Thread: Clarkie's County Auto Conversion

OK time for an update. Pix to come

When you use a Disco Transfer you need to move the Transfer Shifter forwards 50mm to be in the exaxt spot the LT85 transfer shifter was.
So i made a plate and moved it forwards 50mm, i had to then lengthen the selector rod and Diff lock linkage....
Then i refited the transfer hump with the old rubber boot. i will work out a better way, but will do for now.

During the week ive sorted the shifter location.
Between the HL selector and the hand brake.
Keeping the county hand brake for now.
I made a braket and used the mounting plate from a Disco, so i can use the disco selector and trim.

Kick down cable..... this took some doing...
Used parts from an injected auto Rangie and cut and welded and played around and got it to work. The length of the pivot was the key issue and had to be spot on, at full throttle the cable is stretched to its max.
This might have to played with.

Only 1 million things to do....
Hoping to have it ready for the border track trip, if not the Rangie will be going....

Todays update.

Made the Auto pedal for the brake, cut a auto brake pedal apart and welded the foot plate on over the existing plate.

Changed the exhaust to a rangie pipe, this allows me to put the cross member back on, so i did...
Only catch, its damn close the the wiring that enters the chassis... so exhaust shop will fix that.

Fitted the County handbrake back up, i used the county hand brake, county cable and rangie handbrake mech and drum, its slightly smaller than the county one, but stiff S&%$T. it works.

Wired the Twin thermo's from a V8 falcoon up.... damn things draw 30 amps each...

Started on the Dual batteries

Blew the fuse to the reversing lights as i was a duffer and thought it was the CDL switch wires and grounded one.... DOH...
So still got to find the CDL wires.... That will be fun....

Ditching the Huge county Airfilter as a Ranger only needs a smaller one, so i'll use a smaller one. Easier for me to plumb the Snorkle to it.

Found another coolant leak... water pump.... Grrrrr

Now only 900,000 things to go...

Ohh Forgot......

Best part...

Drove it today for the 1st time to see if it got hot and how it ran with an auto in it...

Well, the donor car was a RRC 87 model that had a recent rebuild... and when i got it i found it had stacks of poke and would smoke the tyres in low range very easy....

Today in the county..... it startled me.... even with Twin carbs, it pulls harder than any 3.9 disco or rangie, harder then my 12 month old Mazda BT50.

I smiled..... alot..... and turning out of a round about in High range..... it smoked the tyres.... not Fully Shick mate smoke, but smoke...

and in low range..... off the line it smokes until you hit 3rd.... black tracks out the front on the road to prove it....

Mmmmm I'm excited.... IT LIVES..... only been 2 years...

Pics or fail!

Originally Posted by MacMan

Pics or fail!

Yep, pics or fail dude!

Sooks....
No time for Pix... Work to be done...

The adaptor plate to move it 50mm


Shifter mounting plate


All in place and working...



There ya go....

Next job.... Front diff and finish the thermo fans and fix the bloody coolant leaks...

Steve , Just a Suggestion ,I see some rust on passenger and driver footwells , you may want to treat some of that rust and paint it while you have all the Trim out.

Originally Posted by Disco_owner

Steve , Just a Suggestion ,I see some rust on passenger and driver footwells , you may want to treat some of that rust and paint it while you have all the Trim out.

OMG RUST.....
its got lots.... thats a job for summer time when its dry...

ITs not fredy flintstone yet..... but during the warmer months i'll rip into it...and the whole fire wall and doors....