Scruffy old Land Rover UPD@TE with failed Wayne Carini attempt and H&H auction chod

[scruff]

A couple of years ago I put a Perkins Prima turbo in my Land Rover. I did this as the original-spec-sort-of 2 litre petrol donk was knackered and I figured this was the easiest conversion which would require the minimum of modifications. In fact I got it in with one minor trim to the battery tray and no other permanent mong ups. The petrol was put to one side with all the original fixtures and fittings and the Landy went off to France, Belgium, Germany and CZ as well as clocking up a daily round trip of 80 miles for a good seven months or so. 

 

Anyway last year it shat itself in a big stylee (dropped a valve) and I figured, as I had a semi-sensible vehicle in the shape of a Range Rover classic, I'd put the 2 litre petrol back in.

 

These engines are a 1940s Rover design with a F head and inlet-over-exhaust valves. The P4 and P5 six pot engines are of the same basic outline. They sound wonderful, with loads of torque and are in my experience better on fuel than the later LR petrol engines (I took mine to the alps and even booting it to keep up with Landies 20 years younger, it cracked 20mpg. Which is shit but not terrible for one of these bricks). Here's a photo nicked from G0Ogle:

 

 

However.

They cost a bloody fortune to rebuild. Some bits are made of unobtainum and you have to acquire them from specialists who remanufacture them. There are some MoD stocks left, but the retailers charge handsomely. The holy grail - a crated Belgian army reconditioned unit - can fetch serious cash. I worked with a bloke who was desperate to retain his original engine and he sunk Ã‚£6,000 into it - and that was with a substantial discount as it was getting covered in the press.

 

I, of course, do not have that kind of money and besides, the engine I had (low oil pressure, cracked head, shagged valve gear) was technically the wrong one for a '52. I do have the original it left the works with but it is also shagged and as a bonus seized solid. At this point you are probably thinking "I'd keep the Perkins", well that's probably sensible but I've made my mind up now.

 

Fate and a good friend have brought a saviour along in the shape of a complete, pukka '52, Rover factory rebuilt engine with low miles since the 60s when it was probably done. Removed from a LR within 100 chassis numbers of mine! It's a runner, I've seen it, and fingers crossed with some TLC it'll last a good while. 

 

Having sold all the PRima conversion parts today I hoisted the engine out, it's already sans-head.

 

Awaiting surgery... by sparkright, on Flickr

 

Getting the floor up. Anyone who's had a old LR for a while will hate this task with a passion. Fortunately mine's so well maintained* the bolts came out nice and easy.

 

Getting the floor up by sparkright, on Flickr

 

I cheated and got the forklift for the next bit.

 

Forklift help by sparkright, on Flickr

 

Ta da

 

. by sparkright, on Flickr

 

Fitting the Prima required swapping the bellhousing for a later one, as the commercially avaliable prima conversion kits are intended for Series 2s and 3s. It's easy to change, a few bolts and a castle nut. Quite scary when you pull it off though (fnarr)...

 

Changing the bellhousing by sparkright, on Flickr

 

So next job is to put the original bellhousing on then steam clean the shit out of it, before I fit the new donk. Then I've got to remember how it all goes. 

 

I'll keep this updated for anyone interested but it'll probably be a week or so before there's anything worthy to report. Cheers!

 

[anonymous user]

I like the Series 1, good on you for putting it back to normal.This was my old one which still had its very tired 2 litre engine (and rusty bulkhead). I kept it as my get me out in bad weather car, it always started, apart from the day it was being sold, when it decided that it wouldn't run which lost me the sale. (It was just a blocked jet) It ended up having to move house with me and I eventually sold it to my vet. I think it still exists but has not been used for a long time.

 

If you think the garage looks bad, my house was not much better.

[dollywobbler]

Great stuff. I like mods that can be undone. 

[pompei]

I bet Albert Ross would like this

[michael1703]

What's the story with the traction engine?

[scruff]

The engines belong to a good friend who collects all sorts of agricultural stuff, I help him out with the maintaining and restoration and he lets me take the engines out. Lifelong interest and over-riding passion/obsession of mine I'm afraid. I'm taking the green one in the background out this year, it's been in the same family since 1959.

[scruff]

 

 

 

I'll keep this updated for anyone interested but it'll probably be a week or so before there's anything worthy to report. 

 

 

Errr.... 

 

I have in the last two weeks got my arse in gear, dug the LR out and have been to get the "new" engine.

 

 

Looks pretty grotty but I took the rocker covers off and the thing is like new, especially the cam which is a weak point on these (my last one sounded like a diesel above 20mph).

 

LR and engine are now squeezed in a barn and I've dug out a almost complete gasket kit so I will strip the ancilleries off for a good clean up, degrease and paint the block, pop a new water pump on and swing it in. Well that's the plan anyway.

[Albert Ross]

About fucking time too.

[Lankytim]

You drove that thing all round Europe? fair play! Are they as painful as I imagine to drive?

[HMC]

Lovely looking landie, like the fact your sorting the mechanicals but keeping it looking brilliantly patinated.

[scruff]

You drove that thing all round Europe? fair play! Are they as painful as I imagine to drive?

 

No not really that painful, but, I guess it's what you are used to. Many people hate them and I can see why.

 

Going in summer definitely helps. I went down to south west France a few times in my old series 2a and a pal's S3 and it was still fun but I was glad of the awesome* heater*. 

 

I've grown up with them and I am also a bit weird so I can drive one for miles and not worry about it. I do have new seat bases and a cushion to save my back. Clutch can get feeling heavy after a few hours so I've perfected shifting without it. No heater, knackered door seals etc, but in high summer you want the ventilation. Reliability no different from anything else 60 years old -  if you keep oil in the bits that need it and have a grasp on what needs doing if it begins to drive like a dog they aren't that bad.

 

Here's a few pics. 

 

Off-roading in Switzerland.

 

 

 

Lost somewhere

 

 

Fitting stuff in is a pain in the arse.

 

 

Lake Geneva

 

 

 

A long way from home...

 

 

My mate Mike's 1950 80 in some woods in the Czech Republic, he drove it from Cornwall to Dover, did 1000 miles on the other side of the water then plodded home with zero problems at all, he didn't even need to put oil in it or owt.

 

 

Stopped somewhere in Germany. My mate Jim is in his engine bay changing the fuel filter let again after biodiesel blocked it... lol

 

 

 

Camping just outside Zwickau in the former east Germany, with my mate's ambulance. The campsite had a derelict narrow gauge railway in it and was muchos awesomeo... as was the 'tache on the big ginger bird in charge.

 

 

 

The only real problem I have ever had with it on this trips, was a dodgy clutch cover. Bodging up in Holland.

 

[scruff]

Lovely looking landie, like the fact your sorting the mechanicals but keeping it looking brilliantly patinated.

 

Ta brookjm! It's been totally apart and had the chassis repaired, all new brake pipes, new loom, brake cylinders bored out & sleeved. It looks oily and orrible underneath again now 'cos it has been used, but that's what it was built for. It had 30 years sat in a shed to relax.

 

[brickwall]

S1 SWB are very sexy and classy wee wagons.

[twosmoke300]

Loving the patina convoy pics. I feel an urge for a series 3 myself.

Probably because we have had loads in the family. I may see if I can get one with an old harvey frost crane on it and buy it on the business.

[Gerald]

Keep the updates coming

 

Is it yours that was in one of the landy mags the other year?

[Sigmund Fraud]

Brilliant stuff, keep the pics coming !

 

I've wanted an old Landie for years, though I know I won't have any practical use for one. Shame they're so expensive, anything but the most buggered S3s is well beyond my financial reach 

[scruff]

Keep the updates coming

 

Is it yours that was in one of the landy mags the other year?

 

Yep, and in Classic Land Rover this month (plug plug) 

 

Glad you all like it, it's a nice old thing and anti-all-the-bollocks that goes with the LR scene these days.

[HMC]

Great pics!! I love seeing old machinery being given proper use.

 

Too many old classics sit in humidity controlled storage etc waiting for that perfect sunny day. Sad really.

[scruff]

I should by rights be slaving over a hot Mac all weekend but with a lull in magazine proofs to, er, proof I stole a few hours in the yard this morning.

 

Paraffining the ass off the bellhousing.

 

 

Made up some gaskets as I am a tightwad and put it all together. Quite fiddly getting everything meshed & engaged.

 

 

Just the clutch release to bolt on, then the box is sealed and I can steam clean the shiz out of it all as it is properly minging under the bonnet.

[Rusty Pelican]

Im in love ( with the landrover not you ) 

[scruff]

I really suck at this, sorry

 

Here's the finished result.

 

 

You may notice the lack of fuel pump - that's cos it has packed in. Awaiting replacement at the moment.

 

Going to have to get a new roof for the winter, this one has really had it now.

 

[brickwall]

Fantastic!

[rml2345]

That's brilliant that is. It looks like a Land Rover should; patinated but clearly loved. 
Well done man!

[Rusty Pelican]

I want this so bad it actually hurts 

[scruff]

Woo I'm on the road again at last!! 

 

What held me up, was utter depression that the piddly little things halting progress were (in my mind) stupidly expensive, so I'm afraid that I just simply left it and hoped it would finish itself off. However certain exploits by fellow sh1ter SKOZE and other series oneing chums has spurred me into action, and I saved a few quid by recycling some old shit I thought was dead.

 

In return for nearly £100 a ridiculously small box arrived a week or so ago containing, among other things like the world's priciest fan belt, this new starter switch: 

 

 

This was £56 plus the dreaded which is OK I suppose if it lasts 60 odd years like the old one did. I could have rigged up something on the cheap using a solenoid and a switch but thought, I've gone to the effort of putting the original donk back in, I may as well do it properly.

 

 

 

The other jobs left to do were wiring up the dynamo and getting the fuel pump to work. I messed around with a couple of SU pumps I had "in stock" finding both had knacked diaphragms. Under the bench was a very dusty pump that must have came off a combine or something years ago, but nothing ventured, nothing gained I thought so I plumbed it in and away it went!! 

 

The dynamo foxed me as the one that came with the engine had just one terminal, so I swopped it out for a spare I had. However the bugger would not charge, after going through all the connections on the "box of magic" I was about to annoy a electrical loving chum when I remembered an old trick to wake the dynamo up. I flashed a live feed to the field terminal and away it went! 

 

A couple of exploratory runs around the village showed up a dodgy condenser (it cut out when hot) and some blocked jets on the many-jetted Solex carb. The jets I cleaned but the carb itself looks a bit leaky and tired, I have a weber to put on if it plays up. 

 

Today I had the balls to go a bit further so, after remembering to tax it (!) I had a run out to Oakham and it went a treat. At first I was thinking I'd made an awful mistake but after tweaking the throttle linkage it went much better and fairly bowls along up to 40 before gradually arriving at terminal velocity of around 55. Happy with that!!

 

 

 

Still some things to do - unfortunately the only condenser I had in stock was from premier league purveyors of shit, Britpart, and it seems -30 miles has toasted it already but that needs further investigation. It needs a stronger spring on the throttle return and the choke 'rod' making up as the original doesn't fit for some reason. Oh and the radiator leaks a bit. But other than that it seems alright!! Off to the Ace Cafe for a Xmas dinner in a week or so 

[mercrocker]

Don't know which deserves the biggest medal - keeping it like that or driving it to the Ace.  In winter.   Top bombing....!

[the judge]

Fantastic!!! Looks ace. Well done dude!!

[scruff]

Don't know which deserves the biggest medal - keeping it like that or driving it to the Ace.  In winter.   Top bombing....!

 

I am but a amateur, last weekend Skoze and some other nutjobz took three of these from Lands End to John O'Groats, then back to Brighton in less than 48 hours

[Taff]

I really like that. My Grandad had a navy blue one when he worked for the Waterboard in North Wales donkeys years ago.

 

That Nato stock number of the starter switch box is still live, by the way. Find a tame squaddie and get him to demand you one in exchange for lager

[meggersdog]

Hey Scruff, has yer man fitted new rear axle hub seals to that series 2 yet ? Must be about out of time for a retest (again) by now.