"Snowy" January 1993 Defender 110 Tray Back Ute

Hello All,

I took a variety of grinders and sanders to Snowy's driver's side footwell this afternoon. There was a fair bit of surface rust along the seams. Also some pock type rust on the plate just above the joint between the horizontal floor and the first section of where the sheetmetal angles back to form the footwell that extends behind the control pedals.

The only rust hole that went all the way through the metal's thickness was on the driver's side of the cover that sit behinds the bell housing. At least that will be easy to unbolt and repair on a workbench. So I reckon I am pretty lucky with the rust in Snowy. I must have caught things just in time.

Kind regards
Lionel

Hello All,

Well, after running down a last minute opportunity for a chassis that is good condition, the seller suddenly stopped responding to my Marketplace Messages.

So, after that waste of time, I decided to bite the bullet and I booked Snowy into the Coolum-based specialist chassis repairers. Snowy is booked in for their first available slot. This turns out to be late March 2024. The deposit has been paid. The finished job will come with a Queensland Department of Transport and Main Road compliance plate for the modifications to the chassis. The damaged area will be plated after the cracks have been been repaired. The outcome will be a roadworthy repair. A repair that has been described as being stronger than original chassis was when it left the factory in Solihull. Or wherever Land Rover Defender 110s were made back in 1993.

A brief check-list ...

• The chassis repairs and modifications are locked in for next year.
• I am working on finding a solution for getting Snowy's seats up to roadworthy condition now.
• I just have to remove Snowy's tray and pressure clean the whole chassis prior to delivering Snowy to the chassis people. It will be a good time to replace the tray's floor.
• I also have March to work on Snowy's brakes. Replace the front brake callipers and pads. Then unbolt the rear drum brakes and install the KLR Perentie Disc Brake Conversion kit, so I will have disc brakes on each corner of Snowy.
• Plus, fit the replacement door latches that have been sitting on a shelf in my shed since 2020.
• Make sure all the lights and switches work... Extend the wiring in the head and indicator lights so I do not need the hands of a midwife to reach various plugs and junctions while attempting to severe limbs on metal flanges. Basically my adjusting the wiring so it is convenient to reach and work on in the future. Find out why the rear left indicator comes on after it has rained even with the ignition turned off and the key removed?
• Get the heater core pressure tested for possible leaks. Then refit
• buy and fit a battery tray.

After all of the above is done and dusted, I will get a new front windscreen installed and then get Snowy inspected by a mobile roadworthy mechanic to see what else needs to be done to get Snowy back on the roads again - legally. It will be a preliminary roadworthy without being issued an breaches. It will provide me with a 'to do' list that I can work from.

Kind regards
Lionel

Hello All,

It is funny the things you miss until you need to work on something. Yesterday, I realised that Snowy should have a lever and a case to allow the driver's seat to back to pivot forward and back again into the upright position. The passenger side has one of these tilting components. So lucky me!

According to the diagram kindly provided by LR Workshop in the UK - accessed 6th December from Front - With Head Restraint - From AA277964 To DA314040 - Find Land Rover parts at LR Workshop. Snowy is missing the following parts...

MUC8754 - Handle - Seat Tipping Mechanism
MWC7636 RH, Plate-front seat recline mechanism cover

These are the only parts that I can see shown on the diagram. However, when I looked up each part they are only:
MUC8754 the rubber tip to the tilt lever itself.
MWC7636 is the Right Front Seat Recliner Mechanism's Cover only.

I cannot find a parts number for the metal tilting lever itself or anything else the lever connects to so the seat back releases and tilts. There must be either be a different diagram for these parts or the supplied diagram does not show the lever.

Does anyone have any ideas. Just having a rubber lever tip and a nice empty plastic case will not cut the mustard.

Yes - V8Ian, I will post a photograph of what Snowy's driver seat level assembly - or lack thereof, looks like - tomorrow after the sun has returned to the sky.

Kind regards
Lionel

*There is no individual part for the handle itself, the mechanism is part of the vertical seat frame.
*MUC8754 is a plastic cap that goes over the metal handle and commonly falls off on Defenders.

*I suspect the metal handle has broken off at some point in its life.

Hello All,

Thank you Dazza for the reply about Snowy's seats.

Here is an opportunity to play ...'spot the difference'.

Kind regards
Lionel

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello All,

Thank you Dazza for the reply about Snowy's seats.

Here is an opportunity to play ...'spot the difference'.

Kind regards
Lionel

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From where I am sitting there is no difference, they are both ****ed [tonguewink]

Have you contacted British Offroad (north of Brissy) surely they have some decent pre-2007 Defender seats.
You seem hell bent on spending way too much time on them fairly worn out seats.

Or Gold City in Gympie, they're closer to you, Lionel.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by V8Ian

Or Gold City in Gympie, they're closer to you, Lionel.

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Hello Ian & Dazza,

I am collaborating with a possibly even more local source. [bigsmile1]

Hello Dazza, those seats sure are a gift that keeps on giving.

Kind regards
Lionel

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello Dazza, those seats sure are a gift that keeps on giving.

Kind regards
Lionel

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Yeah they are, it's driving me nuts!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DazzaTD5

Yeah they are, it's driving me nuts!

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Hello Dazza,

Well just to make things more interesting - the front of the driver's seat base where the top sheet metal meets the pipe frame of the seat base - the welds are all cracked.

I have not checked the passenger seat yet for whether it is cracked to. I try to ration such good news in small proportions.

Weeeee


Kind regards
Lionel