A 4x4 is born - missed first episode arghh!

[zardoz]

They showed all 15 episodes back to back on the Discovery Turbo channel or whatever its called the other day. I recorded episode 2 onwards on my dvd/hard drive recorder a few days back, then when i went to watch it last night i realized i had started 30 minutes too late,Arghh!
Now i know its on dvd but i refuse to buy it just for one episode!

Anyway, anybody see it? The 100 inch wheelbase (i think) Range Rover chassis and engine with the Landy shell and accoutrement's was brilliant. I want one wahhh!

 

[ian of fev]

yeh i seen it zardoz the one where he puts the rover v8 lump in if i remember he made a nice job of it

 

[Highway_Star]

Saw it the first time round, and have the DVD.

It's not a new idea, know as a Land Ranger. It's the vehicle that Land Rover should have built and never did. I believe they did some prototypes for the Swedish military though. 100" with no rear overhang is reckoned to be the ideal dimensions, very popular on the hillrally scene.

The series is pretty good, but there are some glaring 'we paid someone to do this because we couldn't' sections, as well as some real continuity howlers for the rivet counters amongst us.

Not a cheap thing to build either, old Range Rovers are cheap but 90/110 panels and bits tend to fetch higher prices.

 

[hank_marvinson]

ive see most of them before, i watched the first few, then sky+'d the rest. watched them all now but i hadnt recorded the final one doh!

 

[zardoz]

I heard the Army now re use their old Landy's or even buy up old ones and make vehicles like the one on the show. Does he not mention at the beginning episode* the first ones of that sort were made for the army, many decades ago, but never went into commercial production ?

*(Yes i was actually watching it at the time and still didn't realize it wasn't recording!) DOH!!

My brother has said he will donate the space to try having a go at something along those lines. Thats if ( a big IF) we can get a decent RR rolling chassis and block in the first place at a good price) The rest we can buy as we go along.

 

[MrFluffy]

Finding a decent rr chassis and block is easy, most of the classics now are dying of rot in the steel inner body, which you bin doing this conversion. The part you really keep that is usually fubar is the power steering box, which is worm and wheel and wears unevenly and costs a fortune to fix. Worth doing the headgaskets too with newer composite gaskets while you can get to everything without being bent double.
Once I cut the inner tin off mine, it looked fine underneath, which is why the rolling chassis is now tucked away out the way instead of in the tip or on ebay along with the rest of it.
Rather than buying 109 panels, might be more cost effective to buy a whole 109 with a knackered drivetrain/chassis, and ebay off the bits you dont need.
I fancy a defender next see, all the hard work already done for you...

 

[rtbcomp]

I was toying with idea of making a pickup with a RR Classic 2 door cab, chassis, engine & transmission and 109 tub. The measurements fit suprisingly well

 

[oddball90]

It's alot better with a 4.6 litre V8 at about 300bhp and a auto box with viscous transfer box. also off road trialing which was shown all through the build is better done with an 80 inch wheelbase with series 1 body work, only 60 1/2 inchs wide.

 

[rusty69bus]

Oooo, this means in about a month there will be loads of half finished projects on ebay

 

[oddball90]

Who said a month nearly finished mine, 80 inch wheelbase with home made rear tub and series one wings and doors. Only got to finish it before end of March.

 

[lexi]

Wife thinks I`ve gone mad !. I told her the other night I was pi**ed off with big fourbys and was thinking of getting a Jimny or a Terios.....lol..

Alex

 

[nellway]

As an ardent mk 2a fan I would love a LR project.. along witrh the Aston, the piano, the new bathroom, the......

I've never heard of this programme - or the Land Ranger project would love to see it. (Off to google now)

 

[nellway]

I've just checked out a 4x4 is Born on google - the company that made the programme is i2i television in Warwickshire, from whom I bought my first Aston Martin project.

They made a series called Dream Machine, where they 'restored' a classic and then raffled off the result to a viewer.

I don't know how they coped with the other cars - but for the V8 they stripped it down - realised it was far too difficult a project, bought another one - resprayed it, and gave that to the viewer, so no real rebuld at all. The car I bought from them is now on the racing tracks of France driven by a charming French woman who bought it off me when I started rebuilding ROJ.

 

[Lippyp]

I want to build a 110 SW expedition vehicle as a long term project. I've got my old MK1 Trooper with a rotten chassis and body in the back garden with a perfectly good 2.8 turbo diesel engine and box (or you can use a LR box), a much better engine than the 2.5 LR diesels and with some tweaks (later 3.1 turbo, Frontera injectors and a big FMIC they can make some quite serious and reliable power. Add to that a set of heated comfy seats with armrests, auxiliary rear heater etc and a working A/C system and all I need is a reasonable 110 SW chassis and body with a knackered engine. Not easy to find though at a sensible price. I'd be happy to restore the chassis/body.

 

[Robotstar5]

I was toying with idea of making a pickup with a RR Classic 2 door cab, chassis, engine & transmission and 109 tub. The measurements fit suprisingly well

You can get a kit to something similar, google "Hibak"

 

[rtbcomp]

You can get a kit to something similar, google "Hibak"

That's nothing like what I had in mind. I'd keep the original bodywork, it'd be basically a Range Rover pickup.

 

[zardoz]

they seemed to be very keen on showing Suzuki vitara (i think it was vitara) and how well they do on the off road courses. Pretty cheep too. Too rusty though methinks. I recal the one Mike Brewer bought for a Wheeler Dealers episode. Even the skills of top mechanic Ed China couldnt save it, and they had to sell it off as an off road vehicle when it failed the MOT. And after they spent all that money on it too, doing it up for the episode Ed said it needed " three of four days of welding". Strange he didnt notice it before though ? Or maybe he did and decided to keep schtum and get an episode out of it.

 

[Robotstar5]

they seemed to be very keen on showing Suzuki vitara (i think it was vitara) and how well they do on the off road courses.

They are pretty good due to being small and light. It does cause problems for off road course designers though, I went to a trial once where the Suzuki got through the gates OK but a huge Jeep (Grand Waggoneer?) got stuck in the first gate!

 

[Hodgy]

I want to build a 110 SW expedition vehicle as a long term project. I've got my old MK1 Trooper with a rotten chassis and body in the back garden with a perfectly good 2.8 turbo diesel engine and box (or you can use a LR box), a much better engine than the 2.5 LR diesels and with some tweaks (later 3.1 turbo, Frontera injectors and a big FMIC they can make some quite serious and reliable power. Add to that a set of heated comfy seats with armrests, auxiliary rear heater etc and a working A/C system and all I need is a reasonable 110 SW chassis and body with a knackered engine. Not easy to find though at a sensible price. I'd be happy to restore the chassis/body.

If you're actually going to go anywhere in it, Africa, or anywhere other than Europe then you'd be better off with a Toyota or standard LR engine.

WHEN something breaks, spares for these engines are all over the place, Isuzu ones just ain't..

There's quite a few knackered 110's come up on ebay from time to time, all under £1000

 

[nellway]

It was always most embarrasing when the L-R broke in Kenya - we would inevitably be towed home by a Toyota Landcruiser!

Hodgy is right though - in Africa - simplest is best, although you would be amazed at the ingenuity of the local mechanics.