rpmjones Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Could i borrow your various experiences to ask what is a "wish list" of improvements to my SWB 2.25NAD for general use/ greenlanes. Seems bog standard at the mo (apart from still serious smoking when in top over 45mph dispite local service!). parabolics seem to be mentioned a lot plus polybushes! Any suggestions appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbarton Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Comfy seats - I have some free for collection from Sheffield! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon White Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Sell it an buy a 90 - its the easiest, most cost effective method! Otherwise, its hard to say without knowing what you intend to use it for! Daily driver or off road play thing......etc........ I'd say there are lots - comfy seats, a heater that works, power steering, disk brakes, 5 speed gearbox the list is endless........... Plus what sort of mechanical prowess do you have? Can you weld? Can you fabricate? Can you precision machine parts??? Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Parabolics & bushes & shocks will make a big difference. Long term Jon's right - if you're not that attached to THAT vehicle then buy a 90 as they are already comfier and have disc brakes / PAS (or are very easy to upgrade). Although if you ARE attached to it then everything's doable, it just depends on the money, time, and your skills. Before you start diving in and spending money on bling upgrades have a good look at the vehicle as it stands - is there rust that would be good to get rid of? Is anything leaking that should maybe be fixed? Basically any 30-year-old vehicle is going to be a bit below showroom condition so a damn good service of things like brakes and steering could be money better spend than zebra-skin seat covers and fluffy dice. Although those are damn fine upgrades B) When you've got a solid starting point decide what you want, it's all very well saying "what should I do?" but half the suggestions people come up with may be of no use to you whatsoever. If you're not in a club, join one, and talk to people - get ideas, see what they've done and how well it works, blag a few drives in different vehicles. Then you should come away with more of an idea of what you want to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpmjones Posted October 1, 2006 Author Share Posted October 1, 2006 the 90 route has crossed my mind more than once.........and thanks jon but zero mechanical experience other than a cheque book!! The vehicle has just had a full service/ check over and apparently a new rear crossmember required before next mot other than that the report was good. Thanks for the seat offer bit far from W Sussex though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon White Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 In which case, buy a 90 - end of story! I'm afraid you'll find very few garages these days that properly know how to look after a series, and even fewer who'll be prepared to fit aftermarket upgrades to it! Whats your intended use? Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpmjones Posted October 1, 2006 Author Share Posted October 1, 2006 dog transport however various posts from all over this site wet the appetite for more serious off road action! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Could do worse than a Range Rover, about half the price of a 90 for one in similar condition. Check for all the usual rust horrors (search this forum and others for where to prod) unless you get really serious the extra width/length won't be a problem and they're a lot more comfy. If it's only occasional use the V8 fuel "economy" won't hurt too much either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon White Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Or tatty TDI discos are getting very cheap now.......more usable than a V8 rangie and argueably less to go wrong...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 True enough, but if a tatty old V8 goes bang it's £150 to throw a new lump in, if a tatty TDI goes bang it's money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon White Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Er.......one thing - no mechanical knowledge. If a tatty V8 goes bang it gets scrapped. If a tatty Tdi goes bang it gets scrapped. Of the two the V8 is more likely to act up due to cr@p electronics, and theres more to go wrong. Anyway the saving in fuel costs would soon make it more worthwhile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 OI whats wrong with fluffy dice? mine have been transfered between cars for the last 10 years. only part thats never gone wrong either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 From a standard vehicle you can quite easily improve ride comfort by :- Better seats. Parabolic suspensision/better shocks. While the 2.25 engine is very reliable, gear changing becomes a chore, so replace the engine and improve fuel economy at the same time. Various conversions are available, and generally come down to what you can afford. Power steering on a series motor is do-able, but not that cheap. You can move the front crossmember forward 5-inches and fit Rangy/90 power steering, or possibly a custom-made kit. You should ignore comments made by:- ( a ) Petrol heads/v8 owners ( b ) Those with soft pink bottoms that foolishly think that a coiler is better. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon White Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Er........well I own a V8, so does that mean that Fridge has got a soft pink bottom..............?????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasterdly Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 Could i borrow your various experiences to ask what is a "wish list" of improvements to my SWB 2.25NAD for general use/ greenlanes.Seems bog standard at the mo (apart from still serious smoking when in top over 45mph dispite local service!). parabolics seem to be mentioned a lot plus polybushes! Any suggestions appreciated. evening, for " general use/ greenlanes " keep it as it is, it will do the job intended perfectly. and being a cheque book mechanic, you could always use the cheque book to buy some manuals ...dont get a 90, keep the series and have a vehicle with more character and charm !! cheers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 Er........well I own a V8, so does that mean that Fridge has got a soft pink bottom..............?????????? There's just no reasonable way to answer that is there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpmjones Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 to be fair to all I am going to stick with her and see how we get on - geeting some manuals is good suggestion, however can anybody suggets where to get original handbooks for the vehicle (1979)? If nothing else the roof rack has collected 3 pheasants recently on its travels for the pot! ps engineer type bloke in pub yesterday suggested best way to run the NA back in after years of little use is to borrow a trailer and drive round for a week with 3 tons on bricks on it!! ie load the engine up does this make sense?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonk Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 i'd just take it for a thrashin to clear the cobwebs out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 You can get handbooks from here Ivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon White Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 You can download pretty much all the manuals you'll ever need for a series from the net in pdf format for free. Do a quick searhc around and you'll find them........parts book, workshop manual the lot! Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpmjones Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 i'd just take it for a thrashin to clear the cobwebs out Thanks tried that a the smoke cloud was visible from space! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Redex diesel injector cleaner? It'll probably make it smoke like hell but it works... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpmjones Posted October 5, 2006 Author Share Posted October 5, 2006 Thanks all for tips so far..........just a note to Tonks comments to give a good thrashing I did this a recently and under load the smoke cloud was visible from space! The point my mate was making is these old desiels work better when pushed very hard ie short shifting etc rather than driving like a modern revvy job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpmjones Posted October 5, 2006 Author Share Posted October 5, 2006 whoops just realized topic had 2nd page!! Yes its had a redex fix but not with this tankfull. Is it worth continuing for a while then and for how long? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonk Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 check your pump timing, advance it maybe just a tad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.