Chicken Drumstick

Curious. What factory Defenders has 255/85R16?

Have to say I quite like it. No real complaints from me. It looks exactly the way it should IMO. Actually no, I'm going to revise that statement. I really like it!

I think it means their marketing department is probably their most prised possession

Yet in many places outside the EU modified suspension is perfectly fine and accepted. Who is to say the EU bureaucrats are actually correct? A 2" lift really shouldn't be making it drive all that differently on the road. Suspect there is a lot more going on here...

Personally wouldn't mind plastic panels. They worked well on my Smart cars.

It definitely has a weird bounce, even when going along on the relative level and smooth. Wonder if you can feel it inside? One would presume yes. If you watch the Jeeps, the body tends to stays fairly level and wheels go up and down. Watch the Land Rover and the body bobs up and down.

I think the other marques are big enough and long lived (multiple models/variants/mks) enough to have enough forum coverage across the web. The Grenadier is unlikely to get much of a forum community as a sole marque. As there won't be 1000's of owners straight off. But, no matter what anyone says, it does seem to be a kindred spirit to the Defender. And would likely fit in very well here. So no, I'm not proposing other marques. Just the Grenadier.

Looking forward to the reveal. On a serious note, I saw someone say about a Grenadier sub-forum here on LR4x4. I think it was meant jokingly, but I'd like to put a +1 to the idea. I think it would be good to welcome such a vehicle on a forum such as this.

Did the 6 speed auto get used with the BMW engine? Thought it was only the 5 speed. Anything is possible, but I'd have thought getting to all work with the rest of the systems is the difficult bit.

Only the 4.6

Thanks. Yes I’d love to have a butchers at some point. I’m half way between MK and Aylesbury. Used to work in Oxford. So you went with the BMW 6 speed box in the end or are you R380?

Thanks. I'd be really interested in what bits you used and what problems you had to solve. A friend who I don't see very often has just fitted one of these to his 90. R380 presently I beleive, but plans to fit an auto. As my Tdi ages I have to admit to seeing the appeal of this swap.

Which adapter did you go with in the end?

That couldn’t be further from the truth. Tread design makes a HUGE difference.

Personally I'm not really a fan of the current JLR styling ethos at all. They have completely ruined the Jags. I don't get the obsession with wanting to make all of your models look basically the same, just different sizes. As for the RR. It looked good up to and including the L322. The current model has carried some lineage over, so it does at least resemble a Range Rover. But the need to make all the models look the same has heavily diluted this. Which is why when you have one coming towards you on a dual carriage way, it could be one of at least five different models until it gets close enough to really ID it. And even from 20 feet away it is still hard sometimes, you have to be a real anorak to tell them apart. The Defender. I hear you, but I just cannot agree. To get to the current model from the old would have required a major departure somewhere along the line. Even with facelifts.... A 1948 80" is clearly visually related to a 2016 Defender 90. You can see the DNA in both, despite the numbers of decades between. This new Pretender just is a completely different model and looks it too.

The Ko2's are more pricey there than some UK places though. Not sure how you save a 3rd?

+1 on a re-core. Is there anywhere local you? Get them to put an extra core in.

I had this problem when I fitted a latter serp engine to my TR7. Although I'd guess the bonnet (hood ) line has more space in a Stag than a TR7. John Eales supplied a new bracket and tensioner, I believe the same as a Morgan Plus 8 would have had, which moved the alternator to the other side of the engine and much lower. http://www.johnealesroverv8.co.uk/

Interesting. Where is the engine likely to end up though? I assume it would be quite a bit further forward?

Wrangler still looks like a Wrangler though. As does a G-Wagen, still look like past models. And to be fair to the Defender, while it might not have undergone radical sheet metal changes. Its face and styling did change over the years as a constant evolution.

Yeah, but using a regular R380 means moving the gearbox mounts and a different seatbox/tunnel. I was just wanting to explore what other options existed, if any to get a Td5 running in an older vehicle. Not saying any of it is a deal breaker exactly. It's just good to understand all possibilities.

Would the regular TD5 bell housing not work? No idea how long it is or where the engine would end up though. Input shaft, I agree. However I have no idea if it would be possible to alter/modify it to suit. Ashcroft Transmissions is only down the road from here.

Vehicle is arguably already a frankencar, it's an F plate with a 200Tdi.... Long term value doesn't really matter. There is no intention at all of it being sold. And as said, think it needs more than a refresh. Needing a new crank more than likely, which makes a rebuild somewhat pricey tbh. And fundamentally this will never solve the issue of the Tdi being an unrefined, noisy person I'm not that keen on of an engine I think an RV8 swap may be more likely than a Tdi rebuild at this stage. But the decision isn't up to me. I'm just looking at what options/alternatives are out there.

From what I've seen. The Duratrac is very capable in mud. Such a shame we have a very limited size range imported in the UK. They are an OEM fit tyre on many vehicles in the USA. As for MT's slipping, depends. Their tread is designed to dig in, so on a loose surface or even sand. That is what they'll do. An AT is in most cases more likely to float on the top a lot more and disturb the ground a lot less. This is the MTR that I suspect was being referred too. This is an old pattern (Max Traction Radial, not a Mud Terrain). And has been standard fitment on Defenders from Land Rover. It looks ok, but they do make a particular noise/hum on tarmac. And in mud are flippin useless IMO. But I think would work well on baked dry mud, rocks and likely sand. The new MTR sold in other markets is this one: Quite an odd design of tread. Which being directional and handed. Will mean your tyres will not match on both sides of the vehicle..... 😉 As for the KO2's. Not really run them much. The older AT I have. And as said, they were truly awful on wet roads. But again if you look at the market they were designed for, i.e. the USA and specifically the Mid West region. Rocks, baked mud, sand and dusty terrain are the norm.

Thanks for the superb info. I guess this answers why you don't see all that many converted TD5's out there. As it is a significant amount more work when all said and done (a friend has one, 300 to Td5, but all done as per factory and cost a small fortune to do). I wonder if a half way measure would be the use of an R380 stumpy, as this was designed to fit in place of the LT-77 in older vehicles. With have a 200Tdi Disco with this setup. I would assume the R380 stumpy would bolt in place of an LT-77 and not require any modifications to the seatbox/drivetrain in a 90. If the TD5 would then mate to this box (I guess the input shaft might need modifying??). Then it would mean all the Td5 retrofit parts would be engine bay side of the bulkhead. Which might make it a simpler fit.