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#Post#: 34625--------------------------------------------------
Gordon - starting again!
By: a twig Date: August 20, 2012, 3:14 pm
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You may remember on the old forum, about a year ago I became the
proud owner of Gordon - a 1971 Series IIa 109 - rescued from a
hedge in a farm in East Grinsted.
[quote]
This is my first restoration/big project. After years of people
telling me that the only way I will really know a Land Rover is
to take it apart and re-build it, I've taken the plunge. One
Saturday in June 2011 I picked up a J Reg 1971 SIII 6 cylinder
109.
Having managed to persuade a friend with + E on their license
and a decent sized trailer to help me out, we headed down and
with a deal of huffing and grunting got the Landy onto the
trailer, and did the deal. An hour and a half later this was on
my parents' drive:
HTML http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/eddiefry/IMG_4745-1.jpg
A pretty shot bulkhead:
HTML http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/eddiefry/IMG_4744-1.jpg
Fred Flintstone style footwells
HTML http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/eddiefry/IMG_4747.jpg
The leaf mould filler 6 cyl engine
HTML http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/eddiefry/IMG_4740-1.jpg
An assortment of cement, hazard lights, tractor spanners and
spare seats in the back:
HTML http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/eddiefry/IMG_4752.jpg
So first things first was a clean up to take stock! Some serious
pressure hosing revealed this:
HTML http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/eddiefry/IMG_4765.jpg
Also, closer inspection revealed completely straight and dent
free body work, and a genuine 28,000 miles on the clock! Also a
big shiny Superwinch overdrive
Most of the mechanicals seem free and un-seized. So, first thing
is a strip down, then a new galv chassis and a re-con bulkhead.
Doors aren't too bad, most will just need a spot of welding to
the frames, although one might be beyond repair. All glazing is
fine, the safari roof will just need a small bit of hammering to
restore the shape of the rearmost section.
Hopefully then job will be a good un! I am hopefully going to do
this on a budet of around 2K, doing absolutely everything I
possibly can by myself. Timescale wise, I am giving myself a
year and a half to get it all done. Due to me living in a
terraced townhouse, it's being stored at my parents near
Guildford, so I won't be able to work on it as and when I like
which will also slow things.
But hey ho! I'm horrendously excited, have almost definitely bit
off far more than I can ever possibly chew, and it's gonna be
great! Don't expect rapid progress, and at the end of the day
it will be a functional LR, I am intending to get some serious
overland miles under my belt with it when all said and done, but
have no fear, I intend to keep it true to overlanding ideals of
the time, so it won't be all chequer plate, solar panels and
hannibal add ons!
[/quote]
#Post#: 34628--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gordon - starting again!
By: a twig Date: August 20, 2012, 3:27 pm
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Unfortunately in the last year Life has done its best to
repeatedly kick me in the balls, with the tax man, house repairs
and my daily drive :gay: conspiring to keep me poverty
stricken. Gordon got moved off my parents drive and onto some
hard standing under an apple tree where he has sat forlornly,
until last weekend!
I still don't have any money yet, but I took my missus on a mini
overland expedition throughout France in my boingy. Despite
really not being sure at first, she is now completely sold on
the idea, but wants more space. Presto, I now have full support
for my resto! :D
So last weekend I ventured back to Stockbroker belt and made a
start on stripping Gordon down. No power tools (long story)
meant a lot of hacksaw work on seized bolts, but I've ended up
with 3 doors off, bonnet off, and the majority of the seats out.
During my strip down I am rapidly realising that things I
cheerfully said would need a "spot of welding maybe" are
actually completely shagged, and I'm starting to question just
how much of the original vehicle will be left. I'm hoping the
transmission is all fine and dandy due to the low mileage, but
bulkhead is comical and the only bits of the doors that havent
rusted are the glass and panels, frames are completely gone...
Front of the chassis seems solid, rear is an absolute joke, I
bent the rear crossmember out by hand.... :S
So I'm afraid this will be a budget rebuild, I won't be giving
two hoots about originality, what I want is a Series 109 that
will eventually get me to Cape Town. I'm already eyeing up those
natty GRP doors you can get now! The one plus point is all the
original glass is intact, so that should save some cash!
I'm back off for another round this weekend (taking my own angle
grinder this time) so am pretty hopeful that I'll be able to
whip a lot of the remaining body work off. In the meantime I am
hunting for a lock-up down near me in Somerset, then I can ferry
the parts I'm re-using down in my boingy, and get the new
chassis delivered to the lock-up as I still havent got around to
getting a trailer license yet!
I'm still undecided about whether to keep the 6-pot or go for a
more modern diesel, but we shall have to see! There's a good
deal going on a 2.8 TGV at the moment... :thumbs:
And to cap it all off, the most pressing deadline - I want it to
be my wedding car when me and the missus tie the knot in July
2015!
#Post#: 34630--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gordon - starting again!
By: espacekiller Date: August 20, 2012, 3:44 pm
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Aye up just doing a h reg 1970 6 pot which is almost identical
to this but in green, Mine has no engine so will be getting a
200tdi heart translant. I think my Bulkhead was as bad as yours
but footwells where worse, and the centre has been hacked, I am
repairing mine! So long as the top vent area is sound and the
centre the rest can be repaired/replaced with panels if you have
a grinder and welder, YRM matals are worth a look for footwells
etc. although their door pillars will not do for you as they
dont have the curved bit at the top.
What are your B post C post and sills like? this is the usual
problem area with a station wagon.
It will make a very nice motor once done, as for originality i
wouldnt worry get it on the road, i find you can get most stuff
at the right price it just sometimes takes a while sometimes.
:thumbs:
#Post#: 34846--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gordon - starting again!
By: Dom2a Date: August 22, 2012, 11:49 am
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Wow what a fantastic Landrover. Very jealous. :smilewide:
Dom
#Post#: 34865--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gordon - starting again!
By: parksy64 Date: August 22, 2012, 1:25 pm
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That'll keep you busy for a bit!
Just bear in mind if you want to do Cape town in it you may need
to spend carefully on a few things rather than just do 'budget'
or you'll be doing it twice.
Same thought for the GRP doors....
Just a thought, anyway have fun with the grinder >rock<
#Post#: 34929--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gordon - starting again!
By: bubble Date: August 23, 2012, 3:37 am
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Glad to hear you've got stuck back into it again. Got to admit
your a braver man than me! Keep us posted on your progress....
:thumbs:
#Post#: 43781--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gordon - starting again!
By: a twig Date: November 30, 2012, 2:16 am
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So, I did make some progress in a few free hours I ended up with
at my parents' house. Made some interesting discoverys, such as
large chunks of my bulkhead being made solely of chicken wire
and filler! Definitely on the look out for a new one now.
On the plus side, the front end of the chassis is looking a lot
better than I'd dare hope. If the rear half looks salvageable, I
shall definitely be looking to keep it and repair it, as
Richards want nearly £2k for a new one, and with a wedding
coming up, I might struggle to get that one through!
So, some images to show how depressingly little progress I've
made! Also the front panel was equally filler-ful, so in a fit
of anger I cut it up! :S On the lookout for a new one now!
Start of the day:
[IMG]
HTML http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/eddiefry/IMG_0474.jpg[/img]
End results:
[IMG]
HTML http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/eddiefry/IMG_0485.jpg[/img]
[IMG]
HTML http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/eddiefry/IMG_0484.jpg[/img]
[IMG]
HTML http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/eddiefry/IMG_0477.jpg[/img]
[IMG]
HTML http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/eddiefry/IMG_0476.jpg[/img]
#Post#: 66406--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gordon - starting again!
By: a twig Date: June 29, 2013, 6:28 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Well, this is it now. The missus and I have just come back from
a 3 week jaunt round France and Spain in the boingy 90 with a
rooftent, and we've come to a decision.
I'm selling the boingy and rooftent etc to pay off the credit
card and hopefully pay for a galv chassis, then renting a
workshop nearer home, and doing a 4 month sprint over the winter
to get Gordon on the road and MOT'd in the early New Year, ready
for conversion into a non-pop top camper style set up, to
hopefully take to Morocco next year. :smilewide:
The plan is to fit as much galv as I can possible as I'm sick of
endless wars on rust, strip out the back, and literally just get
it MOT'd as pretty much a shell, so I can park it on the road in
front of the house and fit out the interior etc.
I'm sure a lot of what I'm planning to do may well be considered
sacrilege to some of the more pure leafer lovers on here, but I
need a really basic solid reliable vehicle, easy to self
maintain, and can take away worry free for some more adventures!
First big change will be the petrol engine, and I'm on the hunt
for a basic bomb proof diesel. Then the drivers side second row
door will go (a bit Carawagon stylee).
The most controversial idea I've had is to try and fit a sliding
door on the passenger side... :gay: I know it would be
horrendous but it would give great access in and out for camper
style things, on a damp evening it would be nice to be able to
sit inside in the dry but with the door slid open and an awning
out to still get fresh air, as I get very cabin fevery trapped
inside a vehicle with everything shut in the rain!
So, first things first, get the boingy sold, then try and find a
cheap workshop somewhere near me!
#Post#: 66414--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gordon - starting again!
By: parksy64 Date: June 29, 2013, 10:10 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=a twig link=topic=3160.msg66406#msg66406
date=1372505339]
Well, this is it now. The missus and I have just come back from
a 3 week jaunt round France and Spain in the boingy 90 with a
rooftent, and we've come to a decision.
I'm selling the boingy and rooftent etc to pay off the credit
card and hopefully pay for a galv chassis, then renting a
workshop nearer home, and doing a 4 month sprint over the winter
to get Gordon on the road and MOT'd in the early New Year, ready
for conversion into a non-pop top camper style set up, to
hopefully take to Morocco next year. :smilewide:
The plan is to fit as much galv as I can possible as I'm sick of
endless wars on rust, strip out the back, and literally just get
it MOT'd as pretty much a shell, so I can park it on the road in
front of the house and fit out the interior etc.
I'm sure a lot of what I'm planning to do may well be considered
sacrilege to some of the more pure leafer lovers on here, but I
need a really basic solid reliable vehicle, easy to self
maintain, and can take away worry free for some more adventures!
First big change will be the petrol engine, and I'm on the hunt
for a basic bomb proof diesel. Then the drivers side second row
door will go (a bit Carawagon stylee).
The most controversial idea I've had is to try and fit a sliding
door on the passenger side... :gay: I know it would be
horrendous but it would give great access in and out for camper
style things, on a damp evening it would be nice to be able to
sit inside in the dry but with the door slid open and an awning
out to still get fresh air, as I get very cabin fevery trapped
inside a vehicle with everything shut in the rain!
So, first things first, get the boingy sold, then try and find a
cheap workshop somewhere near me!
[/quote]
Good news,
on the sliding door idea, how about ali panels to replace the
rear side windows and have them in the channels so you can have
an 'original' sliding hatch into the back/ kitchen area?
:thumbs:
#Post#: 66488--------------------------------------------------
Re: Gordon - starting again!
By: a twig Date: June 30, 2013, 6:53 am
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That is a top idea! Hmm, that's got me thinking now! :)
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