I have a CFS/Workmate primed with his GoPro! It has to be sooner rather than later as Melrose is getting ever closer! :)
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I'd love to have the time and energy too, but I know it'd never be worth it as it'd be a costly kit... Engine mounts, chassis mounts, modified sump and pick up, transfer case gear and plate, exhaust, bespoke props, rad mods, fan hub and adaption boss, inlet manifold... The list goes on.. :D As for the skills... Well, sometimes I wonder if they are there too... The sump that I rotated, modified the pick up pipe and refitted using a new gasket.... Well, that came back off a few days ago! Someone forgot he was going to have to cut a bit out for front prop clearance!! Oops!! Anyway, here it is sporting it's new 'dent' to clear the front prop!
Here's the new gearbox x member in place. I had planned originally to leave the original in place, and use the LT95 handbrake assembly/drum etc, but on closer inspection, there was no way it was going to fit on the back of an LT230.. With the larger drum on the LT 230, either the gearbox had to be really low to clear it or a new cross member had to happen.... so it did! This one will suit my transfer case support mount as well.
Spot the new metalwork!!!
You're probably right about conversion kits, there's enough work involved you wouldn't be able to make it worthwhile without the whole lot costing thousands.
A set of drawings of everything that needs to be made, where it needs to be welded into the truck and a list of parts required for the job made available on a CD so people can build their own and charged out at $50 would be an easier way to go.
Saying that, I doubt there's enough people in the world wanting to do the same as you'd make enough to retire on...
Si, that looks blooming tidy fella! same location just one piece and higher?
Hi Spongie. Yup, exactly the same place, the top is flush with the top of the chassis, and the underside of it is 100mm down, giving enough room for the larger handbrake drum to sit underneath it. I've used a piece of 100 x 100 x3 RHS as this matched the width of the old x member and is exactly half the 200mm depth of the chassis rails. The two plates you can see are to carry the rear of the transfer case. I'll be using an M14 bolt and two poly bushes that are pushed into a piece of tube that will be located using the top 2bolts on the transfer case PTO cover. Might even make a fresh plate with the mount as part of it yet.. (Time dependant!)
Laughable that your crossmember looks better than the factory job
Mmmmmm, I'll be restoring mine before I'd be making chassis's... That said, of all the Land Rover Chassis produced, the 101's would be the easiest to replicate! So, the paint gun came out and the engine is now all a Massy/Agco grey! At least it looks half respectable now!! Got the gear back too... (Pic in the ZF5-42 to LT230 thread in projects!) Very happy, and so was the guy who did it.. Said it welded beautifully! We'll see.... :D
Similar colour to the Cummins Charcoal which always looked good - nice job, very smart.:)