The creepy coupe

[buffaroo]

Sorry for anyone who's seen it before, only found this section a couple of days back. And im loving all the mod's done on the trucks. Here's my truck in june 2010, hadnt been on the road for three year's. The brakes weren't great, clutch was stuck and it didnt run. Doors were pretty bad, the body style terrible. But it did come with a winch and was cheap for a 101.

[buffaroo]

Chassis was in good condition other than a little surface rust, took two days of scraping off the military under seal to find it.

[buffaroo]

Used POR 15 paint and metal prep on the chassis, it turned satin once it had dried. Then put wax oil over the top for added protection

[buffaroo]

Three weeks later all mot'd and off to a festival. I'd fitted an LPG kit, but had a few issues switching to petrol. It rained a lot, but inside was warm and dry

[Sitec]

Looks like there's loads of room inside... Has it still got the larger roof on it now?

[Mick_Marsh]

Creepy Coupe. That sounds familiar.

[buffaroo]

Named after the weird looking vehicle from the wacky races cartoon.

[Mick_Marsh]

And seen on another forum.

[buffaroo]

This is true. After the summer was over i gutted the inside, not a lot of structure under the tongue and groove wood.

[buffaroo]

Fitted a 3.9 engine with help from a friend, then two days after took a grinder to the body. Once id undone the 500 rivet bolts.

[buffaroo]

Trimmed the three 40mm hoops to the height of the tops of the door bottom's, then got to work with some 20mm box section.

[buffaroo]

Then got to work with some 2mm alloy sheet, trim to size clamp in place, drill holes for the rivets. Take it all off, apply sealant the rivet it all in place.

[buffaroo]

Clad the roof, then threw a couple of coats of paint on it before the mot. Two days later set off for a festival, but over heated in the queue in. Then couldnt start again due to the makeshift fuel tank sucking in air, ended up with a flat battery also. Luckily another club member was there to give me a bump start on the monday morning.

[buffaroo]

Had some extreme quotes on prices for the canvas roof sides (£495-£80) But finally found someone to do it for £120. Needed a few tweeks, but has proved to be watertight and taught enough not to flap around in the wind.

[Sitec]

The new Hard Top looks great! I didn't realise it was a pop top until the last pic!! I still want to. Jilden another for mine, but if SWMBO has her way, that won't be happening any time soon!! :D

[buffaroo]

Thank you, but im now starting to get cummins envy :D
Back to the drama of the temporary jerry can fuel tank, the original tank decided to start leaking when i was half way through making the body in the shed. Thought i was being clever by soaking an old duvet in water and putting it over the tank, as i was welding directly over the top of it. But the water just diluted the petrol :eek: after a short mexican dance, i managed to put the flames out. As funds were very short by now and i was running on LPG, decided to make a new half size tank out of 3mm steel as i could weld it with blowing holes in it. Used the original fitting's off the old tank, then used the side of the old tank as a cover. At some point i'll make a tool box to go beside it.

[buffaroo]

The interior is pretty basic, but function able. Lined in painted 5mm ply, with various brackets for the camping stuff to fit in. Have started to fit the back end with some tread plate for protection when im carrying stuff.

[buffaroo]

Mmm V8's Lovely thing's arent they, but mpg has always been the issue for me. I know LPG is great and makes running them a little more affordable, but ive been caught out a few times with starting problems when hot, pipes freezing and finding a garage that doesnt involve a 20 mile round trip to fill up. Throw into that a cracked exhaust manifold and maybe a new rad, the thought's of a diesel engine was always on the back boiler. In the end i settled on a 300tdi and r380 box, but would have been happy with the 200 and lt77 also. Some people had done the conversion, but were a little cagey on the info of it all. So spent time measuring friends discovery's then the 101 to work it all out. Theres a few issues in changing over but nothing that some bent metal bracket's and hoses cant sort out. Took a week to complete and drive home from a friends, then another three weeks to make it drivable.

[roobar_and_custard]

That's a great looking truck, and becoming really practical. Any "big" trip plans for it?

It would be interesting to see more info the the 300tdi/r380 conversion, as this is the place to share without being judged.

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who want to do the same.

[Sitec]

I'd say that's fairly quick with an engine conversion! I'm curious tho.. What are the alli extensions all about next to the seats? I'd have thought a Tdi should fit under the original covers.. The Cummins does... But only just! I've got about 20mm clearance!! Economy wise, you'd be getting double what the V8 would have done...? :D

[buffaroo]

Yes all the little cover's, to be honest the engine could have done with being an inch lower. I could have crammed it all in, but wanted to have room to get to anything easily as the header tank and fuel filter is all under there. And is easy to get to from the rear cover, without taking the gearbox cover up (as it normally has a discovery rear seat over the top of it) The triangularly bit on the gearbox cover is for the gear lever movement. I could have also shortened the R380 gear lever, but still would have ended up having to making a tunnel for the gear arm. So left it all standard as possible, for ease of replacement. MPG wise, on a run with four people and camping stuff filled to the roof. it'll still do 24mpg.

[Sitec]

MPG wise, on a run with four people and camping stuff filled to the roof. it'll still do 24mpg.

You've gotta be happy with that, especially with the size and weight of an aerodynamic 101!! ;)
As for room under the cover, yeah... about that. You're going to be struggling to see the floor with mine!!! :D. I set it up on timber resting across the front springs.. Using the hoist I was able to set the sump up at the same distance from the front axle as the bump stop clearance. Then as the third leaf went in it gave me 15mm clearance again... which happened to be 20 mm below the engine cover.
At some point I'll find a Tdi powered 101 to test drive, as Im curious to see how they go. There is a Td5 powered one over here in Melbourne too.. Sadly tho the owner is not on here. One of the ones I looked at originally was Tdi powered, but not as straight as the one I ended up buying.. :)

[Mick_Marsh]

There is a Td5 powered one over here in Melbourne too. Sadly tho the owner is not on here.
He is not on the forum but he does read it.

[buffaroo]

Yeah the tdi is kind of wider in the bottom than the V8 due to the pump, so that bit was tight fit. Im happy with the performance after tweaking the pump a little and fitting the biggest intercooler that would fit in front of the rad. At the moment im running just on the rear prop, as ive put in a 4.7 diff in. The old 3.9/LT95 would give me 60mph at 3000 revs, were as the tdi does 60mph at just under 3,500 rev's. This is with the normal disco 1.2 ratio R230. I knew there could be a trade off gearing wise. Obviously the speedo's not reading correctly anymore, but im finding it easier keeping up with traffic at reduced rev's. It feel's more like my old 110 now to drive gearing wise. It was a bit hectic fitting the engine at my friends place, he helped me with the lifting etc. But then kind of left me to it, I tried to make as much up before i got there. I'd already made new rad/intercooler mounts up, that needed tweaking a little. The gearbox mount's i made on the spot out of 6mm steel, due to them being longer etc.

[buffaroo]

I wanted an awning for camping, and looked at all the normal type's. But decided in the end due to costs and seeing nothing i liked to make my own. The frame is made from ten pieces of 20x20 box that slots together, attaches to the side of the land rover by slotting into land rover hood staples. Then the canvas zips onto it. Takes 5 minutes or less to put up.

[buffaroo]

Finally got around to putting the 4.7 diff in the front axle, now getting 60mph at just over 3000 revs. Its all feeling a lot smoother now. Changed the leaking steering damper at the same time.

[Sitec]

4.7's transform a 101. I was told that a V8 wouldn't pull them, but they do, and well! :) Ran 3.5's in mine briefly with the V8... before the diesel went in.. That was amusing! :D

[p38arover]

This is true. After the summer was over i gutted the inside, not a lot of structure under the tongue and groove wood.

But you found a dog inside! :D

[buffaroo]

4.7's transform a 101. I was told that a V8 wouldn't pull them, but they do, and well! :) Ran 3.5's in mine briefly with the V8... before the diesel went in.. That was amusing! :D

What are you running in your's now Simon 4.7's ?

[Sitec]

Hi again. No, I'm still running 3.54's. I was originally going to run 4.7's but once I saw that the gears in a 1.222:1 transfer case were wider than those in the 1.003:1, I thought I'd use a 1.222:1 box, with a one piece Ashcroft cross in the center diff. It also gave me the option of up gearing if needed... Needless to say, it doesn't..!! Mine cruises happily at 60mph and 70mph, and will get up to 85/90mph... All starts to get a little scary at these speeds tho!! :D! I'm also getting 11.5 litres per 100km which I believe to be around 24/25mpg.. :)

[buffaroo]

Still good mpg figures, im not as brave as you. Would want to go over 75 mph myself :eek:

[buffaroo]

Changed the leaking top seal on the power steering box last week, never thought about how much crap gets thrown over the box before, so though a guard would be a good idea

[buffaroo]

Been meaning to do this for a while. Fitted a swirl pot today with a spare inline pump i had. Have found on long hills or when the tank was less than half full, the engine would pick up air. So this will give me a constant 1.5 litre supply

[Sitec]

Hi. Im surprised it was pulling air. The 101's original tank has a decent catch plate located just in front of the fuel pick up point. I'd be checking that the pick up line reaches the bottom of the tank. Swirl pot should cure it tho.

[buffaroo]

I'm running a half size tank, without a plate inside. Made it when I was still running the V8/LPG. But it's big enough for my needs and has no rust. Will see how low I can run it now, think original tank wouldn't pick up less than 1/4 tank.