Thread: 90" Stage one Moral dilemma

fair enough

but being as your petrol stations swap boxes whilst cleaning the windows, can we book mine in

Originally Posted by frantic

I was just reading a thread from a bloke in Qld doing a similar thing to a RRC chassis and a stage 1 body cut to 100in(with a blown v8) ,bumblebee was the ute title maybe contact him for some info?

Stage One
You might like to look at our build as Frantic points out at http://www.aulro.com/afvb/gclro-memb...got-sting.html

And earlier build up at http://www.aulro.com/afvb/gclro-memb...w-project.html

We went this route because:
(1) Love the series/stage one look in particular
(2) 90's are ridiculous prices here
(3) Could not buy a decent Defender cab/firewall for reasonable price
(4) All the comp guys say 100" is the optimal chassis - and yes we have seen 90" ones stand up on end and then roll when 100 and 110 don't
(5) Lots of rangie/discos around fairly cheap for replacement running gear parts and we know Rangie/Disco chassis and running gear set up as have a few in the family
(6) Early rangie chassis from late 70's means that have advantage of coils and A frame suspension BUT for registration (due to chassis build date determining the applicable ADRs) less demanding requirements to be street legal yet late model (90's) running gear bolts straight in (this is a huge plus)
(7) We like modern functionality in terms of LT230 transfer case, ZF Auto, later V8 engine options (ie 3.9 or other - we just happened to have access to a blown 3.5) and huge range of after market parts (suspension, brakes, etc). Some of this stuff makes for a really capable off road vehicle - e.g. we will be running a disc hand brake (X-brake from x-eng) and X arms and springs - latest gear but in a 70's chassis and 80's body.
(8) We can also make the cab the size we want - so it will be about 300-400 mm deeper in the cab than normal which allows behind seat storage and decent seat location/movement (see mock up for side profile below - this is using an old cut tub - we are going to remake this using a clean tub and roof we have)



Now some negatives:
Taken a fair amount of time - even if we ran rover diffs (we have GQ Nissan as this is for comp and on road use) still a lot of work to strip back, repair/paint and integrate the parts. We figured if are putting in the work might as well prep everything so it will last for a while.

All the best with what ever you decide. the alternative is convert what you have to run coils and upgrade to disc brakes using axles from a disco or a defender. That would still be a pretty nice 109 then.

SKiboy

Originally Posted by Skiboy

Stage One
You might like to look at our build as Frantic points out at http://www.aulro.com/afvb/gclro-memb...got-sting.html

And earlier build up at http://www.aulro.com/afvb/gclro-memb...w-project.html

We went this route because:
(1) Love the series/stage one look in particular
(2) 90's are ridiculous prices here
(3) Could not buy a decent Defender cab/firewall for reasonable price
(4) All the comp guys say 100" is the optimal chassis - and yes we have seen 90" ones stand up on end and then roll when 100 and 110 don't
(5) Lots of rangie/discos around fairly cheap for replacement running gear parts and we know Rangie/Disco chassis and running gear set up as have a few in the family
(6) Early rangie chassis from late 70's means that have advantage of coils and A frame suspension BUT for registration (due to chassis build date determining the applicable ADRs) less demanding requirements to be street legal yet late model (90's) running gear bolts straight in (this is a huge plus)
(7) We like modern functionality in terms of LT230 transfer case, ZF Auto, later V8 engine options (ie 3.9 or other - we just happened to have access to a blown 3.5) and huge range of after market parts (suspension, brakes, etc). Some of this stuff makes for a really capable off road vehicle - e.g. we will be running a disc hand brake (X-brake from x-eng) and X arms and springs - latest gear but in a 70's chassis and 80's body.
(8) We can also make the cab the size we want - so it will be about 300-400 mm deeper in the cab than normal which allows behind seat storage and decent seat location/movement (see mock up for side profile below - this is using an old cut tub - we are going to remake this using a clean tub and roof we have)



Now some negatives:
Taken a fair amount of time - even if we ran rover diffs (we have GQ Nissan as this is for comp and on road use) still a lot of work to strip back, repair/paint and integrate the parts. We figured if are putting in the work might as well prep everything so it will last for a while.

All the best with what ever you decide. the alternative is convert what you have to run coils and upgrade to disc brakes using axles from a disco or a defender. That would still be a pretty nice 109 then.

SKiboy

The back end looks like the remains of Glen Zipf's old comp leafer SIII???

Isuzurover

Yep using that as a model - but it is swiss cheese - full of holes and cut outs so can't use it directly.

Skiboy

Thanks Disco2hse. The springs are/were new leaf ones with a 40mm lift made by Dobinson’s spring works in Rockhampton about $480 for the lot. Without a load in the back some would say the rides a bit rough, I’d say it makes a simple drive more like a safari adventure. It just can’t be compared to a modern coil sprung 4x4.


Thanks Skiboy. That sounds like a really practical idear, I know where there is a couple of near gutted discoveries in Toowoomba. I’ll be down that way Sunday/Monday so I’ll have a look into it and see what they’re doing with them.

Just so you guys know, (and I said I'd look for it!), the article about the factory prototype SWB Stage I is in LRO magazine, July 2004.

Davo, do you think you could scan that article in a pdf for me? I am having difficulties in tacking down the back issue from LRO's shipping agents.

Hmmm, I don't know how to scan to PDF. (I try and avoid learning too much about computers.) I can have a go.

It may be easiest to try the magazine itself for a back issue: Back Issues - News - Land Rover Owner International magazine

I can easily run through the article and do a summary if you'd like.