I know not another land rover

[CompoSimmonite]

Yep what I keep telling people who break perfectly good ones, they are pretty much never un recoverable, few custom parts needed occasionally but just about every part of them is still made. Its highly likely that you could build a brand new one quite easily still as so many bits are made.

I broke an early 200Tdi Defender. The chassis was totally rotten as was the bulkhead. Rear tub was crumbling from alloy corrosion. LT77 gearbox had badly worn splines. I paid £600 for it and then sold the engine for £800 and the scrap shell with V5 for £350. Intention wasn't to break but it simply wasn't cost effective to spend thousands restoring. This was a few years ago when you coudl buy a reasonable Defender for a couple of thousand !

 

[willie.macleod]

Yes decided that I'm going to have a go at repairing it.

How bad is the chassis? The photos don't look too terrible, bit of work on the front panel, new footwells, new rear crossmember and some outriggers?

 

[Shox Dr]

How bad is the chassis? The photos don't look too terrible, bit of work on the front panel, new footwells, new rear crossmember and some outriggers?

You really are polishing a turd when you start replacing Dumb iron, out riggers and rear Cross members. They may well look like they are the only hing suffering, but the main rails are the lowest part, full of anti crush sleeves placed on the bottom, is just a best place for mud to lay up, waiting for the next gob full of water/damp to soak up.

Problem is once you take the body off, you realise the rest is fubared as well.
I paid 1800quid for this spent 2k rebuilding it. Lasted 5yr before it was nicked.
Stripped in the front garden and rebuilt in 8months. I was on 2-10 shift, would work from 8am until 130pm then go to work

From

To this.


To finished

 

[Robbie260]

How bad is the chassis? The photos don't look too terrible, bit of work on the front panel, new footwells, new rear crossmember and some outriggers?

Chassis rails are well a patch work quilt in some places which me having a bit of a thing a bout doing repairs properly and being a bit ocd about work is doing my nut in, dumb irons rear cross member, main out riggers are both fairly new but need taking off and doing properly, quite a few holes in quite a few places but will manage. Did think about a galv chassis but in the end decided against it as I did want to add some custom extras which I didn't want to go messing around grinding off galv etc to do.

 

[Seadog]

You really are polishing a turd when you start replacing Dumb iron, out riggers and rear Cross members.

That's exactly what I had to do to my IIA LWB. Plus capping the lower rails in many places. My welding was appalling, since I'd never used a MIG before. How I got an MOT for it I'll never know. Still, I took it off road quite a few times and nothing broke.

 

[Robbie260]

You really are polishing a turd when you start replacing Dumb iron, out riggers and rear Cross members. They may well look like they are the only hing suffering, but the main rails are the lowest part, full of anti crush sleeves placed on the bottom, is just a best place for mud to lay up, waiting for the next gob full of water/damp to soak up.

Problem is once you take the body off, you realise the rest is fubared as well.
I paid 1800quid for this spent 2k rebuilding it. Lasted 5yr before it was nicked.
Stripped in the front garden and rebuilt in 8months. I was on 2-10 shift, would work from 8am until 130pm then go to work

From
View attachment 267822
To this.
View attachment 267823
View attachment 267824
To finished

Thats a beauty now though.

 

[Rannsachair]

Chassis rails are well a patch work quilt in some places which me having a bit of a thing a bout doing repairs properly and being a bit ocd about work is doing my nut in, dumb irons rear cross member, main out riggers are both fairly new but need taking off and doing properly, quite a few holes in quite a few places but will manage. Did think about a galv chassis but in the end decided against it as I did want to add some custom extras which I didn't want to go messing around grinding off galv etc to do.

I think the big advantage of galvanising is on the inside of the chassis, if it was me, i would still consider it even if I was doing some mods. i believe some chassis makers will build it as you want e.g. engine mounts for alternative engine etc - though increases the leadtime.

 

[Robbie260]

I think the big advantage of galvanising is on the inside of the chassis, if it was me, i would still consider it even if I was doing some mods. i believe some chassis makers will build it as you want e.g. engine mounts for alternative engine etc - though increases the leadtime.

Budget constraints also unfortunately are a factor nearly got one when one came up for sale locally but lack of storage space prevented me from getting it.

 

[Rannsachair]

Budget constraints also unfortunately are a factor nearly got one when one came up for sale locally but lack of storage space prevented me from getting it.

Aye, know what you mean, my rebuild started off with getting the original chassis galvanised and ended up with a new galvanised chassis, galvanised bulkhead, galvanised axles, bumpers, tree sliders, body cappings, swing away and most brackets underneath, with hindsight I should have stopped at the chassis, cappings and bulkhead and used the cash for new doors, that I still need to do....

 

[Rannsachair]

You really are polishing a turd when you start replacing Dumb iron, out riggers and rear Cross members. They may well look like they are the only hing suffering, but the main rails are the lowest part, full of anti crush sleeves placed on the bottom, is just a best place for mud to lay up, waiting for the next gob full of water/damp to soak up.

Problem is once you take the body off, you realise the rest is fubared as well.
I paid 1800quid for this spent 2k rebuilding it. Lasted 5yr before it was nicked.
Stripped in the front garden and rebuilt in 8months. I was on 2-10 shift, would work from 8am until 130pm then go to work

From
View attachment 267822
To this.
View attachment 267823
View attachment 267824
To finished

That looked great, I can imagine how it feels getting it pinched after putting so much time into rebuilding it. I used to hate parking mine in Glasgow - just in case.

 

[Shox Dr]

That looked great, I can imagine how it feels getting it pinched after putting so much time into rebuilding it. I used to hate parking mine in Glasgow - just in case.

Tell me about it. It was supposed to be my last vehicle

 

[Robbie260]

Tell me about it. It was supposed to be my last vehicle

Sorry to hear it got nicked that must have been a complete bugger.

 

[maz0]

I’d galvanise my cutlery if the wife let me. The Defender is a no brainer, wouldn’t even bother with a rebuild without it personaly.

 

[stuvy]

I’d galvanise my cutlery if the wife let me. The Defender is a no brainer, wouldn’t even bother with a rebuild without it personaly.

Galvanised still rusts from the inside out, Iv seen two that had been rechassid and after 10years it was rotting from the inside out just like a... well Land Rover!

 

[maz0]

Galvanised still rusts from the inside out, Iv seen two that had been rechassid and after 10years it was rotting from the inside out just like a... well Land Rover!

I’d be curious to know if thats a richards chassis or someone whos taken a patch work quilt and got it dipped.

 

[Robbie260]

I’d be curious to know if thats a richards chassis or someone whos taken a patch work quilt and got it dipped.

Seen a few Richards chassis rot but I think they were replaced under warranty.

 

[Rannsachair]

Galvanised still rusts from the inside out, Iv seen two that had been rechassid and after 10years it was rotting from the inside out just like a... well Land Rover!

Was it painted and filled with cavity wax when new though?

 

[stuvy]

Was it painted and filled with cavity wax when new though?

not painted but cavity waxed, we were dubious of how good it was

 

[stuvy]

I’d be curious to know if thats a richards chassis or someone whos taken a patch work quilt and got it dipped.

Seen a few Richards chassis rot but I think they were replaced under warranty.

yep a Richards chassis

 

[Robbie260]

yep a Richards chassis

I think Richards chassis problems are mainly down to the fact they replicate the factory exactly its all the internal gusseted etc which just traps water and doesn't really let the galv flow around it and gain proper coverage.