 | Home > My Defender > 100" Defender Hybrid - A Nod to Land Rover's Heritage |
 
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| TDCi Guy Member Since: 17 Aug 2014 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 286   
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I think it's been a couple of years now since getting rid of my 2.4 Puma and it wasn't long before the Land Rover bug bit me again.
Anyway, a bit of anorak info that some of you may or may not know about before I get to the build. Back around 1977 Land Rover built some prototype vehicles, this was around the time of the transition from Series 3 to 90/110 and Land Rover were toying with the idea of introducing coil sprung suspension which they had successfully done on the launch of the Range Rover. They built around 70 prototype vehicles for the French and Swiss armies using the chassis of the current Range Rover, with it's "perfect" 100" wheelbase for off road driving, body panels from the Series 3 and bonnet and front grille from the, soon to be released, Stage 1 V8. Land Rover binned the idea and instead developed the 90" and 110" vehicles side by side. This didn't stop Land Rover fans re-creating the 100" in different guises over the years due to the fact that they posses the optimum wheelbase for an off roader. There are a couple of well known examples around including Mark Evans' build which was documented on the TV show "A 4x4 is Born", a must-have DVD for anyone that's into their Land Rovers. Further info on the 100" prototypes Here and Here So fast forward 40 years (Just noticed that it's an anniversary year, even more of a reason to get it finished) and I'm at a stage of almost completion. Sanding, repairing, filling, sanding, more sanding, priming and even more sanding have been the last few boring weeks of my life but I'm looking forward to some colour finally going on the panels. I have a lot of parts ready to fit once the bodywork is painted so once that's over and done with it should come together quite quickly. Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm only working on this on a Saturday and taking the odd bits to work to sort on a lunch break. : 
So the donor vehicle, the bit with the 100" chassis, is/was a 1996 Discovery 1 300tdi with autobox. I've owned this discovery since 2013 and used it for a couple of years before buying the newer 2.4TDCI Defender. The discovery then sat in the garage until August last year when the body was pulled off, it was completely rotten but, surprisingly the chassis is in excellent condition. So after a bit of interest on the hypothetical 100" thread I thought I'd create a build thread to inspire me to finish this off and get it on the road! A bit of anorak back story that some of you may or may not know about before I get to the build. Back around 1977 Land Rover built some prototype vehicles, this was around the time of the transition from Series 3 to 90/110 and Land Rover were toying with the idea of introducing coil sprung suspension which they had successfully done on the launch of the Range Rover. They built around 70 prototype vehicles for the French and Swiss armies using the chassis of the current Range Rover, with it's "perfect" 100" wheelbase for off road driving, body panels from the Series 3 and bonnet and front grille from the, soon to be released, Stage 1 V8. Land Rover binned the idea and instead developed the 90" and 110" vehicles side by side. This didn't stop Land Rover fans re-creating the 100" in different guises over the years due to the fact that they posses the apparent optimum wheelbase for an off roader. There are a couple of well known examples around including Mark Evans' build which was documented on the TV show "A 4x4 is Born", a must-have DVD for anyone that's into their Land Rovers and the series that really got me into Land Rovers about 15 years ago, and probably the reason that I'd wanted one so much. I'd toyed with the idea of trying to get a defender body to fit the 100" chassis without modification for a few years and had heard that people had done it before by using a 130 hi cap tub to make up for the long rear overhang of the Range Rover/Discovery but had never seen one. This project was mainly to prove to myself that it was entirely possible to do, but it should also be quite a capable and useful truck once its finished! Further info on the 100" prototypes Here and Here So fast forward 40 years from the initial prototypes and I'm at a stage of almost completion. The donor vehicle, the bit with the 100" chassis, is/was a 1996 Discovery 1 300tdi with autobox. I've owned this discovery since 2013 and used it for a couple of years before buying a newer 2.4TDCI Defender. The discovery then sat in the garage until August 2017 when the body was pulled off, it was completely rotten but, surprisingly the chassis is in excellent condition.  Click image to enlarge Next up was to clean up the chassis and get it protected, the chassis had actually lasted this long with very little in the way of protective coating. I used Buzzweld Chassis-In-One spray on coating and I'm really impressed with it so far. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge I left engine, gearbox etc all sat in the chassis and will be using the discovery rear mounted plastic tank and stainless steel exhaust so they both survived the chop aswell. A full polybush kit was bought from Bearmach and I spent a bit of time with the press getting all the old ones pushed out and CIOing everything. Click image to enlarge I then made a start on the brakes and suspension, I fitted new "police spec" Range Rover springs, I had these fitted to my Defender and they give about a 1" lift and a nice ride. I also upgraded the front brakes to 110 vented discs and calipers and the rears to 110 calipers with the discovery front discs on the rear. While I was there I changed all the wheel bearings. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Tom @tditomprice 100” Defender Hybrid 2010 Alaska White 90 HT Last edited by TDCi Guy on 5th Jul 2019 1:56pm. Edited 3 times in total |
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24th Jul 2018 8:49pm |
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| GREENI Member Since: 22 Aug 2010 Location: staffs Posts: 10379
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Is that the top of pheasant steps?
(I'll follow this with interest. I've had 2 100"  |
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24th Jul 2018 9:00pm |
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| TDCi Guy Member Since: 17 Aug 2014 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 286
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Oooops cocked up with the photos! Is it possible to embed from instagram on here?
EDIT: Managed to add them from the source details but it's a bit long-winded, if someone knows how to direct embed that would be great! Tom @tditomprice 100” Defender Hybrid 2010 Alaska White 90 HT |
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24th Jul 2018 9:03pm |
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| TDCi Guy Member Since: 17 Aug 2014 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 286
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Thanks Greeni, I dare say you might be familiar with the build as I add more updates. I recognise the username in your signature from IG. Tom @tditomprice 100” Defender Hybrid 2010 Alaska White 90 HT |
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24th Jul 2018 9:33pm |
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| JOW240725 Member Since: 04 May 2015 Location: Suffolk Posts: 7904 
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Great project, will be following with interest.
 James
MY2012 110 2.2TDCi XS SW Orkney Grey - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic43410.html MY1990 110 200TDi SW beautifully faded Portofino Red - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post743641.html#743641 MY1984 90 V8 Slate Grey - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post744557.html#744557 Instagram @suffolk_rovers |
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24th Jul 2018 10:16pm |
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| richcl Member Since: 25 Mar 2011 Location: tewkesbury Posts: 25
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Good luck with the build.
Here's my 100 inch Hybrid that I built in the mid 1990's. It was based on a two door Range Rover chassis. Click image to enlarge |
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24th Jul 2018 10:31pm |
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| Mash Member Since: 09 Feb 2015 Location: Guernsey Posts: 1674  
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Following this, really would love to build one of these one day
90 wolf - Jasmin http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic39408.html
90 V8 - Maggie http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic42564.html 110 TD5 - Buggsy http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic59029.html 52HG25 lightweight https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic72342.html D3 Hse - Fiona Capri 2l S - Anna Think I might have a problem............ |
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25th Jul 2018 8:34am |
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| defender9 Member Since: 12 Mar 2016 Location: Fylde Coast Posts: 1629 
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100in was perfect in my view for a SWB coiler, nice project will watch with interest
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25th Jul 2018 8:39am |
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| Procta Member Since: 03 Dec 2016 Location: Sunderland Posts: 5150
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This looks like its going to be a cracker of a build!! I will be watching this one! Defender TD5 90 ---/--- Peugeot 306 HDI hatch back
Success is 90% Inspiration and 4 minutes Preparation # you can make it! |
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25th Jul 2018 11:35am |
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| TDCi Guy Member Since: 17 Aug 2014 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 286
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Thanks for the replies so far guys, it's great to see/hear that some of you have owned 100"s previously. They don't seem so common anymore.
So now it was time to find some bodywork for the truck. I'd already worked out over several years of thinking about the project and measuring various combinations of land rover that a 130" Hi Cap rear tub would fit behind a standard chassis cab, the easiest body combination without cutting into the chassis and maybe requiring an IVA (I'm trying to avoid IVA at all costs as this will just add expense and time onto the project). This would leave the truck looking like a 110" Hi Cap, just 10" shorter. I bought the rear tub, I'd owned it for a year before actually collecting it from a mate who'd spotted it cheap at a spares day. He also let me relieve him of one of his projects, a 1980 era 90 with rotten chassis but usable body panels. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge I built a frame to take the Defender body mounts to the Discovery chassis mounts. Most people cut off the Discovery outriggers and weld on the Defender ones. I'd much rather have a bolt on solution and can easily swap over to another chassis in the future if needed. I also added in rubber mounts so the cab is isolated from the chassis, not sure if this will be effective until it's put into use. I incorporated rock sliders into the frame with some box section coming from the front of them to the front chassis mounts and a piece of box section under the cut down rear bulkhead to tie the two sides together and pick up on the rear chassis mounts. As you can see from the pictures this was the middle of winter and the friend's yard space I was using was like a swampy ice rink! Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge With the main cab section bolted on I could then look at mounting the rest of the panels around it. After fabricating some mounts it was then time to take it all apart again! Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Tom @tditomprice 100” Defender Hybrid 2010 Alaska White 90 HT Last edited by TDCi Guy on 5th Jul 2019 3:09pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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25th Jul 2018 7:40pm |
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| TDCi Guy Member Since: 17 Aug 2014 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 286
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That brings us to the laborious task of bodywork. The state of the old panels, as you can see in some of the close up pictures, made for a long slog and in the end I've just had to come to the realisation that it will never be concours
As long as its straight-ish and all one colour I'm happy, it's going to get used properly after all. Bodywork repairs below, The front bulkhead was stripped down and got welded up. These earlier bulkheads don't seem to suffer as badly as the later ones. This one only needed one corner and a few little plates here and there. Repairs to the bottom ally section of the rear chopped down tub bulkhead, they suffer badly here from the bi-metallic corrosion between the ally bulkhead and the steel seatbelt mounting plates. I cut the ally panels and sandwiched the corroded panel. Not as good as a proper replacement panel but not as expensive either! The outer wing panels were also replaced with TD5 style ones. I converted the seatbox to the later R380 style with a flange I found at a spares day. This means I can use the wider R380 gearbox tunnel which gives clearance for the autobox/transfer box combination which was causing issues before I converted it. I also test fitted the seats I've bought, they're from a smart car and have a very thin back which, as anyone who's been in a defender truck cab will know, is really needed if you want any kind of leg room. They're also heated so will be a nice change from the normal fitment. 
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge And into primer... Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Finally we get round to the paint, I had decided on a flat grey colour, bought the paint and the week before painting had a change of heart and went with Keswick Green. The grey will do for my mini project! Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Then the rebuild started Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Tom @tditomprice 100” Defender Hybrid 2010 Alaska White 90 HT Last edited by TDCi Guy on 5th Jul 2019 3:15pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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25th Jul 2018 8:03pm |
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| Procta Member Since: 03 Dec 2016 Location: Sunderland Posts: 5150
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Looking great there!! I wonder if mark evans used 130 parts for his, How easy is it to make a 100"? Defender TD5 90 ---/--- Peugeot 306 HDI hatch back
Success is 90% Inspiration and 4 minutes Preparation # you can make it! |
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26th Jul 2018 1:11am |
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| Baz8046 Member Since: 08 Feb 2016 Location: Chatham Posts: 81 
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Great project, will be following with interest
If only I had the time and space would love to build one myself. Defender Td5 Commercial 2002 Range Rover L322 TDV8 Westminster 2012 Discovery 4 SDV6 Landmark 2016 |
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26th Jul 2018 8:10am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17353 
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No, Mark used a cut down normal tub, not a Hicap tub. |
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26th Jul 2018 8:50am |
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