Defender completion during lockdown

[w1bbles]

I was working in Hong Kong in 2017 when I bought this blind and had it delivered to home. I've had three previous Defenders but my favourite was a 2001 Td5; the sound of the 5 cylinder engine is just peachy and it pulls strongly enough to provide 70 mph motorway performance yet is also slow enough to feel like a real Defender.



I treated it to some new wheels and introduced it to its older cousin lurking in our shed (which has since been fully tarted up). We humped logs together.



I introduced it to snow and it ate everything up with glee. During the Beast from the East it outperformed our Disco 3 due it being significantly less porky than the 2.7 tonne SUV.



By the time this photo was taken I'd replaced the exhaust after it fell off outside Lochgilphead one Sunday afternoon. We'd also had the minor job of replacing the chassis - or more accurately getting a local company to do it. They were interesting to deal with and I wouldn't go back, and I had to go to a different (better) local company to finish the job properly. There were various other bits to do and it wasn't cheap. The ambition was to convert it from a Double Cab Pick Up (DCPU) to something that looks like a Utility Station Wagon (USW). So I bought lots of cheap bits on eBay and had them painted in Crieff Spray Shop (thanks Duncan). My two sons helped me to unbolt various bits:



...and I bolted various pieces together:



Before long I had sorted out the roof, the rear door, the interior (and electrics) and various other bits, plus some brush painting:



It looked a bit sad from the side:



So my job during lockdown is to finish the bodywork with a 30 minute break for lunch every day. Brush painting and low standards, so wish me luck! So far I have been really busy working from home - and it's rained every day.

[w1bbles]

First dry day today. Downed tools at 5pm and painted a panel. This is now my incentivisation update page!

Yes, I know there's a crease in it. It adds character...

[w1bbles]

andburg said:

following, love a good project thread and particularly one with scenery!

Spent many a day/night around Crieff / Perth / Dalwhinnie when working on the Beauly-Denny power project.
a 4X4 and decent tyres is almost an essential up there

Good to hear. Amusingly I was once your PH secret Santa but I won’t spoil the game by telling you which year! The pubs here mourned the passing of the power project crews although the police were generally relieved once the brawling had passed...

[w1bbles]

And another one. I reckon it might look quite smart. This is my daily driver, so the paint needs to dry between essential sorties.

[w1bbles]

Good to hear! I tarted up our 3.9 (allegedly a 4.0) V8 90 last year and know where you are. We passed the MoT on the second try. I’ll try to dig out before and after photos in a mo.

[w1bbles]

Before:


During:
|https://thumbsnap.com/bOJN4r4X[/url]

After:
[url]

[w1bbles]

Spaghetti:

Less spaghetti:

[w1bbles]

Anyway, I’m off topic because that one is finished and belongs to my 15 year old son. Lucky boy.

[w1bbles]

CAPP0 said:

Good luck with yours! Have you got a thread going on here?

[w1bbles]

andburg said:

I imagine so, I'm IT so wasn't up for extended stays and brawling. Normally stayed at the Glen in Newtonmore as it was pretty central, the food was fantastic, that's what matters!

Always said to the fiancee that we'll head up on the bike or hire a camper one day.

I seem to remember from PHSS stalking that you have a very cute dog. Mrs w1bbles says you're welcome to drop in on the way past if you bring him!

[w1bbles]

Another day of back-to-back conference calls. I escaped at 4.30 and armed myself with a paint brush. Another panel has succumbed to my cack-handed painting but it's not looking too bad.



Apologies for all these posts. I have a spectacularly short attention span and can't sit still. As normal activities have been curtailed I need to find another outlet!

I really do need to replace all the doors but given the current outlook I'm going to make do and mend and just fix the locks and paint them.

[w1bbles]

CAPP0 said:

I sort of started one when I was asking about the job before I started, had a few updates but nothing like a proper picture-filled build thread I'm afraid! It's here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Just under 2 years since I started. That's what a full time job, several other vehicles, a wife, 2 dogs, and a garage which the 90 won't fit into (stopping winter work) do to projects!

It drives now, I need to weld a couple of bits on the chassis and re-fit the exhaust and we're good to go (for MOT). I'll try and remember to update my thread when there's news.

Thanks for the good luck You too!

Go on - stick up a photo or two.

[w1bbles]

Thanks folks - I'll take that as permission to keep posting daily while there's work happening! Today the front end got some attention. Bonnet off, grille off, lights off, some minor rust on the bulkhead sorted out with Hammerite rust stabilising stuff, and lots of sanding and etch priming.

I haven't finished the bonnet yet but the tricky bulkhead and the wings/front are now all done:

[w1bbles]

That’s unintentional, so it is...

It doesn’t have a V8, so the sound should keep me safe if I take it to Norn Irn!

[w1bbles]

Sure - I’m sorry to report that they’re cheap ones off eBay. They don’t get through an MoT despite the seller stating they would, but the beam pattern looks good to me. They don’t blind anyone and the high beam is bright. If you want I’ll PM you the eBay link if it still exists. They’re E marked for what it’s worth.

[w1bbles]

braddo said:

Are there any brush strokes visible? It looks incredibly good in the photos.

It’s high quality synthetic enamel so if you’re half competent you can get a great finish. Sadly I’m only quarter competent and it’s been pretty chilly all day so there are some visible brush marks. However a rub down with 240 and then 400 should see it looking pretty good. It’s certainly very glossy already.

[w1bbles]

Bonnet now has coat 1. Just the doors, the interior and then coat 2 to do. Plenty of wet and dry pads so here comes next week!

[w1bbles]

Looks great - fantastic conversion work. Have you managed to get the ECU working with the injection or have you gone down the Megasquirt route? Our V8 has a dirty big Edelbrock carb on it, which is great but very unsophisticated.

[w1bbles]

G-P said:

Great work, I agree with the TD5 and think it’s the best standard engine in the Defender, I am a little biased though.

I agree. I’ve had a few Defenders over the last 22 years:

1988 90 (Ninety if we’re being pedantic) with a 2.5 n/a - horrible
1988 Ninety with a 3.5 carb V8 - disappointing and a pig to handle thanks to drum brakes and ancient axles
2001 90 with a JE Engineering stage 2 Td5 - awesome and very quick but too small once children arrived
1985 Ninety with a 4.0 carb V8 - not as much fun as you’d think, but sounds great
2001 110 with a bog standard Td5 - flexible and fun, capable of the odd overtake

I may chip the 110 Td5 but don’t want to shorten its life with excessive exhaust gas temperature, but head may over-rule heart. Once you put in a Disco transfer box the combination of increased power and longer gearing makes the ideal machine. Covid-19 means I’m going to be very cautious about spending money frivolously and if it works fine that’s probably OK for me at the moment.

I’ve still got the 1985 Ninety and the 2001 110 (in this thread) and would like to think I won’t need another vehicle until the 110 gets edged out by EVs.

I’ve also had a 4.4 V8 Disco 3 (brilliant but thirsty and expensive), a 2.7 TDV6 Disco 3 (great but sounded like a washing machine full of nuts and bolts) and a 3.0 TDV6 Disco 4 (fantastic piece of kit). I used to have a 1984 RR Classic but ended up scrapping it. With hindsight that was a poor move.

[w1bbles]

Jared123 said:

Hi, nice to see what your doing to the Land Rover looks really good! I owned this one between 2008 @ 2011.

Wow! How cool is that? How on earth did you find this thread? Brilliant to see it being trialled... as you know, it's a Special Vehicles Defender and had a crane installed in the back. Great to see what it used to look like. It still carries some great battle scars which I'm planning on leaving in place.