Shonky's '58 Series II SWB

Shonky · #1 (**permalink**) 6th April 2008, 02:29 PM

Hi everyone!

Not too sure where I should put this... fordforums has a "projects" section which is always the first place I go when I log on!

It seems that we don't have that here, or alternately we do and I was just having a "boy look" as my mum would say... (If there isn't one, perhaps a suggestion for the site?

)

Anyway. Basically I am hoping to keep an ongoing diary of what I am doing to my old Landy in my quest to save her from the evil clutches of death. At present the situation is thus:

from my "Introduction" thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shonky

...I have a '58 Shorty with a 186 Red in it. I picked it about 5 years ago up off a horse stud near Singleton for just the right price! (Nothing) While I was there, the owner let me loose on an old IIA with the mandate of "anything you can break off that one you can keep".

The IIA was pretty shagged (beach truck) and I managed to get most of the worthwhile stuff off it. The body was maimed and the chassis was so rusted it almost wasn't there!

...I brought the Landy home when I was still at school (15) and it has spent most of its time sitting and waiting (and for a year or two there when it got evicted to the back lawn, rusting...) After I finished school I wasted my time and money on the evils of temptation and thus by the time I got back around to working on the poor old girl, I was a broke 19 year old student living out of home!

I'm now 20 and still very much broke, but recently have put a bit more thought into getting busy with it again.

So basically it is sitting in a shed at the moment, with the front left guard, breakfast/radiator, bonnet and doors removed looking very pitiful indeed...

As I said above, I am no expert and the aim of this restoration is to keep one more Landy on the road and almost more importantly, for me to LEARN!

THE PLAN:

I am planning to strip her down to bare chassis and do a complete rebuild. The firewall is showing some signs of rot so I will be seeking your advice on that tidbit specifically very shortly!

I am in two minds as to what I want to do. One option is to restore her, the other is to "repair" her so that it is working and adequately preserved for the future, but still rough enough that I don't feel guilty punting around in the bush.

At the moment I am thinking resto, and I can always buy another Landy to bush bash in... right?!

I am also in two minds about colours. The original colour was bronze green with a white roof and rear cab, although I am thinking of going the lighter green (name?) with white.

Like this:

Am also planning on reconditioning the 186 at the moment. i have a 2.25P in storage at Dad's house, but that is in Perth. :/ I think the 186 will do for now.

I am sure I will be on here quite a lot once I get going on it - This site is an incredible resource and I will be sure to tap into all of your knowledge and experience!

Pics? Will be up tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

Shonky · #2 (**permalink**) 7th April 2008, 10:17 AM

Pics as promised!

Note the flat rear tyres... I had to dismantle the wall in order to get the damn thing in the shed, and it was about 3" too tall! Didn't have the time to pull the roof off either...

Shonky · #3 (**permalink**) 7th April 2008, 10:23 AM

Some of you may be interested in this also:

Its a Fordson Major Diesel. Don't know the year but the engine was rebuilt in 1961 (according to a plate on the side...) so it is at least that old!

Lovely old tractor. Kicks over first time, every time and blows less smoke than our '96 Patrol. Brakes are nigh on nonexistant though...

Shonky · #4 (**permalink**) 16th April 2008, 09:58 AM

I went up to the farm on Monday and Tuesday and had a rather productive (albeit painful) two days of dismantling.

I have now denuded the beast of it's hardtop, tailgate, seats, windscreen and seatbelts.

I know none of those things are particularly hard to do, but being in a shed with very little head room above the roof, and also being largely on my own I thought it was a pretty solid effort.

The roof was fairly easy to do, although the bolts along the top of the windscreen were a little frustrating at times. Note that I have also removed the glass to lighten the load, as my dear old mum was the only one around to give me a hand lifting it off!

It looks weird without it's lid...

The tailgate and windscreen were of course too simple for words but the seatbelts... argh... whoever installed them did so with the nuts on the outside and didn't use bolts or nuts that afforded any level of corrosion resistance. I will have to grind them out at a later stage (no power in this shed

) In the meantime I had to just slash the belts. Oh well.

The seats weren't too bad but those split pins in the backs were horrible. The fact that it was fairly dark also didn't help.

With the windscreen off, the rust along the top of the firewall that I had been valiantly trying to pretend wasn't there, became painfully obvious.

(sorry about the pics - low MP camera and crap light)

Mind you, I don't think it matters anyway... my firewall is swiss cheese. Methinks I need a new one.

A bit like my rear crossmember:

Shonky · #5 (**permalink**) 16th April 2008, 01:17 PM

Thanks NM!

Yes, I noticed the project section this morning... Domestic blindness. :P

It's a learner's attempt at a serious resto - which is half the fun!

I was planning on getting a rear member from Four Wheel Drives in Melbourne, but I'm still sussing out where I can find a firewall from, or if I can fix it myself (after I buy another welder. And move it into a shed with power... hmm...)

The truck is located near Capertee/Glen Davis (about 1hr North West of Lithgow - towards Mudgee) and I live in Sydney (Baulkham Hills) during the week for work and study reasons.

It's very frustrating! Sometimes I come home from work and all I want to do is have a tinker but I can't!

If you wouldn't mind, could you move my post into the Projects/Tutorials section?

Thanks for the post too. It's always good to know that I'm not just posting this for me to re-read!

Shonky · #6 (**permalink**) 16th April 2008, 01:38 PM

Some of you may be wondering why the entire front end has been removed, except for the Left wing. Well the answer is quite simple. I can't get the blasted thing off!

I can reach the bolts with an extension socket but it feels like the captive nuts are no longer captive (it just spins incessantly). Because they are inside the firewall I'm not sure how I can get them out (short of putting the grinder through the door pillar

).

Any suggestions?!

olmate · #7 (**permalink**) 16th April 2008, 08:02 PM

Mate, you have a serious project there. I am sure that you will enjoy it though and, when it starts to look like the 'other one' in the picture, you will be very happy. Always glad to see someone else keeping the old series vehicles going

My Dad has a Fordson tractor just like that. It doesn't do too much work these days but it does still cut timber and drag things around his paddock when needed. They are a great old work horse.

Shonky · #8 (**permalink**) 16th April 2008, 08:55 PM

Thanks Troy!

You may have noticed the LRM sticker on the windscreen in some of the photos. That sticker I think came with the first LRM Mag I ever got - which featured your old Landy! I had just got my old girl at that stage and your story was a great inspiration to me! I was reading it just a few weeks ago when brushing up in preparation for getting properly stuck into the resto for the first time, and it served to once again reinspire me.

It's a small world, isn't it.

The 'Major is certainly a keen worker. When I have time I will have to do some digging into IT'S history! As I said its a lovely old trackie. Just does everything it's told (except braking! :O)

Newbs-IIA · #9 (**permalink**) 17th April 2008, 12:06 AM

Great project ya got there - second the new welder, dunno if you have checked the chassi but if the rear crossmember is the way it is (alot like my IIA) there is a good chance that the chassi, especially around gearbox crossmember and rear spring hanger mounts will need surgery to remove some serious cancer - again like mine..... it's all part of the fun though

Lotz-A-Landies · #10 (**permalink**) 17th April 2008, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shonky

... but I'm still sussing out where I can find a firewall from, or if I can fix it myself (after I buy another welder. And move it into a shed with power... hmm...)

The truck is located near Capertee/Glen Davis (about 1hr North West of Lithgow - towards Mudgee) and I live in Sydney (Baulkham Hills) during the week for work and study reasons.

Shonky

You'll have a great time there, regarding the firewall you can use one from any S2/s2a up to 1967. Couple of places you should keep your eyes on for 2nd hand parts: Land Vehicle Spares out at Silverdale and Hilton Pollard up at Colo Heights. Although that said, try west of the Blue Mountains because the rust is less on that side. Give "Master Chief" a PM, he often knows where to find them.

Also JohnE, he recently bought some stuff from Bathurst, maybe there is still a good firewall out there at the wrecker where he got the S3 from, there were a few in the yard.

C Ya
Diana

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The Following User Says Thank You to Shonky For This Useful Post:
olmate (17th April 2008)

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Shonky (17th April 2008)