Got it - 1973 Series III RHD

[NickDawson]

What a whirlwind 48 hours it has been. I've been dieing to post, I'm just utterly on overload.

First - I'm loving being a Series Rover owner. There really is nothing like it, just being in the truck puts a smile on your face. And you guys weren't kidding, the looks, waves "ohhs" and "ahhs" are unbelievable. Mostly I have 1,000,000 questions and am not even sure where to start.

Here's the deal, I decided to go against the advice of some and import a truck from the UK. The good news is that I felt, and still feel, like I had learned enough to ask the right questions and find something that was first and foremost solid and secondly in good mechanical shape. In that regard I did pretty well. I followed the lead of Mike Smyth and used Churchill Landrover. Jonathan, the firm's owner and namesake, and I spent a few weeks going over details and finding the right rig for my budget and requirements.

The good
The frame is galvanized and solid as it can be. There's "surface rust" but I've beat on it with a hammer and screwdriver and haven't found a soft spot yet. Seriously, its rock solid.

The engine feels good - its a 2.5l conversion... I say feels because as we all know I'm a mechanical novice. It seems to be running well and I had no trouble at all doing the 150 miles from Baltimore to Richmond yesterday...at least no mechanical issues. Fluids, the ones I know how to check, stayed at consistent levels.

Its got a nice shiny paint job, brand new soft top (more on that later) and some all new trim (which I've determined is utter rubbish but looks nice).

The Bad (things I knew about)

The hard top is cosmetically in bad shape... no biggie, summer project. I'll sand it and paint it.

the electric fan isn't working, back to the engine driven fan. No over heating issues...but after my 3+ hour drive yesterday I came home and had it idle for about 20 minutes. It did start to overhead while idling...I'm guessing because there was no air moving over the radiator?

Its just old, I'll need some new door seals, need to spend some serious time with a bucket of soapy water, etc... and I think that leads into...

The Ugly
I feel uncomfortable mentioning this because I feel slightly mislead and I still haven't sorted out what I'll do about it... but there is some blatent rust in the floor of the cargo area. There are 6 holes (almost lined up, 3 and 3, makes me wonder if something was there?) and they were taped over and sprayed when the truck was painted. I clearly asked about that area and the pictures just didn't show it. I still have some cash reserved as a contingency...

And that in turn leads me to finally understand the point that I think so many of you have made before. The British have a different history, use case and opinion of "good shape" regarding these trucks than we do. I genuinely don't think I was lied to, I think the British definition of "the tub is in good shape" is different than the US version of that phrase.

That does make me wonder what else is "in good shape" and I'll admit to being a little nervous since I'm not an expert.

So with all of that in mind, I'm not even the slightest bit disappointed. I'm still loving every minute of it. The topless drive to the farmers market today was something I've looked forward to for months. That was what I'd been hoping my summer would be like - with a rover, in the sun.

Like I said, tons of questions...more than I can even digest right now. For starters, getting the soft top on...lots of straps and ropes and virtually nothing in the way of directions... but more on that later.

The one question I do have now: the transmission gets HOT. I can feel heat radiating on the back of my legs and when I've driven a while. There's a hand access panel under the middle seat and I've noticed that the whole thing is covered in a film of oil. I'm hoping thats the standard rover seals doing their best, but does that sound like the start of a bigger problem to anyone else (hopefully I haven't biased the answer by mentioning my little cargo rust issue :D )

Thanks for all the help and advice. Glad to be officially part of the fold!

Edited to add: pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickdawson/tags/rhd1/ (go easy on me please)

-N

[gudjeon]

It doesn't look like a bad specimen to me.:thumb-up:

There are always little things that you find out later with any purchase of something with a history. In time, you get to go through the vehicle and fix/repair/rebuild/replace things, you will know exactly what you have.

As for the transmission, it does get hot. When I drive mine on the highway for an extended period in the summer, it get quite hot. Especially noticeable when wearing sandals. Some oil slobbering over the transmission and transfer case is not out of the ordinary. Usually comes out of the selector fork seals and makes it way back with all that wind blowing through there.:rolleyes:

As for engine overheating, the fan shroud is a must as the four blade is not very efficient.

I just watch out for oil going from the tranny to the T-case which suggests inner seal needs replacement. Oil leaks always look worse than they are. Of course perspective is needed. Oil levels are a better indicator of leaks than outside appearance.

Keep the oily side down,

Jon

[lstrvr]

Looks great!

As for the transmission heat, it is very normal for them to get hot. I have a brand new Santana gearbox in my mine and Roverdrive, and they really do give off a lot of heat. That being said, if you spend some time on insulating you shouldn't notice the heat transfer to the cab. It will also cut down the noise as well. My SII 109 Carawagon has a Perkins 3.0TD, but is still really decent inside for noise, and the cab is nicely isolated from exhaust and gearbox heat. We have done some long, 9000km + trips inside it, and have never had an issue regarding comfort or noise. We can actually cruise comfortably on the highway listening to the stereo and carrying on a conversation, but that took a TON of work regarding insulating and sound deadening! I found that there was no one thing done that made a huge difference. It requires dedication and attention to detail all over the place to quieten these things down.

Good job on putting in the work and making an educated decision. I don't think there are too many of us that can say our first Rover wasn't anything short of an impulse buy!! Even the nicest trucks on these forums can be picked apart if the owners put themselves out here like you did!

Now the fun begins!

[czenkov]

She's a beauty - Great color. There is nothing like owning an old series. My experience is that the tranny gets very warm. I have yet to drive mine to the Farmers Market but that is what I had in mind when I got mine - that and driving it to go fly fishing in the mountains. Have fun!

[Eric W S]

Holes in the rear tub usually mean that it had a roll cage fitted at some point. I hope you asked about it's history and confirmed it wasn't abused. If it was a "trialler" could explain the new paint and pray it was well cared for as a trialler is UK for trail truck here in the states.

[Broadstone]

Very nice, I had a 1975 (P reg.) that very same color I shipped over 6 years ago. I think the holes you are talking about are where the steel from the tub supports had some contact with the aluminum floor of the tub causing electrolytic corrosion.

[SHORLAND]

Simply beautiful! Congrats!:thumb-up:

[NickDawson]

Thanks guys - I'm more and more attached to this thing by the minute!
We drove it over to help some friends celebrate their 3 year olds birthday. Who knew his favorite "gift" would be a ride in the truck. That made it all worth it :)



I just watch out for oil going from the tranny to the T-case which suggests inner seal needs replacement. Oil leaks always look worse than they are. Of course perspective is needed. Oil levels are a better indicator of leaks than outside appearance.

Thanks gudjeon, helps to hear that


We can actually cruise comfortably on the highway listening to the stereo and carrying on a conversation, but that took a TON of work regarding insulating and sound deadening!
What is this magical stereo machine you speak of?

I appreciate all the kind words :)


Ok, so now the questions start.

Soft top - I have an exor trim top. The hood sticks went together fairly easily. I get how the cleats work, but what do I really need to pop rivet this extra hardware? Is that the only way to crank down the ropes and straps? Not afraid of doing it, but didn't want to if there was another way. Also, the webbing that secures the front to the gutter and windscreen...what does that secure to?

Electrical - like I alluded to, its had an interesting past. There is a "security system" that I'm in the process of ripping out. Its very advanced :sly:. It does have the nice benefit of a door-triggered interior light. While I'm sorting that all out, I'm going to wire in the cheap stereo amp I bought for music. Whats the best way to wire the negitive to the ignition switch so that it turns on and off with the truck? I've been advised against using the 12v accessory plug leads - is there a spare? I'm looking in the green bible as well...

Thanks again for the great help and support

[pvkd]

. Whats the best way to wire the negitive to the ignition switch so that it turns on and off with the truck?

Look at your fuse box. There should be some spare terminals available. Some are constant live and others turn on/off with the ignition. Its trial and error, but with a test light you will be able to work out which is which.

I agree with most of the posts that all trucks have some issues and its just a mater of limiting the worst. What is that strange air filter (not Land Rover)?

Paul

[Rineheitzgabot]

Nick,

Congrats! You will love it, and as you find this or that, wrong with it, and fix it, your love will grow (don't let your wife see this). It is part of the mystery of our relationship with Series Rovers. We own them as not only a mode of transportation, but as something to do, and something to look forward to.

By looking at the pics, and being limited by that, and also not knowing what you paid for it (but remembering what you said your budget was), I would say that you did absolutely fine. Do not worry about it. Enjoy it. It has what I like to call, "the innocent look". I use that term to describe a car that has the appearance of not being tampered with and modified, etc, etc. Like a middle class dude in the UK, used it as a daily driver, and it never really saw a beating, but it is not perfect either. Again, I am only going by the pics, but it looks good to me.

Again, Congrats!

Gary

[rbonnett]

Soft top - I have an exor trim top. The hood sticks went together fairly easily. I get how the cleats work, but what do I really need to pop rivet this extra hardware? Is that the only way to crank down the ropes and straps? Not afraid of doing it, but didn't want to if there was another way. Also, the webbing that secures the front to the gutter and windscreen...what does that secure to?



Thanks again for the great help and support

Nice looking truck - congrats! :thumb-up:

Since I just did my new Exmoor top, here's what I learned:

There should be tabs on the front and side gutters to hook the webbing under. I did some zinc flashing out of them to get the webbing thru easily. Inside, pull the ends of the webbing taut; I just tied mine off where the front hoop joins to the side stick.

I don;t know if there might be alternatives to using the hardware bits for fastening ropes, etc. but the normal ones work nicely. The trick is to take a deep breath and drill that first hole thru the side of the truck :p

For doing the pop rivets - 3/16" bit should do the trick. And a pop rivet tool of course. When I was doing the door seals, I found the long rivets that came with the hoop set to be too long for the side pieces, so I got some medium length ones at the HW store.

I was talking to Steve (I think, could have been Les) at our hosts a couple days ago. When I mentioned the new top he advised to re-tighten it when it gets wet the first 3-4 times. Apparently it helps it shrink properly; then treat it with waterproofing.

I grabbed some pics, but don;t feel like hassling with posting them right now. Be glad to email the to you.

Enjoy the ride.

[lstrvr]

One thing I would suggest that can make life a lot easier for you down the road if you are planning on doing other mods, is to install a second fuse block. I've always liked leaving the trucks wiring 'system' alone, and installing a second fuse block for all accessories. If done right, it allows the the trucks 'original :o' engineered system to be left alone untampered for better reliability, and allows a second circuit for all non-essential equipment. This way, if you are not the greatest 12v auto-electrician, you can minimize the potential problems you may get inyo by tying into other systems.

Good luck!

[NickDawson]

One thing I would suggest that can make life a lot easier for you down the road if you are planning on doing other mods, is to install a second fuse block.

Lstrvr - I noticed that there is a 2nd fuse box under the bonnet. I was tempted to tap into that.

What really changed things was taking the 30 seconds to RTM - realized that the amplifier didn't need to draw power from the switched lead, that was just an ignition trigger. The main 12v+ terminal is straight to the battery, then the ground is to the truck and the lead from the fuse box just tells the then when to turn on and off.

I'm closer to finishing my first project (the stereo), but realizing that slowing down and taking my time helps a lot too :D I got all the wiring run, zip tied and tidy, the amp mounted in the back on rubber stand offs... very proud of myself.. then I realized that the zinc brackets I bought to mount the speakers with is too wide to fit between the terminal posts on the speakers. Oh well, some time in the shed next weekend and I'll sort something out. Probably the only rover with Anthony Gallo speakers ... hey, its what I had :D (wonder how long they'll last with the soft top )

I've also got the soft top almost fully finished. I still need to add some of the tie down hardware and would have done that today but seem to have lost my pop rivet tool. Its on there pretty securely right now.


What is that strange air filter (not Land Rover)?

My guess -ford pan filter? Its sitting on top of a webber carb (not sure which one yet)


Next question for this group - door seals. I had high hopes of the automotive store or hardware store having something, but everything they had was too thin or cheap foam. Do our hosts have rubber door seal kits? I didn't see them, would they be called something else?

Finally, I have the CD-ROM version of the workshop manuals and it just doesnt work. I've tried windows XP, Windows 7, reading the raw PDF files with OSX's viewer... can't get the app on the disc or its contents to function. I'll buy the hard copy this week, but I'm really in need of those systems diagrams so I can figure out what wiring is supposed to be there, and what is some POs hack.

[rbonnett]

Next question for this group - door seals. I had high hopes of the automotive store or hardware store having something, but everything they had was too thin or cheap foam. Do our hosts have rubber door seal kits? I didn't see them, would they be called something else?

Door seals: http://www.roversnorth.com/store/c-91-doors-hinges-locks-latches.aspx - this has the front door seals.



Finally, I have the CD-ROM version of the workshop manuals and it just doesnt work. I've tried windows XP, Windows 7, reading the raw PDF files with OSX's viewer... can't get the app on the disc or its contents to function. I'll buy the hard copy this week, but I'm really in need of those systems diagrams so I can figure out what wiring is supposed to be there, and what is some POs hack.

I've had the same problem - I took mine in to work where I have an older version of Adobe - maybe V7? Anyway - I was able to read them there. I res-aved them and was able to open the copies at home. I did print the wiring diagram enlarged a couple times so I could mark it up as I worked.

[Jim-ME]

I had the same problem with the CD. Found out it was write protected so you can't print out copies of the pages. What a disappointment. Sold it on Ebay at a loss and purchased the green bible. It's the only way to go even if the pages do get greasy but at least it is usable in the garage unlike the CD. In my opinion, the CD is a POS.
Jim

[MSmyth]

Very cool Nick... glas you made it through customs ok.

It sounds like all your research paid dividends in the end. She runs well, looks great, and you can start enjoying your Series experience right away. I drive mine anywhere from two to four times a week and I still get a kick out of the thumbs-up, waves and smiles I get. One of the best purchases I've ever made.

I like your "good, bad and ugly"... I didn't have any uglies, and just a couple bads. Nothing that would have prevented the purchase tho. I've had to put a couple bolts in the exhaust, there's a small water leak right over the driver's feet when it rains, and I swear it still smeels like a barn inside even after two months. Again, no biggie.

I'm looking forward to seeing you and hopefully some of the others on this board at a Rover event sometime soon. Now if I could only find an affordable Brownchurch!

[Bertha]

Nick
Congrats on the truck. It looks pretty nice. I am sure you will have many hours of enjoyment ahead of you undoing what our friends across the pond think was done properly. With that being said, do yourself a favor before dealing with the soft top and radio, check all the fluids in the truck: axles, swivels, steering box, engine oil and especially the trans(both the transfer case and the main box) Make sure they are at proper levels and are clean, if not change them. As a matter of course, whenever I get a new (old) car I go through a checklist that ends up saving me potential misery down the road. Here it is:

Change all the fluids-Engine oil/ filter, trans oil, axle oil and swivel oil
Check the points, plugs, wires( I usually replace all this but if they are fine, you can keep what you have) Check gaps as well as visual inspection
Check the brakes-pull off all the drums and inspect the shoes and make sure no wheel cylinders are leaking.
Check brake fluid and clutch fluid-if dirty replace(only use castrol LMA) also check the 3 hoses-make sure there is no swelling or visual damage
Check tire pressures
Check that alternator is chaging the battery properly
Check to see horn, lights, blinkers are all working correctly

Also, whenever possible, when fixing anything on the truck, try and bring it back to the way Rover had it(especially wiring). This takes a lot of guess work out of things down the road.

Enjoy the truck and welcome to the series club.

[Tim Smith]

Hooray! You made it. ;)

From outward appearances, it looks pretty decent. Nice color and it seems to be pretty dent free. Not sure what to tell you about the rust in the bed though. You should post up some pictures of it.

Personally, I like the first impression videos you have posted. I know it's not the easiest thing to do, filming and driving at the same time.

[NickDawson]

Change all the fluids-Engine oil/ filter, trans oil, axle oil and swivel oil
Check the points, plugs, wires( I usually replace all this but if they are fine, you can keep what you have) Check gaps as well as visual inspection
Check the brakes-pull off all the drums and inspect the shoes and make sure no wheel cylinders are leaking.
Check brake fluid and clutch fluid-if dirty replace(only use castrol LMA) also check the 3 hoses-make sure there is no swelling or visual damage
Check tire pressures
Check that alternator is chaging the battery properly
Check to see horn, lights, blinkers are all working correctly


Bertha - thanks for the VERY helpful list! I've done some, but not all of these things. I'm waiting on the workshop manual to tackle things like the axle oil and transmission fluids.... the wiring is brand new, knew that going into the sale, but I had not though about checking the points, etc. Good suggestion.

Before leaving the port, I checked the horn blinkers, etc. The front left blinker is out, but thats it.... in fact, I'm wondering if I can source that bulb locally - anyone know?

[MSmyth]

The front left blinker is out, but thats it.... in fact, I'm wondering if I can source that bulb locally - anyone know?

Yep, got mine at the local FLAPS... just take the bulb in with you, as some Series listings aren't in their books.

[daveb]

make sure the bulb is the problem. do you have a 12v test light? if not get one and keep it in the truck it will be your best friend some dark night on the side of the road...


Yep, got mine at the local FLAPS... just take the bulb in with you, as some Series listings aren't in their books.

[NickDawson]

make sure the bulb is the problem. do you have a 12v test light? if not get one and keep it in the truck it will be your best friend some dark night on the side of the road...

I bought a cheapo multimeter yesterday, its already proven invaluable.

I'll make sure to check the socket before replacing the bulb.

[bmohan55]

Congratulations, looks VERY nice! When I get mine back on the road (timing issues?) maybe we could hook up in Richmond sometime, quaff an Ale at the Penny Lane pub and compare trucks. Hoping to get mine out to the Nut & Bolts Ralley (ROAV) at the end of this month, you going?
Bob

[49coe]

Are the "rust" holes in the floor, about 6" from the sides, and spaced about a foot apart? If so they are from the steel supports underneath. Stupid galvanic corrosion! It is pretty normal since they didn't galvanize them on the Series III. Does it suck? Yes. Is it anything to worry about? Not really. Best fix for it without removing and replacing the floor is to keep the tape on, leave the mat down, and forget about it and enjoy your rover. Other than that, it looks like a fine machine.

[South Larry]

For the soft top...You should have a piece of hardware that bolts on to the top of the windshield with little flanges that are to hold down the front of the canvas top. (flanges front and down)They hold the webbing/strap that goes across the front.
I've bolted my frame together for future storage. Also it goes together and comes apart as you install it. You can't put it "all" together and then put it on the vehicle...one piece.
Enjoy the puzzle

[rbonnett]

Another soft top tip: Don't tighten things down as you go when you put on the windscreen and door pieces. You'll need to do some fiddling to get everything aligned. I am way good now at tightening and loosening all those bolts though :)

[NickDawson]

Are the "rust" holes in the floor, about 6" from the sides, and spaced about a foot apart? If so they are from the steel supports underneath. Stupid galvanic corrosion! It is pretty normal since they didn't galvanize them on the Series III. Does it suck? Yes. Is it anything to worry about? Not really. Best fix for it without removing and replacing the floor is to keep the tape on, leave the mat down, and forget about it and enjoy your rover. Other than that, it looks like a fine machine.

Thanks, that makes me feel much better.

Any thoughts on slapping a piece of diamond plate down?

As for the soft top..its on, and snug but I have the ropes tied to various and sundry parts as I wait to do the rivets tonight... but of course it had to rain last night, hard! I snugged everything up again, and so far it seems ok.

Spent 2 hours at lunch at the DMV, highlights included:
"So what state is England in?" and "yes, I understand its a land rover, but who makes it, ford or chevy?"

The good news is that I've got cool custom plates: the Virginia "Internet Capitol plates that end in .com" - LANRVR
(guess who bought lanrvr.com? DNS still not propagated though)

Thanks again for all the advice and tips. Going to tackle some more projects this week (is it wrong that my wallet is leaking worse than the truck?)

[NickDawson]

Congratulations, looks VERY nice! When I get mine back on the road (timing issues?) maybe we could hook up in Richmond sometime, quaff an Ale at the Penny Lane pub and compare trucks. Hoping to get mine out to the Nut & Bolts Ralley (ROAV) at the end of this month, you going?
Bob

A pint at Penny Lane is the best idea I've heard in a while! A must once yours is running!

Looking into Nuts & Bolts now...will make every effort, been hoping to get to a rally soon

[galen216]

Where is Penny Lane? Sounds like a nice drive in the Series.....

[NickDawson]

Where is Penny Lane? Sounds like a nice drive in the Series.....

Downtown Richmond
http://www.pennylanepub.com/

Sounds like a great time to plan a central Virginia meet up soon :D

[lstrvr]

Don't go thinking your truck is a piece of garbage because of a couple of holes in it! I work on Boeing 737 NG's for a living, and you'd be surprised to see some of the massive corrosion issues we come across on these multi-million dollar aircraft that are just a few years old! Rivet on a patch with some sealer on it and forget about it! If that repair is good enough for Boeing its good enough for us!:thumb-up:

[NickDawson]

Don't go thinking your truck is a piece of garbage because of a couple of holes in it! I work on Boeing 737 NG's for a living, and you'd be surprised to see some of the massive corrosion issues we come across on these multi-million dollar aircraft that are just a few years old! Rivet on a patch with some sealer on it and forget about it! If that repair is good enough for Boeing its good enough for us!:thumb-up:

Lstrvr - believe it or not, that helps a lot! Thanks for sharing.

After driving it for 3 days, including to work today, I'm smitten. I got in my daily driver tonight and it felt to strange...

Your post reminds me - when I was driving back from MD the first thought I had is how much it reminded me of learning to fly in a Cessna 152. They are solid, and safe but its pretty normal for the doors to fly open during take off and landing, they are a beast to keep trim and level...but they'll run for years.

[gudjeon]

Holes in the floor may come in handy. You may need them to drain away the water when you hose it out.:thumb-up:

[thixon]

Nick,

Looks like you done good! Nice looking truck. You scored with the hoop set and soft top. :thumb-up:

The holes in the bed are common, and caused (most often) by galvanic corrosion due to the steel support underneath, as stated by many earlier. Climb under the truck and you'll see what I mean.

I just bought a sheet of aluminum, and some other items to replace my bed floor. I'll take a bunch of photos, and do sort of a how to on it and post. Hopefully I'll get around to it on Saturday.

If you want to do a quick fix, you can rivet something down over the top of it. I've seen people use everything from diamond plate to plywood.

[NickDawson]

I just bought a sheet of aluminum, and some other items to replace my bed floor. I'll take a bunch of photos, and do sort of a how to on it and post. Hopefully I'll get around to it on Saturday.

If you want to do a quick fix, you can rivet something down over the top of it. I've seen people use everything from diamond plate to plywood.

Thixon - thanks! I'm thinking about cutting it out and just putting some diamond plate down in its place. Anything tricky about that?

[49coe]

Thixon - thanks! I'm thinking about cutting it out and just putting some diamond plate down in its place. Anything tricky about that?
Actually this is one of those rare instances that the quick and easy fix is better than cutting out and replacing. The sheet of aluminum that presently makes up the floor has a bunch of channels spot welded on the underside that make it much stronger than just a plain sheet alone. Unless you are going to go to the extent of having some stiffening channels welded to the piece of diamond plate, just riveting or glueing a sheet of diamond plate on top of the existing floor is imho a better fix. If you want to get a little more involved, cut out just the top sheet of floor in the affected areas, clean out and dump a bunch of POR 15 on the steel supports underneath, and use some seam sealer around the hole when you put the diamond plate on top.

[daveb]

jeez that is a lot of work for no real improvement. just throw down a thick rubber mat.


Actually this is one of those rare instances that the quick and easy fix is better than cutting out and replacing. The sheet of aluminum that presently makes up the floor has a bunch of channels spot welded on the underside that make it much stronger than just a plain sheet alone. Unless you are going to go to the extent of having some stiffening channels welded to the piece of diamond plate, just riveting or glueing a sheet of diamond plate on top of the existing floor is imho a better fix. If you want to get a little more involved, cut out just the top sheet of floor in the affected areas, clean out and dump a bunch of POR 15 on the steel supports underneath, and use some seam sealer around the hole when you put the diamond plate on top.

[greenmeanie]

A lot of work but if you want to do it right here's Mercedes Jim's thread.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8169&page=30

[NickDawson]

its sounding like glued/bolted diamond plating on top of existing floor is a viable option?
If thats the case, I'm up for keeping it easy

[SeriesShorty]

Congrats Nick!

Unless you are ready to do a full resto now, I'd just patch the floor and throw down some stall mat from a farm/feed store. Not only does it make it much softer back there when crawling around, it's easier on the dogs if you have critters driving around with you, and it helps with some of the road noise and reduces shifting and sliding of any gear, groceries, etc you haul back there. I got a 4x6 mat for under $50 which was enough for the rear floor and plenty to cut down for the front floorboards.

Enjoy your new truck!!!

[thixon]

Nick,

I probably should have been a little more explanitory when I wrote my first post. My intention in posting the how-to will be to show you what youre in for if you ever decide to restore the bed of the truck. It will involve removing the existing floor, removing cleaning and painting the steel stiffeners (yes everyone, I know galv would be better), and making a new floor from the alum sheet. This requires the use of some items that aren't original, but originality on a rover is not a priority for me personally. When I approach a project like this, I like to share how I did it to help others, and get feedback from those who are better at metal working than myself.

In your case, you need to enjoy driving the truck for a while. Do whatever works for you, and makes you happy. Rivet down some aluminum or diamond plate, lay down a sheet of plywood, or just bondo up the holes and put some horse stall mat over it. If you want, just leave them alone, and put the mat over it. Nothing terrible is going to happen overnight, or anytime in the near future if you choose to ignore it for a while. Just have fun driving the truck.:thumb-up:

[galen216]

put some horse stall mat over it.


Tractor Supply sells a nice thick mat for about $40. I used it in the back of my truck and it was a perfect fit width wise, just had to cut it for length.

[daveb]

Thanks. I know how to do it right because i did it when I rebuilt my first 88 back in 96. And I've done others since. Meanwhile the rear bed on my 109 has these holes and also some drilled holes from a tow crane that used to be in there many owners ago. The tub is so beat and dented it isn't worth fixing. The ribbed rubber mat covers everything and I have yet to see a single drop of moisture come around the mat, or have anything fall through the holes. and It has carried engines, transmissions, compelte rear axles, gear, dogs, drunks, laborers, trash, and the contents of several houses and apartments through all kinds of weahter and all kinds of roads and trails. So I guess what I'm saying is that from my actual experience it is not worth the trouble until you go through and replace everything like I did 13 years ago and like Jim and many others have also done.

Anyway, Nick...truck looks good. Drive and enjoy it. Don't do anything drastic. It will tell you what it really needs as you get to know it...and don't fix what ain't broke...you'll be busy enough fixing what is...


A lot of work but if you want to do it right here's Mercedes Jim's thread.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8169&page=30

[adkrover]

Glad to hear you finally got a truck. Looks like a nice solid platform. Not sure myself if the frame is fully galvanized but I have never seen it (duh) and it will no doubt suit the truck just fine.I think you should definitely consider the holes in the floor a bonus and enjoy driving the truck for the rest of the summer. Then.......pull it into the garage and tear the whole thing apart. It's more fun (but more $ upfront) to do it all at once instead of one piece at a time wherever fate may chose. Welcome.

[NickDawson]

hey guys
I have a few qestions about the soft top...

What happens around the doors? I have this flap pulled over the inside stick and tied back, but what about the flap on the ourside, what keeps it flush?

http://gallery.me.com/nickpdawson/100097/IMG_0477/web.jpg?ver=12479402030001

http://gallery.me.com/nickpdawson/100097/IMG_0478.jpg?derivative=medium&source=web.jpg&type=medium&ver=12479402840001

[Jim-ME]

There is a channel in the vertical piece that is behind the door. Slide the top into that and it is held in place by the rope hook which is mounted on the tub just below the galvanized cap. If this doesn't make any sense I'll post a picture.
Jim