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Ibex - anyone built one/know much about them?


Chicken Drumstick

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I have been I touch with David today he has seen this thread and going to have a look at the website perhaps a download or something....

On a side note bearing in mind I didn't buy mine from the factory, I only bought a few bit from them that couldn't be made by myself. They have been nothing but helpful and approachable, David even dropped my parts into me (whilst on a family visit) to save some agro with couriers.

Mike

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Exactly, put them in a room by themselves, we can get on with discussing Landrovers. And other absolutely perfectly acceptable vehicles that don't have leaf springs made by various companies including British Leyland and it's successor companies. 

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18 hours ago, miketomcat said:

I have been I touch with David today he has seen this thread and going to have a look at the website perhaps a download or something....

On a side note bearing in mind I didn't buy mine from the factory, I only bought a few bit from them that couldn't be made by myself. They have been nothing but helpful and approachable, David even dropped my parts into me (whilst on a family visit) to save some agro with couriers.

Mike

Good to hear the positive feedback. And thanks for contacting David. I see he has emailed me back also.

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Thank You.

That French one looks like on a "Garagist Plate"

What is usually done for vehicles that you can't get on FR plates..

Restrictions apply for them but in every days reality...

 

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9 minutes ago, ThreePointFive said:

I really like the look of those.

What are the doors and bonnet made of? Are they suitably kit-car in their feel or a bit more substantial?

Mine are 25mm galv box skinned in Ali but they do have a satisfying clunk when shut. The bonnet is all Ali not strong enough to stand on unfortunately(I may change this in the future) but still has a decent feel. The F8 doors are laser cut frame in galv skinned in Ali not unlike modern cars. The bonnet is a fibreglass clamshell.

Mike

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3 hours ago, ThreePointFive said:

What are the doors and bonnet made of? Are they suitably kit-car in their feel or a bit more substantial?

When we converted my SWB into a hardtop, the rear door needed the top fetching inboard about an inch to compress the door seal. Mike and I eventually gave up swinging on the doortop and slotted the frame with an angle grinder instead :D

Not wanting to sound like an M&S advert, but it's not just 25mm box, it's 2.5mm (3mm ?) wall too...

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@NonimouseThat wasn't structural steel, it had its own gravity. :blink:

There is no part of an ibex that isn't stronger and or more robust than a land rover (I would go as far as to say a disco 1/2). The space frame is designed to be roll over protection (tested by several owners :ph34r:) even still mine is only 2 ton.

Mike

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Their design being flat and angular looks like it would be most likely made of fibreglass or something similar (if that's not a stupid thing to say).

It's just a bit surprising to hear it's all skinned metal frame but then it proves they don't just look the part. I am sticking with my car until the ban of ICE but definitely a fan of these.

 

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I bought my Mk7 250S new from Foers as a "kit" in May 2003. It was SVA'd on 1st August 2003 and I built it all in my single garage at home using basic amateur mechanic's tools. I took 2 weeks off work then everything else was done in evenings and weekends. The only job I outsourced was the paint - I took it straight to the paintshop after picking it up from Foers. I later regretted this as I should have fettled it and trial fitted a number of parts first but it wasn't a great error.

I already had a V8 90 that I used as a donor car. If I did another I'd probably start with a Disco for the axles, engine, gearboxes, props, suspension, radiator, steering box etc. All you really need from a Defender is a dashboard, steering column and bracketry, pedal box and wiring loom. Particularly with the price of Defenders now it doesn't make sense to scrap a good one and Discos have a fruitier range of engines as standard. Having said all that, the world is your oyster if you fancy Dynatrac D60's front and rear, and a gas turbine power plant Dave Foers would do his best to supply the frame with all the correct bracketry.

Mine was fully trimmed, carpet, sides and rooflining using templated supplied by Foers. Again I did this all myself and it was satisfying but a pain in the rear end and took weeks to do (after SVA).

Regarding fabricating things, all mechanical components just fit as they would on the donor except getting the props shortened/lengthened and the exhaust shortened (on a V8 at least). The frustrating thing withan Ibex is that there is no aftermarket so skid plates, winch bumpers, roofracks, cubby boxes - anything that you would just buy for a Defender has to be either made or adapted to fit the Ibex. Not a great issue, and if you plan ahead when you order it most of these can again be built in by the factory at construction stage.

I was careful building mine to make it as good as it could be for the money and it cost me a total of £11K. £7K of which was the kit, but not including the donor car which I already had (probably worth about £6K back then). I remember Barry Pluckrose built his around the same time using a brand new unregistered TD5 90 truck-cab which you could buy then for around £13K. He recouped a substantial amount of that by selling the immaculate remains after he'd stripped off the parts he needed and it meant he could register his Ibex as a brand new vehicle, TD 51 BEX. That must still be around somewhere.

If you like the look of one I suggest you go and visit the factory and talk it through. David and his dad have been making them for years and they really do know what they are doing.

 

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9 minutes ago, tiddler said:

He recouped a substantial amount of that by selling the immaculate remains after he'd stripped off the parts he needed and it meant he could register his Ibex as a brand new vehicle, TD 51 BEX. That must still be around somewhere.

Unless the reg number was sold on, I last saw it for sale on facebook painted olive drab. Did he sell it to Ed Cobley? I remember him having one with that plate on it. 

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