80'' Doors

[numpty]

Can someone out there post a picture of an 80" door, specifically the inside of the whole door. I have a couple of awful ones and am interested in whether they have been modified or not.

Cheers.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Can someone out there post a picture of an 80" door, specifically the inside of the whole door. I have a couple of awful ones and am interested in whether they have been modified or not.

Cheers.
Or you can post a pic and we'll tell you if they have been modified or not.

Diana

[vin16660088]

Hi, hope these help, to the best of my little knowledge these are unmolested, the one with the door top on is the inside handle type, the other one (no door top) is the handle inside and out, you can see the dingo looking thing in the back ground of one of the photos as well. cheers. Anthony.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Numpty

The pics Anthony has posted look very unmolested (thanks Tony, didn't have any pics to post myself).

Going by the door tops and the reinforcing bracket those may be 1952/53 doors. On the inside they look pretty much the same as your 1950 model except the later doors have the handle and hole on the outside.

Another difference you may be unaware of is that the reinforcing bracket above the door lock on 1949 and 1950 models is galvanised where on the later cars it is painted "black steel" (the colour being green*).

Diana

* is that confusing or what?

[numpty]

Thanks Tony. (and Diana) They will do nicely. It would seem that the rough doors I have are probably unmolested........... just buggered. Although nothing is completely unsalvageable.

I will post a pic of them possibly tomorrow.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

.... Although nothing is completely unsalvageable.

I will post a pic of them possibly tomorrow.

What has been made by man can be re-made by man!

You can do wonders with a TIG welder (you but not me what I do with a welder is not called welding :D :D). If you do do repairs yourself, make sure you reinforce the lock bracket well that is the place they fail first.

There are some people who do very good replicas here in Au, but not quick and about $250 each last time I heard. Yes I have 3 replacements for my '51.

Diana

[JDNSW]

...........

Another difference you may be unaware of is that the reinforcing bracket above the door lock on 1949 and 1950 models is galvanised where on the later cars it is painted "black steel" (the colour being green*).

Diana

* is that confusing or what?

According to a 1958 Autopress Landrover Workshop Manual I have, that bracket was not factory fitted to "early" Landrovers, and they give instructions for fitting it. So the finish may not be diagnostic. (I was looking in it for a picture to post but Anthony posted a better one)

John

[Lotz-A-Landies]

According to a 1958 Autopress Landrover Workshop Manual I have, that bracket was not factory fitted to "early" Landrovers, and they give instructions for fitting it. So the finish may not be diagnostic. (I was looking in it for a picture to post but Anthony posted a better one)

John
John

That is correct and you will notice that my post mentions 1949 and 1950 for the galvanised bracket. The gusset was not fitted to the very early cars, read 1948.

You will also notice a difference in the brackets, where the early ones have a bracket welded to the head of the bolt that clamps the door top tube, to stop it spinning behind the gusset. The later ones have a slot where you push a spanner to stop the head of a regular set bolt turning.

Diana

[Lotz-A-Landies]

These are the doors we have...as you see in "not so good" condition
Have seen very much worse condition and yours have had very little in the way of repair which makes your start point a lot easier.

They all go that way around the door lock and they all crack at the corners where you have 1 with a bracket.

You have a number of options, but remembering that very few 80" doors will be much better than those you already have. You can spend a lot of money and get some made by someone who makes replicas around $500 + shipping for a pair.
You can have some made locally by getting the aluminium folded up and spot welded.
You can fit brackets over the corners and a reinforcing bracket over the lock mounting.
You can disassemble the door and replace the internal brackets and missing/broken lock mount. You then need to re-assemble the door using either pop rivets or having someone TIG weld it back together then linish off the welds (You can have little welds done by a TIG that when you smoothe off the back they look very like spot welds)

How pedantic do you really want to be?

I chose the replica route, and now I want a replica tub as well - next it will be replica inner guards (I already have the replica outers) :(

Diana

[numpty]

That's the thing, eventually it ends up a replica (almost). Ours requires the whole body, although as you say, anything is rebuildable. It does have a near perfect chassis and bulkhead, which is a good starting point, although I'm not so sure I need the bother and maybe should concentrate on Leon (leave mostly as is), Thomas--replace chassis and bulkhead and of course change everything else over, and Castrol, which we want to get on the road for Corowa next March:(

Sigh, the trials of a would be fleet owner;)

[Lotz-A-Landies]

That's the thing, eventually it ends up a replica (almost). Ours requires the whole body, although as you say, anything is rebuildable. It does have a near perfect chassis and bulkhead, ...

... Sigh, the trials of a would be fleet owner;)
Numpty

Exactly my thoughts about replicas.

However!

The one that's getting all these bits was a RACQ road service vehicle and will be restored to that era of it's life with signwriting.

I'm pretty sure that the RACQ would not have one of their vehicles with dents, broken doors and wrinkles etc.

Hence my dilemma and the replacement panels.

Diana

[chazza]

I couldn't agree more with you Numpty and Diana. Some of the "restorations" I have seen in magazines, are really about replacing everything, rather than restoring.

Sometimes I wonder if I am mad when I look at my S1's parts; freshly painted with the scars of the deep rust pits still clearly visible; but then I think; well at least these axles and that engine and gearbox, are the ones it left the factory with. The scars of neglect are just another part of its history and best of all, I saved it from being scrapped.

Numpty don't forget that along with TIG welding, Sikaflex patches and rivets can sometimes make a legitimate repair,

Cheers Charlie