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First LR related fabrication project


Lewis

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My first car was a Defender 90 200tdi and as soon as I got it I was keen to begin modifying it, but on apprentice wages I could barely afford the diesel, so I started to make little parts in spare moments at work. I recently found the first thing I ever made for my 90, now fitted to my current vehicle

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Its not the best, and if I were to remake them I'm sure I could improve them but I like it for first effort :)

So what was your first fabrication project? Show us the pictures

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My first project was rebuilding the floor of my first car, a 1980 Fiesta, gotta start with something eh! An absolute rotten POS. Don't know why I bothered really, but I did get a lot of practie MIG welding really thin stuff! Landy chassis are dead easy after that :lol:

First BIG job was welding two better halves of two different rotten 88" leaf sprung chassis together to make one good one. It worked out rather well in fact, and LOTS cheaper than buying a new one ;) Last time I checked the truck was still on the road, I sold it 16 years ago! No pictures I'm afraid.

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Ahhh, I thought it was first Land Rover fabrication.

First automotive fabrication was welding new floor pan patches into the works vans.

No one told me that the pretty white fluffy stuff that appeared when welding galvanised steel sheet was a bad sign. Not good for breathing in when head down in the foot well of a Ford Escort!

I moved onto restoring a couple of MGBs and found out that is is a bad thing when someone else waxoyls the sills when you still have some welding left to do. :D

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My first was on my 1959 Series 2. I noticed that a crack had opened in the chassis above one of the rear springs. I went to a welding / fabrication company who quoted me £400 to weld a patch on three sides of the chassis. I couldn't weld or do anything useful at the time - and nor did I have £40, never mind £400!

My solution was to glue a push button switch across the crack and wire it up to the horn. I figured that if the crack opened up at all - the horn would sound. I soon got used to driving it without the horn sounding continuously!

A few weeks later, I found someone to weld it - and for only £100. Based on what I know now it would have taken all of 20 mins to fix. The next month, I bought a welder (for £25) and never looked back!

Si

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My solution was to glue a push button switch across the crack and wire it up to the horn. I figured that if the crack opened up at all - the horn would sound. I soon got used to driving it without the horn sounding continuously!

Si

Haha!! That is by far the funniest I have ever heard! :D :D

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I was underneath looking at putting a second fuel tank under the back of my i90 TDI, as per several posts on here.

"That cross-member looks a bit rusty", I thought. Two decent taps with the Mark 1 adjustment tool and most of the cross-member saw fit to fall on top of me in shards of red-brown and a cloud of dust.

I consulted the technical archive once again, bought a MIG (since I had done evening classes in gas and MIG, so thought I had a clue), cut off the offending member and welded on a replacement.

Unfortunately, I failed to spot the note about keeping the wiring loom out of the way and cut it in two with the angle grinder - live and learn.

The truck has since passed 3 MOT's and nothing has fallen off - though I don't do any proper towing - so a toast to LR4x4 Technical Archive in general and Les Henson (may I one day shake his hand) in particular.

Richard

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First Land Rover fabrication project - fitting two new footwells in my 88" it took over 2 years :ph34r: from start in the one side till i had finish the other side. i drove with newspapers covering the hole in the drivers side to keep the water outfor 2 years until the MOT came up again. :D

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Not the first, but definitely the worst. I repaired the chassis on catflap (swb S3). Rebuilt 2.5 TD engine, snorkel, custom exhaust, big tyres, new wings/doors, etc, and a lovely paint job. I'd replaced the rear 1/2 of the chassis and carefully welded it all together. I rebuilt the entire vehicle, fitted the passenger door (opened and closed perfectly). Fitted the drivers door and it wouldn't close! Turns out I'd welded on the chassis 15mm too short on one side.

Les.

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funny thing is I was expecting something different as the solution, seeing as it's Mr X-Eng. :D

It was kind of the start of it all though - It gave me a push to learn to weld and so on to machining, fabrication, CNC and eventually X-Eng!

Si

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