Bingy

Roll Cage Fitted the bulkhead, windscreen frame, truckcab roof rear bulkhead and some old doors borrowed of a mate. Full Northoffroad cage and extereme wing kit. I used Niges thread as best i could to set the wings up. trayback on back order as is the rear winch mount , so i cant fully finish and will have to leave until a bit later on. panels removed, cage fully welded up. Painted with red hammerite (so its easier to touch up and add things later on) New Modular wheels with 35x10.5x16 Fedima tyres. Bodywork panels were removed, rubbed back to bare metal, etch primed. This time i used 2pack primer and 2pack paint. Trayback and rear winch mount still yet to do.

Its only 21/2 hours for me to get there. Hauled up at home with a bad back and on medication. (some may say i should be on it all the time) Was really looking forward to this, now the mates and the SWMBO's have made other plans. Would have been nice to look at new products, put faces to usernames and have a general chin wag. Lets hope its a big success and its on again next year.

Sam, its a challenge and a labour of love. I really enjoy and look forward to doing the build. What pees me off is not ordering the parts in time and/or not having them turn up. Bulkhead. The original one on the old girl was well past reviving. I found this locally and was cheap as the PO dropped a gearbox on it whilst trying renevate it. So first off i did the usual repair panel. Followed by both footwells. Half rubbed down to bare metal. Very tedious job! Etch primed. Joints sealed with silkaflex. Stone chipped Primrerd (no pic) Painted Range Rover Rimini Red. Hmm. I have never done any spraying before, one of my mates, who works for a Insurence approved bodyshop, gave me a list of jobs to do. He said he would be more than happy to do the work, but as it was my project i wanted to try my hand at it. However, what the loon never told me was not to mix one pack primer with two pack paint. After i had etch primed the bulkhead, i used 1pack high build primer. Left it for a couple of weeks, then under his supervision at his home made spray booth, i sprayed the 2pack colour and hardner. The 2pack colour ate into the 1pack primer and softened it. But the top coat dried hard and left the primer still soft underneath. At that point in time it was nearly midnight, he couldnt understand what was happening and would ask his gaffer the next day. After meeting him again the next evening he confirmed that the primer wouldnt cure now that the topcoat was fully dried. He did say though that i was lucky, only doing the one panel and not the full landrover. Anyhow it all had to come back off again, back to bare metal. Next time just to use 1 type of paint and primer. But i needed this to start setting the cage and evrything up. This will have to wait for another day. As it worked out later, it didnt turn out that bad to do with the primer still soft. I amnaged to scrape most of the paint off during a weekend. More on this later.

Cheers. Thanks for that. No idea of timescale yet. Work, money, and doing this single handed. Should be within the next 12 months, But i said that 2 years ago

The front winch bumper as supplied by Northoffroad. Yes i could have made one of these. I have the tools in the garage to do this. My local fab shop wuold have supplied all the plate, but i thought time is better spent on other things. Steering Original steering box out of the old 90 with drop link arm removed Totally refurbed using genuine seals, new discovery drop arm. Nearly threw the towel in putting this back together. If it lasts 3 months use its a bonus. As it was freezing in the workshop, the paint dried all dull. New steering links and panhard HD Sumo bars from Gwyn Lewis with fully greasable track rod ends. Difference in thickness between old and new Fully Fitted. Whilst fitting the steering box, i came across this problem. It's where the steering box mount/panhard rod mount meet. Should there be a bush in here? I have searched all over, but not found a part number or any reference to one. Seems too big a hole just to leave as is. Hmmm. Any ideas?

Sam, tbh, i did these over 2 years ago. At the time i thought it was a good idea. It may go belly up on me, but i can only have a go. It might go down the road like an asda shopping trolley, it may work well. But looking back through the photos, the Disco 2 front hockey sticks are a lot wider than the defender ones i have on. The ones on the old defender are the 48mm thick ones. In order to try and replicate the brackets on the Disco2 axles, i used exactly the same size as the brackets on the old axles. I did masses of measuring and levelling, tacking and eye balling before i was happy with them. The Disco 2 have a lot thicker arm than the ones i used and i had to cut all the old bracketry off to put the new ones on. Original Brackets on Disco2 axle Brackets fitted for Defender fitting Hope this helps

Nice video Sam So now i know where you got your username from

Thanks for the advise. Yes, i have since read also about the drilled/slotted discs. Regarding the pto. I intially thought about mechanical, then thought about altering it to run a hydraulic pump. Having read lots on the pro/cons on winches, i have decided at the moment to go electric, just for ease. I needed the transferbox - gearbox - engine all bolted together in order to weld the mounts on and as the pto was still connected i just left it there.

Onto the suspension Rear New +5 Shockers +2 Springs Poly bushes Adjustable/Greasable A frame Ball Joint HD Gwyn Lewis Trailing arms New Shcok mount droppers New Dislocation cones New spring seats and spring clamps REfurbished brake calpers and dust pans new discs. Front New +2 Springs New +5 Shockers (now blue) New HD Turrets and clamps New spring seats New polybushes New Discs Refurbed brake calipers and dust plates. All nearly fitted Once the suspension was finished i needed to sort out the engine mounting. I ordered a set of mounts from Richards chassis and cut originals off. Then i bolted LT85 gearbox and Lt230 transferbox in. Whilst gearbox and transferbox were bolted and propped with jack, i lifted engine up and bolted it all together. When engine was in place i tacked the mounts in, removed engine and boxes then welded them up. Followed by a bit of galvanised spray protection (borrowed from work) then touched up with red paint. I put it all back in just to see if it was all ok.

I rang Pillar Wedge to get my bulkhead galvanised. They would only do it if it had been completely stripped of ALL paint. The pre galvanising solution they now use is a lot less concentrated of that they used to use. it would also make a mess of the pre treatment tank. I rang a lot of paint strippers in the north west, who would only strip the bulkhead if it had been painted with house paint (gloss etc) and said the caustic soda wasnt a strong enough solution to attack car paint. I tried contacting E Coating, who specialise in dipping complete bodyshells for full car restorations, but despite several emails and phone calls go no joy.

Thanks. The main reason I chose the axles was that i use a Disco TD5 as my main motor. Only having to buy 1 set of parts, brake pads etc and having spares in the garage seemed to me to be sensible. I have been told that these are the strongest axles Landrover produced. They are also going to be fitted with ashcroft shafts and as mentioned previosly, Nige will be working his majic on the ARBs. The axles are also 4 inch wider than defender axles, getting away from the need to use wheel spacers I also wanted to get away from the exposed swivels on earlier axle models. Having done these now, they might come back and haunt me, But as i havent (yet) done any chassis mods, i can always go back to defender axles and put the internals of these into my daily drive. I set the mounts up by removing the old axles off the 90, setting and levelling them up and copying the positions of the brackets exactly onto the new axles. No, i didnt add any extra castor to them. I thought about it, but going down the castor correction arm route. I am aware that it would have been easier to alter them whilst i was re fitting the brackets.

Yes, they came from Gwyn Lewis. I did want to alter the axle making a set of rings. One tapped and welded to the axle, the other just drilled then welded to the pan. making it removable for easier access to the diff. However, in the end i just welded it up and then welded it on. The front axle was done more or less the same way. New YRM brackets This was a nightmare. Ended up buying a ball joint removal tool, using my 3/4 ratchet and 4 foot of 2 inch pipe. Got them out in the end. Removed and new ball joints pressed back in All re assembled with new seals and a bit of paint Brake calipers were soaked in kerosene for a week or two, wire brushed, painted then new seals and pistons added. .

So whilst i was sorting out the planning etc i decided to have another go at doing the clutch. Despite several attempts at it i still couldnt get a firm pedal. I ordered a new slave and master cylinder and after putting the mater cylinder on first, it then became apparent that the push-rod on the clutch had gone into the gearbox bell housing. The chassis also looked a whole lot worse than it did when i bought her. Once the man-shed was built, i kept my eyes out for a new one.I managed to pick a new galv'd TD5 one up off the internet at a good price. I had to rope my brother into giving me a lift to get the chassis inside as it was far too heavy to move myself. I decided to paint the chassis to stop folk knowing that it was a galved one once it was built. So first off a bit of T- Wash , followed by some primer then a nice red topcoat. . Axles As the 200 TD had drum brakes on the rear, i wanted discs. After a lot of searching, i came up with a front and rear for a D2 TD5. A bit fabbing needed. New brackets from YRM. I took the old back axle off the original 90 and set the brackets up just as they were fitted. New HD diff pan Whilst the diff was out i removed it and fitted an ARB locker Once the locker was in i rebuilt the axles, then added a bit of paint. After doing the axle i have since found a company that is willing to peg it for me and add some 4.11 crown and pinion gears. All i have to do is send them down to him. Topguy But as its not going anywhere at the moment, theres no rush Nige. But i havent forgot your offer, cheers

Intro and a bit about me Im John, 46 and very much single (through choice). Im A time served welder/fabricator/pipe fitter/industrial gas engineeer/dogsbody. Over the years i have had a few rover cars,- 4 v8 3500 SDi one of which a vittesse - which i successfully did an engine rebuild on. Selling to trade up for a SDi Vanden plas. a Rover 216 (family thing) followed by a rover 800. Then came an Isuzu trooper, then a 4.0 V8 lpg P38 Range Rover. This was my first real step into the world of the green oval. Sadly the Rangie looked well, but had far too many electrical problems for me and as such it was too unreliable - but i still miss it. I now own a D2 TD5 as my daily drive, but this is really a weekend thing and i am mainly sat in a lwb merc sprinter van for work. As much of my work is all over the country, i am usually away for a fortnight at a time. This does have an impact on things as i dont have the time to do the jobs that need doing, but the money certainly helps. If i dont do the hours i have plenty of time but then no spare money and the build stops. I also have to plan in advance, hoping that i can remember to order things so they are available for the next fortnight. I am by NO means an expert, more of a novice when it comes to landrovers, but i do read up as much as i can. I know that i have made mistakes doing this build, but things can be altered later. As time is more of an issue, there is a lot of parts bought off the shelf rather than self made. However, if time was no object, then i would have certainly made a lot more parts than buying them. The build came about as a few of my mates had bought a couple of D1's , on has a 90 and another has a few series 3's with two freelanders thrown in for good measures, all decided to start going off roading. I never intended to go and abuse my pride and joy so i decided to get a 90 just for off roading. We went and watched our local off road club http://www.penninelandrover.co.uk/videos.html but i wasnt keen on that type of event. Having trawlled through masses you tube videos, i enjoyed watching the Mud Monster clips and i decided that i was going to build a challenge truck. So the build begins After scouring the internet for ages, i managed to buy this sorry old girl locally for £600. It had been stood for a number of years and as the owner was moving he needed shut of it. We eventually got the engine running, but couldnt get the clutch to work, so we somehow managed to get her onto the trailer using low box, flicking the starter motor on and off and yanking the handbrake as well. After realising that there wasnt enough room in my single garage to work on her, I asked the council if i could extend. After nearly two years i was allowed to put up a 20 x 24ft shed. As this was going dierectly behind the single garage, i had to build the shed around the 90. So how i have somewhere to work. Lots more to follow

Thats what i read as well. Is the temp sender or gauge faulty? Not got a clue with a 300TDI? just trying to help

Cheers for that i will bat on and persevere. Yes, read the full thread, together with the other regarding the speedo run up circuit. Took me a day and a half to read. Some good info there cheers Just try and keep up with all the threads and info as you doing a very similar build to mine , albiet yours is a 110. Did you sort out your heating cooling pipework? Thats next on the list for me. If so do you mind me messaging you or you taking some photos for me? Having looked at the rave diagrams, these are a lot easier to follow than the old schematic ones. I Know the feeling regarding auto electrics. I just cant seem to fathom out that when two wires come out of a loom, say a red one & green one, where they relate to on the wiring diagram. Another frustratimg thing is that i could be looking for a wire thats coming out of the loom and after 2-3 hours i find its not needed.. Arrgggghhhh! Thanks again

As you can see from the number of my posts i am very much a newbie on here. I used to be on another forum (LRUK), but found that this site was a lot more technical than the other, i decided to abandon the other forum in favour of this one. I did start a project on there, but decided not to carry on with it. I was going to repost the build on here, but as others have said that there is not many challenge trucks on here. Also the SVA police just hate these type of trucks and like to drum the message home of this. I too love reading about other peoples projects, how they want there truck to look, how they got there, how they overcame problems. I must admit there are some very knowledgeable people on here and there input is second to none. however, my daily drive is a Discovery TD5 and when i have problems i need sorting out with that i prefer to post on the D2Boys forum. I also peek now and then on the Devon forum for challenge parts, ideas etc. l regularly go on the Mud Monsters facebook page and can spend hours watching videos, looking at pictures of other poeoples trucks, mis-adventures etc as it it more challenge truck based. Sadly for me my back has just decided to take its annual vacation and as i have some time on my hands i may too start the long awaited build thread. How far it gets all depends on the rozzers. I also sufer from dislexia wenim tyred adn seem to getmi wordz fuddled up a bit. and need my arse kiking now and then to update

Cheers, sorry Westren, maybe should have explained things a bit clearer. I have an old 200TD 90 (F Reg) which i wanted to change to a V8. After looking at the chassis, i decided on a new galved one and rather than re fit the old axles, suspension, bulkhead etc i decided that i do a full ground up rebuild. Subsequently everything that has gone on the chassis is either new or as good as. The Engine is now a new 4.6 v8 as opposed to the old 200TD unit. 12 months or so ago i bought a Megasquirt kit off Nige. I remember asking the forum which route to go regarding the wiring loom and the census was to get an early V8 one rather than bodge a 200TD as most of the engine wiring will be covered by the Megasquirt unit. At the moment i have managed to sort out the fusebox (as it was fully intact), ignition, heater motor, wiper motor, most of the dash lights and all the steering wheel swithes. There are still a few wires around the dash i am unsure about. I have been using the wiring diagram mentioned as it relates to the early v8 defender, according to the manual. However, i cannot find some of the wires in the loom on the diagram. As you suggest this is not the correct loom for my vehicle, which year of vehicle would it relate to? Do you have a diagram for the loom in question. Once it is all sorted out i have the TD5 speedo and instrument light pack to go in. But i dont really want to start chopping wires before i even get the engine turned over. Just as a thought, i am in a similar position to NeedforSpeed with this build. However,i have noticed he used a TD5 Deisel loom, rather than a V8 petrol one. I would have thought that that would have been more difficult to sort out than fitting a petrol one in the first instance.

Im looking for some more info relating to this wiring harness. I have been told on good authority that its for an early V8 Defender. But, now that i have started to install it into my vehicle, the wires dont seem to add up and many of the wires in the loom arent on the diagram i have been using. The schematic one i am currently using is on page 210 of the landrover 90-110-Defender workshop manual owners edition titled early V8 powered models. As this is a complete ground up build from a new galv chassis, there isnt a loom to refer to and the old donor 200TD, the wiring is in such a state i cant make head or tail of that either. Is this the correct diagram for that loom? I need to get this sorted so i can finally make a start on the Megasquirt wiring looms Thanks in advance John

^^ Totally agree with that ^^ 10 years ago i took a HNC CAD course. It was very intensive, squashing a 2 year course into just 1 year full time. Despite only being at college 4 days a week, the lecturer gave us enough homework for me to be at the computer at home nearly 12-15 hours on the days off. I learnt with AutoCaD R14 and AutoCaD Architectural,which are as old as the hills now, but i still try to keep my hand in it by trying to get the latest software i can. People think that cad is easy. It all depends on how far into it you want to go. As suggested above, i would strongly advise having an introduction into cad, then learning 2d then 3d. AutoCaD is the backbone of the program. Once you get the hang of that , then you might want to start looking at the bolt on bits like Mechanical, Electrical, Architectural etc Just like you advising us with fitting megasquirt, you NEED to READ and UNDERSTAND THIS do this, THEN when your happy and confident READ this , finally WHEN you have a grasp of this and ONLY THEN try fitting it Most of all Nige, Enjoy it. Just wish i could get me head around megasquirt like i could CAD

Whats happened to the map of the UK that I was taught? Since when has Kirton and Peterborough been relocated to the North West? Next year the NW will include Maidstone and Aberdeen..... Me too. :-( I was looking forward to this series as the title suggests AWDC Challlenge NW. The truck is half built so i wanted to start watching and learning ready to compete maybe next year. Maybe by then the title will be renamed Challenge UK

Another vote for a C-TEK charger. I use the C-TEK 7000 Multi XS. Not cheap i know but, cheaper than buying a new battery every year or so. As others have said, can be kept plugged onto vehicle and trickle charged throughout the winter, used as a normal charger, used as a 12v power supply and will recondition highly discharged batteries. BTW Simon, nice dog

Stupid answer time The same way as the 4.6. Just had a look and yes you are correct, butterfly opens inwards at the bottom and outwards at the top HTH John

Is there no way that you could get a builder to concrete render the outside of the brickwork?

Ah, another thread to watch, just slightly ahead of me on your build in saying that you have done your wiring. Im going to try and start it at the weekend. Just hope that i dont need to alter my trigger wheel too much as mine isnt the slotted type. Good luck! John