Non MV restoration - Range Rover

Thought I might share this with you all, this is my first 4 wheel restoration. Previously I've restored motorbikes and I mainly seem to work on the big stuff at Duxford (only one long enough to reach all the bolt I guess).

So I wanted to buy a Range Rover with the idea to strip out the engine and its wiring loom and put it in my dad's MGB GT - seemed like a good idea at the time.

This is what I got:

A 1993 Range Rover Vogue 3.9 EFI.

The engine started on the button, and ran very well. Auto box seemed quite good. Lots and lots of holes in all the usual places, but I wasn't worried about that as I was going to strip her and sell all the bits that I didn't need (and be left with the engine and ancillaries).

So this is what I was facing:

On top of that both the front inner wings were rotten and the foot wells needed work. Oh and the rear doors were shot. On the up side all the electrics apart from the blower worked.

Problem is that there's always something going to happen that will scupper your plans; this came in the form of someone reversing their car into my dads and driving off leaving him with a very expensive repair bill - well that's the MGB pot gone.

So what to do with the Rangie? Nuts to it, might as well restore it. Actually these classics are really starting to rise in cost, so I think I'll at the least break even, might even turn a little profit.

Having a real good look over it looks as though the boot area of the cab has got damp and rusted from the inside out as the structural stuff is in great shape.

removing the boot floor showed very little rust and quite a lot of the original paint on the chassis. Got to replace the fuel lines though as these are leaking.

Going to have a lot of time welding methinks.

I have also started the removal of the engine for a strip down as it's a tad leaky, I'll also do an oil and filter change on the auto box. Later on I'll be doing the brakes and oil in diffs.

Hope you enjoy

Stick an Isuzu diseil in it! You'll have all the comfort of the Rangey and it will go like the clappers , ecomicaly, compared to the 3.9! :-D

Tony,

I have thought about it, and if. I was keeping it then I would.

This one will be restored to spec (with maybe the seats replaced for leather ones), and then I'll sell it.

When we are in a position to do the engine swap in the B then I might do an engine swap in a donor Rangie ax well - original idea was to stick a 300TDI in this Rangie with an R380 box, but that didn't go down so well.

Don't know about the 300 in a Rangy, I know you can fit them to series 3 with a bit of twiddling. I had a Range Rover Classic with a 2.8 Isuzui disiel for about ten years. Broke my heart when the engine finally packed up with 250.000 miles on it that I knew of. Main problem was I roughed it and the axle breather went through the sump, didn't do it a lot of good. :blush:

certainly looks like a project , insurance not sort the mgb?

It was my dad's Honda they hit, and it was cheaper in the end just to get it fixed - no claims bonus and all that.

It will be an interesting project. Going to do it properly - want as much for it as possible.

If you need a hand with any old or up to date part numbers or getting parts give me a shout. I work in Land Rover parts which helps, and your registration does show up on our online catalogue.

Thanks Martyn,

I may well have to take you up on that offer, especially as I need to replace the fuel lines as they are completely rotten.

I'm tempted to run rigid plastic fuel lines instead of the steel as at least they won't rot out.

Recon I'll need your help on all the fiddley bits.

Paul

Thanks Martyn,

 

I may well have to take you up on that offer, especially as I need to replace the fuel lines as they are completely rotten.

I'm tempted to run rigid plastic fuel lines instead of the steel as at least they won't rot out.

Recon I'll need your help on all the fiddley bits.

 

Paul

Its not a problem, often only takes a minute to look it up on the system. Send me a pm anytime or post on here and i'll do what I can

A day of pain!

My dad met me yesterday to help me remove the engine. Mugging here though it should be a straight forward job, got all but 2 of the bolts out of the front cross member and they came out a treat (so did the cross member).

The oil was drained out of the auto box, and we started on disconnecting the engine.

I had already done the fuel side and removed the inlet manifold, as well as all the wiring harness that I could reach, so that left the bell housing bolts and the 4 bolts attaching the flywheel to the auto box. They were an absolute git! Who would have thought that 4 bolts would take so long? Didn't help that I was laying on the floor trying to undo them while my dad was trying to stop the engine from turning. It's a bit much when I could move the engine on a standard ratchet and he had a 2' breaker bar.

Still after a lot of pain they were out. We removed the 2 bottom bell housing bolts, and following instructions from both Mr Haynes and Mr Land Rover we managed to remove the engine rubber mounts so that we could get to the 2 top bell housing bolts, they were still a bit of a git.

Now bear in mind that both sources of 'how to remove your engine' said do the 2 bottom ones then the 2 tops we though that was that..........

...... Nah, nope, not even close. On further inspection I found 2 more difficultly placed bolts. Out comes the 3/8" extension bars and UJ and after moderate levels of swearing out they came, but still the engine did not want to move.

Lunch time.

On return from lunch (£3 meal deal from Sainburys - brilliant!), I started to work this out by Braille, and found another bolt. Up goes the extension bars etc, and I find the bolt (which is well out of sight), first time and out it comes.

Then I think if there was 1 on that side there must be one on the other dad found it.

It took us about an hour to get to it with both of us guiding the socket and bar into position and then another 30 min to get it out. Pain everywhere.

So at 9am we started, and by 4:30pm we had the engine out. It may not sound like much but by god it was hard work.

Dad has already said that I should tell him when the engine's going back in so he can be somewhere else. His MGBs are so much easier to work on, but this Range Rover is less painful than a Chieftain.

Think Dad was less knackered than me (P.S. Got to love REME overalls - only ones I have ever found to fit!)

Engine before and after a steam clean

Now I need to get 4 bolts to attach it to my engine stand......

A bit more progress:

Engine bay empty of 1 V8

Rear ready for a steam clean

Rear bumper and cross member out

New vs old

New cross member in - it took a whole day to remove the old one and get the new one aligned, worth doing properly though.

Rear panels test fitted, but not welded in. Suddenly looks like a proper car again.

Had to weld a new piece in to the side panel, the SIP mig I have is utter pants as you can see by the welds. I have borrowed another welder so will see how this one is.

What a difference a decent MIG makes:

SIP

CEBORA

Boot near side panel in and wheel arch test fitted just to make sure

Have thought of a name for the Range Rover - Triggers Broom!

The rear near side wheel arch is in along with the side floor.

Started on the near side inner wing today and got it removed.

Bit of a difference isn't there.

Before I put the new wing of I need to carry out the repair to the footwell and then strip the brake calipers.

Looks a bit of a mess at the moment

Engine is a little beauty though

BRAKES, BROKE, AND FOOTWELLS

I need to get the car back on to it's wheels so that I can turn it around to do the off side once the near side is finished. There is also the possibility that I'll need to move it to another location, so if anyone knows of a lock up in Essex, Herts, or Suffolk that might be available then please PM me.

So, progress.

All the brake calipers have been removed, cleaned up, and rebuilt with new seals and pistons (took 3 days to do!) New brake pads installed.

New disks fitted all round - an interesting setup on the hubs, and 2 issues. The first was one of the bolts that secures the half shaft cap to the hub sheared, so that needs to be drilled out and re-tapped with the use of a pillar drill (need a replacement bolt as well), and until that's done then I can't fit the disk and caliper.

This is the second break

I think someone had been a little heavy on the right foot whilst in low ratio. The half shaft was so well seized in the diff I had to use a club hammer and chisel to get it out. At this point I didn't hold much hope for the state of the diff, but once I had dropped it out (with the help of a mate - bloody heavy!), I saw it was in great shape, and just this piece stuck in. Drifted it out and found a replacement half shaft on evil bay.

So back on to body work. I needed to get a partial repair done on the footwell so that I can fit the near side inner wing, this will give the body the rigidity it needs so that I can do the sill and the rest of the footwell.

I really wanted to save the relay alcove on the side of the footwell, but it had gone along one side, so I built it back up with some pieces of sheet. Really happy with how it came out.

I then welded in a piece from a replacement footwell in the bulkhead

And I could then test fit the inner wing - suddenly it feels like it's coming back together

TURNING POINT?

It does feel like I have turned the corner, but when the near side sill comes out I'll probably eat my words.

I decided to get both heads skimmed as a second inspection of one of the heads showed ever so slight warping. If one needs a skim, then best to get both skimmed to keep the volumes in all the combustion chambers roughly equal.

Nice and shiny

I decided to get the left bank back together so after stripping and rebuliding the hydraulic followers and cleaning the push rods I got the head and the rocker assembly back on.

After that I carried on marking up the near side inner wing with all the lovely holes that need drilling in it.

I also realised that now would be the best time to swap the front shock over as the wing is off.

Easy to remove, but what a git to get back on! Although it is amazing what you can do with some blue polypropylene rope, a big spanner and 2 3ft bars!

Looks so much better now with the shiny bits on (galv turret kit, and yellow polly bush kit {for the whole car}).

Before

After

I am meant to have a British Military Fitness session now, but that suspension swap has killed me!

Hi,

Did you fully torque or just nip up the outside row of 4 head bolts?

Its good practice these days to use composite gaskets and leave the outer row of bolts nipped up (or out altogether) as they can lead to early warping of the heads.

Remember to use the best quality coolant/corrosion inhibitor you can get your paws on and change the oil every 3k miles, it'll last for years

Alec

The outer row are only torqued down to 60nm as per the handbook. That did feel like being nipped up, well with a lovely big torque wrench it did (all torque wrenches have been calibrated).

I'm currently sitting in a hotel room in York slightly bored waiting for the restaurant to open wondering what to do, so I thought it was time for an update!

Where the hell did I get to?

Oh yes, front inner wing. Well it's on and it feels great to get it there.

Before

After

This has enabled me to take the sill out on the near side, and having done that I'll also need to replace the inner sill as it is a little snotty.

I have managed to get some bits shot blasted and painted as well, things like the coil clamp, and air filter mounts. Really happy that I could save these bits rather than just replacing them.

Been a while, got quite a bit done and moved it 30 miles north.

Oh, i've stripped it down a bit more as well

Also quite a way through rubbing down the chassis, treating with jenolite, priming and painting