Snagger Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 I think anyone planning a project, be it rebuild, modification or a scratch build, would be unwise not to have a good read of the regs before diving in, but many still seem to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerfred Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 I was contemplating having a new chassis on my 1994 Defender 90 County but the motor service and repair chap that does all the work on it was this MOT time, beginning of March, confident that he could save the one that's on it, at least for this year, it's had a rear X member with 'legs' sometime in its past life, that is perfectly okay, it just needed pretty much rebuilding both sides from just behind the rear shocks to just in front the front outriggers which included both tubular outriggers and using proper U channel chassis repair sections, a good clean down and a complete underseal, the whole job cost me less than 1/4 the price of a new chassis. Surprising what can be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daslandroverman Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 Not really. Throw enough time and money at anything and you can fix it. A new chassis is more a long term investment. 5 years down the line when you expecting spent more than the value of a new one on repairs and still have a rotten chassis, you get the idea... It's either that or strip the vehicle down completely, have it all blasted back to bare metal, and replace anything that looks even remotely suspect. Done it both ways in the past, each have their merits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 I was contemplating having a new chassis on my 1994 Defender 90 County but the motor service and repair chap that does all the work on it was this MOT time, beginning of March, confident that he could save the one that's on it, at least for this year, it's had a rear X member with 'legs' sometime in its past life, that is perfectly okay, it just needed pretty much rebuilding both sides from just behind the rear shocks to just in front the front outriggers which included both tubular outriggers and using proper U channel chassis repair sections, a good clean down and a complete underseal, the whole job cost me less than 1/4 the price of a new chassis. Surprising what can be done. Sounds like you've been conned. You have spent money on repairing a rotten chassis, other areas of which will need attention very soon, and you will have to replace the whole thing. How is that better than stumping up for the big and long term investment straight away and avoiding the costs of futile repairs of the rotten chassis? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerfred Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 I think that you have to do what is right for you at the time and what you can afford, if, like me, you have a mechanic that is very competent and do a proper job at an affordable price then it's a no brainer. There is a Defender truck cab in my area that if you follow it, it looks like it's crabbing but it still seems to pass its MOT every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerfred Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 But Snagger, the point in repairing was that the rest of it is okay. I don't really think it's your place or anyone else's for that matter to tell anyone what they should do in circumstances that they know nothing about, it saved me buying a little run-around vehicle that may or may not have been any good, in the mean time, if next year it may need a new chassis then it will be done as this summer I shall be putting my 1966 S11A back on the road so I shall have a second vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 If the back end has already been replaced, and now you have had to get the rotten middle section removed then trust me, the rest is not OK - it's on borrowed time. The repair sections are very vulnerable to rust because they are bare inside and have overlaps with the old steel that prevent coating with wax. It's a fairly temporary measure unless it was butt welded in and the inside cleaned out and waxoiled diligently. Hopefully, you'll get a few years out of it. But be warned that once you start having to replace more than the odd outrigger or the rear cross member, the rot is already well advance inside the entire chassis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerfred Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 It was but welded and cleaned out and treated inside, like I sad, it was done properly by someone who knows what they are doing. It will last as long as it will and we will cross that bridge when the time comes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02GF74 Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 Re. We have a great motoring heritage in this country of old men with beards in sheds making great things, that would all be lost, and the motoring aftermarket industry with it. Something like this http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/4/viewthread.php?tid=178173 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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