Thread: Series cab onto County chassis

Originally Posted by Slunnie

Thanks for all of the replies!

So what you're saying is that you can update any part of the vehicle.... except for the chassis?

Correct. The chassis IS the vehicle in the eyes of the law. I guess they have to draw the line somewhere, and I guess the chassis is the logical place.

No matter what you do to your truck, it will always be officially regarded as what your chassis number says it is, and hence all ADRs/Standards/Laws applicable to that chassis apply to whatever is bolted to it.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

I'm thinking the same.

Its just seems insane to cut all of the bracketry, Xmembers etc off a chassis and weld it on to another chassis for the sake of paperwork when it seems you can within reason unbolt a body off and old chassis and reattach it to an updated chassis - something which you are seemingly allowed to do with every other component on a vehicle.

That would be what I would do, although I don't know if this will be seen as "rebirthing" or "rebuilding". I guess it depends on how astute your inspector is.

If all you want is the firewall, tray and cab, why don't you find some straight panels elsewhere and leave the nice one as is? Find a dead 109 and borrow the chassis number and make sure it is completely destroyed.

I think it would be considered to be "rebirthing" and the evidence the relevant inspectors look when identity checks on new registrations are done certainly in NSW and the ACT. In the ACT the identity checks are done behind closed doors so that the owners cannot see what checks and tests the inspectors get up too.

When I transferred my Freelander from NSW to the ACT I obtained the roadworthy certificate and then took the car to the registry office for the identity check which took nearly 2 hours.

Garry

Originally Posted by Slunnie

I've just bought a Series cab/tray which is very very rust free! I'm just wondering now, what complications are there to bolting the cab and front panel work up to a County chassis??? Or is it very straight forward?

Slunnie

It would be a shame to break that pretty little ute.

The panel behind the driver's bum in the SIIa cab chassis, bolts onto the same chassis tabs and sill panels as the rear tub on a 110 or the panel behind the seat on a 110/County wagon. The 110/120, Defender, late SIII and Stage1 truck cab rear panels have reinforcings for the inertia reel seatbelts that the SIIa panel does not have.

The rear window panel on the SIIa ute uses the same mountings as the similar panel on a 110/120 cab chassis or ute. The difference is in the sliding window frame. The SIIa seatbelt anchorages may not comply with the County's ADR.

The big difference between the Series and the 110/County/Defender truck cab roofs is the fittings to the windscreen frame. To use the SIIa truck cab roof you would have to modify a SIII windscreen bottom fixings to accept the 110 windscreen fixings. The SIII windscreen may not comply with the County's ADR.

The rear mounting tabs of the chassis' are the same between the SIIa and the 110/County. The big differences are the fuel tank and filler on the County and the brackets forward of the rear wheels that mount the front of the station wagon tub and the several supports above the chassis rails where the passengers floor is in the station wagon are 4" shorter. Depending on the method of attachment of the aluminium tray these supports may be redundant in any case. I know of a 110 trayback tray in Western Sydney that mounts directly onto the chassis rails.

You will have to have the replacement body engineered for only 2/3 passengers instead of the seating specified on the compliance plate.

Hope this helps.

Diana

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

It would be a shame to break that pretty little ute.

I gotta agree...

She is a very pretty truck. Plenty of crap ones around that can be chopped into monsters, but that one needs but a polish and she would look great on display.

There is an engineer near here who will allow me do do something very similar to this. 70's Series body onto a Mid 80sRangie chassis and running gear. Seems we can word it as improved suspension and brakes on the old series.

The dash, seat belts and wiper speed were his main concern.

Tony

Originally Posted by Rangier Rover

There is an engineer near here who will allow me do do something very similar to this. 70's Series body onto a Mid 80sRangie chassis and running gear. Seems we can word it as improved suspension and brakes on the old series.

The dash, seat belts and wiper speed were his main concern.

Tony

The way that engineers and the DOTARS VSBs usually go is that the chassis, running gear and engine are treated as an entity and must comply with the ADR's at the time of manufacture of the original chassis or later.

Similarly the body is treated as an entity and the seat and belt anchorages, plus the doors etc must comply with the ADR's current at the time of the manufacture of the body.

However I do remember reading that the ADR's of the body must meet the minimum standards of the chassis which is the vehicles identity and considered it's manufacture date.

In short you can put a newer body on an old chassis, but in the case of an older body fitted to a new chassis, the fittings on the body must be upgraded to meet the ADR's current for the manufacture date of the chassis.


If that all makes sense.

Diana

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

The way that engineers and the DOTARS VSBs usually go is that the chassis, running gear and engine are treated as an entity and must comply with the ADR's at the time of manufacture of the original chassis or later.

Similarly the body is treated as an entity and the seat and belt anchorages, plus the doors etc must comply with the ADR's current at the time of the manufacture ovf the body.

However I do remember reading that the ADR's of the body must meet the minimum standards of the chassis which is the vehicles identity and considered it's manufacture date.

In short you can put a newer body on an old chassis, but in the case of an older body fitted to a new chassis, the fittings on the body must be upgraded to meet the ADR's of current for the date of the chassis.


If that all makes sence.

Diana

Makes good sense to me and don't worry I'm not taking it on as like my comfort of the Rangie to much now.

The same engineer wont allow me to lift my rangie or change the track on it Let alone supercharge it

I think the body swap is more out of bounds.

I now have another engineer for the Rangie.