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1958 Land Rover Series 1

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by DanStew, Jun 26, 2017.

  1. Sep 17, 2017
    Hellion

    Hellion Regurgitated

    Eastern TN
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    Dec 25, 2016
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    534
    This is a rescue with the best means you have available to you and with budget-minded concerns too. It's not typical of other heavily modded vehicle threads--you're just getting it back on the road feasibly and trying to keep it as original-looking as possible. Incredible feats here with so rare a vehicle.

    Photos are a visual feast, keep it up!
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  2. Sep 17, 2017
    Admiral Cray

    Admiral Cray I want to do this again.. Staff Member

    Bainbridge...
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    Sep 21, 2009
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    204,347
    Dan, have you thought of getting the frame galvanized dipped? I had a sub frame for a trailer dipped and it did cost that much and came out really nice...
     
  3. Sep 17, 2017
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    I did call the local galvanizer and they said it would be minimum 500 for the dip, but that was just on the phone, so it could possibly be more. I am just gonna prime and paint it when i am finally done welding things to the frame. I will get the Eastwood stuff that you spray in the frame rails to get it coated with something. The thickness of the frame and probably the quality of metal is way great than original, it should last at least until i am long dead and gone. I will let someone else worry about it then ;) ;)
     
  4. Sep 17, 2017
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    Well i put the hoist to work today and just placed the engine and gear boxes in the frame to do some rough measurements and see what I am dealing with. I will have to play the rear driveshaft game. Original rear shaft is 24 inches, i can get that with this combo. I might have to trim the grill more and run an electric fan but I am not opposed to that. This week i will get to making a crossmember to help mock it up and see what i have to make motor mounts. It does fit nice between the rails, Exhaust looks like it will clear pretty good.
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    I will have to think about the transfercase shifters, they are gonna be in a touch location. I have to look into doing something like a dana 20 and try to get the shifters farther forward of the stock location so i dont have to hack the seat riser box. Baby steps I guess.
     
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  5. Sep 17, 2017
    Oldriginal86

    Oldriginal86 Member

    Pasadena, Md.
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    Nov 5, 2014
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    589
    Have you set the cowl in place to check for any interference? Don't get trapped in the drive shaft will determine where the engine goes game. When you first put pictures up of your new project, my first thought was that's a pile of scrap metal with a side dish of tetanus. You've done an amazing job on this. I look forward to seeing the progress that your making on this.
     
  6. Sep 17, 2017
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    I am doing the mock up pretty much simutaneous with the bulkhead install. i want to set the motor first, tack it in, then set bulkhead and then adjust. It is difficult because i am missing some measurements for the bulkhead mount so i have to really do this a few times to get it right. Not hard, but you know it will mean cut a tack weld here and there and move things around. Fortunately i do have some measurements from the bed forward so i do have a ballpark of where things need to be.
     
  7. Sep 22, 2017
    fhoehle

    fhoehle Sponsor

    Harford Township, PA
    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2012
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    1,427
    I'd call around. By me, up here in Penna, the costs vary from 200-300 dollars to galvanize a Jeep frame or a small trailer. I love galvanizing my stuff.
     
  8. Sep 28, 2017
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    I got my motor mounts in this week. I clamped on the frame mounts and set the motor in for first mockup. I need to come down a touch and i need to come over to get the offset correct for the driveshafts to axles.
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    Also need to get angle on the engine back figured out.

    One issue i noticed is i will have interference with slave cylinder to the exhaust. So need to research how to make it work, or i may have to use a push type slave cylinder.
     
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  9. Oct 1, 2017
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    The drivetrain is now supporting itself in the chassis
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    Doesnt look like much but it is a big hurdle, now to work on the bulkhead and get that part done and I can get the body squared away.
     
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  10. Oct 2, 2017
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    USA
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    Looks great!
     
  11. Oct 2, 2017
    Twin2

    Twin2 not him 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Virginia Beach, VA
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    very nice (y)
     
  12. Oct 2, 2017
    Keys5a

    Keys5a Sponsor

    Florida Keys
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    Jan 23, 2014
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    4,170
    To get the bulkhead placed, work from the rear tub forward. The doors close against the leading edge of the tub, so clamp them into place, making sure the latches operate. Hang the door hinges to the bulkhead, and align the doors square. The bulkhead will tell you where the two lower mounting bolts want to be once all the panels are aligned behind it. Don't worry about the sills yet. The doors will tell you where the bulkhead needs to be.
    As far as the transfer case levers, I think the D20 front output casting will swap with the early D18 twin-stick casting, giving you the ability to easily extend the levers forward. It nice that Rover uses the same passenger offset axles as our early Jeeps.
    I had my LR Defender chassis, bulkhead, bumpers, rock sliders, and lots of small hardware/brackets galvanized up in Miami. With Industrial Galvanizers Inc, the 500 was the minimum weight of materials to be galvanized. I'm guessing it keeps a lot of small jobs from bogging then down. I did get some minor warping on the bulkhead from heat, but its cosmetic. I'll definitely have another batch going up to be galvanized in the future.
    Your project is looking good!
    -Donny
     
  13. Oct 2, 2017
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    So I pushed the beast outside into the sun to prove to myself that it is indeed a rolling chassis with drivetrain :)
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    I pulled off the chain from the engine and tranny and tried my hand at seeing where i was with the seat frame panel and interference with the transmission.

    Well this is why I am still mocking things up and only tack welding things down.
    The seat frame just hits the the tranny over corner by about 3/4 of an inch
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    The other side the Dana 18 shifter housing hits the panel really good.
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    I already knew i was going to modify it to get the shifter handles forward from the original location. I am going to have to cut the ears off for the panel to clear.

    So I am going to have to move the engine and everything forward 2 inches. This will center the shifter tower of the transmission with the factory transmission cover.
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    I removed the engine fan which gave me lots of room and i can use an electric fan which is not an issue. I can also trim the grill a bit to get more room for radiator.

    Not really a set back, just part of the project :)
     
  14. Oct 2, 2017
    Keys5a

    Keys5a Sponsor

    Florida Keys
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    LR Defenders have about 8" between the bulkhead and back of the cylinder heads, so much room they mount the air cleaner between the two. I happen to be a fan of keeping the engine as far rearward as possible for most vehicles I've built. My old Tux had an alloy 215 V8 set way back in the frame with the gas pedal bolted to the back of the left cylinder head. I had nearly 50/50 weight distribution, and traction and handling was very un-Jeep like- in a good way.
    My Defender hybrid has an AMC 360 nestled back into the bulkhead by about 3", keeping weight off the front end and allowing me to use the short Series 2a hood (bonnet) set back behind the front fenders like the nose on yours.
    Consider keeping your engine/trans rearward and working the tunnel around the trans. The shifter can be bent forward to make it feel right. Have you ever shifted an old Jaguar XKE? That British shifter bends forward, as do many other English cars. The front output casting on the transfer case should be able to be swapped with one from a D20 to allow for a 1" round tube extension to bring the two levers forward to where you want them.
    Your not restoring your rare Series 1 to stock, so the rulebook is out the window!
    -Donny
     
  15. Oct 2, 2017
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    one of my biggest problems when working with projects is doing the floor tins to cover the transmission. i was hoping to reuse what i have, they look nice and since i always seem to butcher them i really am leary. BUT i do know i am potentially going have to do something anyway with the center cover because the transmission is still a bit wider than the panel :( I will have another look at it. it was my first observations. i can make a shim to bring back end down a little.
     
  16. Oct 3, 2017
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    What is nice about having things tack welded in, is that they are easy to remove.
    I pull the engine and tranny and cut out the mounts and put them forward 2 inches.
    Tacked it back and reinstalled. Much much better.
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    I also cut off the dana 18 shifter ears and now the seat box fits great
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    Center cover has the shifter centered in it, but i will have to modify it to fit around the transmission, it is much fatter than the original Rover unit.
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    I put back some more parts and it is starting to look like something
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    Now to get back to work on the bulkhead.
     
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  17. Oct 12, 2017
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    Patched up the toe boards and welded in one door pillar and door hinges. Next to get the other door pillar on and I can try to fit it on the chassis

    toe boards
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    Door pillar
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  18. Oct 17, 2017
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    I got the bulkhead patched up, still some more work to do. I am finding new issues everytime i patch. I have come to realize the bulkhead needs to be replaced in the future. I am patching it up and it will look a little frankenstein-ish if you look really close. I will save for a new bulkhead, or maybe the future owner of it might have to do that. Since it is in the garage, it most likely wont see rain that much. After measureing and guessing and researching and measuring and guessing some more, I got the door pillar and the bottom mount to the chassis figured out. I bolted it up to the chassis and it fit real good. I did pull it and raise the outriggers up a touch but i think it is right where i need it.

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    I hung the doors and now it looks like a vehicle again
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    Engine and transmission clearances are bout near perfect. i couldnt have guessed it better
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    I will next work on the door sills and then pull the bulkhead again to finish my welding on it and then clean, prime and paint it.
     
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  19. Oct 18, 2017
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
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    Added some more clothes to the Rover today. It is nice to see it look like a vehicle again. I did find that my hood does touch the air cleaner, but i think i can get away with cutting the threaded rod holding on the air cleaner, it is real close.
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  20. Oct 18, 2017
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    It's beautiful, the repairs to the grill came out so well and the doors fit perfect.

    I like the body like that, paint will just make it all shiny and sexy and cause you to worry about damage.
     
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