I have read a number of stories about rebuilds and the different things people have done. There's a few Range Rover chassis getting around with Series bodies on them and so on, and there are some very interesting mods that have been and are being done. The idea of this story is not to show anyone up, it's just to let you know what I'm building. The original plan was to restore rather than rebuild, yes there is a difference. To return it to exactly as it was the day it came off the assembly line, but as this is one of 3 Series Land Rovers that are in the process of being restored/rebuilt it was decided to forgo the fancy stuff and just go nuts instead. It's a LWB Series 3 ute by the way. At this point the purists may want to look away as we have borrowed heavily from Range Rover. The leaf springs are gone, even parabolics were not considered an option and the chassis now sits on coil springs although airbags may still be used. The front and rear diffs are Range Rover so it's permanent 4WD. The gearbox is 4 speed auto and while the engine is only a 3.5lt, it is injected and there are 2 turbos lending a hand. Power steering box and column are Ranger Rover as is the wiring harness. The engine is mounted slightly further back in the vehicle so as not to spoil the asthetics of it, and yes it can be done without taking to the firewall with tinsnips. Not having the recessed series radiator panel was just not an option. The interior will be basically standard Series 3 with the exception of the seats and the instrument panel which will be Range Rover. The Range Rover instruments and binnicle will be fitted in place of the original series 3 instruments. Basically what we'll end up with is a 1976 Series 3 109 with 4 wheel disc brakes, permanent 4WD, 4 speed auto, V8, aircon, cruise control, air suspention (at least on the rear) and whatever else we can get into it. The best part is it's still a Series 3 at heart, althought the purists may not agree...
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Originally Posted by Jonno
I have read a number of stories about rebuilds and the different things people have done. There's a few Range Rover chassis getting around with Series bodies on them and so on, and there are some very interesting mods that have been and are being done. The idea of this story is not to show anyone up, it's just to let you know what I'm building. The original plan was to restore rather than rebuild, yes there is a difference. To return it to exactly as it was the day it came off the assembly line, but as this is one of 3 Series Land Rovers that are in the process of being restored/rebuilt it was decided to forgo the fancy stuff and just go nuts instead. It's a LWB Series 3 ute by the way. At this point the purists may want to look away as we have borrowed heavily from Range Rover. The leaf springs are gone, even parabolics were not considered an option and the chassis now sits on coil springs although airbags may still be used. The front and rear diffs are Range Rover so it's permanent 4WD. The gearbox is 4 speed auto and while the engine is only a 3.5lt, it is injected and there are 2 turbos lending a hand. Power steering box and column are Ranger Rover as is the wiring harness. The engine is mounted slightly further back in the vehicle so as not to spoil the asthetics of it, and yes it can be done without taking to the firewall with tinsnips. Not having the recessed series radiator panel was just not an option. The interior will be basically standard Series 3 with the exception of the seats and the instrument panel which will be Range Rover. The Range Rover instruments and binnicle will be fitted in place of the original series 3 instruments. Basically what we'll end up with is a 1976 Series 3 109 with 4 wheel disc brakes, permanent 4WD, 4 speed auto, V8, aircon, cruise control, air suspention (at least on the rear) and whatever else we can get into it. The best part is it's still a Series 3 at heart, althought the purists may not agree...
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