The building of "Mongrel"

[Andy-M]

Hi all.

I thought I would start a restoration thread on the building of Mongrel. It won't be a true restoration, but the building of a bitza which will become a daily driver.

Mongrel is an early series 2A diesel 5 door 109". She has a galvo chassis and is rumoured to be ex RAN (this cannot be confirmed, there is no millitary gear on her) her chassis number is 27800214, the suffix letter is not readable. The engine is a 1980, number 90687302C, the box is a S3 number 90434180B. She has a strengthened front diff and a Salisbury under the back.

The body is O/K, but has multi layers of paint, with the top layer looking as though it was painted with a mop. The firewall is from a 1958 that is rusted beyond reasonable repair :(.

The plan is to make her straightish with gunmetal grey paintwork, early Rangie seats will be put in the front (they have all the seat belt mounts built into the seats). I hope it will be my budget Defender with old style class when finished ;).

The donor vehicle is a 1970 109" grey S2A ute, chassis number 25334821G. The chassis is rusted but it has a great firewall and other good parts (including a heater:D). I hope to end up with enough spare parts to enable me to build up a S2A 88" when I find one (SWMBO does not know about the 88" plans).

With the double up of some parts I hope to be able to restore them and swap them over when they are painted. Mongrel will be registered in the short term and be a daily driver.

Here are some pics of Mongrel and the grey donor.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/05/431.jpg


The donor dash is in good nick for its age

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/05/432.jpg


The tub is a bit rough, might make a good trailer though

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/05/433.jpg


Great make shift spring hangers

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/05/434.jpg


Mongrel in one piece still

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee144/Andy-M10/Image013.jpg


I will keep up the progress reports now I have started the thread, thanks to all the help and advise I have received so far.

Phoenix I will PM you pics of spare parts as I dismantle them, there mabey something usefull.


Cheers Andy.

[Mick-Kelly]

Nice wagon, one of the landy mags did a feature on series 2's a few years ago and it had a grey wagon as the main star. I loved the look of the wagon then it just reeks class. Especially with the glossy grey paint. Good luck on the rebuild and i love the suspension feature :p

[Sleepy]

Great looking vehicle Andy. Looks like you have the basis for a fine SIIa

Love the outrigger.;) Atleast an attempt was made to fix it.

I have a matching outrigger on my 109:D:D:D:eek:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/05/388.jpg (http://www.aulro.com/app/showphoto.php/photo/9792)

Keep the info and photos coming. I'll be watching with interest.

[Phoenix]

Looking good! Should be a bonanza of parts. You can bet that there will be a few bits that i'll be interested in ;)

Heck, I can already think of a few!!

[Shonky]

Looks like a great project Andy!

I would really like to do something similar one day. I like your concept of a "budget Defender" as opposed to a rivet-counting restoration.

I have been thinking of doing something similar (was thinking SIII wagon / diesel in sandstone) after I have finished my SII 88"

It seems we have the same plans, just swapped around!

Good luck with it - will be watching closely. :D

*subscribes to thread*

[Andy-M]

Hi all

Its been a while since I last posted, I will put up some pics soon of the donor vehicle dismantle. But first I need some help working out what front axles and hubs I have.

Mongrel has finer splines where the axle goes into the free wheeling hubs they are the same 10 spline for the diff center, the wheel studs are also the same as my Disco. The brake pads on mongrel are wider than the donor vehicle but the same diameter.

The questions:
Which axles would be the strongest? (the donors are in better condition)
The brakes? both are 109" vehicles, could Mongrels brakes and hubs be from a series 111?

Here are some pics of the brakes and axles, I also tried to get a pic of Mongrels chassis number, I am having trouble identifying the suffix letter, it looks like a lower case a.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/07/77.jpg

The nice shiny swivel ball is one of the main parts I needed from the donor.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/07/78.jpg

Mongrels brakes are in the background.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/08/1070.jpg

Not a good pic but you can just make out what I mean, I can't think what the shape where the suffix letter is might be part of.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/07/79.jpg

The firewall ready to be dismantled and sent to get blasted.


Thanks for your help, I will be interested to here your opinions on the axles and brakes.


Cheers Andy

[Phoenix]

Ok, the saulsbury in the rear, is that the one with the fine spline axles? These 24 spline axles are stronger than the coarse (10 spline) 2a ones.

The wider brakes look like the 11 inch ones, the bigger the better when it comes to them ;)

[Andy-M]

G'Day Phoenix.

The axles in the pic are from the front rover diff, I am unsure when they changed from the 10 spline to the fine spline. It is only going into the hub I am refering to, not the diff center. :)

I didn't realise the brake difference was in width, I just presumed the drums would be larger (they are in depth).


Cheers Andy

(if you see anything in the pics you need let me know, if I'm not going to use it you can have it)

[Phoenix]

Ok, in that case it's been converted to later fine spline axle,s which as I said before are stronger, but you should have them matching left to right.

I'm no expert in the brakes, but I believe the bigger brakes forthe v8 and 6 cylinder models were wider and larger in diameter.

As for marts mmmmmm I'm sure I can see some things. The rails that run under the door and make up part of the frame. I can see 2 bolted to the firewall in the last pic (I think). If you have a couple of them (or at least a LHS) one spare I'm pretty sure I need one as the one on the ambo is rusted out ;)

[Andy-M]

Pretty sure I don't need them for the wagon, I will have a good look in a couple of days.

They are yours if not needed, left and right look in good condition.

Andy

[Phoenix]

Brilliant, I'll wait to hear the result ;)

[Phoenix]

Andy, I thnk I might have to send you a membership form for our military vehicle club ;)

Your chassis number is 27800214. We now know that Series 2a chassis number 27800215A (and 216A) are both navy vehicles. So I think we can savely say that either yours is a twin, or is indeed an ex navy vehicle :D

[Andy-M]

Hi Phoenix, post away :TakeABow:.

That backs up the story that I was given when I purchased Mongrel, although the guy I bought it off was full of poop :toilet: about everything else!

I have your side rails off, I only have to work out when I am up your way, Jock The Rock is going to be down this way next week, he might be able to drop them off to you if your in a hurry.

I may have to re think Mongrels colour now, it has that many different changes from original it will have to be an ex Navy Hybrid, but I could re paint it the original colour if I can work out what it was. Its current top coat looks like it was applied with a mop :eek:.


Cheers Andy :twobeers:

[Phoenix]

I'll get a form off to you some time ;)

It's not 100% still, but i'd say 95% sure. I am getting lotzalandies that did the work chasing the navy vehicles to see if yours is on there somewhere. It may not be though.

No hurry for those forms. Colour is a bit harder to establish. We have this photo which those that used them said is pretty spot on to the original colour. It's an overcast day, so it's probably a bit lighter than that.

You may find an untouched piece of paint on yours for reference hiden under cappin or something.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/08/437.jpg

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Hi all.

I thought I would start a restoration thread on the building of Mongrel. It won't be a true restoration, but the building of a bitza which will become a daily driver.

Mongrel is an early series 2A diesel 5 door 109". She has a galvo chassis and is rumoured to be ex RAN (this cannot be confirmed, there is no millitary gear on her) her chassis number is 27800214, the suffix letter is not readable. ....

... Cheers Andy. Andy

I have had a chance to investigate the provenance of "Mongrel" unfortunately the vehicle didn't come through NSW so full details are not available. This is logical because vehicles in Tasmania were distributed by Regent Motors in Melbourne.

The very next chassis number was indeed a RAN vehicle distributed in NSW.

The 278 should be a "CKD basic model" this is essentially a ute, not a Station Wagon.

The chassis suffix letter should be "A" and the engine number should be about 271053**B (where the ** is a number between 05 and 30)

Delivery in Tasmania would have been somewhere in December 1962 through March 1963. (27800215A was assembled in Sydney and delivered to the RAN in Sydney on 29th November 1962, your 27800214A would likely have been in the same batch and also assembled in Sydney.)

Hope this assists your restoration.

Diana:)

Addit: Have just reviewed the entire thread, I am thinking that your vehicle has had a chassis swap rather than a body swap, there are too many late bits. The front mudguards, the axle assemblies and to an extent the firewall appear to be from a very late Series 2a 1971 suffix H. I wonder if someone had a station wagon and instead of repairing a rusty chassis they modified an earlier ute chassis to accept the station wagon tub. Check the body brackets welded in front of the rear wheels and those under the rear passengers floor and see if there is evidence of after market work. I guarantee it's there!

[Andy-M]

Hi Diana

I have traced Mongrels rego (don't ask how :angel:), she came to Tassy from QLD, before that she lived in NSW. The guy I bought her off was told she had been on Garden Island and in service in NSW.

I have checked the original colour on the rear doors and a couple of other places, it looks to be like a sky blue. Under the blue its just primer then metal.

The chassis suffix letter appears to be a lower case (a), which would put her in the early 60's. The chassis and B pillars are all galvo as are some other parts. The firewall and drivers side door have been replaced at some stage, and I am about to replace the firewall again.



Cheer Andy, thanks for your help and knowledge. :D

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Andy

That's great that you have been able to trace the rego on the vehicle.

I have no doubt that the body, the station wagon bits and the firewall with the cable operated wipers could have been on Garden Island with the Navy. However the chassis IS NOT A STATION WAGON CHASSIS and it was not distributed in NSW, I have checked the books and there does not appear to be any pages missing at that point.

Also: in the Series 1 & 2/2a there were no diesel station wagons and the chassis is definitely a diesel number.

Hope this assists.

Diana