Disco Frame + Serie 88 bodywork???

[Muttland]

Hi:

What do you think about that???

Put a Serie 88 bodywork on a disco frame w/ disco axels and suspension + 300tdi + R380-lt230 .

Is this a crazzy work?? Is nessesary tu cut the disco frame??

Thank

Muttland

[tuko]

An 88 wouldn't work as well as a 109 would, but it still requires a lot of work to shorten the body down to the 100" wheelbase of the Disco. There has been many 100" conversion done using old Range Rover frames so it is possible but will be time consuming. The quality of the conversion depends on your skills and the time you put into the work.

Todd.

[Rich_P]

And it is highly likely you will need to alter the chassis for the body, or make some really really fancy brackets. The body of the 88 and 109 are held together and to a chassis in a completely different way to the Range Rover and Discovery.

[Phil Hancock]

109 body cut down to suit the 100" disco = no sva/iva test and the reg is that of the disco.

88" body and the chassis cut down to suit the body = sva/iva test and probably a Q plate.

[series3100]

I think it would be worthwhile but as people have said would be easier using a 109 as a donor OR if you already have a swb just find yourself a lwb tub. Althouh it's a lot of work and head scratching when done it'll be a beauty!

I'm planning a 100" light weight (based on a disco) with a V8 and auto box but the difference is the lightweight body is very slab sided so it wont be as* hard to completely redesign the tub.

My general plan is to get a disco down to a rolling chassis, remove the rear fuel tank and all outriggers then from here get the bulkhead on and then work backwards (and forwards) from there. I want the wheels right at the back (almost like a bobtail or tray back would be) so although it'll be 100" the overall length wont be huge amounts more than a std light weight...

Brian

[FridgeFreezer]

TBH these days you may just as well buy a Defender, and swap the Disco engine in if needed.

There's no point cutting up a Series to do this, unless you have one that is beyond saving (but then, lots of the bits you need from it may also be beyond use). There is a LOT more work to this than just hanging some body panels from the chassis. Defender bodywork makes life a bit easier (it has space for coil springs, brake servo, bigger engine, etc.) but it's still not easy.

The radiator is too big for a Ser/Def front panel, the transmission & gearsticks are in a different place, the chassis is a different shape, the brakes are different and the pedal boxes don't easily swap, Series bodywork won't accommodate a big brake servo, the brake balance will be out due to the lighter back end, the suspension will be really stiff without the Disco body weighing it down, all the plumbing (water/fuel/electrics) will be in strange places and things will either need re-doing, removing, or modifying. If you have things like ABS it gets quite tangled trying to fit the loom in, especially when the loom includes a load of stuff you no longer need (electric windows, sunroof, etc.) which must be either removed cleanly or at least "made safe".

Corrode_Finger built a 100" RangeRover/109/Defender thing in this manner, I believe it's still owned by someone on this forum. Pictures in this post show what you end up with under the bonnet with all the electrics from a more complicated vehicle in a Defender style body.

[jericho]

This is a chassis I prepared earlier -

And here is a 109 tub shortened to suit.

Hey Presto -

Its got an lt77,not r380 - the shorter length helps.

Is it worth the effort?

It took 9 months of evenings and weekends,and all of my money for that period.

What else would I do with my time and money?Only spend it on booze and hoes.