What did you do to your Rover today?

[jimsshuman]

Serious question, couldn't aluminum have been shaped and reinforced to do the job? Guess steel option was just cheaper maybe?

Anyway, reason I ask is I finally started working on my truck. Got engine compartment cleaned out, grill out, axle and springs out, and finally wings off. Found a nice little mess of a bulkhead behind the wings. The bulkhead doesn't look terrible from inside the vehicle and now I see that is because someone long ago "fixed" the bulkhead by welding in new, custom bits without any real dis-assembly. So now what to do?

A little about my truck and project (I know, I will move to the hybrid page if you guys are mad at me and want me to leave.). Its a 74 SIII 109 three door. I got it as a bitsa with a 2.25 diesel that I promptly killed driving from New Mexico to Raleigh, NC. I've decided over the past 4 years while the truck has been "resting" that I would put a 4BT cummins in it as opposed to rebuilding the 2.25. Recently, my fiancee (sp) has decided she is tired of hearing me talk about my rover so she wants to help fund the rover project as a wedding gift. Deal is though that I'd like to have it on the road by November, for the wedding, so we'll see how it goes.

Having said all that, I do not want to nor can we afford to restore this truck. Its not going to be perfect. It will still have rust and dents and stuff in it when I finish. I will hopefully finish this now and work to combat rust and other issues for the rest of its life (or mine).

So, does anyone have a spare workable/repairable bulkhead around you'd part with? Anyone have much experience using the replacement parts available from RN? (Problem with that, I just recall, is they don't seem to offer RHD options, although I haven't called them, yet.) Other thoughts from you guys? Thanks.

Also, I'll consider doing a build thread although I'm a little scared to. It will never live up to the precedent I am most familiar with, that being Jac04"s!!

Final thought for now, I'm just happy to finally be working on my truck, I just hope it all works out in the end. I want a truck that I can hope in and tool around town when I want, take 150 miles to the beach when I want, or 200 hundred miles to the mountains when I want. Is that too much to ask!!

[jac04]

Also, I'll consider doing a build thread although I'm a little scared to. It will never live up to the precedent I am most familiar with, that being Jac04"s!!

Please do a build thread. I love build threads, but people don't seem to do them that often here. Most stuff ends up in this "What did you do..." thread. Too hard to follow progress IMO. And please don't worry about living up to anything I do. I have some sort of OCD problem. Every time I see someone doing work like me, I say "that guy's nuts!". I actually envy the people who build a nice vehicle and then end up using it. My Lightweight just sits in the garage most of the time.

[Terrys]

4BT is my favorite 'little' diesel, but I cut my teeth on 2800+ HP, 16 cyl. stuff.
Doorposts don't care which side you sit on, but the 'whole' footwell pieces are handed and not real steering-side specific either. Heater core openings and such are adaptable. They make a half-footwell piece that's easier if it will do the trick, but don't go to the top. Don't know how bad your rust issue is.
I hear you on Jeff's work, though I have found that my standards are more easily set when the job gets finished. Funny, everything is goodnuf, and works for me. Doing 10+ work only seems to bring out the people looking for an 11. If they want to pay for it, ok, but since I can't afford the old me, the new me works ok.

[masonater]

Please do a build thread. I love build threads, but people don't seem to do them that often here. Most stuff ends up in this "What did you do..." thread. Too hard to follow progress IMO. And please don't worry about living up to anything I do. I have some sort of OCD problem. Every time I see someone doing work like me, I say "that guy's nuts!". I actually envy the people who build a nice vehicle and then end up using it. My Lightweight just sits in the garage most of the time.

Good point, build threads are the coolest. I always just put my progress into the "what did you do to your rover today" I did a complete disassembly and am pretty far along in the rebuild stage but have taken tons of pics along the way. Ill see what I can put together once i figure out how to post photos and not thumbnails. You inspire me Jac04!

[albersj51]

Ive got my old bulkhead that needs repairing. I replaced passenger door post and footwell and have the drivers side post and footwell. I went with a rust free repair free one from ike as my welding/fabing is non-existent. Would need a small patch panel up top as well. Also, its for a iia, not a iii.

[albersj51]

I hear you in the build thread! Given the work of others its intimidating. I put one on GnR then decided to include one here last week. My goal is the level of jac04's, but will likely be like terrys and do good enough at times. Personally, I love build threads as it gives me ideas to steal

[msggunny]

Pulled my 2.25 apart.

Some build/rebuild pictures:





Tore her heart out:


What a mess....


Doing the plug wires on the wifes 04D2:

[jimsshuman]

albersj51, can you please send me pictures of that bulkhead? I'll pm you my email address. Your not too far away, so I may be very interested.

Experts, will the 2a bulkhead work work on my sIII?

Terry, who offers the half footwell pieces? RN? (I feel a bit indebted to RN sometimes for providing this forum in which so many of us have learned so much from you experts. Thanks to you guys also.)

[siiirhd88]

The SIIA bulkead will bolt in place of the SIII bulkhead but you would have do do a bunch of mods to make it work with the SIII windscreen and dash. If you use the SIIA bulkhead, just go with the SIIA dash and windscreen, which most people (including me) seem to prefer anyway.

The SIIA has the central mounted instruments on aluminum panels. The windscreen pivots and securing clamps are different, as are the door retaining rods. The late SIIA bulkhead is set up for the single wiper motor identical to the SIII, but the early SIIA bulkhead has no wiper fittings, as the individual wiper motors are mounted to the windscreen.

You can PM if you need additional info.

Bob
'02 Disco II SD
'80 SIII 109
'75 SIII 88 V8
'68 SIIA 109 V8

[jimsshuman]

Yeah I totally got excited hearing about that bulkhead and completely didn't think about it a whole lot. Sounds like way lot of work!

The 4bt is definitely a great little diesel. If this project ever comes together it should be a great truck. 4bt, NV4500 which is a 1 ton dodge 5 speed, and an np 205 which is a 1 ton ford, dodge, chevy transfer case.