New Acquisition

[Loubrey]

Hi All,

As of today I am the proud owner of VN 14380452, a 1958 Series 2 88 fitted with its original 2.0 liter engine #141802335.

The vehicle was found in Dumbleyung in the West Australian Wheatbelt region and it has just about no rust an is close to 100% complete. The engine is in fact so complete that it still has the original 1958 stamped alternator and condenser.

While not registered he's enough of a runner to have driven onto the car trailer by himself and at my home up the driveway into the garage where I plan to do a compromise between drivers and concourse refurbishment.

The strange ute cab in the first photo is a home made arrangement by the previous owner based on the sticks and hood set up around the cab. I have already removed it for disposal.

Cheers,

Lou

[SG1 Bones]

Looks like you got yourself an awesome find there. I look forward to seeing your progress, do you know any history bout it yet?

Nathan.

[Loubrey]

Hi Nathan,

Not much yet. When we checked out the pedigree while I was looking to buy, we did come across the VN# on Faulls' manifest (dealer in WA during the 50's, 60's and 70's).

The vehicle was used as a paddock basher (as many seem to do), but luckily wheat farming appears to have been significantly gentler than cattle farming, and retired about 10 to 20 odd years ago and left alone unmolested.

I hope the gurus here on AULRO can shake their magic beans and find a bit more about the car.

Cheers,

Lou

[Shortie]

[bigsmile]

[JDNSW]

........but luckily wheat farming appears to have been significantly gentler than cattle farming, ......

Wheat farms tend to be flat and tree-free, and a lot fewer gateways - fewer things to hit.

Looks like a marvellous find.

John

[Is Vic There]

Nice one, great find.

[MrLandy]

Beautiful. Now that's what I call patina. ... Please if you can, just focus on making her mechanically sweet, but don't touch the body. 😎

[cafe latte]

Sold my huge tipper truck today, now my shed is free, just dont tell the missus my plan :D
Great find, I will be following your progress now I have the space myself. And I told her no the caravan is not going in my shed!! :D
Chris

[Loubrey]

Beautiful. Now that's what I call patina. ... Please if you can, just focus on making her mechanically sweet, but don't touch the body. 😎

I'll do my best! :-) The interior will need a bit of TLC as the bulkhead and door frames' got quite a bit of surface rust inside the cab and yesterday I stripped the seat box back and there's quite a bit of bi-matallic corrosion between the seat runner/ rails and the aluminium.

There's some minor collision damage on the right rear corner with a small tear in the skin which would need a bit of proper repair.

Cheers,

Lou

[reachjatt]

Looks awesome !! There is something about those SWB Landy's . Every time i see one puts a big smile on my face:).

Regards,
Nav

[Mick_Marsh]

Great patina.
Give it a wash and put a soft top on it in winter.

[Loubrey]

So after a scrub and a gentle microfibre dust off he even looks better... :)

Cheers,

Lou

[MrLandy]

Wow fantastic Lou 😊 Enjoy!

[Loubrey]

Having spent the past few day dismantling and cleaning we have to date collated the following data on the car:

VIN: 14380452 (C.K.D R.H.D Export)
Engine: 141802335
Back Axle: 141800441
Front Axle: 141800386
Front Diff: A58/4062C
Gear Box: 141802400
Carburettor: LD58
Distributor: 3/58
Coil: 4/58
Starter: 4/58
Voltage Reg: 2/58
Dynamo: 1/63

So at this stage all looks to be original expect that Dynamo which got swapped for a genuine one some time in 1963...

I'll post the rest when I'm able to get to the rear diff as the original springs are a bit saggy.

Cheers,

Lou

[crackers]

You've got a dilemma haven't you. If you keep the exterior patina, you can't go putting a new interior in her... but I'm betting it's not real flash, especially the seats.

Have fun with her.

[Loubrey]

You've got a dilemma haven't you. If you keep the exterior patina, you can't go putting a new interior in her... but I'm betting it's not real flash, especially the seats.

Have fun with her.

It hasn't got an interior at all. The previous owner chopped the seat mountings off and looks like they used cushions or something to drive the car. At this stage I'm going to leave all the exterior paint and patina alone, but to make it drivable I will need to do an interior of some description. The seat box is just scuffed up with no fade or patina due to that truck cab thing they built. The door frames have started to rust, so I might paint the entire cabin south of the body capping and the the bulkhead needs some TLC as well. No deep rust, just wire brush stuff, but it will need sealing and painting to prevent losing it in the next 5 to 10 years. I'll also need to get some "close as possible to original" seats made up.

I've got all the sticks, so a hood will be on the cards for the Perth winter. We have a very active Series group over here and we go for a drive regular enough to keep fuel fresh and batteries ticking.

Cheers,

Lou

[digger]

The exterior is good.. wax it shine it drive it :)

Seats avail fro exmoor trim UK

But not cheap!

IF NEEDED YOU CAN REPLACE THE SEAT BRACKETS OR THE SEATBOX. IF YOU FIX THE RUST PAINT THAT AREA THE RIGHT COLOUR EVENTUALLY ITLL ALL FIT IN


NICE CAR

[Dark61]

nice looking vehicle.


well done.
cheers,
D

[Disco-tastic]

I reckon it would look fine with the patina exterior and a freshly painted semi gloss interior with new seats.

You could always do what some paint shops do for show cars and paint a "rust" coloured undercoat and then sand through the top coats in places to make it look similar. Probably too much effort tho :p

Cheers

Dan

[MrLandy]

I reckon it would look fine with the patina exterior and a freshly painted semi gloss interior with new seats.

Agreed. Go for red leather seats 😎

[Loubrey]

All the body sections behind the bulk head removed and the chassis inspection has revealed a little bit of rust. Not unexpected on a 57 year old vehicle and thankfully very isolated to the rear cross member.

The poly strip discs works really well to remove all surface rust and remaining paint without leaving as much as a swirl mark in the healthy steel. Clearly shows up where the cuts meed to be made as well to remove the creeping rust cancer...

Cheers,

Lou

[SG1 Bones]

Thanks Loubrey for sharing this adventure, I'm enjoying watching your progress and I look forward to see the finished product. The photos are great too.
Thanks

Nathan.

[Loubrey]

Having spent the past few day dismantling and cleaning we have to date collated the following data on the car:

VIN: 14380452 (C.K.D R.H.D Export)
Engine: 141802335
Back Axle: 141800441
Rear Diff: A58/1047RP2789
Front Axle: 141800386
Front Diff: A58/4062C
Gear Box: 141802400
Carburettor: LD58
Distributor: 3/58
Coil: 4/58
Starter: 4/58
Voltage Reg: 2/58
Dynamo: 1/63

So at this stage all looks to be original expect that Dynamo which got swapped for a genuine one some time in 1963...

I'll post the rest when I'm able to get to the rear diff as the original springs are a bit saggy.

Cheers,

Lou

Rear Diff number added to the list.

Cheers,

Lou

[russellrovers]

Rear Diff number added to the list.

Cheers,

Louhi 58 generator here regards jim

[Dark61]

Russell - where abouts are you mate? - you always seem to have everything in stock - I want to move in next door to you.
cheers,
D

[crackers]

Russell - where abouts are you mate? - you always seem to have everything in stock - I want to move in next door to you.
cheers,
D

He lives in a hole in the Time/Space continuum which is why his transport costs are so reasonable and why he can deliver the item just before you need it :twisted:

[numpty]

I'm with Disco_tastic.

Leave the outside (it looks great) and there's nothing wrong with a schmick interior along with the old outer. ;)

[Dark61]

He lives in a hole in the Time/Space continuum which is why his transport costs are so reasonable and why he can deliver the item just before you need it :twisted:


That's only gonna end badly according to my eldest grandkid who is a big Dr Who fan.
cheers,
D

[Loubrey]

hi 58 generator here regards jim

Hi Jim,

Thank you very much, I would certainly be interested.

Bit cash strapped at the moment though, so I'm milling ahead with the chassis and bulkhead refurbishment. Very labour intensive, but relatively low cost in the scheme of things.

Do you have some sort of stock list on any media (web page or list by e-mail) as I'm coming across the odd bit here and there that need replacing? I would like to avoid aftermarket for a long as I possibly can...

Cheers,

Lou

[crackers]

Bit cash strapped at the moment though, so I'm milling ahead with the chassis and bulkhead refurbishment. Very labour intensive, but relatively low cost in the scheme of things.

I hear you. That's whats going to drive my next flurry of efforts. :(

[Loubrey]

Some progress photos...

I started at the rear crossmember and working my way forward. Paint (surprisingly large amount left on the chassis) and rust stripping with poly pads so as not the damage healthy metal and then Septone rust converter on everything. I'm only surface cleaning the mechanical parts at this stage, but it should servicing them later be a significantly "cleaner" job.

White Knight Rust Guard primer will be next with a healthy curing period to make sure the primer's "bite" is good and solid. Bit of welding on the rear crossmember and everything will be topcoated in Rust-Oleum Satin Canyon Black to try and get back as close as possible to the original paint scheme.

Very lucky with no deep rust anywhere other than the rear crossmember. The bulkhead only has surface rust as in the pictures, so I should be able to get rid of that pretty well.

Cheers,

Lou

[Loubrey]

Progress update on my project...

I unfortunately found a bit more rust around the bulkhead and all good intentions to leave it in place has gone out the window. The plus side is that I'm in the process of giving the engine a really thorough clean and the project will generally be the better for it.

I do however need a bit of advice... I have found some rust in the top of the bulkhead vent recesses (under the old rotten rubber seal). Chassis repairs I'm familiar with, but could I possibly have some direction on tackling these. Apologies for the blurry photos, but the iPhone struggled a bit that close and the fading light.

Cheers,

Lou

[grey_ghost]

Hi Lou,

Could you use one of these - to repair the bulkhead?

Land Rover Defender Series Drivers Side Bulkhead Full Vent Repair Panel | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/LAND-ROVER-DEFENDER-SERIES-DRIVERS-SIDE-BULKHEAD-FULL-VENT-REPAIR-PANEL-/281740011110?hash=item4199036666:g:AiUAAOSwjVVVlpJ ~)

The seller sells both drivers and passenger side...

It might be the quickest way - cut out the old, weld in the new?

[Dark61]

Mate , get hold of Classic Land Rover Mag Issue 29 - there's an article on replacing the vent panel. Lots of good pics etc .


cheers,
D

[gromit]

Hi Lou,

Could you use one of these - to repair the bulkhead?

Land Rover Defender Series Drivers Side Bulkhead Full Vent Repair Panel | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/LAND-ROVER-DEFENDER-SERIES-DRIVERS-SIDE-BULKHEAD-FULL-VENT-REPAIR-PANEL-/281740011110?hash=item4199036666:g:AiUAAOSwjVVVlpJ ~)

The seller sells both drivers and passenger side...

It might be the quickest way - cut out the old, weld in the new?


Cheaper to buy direct ?

LAND ROVER BULKHEAD FULL TOP REPAIR PANEL RH (http://www.sp-4x4.com/product_p/toprh.htm)


Colin

[Loubrey]

Cheers Colin!

70 odd pound for both is a LOT less than I anticipated. The website says I need to contact them for a shipping quote and I would like to ask them if I can have them without powder coat...

Can't imagine welding, grinding and painting makes powered coat the best option or am I missing something here?

Cheers,

Lou

[Loubrey]

Some more progress photos... :)

The whole chassis has now been stripped down to shiny bare metal and a few small pitted areas rust treated.

Primer to all exposed surfaces and at least a week's curing before topcoat.

The dumb irons were packed solid with dirt (unsure how it all got in through those little holes! Sediment I suppose) and I ended up drilling two 22mm holes in the front cover plates to get it out. Good result on those as well as it appears to be pretty dry and steel integrity nice and solid. I'll treat the cavities and either close the holes up permanently or fit blanking grommets in order to maintain it.

The rear leafs are in pretty good condition and the local specialists should be able to recondition them for me. I'm not so sure on the fronts as the are pretty worn and the driver's side top leaf has to substantial cracks in it. I'm hoping they can be rebuilt, but I'm certainly not that knowledgeable about leaf springs and I'll have to rely on feedback from the specialists.

It turns out that all 4 shock absorbers are more than likely the original ones fitted 58 years ago, or at the very least Faulls' supplied "genuine" local content shock absorbers from the same period. They are pretty rusted, but they were finished in dark green with Armstrong Engineering and the patent number embossed on them. I'll keep them in storage for the moment in case they can be rebuilt for historic purposes.

The gearbox cross member is for all practical purposes cactus. The car being a 2.0 liter makes it pretty unique (a hybrid Series I and Series II 88" with all three workshop manuals referenced), so it looks like it might have to be a scratch build (unless anyone has a donor vehicle with an intact cross member and willing to surgically remove it and sell to me? :) )

Cheers,

Lou

[andy_d110]

What's the progress Loubrey?

Nice to see someone taking the time to restore a historic vehicle sympathetically, too much history is lost from the hands of over eager "restorers"

[Loubrey]

A bit of a progress update then. Finances have dictated progress to date and I'm a little behind where I would have like to be at this stage...:)

I have basically concentrated on the items that would be labour intensive and thus the rust removal and painting have continued.

In the last few days I have been able to place a substantial order for basically all the wear parts of the the two axles including some brake components. I hope it all arrives before the long weekend so I can get stuck in.

Cheers,

Lou

[Loubrey]

I've "discovered" a product called R-20 Rust Desolver at my local farmers mart. See the difference in the brake backing plates with the one spending 24 hours in the solution!

The last picture is the primed rear axle ready for top coat. Part of my order is the two pinion shaft seals to have a go at keeping the EP oil inside the diff... :)

The wheels in the background are the correct 5" wide steel wheels standard to an 88".

Cheers,

Lou

[SG1 Bones]

What's the chemical make up of the R-20? What was your reason for using that product?
Thanks
Nathan.

[Loubrey]

Hi Nathan,

I hate rust with a passion and I'm always on the lookout for products to vanquish the beast. I happened upon this stuff purely by accident and I bought a 1 liter bottle to try it out.

The results were mind boggling. It literally eats rust away like sandblasting would and it doesn't do anything to paint work as long as there is no rust under the paint. It pretty expensive at about $22/liter but it dilutes 1 to 5 so you end up with six liter of solution per liter product. You just soak it 24 to 48 hours and the jet wash brings it back to new looking steel.

Its Australian made, water based and apparently completely safe for the environment. It's a mild acid of sorts (see MSDS) and just about every steel part on my car is back to shiny metal before it gets primed.

http://www.ictproducts.com/r-20-corrsion-disolver.html

Cheers,

Lou

[harry]

how do they get away with a MSDS like that?
says it's acidic, but no mention of which acid?


looking at your picture of the brake backing plate and stub axle, did you separate those two parts when dunking in the acid?
the reason for my question is that if not separated there may still be acid working away between the parts.


there is also another insidious acid problem called hydrogen embrittlement, it causes things to fail.

[Loubrey]

Hi Harry,

The parts were all separated and washed in clean water using my Karcher jet wash.

The ph is higher than that of cleaning vinegar, so I'm happy that there would be no adverse effects. I've had an old bolt in a sealed container with the stuff in concentrated form for more than 4 weeks for just that reason, and it does nothing more than clean the rust off. I'm not advocating the product in any way, just reporting on outcomes.

I'm personally loving the results and all the parts have been cleaned, primed and top coated ready for rebuild.

The first of my three deliveries of wear and replacement part have arrived and I'm planning to spend the long weekend working towards having both axles ready to go back under the chassis.

Cheers,

Lou

[gavinwibrow]

Sent an email last night and received a response for Wa suppliers as below within 30 minutes.

How's that for Mario and Heather type service:banana:



You can get the R-20 From Atom Supply Henderson branch, Covs Parts, Auto Barn, Auto One.

Or you can order it in from filtersplus.co or Blackwoods.

If you are after the larger sizes Atom Supply and Filters Plus should have them in stock.

[Loubrey]

I got mine from the farmers coop (tractor parts etc) in Neerabup. Corner of Wanneroo Rd and Hester Ave.

Cheers,

Lou