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Freelander Shell onto Discovery Chassis?


Mark

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The history behind this is that my whit 200 TDI disco has pretty much come to the end if it's life as the rust in the bodywork is just too far gone. Given that 90's are just too expensive for me at the moment, I am trying to find a way to utilise the discovery to make a usable, and road legal off roader. My Mrs has a 3 door freelander, which I really quite like the look of - nb, this would not be the donor!

Baring the SVA issues (am hoping it would be seen as a simple re-body, but that is not what this thread is about) can anyone see any huge issues with mounting a 3 door freelander shell onto a 200 TDI discovery chassis?

I know that D-landers are available, and probably give a much lighter solution to than a full shell, but again that is kinda spendy for the kit...

Main issues I can see you be around transmission tunnels - disco engine is mounted longditudinally, and the floda is transverse. I would likley move the engine mounts back anyway, for better weight distribution, but that's probably getting ahead of myself...

Anyone else have any views/opinions/pictures of where someone else has done it?

Cheers

Mark

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wheelbase could be an issue, as the f/lander is shorter than the disco - unless you lengthen the freelander body to cope of course

Not as far as I can tell....

The Freelander is bigger than it looks: The Freelander's wheel-base is 100" (and a half"), nigh on the same as the original Range Rover (!) although it is about 100mm (4") shorter overall and lower than the latter, not to forget 500kg lighter...

from 4wdonline

looks the perfect length to me...

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I know that D-landers are available, and probably give a much lighter solution to than a full shell, but again that is kinda spendy for the kit...

Spendy Yes, however it does include more than just a few panels, there is a massive amount of cage work in there, wing bars, front end, hoops and crosses....

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I remember seeing that some years ago at billing. Do you have an more details of it?

Had a bit of a measure up between the freelander and the discovery this evening. The shell should sit on the chassis really well, but the engine bay on the freelander is exceedingly short compared to the discovery. I had thought about moving the engine back in the chassis, but that is not going to be possible....

ta

Mark

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Dan, yeah the tunnel and the bulkhead look to need some fairly major modification, but I don't think that is insurmountable.

Not seen the guy on eBay, but was talking to a guy who advertises as 'freelanderbreaker' who was very helpful. A rolling shell would be good though from a practicality point of view while I was building things up...

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Hi! Are there available resources about installing a freelander bodyshell on top of a range rover classic 2 door rolling chassis? Thanks.

Alex

Philippines

Try searching for 'D-lander' ;)

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Try searching for 'D-lander' ;)

Thanks, I already did. I think they made their own space frame and added fiberglass panels but are there others who actually placed a body on a frame? I don want to lose the comforts from the freelander body. Thanks again sir

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Been doing a little more digging.

The Free Ranger is actually another spaceframe construction with freelander panels on, much the same as the D-Lander form North Offroad.

Not found anything related to using a complete shell and mounting that up yet...

Still on the lookout for a donor freelander though...

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The reason they use the space frame style construction is that is how you maintain the rigidity in the body of the freelander, be it metal or fibreglass - it also makes a handy super tough cage too :)

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That is exactly my intention - to the letter..... ;)

Space frame would be cool, but I am looking to use the entire shell, so it shouldn't have rigidity issues, being already a monococque that I am going to then bolt to a chassis...

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So if you are keeping the full body, why not just transplant the running gear and modify the body to take it, rather than adding another 500kgs or whatever by sticking a chassis under it?

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Not rally sure how feasible that would be... The wheel arches are very cramped on the FL shell, as it also has all the suspension mountings - moving the suspension mountings onto the chassis means you can open out the inner arches to get decent sizes tyres in there on full bump. Also with the engine mounted the wrong way round, there would need to be some major structural work go into mounting a 200 in there...

incidentally, do you have any more pix of you truck?

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not too sure about this but surely it would be similar to mounting any monocoque body onto a range rover/discovery chassis? Might be worth widening your searches to look at some of these.

Not the same but on difflock theres a ka onto a daihatsu (i think) chassis that might be useful

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I have seen the ka on the fourtrak chassis, and it rather tickled me... I will have to have a look on difflock. ta.

I am not really convinced you need to recess the chassis into the shell - have you looked underneath a freelander shell Ross?

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