trials and tribulations...(or just plain greif) but strangly enjoyable...
first i bought a 1972 range rover chassis,(complete with engine, box, axles etc...but missing the extremly rotten body...)
why 1972? well here in the uk that means free road tax ,very cheap insurance, and no emmisions checks....ie you can do what you like to it...
then..replace rear x member and plate any rust, replace all bearings,bushes, ball joints etc..paint chassis, raise suspension,fabricate anti roll bar mounts,replace fuel tank,fuel and brake lines,uprate brakes...
then find a good body...now i wanted 2 door,they stopped being made in early 80's, so good is relativly speaking...found a 81 2 door..removed body (that was fun,chain hoist and a few planks across garage roof struts!!)
put body on 72 chassis, but raised 2 inches...repair rust in body..ie floors,inner wings ..
now to the interior, rip out crappy old and replace with nice leather from late range rover..ahh totally different, so make seat mounts,cut and modify trans tunnel to make fit...now make up new cable operated handbrake as original one is where the new seats are (much wider you see).ahh now find how to mount seat belts...
time to complety rewire car...and paint it as well...
next the engine...found this site,learned about the 1uz...thats the one for me!
mate turns upwith complete car 91 ls400 for £180..that will do...!!
remove engine loom etc, try to fit in rangie...hmmmmmm
to make it fit..bulkhead pushed back a bit (club hammer)engine mounts made up using 6mm plate and rangie rubber mounts..cut a bit out of chassis (and stenghten accordingly)
make up adapter plate,similar to zulfen's but more accurate..made of 15mm plate..get flywheel..what a job..eventually found uk race machine shop willing make one..not cheap £375, but i hope worth it (and the wait) solid one piece billet ..find clutch to fit it and lt95 land rover gearbox...
now to the manifolds, fabed up using water barrel , would use thin wall stainless next time as had issues with heat warping the flanges..still live and learn...the exhaust is all 2 1/2 inch stainless exceapt for header bits which are 2 inch..and the headers are 4 into 1 much better than OE..
engine..well ebay comes along and confuses things with me buying a 80k engine from 95 ls400 for £80 complete with loom and ecu..so thats the one i will use...
engine again..well nought fits..have to ditch power steering pump, and hense pic of citroen saxo electric pump instead..ditch a/c (well its england, dont need it with big sunroof)..where a/c was make bracket to hold alternator...make up idler pully bracket to replace power steering pulley, (so can fit belt on again..)
wire up engine electrics..went for 2 speed fuel pump,controled by ecu and using safety relay (no spark no fuel)..using fuel swirl pot as tank is from carbed model, pot primed by facet red top pump by tank..
well the oil filter dont fit anymore..so use mocal remote filter housing and sandwich plate take off from where fiter used to be..made adapter plate so can still use OE oil cooler..(fits above filter on remote filter housing)
sump,original,cut and shut,now holds abit more oil..
well thats where i am..working brakes,fuel,electrics and now oil sytem (as of 2 hours ago)..no water hooked up yet (as engine still has to come out to fit flywheel and wrap headers etc......etc....)
so next time at garage will be starting her up for the first time (fingers crossed)..
forgotten sheds loads of stuff have done, but you get the idea...not easy, everything fabbed by me with basic workshop stuff..no laser/water cutting,disc or gas only....rubbish welder (though can weld real well)
taken 6 months so far, but done as i said with back yard tools, so if you thinking of doing your swap, but dont have facilities like some have on here, dont worry..just do it!..all you need really is dry safe place to work in..
n.b. dont decide to rust proof entire under of car and chassis untill car finished...as now i get a bit messy everytime a go under car.(read lots!!)..dooh..
