Where do I start??

[SafeAirOne]

Im going to make a prediction......


this vehicle will be up for sale in 2 weeks for $2500 and it will become SEP (somebody elses problem)

Never underestimate the drive and commitment of a Marine.

EDIT: Especially one whos garage is half-full of high-maintenance vehicles.

[Tim Smith]

Never underestimate the drive and commitment of a Marine...

I second that vote. Even if for nothing more than I want to see our new friend give a nice old 109 a new life.

I mean, what better truck for carrying Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician gear?

[JChinch]

GraniteRover: PM Sent, absolutely interested.

Greasy: I must say, in two weeks this vehicle will still be sitting in the driveway, as it has for Ten months now. Undoubtedly it will not be for sale. Some things are just not worth getting rid of! (but if you have a spare $2500 I think we could work something out! hahaha, kidding kidding... )

Tim Smith: Good call on the gear! The truck will not only shuttle me around, but my two Siberian Huskies and all the outdoor gear one could dare pack. . Although it's a bit tame down here in NC for my taste.

Anyone want to toss in ideas on how big the mouse wheel under the hood should be? I have a couple old Alfa engines laying around... something tells me that's a bad idea.. . .

[Tim Smith]

What engines? This could be interesting.

[greasyhandsagain]

Ten months in the driveway and not really worked on? You may really want to reconsider the vast amount of time and energy such a major project will entail and honestly judge if you are able to see all this through to completion. And now honestly that you are considering a bizarre engine conversion if you abandon the project halfway through.....no one is going to want it besides a junkyard or parts stripper. As others have said, the only logical way to approach this is to get it into an empty two car garage and take it totally apart. Some items go in the "good" pile, some in the "restorable" pile and some in the "junk" pile. Refinish everything good, repair everything restorable and purchase and replace everything that is junk. Over the spam of a few years.....the time will come when you can slowly begin to put it all back together on a rolling chassis with all the bits renewed. If you keep it bone stock and put it together from lots of parts from RN you will have a wonderful desirable land rover which will be a joy for years. Hack it up and put in an alfa engine.........$600 again

[JChinch]

Greasy: As much as I'd love to dive into this with you. . . . Lets go ahead and realize that from March 09 to Oct 09 I was deployed to Sahl Sinjar Iraq. With that being said, I bought this project in the end of Feb 09. So being that I've only been home for a few months (and gone for 8 months), I dare say that I haven't gotten around to working on it yet. Then again, shame on me for allowing my family, full time active duty job and other daily projects to come first. This, however is not the medium on which you and I should discuss this. Does that sound fair?

Tim: I have a running 3.0 (read Milano Verde thats a parts car), but as a good friend of mine pointed out the minute I made the joke a few nights ago, I'd be one if not many things. First, stupid, second the only man in history to put together the biggest nightmare of work/parts and functionality ever. So that went out the window quickly.

What I have in mind is possibly a diesel and just creating a heavy duty drivetrain/axles and such, as well as disc brakes and maybe a fancy tape deck inside.

[brucejohn]

March 09 to Oct 09 I was deployed to Sahl Sinjar Iraq.

Thanks for your service, it is appreciated and admired. I pray you will not be asked to go into Afghanistan.

This is the friendliest and most helpful forum I have ever participated in. I am sure comments here come with the intent to help you really think through what you are imagining so as to help you lay out a plan for success. Tough questions and blunt assertions are often great catalyst for thought provoking creativity.

What I have in mind is possibly a diesel and just creating a heavy duty drivetrain/axles and such, as well as disc brakes and maybe a fancy tape deck inside.

Personally, I have a strong desire to drop a 200tdi and a five speed into mine. I think mercedesrover has a mercedes diesel in his and that project looked cool as well.

Welcome, this is a great community. I have never failed to glean good information from the responses I have received here even when I disagree strongly.

[greasyhandsagain]

Yup, sorry, I understand military and family commitments. Good luck with the project, hope to meet you out on a trail someday. Greasy

[JChinch]

Absolutely no hard feelings. Just stated my case, and I could have done it in a more respectful manor. I do appreciate you being honest.

What kind of power would I be looking to get out of a 200TDI or benz motor?

[ktom300]

I guess I'd approach this project differently. I wouldn't even waste the time getting the motor started. What's the point? Thee frame is trash, the clutch is siezed, and looking at the condition of the vehicle, electrics and brakes are probably toast. Besides, if you are committed to restoring this truck you are sure to want to upgrade the motor anyway. I would spend the time dismantling the vehicle, inspecting parts, and storing the pieces worth keeping. On a series III there are a lot of little things that are difficult or super expensive to replace, especially at the dash. So start looking at what's available and what's not. Also it's a good time to start mitigating any of the damage on those parts which are to be saved and re-used.

I guess some people have a lot more cash than others. I can't figure out why anyone would just replace/rebuild the whole drive train without know if it ran and how well.

[JChinch]

I definitely do not want to keep stirring the pot here, but I saw a great set up here:

http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/lonn_V8.htm

Thanks TeriAnn for having some wonderful information throughout your site.. Is the LR Owner that did this conversion on here? How long ago was this done? Am I about to be blasted for wanting to stray away from LR powerplants. . . Obviously with mine being registered and having the false plate in the cab claiming it's a IIa when it's far from it, my 109 is already lost to the times. Thoughts?

[greenmeanie]

It is your truck and your money so do with it as you please. An old Rover, whether restored or modified, is never going to be a sound investment so make it into a vehicle that suits your purposes and you enjoy rather than some hypothetical future owner.

If you choose to go with a repower there are plenty of us on here that have followed a similar path and like discussing the possibilities.

[yorker]

get a copy of this and watch it:

http://www.a4x4isborn.com/

you might be able to download it off of the net- it might give you some ideas.

[kevkon]

I guess some people have a lot more cash than others. I can't figure out why anyone would just replace/rebuild the whole drive train without know if it ran and how well.

Are you serious????
As far as cash goes, I don't have piles laying around. That's why I rebuild and customize so much. Anyway, I really don't see how spending time and cash on what obviously needs major work is in any way frugal. Nor is ruining salvageable parts because of an impulse to get something running that needs a ton of tlc. I have seen a lot of instances where that is exactly what happened. Trashing a trans because of a seized bearing does not seem to me to be a smart financial move. Ask any pro restorer and they will give the same advice.

Greenmeanie, I agree completely.

[JChinch]

I guess what it's coming down to is this. I KNOW the frame is trashed, I knew that when I made this purchase, but for the price I paid, i got a good body that obviously still needs TLC and good glass.

I love how this stirred up opinions like I wouldn't believe, but ultimately re-powering seems to be the way to go. I already have to get a new chassis which is ok for me because again, I'm not loosing anything on this. Now as far as the new driveline, I'd love to salvage old parts and rebreath whats already going on under there, but quite honestly that 70-something BHP motor wouldn't get me up (it would, but i have better things to do than waste half a day) the mountain I live on back in NH, let alone around town.

As far as simplicity goes, I could find a carbed 350 anywhere, as well as the NV4500 trans and do something like that. That's really not even that much fab work. But, are there 200/300TDI's floating out there, and if so, what are they going for?

And again, without getting too far off the mark, when does someone draw the line of just being overboard with hopes. Really the possibilities are endless, but what's a practical driver for power while keeping it Rover? I'm not looking for a full resto, I like creative.