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Maxxed_Ross



Member Since: 06 Jun 2012
Location: Bathgate / North Sea
Posts: 340
Scotland 2001 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Cobar Blue
My past Defenders and current Tomb Raider
Just occurred to me that I've never put up any pictures of my Defenders... so here they are!

It all started in 2007 when I bought a 1994 300TDi 90 with my dad for a bit of "Fun". I found one locally that had a few nice mods on it already and set about turning it into a capable offroad toy. it was so much fun it ended up being my daily driver for a while Laughing






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but in the end it was costing me a fortune in fuel and it seemed that every time I went offroading something expensive broke Crying or Very sad I swapped it for a 1.7 Astra van of all things

Fast forward a few years and the van had been sold to fund the deposit on my first house, so with the little bit of cash I had left over I bought the failed project 88" hybrid.

I don't have any "before" pictures, but trust me it was a total mess


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I think by the time i was finished the 88" chassis and the body were the only bits left of the original truck i bought!

It needed totally re-wired, the suspension and axles were shot, the floor was totally rotten and the gearbox would only go into 2nd, 4th and reverse. The transfer box actually exploded 2 days after i got it and shoved the prop shaft forward so hard that it smashed the front diff in the process. To add to all that the dash was hanging off and the 200 TDi engine had no power at all

I ended up changing the whole interior, fitting a new floor, a Discovery R380 gearbox (for a later V8 conversion that i never quite got round to), new transfer box, Range Rover axles, Supergaz +2" suspension, custom made fuel tank, custom made intercooler pipes, new bucket seats with 4 point harnesses, spot lights, Superwinch with tubular bumper, light guards, skid plate, straight through side exit exhaust and a matt black respray... topped off with brand new 16" modular wheels and BF muds.

Unfortunately I never got round to finishing this one. Someone made me an offer on it and I took it Very Happy


But that paved the way for Lara, the 2001 Tomb Raider 110


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Considering I paid a premium for it and the seller assured me it was perfect and well looked after, I bought it blind (never again!) and was less than impressed with what I found. Every door has some form of internal rot - the back doors are months away from being a total write off, the front springs are saggy, all the shocks leak, the front diff was full of water and both steering swivels are very pitted. None of the pop shafts look like they have ever been greased, the winch was seized solid and the diff lock is seized open. Ontop of that the constant electrical issues (the alternator failed just last week) and leaks it's been an up hill struggle to justify keeping it, but I love it Very Happy

so far I've started to replace the interior one bit at a time, fitted a new alarm with central locking, working my way found all the leaks, fitted a bed cover, fitted a new winch, re-wired a load of stuff, fitted new rear drive flanges and installed a new alternator.

I've got a full Ashcroft front end ready to fit (drive shafts, flanges and CV joints) when the weather improves
Post #319424 27th Mar 2014 7:38am
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david mitchell



Member Since: 01 Jul 2012
Location: Meath
Posts: 418
Ireland 2003 Defender 90 Td5 HT Epsom Green
Awesome defender Bow down keep the pictures coming
Post #319443 27th Mar 2014 9:05am
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Clive



Member Since: 21 Mar 2014
Location: Littleborough
Posts: 467
United Kingdom 2004 Defender 90 Td5 X-Tech LE Zambezi Silver
On that picture of Lara's stripped out interior, are you in the throes of a dash upgrade or is that just to upgrade the alarm?

I ask because my son has just bought one and has found the same as you with rotten doors but also some rot in the bulkhead, he's managed to get a full set of later doors and a Puma bulkhead and dash, but it's looking like the dash is a bit too different to be viable.
Post #319459 27th Mar 2014 10:19am
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steve E



Member Since: 06 Mar 2011
Location: Tenby
Posts: 2073
Wales 
Off Topic

The RB320 is an awesome car.
I had one and collected it from the prodrive track centre and met the rally drivers. A great day out.

I love the Tombraider more though Thumbs Up
Post #319469 27th Mar 2014 10:38am
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jimbob7



Member Since: 06 Jul 2013
Location: uk
Posts: 2055
Nice tomb Raider,I remember Weetabix running a competition to win one,I used to eat the stuff by the bucket load so thort I was in with a chance,meh! Pov.spec,ftw. 2006, 110,TD5.
Post #319471 27th Mar 2014 10:39am
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Maxxed_Ross



Member Since: 06 Jun 2012
Location: Bathgate / North Sea
Posts: 340
Scotland 2001 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Cobar Blue
Thanks everyone Very Happy

Clive wrote:
On that picture of Lara's stripped out interior, are you in the throes of a dash upgrade or is that just to upgrade the alarm?

I ask because my son has just bought one and has found the same as you with rotten doors but also some rot in the bulkhead, he's managed to get a full set of later doors and a Puma bulkhead and dash, but it's looking like the dash is a bit too different to be viable.


It was in bits for a combination of reasons. The full beam doesn't work (and still doesn't!) so was trying to fix that, someone in the past had wired up the spot lights in a strange way, the parking switch on the wiper was on the way out and the 12v socket on the dash didn't work. While the alarm was going in it made sense to do all that at the same time.

I've thought about putting a TD5 dash into mine, but even that is fairly different. It would need a whole new wiring loom and some bits cut with the grinder. I'm worried that will detract from the future "rareness value" so I'll probably leave it and just sell the TD5 dash I have sitting waiting. The puma doesn't have the fresh air vents so that would add another complication.

steve E wrote:
Off Topic

The RB320 is an awesome car.
I had one and collected it from the prodrive track centre and met the rally drivers. A great day out.

I love the Tombraider more though Thumbs Up


Thanks! I've had it since it was a year old and loved every second of it. I've just got it back from a full engine rebuild as I'm hoping to take it to 420bhp Twisted Evil
Post #319547 27th Mar 2014 7:17pm
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Maxxed_Ross



Member Since: 06 Jun 2012
Location: Bathgate / North Sea
Posts: 340
Scotland 2001 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Cobar Blue
More pictures as requested Very Happy

The day that I brought the TR home, so I briefly had the 110 and the 88 at the same time


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Me and the rest of Team Tomb Raider at the LRO show last year, in the LRO mag!


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The dash rebuilt


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Out in the wilds and stuck up the the wheel nuts in soft mud Laughing


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Upgraded seats that I won't constantly fall out of like the originals




It's not a Landrover show until you've taken your Defender apart!


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Wild camping on Tiree


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And a random TR owner from Denmark that I bumped into in Fort William


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In the shadow of Ben Nevis


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And on haulage duties for one of my other toys, ex-MG Sport and Racing BTCC chassis EX259


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oh and a quick couple of the RB320 for the fellow fans Cool


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Post #319555 27th Mar 2014 7:35pm
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TACK



Member Since: 26 Apr 2009
Location: Essex
Posts: 1045
 
Nice Thumbs Up I used to own WR1 490.
Post #319560 27th Mar 2014 7:44pm
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Clive



Member Since: 21 Mar 2014
Location: Littleborough
Posts: 467
United Kingdom 2004 Defender 90 Td5 X-Tech LE Zambezi Silver
" ... I've thought about putting a TD5 dash into mine, but even that is fairly different. It would need a whole new wiring loom and some bits cut with the grinder. I'm worried that will detract from the future "rareness value" so I'll probably leave it and just sell the TD5 dash I have sitting waiting. ... "

I fitted a later td5 dash into my previous 90, as you say it needs a bit of hacking about and wiring but it wasn't that bad, ISTR the hardest bit was making the vent levers work properly Laughing

I'm after a td5 dash (2002 on) for another little project coming my way shortly so if you decide to sell yours, let me know Thumbs Up
Post #319561 27th Mar 2014 7:45pm
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Maxxed_Ross



Member Since: 06 Jun 2012
Location: Bathgate / North Sea
Posts: 340
Scotland 2001 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Cobar Blue
The TR I bumped into when on holiday fitted and it did look good. I tried to fit it once and failed because of the air vent issue.

Unfortunately I trimmed the top of the hole slightly when trying to make it fit... and it still wouldn't work Mad
Post #319680 28th Mar 2014 6:09am
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steve E



Member Since: 06 Mar 2011
Location: Tenby
Posts: 2073
Wales 
Great pics Thumbs Up

keep em coming
Post #319725 28th Mar 2014 9:22am
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SailingTom



Member Since: 19 Nov 2013
Location: ESSEX
Posts: 1718
United Kingdom 
Great tomb raider I was on the stand opposite you at last years Peterborough, It was looking good there is something special about them Very Happy Defender puma dormobile camper
Post #319728 28th Mar 2014 9:28am
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Maxxed_Ross



Member Since: 06 Jun 2012
Location: Bathgate / North Sea
Posts: 340
Scotland 2001 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Cobar Blue
the stand that had the pick up that had been turned into a swimming pool? I borrowed a drill off that lot to fit the chequer plate onto my bonnet Laughing
Post #319740 28th Mar 2014 9:56am
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SailingTom



Member Since: 19 Nov 2013
Location: ESSEX
Posts: 1718
United Kingdom 
No a little to the left with the series fire engine and lightweight on it Thumbs Up Defender puma dormobile camper
Post #319745 28th Mar 2014 10:26am
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GUM97



Member Since: 05 Feb 2012
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 3555
United Kingdom 1997 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Stornoway Grey
Very nice! The TR's have always looked ace! Thumbs Up An engine to TDi for!
"Land Rover- Proudly turning drivers into mechanics since 1948"
Post #319831 28th Mar 2014 5:51pm
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