Should I strip down my beachie 1999 Defender Ute.

[Benny_IIA]

I have recently purchased a 1999 Defender. It started life as a beach vehicle for the Caloundra City Council. The chassis seems rust free as it seems to be galvanised and fitted with a water spray system. The vehicle was then "detailed" by a car yard and sold several years ago.

However many nuts and bolts and steel body brackets underneath are rust affected as with the lower inner doors frames, also other signs of rust just starting for example where the firewall meets the floor, vent and door hinges.

The truck has done 120000ks and the motor has to come out as it is seized. I was wondering if I should strip the whole thing and clean/ repair the salt affected areas before it gets too nasty. Any advice or experience from other members would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards Ben.

[Davo]

Yes! If you've got the usual time/money/enough space problems worked out then yes, it's always worth doing that with a Landie if you want to keep it for a long time. Otherwise the corrosion just sits there and gets worse and in a few years you're kicking yourself.

[rijidij]

If you're removing the engine anyway, it wont be hard to strip all the front guards and panels off. It will then be easy to get at the firewall etc

[Benny_IIA]

Thanks for the replys,

Just a couple of things is the chassis galvanised from factory?, and what motor do you think should go in, I was thinking about an 4bd1t but what would involved in doing this?

Cheers Ben...

[Psimpson7]

chassis weren't galvanised from the factory no. It may have been something special vehicles did, but I dont think it was.

Its not that hard to do really though as they can be taken apart in big chunks. (I did mine when it was 3 years old)