Turbocharger

I remember an LRW article on a V12-powered 109 years back, 1997? Apart from the engine, I also remember it was painted with dark green anti-climb paint too so it looked like it'd been pebbledashed. Dad - where did the 4.7 ratio 101 axles come from? Such a thing could be a handy source of low-geared unbreakable axles - If Bathtub can't smash 'em, nobody can.

Cheers Jim, but I've already got one of those! The requisite parts are on order, I'll keep you updated.

Excellent - thanks Daan. It adds up in my mind but I wanted to check. I will have a halfway house arrangement with a 300Tdi and a 200Tdi back-end and seal. This a ) gives me a 250Tdi?? b ) will make my kit work using off-the-shelf bits c ) won't cost me any more money d ) means I can flog the bits as an auto kit to a 200Tdi owner if I ever break the car up Chris - the offer of your driveway is appreciated but I've already committed to big spendy ideas with a chap in Bristol. It's unjustified anyway since I still have your angle gauge and don't deserve more help from you...

Right, I've had a look at what I've got and it's all ready for a 200Tdi. Sadly I have a 300 so my options are to hack a hole in it to take a 300 rear seal, or use the dowel holes which are still on the 300 block casting and use a complete 200-style rear crank seal. I think the latter option will work, but has anyone actually tried this?

I'm hoping I've already got most of the bits I need to put it together, it's supposed to be a conversion on the cheap. It's already out of my control since I've got someone else doing the work (paid by the hour too) but I'm hoping I can hack enough space into the 200Tdi flywheel housing to fit around the 300Tdi oil seal, then bolt it all together. Otherwise, the R380 can go back in with a new clutch and the whole shooting match can hit the Classifieds...

I'd suggest checking that the notorious LR temp gauge isn't letting you down. After a similar series of panic purchases to keep the Tdi cool, I bought a Racetech gauge (marked out in degrees C instead of 'cold, ok, worry') and that 'solved' the problem. I had a multimeter and thermocouple (£16 from Maplins) gaffataped to the wing where I could see it, worked fine for ad-hoc measurements and good to 70mph .

Any clue how much the said bits for the 300Tdi might cost me? It was supposed to be a cheap conversion...

Cheers Chris, but I'll hop on a bus on Saturday and have a look myself. I was hoping some kind Microcatted soul (Ralph?) might have put up a diagram of the two offending bits by now so I could understand what I'm looking at when I get there...

My Ninety was registered on 1st August 1984 (VIN ends 267210) but I've seen some A-reg Ninetys around too, there used to be one in Ashbourne in Derbyshire.

I bought a V8 4spd autobox and a conversion plate to a Tdi, but it doesn't seem to fit my 300Tdi - although since I'm 200 miles away I can't tell why not and the bloke on the phone can't describe it to me so I understand, especially since I haven't had the back end of the engine apart. He's having trouble with the flywheel housing, crank rear oil seal and the adapter plate to allow the 'box to mount up - something about an unsupported area at the bottom. Could anyone post some pics to explain what's going wrong? Has anyone got the right bits to put it together (with exchange 200Tdi bits)? Can he make it work with what I've got already?

Si - if you can't go diameter, go longitudinal - multi-plate clutch with the discs on splines and a floating pad or two?

The best method is to be careful where you park it. No brake gadgets, steering wheel covers or alarms can overcome two pikeys in hi-vis jackets turning up in a flatback, punching the button for 'beacons' and lifting it, and it's so obvious that nobody will say a word.

Al's design looks spot-on, except the bottom of his red beams don't brace TO anything - I'd move them apart as far as the vertical members below them (which becomes design 6 but lighter - are you expecting heavy point loading in the middle of the roof? I hope not). Colin Chapman identified that the strongest spaceframe will always be the one with beams only in tension or compression, not bending. If you brace to a member between nodal points, there will always be some bending to resist the tension or compression in that member so: minimise the nodal points, you'll lighten your structure.

Depends on your budget. Citroen 2CV? Incredible offroad, not too bad on fuel and not a lot to go wrong in a 2-cylinder air-cooled engine. Otherwise, the Citroen BX came in a 4x4 variant for a short time, and the suspension will jack up on a cab-lever. Both could be had for under £1000 in good condition.

I've got a Nokia N73 and there are mapping and GPS widgets available on the 'bay, but I'm worried about the phone itself. After 6 months it's slowed down so much that I'm worried about adding any more applications to it. I suspect a software update might be in order ... anyway. My question is, has anyone used GPS on an earlier (N73) Nokia?

TroddenMasses has them on the roof of his Ninety. He put them up there over a year ago and they've not been down again since... If I had any they'd be on the sides of the hardtop (but only because I need the space in the back).

I got a coupe of lights, a spanner roll for a tenner, and a hug off Fi. Not a lot else really, but didn't go looking. Most impressive: a text from Chris Watts before I'd stopped moving in the car park Least impressive: how everyone seemed to think the distance from the gate to the money-takers was a comp safari. I was also amused to see a used 300Tdi timing belt with one edge worn away, for £1.

Ah. Err... well spotted, you saw my, er, deliberate mistake. Minutes, seconds, pah. It's not been the same since metrication. I'll go back to sleep now

I'd say it might be a bit quick if you're not competing, especially if you have to lift the engine tickover to stop it bogging down a little. From 800 - 1200rpm you'd be seeing 9m/s and that's blisteringly quick!

It's off a bog-standard HSE and some fool's been at it with that black tippex again. My mate has a friend who stood next to a racetrack when an original 4.5 went past. I'm going to build one myself one day from hair clips.

Hmph. I'm still disappointed you haven't milled a nest for the winch from some solid bar 100mm x 100mm x 2000mm. I suppose it'll have to do...

My heater-blower has three speeds now - ever since the 'slow' resistor packed up I'm back to 'on', 'off' and 'Lucas'.

A pair of 300Disco rear bumper lights, the rectangular stop/tail ones, with bulb holders ideally. And a walk round and a chat.

Congrats Mark - George's landpeople (landlord & lady?) just had twins and every time I go round they're trying to sleep on the sofa. Best of luck... I'll keep my eyes open for the Ninety in Classifieds then?

The Santana vents look like a bus dashboard to me. I really like the new Defender dash, but I can't see me buying one - I'm not the target audience but it'll certainly go down a storm in Chelsea (and the US).