[defender rear door]

Have you tried

1. shutting the Mrs in the back of the truck

2. fitting hinges to door and body loosely, with pins loose too [Top long lower two the same]

3. shutting door [carefully as it won't line up]

4. tightening body bolts then door bolts and finally the hinge pin bolts?

OR

1. shutting the Mrs in the back of the truck

2. running away down the pub for an hour

[Quick question - thread on the front radius arms]

Arsing big is the best I can do, sorry. I used a sort-of triangular warding file borrowed from a local key-cutter bloke, and cleaned/fixed the threads on the drop arm by hand - should work OK for a radius arm I would have thought. Fiddly and annoying job though with no tap.

Edit - () shaped file rather than triangular.

[Window tinting film. aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!]

I took rear/rear side/ sliding side windows out to make it easier, and did the panes seperately on a table. Loads of water, with a smidge of soap. Make sure there's no daust or dog hairs about too, my side windows have a souvenir from my dog here and there, but no bubbles.

I also tried doing the alpines, but it was a total disaster, compound curves are beyond me.

[Front Screen & side window demist vents]

I'm saving up for my next ex-wife from one of those ads you know

[110 van, what to do with all that space??]

Mine's just had all outriggers and rear crossmember done.

Stage 2 - Genuine LR windows [£65pr paddocks] new body sides [99p ebay as an ex utilities van my sides are knackered] 3-way fridge [£40 ebay] new roof [99p ebay I hate my flat roof, it's not landrovery enough] Brownchurch rack/ladder [£39 ebay] side lockers for gas/jerrycans/watertank [homemade].

As you can tell it's going to be a snug little off-road camper.

I'm hoping to post a decent build log, but in two years I've only had time for the welding, and some prep work filling all the holes in the rear tub

[Diff Lock Lever]

Screws for tunnel are No.10 x 3/4" - washers are a weird 1/2 penny size on my 110, I used stainless M6 formX3 rather than penny washers or standard FormA.

I find Seascrew cheaper for large amounts of stainless kit than fleabay.

[Front Screen & side window demist vents]

Attached are the military parts numbers for side demisters, hope this helps.

Part 4 you can make yourself from and old closer, you just need a big holesaw. Genuine parts seem cheap, but I don't know how easy they are to find.

[The Build so far]

I'm running one of those intercoolers on my 300Tdi, good performer - it's not shiny and clean any more though. Very nice hose pr0n too

[GPS receiver]

Anything SiRF-III or better. eBay isn't too bad a place to find them. If you have a Serial (RS-232) port I'd suggest using that instead, as, depending on the chipset, the USB ones change their virtual port every time you plug them in - which means the nav software then can't find it. Serial ones will always be on COM1.

You can permanently attach/force a COM port to a USB device in Device Manager. It also helps to use the same USB port, but that's all you need to do.

[Door bolt threat and size???]

Early 90/110 captive nuts aren't metric. For stainless bolts you'll need Td5> captive nuts, which are metric, and generic Torx [yuk] or allen bolts. Eight genuine captive nuts and c/sunk bolts from somewhere like Seascrew will be half the price of a kit.

[Landy on Citroen suspension]

I remember seeing an old challenge truck, running Pug 406 dampers/springs/wossnames in an all in one assembly. About 12" long, but loads of travel, I think it was in LRO at some point.

What is it with the French - brilliant suspension but awful build quality

[Justifcation] Previous vehicles Citroen DS/GS/Renault 25 [/justification]

[indicator woes!]

Philbert: Mine did this, after hazarding no indicators. Turned out to be a bad connection at fusebox to hazards fuse. [My fault as I swapped a glass type to blade type fusebox, to gain axtra fuses and reliability face/palm ]

[oh not again.....]

You can set up as a Company Director again providing you're not an undischarged bankrupt or :

•They have failed to comply with the Companies Act 2006 requirement to keep appropriate accounting records. These records must accurately reflect the transactions the company has entered in to.

•They have not met their obligations to Companies House under the 2006 act. All companies are required to submit annual accounts and file certain changes with the Registrar of Companies.

•A failure to pay taxes which the company owes and, or submit the appropriate returns, for example, the annual CT 600 form.

Basically as long as you file accounts, and the receivers wind up your old business you just keep doing it. Just like Time/Tiny/The Computer Shop/The Computers Guys etc. 1 indian family, 14 bankruptcies.

[HOME MADE SANDBLASTER]

Carborundum = Silicon Carbide = no free silica = you'll live

[HOME MADE SANDBLASTER]

The article is from November 1953 , sandblasting with sand was [and still is] used in the states way after we noticed it just happened to make everyone's lungs fall out in a squidgy heap.

Channing B Mould though, what a fantastic name.

[HOME MADE SANDBLASTER]

Also Channing B Mould's build plans repeatedly mention the use of sand. This is horrifically dangerous. Silicosis is irreversible, permanent, and often fatal.

Always use an silica free alternate e.g. Ally oxide, slag, walnut shell, glass grit.

[landrover paint colours]

Google for DIY paint spraying for a metric fecktonne of articles. This one is helpful.

Vesuvius orange is a 2 pack colour, and if therefore technically not suitable for home spraying [contains cyanide]. Many people do spray 2K at home, but it's a bit naughty.

There are water based 2K paints available but they cost a ton.

Basically - 2 Pack much less waste, nice and hard, needs air filtration to spray.

Cellulose - up to 50% waste [thinners], needs lots of coats, scratches easier than 2K, needs a dust mask to spray.

Coach enamel - brush on.

Dulux weathershield - brush/roller on. [My truck is Dulux Weathershield black, but going to red cellulose].

You must etch prime any bare metal before you respray. As you have multiple paints on your truck you should strip it back bare before painting in case of reaction.

Or just get a smooth roller from B&Q and some NATO Green.

[Advice re: Automatic brake pipe cutting tool]

Frosts do a cheap one, I just got a small one from Screwfix as part of a big order, it's a bit fiddly but works fine.

[Steering column UJ bolts]

Bolts - BH108091L - Nuts - NY108041L

Assuming it's an 87-94. I'm fairly sure I used normal bolts and nylocs, but they were an unusual size for a landy. M5 I think same as track rod clamp size.

[Wipac Crystal Headlights]

For beam setting you need a friendly MOT station, 10secs work [usually free], or DIY.

For DIY the recommended method is a line of tape on a wall the height of your headlight centres from the ground, and make two crosses vertically at headlight centre:

-----+-----------+----- <- At headlight centreline.

------------------------- <- 14cm down[dependent on dip% of light lens.

Then back straight off 10m. Main beam should be on the line and dipped 1.4% [14cm] below. The dipped percentage drop should be on the truck lights on a sticker, on on the lens of the headlight somewhere. You can back off less and therefore the two lines will be closer, but the difference in dipped and main is harder to see if you're too close. I think most Defender and Wolf headlights are 1.4% dipped, but I'm not sure. I always set mine to that, and it's never need to be adjusted at MOT.

[Steering Column Support Bracket]

Between taking one lardrover apart and building another, lost the support bracket for my steering column! (the one between it and the bulkhead)

Now can I just use another piece of bar cut to fit?

Don't see why not, it's a thick bugger don't forget. Galved would be a good idea, mine always seem to rust as they're in the damp air stream from the front vent.

[oily beast]

Don't use a good serving tray for drip catching.

Don't ask.

[Twin battery switch/monitor setup]

I agree, but I bet they're more than £40 for a pair?

How bout £30 the pair?

Ralph just reminded me, my twin voltmeters were £13 each, from a Citroen 2CV racing supplier of all places.

They've gone up to £14:95 here.

I have one [main] in the console where the clock would go, and one [leisure] in the 'centre console' where the square clock goes.

[Twin battery switch/monitor setup]

I just used this style [simple 40A] relay on both my VW Camper and my Landy. Works fine with a 100A alternator. Nice heavy gauge cable, good quality connections [no Scotchloks] and short cable runs. I used a 40A relay, 40A fuses, and cable.

The only time I blew a fuse was when I jump started the main battery from the leisure battery without removing the fuse.

Not as flexible as you may want but very simple and easy to do. Also cheap, which is a good thing.

[www.mailorder4x4.com]

Used them for a halogen headlight and plastic bowl deal. Very fast shipping, good quality too. Pricing can be a bit odd though, Paddocks do the same sometimes.