hok Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 is this the sort of thing you're after?4 door freelander dropped onto a 3.9v8 rangie chassis and air suspension fitted all round. i quite like it, not too sure about the stupid bit airfilter - but the rest is ok. I'm in love with this thing Great idea. Looking forward to see more of your project, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Im definately considering it, something like the gold one pictured. I need to know how much savagery is required as it will be a dd. Registration is in QLD, Australia , and there are engineering guidelines that make things difficult, and some that may stop the project dead. Basically Im trying to note all the major changes/conversions to ensure my engineer won't tell me its unregisterable after im done.Cheers! I've seen Suzuki sierra on a Nissan GQ chassis in QLD (the white Maxxis one) so I see no reason why a freelander on a Rangy chassis is any different Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blippie Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I saw this one in Wickwar, Gloucestershire a year or so ago. Looked striking. Cheers Blippie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50cc Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 I have had a Freelander on Disco chassis on the go for about 3 months. Any new news or updates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 When I last spoke to Chris, he was somewhat more advanced than me in his project, but i haven't heard from him recently to see if he has progressed. Personally I have made little progress, for various reasons, but I hope to have the shell attached to the chassis by the end of the month. I have spent this evening stripping the dash from the shell, as I need to cut a large hole in the bulkhead to get the engine in! Mine dosn't look too much different from the picture I posted above, but I have been progressing with small stuff... repairing the chassis and such like... When there is something significant to show, I'll post up a few pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 Incidentally, I will need a set of tyres for this truck fairly soon (so I can work out just how much arch to chop out) so I am after a decent set of simex Jungle Trekker 2's in 34x10.50x16 if anyone has some kicking around.... Cheers Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisbowler Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 Mark - sorry not been on recently - have now got the engine running - am using the original Freelander wiring loom and 1.8 engine ecu to overcome immobiliser so that the key will crank the v8. Done exhaust, cooling and steering pipes. Car will be LPG so no fuel tank. Will try to post some pics in the next day or so. Regards Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobtail4x4 Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 cough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 As I warned before, progress is slow, as it needs to fit in wih a lot of other stuff.... Anyway, a couple of pictures, just to keep people interested... This is about where it's up to... chassis is shorter and repaired where the rust had taken hold: and the shell has lots of holes in it... At some point I will make some more progress, but it's a bit stalled at the moment while I sort some other stuff out, go to the states, and try and afford some new wheels and tyres! Cheers Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 I have had several people contacting me saying they are attempting a similar project, so I thought it would be time from an update.... Having got to the point you can see in the posts above, I got the shell sat on the chassis, pretty much as low as I could get it. Unfortunately this was still way too high for my liking, even having modified the shell to go round the obstructions on the chassis, it still sat too high, and left a massive gap between the top of the wheel and the arch. There is an article in LRM this month about someone else doing something very similar, but with the shell sat even higher, and I think it looks awful - and really confirmed that I was right to stop at this point. My original aim was to try and make the truck look as factory produced as possible, to produce a practical off road toy, rather than a dedicated challenge/race truck, and the more I progressed the further away I got from this idea I got. So, I have now scrapped this build - the original discovery is mostly gone, but the freelander shell is still around if anyone wants a slightly chopped about 3 door shell - I will be dismantling this as soon as it warms up enough to work outside though. I now have a load of suplus bits, which need to go - so watch the for sale forum if you haven't already. Please don't let this put of anyone else trying to so down this route - I found it didn't achieve what I wanted it to, but you have to try to find out these things Interestingly I picked up 6 Disovery3 Front wheel arch spats to use as arch extensions. They actually look really neat on the freelander shell, are about the right height to sit in the moulded recess, but are ~36" across at the bottom (as opposed to less than 32" of the originals). If someone doing this sort of conversion can make use of them, let me know and we can come to a deal. Cheers Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I've just seen the one in LRM, Mark and it does indeed look daft ! Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 It is even dafter in the flesh!! Mark, sorry to see this being stopped looks much much nicer. Dont be put off by a crappy job done elsewhere! On a different note... How does the DVLA see this... as a rebody? i was wondering because in effect, you are adding a whole car/ID to the top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 Ross, I made the decision a while before I saw that article, but it does go so far as to vindicate that decision. My intention was to treat it like a body swap - the fact that the new body had an id of it's own was immaterial - the original Discovery ID would be used, as it maintains all the original chassis, drivetrain, suspension and steering under the points system. The only sticking point was to be the chassis modifications - which were to be limited to removing the overhand at the back, and providing a new crossmember as well as the new body mounts. This would be no different to building a Tomcat, for example, so I had planned to go down the same route - that is, take the vehicle for a VIC check, and then get the opinion of the inspector as to whether it needs to go through the SVA/IVA process. It would have been built to pass an SVA anyway, but that was the plan... Cheers Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Ahh i see . Sorry to know it wont be finished roll on the next project!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50cc Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Maybe it's just the angle, but this one looks great! Anyone got more info on this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobyone Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 from the pics you put up mark, can you not just cut right up the b/head and along the outside of the disco/rr chasis rails and cut the rear arches up the same amount then allow the freelander to sit deeper into the disco/rr chassis and secure the body to the rail sides rather than the top. i see what you mean by lowering it as low as it could go, i think perhaps on the freelander pictured, the chassis must have been cut and the whole rail heaight lowered or the floor was raised inside the freelander chassis to take this into acount. i know this is not waht you wanted to do, but unless you do that or allow more protrusion into freelander chassis, i cant see it lowering far enough either. very interesting read, shame you dont bite the bullet and go for it on the freelander though, but someone might buy it form you as is, so understand you could get some money back buy doing nothing else to it... real shame. richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 The green one is good from the outside, but who knows what horrors may be lurking indoors to make it sit that low? Does make me want to paint my freebie sand camo though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt bristol Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Could you not cut the floor pan out of the discovery and also the freelander and weld the disco floor into the freelander body? That in theory would give you the lowest possible height and overcome the need to fabricate new bosy to chassis mounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 It does rather rely on the floorpan of the discovery being sound - mine wasn't which was why I used it for this conversion anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pj80x Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Hi Mark I'm thinking about going down the same route and sticking a 3dr Freelander shell onto my 300tdi Auto (With A/C) chassis and just wondered if you have any more pics of the one you where doing? or if you could give me some advice/ steer me in the right direction!!! any advice/Help would be greatly recieved. Cheers Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted March 7, 2010 Author Share Posted March 7, 2010 Hi Pete, What would you like to know? cheers Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pj80x Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Hi Mark i just wondered if I was to go ahead what the best way to mount the two together? I was planning on keeping the A/C by trying to source a ES model or similar. As I have a diesel would it be best if I try to find a dead Td4? (electrics) Cheers Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamelT Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 Hi Guys I am new here. I found the forum because I am starting my freelander project. At the beggining should be just a camel trophy replica but I am enjoying the idea to give a little bit of pepper to it. Then I am searching more information about how to make it a off roading car. Then the idea do transplant the freelander shell to a discovery chassis is making me think a lot about how to do it. Anyone have more updates for that? My doubt is about the console inside. Because the shfting gear handknob doesnt have too much space and myfreelander is manual and I would like to keep it manual. So, anyone have an idea how to fit the handknob for the low gears in the console? cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robhybrid Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 Maybe it's just the angle, but this one looks great! Anyone got more info on this one? do you recon that this one is on air suspension and all the air bags are down in this picture? would make it look better than otherwise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 Does look like an airbag doesn't it. Either that or it has had a lot of chopping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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