retropower Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share Posted June 16, 2018 Hi folks! Been a while since I’ve updated! Been a lot of non Range Rover stuff going on. Work is ridiculously busy and we’ve been on a long journey towards having a baby too, which is hopefully a step closer. This has also prompted a slight change of direction in on the build! while I was being sensible power wise and going manual box and r380, I’ve now bought a whacking great holset he341ve variable nozzle turbo, fit for 450hp, and I have my 7.5mm injection pump which will fuel that without a problem. I now have an amg ml55 transmission which I will be fitting an om606 type front housing too (bolt on from the e300 722.6 auto box) and using a red winches adaptor to fit my uprated lt230 transfer with atb centre diff. I will be using an Ofgear controller to operate the auto box and the boost control via the vnt turbo. Will either use a cruise control rangey steering wheel to do the “paddle shift” or make a joystick setup near the wheel to supplement to remote electric merc shifter which will be on the tunnel top! Will post some pics soon! looking forward to broken axles lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retropower Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share Posted June 16, 2018 Rear bowl om648 sump cleaned up and oil pump fitted, then sump fitted. Dieselmeken 7.5mm element pump with external Alda fitted and timed up. Waiting for cam cover gaskets in order to fit cam cover and injector pocket o rings then can fit injector lines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retropower Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share Posted June 16, 2018 Bodywork wise progress is slow, been building doors for what seems an eternity!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retropower Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share Posted June 16, 2018 Got a fair bit of interior back in now. Seats need a clean but are in really good nick. Would like leather but I want manual seats not electric so may address that in the future. My wife prefers cloth seats so they might just stay as they are! Im going to reinforce the rear seat mount area underneath (bit flimsy the original design lol) and add isofix points now and also will be fitting a brand new genuine alloy boot floor. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retropower Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share Posted June 16, 2018 (edited) Finally I still have my suffix L r380 box, all stripped down in a crate, with bead blasted modified rear housing machines for big bearings, painted main case, brand new tdi input shaft, full rebuild kit incl synchros and the large rear bearings, plus loads more stuff, after £500 the lot which is a bargain!! Also would include my sprinter single mass flywheel which bolts to the om606 and the sprinter pressure plate which can be uprated by clutchfix to take the power, and these then accept a dimensionally standard 300tdi friction plate with uprated linings again from clutchfix Edited June 16, 2018 by retropower Add clutch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 Leather seats not only burn bare legs in the summer and make you slide as you corner, but they crack and tear after less than a decade. Cloth doesn't. Leather only looks good for a short while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveG Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 3 hours ago, retropower said: Hi folks! Been a while since I’ve updated! Been a lot of non Range Rover stuff going on. Work is ridiculously busy and we’ve been on a long journey towards having a baby too, which is hopefully a step closer. This has also prompted a slight change of direction in on the build! while I was being sensible power wise and going manual box and r380, I’ve now bought a whacking great holset he341ve variable nozzle turbo, fit for 450hp, and I have my 7.5mm injection pump which will fuel that without a problem. I now have an amg ml55 transmission which I will be fitting an om606 type front housing too (bolt on from the e300 722.6 auto box) and using a red winches adaptor to fit my uprated lt230 transfer with atb centre diff. I will be using an Ofgear controller to operate the auto box and the boost control via the vnt turbo. Will either use a cruise control rangey steering wheel to do the “paddle shift” or make a joystick setup near the wheel to supplement to remote electric merc shifter which will be on the tunnel top! Will post some pics soon! looking forward to broken axles lol You can give Dave at Ashcrofts a ring if the axles don’t last. I expected to see a brace bar underneath for the rear seats too, rather than just the bolts. Glad to hear the business is going well and good news on the family front too. How’s Gordon Murray’s escort coming on? cheers, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retropower Posted June 17, 2018 Author Share Posted June 17, 2018 Thanks Steve! Gordon’s car is getting very near the end of metal fab work now. Plan is to get it “dry built” over the next week and a half in time for his next visit. I don’t think I will have time to get it seam brazed before then so will have to do that after it’s stripped back down, before we blast and zinc metal spray it. Fingers crossed I can get everything done in time! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Brazed rather than welded? Less distortion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 I have a RRC that needs a lot of the same work. How much do you think it'd cost to what you did to the shell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retropower Posted June 17, 2018 Author Share Posted June 17, 2018 3 hours ago, landroversforever said: Brazed rather than welded? Less distortion? Less prone to cracking. I've seen a lot of seam welded shells crack from the ends of the welds. I tig braze them 1 inch every 3 inches using copper/silicone rod (sifsilcopper 968) which is very strong but crack resistant and copes well with the inevitable dirt in the seams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Interesting stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanco Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Just watched that Gordon Murray dry build video, its impressive stuff. I think what is astonishing though is the number of builds that are visible around the workshop and yard. I know its beyond most of our budgets (if not our dreams) but the Retropower guys have obviously tapped into a serious vein there. Good stuff lads, and thanks for sharing, .. look forward to seeing something on the door builds here soon. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Any update on this piece of art, or are you maxed out on the business? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy50 Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Just read the tail end of this thread then went on YouTube and hey presto , what should pop up but a retropower video of the Gordon Murray escort , I have one word , WOW 😮 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 On 17 June 2018 at 1:11 AM, retropower said: Rear bowl om648 sump cleaned up and oil pump fitted, then sump fitted. Dieselmeken 7.5mm element pump with external Alda fitted and timed up. Waiting for cam cover gaskets in order to fit cam cover and injector pocket o rings then can fit injector lines Great project retropower! Wondering how you will bolt the ML box to the om648 sump, I'm doing a similar motor/ trans conversion into a Volvo 6x6. The om648 sump has a different bolt pattern to the Om 606 where it bolts to the trans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 My plan for the 648 sump holes is to fill the appropriate pockets in the casting with weld and then drill and tap to suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retropower Posted February 20, 2019 Author Share Posted February 20, 2019 Sorry for lack of updates!! Engine and box in now, still got to make transmission mounts! Work stupidly busy no not got much done. Awaiting a pair of water to air charge cooler cores from BMR so I can fabricate a charge cooled inlet manifold. Have all the parts to make a tubular exhaust manifold now so need to crack on with that too. re. Sump to gearbox. Was going to weld up and redrill and may still do, but equally there’s no shortage of bolts in the block itself and compared to something like a Chevy LS3 for example which has no bolts at all in the lower 3rd of the mating area I would be happy running it without the sump to transmission bolts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retropower Posted February 20, 2019 Author Share Posted February 20, 2019 (edited) Some other things I’ve been putting together. One of two Mercedes 250sl pagoda mech injection petrol engines. Delivered the w116 s class to its final home, purpose built house for it. Busy engine room and the chevette did it’s first couple of rallies Edited February 20, 2019 by retropower Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Interested to see what you do with the exhaust manifold. External wastegate? How are you transitioning from oval to round? And what size primaries? Can’t remember what my calculations came to for the diameter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retropower Posted February 20, 2019 Author Share Posted February 20, 2019 1 minute ago, landroversforever said: Interested to see what you do with the exhaust manifold. External wastegate? How are you transitioning from oval to round? And what size primaries? Can’t remember what my calculations came to for the diameter! Transition are schedule 10 concentric 2” to 1.5” reducers, stretched to oval over a tool in the flypress. Not perfect yet but ok. Pipes are all 1.5” nominal schedule 10 316 stainless pipe. 6-1 collector. Internal gated turbo but will put port for external just in case 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanco Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 Just watched the 'Workshop Walkthrough', great stuff But expected to see the RR somewhere in one corner or other?? Is it still around?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 I think it was hiding behind the green(?) car in the paint area, under the mezzanine, and a pile of boxes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanco Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 Wow, .... good spot,..... perhaps we'll get an update in part 2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
was8v Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 Wow, checking in to follow this. Any updates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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