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Thread: 1955 86" preservation

  1. #1
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    1955 86" preservation

    I have decided to put this post up as a means for me to document what I have done for the restoration of my 1955 86" petrol S1. If I did not make a start then I would have lost the info and the context over the years and I hope that my ramblings will be of assistance to others that are yet to embark on this most noble of endeavours.

    These are the details I know about:

    Soft top vehicle 177600221 eng 170603000 was a sale to a private customer (from Grenville Motors Sydney) D. S. Wright 1/3/56 NSW Rego BAD 921
    I also was situated in the Hunter Valley NSW for a considerable period of time and may have been inundated with flood waters back in 2007.
    I purchased it in 2013 from a gentleman in Goulburn who was planning on restoring it but never actually got started on it.
    Over the past 6 years I have pottered on with bits and pieces mainly getting any parts that I established needed replacement or repair.
    In January 2017 I began in earnest to complete the full mechanically overhaul. I started with the Gearbox and Transfer case which I decided were likely to be the most difficult and most in need of work. So step 1, drain the oils. Well, I got around 6 ltrs of rusty water from both gearbox and transfer case combined. Both were rusted solid. Time to re-think? Well I decided that these parts must remain as part of the vehicle so I laboured for about 2 weeks to separate the transfer case from the gearbox, no easy task when the nuts that hold the 2 together are completely obscured by the intermediate gear. Suffice to say, I succeeded in my quest and rebuilt the entire transmission for under $800.00 with a number of new gears, and some shafts.

    Next came the engine and this was not as difficult as it still contained oil and no water.The camshaft was severely worn as were all the followers/rockers.
    The rest of the engine was not in bad condition though the anodes were rotted out and required replacement. Number 2 piston was a 3 ring rather than a 4 ring and I obtained a spare from John Craddocks in the UK for 10 pounds. Funny story on this, I ordered 1 piston and received 4, I was advised not to worry about it by their sales team. number 2 exhaust valve was also burned and no good so I replaced all the exhaust valves and valve guides.
    I have ordered a number of parts from both Craddocks and LRDirect and invariably the parts were still in tropical wrapping with manufacture dates ranging from 1955 to 1958. Talk about using the correct period parts!

    After this I proceeded with chassis restoration. Overall it was in good condition with only a few rust issues. The outrigger in the drivers side was rotted out due to leaked brake fluid, the Gearbox Cross member was beyond repair as it had been rather severely beaten about and the front Cross member needed replacing. This is the only part that was scavenged from a later series landrover, it being a series 2 cross member.

    There is a lot more coming as well as pictures (Stay Tuned)

  2. #2
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    Mate it's been 8 hours - and you still haven't posted any pics!!!



    I will be following this thread with interest - as I have a '54 "86 that needs some restoration work (not a complete restoration, more of a rolling restoration).

    Cheers,
    GG.
    Last edited by grey_ghost; 19th October 2019 at 05:11 PM. Reason: Typo
    54 Series 1 86
    61 Series 2 109 - Club Rego
    76 2 Door Range Rover
    78 101 Forward Control - Club Rego
    88 Perentie FFR - Club Rego
    90 4 Door Range Rover - Club Rego
    93 Discovery 1 200 Tdi - Club Rego
    98 Freelander 1 - Full Rego
    22 Defedner 90 - Full rego

  3. #3
    JDNSW's Avatar
    JDNSW is offline RoverLord Silver Subscriber
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    Every time I see someone talking about a 1955 S1, I think "I wonder if it the one I traded on a S2 in 1963?"

    This isn't it, as mine was an ex-SMHEA one. If still fitted, mine could be identified by the unusual edge reading oil pressure gauge I fitted to the RH side if the instrument panel box.
    John

    JDNSW
    1986 110 County 3.9 diesel
    1970 2a 109 2.25 petrol

  4. #4
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    Interesting thread, mine was rebuilt by me (not restored) in 1973, after being driven here from the UK, and carrying or towing every stick of timber for my first house. Still in regular use. Both grand kids (13 and 8) are eying it off as a first car. Its been modified a bit for service as a daily driver for 15 years, widened rims, fully floating rear axle, tweaked engine, power brakes, and a few other comfort items. So not original.
    Watching with interest.
    Terry
    80 109" 2.6 P ex Army GS, saved from the scrappie.
    95 300tdi 130 Single cab tray.
    2010 Guzzi 750

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by alhedward View Post
    I have decided to put this post up as a means for me to document what I have done for the restoration of my 1955 86" petrol S1. If I did not make a start then I would have lost the info and the context over the years and I hope that my ramblings will be of assistance to others that are yet to embark on this most noble of endeavours.

    These are the details I know about:

    Soft top vehicle 177600221 eng 170603000 was a sale to a private customer (from Grenville Motors Sydney) D. S. Wright 1/3/56 NSW Rego BAD 921
    I also was situated in the Hunter Valley NSW for a considerable period of time and may have been inundated with flood waters back in 2007
    I know this is an old post that I've dredged up but I own its production line brother - just 60 away at 00281.
    Where did you find the sales info? I'd love to find out the origins of mines. It has a Grenville Motors sticker under the dash but as it was repainted years ago, this might not be original. From an LRSOC member I know it was in the Newcastle area in 2009 (I have been sent photos of it from then) and apparently it had the same owners for years prior to that so it could have been in/around Newcastle for a long time. NSW rego back then was DG349

    Cheers
    Keith

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