missingsid Posted April 21, 2020 Share Posted April 21, 2020 Ah OK I was worried about the structural strength. I guess I am not too trusting of kit companies. Its just a rebody as far as law is concerned but I was concerned as to how it was atached but you have answered thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted April 21, 2020 Share Posted April 21, 2020 sid -I hadn't spotted those but I can see both sides, as a kit I guess this bolts on to the body mounts and therefore avoids IVA type complications etc. whilst being at least as strong as the OE aluminium box, but what it clearly isn't is any sort of proper roll cage that would pass scrutineering. As a kit I have to say I quite like the look of it, if I had a crusty Disco I'd be tempted as a fun runabout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted April 21, 2020 Author Share Posted April 21, 2020 Ironic, it's my complete lack in faith of the defenders body that set me down the path in the first place! The body will be plenty strong enough by the time my floor and bulkhead are in. In retrospect the full Tomcat route would have been simpler, but I've started, so will finish! 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted April 21, 2020 Share Posted April 21, 2020 TBH unless you're doing a comp safari that setup will probably be fine, in a roll it's going to do better than the LR body. Bit like my spec to Dan when he did my cage - low speed the driver and truck should be fine, high speed the driver should be fine, that's about all you can really ask for unless you go crazy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted April 21, 2020 Author Share Posted April 21, 2020 So you'd stick with bolt to chassis rather going full hog and welding it all on then? I will be making bulkhead and floor up and intend to make it strong, but nothing crazy. Reasonable safety when on the motorway etc is the aim. I'm trying to strike a balance with this as It's so easy to go chasing perfection loose many thousands and not get it! This one is a play thing with no specific competition in mind. Some green laning. About as much purpose as a normal kitcar I guess! I would have gone down the plain defender rout but I was doing serious motorway miles at the time and just didn't fancy my odds if the worse came to be. As it is this one will likely do regular longish runs but not a daily driver. Not with a V8! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve200TDi Posted April 21, 2020 Share Posted April 21, 2020 The defender body is bolt on, without rubber mounts. So a bolt on body should be fine. I guess you could have a tube running left to right joining those two body mounts (and the ones further back) and you can mount the seats of of them? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted April 21, 2020 Share Posted April 21, 2020 34 minutes ago, WesBrooks said: So you'd stick with bolt to chassis rather going full hog and welding it all on then? I will be making bulkhead and floor up and intend to make it strong, but nothing crazy. Reasonable safety when on the motorway etc is the aim. Everyone's got a different definition of acceptable If you build a half sensible bulkhead with some bracing along the bottom as Steve suggests, so the body is a fairly rigid standalone cage on its own, then it's going to take a fair bit to detach it from the chassis and TBH you're unlikely to be worse off than you'd have been in the donor vehicle (minus any airbags, natch) as long as the seat belt mounts etc. are good. The Defender body has all the stiffness of a wet paper bag in a crash, it's only because there's the chassis and heavy drivetrain acting as a battering ram that it comes off best - if you roll one, draw a line from the top of the bulkhead to the head rest of the seat, that's where the roof will come to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted April 24, 2020 Author Share Posted April 24, 2020 Donor got a little more stripped last night. Should still run ok but no need or time to test last night. Next few spare evenings of work are not so photo worthy as I (carefully, slowly) snip out the unused cores from the loom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted April 24, 2020 Author Share Posted April 24, 2020 On 4/21/2020 at 5:17 PM, FridgeFreezer said: Everyone's got a different definition of acceptable If you build a half sensible bulkhead with some bracing along the bottom as Steve suggests, so the body is a fairly rigid standalone cage on its own, then it's going to take a fair bit to detach it from the chassis and TBH you're unlikely to be worse off than you'd have been in the donor vehicle... That's fair enough, thanks. Linking the front two body mounts is of course compromised by the drivetrain, particularly the bell housing being in the way. My intention is to create a bulkhead along the lines of the guide listed in the roll cage book (forgotten the name, MRA red book?) and pick up on as many of the original body mount points as possible. I intend for the floor to be substantial enough to take all the seatbelt anchors in a manner substantial enough to satisfy an IVA inspector. If the red book guide is more substantial then I will shoot for that. I'd like to take the rear cross member from a defender or similar and modify that to meet the base of the rear hoop stays. The floor width wise pieces are comprimised in shape due to the chassis and drive train. The aims are to have substantial strength holding the sils a fixed distance apart while maintaining practical aspect such as removable tunnel cover and keeping as much height available for the seats as possible. Other challanges are trying to avoid water/muck traps on either the underside or, creating ponds on the inside! A big thing I need to get my head around is how to weld on the stiffening plates for any new mount points on the chassis without creating a rust sandwich. Is it simply ensure the weld seem (executed in small tacks with masses of cooling time) is around the whole exterior of the plate and hope for the best?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted April 24, 2020 Author Share Posted April 24, 2020 All of that can only really start when I'm placing the drive drain over the chassis in the intended final location. I want to see it all in the flesh before spending too much time designing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missingsid Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 sounds like a plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted April 25, 2020 Author Share Posted April 25, 2020 The original donors chassis was given last rights earlier today. A heavy day today. Kit body lifted onto 4 axle stands, old chassis dropped onto skates on one end and dragged out with a little dodgy jack work to get around the body mounts reaching out further than the axle stands. All out on to the drive, cut into 4 pieces, and shifted around the back until we have access to the tips again! Following a massive shift of stuff about I was able to get the Range back into the garage for a more concerted effort on getting it stripped down and ultimately much of it transfered over to the new chassis for a dry build before sizing up for the new bulkhead and floor. I'm shattered! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigj66 Posted April 26, 2020 Share Posted April 26, 2020 I really miss that Rangy but it’s good to see it being used to bring life to another vehicle 👍 With that old Disco chassis out of the way you’ll have a lot more space to crack on now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted April 26, 2020 Author Share Posted April 26, 2020 The old donor is almost completely in the tip now, so the kit build is targeting being the running gear from the range in it's entirety. It'll live on, and is still running sweetly. Ultimately I still want to do my own loom but if the rest of the Range's Loom looks reasonable I may try to get through the IVA with the stock loom and save the rewire for a later project. No point giving myself too much of a mountain for the IVA, and may as well not pretend it will be anything but an everlong project! 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted April 26, 2020 Share Posted April 26, 2020 I used the discovery loom in my ibex but you will need to change the fog light wiring but it's not hard to sort. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted April 26, 2020 Author Share Posted April 26, 2020 (edited) Yeah I remeber there was some funnyness around fog lights. Did get my head around it for my loom, but will need to check my notes. I was hoping that an OEM loom would be accepted as is, but then again I guess I'll have modified it by removing sevtions and components. Edited April 26, 2020 by WesBrooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missingsid Posted April 26, 2020 Share Posted April 26, 2020 So I am a bit confused, your not using the doner chassis as you you are using a Designa chassis and it has a new body. I guess you will transfer the old chassis number to the Designa chassis? Bit like vintage broom with a new head and a new shaft? Not suggesting it is wrong as it is all traceable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted April 26, 2020 Author Share Posted April 26, 2020 (edited) I'm building this project for an IVA. Due to that I requested a chassis number - even though I could have made one up - from the DVLA and that is what Designa Chassis marked on the chassis. The chassis was made without many of the brackets and rear cross member as I wasn't 100% sure about where things needed to mount. I want to move the engine back in the chassis, but need to confirm there is enough cabin space to do that. Edited April 26, 2020 by WesBrooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 Gradual progress while doing 101 other tasks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 And in spare moments I've been poking the rusty bits... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigj66 Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 There were one or two weren’t there.....😬 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 I'll do a full walk around of rusty bits when it's next empty but yes, there are a few. It would have had to have had huge sentimental value to warrant the sort of restoration it needed. That drivers front right hand side seat mount has rusted right away from the floor. On the upside the air-conditioning rad infront of the main one has meant the main radiator (at least externally) looks in great nick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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