The Overfinch Discovery legend is true

[vjj]

Hi Guys,

Just to clear up a long-term argument The Overfinch Discovery was in fact NOT a myth - I have just bought one of these rare beasties(only 3 or 4 built), but they are out there.

There is one another for sale at restorationmen in oxfordshire - a 1991 Manual car 350 together with all the stuff you could get on the RR at the time(red instruments etc). This chap was involved with Overfinch during this time and remembers my car. He is asking £25K - see ebay

The car I have bought(together with invoce from Overfinch for 22k) is a stage 2 Conversion based on a 1995 Discovery ES7 Auto

Has the following

Chevy 350 Vortec(LT31 Engine) with hi-flow headers, beefed-up gearbox, brakes, suspension and quick steering, stainless exhaust system and a few cosmetic things(spare wheel cover, badges, etc) - the interior was left stock as it was very nice anyhow.

Originally on Injection but now running a big Holley with Edelbrock inlets

The car is a bit tatty but very solid, and as the original ECU Land Rover was left in situ I am going to replace the engine and box with standard items from the time and sell it on.

The 350 motor, uprated gearbox(refurbished at Ashcroft 1000 miles ago- bonus!) and all the adaptors etc will be going into my Defender(current TVR RV8 getting a bit tired). As she be a 1984 there are no cats to worry about so free-flowing exhaust can be fabricated. Planning to swap the chevy heads for aluminium big-valves and fit a high-torque cam to suit.

As my defender is a cabrio and only weighs 1300kg (1400 with the chevy in) she should be quite lively!!!

Will keep ypou posted as the project develops.

this car


will have this engine see myrecent topic post in Yank Cars -chevy 350 starter motor nightmare

[vjj]

here is the disco engine bay

[vjj]

read the post again - I said my defender will(above picture) be having the running gear from the disco(engine bay pictured below)

[vjj]

to follow shortly

[vjj]

A.J.M said:

So, your destroying in a way, a very rare example of a car.
To make another one a bit faster. I like the idea but it seems a waste of the disco to remove the engine that made it special and unique in the first place.

The money I would need to spend on the disco to make it fast enough for me(stroking the engine to 383 CI, aftermarket injection etc), plus about 6 grand on cosmetics to get it back up to scratch(respray, re-trim, other repairs) would add up to a lot more than the car would ever be worth.

By putting the running gear into my defender(new chassis, cosmetically excellent) I am at least getting the performance I require at a reasonable cost in an interesting vehicle.

[vjj]

eliot said:

I picked up L31 vortec engine and box very cheaply years ago. Fairly unremarkable engine and not all that powerful (255 bhp). They are externally balanced and have different inlet manifolds - so not exactly a cherished or sought after engine. I got it running standalone on the factory ECU one afternoon for a giggle.
http://www.mez.co.uk/vortec5700.html

Hi Elliot - I have had your MEZ pages bookmarked for a long time and have found them very very useful in maintaining my TVR engine - THANKS

After many phone-calls and emails I have finally ascertained that my engine is NOT an L31 Vortec but a very late L05! Many thanks Brian at Roadcraft in Lancing

Turns out one of the heads has a small crack in it.

The bottom end seems fine and I have today been and bought some Edelbrock E-street big-valve aluminium heads, gaskets, and everything else for a full top-end rebuild - just waiting to confirm whether the cam has roller-lifters or the flat-tops.

If they are rollers I have been advised to leave well alone as they hardly wear at all, and if they are flats then a new hi-torque cam will be installed - will be matching the inlet/outlet ports (have large-bore free-flow headers and ported edelbrock inlet already) and making sure the big holley is spot on. All i will needd now is strengthened pushrods and maybe some rockers.

Should be around the 300bhp mark and maybe 375 lbs of torque.

[vjj]

Update for you guys if anyone is interested.

Finally ascertained that the engine is in fact an L98 Camaro/Corvette engine that stopped being fitted to new cars in 1986 - it was superseded by the LS1

Ho

Edited by vjj on Wednesday 19th September 22:17

[vjj]

With regards to the weight of my defender - I was going on what the previous owner told me

The link you gave me is for diesels - I shall be finding out though. Very useful

I suspect the kerb weight with the chevy in will be around the 1750 mark.

[vjj]

Hi Guys further to some points

The L98 did continue until 1992 in camaros and corvettes although development stopped in 86/87.

I have today driven the Discovery for the first time since we did all the work - took a bit of time to get the timing right and I was a bit anal about the camshaft running-in routine (much to my landrover man's amusement) but boy is it a hoot to drive.

It is very fast - quicker than the Overfinch 630R Anniversary P38 Range Rover I nearly bought last year from walton Motors for 15k.

I haven't given it the full beans yet, obviously, but the plan is to hoon around in it for 500 miles or so then take it over to Dart Corvette for some fresh oil and a tune-up.Looking forward to then.

One thing I would say, concerning the sacrificing of this car for my project, is that the Disco will always be the also-ran in comparison to the Range Rover and for this reason is not really worth the effort to restore to concourse condition.
As for the chap asking £25,000 for the other Overfinch Disco....................concourse or not he will never get more than 15k

Edited by vjj on Wednesday 19th September 22:19

[vjj]

C Lee Farquar said:

Presumably you'll get some money back from what's left of the Disco... but at the sort of figures you're talking an LS3 is not a million pounds away and that would give you something quite special.

The reason I bought the discovery is that it was a FULL overfinch conversion - so I have the chevy-adapted engine mounts, the uprated brake calipers, the engine, the (recently rebuilt) beefed-up Ashcroft auto gearbox, the bellhousing, the suspension,the stronger discovery diffs, the higher ratio transfer box, and a few other things besides - all of which will more or less bolt straight into the defender chassis.

If I had spent a fortune on an LS3 engine I would have had to source all of this on top.

So, as you can see, there was always a method in my madness.

I am sure that the Master Monster-Builder himself(Eliot) would agree that it is the right way to go.

As my Defender is also having a new Richards chassis,galvanised bulkhead, full V8 50th Anniversary internal/external rollcage, new exmoor interior with forward-facing rear seats, new doors and conversion back to station wagon, stainless hinges and a full respray in Keswick green, I think it will be something special in any case.

Edited by vjj on Thursday 28th June 07:37

[vjj]

C Lee Farquar said:

I have one of those transfer boxes mated to what I think is a 700 R4. It came with an L98 small block and Corvette heads. I haven't dared put it in anything as I assume the parts are all obsolete. It's also very long.

Sounds suspiciously like this drivetrain has come out of an Overfinch RR Classic!

[vjj]

Eliot

Any tips on cooling for when I eventually put the small block into the defender? I have it running in the discovery now, with an uprated oil coooler and braided steel lines, with the standard Disco V8 radiator with twin kenlowes - the heat it throws out is phenominal.

I plan the following for the defender

Ali Rad(4-core)

Twin Kenlowes

Oil cooler with braided steel pipework

Ceramic Headers(following your recommendations on MEZ I managed to source a pair of K5 Blazer headers, same type as yours, ceramic-coated at the factory - cost a small fortune to import(I have not fitted them to the Discovery as the Overfinch ones are serviceable).

If you have any other advice that would be great

Victor(Griffman)

Edited by vjj on Thursday 28th June 20:34

[vjj]

Vanya said:

vjj said:

I haven't given it the full beans yet, obviously, but the plan is to hoon around in it for 500 miles or so then take it over to Dart Corvette for some fresh oil and a tune-up.Looking forward to then.

VJJ, do you already have a relationship with DART?

Sort of.................I have sourced a few bits from them and engaged in a bit of banter but nothing emotional.

Why????????????????????????????????????????????

[vjj]

eliot said:

I run a standard range rover classic radiator but recored with an extra row added (the original end tanks had the holes for the row, just soldered over).
Someone more experienced on LR radiators may be able to identify or explan what radiator it was originally. I dont think i even needed to do that - but i did anyway because a friend with a chevy in a RR did the same thing.

Never had any overheating problems - even with oil cooler, trans cooler and chargcooler radiators placed in front of it and also water cooled turbos. But then again the original RR radiator is massive to begin with.

I dont run the trans fluid through the radiator - which may contribute to keeping the water temp down - because the trans temp does rise when giving it lots of grief.

Eliot - thanks for the info - we'll have to meet up for a beer one day.

I have ben told that I cannot install a RR or Disco Rad into the Defender - the opening is too narrow I believe - so although I have a recently rebuilt 4-core Defender V8 unit in there at the moment(originally 3-core) I am going to have an Aluminium one made - just to be safe.

Griffman

[vjj]

Thanks Steve

- will definitely do so as it is something I need to put in motion

Victor

[vjj]

Hi Fellas

here is a pic of my Overfinch Disco with the top-end rebuild done - ali heads, inlet and new 650 carb.

I have the 14-inch black Edelbrock Air filter cover to match the rocker covers but it won't fit under the disco bonnet - will be putting a Puma bonnet on the defender when the engine goes in so it will be fitted then. I have fitted a 10-inch for now

Also, you can see the headers are a bit of a mess - these were designed by Ovefinch to fit in with the TPI injection system - I have sourced a set of ceramic-coated K5 Blazer headers to go in the defender.

The leads i got were too long as well so they are all over the place

All in all I am quite pleased so far.

[vjj]

here is a better pictureYou can see the dog's breakfast that is the headers

Edited by vjj on Sunday 1st July 12:45

[vjj]

Hello Guys

Thought I would update you on my build, which is to commence shortly.

To recap - currently have 1984 Cabrio Defender with TVR lump, 3 -speed auto box and a dodgy chassis in need of replacement.

Also have Overfinch Discovery 5.7 which I bought with 4-speed auto, uprated brakes, suspension etc, but crack in cylinder head, fuel injection replaced with carb etc - see earlier posts on this thread.

At my last post on 1 July I had rebuilt the top end of the chevy with Edelbrock Ali heads, new carb, roller rockers, performer camshaft etc and was running it in - well the work on the top end has exposed a few weaknesses in the bottom end - namely rattling shells - which I thought might happen.

So I am just completing a bottom-end rebuild - I decided to go the whole hog and stroke it to 6.3 litres with Eagle crank, new pistons etc.

In the interim I have also sourced all of the remainder of the bits to turn the old girl back into a station wagon.

The defender is now out of MOT and SORNed so the build starts soon.

here is the schedule.

1. Strip down Discovery and transfer all running gear to new Richards V8 Chassis(axles, gearbox, suspension, steering rack, anti-roll bars etc. - Send carcass to scrapyard

2. Strip down defender, and send panels away to paint(I am having a new bulkhead and 3 new doors)

3. Finish off rolling chassis using defender bits and then send off the remainder to the knackers yard.

4. fit new painted bulkhead and wiring loom.

5. Refit all new painted body, wings, Puma Bonnet, rear station wagon/ roof section,doors etc including Safety devices rollcage (as per 50th Anniversary Defender).

6. fit ceramic sports headers from chevy K5 Blazer and install stainless exhaust.

7. Install internal Auto console as per 50th(from Ashcroft Transmissions)

8. Full interior re-trim including forward-facing rear seats as per 2007 XS station wagon.

9. Finish off exterior trim, MOT , Tax , drive.

I have decided on Keswick Green, a modern soft solid colour, with black chequer plate and anthracite alloys - should look nice.

Although the car is a 1984 and should have a white roof I think it would look sharper with the modern look so the roof will be Keswick as well and I am going to paint the grille/ headlamp surrounds in body colour, and keep the external bit of the rollcage matt black.

So far I have spent 10k on parts(new and secondhand) and work on the engine - I expect the final total to be around the 16k mark.

I have sold my TVR engine and roof/rollcage in advance and I should get a bit more back from parts(bonnet etc)

I shall endeavour to give monthly updates with Photos for those interested.

Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by vjj on Tuesday 14th August 19:12

[vjj]

100SRV said:

What do you plan to do to beef up the differentials and halfshafts?

I am using the beefed-up items from the Overfinch Discovery - plus the huge great torque convertor - and I am having the defender propshafts and UJ's re-inforced.

[vjj]

thanks as ever for the advice Eliot - I don't ned to be spendin' money I don't have to - the gearbox in the Disco is the beefed up ZF22 4-speed from Ashcroft - rebuilt about 2000 miles ago, and it has the big torque converter so I should be okay.

Nobody will be doing any offroading in it - unlike your Chevy Dakar - I will purely be hooning around scaring old ladies and boy racers, and maybe the odd drag race!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!