2drdan

Couldn't agree more with your "..able to do everything I need it to do.." comment and with not restricting this by permanent fixtures. However the way I am building this up is the best compromise I have come up with... I hate stuff rolling around in the back and with a box or two or recovery/camping/clothing/boots/tools I have had to take a box or 2 out to load up with other things. I think that having the permanent boxes over the wheel arches will allow me to keep the afore mentioned items to hand with a load on....if not exactly to hand then at least still with me... As for the bed i haven't decided whether to go for a foam mattress or an airbed..? Plenty still to do yet! And I may change the sides yet too, depnds how I get on with window guards. Cheers Phil

Thanks guys, the list is way longer than that ...Ha Ha.. don't worry!! Forgot to mention Nato hitch and high lift jack on board and I've removed the EGR, getting about 27 mpg including runs to North Yorks.. B)

I've had this defender for over a year now but never posted up a piccy so her she is. I've added the rear corner checker-plate to cover a couple of creases and a rear work light. The job list goes on as; replacing front and rear radius arm bushes, replacing the front swivels and wheel bearings (went for latest teflon swivels), replacing rear prop, replacing uj's in front prop, rebuilding top end of engine after cam belt failure and lastly ( not including the rear box build posted else where) I had to replace the seat foam in the drivers seat as it had collapsed so went for a complete front set from Exmoor Trim in their 'Outlast' black canvas fabric. I'm very pleaed with the result, the seats are like new (you'd hope anyway, so I'm glad about that ) and the job was relatively simple. I throughly recommend this as an alternative to replacing the entire seat !! The beginning.. The new seats Cubby box is in charcoal leather from the same supplier and was a present from my fantastic girlfreind!! I'd love to get some other stuff sorted and in the list will be a wheel and tyre set up and a suspension sort out .....light guards and an A bar with driving lights will be the next mod with the rear boxes and bed set up going on in the background... Cheers all Phil.

Well I've been getting on and this is the progress so far... I have created the 'box' over the wheel arch using 'T' section ally on the top rail over the edge meeting a length of ally angle running across the vehicle. This will allow a lid to be dropped in over the wheel box and a ply section to also be dropped in between both boxes (only got this far on the left ...) to create a flat bed area. The plan is to create a dog/luggage guard that will be attached to the angle that runs across the vehicle and is hinged so that it can fold down over the folded seats to create the forward part of the bed. In the pic below you can just make out the bright new ally attached to the outer skin on the top of the pic. I drilled out the original rivets from the outside and matched the holes up to rivet it all together creating support for the lid of the box. This will hinge up in two sections to allow access to all items in case of stuff being loaded on top...

I'd love an ambulance, just not so practical for everyday! Great ideas, cheers for those links. I'm leaning towards boxing in under the rear seats, using series style seats over an ally framed box for storage. Not sure whether to keep three or go to two giving a space for full height storage or other multi purpose space behind the drivers seat. Then keeping the rear completely open apart from a frame over the wheel boxes to keep stuff behind and support a bed platform, with some tie-down points along the lines of the rack and ring system (shown on another post by Draper40 I think)... The ideas and plans evolve ....... As I start I'll photgraph the progress and post it up. Cheers chaps.

Cheers, I don't mind if they're not so cheap if they're good!

Great pics Mike, thanks for those. You've given me some ideas to be going on with. Where did you get the window guards from and were they much money ? It's either that or I was going to board out the inside leaving a cut out at the top to let light in. Although having seen yours I think the grills would be better and more versatile. Phil.

Thanks for the reply, I'd had a thought about leaving one seat in the rear and doing as you suggest with a storage area in the remaining space and still the idea is floating around. The dog is not young and when invigorated after a good walk can jump in the back but that's his limit however. I had thought of a drawer set back in the half furthest forward....dog could then stay on top of this.. I am thinking of an aluminium frame to support the bed area probably at a height that would allow whatever seats I went for (or kept, they are the three separates) to just fold forward once. This would also leave an 'edge' along the wheel boxes to keep the odd bit of errant kit or dirty boots behind in everyday use. And yes I agree about thinkng about what kit is where considering the worst case scenario of a collision hence also the need for a guard or bulkhead of some type. I like the idea of the guard hinged at the roof, I'd also wondered about modifying an orignal dog guard to hinge at the height it bends at which would then form the bed base over ally supports...?? Unfortuately there really isn't any room for a trailer at all....not even vertical! Still much to ponder... Cheers, Phil.

I am trying to devise the best solution for getting the best all round use out of my 110. (No space to store a trailer) I would like to have the option of sleeping inside (for two), keeping the dog in the back, particularly when he's decided to get soaked and muddy, being able to load up the rear with logs and branches with out getting the cabin area filled with carp. (Giving the dog leave to have the rear seats/floor on these occassions). Also generally keeping all the 'usual' stuff in the vehicle. So far I have thought the following; - standard dog/luggage guard - no bed without modfying it to pivot flat. - wooden bulkhead with fold up/down top section to allow for bed both above using the under driver seat box and supplimentary separate boxes to store the 'usual' kit. Either of the above using the area under the rear seat (currently has high lift there anyway) boxed in to provide secure storage using either a completely made up frame and panel system or considering if a front seat box would fit or could be modded to fit and then use low back front seats.....? I have thought of changng to a hard top but like the option of rear seats and being able to access any stuff stored in their place (when folded) via the rear doors. Any ideas or comments welcomed... Cheers, Phil. B)

To add more confusion or interest depnding on your point of view....a mate has one, ex-forestry, in a similar colour to bronze green it came with a petrol 2 litre I think but now has a perkins prima...... he was told on purchase some time ago that the gearbox or transfer box is from a triumph..?? He hasn't broken it so hasn't had to find out.....yet..! The axles do look Rover type but not exact and I don't know what they are. My 2p...can find out more if anyone really wants to know.

I haven't any experience of Turners. However I did get the stage one kit form ACR some time ago (for a 2.25 petrol in '68 11A SWB), ported head, SU carb, replacement manifold and exhaust. I fitted a Lumenition contactless ignition. The result was great, loads of power, ran on unleaded with no additives and as I didn't have the cam it retained a slightly smoother throttle. Had great service at the time too. Another 2p... Cheers, Phil

Did my old S11A canvas in Mesowax after an unfortunate incident with hot TFR at a truck wash!! Worked really well. Did the roof off the car and the sides/end on it.

Hi I did it with a 2dr classic from v8 with 4 spd box to 200tdi on the same box. £300 for conversion plate £700 for engine plus bits and bobs and a new rad = 1200 all in.......stonking job tho and a great drive!! 'Had to create a cut-away in the bellhousing to take the starter and cut off/weld on engine mounts also mod the bulkhead as the 200 tdi sits further back........ this will depend what chassis/body your hybrid has...?? Have not put many miles on engine (circa 3000) but a didn't get around to wiring in a preheat circuit and she starts on the button in all weathers....has been very reliable for me!! Ta Phil.

To echo others, Buy the best rear handle saw you can afford (IMO Stihl) 16" bar fine for just about everything Get trained Get full protection..........only when the correct method of doing a job is known can short cuts be taken, even then the pro's (inc one guy i was working with) get it very wrong. Don't look over the bar when cutting, your neck wont be covered by any gear and that jugular vein is just too tempting for a saw on kickback!! To carry; Saw PPE Maintenance kit - inc spare chain, save time by sharpening when back in workshop - spare spark plug - files etc... Fuel and oil .....Good luck

I did have this explained to me before I converted first my SIIA then the Rangy but both times the insurance were fine with DIY install and it was disclosed to them as such...... Cheers.

I'm not sure about the ins and outs of the EFI part but I have a v. good 80l 4 hole tank and vapouriser (previously on my 3.5 carb) and associated bits up for grabs......? Drop me a pm if you wish. Can give all details of my conversion if req'd but as I say it was on a carb engine. However I have seen a 110 V8 with an EFI plenum using the butterfly to regulate the gas flow using the same setup I had. This guy ran just on LPG tho. no Petrol using twin 100L tanks....no room in the back for owt else !!! Phil. EDIT; should I add it's now a 200 TDi - got the hump with running out of LPG/lack of rear load space!

For another 2 penneth....... I have a std mid box with a short down turn after it, not MOT'd like this just how far I got to get it driving. RRC with Disco 200TDi, not noisy just noticable. 'don't know if it'll pass with out the pipe directing the exhaust away from the car tho..??? .?? B)

I had a SWB with 3/4 canvas before and took it to a truck wash for a freebie blast courtesy of a mate, forgot to say don't do the canvas as the wash had heavy duty TFR (traffic film remover) in it and stripped the canvas of all waterproofing...!!! didn't find out properly till it poured a few days later......DOH! However, MESOWAX fixed that, can't remember who makes it but it goes on with a brush, I did the whole canvas and I stayed dry through two British winters (sold it after that).... so I reckon it's a winner. Good luck. Phil.

Ah ha! (take it this still applies to the LT95..?) Thanks, 'should've perhaps looked at your site more closely....!? That would also fit in with the noise occuring under no load at low revs/ run down......Not quite the way I wanted to turn heads but hey ...... Thanks for the help.

All good info chaps cheers, It didn't do it before conversion but it is related to frequency and whether or not it's under load, i did try all the combinations that give a neutral with the clutch engaged but no change. In first at tick over speeds if I give it a light blip the noise will occur on run down until drive is taken up again and can be heard at a lower volume in the first 1000 rpm (until exploding air and diesel take over the manuscript), this would seem to support the hi/low finger theory but it is a heavy sound more like the clutch fork......but AFAIK it wouldn't work correctly if it had that much play in it?!

Will that still be affected by whether or not there is pressure on the clutch adn it's associated mechanisms?? Cheeers for info.

Well that sounds plausable as it works ok just sounds like a tin with a spanner in at idle!! noisy enough to make othr LR owners wince at me when sat next to me in traffic... It would make sense as nothing has changed, it's just been disconnected from the V8, left a few days then re-connected to the Tdi......could be a fraction too far away leaving a gap for this tube to take up with rattle too, trouble is when I first started on this project there didn't seem to be many, if any, who'd kept this box onto a Tdi!! Cheerz

Hi all, anyone got ideas about this new noise please...... Just completed install of 200 Tdi, replaced the bush in the flywheel to accomodate LT95 and used conversion plate to mate engine/g'box....no probs there. Used all new clutch components inc thrust bearing. At idle when starting first time after it's been sitting (ie it's cold), there is nothing unusual. However after driving half a mile or so once I come to a stop and idle again there is a very metallic rattle similar to rattling a spanner in a tube (like playing a triangle). The noise stops when the clutch is depressed and gets slowly louder or softer if you press the pedal down slowly to disengage / engage the clutch........ Any ideas gratefully heard! Phil. It's a 1980 LT95 with OD, leaks a bit at the moment too....

Hi, I have Police spec HD springs from Paddocks on my 2dr and they've been on about 3 years, sadly not alot of offroad in that time but often heavy loads and always the usual kit. rope, tools, etc etc... In these pics there is nothing in the rear, not even the spare and there's about a third of a tank of diesel. It's parked on the flat and the engine is a 200 Tdi. Hope this is of some use, Cheers and good luck, Phil.

So is this a good time to offer my 80000 mile 3.5 V8 up for grabs...........just finished putting in a 200 tdi........??? or not ?? Love driving it!... so far i'm fully converted, so to speak....