Blanco

That was interesting, ... (a couple of them clearly haven't 'moved on' 🙂) ...... more so in some ways because of the debates elsewhere here on the new defender and the ineos. We grey beards want a vehicle that is properly 'engineered', but the reality is that nowadays that these things are 'produced' and targeted at an 'audience' sector. The story of BL is a snapshot of the demise of the Austin and Morris engineering root(e)s and its replacement with the modern factory model. .... also there is the social history of the period and how the collective mood and attitude of government and workforce failed to find a way. James May did a great piece on putting the VW factory back together post war , it would be interesting to find 5 equivilent bods and compare their story of he 60's 70's and 80's in Stuttgart.

Nailed it, ... my thoughts exactly. Yep might look at it if one comes along, .... have to check out the price/availability and what the gearbox fitment would be but I'l keep an eye out.

...... have been through most options before arriving at the BMW, .... which is tough to beat now for it's availability (and it's cheap) and the knowledge and solutions out there for the conversion. However few petrol engines compete with the Jag for torque, which was the immediate attraction when I saw it, and it seems to be readily available and cheap enough. I could re-build any of these to maximise the output, but I am not familiar with any of them, and I know from building engines in my youth that costs can quickly mount up when you get into the guts of even an apparently healthy engine, for that reason I want a standard lump, readily available that can just be swapped out in case of major trauma. I think (a bit like scratch building an engine) it is definitely a case of keeping it achievable in a sensible timeframe! One nice aspect of building cars over here is that the I.D. is 100% invested in the chassis, so long as I keep the insurance advised and notify the new engine to the registration people, there is a minimum of fuss. Altering the chassis would probably involve engineers report and open up a different level of pain. Plus I like the shape of the RRC 2 door in original form, I wouldn't want to alter the basic shape.

Thanks Smallfry, it does look long, the asking price for the stripped car is a tempting £300, if I can find wheels (all I have in hand are metric RRS 22", Jag seem to be 120.65 imperial, probably close enough just to load it, but might be a tad tall) and borrow a trailer I might yet go get it, and have a proper measure up. 📏

Looks good to me. On the key front you might be lucky and it just be a battery, but you will need to get your head round the EKA code and syncing keys as a starter for ten, check out the handbook and make sure you have the code to hand. If you haven't speak nicely to the original supplying dealer (if known, often a sticker /card in the handbook) they may be able to help, it worked for me. New keys can be coded but they need a speciallist to match the code from the working key. AC in mine needed a replacement condenser, only the early model is available now but they can be made to fit the later ones, of course you may be lucky and a sniff off gas will sort it.

That was my immediate thought, ... I take it they are aluminium?

No is the short answer,.. the one in the link is about 3.5hrs drive away and Google hasn't turned up much except a handful of peeps who swap them into older Jags... in which case the length is immaterial so nobody seems to bother measuring anything. Was hoping someone here would have one or know something, hence the post. They look long in pictures certainly, but I also think the long low stance of the cars adds to that. The internal bore and stroke is quoted everywhere but not the outside dims.

On a 100" classic I think that would just make the drivetrain too long? my main concern here is to find out how the engine would sit against the standard transmission location (plus a small amount of adapter perhaps) and whether there is the space (ie length) in the engine bay. It seems that it would probably bolt up one way or another but might need a rotational adjustment somehow, not sure yet how far round it would sit.

That's great feedback thanks Smallfry, the lad doesn't want much for it but unfortunately the central locking and security is already compromised, a feature I was hoping I could benefit from so I might wait for another one, there do seem to be a few around, I just missed one on Copart for £275 plus fees , only because I couldn't sign up in time. I'll wait a bit and see if I can find out more about the length and how it would sit in the engine bay. If the one in the link was just a bit closer, I would take a punt, but with the travel (3.5hrs each way!) it's a bit far just for a look see.

My 1980 RRC 2door was already modded with a D1 drivetrain (300tdi manual) when I got it, but I am finding the clutch tough to manage for more than a few miles and I am missing the auto and cruise of the P38 (which is still SORN'ed for the pandemic). I have been watching the BMW conversions with interest and was thinking that the 3.0i M54 engine and auto box would be an easy enough fit with the groundwork that has now been done on these conversions. Now that my mileage is much reduced I would prefer the refinement of a petrol engine anyway. (yes I know, but somehow I just never bonded with V8's, its nearly 40 years since my first and 18 since my last, and they still don't appeal). So anyway I have been scouting around for cheap low mileage BM's, the main problem being that there aren't that many of the larger engine ones over here due to car tax, and only the 3.0 can match the tdi for torque, which is important for towing. Obviously travelling to get one at the moment could be tricky. I just came across THIS last night, which looks as if it should be cheap enough and set me pondering, .... will it fit? I have tried to check it out a bit, but Wiki doesn't have the depth of info on it that it has for the BMW engines, the attraction would be the fact that it's British and classic and offers a decent uplift in torque over the BM. The potential downside being that it looks as if it might be quite long and therefore tricky to squeeze in. I had it in mind that Steve Parker or someone of that ilk used to do XK6 engine conversions for the series but I haven't turned up anything on the net. How big is an AJ16 engine? does anyone know? Weight wise I can't imagine there would be a problem, and it comes mated to a ZF 4hp24, so the other attraction is that it might be possible to juggle some D2 V8 parts to line it up to an LT230.

Looks like a result,.... just looking at that photo with the front chassis,... is that cracked to the right of the mount??

D2 clutches are tricky, but with the bleed nipple open there shouldn't be any pressure containment so it shouldn't be popping seals. Try taking the bleed nipple out completely and just check there is some fluid flow through the port, just possibly there is some manufacturing defect affecting a batch. Other wise best thought I have is to pull the fluid rather than push it, can be done quite simply using the pump trigger top from some domestic cleaning product, adapt the tail of the pick up pipe with a piece of rubber tube and give that a try.

Well I wouldn't be an expert but it's probably just tight on the splines, as it looks like the outer holes are threaded I would just make a simple puller, bar, big centre bolt and small holes to fix to the hub, if you haven't got any welding or threading equipment probably get away with a nut under the bar depending on clearance.

True, I had to do some welding, but there are a few now with the later cabs grafted on. The chassis and drive train were essentially the same, and there are plenty of high mileage 2wd later ones for chicken feed. I would have had a crack at the swap if I'd kept it.

I had a 4010 1993 vintage, brilliant machine ..... great load carrier for larger/longer excursions. I had as much confidence in it off-road as the 110 which had detroits front and rear.

Yep traditonal timber gates and doors are more about joint design and longevity than material properties. With modern epoxy adhesives that can change but it can be quite technical.

Also bear in mind which type of 'ground source' is envisaged..... essentially two types, a 'drilled' well which maybe 100's of feet deep but a very small footprint, or a pipework matrix which would be maybe just a few feet deep but cover a large area..... totally different concepts, .... it will depend on a survey, your property size and location, water table depth, geology etc. etc. There may be some advantage to having the termination of the groundsource in your garage space, but it could take some creative juggling to bring it together. For all it takes to dig a pit is it worth the potential compromises??

You have to ask.... What on Earth was the ad for????

I still have a couple that came from Sparex for my Grey Fergy, ... they fit pretty well and come with retainers

Its nice to read something lighthearted and chuckle-worthy on this page, there hasn't been a lot to smile about here,... thanks Mo!

MAF can only be damaged AFAIK by debris through the air intake, .... so long as your filter is in place and in good nick that won't be a concern. At this stage it might be helpful to find someone with a Nanocom or similar to see what errors if any are present,. My bet would be that your driving style has stirred up 20 odd years of carp and started to try and push it through the fuel system, old school basics will help eliminate causes. There may be a flow test you can do under the bonnet, I have never needed to but someone on here may have the detail or check out Rave. For myself I would start with the in tank pre-filter, check the tank, blow through the supply and return lines, check / replace the main filter, and just satisfy myself that the system is clean and bright. Remember if it had been standing a while that modern diesel is susceptible to bug growth which is a killer in the small lines and filters, particularly if the tank was near empty and there was lots of moist farmyard air in there as well. HTiSH

MAF's do get dirty and then go out of range causing a 'default' setting to kick in, if it is that then a new one will solve it. Some people go to the trouble of cleaning the original but it is delicate work. I think it is unlikely that your booting it caused the issue,... much more likely just made it more obvious. I take it you are confident of fuel supply , it would be the obvious other cause?

Surely the former......... they'd have secured some sort of copyright otherwise. Great find btw, I literally had just put down my hard copy of the Irish Times, and have just done a huge double check, it isn't in the printed version.... maybe tomorrow.

Not sure if it is just the perspective, but that chassis is making the tow car look very small! Hoss are you thinking of dumping the merc ecu? (I take it the Dieselmeken pump is entirely mechanical) or is this just going on the spares shelf?