 | Home > My Defender > My 1994 300Tdi SW |
 
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841  
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Well, well... time to try and update this a bit, though I do feel I might be getting near "the end". Not in any sense whatever that my time with the car is over, but that I'm reaching the point where I've done most of the things I currently want or need to.
I say 'currently' because who knows what I'll need the car to do in the future, and which might need more changes. Most of what's been done in the last year has been to make the car more of a 'camper', and also a bit of catch up maintenance - fitting some of the stuff I'd bought previously but not got round to. A bit disordered I suspect, but first off, the 2nd row seats came out to allow more stuff in there - coolbox and folding bikes take up most of this. The kids are long gone, and even if they are home, we've other more comfortable options than the back of a 110.  Click image to enlarge Next it was to try out the wheel arch storage boxes and middle shelf I'd got. I say 'try out' because at this stage they weren't bolted through the wheel arches, they were just remarkable stable simply sitting there, though I did bolt them down for the summer trip. Click image to enlarge Room underneath for two stacked Wolf boxes, and we eventually carried four altogether. I don't always travel with the workshop manual in the boot - I've a bit more faith in the car than that! Click image to enlarge About now I'd taken out a 'Puma' internal roll cage, was about to fit a Tdi/Td5-era one. Why? A couple of pics would show it better, but the Tdi one is meant for the narrower/smaller 2nd row seats, so it sits further inboard from the side of the car. This was important because... I wanted to fit gullwing windows, and wanted to be sure the gas strut and fixing brackets wouldn't foul the bar. I was fairly confident they wouldn't anyway, but not 100% Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge These are brilliant on at least two levels - firstly they are just so functional. Really easy to access the storage boxes over the wing, and our other kit which sat on the shelf. Secondly - the external bit bolts through the bodywork onto a shaped metal bracket on the inside. This is a MUCH stronger arrangement than the original collection of pop rivets which just fix onto the aluminium skin. The sides now have a lot more rigidity and are a lot quieter. With the rooftent, and the roll cage, and the shelves and kit, etc etc the car was a bit heavy. I've wanted to change to the progressive & softer SW springs for a while (more for when the car is empty), but I was worried they'd be too soft once loaded. My answer was to fit Airlift helper springs, as I know a few have done. I also modded the top bracket (as suggested by 'JocklandJohn' on LR4x4) to stop it coming through the turret. Fairly straightfoward fitting - and also pretty effective at cutting down on body roll. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge I linked the air tubing together, so both bags are inflated at one valve, and I put that into the rear lights/wiring cover on the driver's side. (No pic, sorry). And finally, I fitted my Ashcroft front ATB diff which had been sitting on a shelf for ages. (Matches the rear and centre ones now). Finally, finally wheel spacers (ooh! controversial!). For the diff, I was conscious that I was doing this the 'quick and dirty' way - leaving the swivels and housing in place - but I still intend to fit a replacement Tdi axle once I get the casing shot blasted and painted, so I didn't want to go the whole hog here and fit all new kit. It was "just" the half shafts/CV joint and diffs, maybe discs too, I can't remember. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge For the spacers - the hub face was as clean and degreased as I could get it, along with the wheel studs. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Here's where I hit the problem - I really struggled to 'settle' the wheel onto the centre flange of the spacer. I got it roughly right, and nipped up the nuts, but still wasn't happy, so off it came. At this point I realised that the wheel was binding on the heads of the hex bolts. You can clearly see the marks on this pic - in the yellow circles - where the bolt heads have dug into the wheel. Click image to enlarge Oh poop, says I. I've since seen a couple of other folk mentioning this, but it hadn't really clicked before. Thankfully, at some point I'd read Darren/LandRoverAnorak's post about changing these for high tensile cap head bolts. I'd got some in, but hadn't fitted them. Whizzed out the hex ones, and replaced with the cap heads. Sorted! Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge You can clearly see, through the centre of the wheel, that there's no fouling on the cap head bolts. Result - and thanks to those who have done and posted this mod previously. Click image to enlarge That's the 'tinkering' pretty much up to date. Now, on with the adventuring! Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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20th Sep 2022 10:06pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Going to see if I can bring this a little more up to date.
But first I'll go back in time. When I got the car first the 'Airport Fire Service' decals were still on the front doors, and when the paint was unpolished (i.e. always) you could read 'Islay Airport' on the sides of the rear tub where those decals had been. So I'd always known the history but recently my son got in touch with the firecrew at Islay to ask if they had any pics. They found one (with thanks!) and I found another online. This one was taken in late November 1994 - my car was bought by Highlands & Islands Airports in April '94 so the timescale fits.
Then this one, undated but obviously later because they've upgraded one of their fire engines and built a control tower... shows the car hitched up to a rescue boat (because the airport is right next to the sea). Click image to enlarge The bumper I got with the car definitely hadn't had a winch fitted, so perhaps this is another of the 'Ops' cars - or this is mine and the winch/bumper got switched over to the replacement vehicle when the time came. My work takes me to Islay from time to time, so it has been back. So that's its history. Then on holiday this year, the old fire wagon, enjoying its 'retirement' met a 'new pretender' at a French Sapeur-Pompiers station in Brittany. Couldn't resist the pic, though I found it hard to explain what I was up to when one of the guys came out, wondering which idiot was parked in front of their crash doors! Click image to enlarge Hidden in the garage behind the 90 is a rescue boat, presumably for any incidents on the nearby lake - so though they are decades apart both vehicles performed the same role! Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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24th Nov 2022 12:34pm |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324 
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I thought that, too. A quick Google revealed a photo of the control tower in September '96 so your second photo can be narrowed down slightly to before then. Darren
110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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24th Nov 2022 2:21pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Thanks guys. Like I say, I've always known this was the story, and it's on the V5 but I was really happy to get the pics to go with it.
Next up - for the last little while I've been working away at getting the car set up as a camper - rooftent etc. In June this year we managed three weeks off work and headed for France - should have written it up a little before now, but on the other hand when it's grey and cold and wet outside, it's nice to look at pictures of sunshine and remember the heat... Our route was very roughly Roscoff to the Loire valley, we followed that for a bit then down along the Vienne; Poitiers, Niort, L'Orient and then back to Cherbourg for the ferry home. It was the first time in ages we'd had a three week break, as opposed to the normal fortnight. Even doing the road miles it was a much more relaxing experience. Anyway, there's not really much to say. Apart from a self-inflicted transmission issue (which wasn't a showstopper) and the turbo outlet hose popping off once, there were no mechanical issues at all - car just started, ran, stopped whenever asked. So - some nice pics of a Defender in the sunshine.... Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge France was just ...France. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Some of the campsites even had sinks to 'wash your cockles' in... though it seemed a bit public to me! Click image to enlarge And finally "pole position" for the way home - third vehicle off the ferry -which given the delays at UK customs, and the time of night we arrived, was extremely welcome! Click image to enlarge So now it's a case of planning next year's trip. Definitely the Pyrenees this time. There's a couple of things I'm going to do, based on our experiences this year - but not much really, overall it all went pretty well: - add a "suitcase" solar panel to the electrics. Our leisure battery died on the first day or so. Not really an issue as we were in campsites so just bought a hook-up cable, but for the Pyrenees a solar panel will allow us to do a couple of 'off grid' days; - use a fridge instead of a 12v coolbox. This just struggled with the heat; - better storage (behind driver) for the folding bikes - better clothes storage - the most "mechanical" thing I'll do is to try and replace the bearings on my Roamerdrive - it's pretty noisy now on the over-run and I wouldn't want to rely on it for such a big trip. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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24th Nov 2022 2:57pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Time to add another instalment or two.
After the France trip we booked onto a LRE weekend in Dunkeld as a last minute thing. It was interesting to drive the new machines they had there (though I can't personally tell any of the current range from each other, apart from the new Defender). More fun was taking our own car on some of the routes and obstacles they have there. It probably looks boring to more experienced folk, but I'm always amazed at what these vehicles will do in standard trim. I'd never done anything like a rock pavement before - and considering that I was "loaded for camping"; had the anti-roll bar on, and the air assisters in the rear springs I thought it went OK. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Everything went fine. Really good fun and a chance to re-acquaint with the capabilities of the car, and the sort of thing that it takes in its stride. The 'ulterior motive', if I can call it that, was to reinforce these things for my wife. I think she's still a little nervous about the Pyrenees later in the year, and I was able to say that these tracks and obstacles were much worse than anything we'd face out there. Only "lesson" I took from it was to fit an X-eng 'deflex' anti-roll bar. I think that would have allowed a bit more traction through the rock pavement, but also because it's supposed to improve the road manners too. Best of both worlds. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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7th Jan 2023 8:08pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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....aaaand "normal service" is resumed - grimy, oily stuff in the garage.
Car failed its MOT in October - a loose wheel bearing, and a leaky steering box. Because the steering box was a 'recon' one, fitted maybe 10 - 15 years ago, I decided just to go new. First time I'd done this job and it was more or less OK. No great dramas - and I satisfied the MOT man on the retest. Click image to enlarge I've not gone back to work yet (clock's ticking till Monday..  ) so I've had a little time to start this winter's jobs in preparation for having a 'sorted' car by the time the sun comes back.
Not doing things by half this year... this was the result about lunchtime today: Click image to enlarge The diff and the transfer box are going back down the road for a quick look-over - related to that "transmission incident" that I referred to a few posts back. I also had real issues with ratio changes when the box was first fitted and I was dissappointed, though not really surprised to see chunks taken off the dog teeth in the high ratio output gear. Click image to enlarge These are all the fixings I have sorted away: Click image to enlarge taking my car from normal to this: Click image to enlarge The afternoon's job card was tackling the front axle. I have lots of parts stashed away for a refurb. I had thought I would replace the axle casing at this time, but I'm just not going to get round to that, so it will be everything from the end of the casing outwards - swivels, seals, hubs, bearings, discs etc. That way, whenever I do get round to prepping the spare casing, I should just be able to unbolt the 'end assemblies' and slot them into the new casing. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Interesting to compare the oil removed from the rear and then the front axles: Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge The front axle oil was only changed in July, so something tells me the swivel-to-axle seals are leaking.. Once this 'heavy engineering' is underway I'll be moving on the electrics - installing a charge monitor for the house battery (after it let us down without any warning in France) and 'plumbing in' plugs for the solar charge; a fridge; and a mains charger/accessory socket. Then towards the back, removing the NAS step (too much of a compromise after all these years) and fitting a 2" receiver hitch; and finally the X-eng anti-roll bar. Should keep me busy for a wee while! Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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7th Jan 2023 8:28pm |
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| Cragster69 Member Since: 15 Jun 2021 Location: Scotland Posts: 193  
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Happy New Year.
Thanks for the update, another impressive undertaking. Looking forward to seeing it all back together. Also really keen to see your camping upgrades. I'm keen to get out camping more this year and have a few ideas to enhance the storage and sleeping arrangements. Craig Craig. “Don't believe everything you read on the internet.” ― Abraham Lincoln www.scotgrc.co.uk |
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7th Jan 2023 9:51pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Thanks Craig.
To be honest I don't think our camping set up is anything too special. We've camped a lot over the years - from bivvy bags in the heather, to large family tents - so leaving aside the fact that there's a roof tent up there, we tend to keep things as simple as possible. No hairdryers, or ovens, or any of the other 'hook-up' stuff they'll try and sell you in GoOutdoors. Table and chairs, gas burner, and something to keep the cold stuff cold. The other consideration is how to find stuff when you need it, so an organised 'system' is important. When I get to that stage though I'll do a specific post on those things. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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8th Jan 2023 6:32pm |
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| Cragster69 Member Since: 15 Jun 2021 Location: Scotland Posts: 193
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https://www.highlandoffroad.co.uk/uploads/...-Sheet.pdf
You've made the front cover.  Craig.
“Don't believe everything you read on the internet.” ― Abraham Lincoln www.scotgrc.co.uk |
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11th May 2023 5:49pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Ha! Thanks for highlighting that. Good observation and memory skills.
We did have a really good time last year, and I’d definitely have considered going again with friends this year but it clashes with a big family birthday. As the photographers say, the red really ‘pops’ against the greenery! Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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11th May 2023 6:15pm |
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| L110CDL Member Since: 31 Oct 2015 Location: Devon Posts: 10756 
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Just caught up with your thread Donald, you have been very busy and what work you have done to the 110, she is looking great
Thanks for posting the trip pics, looks as if you had a good time over there and congrats on being on the front cover  1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up.
Keeper. Clayton. |
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18th May 2023 9:59pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Hi Clayton, thanks for that and a hearty welcome back to you. Hope all's well.
Yeah, I've been up to a lot, and just been so busy that I haven't had a chance to update this thread. Trying to get my own car back on the road, as well as a friend's 90. I'd say that I "need to get a wiggle on" because both cars are booked Plymouth to Santander in August, but the reality is I've been wiggling like a bl****y salmon up a waterfall - and feeling like I'm making the same amount of progress! Updates in due course. Donald
1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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23rd May 2023 6:24pm |
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| L110CDL Member Since: 31 Oct 2015 Location: Devon Posts: 10756
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Thank you Donald and it's well as it can be at the moment
Loved the Salmon example  1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up.
Keeper. Clayton. |
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24th May 2023 7:07pm |
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| Beco90 Member Since: 10 Jul 2024 Location: South Wales Posts: 14
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Just finished reading through this thread as a new forum member. Really enjoyed it and lots of interesting ideas for my own. Just wondering if there were any updates over the last ~12 months?
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18th Jul 2024 4:13pm |
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