Got to thank Babicat for this! Say hello to my 1976 S3 Cab Chassis

Time for an update. Been busy aiming to get this thing roadworthy'd by Christmas, but not sure I am going to make it. Keep finding things that need to be replaced.

To date I have replaced:

Shocks, tie rod ends (all 6)
Sorted out the brakes (previous owner had installed new shoes around the wrong way!)
New seats, seat belts
New door tops, window seals (including rear cab window) and door seals
Tidy up of dash - replacing missing screws, vents etc
New windscreen wiper motor and windscreen washer bottle/pump
All the external lights now working with new lenses at front
Cut and polished all external paintwork.
New fuel tank and sendor
New radiator, fan belt, hoses, spark plugs
Replaced all fluids
Replaced Salisbury pinion seal and rear cover gasket
Replaced numerous missing bolts from sills, seat base, floor panels etc
new door hinges and defender mirrors

And heaps of other little stuff... There is still a bit to do including:

Blast and powder coat wheels
new tyres
wheel alignment
Tune engine - maybe electronic dizzy and holley 330 carby
All 4 universal joints.
Finish cleaning up inside of cab - firewall, inside of doors and floor. There is a layer rust preventative all over the place which requires a lot of elbow grease to remove back to original paint.
Replace missing spring from the reverse gate on top of gear box
sort out wiring behind dash - currently gauges do not work.

and I think that will be it!

I wouldn't powder coat the wheels.
The powder coat is brittle and hard. as the wheels flex, tiny fractures form in the powder coat. Moisture gets in and you get a fine web of rust stain all over the wheel.
That is what happened to mine anyway.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 86mud

To date I have replaced:

New seats, seat belts ...................


and I think that will be it!

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Hello from Brisbane (too).

I am in the process of re-fitting new seat belts to my truck cab SWB.

Did you have much trouble getting the bolts holding the old retractors onto the bulkhead off? On mine, one of the nuts (LHS) is easier than the other to access from under the rear mudguard but appears to be seized and the head is stripped - angle grinder job. The other bolt head (RHS) is concealed behind a fixed shroud under the mudguard and I was told that it is reversed so that the nut faces the inside of the cab on the retractor mount, but both the nut and head are a tight fit to get ring spanners on to. Don't doubt the truth of the last bit.....

Is that last bit correct or does the cab/chassis have a different set up for the RHS retractor?

Cheers,

Those sets are a little different to mine. Are the Exmoor? Coming along great:D

S3ute - my seat belts mounted on the rear bulkhead just above a seam/join about half way up. I had a little difficulty getting to the nuts on the back as there wasn't much room between the rear bulkhead and the aluminium tray. I had to shorten the length of the new mounting bolts.

Carolyn - I ordered the seats through Paddocks and I assumed they where Exmoor trim. They are very comfy! I am still not sure whether to go with a Defender steering wheel or stick with the big bus wheel!

Was great getting the few missing bits yesterday - thanks heaps!

It's alive! After 4 months my ute had its maiden voyage just to get wheel alignment and then to a mates place who is a retired auto electrician who is just finishing off the final wiring up of a few things for me. Felt great to drive - really tight. Clutch feels good, but second gear synchro is worn so down shifting is a delicate exercise.

Time for an update.

Not too much to report. Driven 3000 kms since registration. Just sorting out a few niggling things. Recently I added a 60 litre water tank under the tray. The tap is gravity fed, but I think I will add in a pump. Also under the tray I have a shovel holder and am in the middle of fabricating a high lift jack holder.

I had a spare Warn 9000 pd electric winch at home, so I fabricated a cradle for it behind the original bumper. It is removable. Also picked up the GMB front recovery eyes. Winch solenoid pack is tucked up high on radiator support panel.

This weekend was spent rebuilding the Stromberg and the distributor and setting the timing. What a huge difference. Such a different car to drive now, smoother, more power!

I still need to sort out the drivers side windscreen wiper which currently wipes the opposite way, so at rest the wiper arm is siting upright near the A pillar. Also the need to fix the gearbox oil leak as per earlier thread.

The joys of owning a Series hey?

winch pictures....I still need to finish the wiring to the solenoid pack.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 86mud

I still need to sort out the drivers side windscreen wiper which currently wipes the opposite way, so at rest the wiper arm is siting upright near the A pillar.

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The wheelbox needs rotating 180deg.

Thanks Scouse...I'll pull the dash out tomorrow night and rotate the wheel box