Ian Barrett Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Morning chaps, SWMBO told me last weekend to stop lusting after newer Defenders and just get mine sorted out, and spend up to £5k on it. So as I always do as I'm asked I have a few projects. A 200tdi Engine and gearbox is already in the pipeline from this very forum which will replace my 19j TD Now on my wish list is to sort out the wheels and doors Doors first then My door bottoms have been slowly disappearing for years and the doors no longer close properly. I'll have to give this to someone else to do so I need to know what parts they will need. Can they reuse the door skins? They are in very good nick apart from some ali corrosion along the bottom edges but I think thats just surface stuff, I just don't know if they can peel the skins enough to weld in the new pieces without damaging them Does anyone have a recommendation of where to get the door bottom repair panels. Then wheels I like the original Mach5's but they sometimes look a bit, err, how can I put this. Not very neat. Were there quality issues at one time and has anyone had any new ones recently. Do the newer alloys fit the early Defenders? I ask because I've ready we can't put boost alloys on. Or I could just get my current modulars either replaced or repainted. But i've always lusted after the Mach5's Thanks as always. IanB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 If you're having pay someone else to repair the doors then you may find it more cost effective to source newer doors in better condition and fit those instead. New skins are available for push button doors, I'm not sure about lift handle doors tho Door frame repair sections are available, I think YRM metal solutions do them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil3728 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Have a look here for a new set of doors, as mentioned it might be cheaper then getting yours repaired. http://www.splandrovers.com/default.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Barrett Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 Bugger, I should have mentioned I have push button doors. Thanks for the help so far chaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil3728 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 They do all the door parts for a push button door as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 ashtree do doors with a galvanized frame and ali skin which seem like a rather good investment if you can justify the £400 and odd price tag per door. i wish my mrs would tell me to spend money on mine! haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 ... just clicked on his link lol same doors half the price pretty much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I'd agree on the "replace rather than repair" for the doors: Sod's Law ensures that once you start seriously dismantling _any_ part of a Land-Rover the corrosion will turn out to be vastly more-pervasive and expensive-to-fix than you thought. The time/cost of prepping/spraying and then rebuilding all the hardware back into the door will be the same irrespective of whether it's being done to a new one or a repaired one. f you're paying typical bodyshop-rates (£50/hour) the cost of spending several hours stripping and bodging the old door soon looks silly compared with the price of a new one. And you'll still have a bodged door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Plus, theres always that teensy bit of surface rust that 12 months down the line has spread like cancer into the whole door Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Agree wholeheartedly about the doors. The Mach 5's are no longer made though - cheap copies putting him out of business I understand. £5k is a fair wedge to have to spend on your truck - so it's worth really thinking about it. You can achieve a lot more than just new doors and expensive wheels.- you could get it put on a new galvanised chassis in that budget quite comfortably .... ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbs Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 And some security-If you don't already have some too? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Barrett Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 Thanks for the advice guys. The chassis is in pretty decent nick. I've had a replacement rear crossmember and had to repair a rust hole at the back of the chassis leg but I overhauled it 2 winters ago and it's in good nick. Security is paramount because I have a canvas truck cab. So I've always got it in mind. But again I have it reasonably well covered with a handbrake lock and kill switch. I would like to investigate a fuel lock system though. And anything From the cab i want to lock away gets put into a mobile storage systems drawer in the back which can be locked and padlocked. Shame about the Mach 5s Maybe I'll just get my modulars refurbished then, or buy new which I think might be cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 ashcrofts do some nice driveability and reliability upgrades when it comes to anything gear related too which i think would definately be worth considering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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