Daan

I would cut the wheel arches and drop it as low as possible; not just for aero reasons, but also stability plus how often do you see a caravan blown over due to side winds?

There is a reason for this: It is of our own making.

Is there mileage in starting with a caravan as a donor? Not just for the frame, but things like a fridge, kitchen, windows and a door etc. Like this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134429626956?hash=item1f4ca1524c:g:nrsAAOSwn7Nj1WLD&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAkHI3hIOQCzW3Q3hFIBJKEmxiMGBZlLMBOHQgMslHnaedG6wHCZk7XzPAlr8SbA3Z8qlaYUuen8u6A2luyfO%2BiKDunuTRWc1ecVX1%2FhokjPUcEZ0wOxbZOIEDsAzE0pvKkHB3cQXS3oCesfvlwPzuFHmv64a7p4tL0PetIhgCkFifCYAcm%2BMTdnFxK19loBC%2FGw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR6ipnLbAYQ

Showing these pictures on this forum is like getting drunk with a bunch of alcoholics; it is normal for them.

I would go with a wide axle sankey for the parts and make a new frame myself.

I'd say the only part from 1972 is the V5 and maybe the door tops. Daan

Did your wife knew how you lived before you got married? I have a double garage with an upstairs loft, my project cars and associated junk are all there. None of my projects live outside, out of fear we tone down the neighbourhood (I couldn't care less about this myself by the way). Anyway, you need garage space for 14 cars if you want them all out of sight. I am surprised no one has suggested to scale down yet, but then this is a petro/diesel head forum after all. Daan

Looking totally acceptable! Daan

Bill van snorkel on here had 2 long shafts shortened and cut to 24 splines on the large tapered section. One would fit to the short side, for the other side he made a 24 spline extension sleeve. But the engineering involved in that is probably not dissimilar to a CV and shaft conversion. Or a welded solution maybe? The D&D kit I would dismiss because you cannot use land rover wheels anymore. There is always mike browns conversion that uses defender outer swivels and shortened shafts. Daan

I thought this was dead and buried.... Bring it on!

Don't put any oil on the running surface-they are meant to run in dry. I also had one popping out under oil pressure so make sure they are seated well.

That' s why I keep taking them.

As far as I am concerned, it is always about going forward, so rear diff always in, the front when necessary, and when you get stuck continue on the front winch. This is one of the reasons why I favour the Detroit diffs, they always work and when it is twisty you are better of compared to a front selectable locker that would completely stop your ability to steer. Rear winch is of very little use in trophy, only if it is a down hill that would be other wise suicidal without. Also, the CV's you can never really trust on a defender with lockers. But the detroit true trac front diff never goes completely solid, and this means your CV's live. I am still on the original (standard used) 2522 CV's that I fitted in 2003. I pull them occasionally to check for cracks in the bell, but they are still in mint condition. I have been lugging spare CV's to every event for nothing. basically.

You could fit those tyres on your modular rims and you still have the wider track with narrower tyres. Land rover wheels look much better though!

I'd say the most cost effective is to use the 2522 CVs, ashcroft 23/24 spline shafts, and build this up with lockers. I was going to fly the flag for Detroit diffs, as this is very much what I prefer, as it is so simple to fit and use. They also used to be half the price from an ARB diff. The ARB diffs have the problem of the air supply being a bit delicate with the rotating piston, and the amount of people that I came across where they stopped working made me choose against them. Things are a bit different now, the ash locker has a static piston which does not have the reliability problem while being cheaper than a detroit locker, so that is almost a pointless argument. What I would suggest is look at ebay and the like for a complete set of axles with the ashcroft setup. Most competitors now move away from Land rover axles in favour of Nissan Patrol axles, so surely some land rover axles will turn up at the right price.

The 300 version is far bigger and more effective: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304769911371?hash=item46f5b3ca4b:g:REkAAOSwGMNjwdD6 I am pretty sure my dad fitted the same to his 200 disco. It might clash with the turbo on a defender 200 though as this is mounted higher.

I used to do this on my series; made a big difference on the steering. Problem with splash lubrication it has to go against gravity, so not great. I closed the hole with a metal disk and drilled the grease feed hole through, so the grease goes in the bottom face and comes out on top; so it is properly covered in grease. I also had freewheel hubs, so splash lubrication was not happening.

A lot is in the in the mounts and injection. For a 200, I would replace the engine mounts for Glencoyne ones. They are meant for series conversions, but should fit any standard 200 TDI application. the 300 has different mounts, but they are much better, and I think part of the reason the 300 is quieter. Then injection, I think investing in a timing tool that clocks the pump allows you to set it up the way you want. I reckon the timing and fuel delivery is what makes the difference between different engines, as mentioned they vary quite a bit. And try to vary the timing a bit even if outside factory specs, just to see what it does. I think a TDI is by far the best suited engine land rover made for working vehicles. simple to fix, plenty of low down torque good parts availability (300 mainly) and cheap to run by comparison.

Speaking of lights, at some stage during the series 3 production, Land rover decided to lower 1 light to cross member height and swap the lights as well. From this To this: Anyone knows why this was done? It then was continued like this on the 90/110. I much prefer them higher up as when it gets muddy, the chances of them being not visible or damaged is much higher. I also prefer the older look myself

Sorry to hear about your ongoing troubles, but glad there is a plan. I am sure you know the old trick to get the old spigot bush out, using grease and a socket, however that did not work for me last time as I could not seal the grease. Then I googled the problem; The solution is bread, and that worked. Here: Daan

Team twin lock is a good one to follow if you want to get a taste of breslau. 2021 they did not finish: But this year they did much better: This gives you a good idea what breslau is like.

Take your weight and calculate the length of the arm needed to get to the correct torque. And a happy 2023 to you! Daan

Last day on the road tax, so I took out my landy yesterday. Wishing everybody the best for 2023! ford.mp4

Cheap, and seems a reasonable project: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354475331227?hash=item5288604e9b:g:lLkAAOSwYOBjpzbU&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoMR6WHY02MLxaZye74rjmRozvZuIOrp7rEbQCk0jQ8sTYHB8%2FcPOu0V54siZ0csXm%2FolOboqxRjzhBf1HqTeK9NRLmtm9KDyL%2BR%2BPVIRc00qtwweZeW2CPOv7TqgWJ%2BltxvklEgaAThJbmKILVyjyI2Yy5wysUKW6edPf4jJZAXnKj%2Fma6NBHYe637ZByD1Njlt6I18NGxAulBR4vjLQMk4%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR56dgZSrYQ

I drive a series so I won't have to deal with electronics; Don't spoil it! Daan