The story of B871VHG 1984 90” from the UK (Purchase – Build)

[dave_lucas]

Thought I would start this thread to share my build and document the history my 90” it will cover from the time I purchased it to the time I complete the build (fingers crossed).

It will take me a few post to get up to the current status


The chase / Purchase

Unbeknownst to me 25 year old 90’s and 110’s are highly sought after not only by us crazy American’s with an infinity to drive old English junk but many other countries have tax laws that make owning a 25 year old land rover advantageous. My search began for a 1983 110, however most of the decent 110’s had long since been snatched up and the ones that were available were high priced junk. If a decent one surfaced it was snatched up in a matter of hours or a day at most to my chagrin.

After months of searching for a nice 1983 110 with no luck I then decided to broaden my search a little to the 1984 model year. While purchasing a little early would mean that I would have to store it a little while there was a larger selection of Defenders available not to mention that 1984 is the year that the 90” was introduced.

Even with the larger selection available to me it was no easy task trying to find an 83 – 84 90” or 110” in decent condition. I have heard some people say that trying to find a decent 25+ year old land rover in the UK is like trying to find a nice 25+ year old Chevy farm truck in the rust belt.

Each day I would check 7 – 10 sites, send off several email requests for pictures and more information with little to no response. Unlike sellers in the US people in the UK do not seem to have a desire to sell and if you ask to see pictures of suspect areas you would think that you were asking them to operate the Large Hadron Collider as most of them responded that they did not have a camera / digital camera.

Despite my frustration over the lack of choices and lack luster salesmanship I trudged on and one fine morning I found what appeared to be a nice solid 1984 90” on ebay.co.uk, it was located at a dealer in Bolton England. The 90” appeared to be an excellent original example and had been owned by the same owner for the entire 25 years of it life. Despite the fact that it was nearly 25 years old it only had traveled 87K miles and came with a massive pile of documentation including the original paperwork from the day it was purchased.

The dealer had a phone number listed so I called and asked to see some pictures of the suspect areas (bulkhead, floor boards, rear cross member, door bottoms) that were not pictured in the ad. As usual it was like pulling teeth to get the salesman to take additional pictures and I ended up sending them a small deposit just to get them to take me seriously and hold it for a few days while awaiting pictures / MOT test.

The pictures arrived, low quality (UK standard) but it appeared that the 90 was in great shape, bone stock with a heavy coat of waxoyl on ever inch of the entire 90. I called the dealer and after going back and forth with them for a while I was able to get them to cut off a few hundred pounds and they agreed to deliver it free of charge.


Storage, few purchases and shipping

The 90 was purchased a little early and had to be stored in the UK for a little while before it could be shipped. As part of the purchase price of the 90 I had the dealer deliver the 90 to Julian Kotting of Global Land Rovers for storage and some minor updates.
http://www.globallandrovers.com/

While it was being stored I took the opportunity to purchase some items that are hard to ship or substantially less expensive in the UK compared to the US, the items were either installed or packaged and shipped with the 90 (my understanding is that you can no longer ship loose items). Julian agreed to receive the items and place then in the 90 for me and install the items that needed installed.

Exmoor Trim Loc Box in XS Black Rack

Exmoor Trim XS Black Rack heated seats with Lumbar support (bolted down, not wired)

Exmoor Trim Mohair hood in sand color (not installed just put in back)

Exmoor trim full hoopeset (not installed just put in back)

Upon aging enough the 90 was delivered to the docks by Julian and loaded upon the Wallenius Wilhelmsen ship Tamesis
http://www.2wglobal.com/www/Images/Vesselimages/MVTamesisSea1_low.jpg

After what seemed like forever (aprox 1-2 weeks) Doug Crowther from Dividing Creek informed me that the 90 had arrived at the docks and that he would be going down to the docks to clear the 90 and collect it.

Unfortunately when Doug arrived at the docks the 90 was MIA, he spent hours searching the area and was unable to find the 90… I was gutted to say the least, immediately my mind started racing wondering where it could be and what could have happened to my poor little 90. Doug reassured me that he would find it and that everything would be ok.

After several trips to the ship yard (maybe a week had passed) and who knows how much work on his end Doug called to inform me that my 90 had been found and that he had it at his location. To this day we do not know where it was or what happened but it is safe and sound and that is all that matters.

Side note, originally I had planned to clear the 90 myself and pick it up at the docks but due to time constraints and lack of knowledge I decided to have Doug take care of things. Needless to say I am glad I had Doug take care of everything as it would have cost me time lost at work and possibly an Ulcer from the stress.

[dave_lucas]

History
Purchased by the original owner from Dutton-Forshaw West 10-04-1984
Purchase price 7476 GBP
Came with all MOT tests dating back to 1990
Came with extensive service history
Came with original Bill of sale
Came with original owners manual, service guide and 2.5 diesel supplemental guide

[grnrvrs]

Nice, keep it up. Did Doug find it stuck with the combines and tractors? Seems like all rovers end up with the agricultural machinery while stored on the dock.

[cgalpin]

Cool. Remind us when it arrived in the US (seems like ages ago) so we can get a better feel for the timeline. Oh, and hurry up and get us to present time please :)

[130Tdi]

It wasn't there. Customs couldn't find it either. The only explanation we could come up with was they didn't off load it when they were supposed to and it must have gone to Charelston or Jacksonville and come back. The shipping line never offered an explanation.

[dave_lucas]

Charles,

it arrived here in Colorado early June of 2009

[draaronr]

Charles,

it arrived here in Colorado early June of 2009

bought it from Jan?

[mightymg]

Very Cool!

[founD90]

Great story Dave! Looking forward to more pics!

Jerod

[dave_lucas]

bought it from Jan?

Yep.. did the pictures give it away?

He always seems to have washed out super bright photos

[draaronr]

Yep.. did the pictures give it away?

He always seems to have washed out super bright photos

yes and a few other details.

[dave_lucas]

Once the 90 arrived safe and sound in Colorado I decided to start on a few small projects.

NAS style swing out tailgate.
Purchased one of the new take off tailgates from Rovers North, removed the rope cleats, drilled the proper holes and sanded / painted the tailgate

Re galvanized the capping
The old cappings were starting to show some rust so I decided to have the capping blasted and then dipped.

SW roof removal
I decided to remove the old SW roof so I could convert it to a pickup cab in the winter and a soft top in the summer. This was easy as there were about 15 bolts that needed to be removed and then the roof just lifts off. The hoopset and hood were already purchased with the truck. A new take off truck cab was sourced from equicar in the UK.

[founD90]

Man am I jealous of all you guys and your huge workshops (and ease of repair/fabrication/installation). I'm working on my truck in less than 1/2 of my garage.

Josh is working on his truck somewhere in the Lincoln Tunnel.

Totally unfair.

[cgalpin]

Hey that door look familiar!

[MUDSUX]

Hey Dave,

I am thinking about putting on a swing out tailgate on my 110 too. How hard was it to install the door latch? Do you have any measurements or is it just line up and drill?

[cabell]

Dave,
What did you decide to do with the nas tail lights?

[dave_lucas]

The tub is drilled for the NAS lights, just waiting on them to arrive. ECR was out of stock with no ETA and would not let me pre order / wait list. Safari Dust had the same style LED lights listed on their site so I purchased a set and I am still waiting for them to arrive.

[dave_lucas]

While the 90 was still in the UK I came across a reasonable deal on a Defender 200 TDI conversion kit with 105K miles, I purchased it and had the motor shipped. It arrived at my house in a nice plastic crate.

The Defender 200tdi is about the easiest swap one could hope for and Land Rover even offered the upgrade as a factory item. The swap from 2.5 NA diesel to Defender 200tdi requires no real fabrication skills as I only had to drill 4 new holes for the upper radiator mounts and everything else bolted in without issue. It took me a few weeks to complete the swap working on it here and there as time permitted but if you had all of the parts ready to go the swap could be done in a weekend.

The following site was a great resource for the swap.
http://www.nicksjungle.co.uk/200%20Tdi%20Conversion.html


The kit that I received was very complete and had just about everything except the exhaust down pipe and the glow plug wires ( I just used the stock 2.5 wires).

While replacing the motor I purchased all new hoses, belts, starter, fuel pump, water pump, rubber motor mounts, clutch, throw out bearing, rear main seal, timing belt and tensioner.

The radiator was like new and had a date stamp on it of 2006, I had it cleaned / pressure tested and it was in great shape.

Turbo and intercooler hoses were made using off the shelf silicone hoses from boostcontroller.com. Just measure and cut using a serrated knife.
http://boostcontroller.com/

All in all I am really happy with the 200tdi motor, it has transformed my little 90 from a lumbering beast to a rocket :)

[woldd90]

Dave, I really like that color... Truck looks great.

[130Tdi]

I still marvel that with your skill set you have kept it rhd.

[cgalpin]

rhd rocks!

[dave_lucas]

I still marvel that with your skill set you have kept it rhd.

I like the RHD configuration and plan to keep it that way :)

It seems most people have a hard time wrapping their mind around drive a RHD vehicle but for me it is just as easy as LH and only takes a few mins to get used to shifting with your left hand.

From a practical standpoint there are a few reasons that I think RHD makes more sense.

- There is more foot well room on the RH side

- The engine compartment is already crowded on the LH side with the exhaust, air filter, turbo / intercooler pipes, power steering, alternator, clutch slave, starter, windscreen washer and the tube that goes from the air cleaner to the wing. Adding pedals and steering stuff would make it even more crowded and hard to work on.

- My old LHD 90 the floorboards would get really hot and so would my feet, with the 200 my exhaust pipe runs under the LH floorboard so no heat transfer on the RH floorboards.

- The 200tdi motor, trans and transfer case are all offset to the LH side. Inside the cabin this makes for less room and further crowds things under the bonnet

It is almost like they designed it to be RHD :)

[dave_lucas]

I had planned from the start to replace the chassis due to age and the fact that it had lived 25years in the UK, however when it arrived I was amazed at the condition of the chassis as most of it looked like new under the ½” of wayoyl and it still had the factory paint.

Unfortunately there were a few issues both rear outriggers needed replaced, one of the front out riggers needed a patch and the rear cross member needed replaced before too long. I debated repairing the chassis VS replacing it for months and even went as far as to source new rear outriggers but in the end I decided to replace the chassis since I really wanted to build a Defender that was solid and would last long term without constant repairs.

I decided to take a little different path for my build compared to most people and decided to build an entire rolling chassis prior to disassembling my 90 as I felt it would allow me to keep my 90 on the road longer and take my time with the build.

The first item I purchased was the chassis, shortly after starting my search for a chassis Jim Pendleton (AKA Pendy) of Pendy imports contacted me and told me that he had a chassis he could configure for my 200tdi 90 and he even offered to meet me halfway between his place and my place in Colorado to avoid shipping.

While waiting for the Chassis to be built I turned my attention to the drive train. I ended up purchasing front and rear axles complete from wheel to wheel, radius arms and the rear suspension a-frame from a 1995 Range Rover for $250. Not only will this allow me to build the rolling chassis while keeping my 90 on the road I get to replace the old drum rear axle with a fancy new rotor type axle and the skinny front radius arms with the wide style.

The used drive train parts were power washed, sanded, painted, then new bushes were installed in the rear a-frame and front radius arms. I then replace the rear wheel bearings and the rear braking system with new calipers, rotors and pads from AB

Next task was to decide on a suspension setup, I wanted a basic suspension setup that would be reliable and long lasting like the factory setup with a minor lift to accommodate 255/85/16 tires. I have played with many different suspension setups over the years on various rovers and based on my experience 2” OME was the way to go for a basic reliable suspension setup.

Having decided that I was going with OME I placed a call to Expedition Exchange as they are very knowledgeable in this area have excellent customer service. John and I discussed the different options and I decided on a matched set of driver side OME springs and the new style shocks.


Front
Galvanized stock shock turrets
OME shocks
OME 751 springs
Rubber securing rings


Rear
Galvanized factory shock mounts
OME shocks
OME 764 springs
Rubber isolators in the rear


While pondering what differentials to go with ARB, Detroit, TT or Toyota e-locker ARB put the lockers on sale and offered a free large compressor and tire inflation kit with the purchase of 2 lockers. I called up Bill at GBR and inquired about the pricing / special offer and placed an order for 2 ARB’s with stock gearing. A few weeks later some 5 gallon buckets and a box arrived at my house.

So now I have a basic rolling chassis with a few more items to add prior to starting the build

This bring us to about 2 weeks ago, my next post should bring us up to current times

[dave_lucas]

With the rolling chassis 90% complete and a long holiday weekend I decided it was time to start taking apart the 90 as my goal is to drive it to the Solihull Society National Rally in Moab UT starting Oct 19th 2010.

Yes, that is OCT 19th 2010 and it is currently July 4th 2010

Friday July 2nd I spent approximately 8 hours dissembling the body to the point you see in picture whathaveidone.jpeg as well as running a new rear chassis harness and making a new speaker harness (2 speaker wires and 1 power wire for the rear work lamp) that I ran through the LH side frame rail.

Monday July 5th my friend Steve Kendal and I spent about 3.5 hours transferring the motor, trans and transfer case in one large lump from the old chassis to the new chassis as seen in picture pointofnoreturn.jpeg

Some happy / sad moments

Total broken bolts to date 0 :)

PO had galvanized the transfer case mounts and that was a nice bonus :)

I am still waiting on my new bulkhead and fuel tank, not sure what to do at this point but I am going to have to make a decision soon.. Use the old one and do the work 2x or wait for the new one and possibly miss the rally :(

Realizing how little time I have and how much work still needs to be completed :(

As of this post everything is up to date

[cgalpin]

Great work and I like your approach of prepping the rolling chassis first!

It is almost like they designed it to be RHD :)
LOL.

[aosias]

WOW!!! Super impressed. Looks like you might just make it by October after all! We've got toes and paws crossed for ya.

[Jpayne]

WOW is right!! Totally inspiring... I would love to do the 200tdi and galvy chassis swap. This is great to watch unfold, now that we are caught up to date. Good luck!

[mgreenspan]

Cool. I suggest getting an electric fan(you probably already are doing this). Not sure about your 200 tdi, but all the 200 tdi conversions that I've seen sit really far back and the stock engine fan is worthless.

[dave_lucas]

Put 5 hours in today, removed the seat box, removed battery tray from seat box and spent most of my time cleaning the waxoil off some parts.

I have a love / hate relationship with waxoil at this point as my 90 is in great shape due to the copious quantities that have been applied but it is really hard to remove and every time I get within 2 ft of my 90 I look like I have been attacked by a grease monster.

my process to remove waxoil
1. Use a plastic scraper to remove what you can
2. spray with white sprits (mineral sprits)
3. scrub with a brush
4. spray with pressure washer
5. spary again with white spirits
6. scrub again
7. spray with pressure washer
8. spray with simple green
9. scrub again
10 spray with pressure washer
11. Throw away clothes, scrub brush and spend 1 hour in shouwer trying to get waxoil off your body :(

Cool. I suggest getting an electric fan(you probably already are doing this). Not sure about your 200 tdi, but all the 200 tdi conversions that I've seen sit really far back and the stock engine fan is worthless.

My 200tdi is from a Defender so I have the proper fan / fan shroud so it is setup just the way rover shipped the 200tdi.

Thanks Alex, do you still need the code reader? You can hold onto it for a while if you want.

[evilfij]

Why are your removing the waxoyl? Are you going to repaint or galvanize those parts?

Ron

[130Tdi]

Cool. I suggest getting an electric fan(you probably already are doing this). Not sure about your 200 tdi, but all the 200 tdi conversions that I've seen sit really far back and the stock engine fan is worthless.

You have to get the defender 200 shroud-but you are right, its deep. A couple of the UK sites say you pick up 10hp when you get rid of the clutch/fan assembly and go electric-but Pendy has me afraid to go there.

[dave_lucas]

Why are your removing the waxoyl? Are you going to repaint or galvanize those parts?

Ron

Most of the steel parts will be galvanized the seat box, floor boards, tub and trans covers will all be coated with Line-x or Rhino liner.

However even if I did not paint / galvy stuff I would remove the waxoil as that stuff is nasty. I can not touch this truck without getting it all over me.

I have honestly thrown away several shirts, pants and even a pair of shoes that were coated in the stuff :angry

It did a great job of protecting the 90 but it is 1/4 in thick and covering every inch

[mgreenspan]

You have to get the defender 200 shroud-but you are right, its deep. A couple of the UK sites say you pick up 10hp when you get rid of the clutch/fan assembly and go electric-but Pendy has me afraid to go there.

Afraid to go electric fan? Maybe I'm missing something, what are the cons? Having the fan there seems like a great idea and a lot of them have adjustable thermostats.

[130Tdi]

Afraid to go electric fan? Maybe I'm missing something, what are the cons? Having the fan there seems like a great idea and a lot of them have adjustable thermostats.

My first 110 had a kenlowe setup with adjustable temp. I impacted the fan with red mud @ Uwharrie,and way back on the trails it locked up. We sprayed beer,wd40, and bottled water into it and got it spinning again @ half speed so the engine ran hot but didn't overheat. It was fine getting back to Md after the event @ highway speeds but the fan was dead and had to be replaced. The fan driven just seems safer is I guess what I was reffering to. I have the X Engineering blue switch holder that you cut your lower radiator hose to install and may go that route soon. A lot of the Uk trucks I handle come in with electric fans fitted and most don't work on arrival which is more of a comentary on who wired them up than electric fans.

[MUDSUX]

.... I would remove the waxoil as that stuff is nasty. I can not touch this truck without getting it all over me.

I have honestly thrown away several shirts, pants and even a pair of shoes that were coated in the stuff :angry

It did a great job of protecting the 90 but it is 1/4 in thick and covering every inch

After dealing with it first hand myself, I totally agree with you Dave. I hate this stuff. Maybe after assembly but while working on the truck, it's like all over my tools and garage.

[grnrvrs]

After dealing with it first hand myself, I totally agree with you Dave. I hate this stuff. Maybe after assembly but while working on the truck, it's like all over my tools and garage.

x2!

I found thick waxoil that was bridging rust holes. Hate it, if applied after rust has gotten a grip.

[dave_lucas]

Broken bolts to date 0

Put in about 7 hours today

My new bulkhead still has not arrived so I moved the old bulkhead over to the new frame. I am not sure if I am going to use it as is or wait for the new bulkhead and delay the build. If I delay the build waiting for the new bulkhead it will not be ready in time for the rally so I would have to skip it or find something else to drive.

hmm justification for another rover :)

In the mean time while I am trying to decide I am letting the old bulkhead sit on the new frame so I can free up the other half of the garage by moving the old frame and axles to gain some storage (house is getting full)

Spent the first hour of the day assembling the crane, it is just a cheap harbor freight 1 ton crane but it will be nice to have some assistance lifting stuff.

Next 1.5 hours were spent cleaning waxoil off the old bulkhead. The outside is in amazing condition but it needs some patches inside under the dash. Just an fyi brake cleaner takes off the paint where the factory applied seam sealer.

The only things that were left to disconnect were the wire harness and brake lines. I then hooked up the crane using 5/16 eye bolts through the mounting holes for the windscreen and removed the last two bolts that were holding the bulkhead onto the frame.

Just as I was setting the bulkhead on the new frame one of the 5/16 eye bolts snapped, I am lucky that it landed square and appears not to have damaged anything. SOOO it appears a 5/16 eyebolt is not up to the task of lifting a fully dressed bulkhead. I replaced the 5/16 eyebolts with 3/8 and hopefully they will be up to the task and not let me down.

Next I drilled the remaining holes for the NAS LED lights in the rear of the tub.

The next part we will call how to ruin a perfectly good ROW tub

My 90 will have a NAS cage and a Badger top when I am done, unfortunately the tub has rope hooks installed at the factory so I have to remove then in order to use the belt rail soft top system.

Step 1
Ponder the project for 1 week

Step 2
Drink 12 pack of beer to get up your courage (just kidding)

Step 3
Using a small drill bit drill put a dimple in the middle of each spot weld. Do not drill through the metal, just a shallow dimple

Step 4
Slowly a little at a time use the spot weld remover to drill out the spot welds. I find that it help to use my finger to apply pressure under the object and you can tell prior to going through the metal

If you are successful the rope hook will pry off with slight pressure leaving the tub skin with no damage.

Next step is to grind the remaining spot weld flush with the tub skin

That is it for today


One last thought for today, while going to the hardware store I passed a Vesuvius Orange Range Rover and now I have it stuck in my head that it would look amazing om my 90 with a NAS ST.

[mikeslandrover]

Cool. I suggest getting an electric fan(you probably already are doing this). Not sure about your 200 tdi, but all the 200 tdi conversions that I've seen sit really far back and the stock engine fan is worthless.

The fan is fine with the proper shroud, in the UK the fan is hardly needed anyway. In fact I've only ever had the fan clutch lock when I've been in Morocco in the high summer 50 degrees centigrade+ air temperature., and then only when starting the hot engine after standing for a few minutes.:)

[MUDSUX]

Looks good Dave. Can't believe you snapped the eyebolt. Crazy. I was lucky, I had 2 jate rings that fit perfectly. It also allowed me to adjust the bulkhead back and forth. I was wondering what kind of contraption you were going to make when you asked me for the door pillar hole measurements.

[evilfij]

Lesson is never lift anything with bolts that are not rated. ie never use stainless or anything other than grade 5 + or 8.8 metric +

[Ren Ching]

even more to the point, familiarize yourself with better rigging methods. The technique shown will exert a force of about 1.2 times the weight of the bulkhead at each attachment point, rather than reducing the load. better if the chain or sling in that instance is at an acute angle i.e less than 90 degrees between the legs. or use a sreader bar.

Lesson is never lift anything with bolts that are not rated. ie never use stainless or anything other than grade 5 + or 8.8 metric +

[dave_lucas]

Not my best moment, luckily I did not get hurt and all of the parts survived without damage :)

[Ren Ching]

Well, makes it easy for us armchair quarterbacks to sit here after the fact and post criticism. Never mind that I have done the same thing with a SIII bulkhead and bent the windscreen hinge mounts.

Project looks great, keep the photos coming!

Not my best moment, luckily I did not get hurt and all of the parts survived without damage :)

[evilfij]

Not my best moment, luckily I did not get hurt and all of the parts survived without damage :)

At least you had the sense to use a hoist.

http://www.d-90.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=26513&d=1271023486

Ron

[dave_lucas]

Made a little progress over the last few weeks but nothing too exciting, mostly consisted of removing parts from the old chassis and cleaning them :(

The old rolling chassis is now sitting out at my friend’s farm, it was a major relief to free up some garage space since it basically looked like 2 Defenders had exploded in the garage :)

Scored a Safari Gard bumper and a matte rear flare to make a full set from Paul AKA Dogbite, the bumper needs a little love but he hooked me up with a sweet deal THANKS PAUL!!

New bulkhead arrived today and it was well worth the wait, it arrived in great condition and is in bare steel so after a few minor modifications it will be ready to galvanize.

Loaded up the daily driver full of parts today and will drop them off at the media blaster in the morning.

Broken bolts so far 0

[bjf]

love the bulkhead. are you going to paint after galv? was yours shot? too lazy to hit the back button to look

[dave_lucas]

love the bulkhead. are you going to paint after galv? was yours shot? too lazy to hit the back button to look

I would like to paint it but I need to find some documentation on how to get the paint to stick properly.

Old bulkhead was in decent / good shape, it needs some work but nothing major. I was planning to make some minor repairs and then galvanize it and save it for a future project.

[bjf]

I would also like to know the process for painting galv correctly. Bulkhead looks better painted in my opinion but i do like the cappings just raw galv

[mikeslandrover]

Getting paint to stick to fresh galvanised steel is tricky, I failed and all the paint is flaking off after two years:confused.
I just knew it was going to happen:angry
T wash is apparently the answer, applied to the fresh zinc surface.

[bjf]

ECR knows the trick. I want to know

[evilfij]

ECR knows the trick. I want to know

I will believe it when I see one 10 years from now.

Ron

[bjf]

Personally anything I galv on my trucks will stay raw but eventually I would like to do a bulkhead and know how to paint it

[EricWS]

Personally anything I galv on my trucks will stay raw but eventually I would like to do a bulkhead and know how to paint it

Talk to you body guy. Mine said it was no problem and that there was a specific product for that application. I had Ike paint it instead so I do not know what his guy is using.

The current screwed up bulkhead was galv and I have no major problems with the paint. It just wasn't done right so I called Ike...

[dave_lucas]

Options so far

1. Clean it up, seam seal it and paint the bulkhead
2. Galvanize the bulkhead and leave it bare
3. Galvanize it and try to paint it

[bjf]

I think painting is an option. I just would want to know what ECR does. If they warranty it for their customers you should be able to copy it and feel good that it will last

[evilfij]

I have heard of various ways that people do it, including sandblasting lightly after galvanizing and etching the galvanizing with various acids.

I am sure it can be done because most modern cars have galvanized -- albeit not heavily galvanized -- panels, I have just never seen anyone DIY it and have it last 10 years.

------ Follow up post added August 18th, 2010 05:49 PM ------

I will believe it when I see one 10 years from now.

Ron

This was not meant to be mean of disparaging.

[bjf]

I have heard of various ways that people do it, including sandblasting lightly after galvanizing and etching the galvanizing with various acids.

I am sure it can be done because most modern cars have galvanized -- albeit not heavily galvanized -- panels, I have just never seen anyone DIY it and have it last 10 years.

------ Follow up post added August 18th, 2010 05:49 PM ------



This was not meant to be mean of disparaging.

You insulted ECR, no more 110 rollers for you!

[Xyst]

Funny this should come up. There was in article in LROi this month about painting a galvanized chassis. I would imagine the process is the same though. I went ahead and scanned in a copy of the article for you, hope it helps!

BTW, awesome build thread. I've started my search for a rig to do something similar as you so I'm definitely following this intently. :)

Xyst

[mikeslandrover]

Funny this should come up. There was in article in LROi this month about painting a galvanized chassis. I would imagine the process is the same though. I went ahead and scanned in a copy of the article for you, hope it helps!

BTW, awesome build thread. I've started my search for a rig to do something similar as you so I'm definitely following this intently. :)

Xyst

Excellent information I then found this:- http://www.icipaints.co.uk/products/info/dulux_trade_mordant_solution.jsp

The article miss-spelt the T wash solution name, it should be Mordant Solution I wonder if it works on older galvanised steel? The Paint is mostly off of the bulkhead and side frames I galvanised about 3 years ago:(

[dave_lucas]

Excellent information I then found this:- http://www.icipaints.co.uk/products/info/dulux_trade_mordant_solution.jsp

The article miss-spelt the T wash solution name, it should be Mordant Solution I wonder if it works on older galvanised steel? The Paint is mostly off of the bulkhead and side frames I galvanised about 3 years ago:(


http://www.galvanizeit.org/images/uploads/articles/JPCL_062005.pdf

[TDI Guy]

I prepared mine properly and all is perfect after 7 years....

[dave_lucas]

I prepared mine properly and all is perfect after 7 years....

Please share your process and products used :)

[mikeslandrover]

please share your process and products used :)

x2 :)

[dave_lucas]

After countless hours of reading on how to keep threads decent while galvanizing I came across a few different suggestions and decided to test them and see how they work.

Prep
Part was sand blasted to white metal

Products tested

VHT header paint:

They claim it will endure 2000 degrees, sprayed approximately 5 coats of paint on the bolt and let it dry prior to insertion into the threaded hole.

High temp RTV:

The local parts store have several options, I selected the one that hid the highest temperature rating. The package claims 650 degrees which is above the temp of the galvanizing tank so it should hold up.

I filled one threaded hole to make a plug and coated several bolts and inserted them while wet.

Heavy duty Teflon tape:

Purchased from the plumbing section @ Lowes. It seemed thicker than standard Teflon tape products. I simply wrapped it around several times and threaded it into the hole.

Results

Each bolt was removed with ease using a 3/8 ratchet and only required slight pressure, I then tested a new fresh bolt in each hole and I was able to thread the bolt in by hand.

I will go back and chase the threads just to make sure they are all perfect but.

Each product seemed to do the job but would declare the High temp RTV the winner and will be using it on the rest of my items (1 tube would do and entire 110)

[mikeslandrover]

That is extremely thorough of you.:cool:
I just re tapped the threads when I got everything back. The vent flap hinges on the bulkhead caused much head scratching then someone suggested using a propane torch to heat the area then blowing the molten zinc out the hinge tube with compressed air. this still left zinc on the inside of the hinge tube but the hinge pin went through.:):):)
The other method is to put a bolt in the treaded hole, galvanize it, heat the bolt to around 500°c, the zinc melts and the bolt comes straight out.
I found the zinc to be so soft that a tap would easily clean out excess zinc.

[cgalpin]

Nice work Dave! Which was better - the plug or RTV on the threads?

[dave_lucas]

Mike,

The local galvy place seems to put it on thick here, most of the time you can not even see where the threads were and it makes it a real PITA to get the tap started properly.

Most of the work they do is large power poles and large iron beams so maybe they put it on a little thicker than normal?


Charles

I like the way the plug worked but I was worried that the plugs would get damaged and let galvy in. As you can see in the after pic it shrunk down and was withered but the threads were still good. The nice thing about the plug is I just pushed it out with my finger.

But In the end I decided to use the RTV / bolt method since I am paranoid.


I am going to do a test on some studs as well and will post the results

Acorn nut filled with hi temp RTV

Normal nut with RTV

Multiple nuts with RTV to cover long stud

Stud with thick coat of RTV

[130Tdi]

Dave,
Does your place do the acid bath first ? Just wondering if the hcl or whatever they use effects the rtv.

[dave_lucas]

Yep

The RTV seems to get soft / sticky, not sure what part of the process makes it that way.

http://www.nagalv.com/process.htm

Step 1: Preparation
As the steel products arrive at our plant, they are thoroughly inspected for drainage and venting requirements. In the staging area, an efficient handling method is chosen to transport the material through the initial cleaning process.

Step 2: Cleaning
The material is cleaned in three steps:
• Total immersion in a hot alkali solution to remove organic compounds.
• Acid pickling removes rust or scale.
• Fluxing eliminates oxides from the surface of the steel and promotes the proper-------------metallurgical bonding of the zinc in the next step.

Step 3: Hot-Dip Galvanizing
The steel is totally submerged in a bath of molten zinc until it reaches bath temperature (approximately 840° F.) at which time the zinc reacts with the steel to form zinc/iron intermetalic layers on all surfaces, inside and out.

Step 4: Quality Inspection
The galvanized steel product is cleaned, weighed and then thoroughly inspected for coating thickness, appearance and compliance with applicable ASTM specifications. Calibrated instrumentation insures efficient inspection.

[dave_lucas]

Amazing how much of a Defender fits into a little ford escape when you take it all apart :)

This is just about every single steel part except the frame, axles and steering (some parts were already removed and not pictured) ready to drop off at the galvanzing place.

Should be back early next week :pimp

[dogbite]

They use a hydrochloric acid dip to prep the parts before the gal dip(is what they told me). Good luck getting NAGC to follow ASTM specs....your stuff doesn't fall into thoughts rules. But they seem to do a good job anyway. If you bring steel toes and a hardhat they will let you stick around and watch, so you can birddog and make sure there do what they should (but be prepared to be there for hours). The Forman Emmanuel has a pony tail and should be easy to spot. Talk to him and tell him what you want the finished product to be/look like and he'll make it happen. Hope that helps and good luck Dave!

[dave_lucas]

Picked everything up from the galvanizer today

I am super happy with how well the bulkhead came out. It looks so pretty that I am half way tempted to just leave it bare and not paint it :)


Smaller parts get wired into strings of parts, spent about an hour to get them all off the wires.

Using an acorn nut and hi temp silicon on male threads seems to work pretty well. Also tested using multiple nuts jammed together with some hi temp silicone and it works great.

[bjf]

that stuff looks insane

one of those hood frames is mine isn't it?

[dave_lucas]

Yep, took a little longer than expected but it came out nice.

[bjf]

this stuff looks damn awesome.

[bjf]

Just curious are the two hood frames different. One looks like it has an extra brace.

[dave_lucas]

They are diffrent. Lots of little things here and there.

I need to send a message to dogbite letting him know it is done so he can figure out how to get it to you :)

[130Tdi]

is that your original bulkhead ?

[bjf]

Well since I no longer have the hood frame to give dog bite for this one, if dogbite doesn't want to keep it, it is available to anyone who wants it
Pay for galv and the bolts and inserts Dave supplied and give our original frame to dogbite.

[dave_lucas]

if you are not going to use it I might see if I can use it.

Doug,

This is the TD5 bulkhead, it was RHD but my plans changed slightly and it looks like my 90 will end up being LHD so I made the bulkhead match my 1984 both RHD and LHD

[bjf]

Yeah I wanted it for the 110 but since the 110 is gone, I dont have a use right now. So your truck is going to be lhd with the ST cage?

cool

[dave_lucas]

LHD is for sure now as I have the new TD5 dash purchased as well as a bunch of other parts.

I have a NAS ST cage, full alum hard top and a new alum truck cab sitting in the garage. The plan is to build the 90 to accept all 3 tops so I can run the ST in the summer and the truck cab in the winter.

[rijosho]

I have a NAS ST cage, full alum hard top and a new alum truck cab sitting in the garage. The plan is to build the 90 to accept all 3 tops so I can run the ST in the summer and the truck cab in the winter.

So when would the full alum hard top be used, if it's ST in the Summer and truck cab in the Winter?

[130Tdi]

So when would the full alum hard top be used, if it's ST in the Summer and truck cab in the Winter?

Having imported it-thats what it came with. Since he's bought the other two I'm guessing those are his preference as stated.
This truck has come a long way since it left my place.

[dave_lucas]

As Doug stated the 90 came with a full hardtop already, I doubt that I will use it unless for some reason I required the additional security provided by a full hardtop.

[tomaco1]

if you are not going to use it I might see if I can use it.

Doug,

This is the TD5 bulkhead, it was RHD but my plans changed slightly and it looks like my 90 will end up being LHD so I made the bulkhead match my 1984 both RHD and LHD

were the LHD locations(brake,clutch steering wheel ,etc) all marked clearly on the TD5 bulkhead?

[dave_lucas]

Yep, just had to drill the holes and make a few cut outs.

[dave_lucas]

Nothing too exciting as it has been slow going.

Mostly cleaning galvy out of holes in the bulkhead, taping threads and added some rivetnuts. The large ones for the heater and steering mount took every bit of power I had to get them installed.

Installed the galvanized battery box onto the seatbox and coverd the seatbox and floor parts with Dynamat

Bulkhead should be ready to paint soon :)

[bjf]

love the dual holes in that bulkhead. Are there special plates to cover holes you don't use?

What are you planning to cover battery box in now that you put dynamat on it?

[dave_lucas]

There are plates that cover the holes on the early defenders since they came with the holes for both RHD and LHD.

You can see them in Doug's RH / LH swap on his site.
http://www.dividingcreekroverimports.com/defender_left_hand_drive_conversion

I am just trying to keep it original by having both sets of holes :lol

Seatbox will be covered by a wright offroad black LT77 matt

[bjf]

Very cool. Now of course I want to see Doug's brothers truck.

[130Tdi]

Very cool. Now of course I want to see Doug's brothers truck.

Lots of pictures of it around. 3 inch lift, 255.85's, safari gard blade bumper (no brush guard) and steering protector, td5 lhd dash, XS heated seats, NAS ST rear bumper,side opening tailgate, and spare tire carrier, 65k original miles but converted to tdi. He has boosts for it but has never mounted them as all the mall crawlers are wearing them.

Back to Dave's truck. Notice you opened up the heater hole. I have done that on several and think it makes a huge difference.

[jaygoss]

Seatbox will be covered by a wright offroad black LT77 matt

Dave- where are you going to get the wright offroad matt? Can you deal with them directly? From what I gather Exmoor gets it from them then marks it up. It would be nice to cut the middle man out and save some $.

[bjf]

You can buy direct from wright offroad. They also offer the interior in black where as when I checked exmoor only sold grey

[grnrvrs]

Dave, saw that you're selling the SWR rebuilt LT77. What's the plan?

[dave_lucas]

I am planning to use the LT77 that came with it as it seems in really good shape and only has 87K miles on it.

When I first purchased the 90 I thought there was something wrong with the transmission and was planning to replace it as part of the build but later found out that the clutch was making the noise so no need to replace it at this time :)

[dave_lucas]

Not too much progress over the last few months, mostly spending $$$ and waiting for parts to arrive. Could have made more progress but I was experiencing a mental block as to what color to paint the 90 due to falling out of love with the original blue paint :(

Installed new LT77 since it did not sell

Installed new LHD power steering gear

New LHD TD5 dash arrived :)

Scored an almost new Badger black soft top from ECR

Bulkhead received some paint today, took a picture of the vent cover since the wind was blowing hard and I was afraid the bulkhead would get knocked over.

So without further ado the color will be…

[bjf]

Looks good. What color is it?

Where did you source the dash?

[dave_lucas]

Had to get a few pics of the bulkhead so I dragged it inside.

Color is Vesuvius Orange (code 811 Prime) as used on the Range Rover Sport and the fire version of the Defender.

I am sure that some people will like it and others will hate it, but I just could not bring myself to paint it the original blue, just kind of tired of blue since everything I own is blue at the moment.

Maybe a little bit bling but figured since it is departing so far from stock (new interior, 200tdi, galvy chassis, LHD ETC) that I might as well use a modern color.

Planning to balance the over powering orange with large quantities of semi gloss black accessories, Badger top, SG bumper, Sliders, NAS cage, black wing top protectors, matte flares and a NAS Mantec snorkle.

Fingers crossed that no one posts it in the Hall of Shame of "Land Rovers that Suck"

[cwilder]

Very cool color. I have always like the Supercharged Vesuvius Orange Sport. Are you going to accent the truck in Black(Wheels, cage, etc)?

[dave_lucas]

Wheels are currently boosts in the stock finish at the moment but I am considering getting them refinished in the same color as the DII Kalahari rims (dark metallic gray)

It will have a NAS ST cage with Black Badger soft top

[jaygoss]

Dave- I love it! Looking forward to more pics...and maybe an in-person viewing.

[aosias]

Looks good. What color is it?

Where did you source the dash?

My favorite choice of all the Rover colors.

Looks great Dave. Excited to see it all together.

[bjf]

Looks good. Going to be a nice truck.

[TDI Guy]

That is a really cool color Dave. I have seen RR's in that color.

[bjf]

Looking back through your threads, does this mean you are going ot repaint the seat box etc? I see you dynamatted it already

[dave_lucas]

Floorboards were taken down to bare alum prior to adding the dynamat, trans covers are bare with dynamat. Need to cleanup setabox, had planned to use a wright offroad matt but the deal never happened.

Might strip it and rhino line or paint it not sure yet.

[grnrvrs]

Its good to see the progress you are making. The choice of color can be surprisingly difficult. I'm curious to see the finished product in a stand of aspen during fall colors.

[dogbite]

Lookin good Dave. I just got a wright offroad mat for my project and it fits pert good. Couldn't buy direct from them, as they sold the rights to exmore trim (is what I was told anyway). I like your color choice, but also have a soft spot for blue...Arles blue that is... :)

[dave_lucas]

Installed the vent screens and put the bulkhead in place with some temporary bolts.

Thanks for the encouragement and kinds words :)

Slowly but surely one bolt at a time…

[dave_lucas]

Almost done :lol

Installed the new heater today, bulkhead was cut to match the hole in the heater.

Accelerator pedal installed

[mikeslandrover]

Almost done :lol

Installed the new heater today, bulkhead was cut to match the hole in the heater.

Was there much to cut out of he bulkhead to get the heater to match?
The heater in my 110 is woeful. What sort of % enlargement do you think you made in the bulkhead?

The build looks great:)

[dave_lucas]

The height remains the same the width opened up quite a bit from 4 ¾ to 7 ¾

I have no idea what kind of impact this will have on the air flow but supposedly it improves the ability to move air according to the people that have tried it.

However I am not sure how much you can open up a RHD since mine is a LHD now.

[dave_lucas]

Installed the new fuel tank today, going out for fish and chips to celebrate my lofty accomplishment :)

[dave_lucas]

Put a few hours in this weekend.

Installed the main harness

Installed the wiper motor

Started the install of the new TD5 dash components.

The lower dash just screws in place, I decided to get fancy and use stainless screws and black screw covers where my old dash used black screws and a plastic washer.

The upper support requires that you cut a hole for the wiper motor and cut the upper supports off the old dash support and attach them to the new dash support, still working on that part of it and hope to get that done throughout the week.

[bjf]

You need inspiration to speed this project up.

[dave_lucas]

Installed a few more items

Steering column
Main wire harness
Rear brake lines
Most of the dash installed, will finish wiring later when additional parts arrive.

[TDI Guy]

Looks Great. ITs all up hill from there...

[dave_lucas]

Looks Great. ITs all up hill from there...

:( :( :( Uphill? I thought it would get easier from here :cry :cry :cry

[mikeslandrover]

Looks great, you seem to be building your truck in your living room, my garage looks nothing like that.:)

[jetmech]

It's a yank thing i guess. I had mine in the dining room for months.

[dave_lucas]

It just looks like the inside of a house because they put up drywall, texture and paint just like the inside of the house.

If you look closely through the entire thread you will notice that there are pictures from 4 different garages all at different stages as we have moved several time in the last couple of years.

[JBinAlabama]

This was a cool read!
GREAT color choice and fantastic job on the showing how each step was done!

Its REALLY close now!

[dave_lucas]

Car load of parts from the body shop today, tailgate, grill, fenders, doors and hinges. :pimp

Tub and hood would not fit in my daily driver so i will have to rent a truck to get them.

[cgalpin]

That's not way to treat those beauties. Get some padding under them!

[Oxcart13]

Dave - I was wonder how you are going to get them home. Did you ask Larry if he had a vehicle you could borrow? Let me know if I can help. Mark

[dave_lucas]

Got the tub from the body shop today and dropped it off at the rhino line place along with the seatbox :pimp

Bottom is coated with a rubberized undercoating

[mhansen]

Dave.

Looks great!
Let me know if you ever need any help lifting parts off the trailer or whatever. Hate to see it scratched before the motor fires

[dave_lucas]

I will take you up on your offer :)

Tub should be done in the next week or two and I will need a few extra hands to help me unload it and set it on the chassis.

[dave_lucas]

Tub is sitting on the frame safe and sound thanks to Mike Hansen and David Lane coming by to lend a hand :)

Also installed the belt rail and NAS style LED rubbolite / trucklite rear lights

Included a picture of the tub just prior to sending it to the paint shop

[mhansen]

Tub is sitting on the frame safe and sound thanks to Mike Hansen and David Lane coming by to lend a hand :)

Also installed the belt rail and NAS style LED rubbolite / trucklite rear lights

Included a picture of the tub just prior to sending it to the paint shop

I have to say this is one of the most detailed builds I have ever seen. You could charge admision to your garage to help offset the cost. The truck us gorgeous!

The color is amazing contrasted with black accessories.

Thanks for lending a hand with the concrete Sunday. Let me know when you need any more “help” , the deck needs stained next week. :)

[Oxcart13]

Looks great Dave. Sorry I couldn't make it across town in time.

[jaygoss]

Dave- call me next time you need help; I want to see this thing!!! Wife just had a baby this week, so I can't take mine apart but I can help others that are for a few hour here and there and live vicariously through them!

-Jay
303-803-5434
(I'm probably close- in Denver near I-25/University)

[JBinAlabama]

Looks GREAT!

[rgrrvr]

Dave,

What type of under coating did you use on the tub? Does the rubberized coating provide much sound insulation? Bold move on the color choice. Looks really good, I have abuild in about the same phase as yours right now.

Keith

[dave_lucas]

Keith,

Just standard rubberized undercoating, it might make a minor difference in noise but not sure yet. In the past I have noticed it will cut down on the amount of noise when a rock gets flung off the tire and hits the metal.

More of a thud than a loud ping

And it gives the underside if the tub a finished look

[rgrrvr]

Yeah it looks good, I like it. That tub just seems so flimsy and thin that I think anything would help. I thought about Line X as an undercoat, they lay that on pretty thick.

[chris snell]

Dave, I just found this thread. Rebuild looks great. If you need help for a work weekend, let me know and I'll come up if I can.

[323jamie]

300tdi engine?