Long sought after 2A is safe at home

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Back in 2009-2010 I started a quest for something that has remained elusive to me until today. After at least four false starts where the target object slipped away due to interstate logistics or just wrong place at the wrong time. Missed out last second auction bids... yep worse that a television serial ... This afternoon with the help of Pop058; car trailer and TD5 Discovery the subject matter in the attached photographs arrived home. The photographs are of the pick-up. The light was failing when we arrived back home in Bundaberg.

Gee a totally stuck fast steering box certainly makes manoeuvring a vehicle onto the trailer an interesting event. The crab-wise stance on the trailer is proof of that. The unloading went off without any drama. A sling around the rear differential. The other end of the chain around a split post. Ramps down and drive the trailer forward. Four wheels squarely on the ground. The first job will be the steering that way it can be towed around to where I work on projects.

As Dinty wrote - now things are going to get very busy for you!

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

There are two other photographs which did not attach themselves properly. Attempt Number 2.

Kind regards
Lionel

[pop058]

Happy to help save another one. [thumbsupbig]

142290

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

So only a one photograph per message being able to load properly thing going on. ... Here is photograph No.3

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Seems things to do with photograph attachment are going amiss. Once loaded through the "Manage Attachments" the photographs themselves are not showing under the post - just their URL. Then when they are clicked on or hovered over it takes me to a dark place where nothing happens! Or it says I am not logged on.

Well it was a big day today. Tomorrow I have to go out and earn money to support my Land Rover habit. I think I will wrap it up for the night. Try posting up new "at home" photographs tomorrow.

Kind regards
Lionel

[OneOff]

Very exciting Lionel, what’s the plan?

[Lionelgee]

Very exciting Lionel, what’s the plan?

Hello OneOff,

Slow and steady :0)

Getting it functional again - not attempting to copy the late owner of Norma Jean's masterpiece of restoration.

Start with getting the steering operational; look to see what is missing in the engine bay; replace the firewall/bulkhead; replace the Front cross-member; brakes.... you know little stuff first ;0)

Kind regards
Lionel

[67hardtop]

Well done Lionel, another great land rover to play with. Good onya.

Cheers Rod

[gromit]

Looks like an interesting project.
But where does it fit in the pecking order with the other Land Rovers.....?


Colin

[Lionelgee]

Looks like an interesting project.
But where does it fit in the pecking order with the other Land Rovers.....?


Colin

Hello Colin,

Well - it is a long term project. If the search for it did not take 8-9 years and it was my first ever purchase, it would have been the one and only Land Rover purchase. The ambulance requires the most work of the repairable Land Rovers I have. It will be the personal reward vehicle. When I work on the other Land Rovers I get to work on the ambulance. It will be a project that requires patience and lots of planning.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

I had a close and more leisurely inspection of the ambulance after I got home from work today. I had some wins: the front and rear convoy lights were missing in action. I checked the draws inside the ambulance section and they were stored there. Also, a new nylon brake or clutch fluid reservoir still in a genuine Land Rover box.

The loss: I pulled the engine dipstick out and was greeted by a coating of yoghurt for the full depth of the sump.

Can someone please let me know where to find the engine number on the 2A engines? Thank you!

Kind regards
Lionel

[67hardtop]

Near the waterpump on the pass side of the engine.

[Salt grinder]

Guess that will keep you out of the pubs at night and away from stray women.

Well done and I'm sure your patience will be rewarded . . . eventually.

[Lionelgee]

Guess that will keep you out of the pubs at night and away from stray women.

Well done and I'm sure your patience will be rewarded . . . eventually.

Hello Salt Grinder,

It will get me out and about chasing parts like a replacement firewall! That is the plan for Friday - this month's RDO.

It will also involve catching up with other ambulance owners and finding out stuff to add to the "missing parts" list. Then trying to track these elusive parts down for my ambulance.

Oh, the thrill of the chase [biggrin]

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Today's effort identified possibly part of the issue with steering.

I disconnected the pitman arm off the steering box and the steering wheel was still locked solid. As in not a hair's breadth of movement.

Having a very - very rusty bulkhead makes getting the steering box cover off a task in itself. One side of the cover is eaten away along with a couple of nuts. I just have to get the side nut and bolt off and I will have the cover removed. After that I can get at the bolts that secure the steering column to the chassis.

I still have to check the steering relay. It could be rusted solid as well. Removing the steering relay will be next weekend's task.

Numerous drives along the beaches around the Sunshine coast and lack of maintenance from a previous owner has certainly made tasks "interesting". I have sprayed lanolin based penetration fluid copiously. None of this using a ratchet loosening off a nut and using your fingers to undo the last couple of threads. The nuts and bolts hang on tight and spanners have to be used until the very last thread is undone.

I will be buying lots of anti-seize when I put the vehicle back together again. It will make the strange term "regular maintenance"; some thing that has been sadly missing from the vehicle up to now, that much easier.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

During the long weekend I hooked up the trailer and went for a drive to spot near Rockhampton. I was very fortunate enough to pick up a replacement bulkhead.

There is some rust in the top of the compound curve in the driver's side A-pillar. The bulkhead also required some panel beating as one of its former owners must have lost a bit of patience during its removal. Still and all I am way-way-way in-front of the currently fitted, rusty, Swiss Cheese bulkhead.

The replacement bulkhead will require welding of the rust hole and a couple of tears in the metal around the tunnel recess fixed up. The bulkhead will then be sandblasted, primed and painted.

In other developments: a number of weeks ago I took the pitman arm off to see if the steering box was seized. Yes, it was. I will have a closer look at the steering relay to see if it too is seized solid.

I have a couple of Series 2A steering boxes and a number of Series 3 steering relays to work with. It will be good to be able to point the ambulance in the direction I would like it to travel along. Namely, steered out of the paddock where it came off the car trailer and have the ambulance manoeuvred closer to a shed.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Attached is a photograph of an apparently gutted heater or cooler unit that is fitted above the passenger side windscreen. Can any one identify what is missing from the main central part of the box?



Was this climate control unit a common fitting in the era? For example, were they fitted to other types of vehicles such as a bus?
Who made them?
Are they a locally produced component?
What are the component names that I am missing so I can start looking out for them?


It would be great to have the unit operational again - some day.

Kind regards
Lionel