 | Home > My Defender > Say Hello to Grandma |
 
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| alfajock Member Since: 12 Jan 2011 Location: Bedfordshire Posts: 227   
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Hi, new to the forum and liking it a lot.
Not technically a Defender, here are a few pics of Dora the Explorer, aptly named by my then three year old daughter. She is a 1989 Pre-Defender One-Ten County Station Wagon, factory fitted with God's own engine, the 3.5 V8. Used as a weekend family wagon and plaything, she has been much abused, a little bit kitted up, and much loved for four years now and is about to receive a new chassis, bulkhead, body restoration and full mechanical rebuild to fit her out for another 21 years.  Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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12th Jan 2011 9:42pm |
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| alantd Member Since: 14 Dec 2008 Location: Northamptonshire Posts: 1513 
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Fantastic!
Original kudos One that started out as a 2.4 TDCi 110 XS + New Defender 110 First Edition |
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12th Jan 2011 10:03pm |
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| K9F Member Since: 12 Nov 2009 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 9610 
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Brilliant! Well worth lavishing some refurbishment, money and tlc on! Enjoy!
If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!!
Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!! |
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12th Jan 2011 10:25pm |
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| double cab happy Member Since: 01 Jun 2009 Location: merseyside Posts: 573  
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veyr nice
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13th Jan 2011 10:16am |
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| RED-DOT Member Since: 29 Jun 2009 Location: stirling Posts: 2363 
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Nice veyr... 2008 RS4 gone, 123d M Sport, and a Puma 90 XS..
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13th Jan 2011 7:50pm |
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| Grockle Member Since: 24 Nov 2008 Location: Peak District National Park Posts: 2266 
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spot on, I can hear that V8 burble from here 2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up. |
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14th Jan 2011 8:39am |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5013
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Are Churchills doing the work? Post a few pics up of the rebuild
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14th Jan 2011 8:57am |
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| alfajock Member Since: 12 Jan 2011 Location: Bedfordshire Posts: 227
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Well, plunge taken. 200 mile round trip today to drop her off and a large deposit paid over - now just waiting for six weeks for her return in all her shiny, rust free, structurally sound (and hopfully less leaky!) glory....
Main thing now is to maintain iron self discipline every time the phone goes - "are you sure you dont want us to just drop in a tuned 4.6 whilst we're at it..." Fully Restored 89 110 CSW V8 CLS 350 CDI for the sensible stuff |
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27th Feb 2011 9:39pm |
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| WarPig Member Since: 04 Dec 2009 Location: Sheffield Posts: 1748 
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Good work
Who did you use for the rebuild? I used Richards chassis for mine |
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28th Feb 2011 8:13pm |
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| alfajock Member Since: 12 Jan 2011 Location: Bedfordshire Posts: 227
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I'm going with TJC Landrovers - very professional approach, rebuilds is a core part of their business, and good customer recommendations on other forums, so fingers crossed.
I have to say shopping in this market was an enlightening experience - I was a bit disappointed with several of the other well known specialists - some didn't even respond to enquiries, whereas others were basically interested in selling me their standard package rather than working with my requirements. I approached them all with a detailed spec of what I wanted and a timing schedule I needed to meet, so it should have been clear I wasn't just daydreaming. I wouldn't have thought there were all that many customers out there at the moment willing to sink the price of a nice TD5 into a full rebuild instead, but I guess the recession hasn't hit as hard as I thought! Fully Restored 89 110 CSW V8 CLS 350 CDI for the sensible stuff |
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28th Feb 2011 10:01pm |
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| T1G UP Member Since: 08 Dec 2009 Location: Bath Posts: 3101 
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so whats the budget? 10K?
you keeping the v8? going auto? galy bulkhead aswell? i hope you get what you want in the end. |
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28th Feb 2011 10:49pm |
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| alfajock Member Since: 12 Jan 2011 Location: Bedfordshire Posts: 227
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Yup, budget is thereabouts for this phase, more next year when I do engine, transmission and interior.
Lots of cash, but that’s for new galv chassis, new bulkhead, all new suspension, steering and uprated brakes, all corrosion removed from the bodywork with new cappings and doors, and a bare metal respray throughout in Bonatti Grey, so it’s a pretty thorough refresh and hopefully to better build standards and much better protected than new. I’ve agonised for months over the vexed question of whether to galv the bulkhead or not – it’s a trade off between potential problems with warping, paint finish and adhesion, and electrical earthing on one hand, vs long term rust protection on the other. In the end galving is only one route to rust protection and I’ve gone with what is the consistent advice of the specialists I talked to, which is to start with a new bulkhead, paint it really well and fill it full of waxoyl before it is fitted. Time will tell! I’m definitely keeping it V8 – that burble is a huge part of the appeal for me, and since it is only a plaything economy is irrelevant. That, and sentimental ity – she’s too nice to let deteriorate toward the scapyard - is why I’m going down this route rather than just buying a late TD5 or early Puma. The current V8 is sweet and reliable but getting a bit tired with 185k on the clock – what I haven’t decided yet is when I do the engine next year whether to rebuild the one I have (factory fitted originality) or rebuild a 3.9EFI and auto out of a Range Rover and drop that in (‘cos it’d be nice! Especially with a hotter cam. And sports exhaust. Some head work perhaps. Or maybe a 4.6?) Talking of head work, it’s only when I read this through in black and white that full extent of the madness I’ve succumbed to becomes clear to me... D2 forum – cheaper than therapy!  Fully Restored 89 110 CSW V8
CLS 350 CDI for the sensible stuff |
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1st Mar 2011 11:01am |
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| Landie Boy Member Since: 14 Jan 2011 Location: Essex Posts: 431 
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Very Very Nice
 |
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1st Mar 2011 4:01pm |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5013
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Can you get any pics up of the progress Alfajock, they would be really interesting.
I also decided to go with a galv chassis but new un galv bulkhead on my Series 2 rebuild for the same reasons you mention. The original bulkhead on my 1962 daily drive is still sound so plenty of paint and anti rust treatment should keep the rust worm at bay. |
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1st Mar 2011 7:14pm |
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