Chicken Drumstick Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 As Disco's are so cheap these days I've been toying with the idea of making a pickup out of one. Partly for the look, practicality and to save weight (lower CoG too I guess ) I'd be looking to keep it full length to avoid any SVA issues with a modified chassis, just looking at chopping the body tub down. Hows it done and what sort of cab top and back do people use? Does a 90 cab fit or is it easier to retain the original Disco roof and just fab up a back to it. Is it easier with a 3 or 5 door? I was hoping to use a 300Tdi or 3.9V8 so I guess a 5 door might be my only bet? Thanks. BTW - pics, advise and the big print edition for dummies are all welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boro Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Personally i dont think you would save much weight, if any, given that what you would be removing isnt that substantial or heavy, may even add weight depending on how you do it, i would imaging its probably easier to use a 3 door as your base as you could then keep the lower side panels in place as your tub rather than if you used a 5 door and cut the rear out from the b pillar back which would meen making a tub from scratch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco_al Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 there was a Disco pickup in LRO a couple of months back IIRC. based on a 3dr. He used the rear door to infill behind the cab, and the lower half of the rear door to make a tailgate. B & Q guttering supplied the cappings for the bodywork Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brookers Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 If you want to do it on a really tight budget start with a 3 door, if you have time you can re use the rear door, but thats dam heavy! Teh you have to consider the step in the roof as its just after the cut so you end up with a weird shaped roof. In theory you may be able to use a RR roof but it would involve cutting and grinding the roof from the body frame as its welded to a disco and I never worked out how to support the front of roof to the windscreen frame as its a little different but having just looked at mine it may be possible. If I were to do that I would use a RR rear window and its frame. If your not on such a tight budget then its possible to get the inner wings that run from the B pillar back to convert it from a 5 door to 3 door. Then you need to find some 3 door outer wings. The easy way to do it is with this kit http://www.longranger.net/page4/page3/page3.html this is how im building my pick up, but i'm building a tubed rear tub rather than keeping the original pannels as my boot floor wasn't there when I lifted the carpet. As for weight saving, so far im getting on for loosing 250 - 300 KG's but will put it all back on with the cage and winches! HTH Brookers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Drumstick Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 Thanks guys all food for though. Have to say my plans may not be quite as accepted on here as some others. I'm not really looking at make a great off roader, just something different. A pickup would serve a good purpose and I still think removing all the interior and most of the roof must save some weight. But I was thinking of making more of a road biased vehicle. 18" alloys (maybe D2 if they can be fitted), lower stiffer suspension and big anti-roll bars. Weight saving where pos and more road biased tyres. I then want to see about some more power. Thinking cammed 4.6 Rover V8 or Chevy V8 conversion, Jag V12 did enter my line of thoughts but I don't think the engine bay is long enough. Would like to shoot for ~300bhp with good handling. Kinda of a bigger Impreza, but with attitude sort of vehicle. And it'll still be capable of going over the fields and up the lanes, nothing serious in the off road department though. More of a fun and slightly unsualy road vehicle. I did consider a 90, but I think the 100" wheelbase of the Disco should provide more stable high speed handling, and if I can get the weight down to something similar it won't be any loss. Also a lot cheaper to start with a Disco and more easy to buy a V8 and auto. Think I need to keep an eye out for a 3 door V8 auto then, or would the 24 spline axles on a latter Disco be worth the extra hassle of having a 5 door body? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Drumstick Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 there was a Disco pickup in LRO a couple of months back IIRC. based on a 3dr. He used the rear door to infill behind the cab, and the lower half of the rear door to make a tailgate.B & Q guttering supplied the cappings for the bodywork Do you happen to know which magazine/month? I've had a look on the LROi website, but its not that helpful. Also surprisingly I can't find any info or even a picture of a full length Disco pickup, quite a few bobtails. I thought there would be a few... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jobo Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 edit not one like this then i would put it in the top ten of the worse cars ive ever seen, but it might be a good place to start available on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LAND-ROVER-DISCOVERY...%3A1|240%3A1318 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 .<...> i would put it in the top ten of the worse cars ive ever seen <...> Obviously, you have not seen my car... (although mine does not have 'dick head' scrawled along it's side) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Drumstick Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 editnot one like this then i would put it in the top ten of the worse cars ive ever seen, but it might be a good place to start available on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LAND-ROVER-DISCOVERY...%3A1|240%3A1318 Am I missing somthing? It seems fine to me, to you have a personal grudge against the owner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Drumstick Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 My idea was more like this, but retaining the full length, partyl to aviod any SVA issues with a modified chassis and also becuase the larger load area would be handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerous doug Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 the long rainger kit is nice but too much money for what your getting IMO and you do save alot of weight, what with all the glass and the steel roof, the pillars and the interior. i moved the rear door pillar forward whick looks ok but was alot of faffing around and its still not quite right.....but thats probibly becasue im rubbish with filler if you ude the rear lights again you get a nice look too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jobo Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Am I missing somthing? It seems fine to me, to you have a personal grudge against the owner? no i dont know anything about him or her but i do have a grudge with people who create things which have no style or taste, its plain ugly with multiple examples of bad engineering practise and bad finish, he cant even get the ride height even front to back. look at the other two examples of project which are well planned and executed, people who take pride in their vehicle. i was putting it up as a cautionary tale to warn the op, who expressed his dream to build a showy pick up , of how bad such things look if your not careful with planning and have sufficient funds to see it through. Dont get me wrong if someone wants to run an old nail till it drops that fine with me,or as is more common with discos modify it to make it more usefull off road, but most of these have a rugged style about them which sets them apart from the ordinary and they look impressive purposeful cars, but this is extraordinary for all the wrong reasons, what must they have been thinking, il take a perfectly good disco and tun it into something which provokes children to laugh at me and concerned residents to chain up their garden furniture and then have the cheek to try and sell it to someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveyboy300tdi Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 It's only a chopped up disco mate.... chill out. I've seen far worse rolling about at pay and play days, so if thats in your top ten worse cars you ain't seen many... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Drumstick Posted March 17, 2009 Author Share Posted March 17, 2009 I still can't really see the issue with that blue one, it looks ok to me for what it is. As for cutting corners, well its usually down to money, if it was no object I'd buy a new Defender pickup and be done with it. But that ain't the cheap option IMO. I do rather like the Longranger look, I've had a price for the cab and its not too OTT, think I'll probably mix and match my own ideas with a few of there's. I'm sure it won't be concors class vehicle at the end of it, but if I like it (which I will ) then I can't see the problem. Thanks for all your input. Gives me a lot to think about, now I'm just hunting for a suitable vehicle to take the cutting tools too!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpk241 Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Is the Longranger pic still a full length Disco ? Looks short to me ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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