility for this unfortunate development.
Unsurprisingly a reply came back, this time changing tack a little, and the chap claiming that he was a 'legally trained' solicitor (this term has always confused me, are there black market law schools illegally training solicitors?) and that if my mate wasn't willing to settle then he would be taking further legal action to pursue him for the full cost.
Knowing that solicitors tend not to run round in five year old Fleet spec Astras, a little research -Googling of his name- found a Linkedin profile with his picture on it claiming he was a trainee accountant at Randstadt.
Armed with some further knowledge he was sent another reply, something along these lines:
Firstly, upon purchasing the car you spent a good deal of time inspecting the vehicle, including an electronic diagnostic check, and were more than satisfied with its condition. I would also remind you that you purchased the vehicle at £700 below the current book price, and were also quite happy to drive the vehicle away with no MOT. Furthermore, having found your linkedin profile I am aware of your true occupation. It is my understanding of the law that impersonating a solicitor is an offence, whilst I'm quite sure that your current employers would be less than enamoured to discover that you are trying to scam people out of money by making claims with no tangeble evidemce along with claiming to be a solicitor to make your position seem more threatening. Once again I must decline your offer for me to pay you £450, and trust in your understanding that I will pursue the matter further should your correspondence continue.
Unsurprisingly he heard nothing more about it.
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Here's our 1970's vintage Viking Fibreline caravan. Sits quite nicely with both of the Land Rovers.
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I love people who try to get a knock down price on something that's already good money.
I once sold a Sharan on ebay with an £800 reserve, I had various messages from a guy asking if I'd take £500, going up in increments to £700. I told him the reserve was £800, and eventually he bid on it and won.
I get a message asking for my address and heard nothing else until he turned up unannounced 3 days later with a friend in another Sharan. The first I noticed was two strange guys poking about the car on my driveway.
They did their best to pick it apart, even a cold start and letting it hit the governor as soon as it fired, which curse word me off royally. Eventually they decided it was a heap of curse word and decided to make me a cash offer of £500. Granted the front tyres were a little feathered on the inside, so I moved to offer them a £50 discount as he told me he could get tyres at £25 each.
Further argument that it wasn't as described, followed by the claim it had cost £200 in diesel to get there (the South West of Scotland from Cardiff, £50 in a Tdi Sharan if you're lucky) so I politely invited him to pay the £750 or go forth and multiply as I wasn't going to take £500 for it.
They tried upping the offer to £600, but I wasn't for moving. After some more mentioning of it costing £200 to get there from Cardiff they left, and I thought no more of it until I went to put the bin out about half an hour later, where I found them at the end of the drive, inviting me to sit in the back of their car (it was raining) and discuss a deal.
A brief mental image of me being tied to a tree naked from the waist down squealing like a piggy saw me decline their offer, so I got wet whilst they spent another ten minutes arguing their way up from £650 to my first counter offer of £750.
Price agreed he pulled what must have been £1000 in £20 notes out of his pocket and counted out the £750. We sorted the paperwork, I handed over the keys and they left. Fortunately I didn't hear from them again, unlike my mate who sold a Mk V Astra to fund the purchase of a Range Rover, but that's another story I don't have time to type at the moment.
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Must admit the main reason I have sky is for the F1 coverage.
A good portion of our other viewing (asides the kids watching the channels for the young'uns) is usually Dave, More 4, 4 Seven, Discovery etc.
I used to like the old Discovery Wings channel with all the aircraft stuff way back when aswell.
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I remember the show, but not much about it.
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Jan 29, 2017 19:00:54 GMT
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Not the best example picture, but it's the best a 30 second Google could turn up. The 'Biff, Chip and Kipper' books used for teaching kids to read are full of all sorts of 80's stuff. I had them at school 26 years or so ago, whilst my kids have also had them to learn to read. Somehow makes me feel old.
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Jan 29, 2017 18:28:24 GMT
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I'm looking for a CAD drawing of the bellhousing pattern of a BMW M52/M54 etc for making an adapter to fit one to a Rover V8 pattern box.
Google has come up with the sum total of c*#@ all, asides a picture of one with but one useful dimention marked on it. It'll save me a lot of time/worry about accuracy if someone has a drawing of proven accuracy available.
If anyone else has need for a Rover V8, Land Rover 300 Tdi, Isuzu 2.8/3.1 or a Ford 2.5 (as found in the Ranger) then I'm happy to share what I've got.
Thanks in advance.
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Jan 29, 2017 17:14:15 GMT
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I'll be reporting the results once it's in. The big trick seems to be getting the gearing right, the SA ones were all put together with a 1.6:1 high ratio which allowed them to make best use of the engines performance.
One of the first things I sourced for the job was a transfer box with this ratio, so feeling positive.
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Jan 29, 2017 11:19:04 GMT
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I know that this engine was fitted into locally built SA Land Rovers (90's, not 110's I think) but I'm wondering what the point is of this conversion? The general opinion on the M52B28 with those who have owned and driven Land Rovers with them fitted -either SA imports or conversions- is that they're an excellent fitment in a Defender, some even go as far to say the best engine ever fitted in them out of the factory. Very drivable, and go very well. A good mate once compared a 110 back to back with his tweaked 3.9 V8 one and couldn't say enough good about it. Another who owned a 90 with one fitted can only really sum it up with 'I should never have sold it'. I've done Rover V8's, not bad engines but finding one that isn't knackered for sensible money is getting difficult, whilst the design still retains its inherent weaknesses of timing chain stretch and cam lobe wear. I've also done Tdi's, which again aren't bad engines, but good ones are also getting pricey, and after 7 years of the Mazda SL35 four cylinder diesels aren't that appealing anymore. I'm hoping the M52 will be in and running for less than £300 -including buying the thing- which is a minimum I could spend on a Tdi or V8. I'm maybe a little blinkered, but for the money spent (even if it goes up a little) it's a good option for a well thought of modern petrol engine. It would be rather dull if we all thought the same way, and a bit of debate on the subject is always fun.
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Jan 26, 2017 17:45:32 GMT
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Thanks for the offer chap, although I've just removed one of the same from the back of the engine.
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Jan 26, 2017 12:59:12 GMT
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I'd say a BMW M52 has to be a reasonable consideration along with the above? I bought this B28 with an autobox attached for £140 just after Christmas, cheap and cheerful power. It's probably going to have cost me about £300 or so once it's in the 110 and running.
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Jan 24, 2017 20:28:14 GMT
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As above, valve blocks are the problem.
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Jan 24, 2017 18:34:43 GMT
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The 5 speed was never used in Land Rover stuff. The Rover V8 either had a TF727, or a 4HP22/24.
The problem with using a V8 box is the valve block is setup for an engine with a 5500rpm redline and a 2900rpm peak torque, not one with a 7000rpm redline and a 3900rpm peak torque.
I'd be less than pleased to put it all together and find it didn't drive worth a wibblepoo.
The manual box should tick the boxes of working well with the M52, and being cheap because I've already got one.
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