The Rover-Landers of BC

About a year ago my son and I bought an old Series II with the intention to restore it. We had gone up into the bush offroading and on our way back, my son spotted it under a tarp.

https://i.imgur.com/V2Q01Tul.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6UUEuDXl.jpg

We brought it home and began to tear it down

https://i.imgur.com/OZXOlIMl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pRipf6ml.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5izIObSl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ywOVhuOl.jpg

Giving the frame a good wash inside and out

https://i.imgur.com/OM1LU6pl.jpg

The engine and brakes were seized and it didn't shift into third or fourth, we tried quite hard to get it started. Dragging it around the farmyard.

https://i.imgur.com/7nIGcMkl.jpg

Surprisingly, the pillars of the bulkhead were in immaculate condition, but the footwells were rotten. There was also the fact that somebody had chopped a massive hole in the firewall for a Chevy Master cylinder.

https://i.imgur.com/quuIancl.jpg

What was once thought to be a solid frame turned out to be quite rotten. The rear cross member had already been replaced with the C-Channel Special. After giving it a good sandblasting we discovered that a lot of the frame rail was rotten.

https://i.imgur.com/eBUuq2ml.jpg

Dreaming of a running Rover we had a look around for other vehicles. Like this 88.

https://i.imgur.com/VNP2mx9l.jpg

We decided we'd rather have a 109 for working on the farm, so we made the trip up to Lillooet for Michael Kennedy's 109 project he'd had for 20 years, but had just bought a 110. This new truck came with brand new parabolics, a tub without any dents, a repaired bulkhead, painted doors, and a bunch of other bits and bolts.

https://i.imgur.com/g2M4uhhl.jpg


That's pretty much where the project is now. We have done some repairs to the frame and they are 60% complete before we have a solid foundation.

https://i.imgur.com/naznleZl.jpg

We've begun rebuilding the front axle as well, the diff seemed almost brand new. All that was needed was to renew the front pinion seal.
https://i.imgur.com/teGJsUMl.jpg
All the other bits of the axle are repainted, so we will get that put back together in the next few days, then start on the rear one!

Are the photos visible?

obalme wrote:Are the photos visible?

I can't see them.

Same problem here.

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How about now?

Much better!

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Wasn't my 88 in the pictures, I wish I had time to tear her down and put her back together properly lol but she's still in one piece needing footwells and suspension mounts...AND I've found ou the rear cross member was previously welded into the wrong place and that's why my tub wont fit lol. So I'm rebuilding the engine in my other rover haha.

Great looking project! Is the new frame a station wagon frame? I think I can see the 2 raised pillars which hold the rear tub of a station wagon. If so, you'll need to remove them to fit your 109 full tub.

Matt

Thanks Matt, will double check to make sure the frames match.

Josh, I will amend my post

Had another look at the pictures, I think I'm mistaken the frames look the same.

Matt

Instead of working on the axles, we did some more welding on the frame. The front suspension bushings had a hairline crack around them so we fish plated around them to fix that.

After spending quite a long time trying to pull the relay out the top, we realized it would've never come out.

Somebody had decided to weld it in...

So we had to remove the front cross-member


We welded on a bar to keep the frame rails in place.

https://i.imgur.com/u5eXD5nl.jpg

Then took the torch to it.

https://i.imgur.com/qKceRcJl.jpg

New One ready to be welded in place

https://i.imgur.com/AEZyedrl.jpg

If you look closely, you can see a small weld.

https://i.imgur.com/FFU2svAl.jpg

It's funny, because the relay on the other frame came out really easy.

obalme wrote:Thanks Matt, will double check to make sure the frames match.

Josh, I will amend my post

No worries mate, just don't want to take credit for something I didn't do haha


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Got some work done on the axle's swivels yesterday.
https://i.imgur.com/yRheiTLl.jpg

Today, we pretty much finished all of the repairs on the frame.

https://i.imgur.com/4IAC3Sxl.jpg

Test fitting a bulkhead
https://i.imgur.com/xRr1Pkkl.jpg

We also patched a few holes in the rear crossmember. But I forgot to take photos.

I now have to deal with the final frame repair. The shock absorber mounts are extremely worn out. Someone must've forgot to change the bushings on their shocks.

https://i.imgur.com/guTWvKVl.jpg

It is like this on both sides, is there a replacement part available or do I need to fabricate my own? We have the old ones.

You could just cut off the stubs and drill and tap for a grade 8 bolt.
Eric.

That sounds like a good idea, I'd rather not fiddle around trying to make my own.

Isn't that the way they're mounted to the Defenders?

Got some more work done over the weekend.
Put in new outer wheel bearings and stub axle races
https://i.imgur.com/8vNQfgMl.jpg

Rebuilt the front halfshafts with new UJs, distance pieces, bearing races and seal races. It all went back together quite easily with a 30 ton shop press.
https://i.imgur.com/uS8CoWOl.jpg

Since now I'm waiting for more brake parts progress on the front axle has been halted, so I began taking apart the rear one.

Found an old piece of oily paper inside the hubcap, maybe to prevent oil getting out?
https://i.imgur.com/s28Suj2l.jpg

Also some writing on a halfshaft I can't decipher
https://i.imgur.com/vHTAuKxl.jpg?1
All the rear halfshafts
https://i.imgur.com/Wb9dom6l.jpg

I pulled the left side halfshaft out and it looked as if someone had chopped a little bit off the end, so I pulled the one from the donor axle, and it looked brand new! The lower one looks like someone took the grinder to it to make it fit.
https://i.imgur.com/z3Vmzgll.jpg

Looking like good forward progress .....

I once had a bunch of old Series Parts from Australia marked in boxes from Dufor Automotive. They were a company that made Series parts way back in the good old days.
I wonder if the first word written on you diff shaft is "DUFOR"?

-Keep up the good work...
Andy

That seems to be correct. It looks like "DUFOR" then a part number.

Not much forward progress over the past few months, got the rear axle taken apart, just need the time to put it back together. Picked up a Chassis from Bern, it's in really good condition, but was modified to fit a Station Wagon, so I'll have to chop off some of the brackets and weld new ones in, The rear crossmember is a little bent and battered in some places so I'll replace that with the one I have now. After a quick inspection this frame seems really solid! It's been undercoated, if I break some of it off it reveals some nice gloss black paint, which may be original. The outriggers for the gas tanks are slightly bent so they need beaten back into their correct positions.

I'm wondering whether it would be worth Galvanizing?

Not much progress over the summer. Mostly fixed boats and messed about at work. Never had the time but I'll hopefully find some more. I did get the rear axle refurbished with new seals and brakes. The drums were too far out of spec so they were replaced with new ones. The front axle needs brakes and the hubs reassembled. Then I'll have good axles but no solid chassis to put them under...

The issue I'm facing now is removing the old undercoating. My strategy right now is to use a Tiger torch and heat it up so it just sort of melts off. The frame just seems to be coated in tar. Is it even worth removing? Becuase underneath it is fresh paint so can I get away with just repainting the parts without the undercoating or should I spend a week taking it off? If it doesn't come off now it never will is my thought on it.
https://i.imgur.com/tBqN3Hzl.jpg

I did discover a small crack in the frame underneath the body outrigger but it isn't from rust, most likely military abuse. The fuel tank outrigger will need replacing because it is bent very badly. The rear cross member has a dent in it which will need sorting. I have a new cross member but this one is held on so well I am afraid it will never be as strong as the original.
https://i.imgur.com/atNaNnXl.jpg

On the subject of previous posts and their unviewable photos. When I find the time I'll switch all the photos over to a different hosting site that isn't Photobucket. I reckon they're doing this because people only use them for this photo linking feature nowadays. If you are using Google Chrome there is an extension you can download that bypasses this feature and makes all the old photos visible again. I'm quite annoyed by their decision.

Hi Colin,

Good to see that progress is continuing...
It looks like it has had a good coating of thick underseal. Depending on how far you want to go, its probably best to remove it all as some sections may be hiding something you cant see. (rust / cracks / bad welds etc) On saying that, a lot depends on what you plan to do with it once complete. Another approach would be to give it a good high pressure power washing and then recoat the bare sections with a similar type of under coating.
I have a spare Series 2/3 chassis outrigger that the previous owner must of purchased before realising that Series 1's are different. Your welcome to it if its the correct one that you need. It is a right hand (passenger side) out rigger. I can email you a photo if your interested so you can compare.

Cheers,
Andy

Thanks for the input Andy, I think I'll pressure wash it and see how it turns out. I may be interested in the outrigger, does it have a plate around it or is it just the outrigger?

It does have plates on each side to assist with welding to the chassis...kind of like this one;

ANDYD wrote:It does have plates on each side to assist with welding to the chassis...kind of like this one;

Hi Andy, I don't think that's the one I need but thank you for the offer. My bulkhead outriggers are very solid on this frame.

Got the front brakes assembled with the help of Victor, I told him there was lucky so he even got there early!

We had a bit of trouble in the beginning because the shoe never wanted to stay in place. One of us had to try and hold the shoe while the other used the fancy tool that looks like a modified screwdriver. I thought there must've been a better way so I went and grabbed the clamps we use for welding and clamped the shoe to the backing plate. I think this method should be adopted by the Haynes Manual, because I don't think they tell you how to do it at all!

https://i.imgur.com/aBDVEU4l.jpg?1

In the next few days I'll get the hubs on and make 2 good freewheeling hubs out of the 4 alright ones I have lying around. After that the next step is to get a chassis to put over these axles.