2 Door Range Rover project
Discussion
Two replacement special bolts for the Carello lamps have just arrived so the Italian Bubble grill is now complete.
I still need to wait for the car to return from the trimmer so that I can see if there is space to fit either of these grills but I am still thinking that the transmission oil cooler will prevent this.
I still need to wait for the car to return from the trimmer so that I can see if there is space to fit either of these grills but I am still thinking that the transmission oil cooler will prevent this.
The trimming is nearly complete with pretty much just the tricky binnacles and door handles to go. Hoping to have the car back to the workshop by this time next week and then blitz all the fiddly trim bits and set about taking all the front panels off to get the body all aligned correctly.
Back from the trimmers and with the bulk of the trimming work complete. Still lots to do, especially the finer detail work. Binnacles, headrests and over carpets still pending.
Slowly fitting all the ancillary electrics such as window switches, USB socket. The panels still need aligning, air con hose fittings changed, rear belts installed, sound system, full electrics check, engine run in, lots of paint touch up after being moved from pillar to post over the last 9 years and all the external '72 trim to be added.
Slowly fitting all the ancillary electrics such as window switches, USB socket. The panels still need aligning, air con hose fittings changed, rear belts installed, sound system, full electrics check, engine run in, lots of paint touch up after being moved from pillar to post over the last 9 years and all the external '72 trim to be added.
Thanks.
The one key part that I am missing is a centre console lid stay. I’m looking for something in chrome that has good weight to it and is elegant. What I need will definitely be on a classic car but web image searches are throwing up few ideas.
The XJS and XJ6 probably have something but wondering if anyone else has any memories of classics with cubby boxes that had nice lid stays?
The one key part that I am missing is a centre console lid stay. I’m looking for something in chrome that has good weight to it and is elegant. What I need will definitely be on a classic car but web image searches are throwing up few ideas.
The XJS and XJ6 probably have something but wondering if anyone else has any memories of classics with cubby boxes that had nice lid stays?
Have removed all the seat belts to prep them for sending off for brown webbing to replace the black.
Cant find the roll of paper that had all the correct drill hole markings for the front and rear letters. I know of a Suffix B that I can go and trace the markings from but it means wading through a jungle of nettles, which will be fun
Have been fitting the rear side cards but I kept looking at them and thinking something wasn't right and it was yesterday it dawned on me that the leather hadn't been properly thinned where it was to be folded and so with it being a very thick leather the corners had untidy 'bat ears'
This was just going to annoy me and so I spent the day undoing the corners and setting about the leather with a razor blade to get the edges how they should be.
At the same time I began the repair of the LSE door card speaker covers. The upper covers will be used up in the rear headling, the lower covers in the doors. As per usual the fragile bits of plastic making up the screw holes had snapped on several holes so washers were bonded in to sort that.
Cant find the roll of paper that had all the correct drill hole markings for the front and rear letters. I know of a Suffix B that I can go and trace the markings from but it means wading through a jungle of nettles, which will be fun
Have been fitting the rear side cards but I kept looking at them and thinking something wasn't right and it was yesterday it dawned on me that the leather hadn't been properly thinned where it was to be folded and so with it being a very thick leather the corners had untidy 'bat ears'
This was just going to annoy me and so I spent the day undoing the corners and setting about the leather with a razor blade to get the edges how they should be.
At the same time I began the repair of the LSE door card speaker covers. The upper covers will be used up in the rear headling, the lower covers in the doors. As per usual the fragile bits of plastic making up the screw holes had snapped on several holes so washers were bonded in to sort that.
The new upper tailgate striker plates are in and after some fettling with the lower tailgate with an enormous mallet the rear now closes properly!!!
There is still work to be done on the upper tailgate to get it right as these new aluminium ones simply are not good enough quality, or rather are not put together with enough care and attention. Definitely in future it is better to buy the kit and build them yourself if you want it done properly.
There is still work to be done on the upper tailgate to get it right as these new aluminium ones simply are not good enough quality, or rather are not put together with enough care and attention. Definitely in future it is better to buy the kit and build them yourself if you want it done properly.
pistolpedro said:
It was a print advertisement for the Schuler FF which featured a quad grille which looked similar to the ones you have,
Ah, yes. What they did was use a second set of standard lamp surrounds and shorten the centre grill section. An Italian and a German company reproduced the centre grill with smaller lamps. Sadly, because I’ve switched the car to auto, the oil cooler runs across the front and means there isn’t room for any of the versions. New aluminium tailgate finally closes properly!!!
What an absolute farce it’s been. Having walked away from it a few weeks ago to just clear my mind, I spent the morning looking at a selection of Rangies from 70’s ones to my 89, an 80s export and a 90s commercial. The result was that some have the seam in the upper goalpost hammered down where the wiper arm and jet are, some don’t. Some of the upper tailgates have indents where the wiper arm and jet pass.
Long story short, a piece of wood and a mallet sorted out the seam and a length of scaffold and a mallet made an indent magically appear in the right places on the tailgate.
Suffice to say that I knocked off at 3pm to give that final feeling of being a time served, British Leyland specialist as my solution is very clearly how they did it originally.
What an absolute farce it’s been. Having walked away from it a few weeks ago to just clear my mind, I spent the morning looking at a selection of Rangies from 70’s ones to my 89, an 80s export and a 90s commercial. The result was that some have the seam in the upper goalpost hammered down where the wiper arm and jet are, some don’t. Some of the upper tailgates have indents where the wiper arm and jet pass.
Long story short, a piece of wood and a mallet sorted out the seam and a length of scaffold and a mallet made an indent magically appear in the right places on the tailgate.
Suffice to say that I knocked off at 3pm to give that final feeling of being a time served, British Leyland specialist as my solution is very clearly how they did it originally.
slow progress over the summer. Not so much down to lack of effort but more to do with these now being the final, fiddly, jobs and as per usual they take much longer to do than you ever plan.
The door pockets for the back seats are now installed and I'm rather pleased. They are Vivaro van lower door pockets and once cut to fit have the perfect and matching profile to the seat bases. I've made these because without somewhere for two young children to put their tat the said tat will be floating free in the car. There are also USB ports yet to be fitted inside them.
The set belts are back from having the webbing replaced to match the trim and are now in.
Door cards are all in but not finally fitted as we keep blowing door lock actuators. It's a combination of the alarm signal pulse not being long enough and the fact that the Rangie and Disco actuators are all very old now and its a lottery as to whether the used ones you buy work.
I did have a thought one evening last week that these actuators couldnt be any more complex than those little radio controlled servo boxes from when we were children so I dismantled one and sure enough its just a standard issue 12v motor and a bunch of gears. So if the problem persists I'm going to rebuild three actuators with new motors myself.
Hating and air plate is back from a friend who has an automotoive printing business and he's done a fantastic job reprinting the old plate:
The two Montiverdi dash binnacles are back from the trimmers and fitted. They need a little bit of fettling still as I'm not happy with how the leather is currently sitting but I'm not rushing in as it could be very messy and not improve things.
In general the main parts of the interior are now complete and its just minor fettling on the tiny details:
The main work now is test and finish the electrics and refit the final parts of trim under the wheel, finish off some work under the bonnet, fit all the exterior trim and give the whole thing a very serious clean.
The door pockets for the back seats are now installed and I'm rather pleased. They are Vivaro van lower door pockets and once cut to fit have the perfect and matching profile to the seat bases. I've made these because without somewhere for two young children to put their tat the said tat will be floating free in the car. There are also USB ports yet to be fitted inside them.
The set belts are back from having the webbing replaced to match the trim and are now in.
Door cards are all in but not finally fitted as we keep blowing door lock actuators. It's a combination of the alarm signal pulse not being long enough and the fact that the Rangie and Disco actuators are all very old now and its a lottery as to whether the used ones you buy work.
I did have a thought one evening last week that these actuators couldnt be any more complex than those little radio controlled servo boxes from when we were children so I dismantled one and sure enough its just a standard issue 12v motor and a bunch of gears. So if the problem persists I'm going to rebuild three actuators with new motors myself.
Hating and air plate is back from a friend who has an automotoive printing business and he's done a fantastic job reprinting the old plate:
The two Montiverdi dash binnacles are back from the trimmers and fitted. They need a little bit of fettling still as I'm not happy with how the leather is currently sitting but I'm not rushing in as it could be very messy and not improve things.
In general the main parts of the interior are now complete and its just minor fettling on the tiny details:
The main work now is test and finish the electrics and refit the final parts of trim under the wheel, finish off some work under the bonnet, fit all the exterior trim and give the whole thing a very serious clean.
The joys of little people!
They are 7&8 now and as they are girls and have to clean up their own mess they are very tidy. And they only ever have water and dry food in the cars so nothing sugary, sticky, greasy etc. But one of the reasons that I sat on the project for so long was so that they had reached the age of being able to do their own seatbelts (a pain in a two door car!) and had stopped having spillage incidents.
I’ve a friend with two boys who he has worked incredibly hard to train but they just can’t help make an absolute bloody mess.
They are 7&8 now and as they are girls and have to clean up their own mess they are very tidy. And they only ever have water and dry food in the cars so nothing sugary, sticky, greasy etc. But one of the reasons that I sat on the project for so long was so that they had reached the age of being able to do their own seatbelts (a pain in a two door car!) and had stopped having spillage incidents.
I’ve a friend with two boys who he has worked incredibly hard to train but they just can’t help make an absolute bloody mess.
NomduJour said:
Coming along nicely - that binnacle leather really lets the side down though, I’m surprised the trimmer let that out of the door.
Yup. I’m letting it settle before tackling it. The standard trimming is top notch but on the unusual items it’s been an issue. The binnacles have already be redone a couple of times And I’ve redone some other parts already. Part of the issue is that I’ve opted for a very thick leather which is about double the normal thickness of automotive stuff. KelvinatorNZ said:
Sorry, probably a weird question, but the ashtray you modified and fitted to the rear of the cubby, was it original to the RRC, or do you know what its from? Turns out thats what TVR used in my Tasmin, and im trying to source a replacement but don't know what it's from!
It’s original to the Rangie and probably other Leyland cars of the era. Once you’ve taken a few Rangies apart you do realise that TVR used a lot of bits from them. Sometimes you can find some very cheap, key trim parts by searching under Vandan Plas as they were often also used in things like the Princess!
One of the modern additions I decided upon was a third brake light. The standard brake lights are pretty poor by modern standards and for the sake of losing a bit of originality in order to gain what I consider to be a very significant bit of safety I decided to fit a third brake light.
These were fitted to the last of the US spec Rangies so the parts are pretty hard to come by. You require a taller backing shroud and then there is an additional metal bracket that is needed to hold the bulb casing and finally a plastic cover plate that also holds the front of the bulb casing in position.
You cannot source the bracketry for love nor money. In the US you can find the bulb holder/reflector and also the larger shroud casing but I ended up having a bit of luck with the latter in that years ago I knew I was going to need a shroud for this car as I was going to fit central locking but they are hard enough to find in the UK in normal form so when a NOS cropped up on eBay I grabbed it, On test fitting it recently I discovered that it was the UK spec but a very rare US third brake light spec one. The reflector I bought in the US.
I made a steel bracket out of some scrap sheet the other week but yesterday got round to fabricating the front cover and plate out of a sheet of 2mm ABS and bonding it to the reflector with Tiger seal:
These were fitted to the last of the US spec Rangies so the parts are pretty hard to come by. You require a taller backing shroud and then there is an additional metal bracket that is needed to hold the bulb casing and finally a plastic cover plate that also holds the front of the bulb casing in position.
You cannot source the bracketry for love nor money. In the US you can find the bulb holder/reflector and also the larger shroud casing but I ended up having a bit of luck with the latter in that years ago I knew I was going to need a shroud for this car as I was going to fit central locking but they are hard enough to find in the UK in normal form so when a NOS cropped up on eBay I grabbed it, On test fitting it recently I discovered that it was the UK spec but a very rare US third brake light spec one. The reflector I bought in the US.
I made a steel bracket out of some scrap sheet the other week but yesterday got round to fabricating the front cover and plate out of a sheet of 2mm ABS and bonding it to the reflector with Tiger seal:
NomduJour said:
That’s on my list - does it not cover the heated rear window lines (I know there’s a different tailgate glass for the light)?
Yup. It depends on what glass you have. I opted for half heated for this reason but it may be possible to get the US spec later glass in the UK. On yours the lowerest filament runs into the central locking blacked out area anyway so I wonder if it’s all that important anyway?
Third brake light now fitted. Moved on to testing the lights on the car and so far all is good. Have a slight short to earth from a switch lever which needs redressing but not far off being able to tuck all the wiring away neatly and complete the internal trim.
Have also been getting the tow hitch to fit. An absolute bugger but done and now off to the powder coaters. This particular set up came from South Africa and is much nicer than either the typical pressed plate affairs or the big, heavy duty ones.
Looking at the rear lights they are pretty poor at lighting in this modern day and age and while this was the reason for the third brake light I've ordered some chrome spray paint to experiment with whether painting up the inner reflector bowls will bring anything to the party.
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