Corrode Finger

Les Brock and Landrover 598 are probably best placed to answer the commercial test on specifics, other than looking at the VOSA website and comparing the 'differences' between car and commercial, and examining the requirements, the manual is the best guide, as Paul Wightman has said, it is all open to interpretation, the 'authorities' will not 'instruct' what is correct for fear of law suits etc, thats my experience anyway.

I think that myself and Mr Wightman are singing from the same hymn book....... soo to speak.

Yep, theres lots on here, best place to go is the members vehicle section. Mine is in there, page 3 or 4 i think, called "Another Shires 100 Kingcab".

It should be the best guide, afterall, these guidelines are/ have been written by VOSA et al. However, building a 'kit' such as the Tomcat, should mean that the designer/ supplier has put it together to comply. Basically the manual is there to provide all the answers to how and what you need to comply with to build a car as an amatuer from scratch( amatuer being home builder). The kit magazines did used to do huge amounts on the whys/ wherefores etc a few years ago. Alot of things are common sense, like putting in suitable seatbealt mounts, for example, spreader plates. Also being sensible and securing the battery properly ( Land Ranger example?), ensuring that you secure wiring, fuel lines brake pipes with the correct fixings, ie not zip ties. Most 'problems' will be covered by common sense, its there to stop total death traps making it to the road, the classic, 'i feel like bodging this car together this weekend attitude'. The biggest 'problem' i can see a Land Rover Hybrid having is passing the 'car' based regs, because i think that certain elements of a defenders design, pre date the regs, thats why the commercial approach seems to be the best route to follow. the defender gets around these regs by being 'evolved' rather than being new! Thats why most new cars are roundy and organic in shape, nice to occupants and pedestrians etc.

Yep feel for you regarding the local scrotes, had my car, kicked, etc by the 'its funny to kick in a wing mirror after 10 pints' muppets, always at silly in the morning, after a night in the pub!

Gelf, SVA test is booked once you have completed the build, see the locl DVLA for an inspection, then they determine if in their opinion the build requires SVA. As far as guidelines are concerned the best thing to do is get an SVA build manual, from DVLA/ VOSA, cant link it at the moment due to work computer. That tells you the legal requirements.

Yep, agree with the above. Ok, so i am in the 'minority' with regards SVA, but i built my truck expecting to have to do the SVA, and built it accordingly with that in mind, i looked up the regs on VOSA/ DVLA etc, and built the hybrid with the commercial test in mind. I did not decide if the truck was SVA'd or not, that was the choice of my local DVLA inspector, when i asked point blank if i needed to do anything else , like SVA after his inspection, he said nope, we will just amend the V5. However i could do the same build again and have do SVA, but thats one of the 'hurdles' that has to be crossed, and i will accept what ever i am told. At the end of the day doing SVA is a one off test before registration/ re- registration, and if you build it to the guidelines you are going the correct way. Its little different to complaining that you have to pass an MOT. We all accept that as a requirement to get another years use out of our trucks, and if you complain about MOT's then you are a fool. As i have said before, i have done one SVA test on my Lotus 7, and i found that the inspectors were helpful, if a little cautious with advising what was correct, but they helped me out, and on the first day of my test, they pointed out the failings on my car, and 'suggested' that i copy the Caterham that was also there and passed, pointing out that it had passed. if you go into them with the wrong attitude i think that they will make life difficult, but so far my experiences of SVA men and DVLA inspectors has been positive.

Only got into 4x4'sdue to sheeppimp. First was a 1989 Disco 200tdi( ex's technically) That was replaced with a 1994 110 200tdi (via sheeppimp, ex kept) My own first 4x4 was a bargain £275 with 6months T&T 1973 RRC( how it had MOT i will never know) in 2005. Above sold for what i paid for it after 2 months and bought a 'good' 1990 3.9 RRC...... umm 3 months later discovered it was suffering with a mild corrosion problem........ spent 6months being stripped and turned into the current Hybrid. Also have a Lotus 7 Replica, got at 20yrs old, built & registered in 1999, still have, longest owned car ever. Normal cars 83 Metro 1.0( replaced every possible part in 18months) 90 Rover Metro GTa 1.4 K series 88 Mk2 Golf Gti (written off by silly moo hitting me on M3) 89 Cav Mk2 Various Company Cars, (Pug 106, Toyota Corrola, Renault Extra, Astra diesel) 89 Ford Orion ghia ( very rusty arches) 98 Nissan Primera SRi 05 Honda Civic Type S (work funded lease car) Just purchased yesterday to replace above lease car when change job in Feb 2000 Honda Accord 2.0SE Executive Sport

Have you been bugging me fridge, i have been on the hunt for a 740 'full fat turbo' on and off for the last 7 months, too do just such a project. Must buy a bigger garage, longer drive, and win the lottery first though. B) Other than that, possibly a proper 911 Turbo from the 80's, always fancied a RWD Sapphire Cossy, and a Cobra. After that it gets random with desires to take perfectly good classics and rip them apart and put silly engines in them. A Reliant Kitten with a bike engine currently appeals for being daft.

4x4 is Born: Was it built pre SVA? In the 'good ol days' pre July 1999 when SVA was introduced, it just needed a MOT and a change on the V5. Regarding the SVA cert( trying to remember with the kitcar over 8yrs ago) i think it is handed to the DVLA when the vehicle is registered. The SVA is a test to ensure that the vehicle is built 'safely' an in accordance with the stated criteria on its first registration in the UK. First registration being a newly imported 'grey import' or a radically altered vehicle being refered to SVA by the good people at the DVLA. The DVLA require the certificate befor ethey will issue a 'new' V5.

Yes to all the comments about mods, but as i discovered with my own hybrid, the DVLA in Swansea adviced myself that the decision on whether a vehicle requires an SVA is down to the local Agency Inspector at the local regional DVLA office. He and they(DVLA) decide if the vehicle requires SVA, when it is presented to them for examination and form completion. This is why my hybrid did not have SVA, the inspector deemed it not necessary, and ammended the V5 description to suit the vehicle presented before him. The DVLA changed it from: Original V5 Make: Land Rover Model: Range Rover Body : Estate NEW V5 Make: Land Rover Model: Body: Pickup

i assume the 300 tdi Disco is rotten as a pear hence the question? having said that, you are basically building a hybrid, equally take a shufty at my build thread in the members vehicle section..... Another 100" Shires Kingcab, it was on about page 3 the last time i looked. Admittedly its a RRC 3.9 Auto, but the basic idea's the same.

Getting the hybrid finished....... well sort of!! Greenlaning in Wales with sheeppimp in his Series 1 and being amazed at its abilities.

You have much to learn in the art of extended building.............. just ask twizzle??? He found the last MOT cert for the 109, a few weeks ago........ it ran out in 1988!!!!!

It not take long to build .......... and when you have it the garage is soo nice and warm, you do more work, cos you stay out there longer. I doubted the value of messing about with twizzles the day we revived it, but it was worthwhile.

Thats just additional fuel for the wood burner!!! To be fair, as long as you fit it somewhere that it is not physically in contact with the wooden cladding it should not burn it down. (note: i offer no gaurantee....... especially if Dan is involved ) I can confirm that twizzles garage is very toasty with the wood burner........ highly recommended!!

Family stuff......... then going up to north wales to see sheeppimp and point and laugh alot at his S1 as it does not have drive to the front freewheeling hubs, and then get persuaded to help..... as karma punishment!!

Umm, whats happening in shires at the moment??? I need a new car in early 2008, due to job change................. must resist the lure of a Freebie!!!! Even a purple one!!

I could nominate myself, but i have built one truck this year, and am helping twizzle resume the build on his after 14yrs in the garage. I have an idea for a new light build that gets eluded too now and then, its been a sketch and a chatted about idea for 4+ yrs now!! Just ask, twizzle and sheeppimp, they have too put up with my ramblings......... but it is top secret........ so i cant show anyone anything, cos then it would exist in cyberspace, and not be secret!!

You know mine jules, and i assume that was who fridge was refering too, along with Rich's Dlander.

Just to help with the worms!!!! Have no issue with anything Les et al have said on SVA, have been there with a Kitcar..... BUT.... My 'uncut' chassis 100" Hybrid was inspected by the DVLA in Pompey, when i requested that it be registered correctly, and they deemed it not to require SVA! This was in May this year! Its not black and white.......... but if its a cut n shut 90, 88, 80, etc then it will be an issue to the licencing authorities!! And it retained its private reg, but it was a single donor 3.9 RRC, of 1990 vintage. Bodywork was modified to fit, not the chassis to the body. Just my worms to the can.

I helped twizzle put the new chimney and 'wok top' on a couple of months ago, have to admit i was a bit sceptical, but it seems to work really well. We are just waiting for a bird to land on the handle, be instantly cooked then!

Not Professional set, but i bought the normal halfords set in a 3/8 small, "carry in the car set", and ended up using it to build the hybrid, about £30 IIRC, ratchet is a bit worn now, but still works fine! Had a fair amount of abuse aswell! Only failure so far is a hex bit that twisted in a halfshaft stylee when dismatling the RRC.

Sheeppimp, bought a S1 1952 80 in May, i think that he paid in the region of £2k, and his one has a 2.25 petrol, later box(?) and a S2 front axle, it also has an internal cage, but looks original externally. I dont think his has an ally bulkhead either, but it was allegedly rebuilt about 6yr ago, judging by the condition that looks to be a fair assesment. Not being an expert, but £1500 for three, ok some in bits seems good, you ought to be able to get one nice truck out of it atleast. It seems that unless is mint and concours then the huge prices are not normal. Various S1's seem to float about in the £2k - £4k territory depending on how original they are. Whether you van make money on them ought to be a side issue, especially as you have said you have a free S2 that you could do, build it to enjoy the resto or to get something to use, thats probably the best approach.

James, might be worth looking at the bushes as the culprit rather than the springs. This makes disco's wallow alot. The poly bushes will 'firm it' up, and i assume you are not mud plugging the disco yet, so they ought to be ok for a general road based truck?