What gearbox / engine options for a 1989 LHD RRC

[Arjan]

Bonjour Tous !

I have been offered a good - as in very little rust etc. - LHD 4 door RRC Saudi Spec.

Right now, it is a 3.5 inj. with a 5 speed manual box (LT77 I guess ???)

Quick questions :

1 - IF LT77 gearbox is fitted, will it accept a 200 or 300 Tdi ?

2 - What better diesel engine options are there ? (Mazda I know already - had several)

if - a very big IF - I'd were to go the RRC route it will do about 35,000 miles a year so LPG is an option.. Diesel, however, is so much easier in many way. Perhaps the 3rd. question should be "am I insane to even consider getting a RRC"....

[Shackleton]

Comfort wise why would you choose anything else for 35k miles a year! It'd have to be auto and have cruise control for that much driving though no?

As a guy who converted his RRC from 3.5 carb to 3.9 EFI and then to Td5  ordinarily I'd say leave it alone. But that mileage! LPG is fine n'all but a big enough tank to stop you going mad really soaks up so much space. I have the Td5 in mine and it feels quite like the original 3.5 in power delivery. It's also a lovely engine to maintain once some key boxes are ticked. I put it in because I knew I'd be covering big miles, so yeah 35k a year I'd say you need diesel. But now that I've a lot of that overland stuff out of my system I'd happily have the V8 back, just for that smooth burble and wafty nature.

Whatever the price is I'd factor spending a bit on renewing some basic stuff. A 30 year old car pushed into that sort of service is a bit of a gamble if not given a once over first.

[Bowie69]

You can fit a wing petrol tank, then 2 tanks where the petrol tank was, and then 2 more sill tanks and get phenomenal range. 150l should be no problem, and no luggage space lost.

Then.... I am afraid to say, the 3.5 probably won't cut it, not that mileage, drop in a 3.9 with an autobox from a later model and be wafted around in comfort.

RRCs with good suspension and a bit of extra soundproofing in the earlier ones are wonderful cruisers.

 

[Snagger]

Be prepared for a lot of work - a Saudi vehicle will likely have been abused in the desert and on the highways, and all in unbearable heat and dust.  Expect to need to refurbish or replace almost everything mechanical.  On the plus side, rust should not be much of an issue, and that is the hard work in RRCs.  They're lovely vehicles when in good order, so it's worth it.

[paintman]

If LPG is readily available in & around your location then that would make the V8 practical with the mileage you propose. Be aware that you can't use the Channel Tunnel with LPG vehicles so if you make regular trips to the UK it will be ferry only.

If not then conversion to diesel is going to be the better option & I'd suggest a Land Rover engine if only for spares availability & ease of installation.

With the 3.5Efi on LPG through a BLOS carburettor I get roughly the cost/mile equivalent of the same car with the LR diesels fitted as standard to the RRC - 2 gallons of LPG costs about the same as 1 gallon of diesel/petrol & for non town use I get around 26 miles from 2 gallons of LPG. Towing a boat & car fully loaded OR solo. Go figure! Previously fitted with one of the gas ring type feeds & the BLOS is superior in every way.

My tanks are under the sills. A tank in the boot was not an option. Full fill is around mid 60 litres & that's around 180 miles. Manually switched from one fuel to the other & starts from cold on LPG without issue. No problems with MoT on either fuel.

Edited July 2, 2017 by paintman

[Davo]

You may as well get it and try it out. The things really grow on you. It's how fantastic they are to drive that has kept me going through all the complicated and painful jobs my old, worn-out '83 needed to bring it back up to a reliable standard. What year is this one? 

[smallfry]

The other thing to consider is that diesels are fine if you like the characteristics, and the fuel consumption issue is a no brainer..................

BUT

Any decent modern diesel has a very expensive turbocharger, and a very expensive intercooler which you will no doubt want to upgrade, some very expensive electric fuel injectors, and a very, very expensive high pressure fuel pump.

A V8 has none of these, and any fault with one (or more) of these will wipe out any savings you might have made ! 

[Davo]

This is true, and is the very reason I've never owned a diesel. I know people will say that the expensive bits rarely give trouble, but you still have to be financially ready for if they do. Which I'm not. 

[Arjan]

Thank you all for the thoughts & suggestions !

Being Dutch means I know LPG and have used it a lot in the past.

I had a 3.9 V8 engine that lived in several RRC's and did about a million km's with us on LPG. The last 2-door we had on LPG was basically 2 Ricardo seats and about 490 ltrs. (over 11 gallons in your money) nett of LPG tanks. All legal and tested. We could do Holland France and back - with a trailer - without refuelling...

But LPG is not easy to find here in France once you leave the Autoroute and the French frown on tanks over 115 ltrs...

A diesel engine must be analogue - no ECU's etc. The MAzda worked very, very well but they are getting very hard to find..