DrRob Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Paddocks panels probably a bit thinner than YRM or Easy On Panels (Froggats) Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 I have removed everything from inside the boot space (save for the head lining), the side steps, sill covers, front bumper, grille, bonnet, scuttle panel, rear corners and rear wings, all lighting, lower tail gate ad the right front wing. The boot floor is actually not that bad - it's the edges that have gone where the spot welded flanges let water into the lap joint. The same is true of the rear body cross member, which seems sound but has blown the spot welded flange behind each wheel (it's still good inboard of the wheels). The rear wheel arches need a fair bit of patching around the rear inner wing joints, C pillar bases and sills. The right side sill is bad at the back end and is holed on its side under the B pillar flange. The bulkhead is pretty good, but needs a patch in front of the upper door hinge, where the inner wing box section is welded to it. The front right wheel arch needs new sheet metal welding in around its outboard edges where they meet the side, but it otherwise seems OK. The space under the windscreen that was hidden by the scuttle panel was rust free, which was a very pleasant surprise. The tailgate and bonnet have been completely stripped in preparation for acid bathing and e-coating, and I may get the original rear corners (that the lights screw into) done with them - I'm sure the body shop will have no trouble dealing with the exposed sections that went rusty along the seam, and the acid and e-coat will get rid of the rust and prevent it from ever coming back. I'm trying to keep the car as original as possible and there's no point in replacing them if they don't need it, and with new corners costing about £130 each, this seems as reasonable approach. If you want to see any photos, they're on the Range Rover section of my blog - I'll be periodically updating that as the restoration progresses. In the mean time, I need to remove the engine for rebuild. Does anyone know how to do it? Access to the bell housing bolts seems awfully restricted and the crane will have to lift the engine terribly high to clear the rad panel (which is spot welded in, unlike older RRCs which had bolt--in panels between the head light mounts. I am wondering about disconnecting the prop shafts and hand brake cable and undoing the transmission mounts to slide the whole lot forward to get at the upper bell housing bolts, and may have to drill the spot welds of the rad panel to remove that (I might replace the head light mountings anyway). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 When I did it, I had a pulley going to a small RSJ in the garage, this worked well, but as you say you do need to lift it high. Mine was worse again as it is on 33" rubber and 2" lift... to counter the amount of lift needed you can let the tyres down, or remove them entirely and sit it on it's discs -you shouldn't damage them, I had an RRC fall off an axle stand onto it's disc and it was fine. You could whip the springs to help even more... To get to the bell housing bolts, it is still tricky, but I lifted the engine, removed the mounts, dropped it down again and then you can get in the back with a ratchet spanner OK (or was it a 3/8" ratchet, I forget) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Good tips! If anyone else has more, please speak up! I plan to remove the transmission to overhaul that too, so all the work in shoving it forwards won't be wasted if it comes to that. I had considered removing the engine mounts to lower it down a little, but the timing case on the 300Tdi is not far from the PAS box, and I don't know if I'll get much drop. As for removing the wheels to lower the body for craning the engine out over the rad panel, it's possible, as long as the axle doesn't end up blocking the front wheels and legs of the crane... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncmc Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Where are you getting your acid stripping and e-coating done? I have been thinking about that for my good spare bonnet. When I change my engine at some point I was thinking to take the wheels off and fit old rims with no tyres so it will still roll. I have to do the change in my garage, and there is no RSJ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Oh and there was me thinking it had a proper engine..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Any chance of some photos please .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Oh and there was me thinking it had a proper engine..... Bah, humbug! At least I can go past a fuel station without stopping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Any chance of some photos please .... I only get occasional use of the main computer to upload photos, and I use that time to update the blog, so unfortunately I have to direct you there: http://www.nickslandrover.co.uk/category/range-rover-classic/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Where are you getting your acid stripping and e-coating done? I have been thinking about that for my good spare bonnet.When I change my engine at some point I was thinking to take the wheels off and fit old rims with no tyres so it will still roll. I have to do the change in my garage, and there is no RSJ. I had picked out a company after an internet search, but forgot the details. It won't be done fore some time - the inner shell will be the priority as there is no point having a load of perfect panels if I don't have a shell to hang them on! One of the LR mags had an article about it, oddly enough doing those very panels. Then again, it only works on steel, and no-one in the UK has tanks big enough anymore to do a complete RR inner shell. As for the engine change, I'm working under similar circumstances. The trouble is that I'm running out of space in the double garage - panels take up a lot of room, and though the wings and trim are going up in the rafters, the bonnet, doors, tail gate and roof can't. I have no idea where I'll store the seats... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwakers Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 The trouble is that I'm running out of space in the double garage - panels take up a lot of room, and though the wings and trim are going up in the rafters, the bonnet, doors, tail gate and roof can't. I have no idea where I'll store the seats... just do what i did and put them in the dining room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangy35 Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 This is looking very interesting, I am watching with lots of interest......... do you have some more photos of the rest of you Rangy, oooooo and the chassis looks fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted September 1, 2013 Author Share Posted September 1, 2013 There are just a couple of photos of the car before I started taking it to pieces. Unfortunately, my blog was made to show my 109 rebuild, and the other Land Rovers we own were added to the blog peripherally. It's a very standard looking Classic in Epsom Green with grey trim, black bumpers and TWR alloys (as many of the last year had). The only ones I remember taking are here: http://www.nickslandrover.co.uk/range-rover-tidy/ The chassis seems nearly mint (though I'm not sure what'll be revealed when I remove the gear box cross member) - it had been waxed from early on, and it's where the body shell was missed that the problems are: behind the mudshield strips in the wheel arches, the bottoms of the head light mounts and under the battery trays, the void between the rear cross member and boot floor and the space between the rear sills and rear wheel arch front extensions (mud shields to prevent spray onto the sills, but a great mud and water trap). Had it been waxed more carefully at the start, then I'd only be looking at a respray and minor outer panel work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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