L322 Overfinch - project
Discussion
Afternoon all
I updated the "fleet" on here a couple of weeks ago, having sold my S3 Land Rover 88 inch. A couple of years ago I had a black RR 3.6 Vogue L322 and loved it but it was a bit of an unloved example and after several niggles and some arch rust appearing, I sold it on.
The internet is now full of L322 videos which prompted my interest again. This time I really wanted a 4.4 tdv8 has everyone raves about the later engine and gearbox. The hunt started with FB Marketplace, Gumtree and Autotrader alerts all saved!
The 4.4 ran from around late 2010/early 2011 but one year prior in 2009 the 3.6 also received an update with new front end, new rear lights and the digital dash. I decided to also extend my search to a late 3.6 with all those upgrades....
Was happy to pay up to around 8K for the right car. I missed out on a beautiful 2012 Autobiography with 70k miles @ just 6K - an old boy who didnt know what he had...I phoned him at 6pm with a view to viewing in morning, but the car already sold that night.....
Anyway, a black Overfinch 3.6 came up on ebay - incorrectly listed and therefore didnt attract much interest. It wasnt without issues - oil leak, 1 month MOT left, missing from lower grill in Overfinch bumper (hen's teeth) and lost service history.
I decided it was worth a punt and won the auction and got the train down to Reading
Upon arrival it was clear it did needed some work BUT Im 100% sure it is a genuine Overfinch car - bespoke interior and genuine wheels and body kit. It needed a good wash and I took it straight to the Asda car wash! Very "drug dealer" in spec - everything blacked out .....
Lots of cosmetics to sort but It drove ok and got me home to Northampton without incident......
Next day - trip to Halfords and I set about putting the car back to standard with silver accents......
First of all remove grills and side vents and paint...all came apart easily
On with the primer and paint!
What a difference! I also did the grill surrounds in the Overfinch lower bumper - much better
Next up were the wheels. These are called Tiger wheels in Overfinch circles and they are genuine items - stamped Overfinch on the rear. They had been powder coated gloss black and were in good condition. I just couldnt' live with black wheels - Im not a fan
So - rattle cans and playing cards!!!
Primer
Paint
On the car - before and after
The wheels were a nightmare to be honest - the car had lock wheel nuts with the insert pattern - all of which broke up as I tried to undo them.! This meant I had to drill them all off! What a nightmare - it meant drill off the hardened outer ring that spins and then hammering a socket over the remains - man those nuts are made of some serious toughened steel - I had to buy special carbide bits!
At the same time as doing the wheels, I also changed the brake pads (none existant) and painted the calipers
So this is where we are as of this afternoon (note I also removed the tow car!)
I know some of you will prefer the "murdered out" look of black on black, but I much prefer it now with the silver accents.
The interior is also very nice - definitely a step up from the pre-facelift
Jobs to do:
The centre grill on the lower rear bumper is missing - impossible to find and OF dont sell it anymore. Ive bought some plastic honeycomb sheet and will set about making one!
Fit new wheel nuts (non locking)
Investigate sporadic suspension fault message - looks like low voltage issue according to Icarsoft reader so battery on charge
Full service (eventually found some history - mixture of LR and specialists up to 2019) - nothing since
Investigate oil leak and buy an undertray (missing)! nasty feeling it is cam cover seals
Replace front Overfinch badges
Replace Overfinch wheel centres (£35 quid each!!)
Enjoy it!!
I updated the "fleet" on here a couple of weeks ago, having sold my S3 Land Rover 88 inch. A couple of years ago I had a black RR 3.6 Vogue L322 and loved it but it was a bit of an unloved example and after several niggles and some arch rust appearing, I sold it on.
The internet is now full of L322 videos which prompted my interest again. This time I really wanted a 4.4 tdv8 has everyone raves about the later engine and gearbox. The hunt started with FB Marketplace, Gumtree and Autotrader alerts all saved!
The 4.4 ran from around late 2010/early 2011 but one year prior in 2009 the 3.6 also received an update with new front end, new rear lights and the digital dash. I decided to also extend my search to a late 3.6 with all those upgrades....
Was happy to pay up to around 8K for the right car. I missed out on a beautiful 2012 Autobiography with 70k miles @ just 6K - an old boy who didnt know what he had...I phoned him at 6pm with a view to viewing in morning, but the car already sold that night.....
Anyway, a black Overfinch 3.6 came up on ebay - incorrectly listed and therefore didnt attract much interest. It wasnt without issues - oil leak, 1 month MOT left, missing from lower grill in Overfinch bumper (hen's teeth) and lost service history.
I decided it was worth a punt and won the auction and got the train down to Reading
Upon arrival it was clear it did needed some work BUT Im 100% sure it is a genuine Overfinch car - bespoke interior and genuine wheels and body kit. It needed a good wash and I took it straight to the Asda car wash! Very "drug dealer" in spec - everything blacked out .....
Lots of cosmetics to sort but It drove ok and got me home to Northampton without incident......
Next day - trip to Halfords and I set about putting the car back to standard with silver accents......
First of all remove grills and side vents and paint...all came apart easily
On with the primer and paint!
What a difference! I also did the grill surrounds in the Overfinch lower bumper - much better
Next up were the wheels. These are called Tiger wheels in Overfinch circles and they are genuine items - stamped Overfinch on the rear. They had been powder coated gloss black and were in good condition. I just couldnt' live with black wheels - Im not a fan
So - rattle cans and playing cards!!!
Primer
Paint
On the car - before and after
The wheels were a nightmare to be honest - the car had lock wheel nuts with the insert pattern - all of which broke up as I tried to undo them.! This meant I had to drill them all off! What a nightmare - it meant drill off the hardened outer ring that spins and then hammering a socket over the remains - man those nuts are made of some serious toughened steel - I had to buy special carbide bits!
At the same time as doing the wheels, I also changed the brake pads (none existant) and painted the calipers
So this is where we are as of this afternoon (note I also removed the tow car!)
I know some of you will prefer the "murdered out" look of black on black, but I much prefer it now with the silver accents.
The interior is also very nice - definitely a step up from the pre-facelift
Jobs to do:
The centre grill on the lower rear bumper is missing - impossible to find and OF dont sell it anymore. Ive bought some plastic honeycomb sheet and will set about making one!
Fit new wheel nuts (non locking)
Investigate sporadic suspension fault message - looks like low voltage issue according to Icarsoft reader so battery on charge
Full service (eventually found some history - mixture of LR and specialists up to 2019) - nothing since
Investigate oil leak and buy an undertray (missing)! nasty feeling it is cam cover seals
Replace front Overfinch badges
Replace Overfinch wheel centres (£35 quid each!!)
Enjoy it!!
for a few hours and some paint that looks 100 times better, im never a fan of the blacked out murder look so good to see you changing this out.
id love one but im not exactly the best with the spanners etc so dont need the hassle in my life but will quite happily watch your journey with it.
id love one but im not exactly the best with the spanners etc so dont need the hassle in my life but will quite happily watch your journey with it.
Ianbe46m3 said:
Looks million times better with silver wheels. Really like it.
Do these have any engine modifications compared to non overfinch models, or is it just interior/styling?
No - engine is standard.on these - still puts Do these have any engine modifications compared to non overfinch models, or is it just interior/styling?
Edited by Ianbe46m3 on Sunday 4th May 18:35
Edited by Ianbe46m3 on Sunday 4th May 18:36
.out 271hp and a load of torque so it goes quite well!
josh00mac said:
Looks so much better now. Tints on the rear windows look like removable film. Good work on the wheels. How did you prep them? Any recommendations?
Lot of prep...........800 grit to rough up.surface
Sand of deep gashes (v few)
Wipe down with white spirit
Primer grey
Dry for 1 hour
3 coats of top coat - 15.mins between coats
1 hour dry
3.coats of lacquer
Not perfect but big improvement!!
cossy400 said:
for a few hours and some paint that looks 100 times better, im never a fan of the blacked out murder look so good to see you changing this out.
id love one but im not exactly the best with the spanners etc so dont need the hassle in my life but will quite happily watch your journey with it.
Thanks - Ill keep you posted!!!id love one but im not exactly the best with the spanners etc so dont need the hassle in my life but will quite happily watch your journey with it.
I always get a decent code reader as a first step - has saved me £££s over years
Paint correction time.....
I love playing around, trying to be a hobbyist detailer!
My go to product is Meguiars compound with my trusty DA, followed by polish with Autoglym products.
I tackled the drivers side today. Black is notoriously unforgiving but its come up pretty well. Looking closely, I think it may have had some paint iver tje years but aim v happy!
Being such a big lump of a car it takes ages to do it!!
Current state.....
Getting there.....
I love playing around, trying to be a hobbyist detailer!
My go to product is Meguiars compound with my trusty DA, followed by polish with Autoglym products.
I tackled the drivers side today. Black is notoriously unforgiving but its come up pretty well. Looking closely, I think it may have had some paint iver tje years but aim v happy!
Being such a big lump of a car it takes ages to do it!!
Current state.....
Getting there.....
Bit of an update on the Overfinch.............
MOT time
So having dealt with the cosmetics, it was time to put it in for an MOT....I took it to my "friendly MOT tester" who is usually quite pragmatic but he failed it across a few issues:
Welded rear wheel - crack on the weld
Both lower front arm bushings - perished
Both rear brake pipes corroded
Excessive oil leak
plus advisory on rear tyre....
So I set to work to repair as much as I could myself:
Step 1
Buy an original, genuine Overfinch Tiger wheel
There are loads of fake wheels on ebay but I wanted a genuine one to match all other the others. Good condition wheels were fetching up to £350 each on ebay
Finally I found a single wheel all the way down in Salisbury (4 hour round trip) for £50 including a reasonable tyre.
Absolutely terrible cosmetically but I knew I could fix it up!
After a few hours work
Step 2
Order complete set of lower arms including ball joints.
I ordered these from a RR specialist and decided to change both types of lower arm - the main lower arm as well as the other "banana" arm which appears to control caster.
All arms well overdue but interesting the ball joints, which are separate on these, were OK. They are also an absolute nightmare to separate from the hub so I've kept them to one side for the future.
In total 4 arms changed in total - all done on the drive with jack stands
New and old
Now nice and shiny! (ignore the spanner!)
[url]
|https://forums-
images.pistonheads.com/55002/202506297146111[/url]
Step 3
Oil leak - there is quite a leak coming from the engine - I suspect it's the rocker gaskets which is quite a job and one Im not bothering with
My solution was to find both undertrays (both missing) on ebay and bolt them up. Oil leak now not visible!!!
Step 4
Brake pipes - the MOTD garage actually refused the job and to be fair I can see why. The pipes are a bugger to get to and actually go up and over the rear subframe and around the tank. I need them replacing from the front.
I found my local Mr Tyre (I know....) actually most competitive and easy to deal with - they took it on and had it done in an afternoon. I did have to take it back within 5 minutes as they hadnt done a great job in bleeding the brakes! However, 15 mins later and it was all good.
MOT time - took it back and my tester put it through with no advisories!
So now shes good to go and will be getting taxed on Tuesday! Some latest pics
So what's next?
Definitely needs 4 point geometry - especially after changing the front suspension
More difficult is the parasitic drain....battery goes flat after 2 days if left connected. I've tried tracing it with current meter and removing fuses one by one....no avail......Im desperately hoping it's not the alternator draining the battery as it's a big job.....
in the meantime Im living with disconnecting the battery when not driving it for a few days
MOT time
So having dealt with the cosmetics, it was time to put it in for an MOT....I took it to my "friendly MOT tester" who is usually quite pragmatic but he failed it across a few issues:
Welded rear wheel - crack on the weld
Both lower front arm bushings - perished
Both rear brake pipes corroded
Excessive oil leak
plus advisory on rear tyre....
So I set to work to repair as much as I could myself:
Step 1
Buy an original, genuine Overfinch Tiger wheel
There are loads of fake wheels on ebay but I wanted a genuine one to match all other the others. Good condition wheels were fetching up to £350 each on ebay
Finally I found a single wheel all the way down in Salisbury (4 hour round trip) for £50 including a reasonable tyre.
Absolutely terrible cosmetically but I knew I could fix it up!
After a few hours work
Step 2
Order complete set of lower arms including ball joints.
I ordered these from a RR specialist and decided to change both types of lower arm - the main lower arm as well as the other "banana" arm which appears to control caster.
All arms well overdue but interesting the ball joints, which are separate on these, were OK. They are also an absolute nightmare to separate from the hub so I've kept them to one side for the future.
In total 4 arms changed in total - all done on the drive with jack stands
New and old
Now nice and shiny! (ignore the spanner!)
[url]
images.pistonheads.com/55002/202506297146111[/url]
Step 3
Oil leak - there is quite a leak coming from the engine - I suspect it's the rocker gaskets which is quite a job and one Im not bothering with
My solution was to find both undertrays (both missing) on ebay and bolt them up. Oil leak now not visible!!!
Step 4
Brake pipes - the MOTD garage actually refused the job and to be fair I can see why. The pipes are a bugger to get to and actually go up and over the rear subframe and around the tank. I need them replacing from the front.
I found my local Mr Tyre (I know....) actually most competitive and easy to deal with - they took it on and had it done in an afternoon. I did have to take it back within 5 minutes as they hadnt done a great job in bleeding the brakes! However, 15 mins later and it was all good.
MOT time - took it back and my tester put it through with no advisories!
So now shes good to go and will be getting taxed on Tuesday! Some latest pics
So what's next?
Definitely needs 4 point geometry - especially after changing the front suspension
More difficult is the parasitic drain....battery goes flat after 2 days if left connected. I've tried tracing it with current meter and removing fuses one by one....no avail......Im desperately hoping it's not the alternator draining the battery as it's a big job.....
in the meantime Im living with disconnecting the battery when not driving it for a few days
I have a 2011 4.4 TDV8, and it has a similar battery drain - mine is down to 20% in 48 hours, though the caar still starts fine on 20%.
I have mine booked in with an auto-electrician tomorrow to try to find out what is causing it.
My car has a full file of invoices, so I know the alternator was changed in the last two years, as was the oil cooler and inlet manifold.
The battery was also changed to an AGM one less than three years ago.
The battery tests as 100% on condition, even when the charge is down to 20%.
I will try to find out what the guy finds - he's the go to man for every garage in the town - and will let you know.
There is a post on the FFRR forum by a 2008 L322 owner in Ireland who had a similar drain.
It's helpfully titled "For anybody thinking of buying an L322".
He used a clamp meter on the negative cable and pulled fuses, which found a dodgy AC control panel.
He replaced that and all was well.
He also reported the AC not working, but doesn't say if the replaced control panel sorted the non-working AC
I have mine booked in with an auto-electrician tomorrow to try to find out what is causing it.
My car has a full file of invoices, so I know the alternator was changed in the last two years, as was the oil cooler and inlet manifold.
The battery was also changed to an AGM one less than three years ago.
The battery tests as 100% on condition, even when the charge is down to 20%.
I will try to find out what the guy finds - he's the go to man for every garage in the town - and will let you know.
There is a post on the FFRR forum by a 2008 L322 owner in Ireland who had a similar drain.
It's helpfully titled "For anybody thinking of buying an L322".
He used a clamp meter on the negative cable and pulled fuses, which found a dodgy AC control panel.
He replaced that and all was well.
He also reported the AC not working, but doesn't say if the replaced control panel sorted the non-working AC
QBee said:
I have a 2011 4.4 TDV8, and it has a similar battery drain - mine is down to 20% in 48 hours, though the caar still starts fine on 20%.
I have mine booked in with an auto-electrician tomorrow to try to find out what is causing it.
My car has a full file of invoices, so I know the alternator was changed in the last two years, as was the oil cooler and inlet manifold.
The battery was also changed to an AGM one less than three years ago.
The battery tests as 100% on condition, even when the charge is down to 20%.
I will try to find out what the guy finds - he's the go to man for every garage in the town - and will let you know.
There is a post on the FFRR forum by a 2008 L322 owner in Ireland who had a similar drain.
It's helpfully titled "For anybody thinking of buying an L322".
He used a clamp meter on the negative cable and pulled fuses, which found a dodgy AC control panel.
He replaced that and all was well.
He also reported the AC not working, but doesn't say if the replaced control panel sorted the non-working AC
Thank you - appreciate your help. Please let me know how you get on!I have mine booked in with an auto-electrician tomorrow to try to find out what is causing it.
My car has a full file of invoices, so I know the alternator was changed in the last two years, as was the oil cooler and inlet manifold.
The battery was also changed to an AGM one less than three years ago.
The battery tests as 100% on condition, even when the charge is down to 20%.
I will try to find out what the guy finds - he's the go to man for every garage in the town - and will let you know.
There is a post on the FFRR forum by a 2008 L322 owner in Ireland who had a similar drain.
It's helpfully titled "For anybody thinking of buying an L322".
He used a clamp meter on the negative cable and pulled fuses, which found a dodgy AC control panel.
He replaced that and all was well.
He also reported the AC not working, but doesn't say if the replaced control panel sorted the non-working AC
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