Series bulkhead compatability

[SA virgin explorer]

Good day ladies and gentlemen,

I have just purchased what I believe to be a series 2 or 2a land rover. My question to you fine folks is as follows...

Will a series 3 bulkhead fit on the series 2 Landy? I want to have the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel and really prefer the look of the series 3 dash. I am going to be stripping the Landy down so I can get the chassis galvanised so was hoping I could then also change the bulkhead to a series 3 one, but don't want to go purchase the bulkhead to only discover it wont work. I'm very new to LR and this is my first LR. I intend to travel South Africa and neighbouring countries with the old girl so basically going do a ground up rebuild. I am a diesel mechanic but I work on Scania trucks, quiet a difference between the two but I'm sure in the end she will be a beauty.

Your input and comments are most welcome.

[Team Idris]

In 2015 you will de-value it by going S3.The only bit you really want is the speedo, so why not go with an extra electronic speedo ? It'll actually work !

I run a bycycle one.

Then a capillary temp gauge and an oil pressure gauge. They can go anywhere and that covers the your needs.

[FridgeFreezer]

What he said, you will ruin a S2 by making it S3-ish.

Also, beware bulkheads from 6-cylinder or Stage 1 V8 models, they're different.

[Retroanaconda]

It will fit as above.

<controversial>

I agree with you, the Series III dash is far better than the II/IIA in my opinion - actually having some storage and the gauges in the correct place. In a way it would be a shame to ruin an original vehicle but nothing's irreversible if you keep the old bulkhead.

</controversial>

[Gareth Dickens]

It will not do much to the value in SA. Series 2 and 3 pricing are much the same in SA, in fact Series 3 is a bit more expensive due to being "newer/ more modern". Here pricing is mostly affected by condition. There is no tax exemption for vehicles beyond a certain age and taxation is based on vehicle weight. I have not seen any different drawings for Series 2 vs. 3 chassis'.

[steve b]

If you can stash all the SII parts I would as it will just gain value $'s wise and you may want to restore it later in time ?

You will need a complete B/H with all the parts incl heater and steering box - better than the SII box, otherwise it's a

straight nut and bolt job . The SII wings will fit to it but you may want to swap the front panel and wings too ?

My preference is SII for the wings and bulkhead but that's just me

There are other mods such as SIII hubs- M16 Fine knock in studs that will take 8 spokes or modular without coming loose . In fact a whole

front axle , or at least the swivels outwards would be a good mod - better kingpins too

I guess it depends how good the bits are on the truck to start with , and how far you want to go

Some pic's always add to the story

cheers

Steveb

[Team Idris]

As far as I know s2 and s3 chassis are the same. As far as I know s2 and s3 bulkheads aren't fundamentally different apart from bonnet hinges, hole for wiring, and lack of shelf. I have a suspicion the door hinges interchange, but haven't tried.

If it were me, and the bulkhead was good, I'd cut the end of the shelf off and fit the S3 dash set. No real need to spend cash on a bulkhead that is already happy with your body panels

(put a lockable lid where the dash used to be)

[tugboat]

If you prefer the Series 3, why go to the trouble of rebuilding and converting a Series 2a when S3s are more plentiful?

There's a growing premium on genuine Series 2s here (whilst prices of the even less refined Series 1s are already miles through the roof).

Advantages of the Series 3 include a much more robust gearbox, whereas the S2 boxes can eat layshafts depending on how they've been used, and (on the 109) a Salisbury rear axle instead of the weak half-shaft-snapping Rover unit. Other small, but important, details are knock-in wheel studs, not the old screwed in type which have a tendency to strip out of the hub.

For what it's worth though, I prefer the Series 2a in many ways. I used a newish S3 109SW when I worked in Kenya for a while in the late 70s, covering big distances over washboarded dirt roads, and I was disappointed in the cheap, rattly naffness of its dash compared to the solidity of the dash on the late 2a I'd left at home (and which I still own). It's the sort of thing thet really gets to you over days and miles of it. The S3 dash makes the vents much less effective too IIRC.

If I was planning on touring, I'd put my effort into sorting out the functional weak points in the 2a, some of which I've mentioned, but the bolted down tin dash is one of its stronger features.