Changing a Discovery from 3 to 5 doors.

[o_teunico]

Well, it seems that life is smiling me again. After more than one year of unemployment, this week I have started working again, and just today a good old friend has phoned me to say that he is going to sell his Discovery. Destiny and karma are trying to say something to me!

The Discovery is a low mileage 200Tdi, white, as I wanted, and with snorkel, suspensión, winch, ARB and tons of spares. All mods have been MoT approved, so headache free.

Problem is that it´s a 3 door vehicle, and I will need a 5 door one.

It will be nearly impossible to find a 5 door one from a known owner and in this condition.

Since my brother has a 5 door half rotten Discovery, will I be able to create a a 5 door body using the 3 door bodyshell as a base with B and C posts, doors, and aluminium skin from the 5 door body? Has this been done before. A full body swap is not posible because the 5 door body is beyond repair.

[Marten]

I considered this when I recently subjected my 1992 3-door 200tdi to a total rebuild/restoration. I think it is a lot of work, but feasible, especially if you have access to the original 5 door to use as a guide, and it constitutes a major change in the eyes of DVLA and you will need a formal inspection and re-issue of the registration document. I decided it was too much hassle, and I get on ok with the 3 doors, so I didn't pursue it further.

If you really want 5 doors, go for it! The hinge pillar change is the really tricky bit, but forming the door aperture needs careful thought!

[Stevie D]

Good news on the job and karma front!

Seems a shame to butcher the 3 door if it's in good order. Would it not be work livig with the 3 door for a whilst to adopt your needs if required?

Dimesionally I beleive the bodies are the same - door frames, sills, etc, but having never stripped a 3 door alu skin off I don't know how far the frame parts sharing has gone - quite far if normal landrover stuff is used as the baseline I'm sure.

The B posts are different and there's some extra meatal . inner skins where the rear doors would be - here's a link to a partially dismantled 3 door undergoing sill repairs on another forum.... http://forum.difflock.com/viewtopic.php?t=12757

I do know that the rear qtr windows are different - there's two part nos for the seals - so would have to assume that the outer skins at least are different - inner trims different in the very rear / boot.

Don't think it would be impossible, once the outer rear qtr is off it would be measure, measure, measure, cut and weld 'B' pillars etc if required. Having the donor is a bonus, just do 1 side at a time - don't know how the spanish vehicle registration system nor mot would accept it?

Good luck. Steve

[FridgeFreezer]

A solid 3-door is a rare thing indeed, especially here with all the rain!

If you're determined to swap, you may find a UK restorer who would buy a solid 3-door body from you. I have a friend who was buying Range Rovers / bodies from southern europe as they were rust-free.

[o_teunico]

It will be a shame to cut the 3 door, because it´s so straight, but both grandma an mother in-law have mobility problems that will make it useless as a family car.

Body swap will need spanish MoT approval, but beeing like for like swap, there shouldn´t be problems.

This is Jose Antonio´s Disco. Now it has a different winch bumper and some more suspension lift. Wheel arches have been bought, but not installed yet.

[o_teunico]

After more than one year of unemployment, this week I have started working again

Karma has decided to change plans. Yesterdsay, after a meeting between our office´s manager and company´s CEO, they have decided to close their premises in Lugo. I have been given the chance to join their team at the Vigo office (200 km from home). I cannot move home now, so will be forced to unemployment again this tuesday. Bye bye Discovery...