Thread: Crazy CRAZY Idea... Overlander anyone?

Yes blanket ban on V8s and turbos (other than turbo diesel) for P-Platers in QLD for a while now... only 18months till I get my opens though

As I said I am not loosing all my landy links as I have a geat little Series 1 80" out at mum and dad's block at Maryvale (near cunningham's gap), it's only a farm hack but further down the line it too will be restored to former glory (with maybe a 253V8 in place of its current 186 )

I could probably get away with a RRC as most standard squad cars have more power than the old 3.5 however the insurance on V8s for under 25 drivers is HUUUUUGH

I like driving my HZ too much to mothball it could not stand it sitting in a shed out on the downs for any extended period of time.

Anyone got an old kingswood ute rusting in thier back yard/paddock that they would like to donate to the cause haha? Same goes for old RRC parts/running gear - coil springs for the win i rekon, might even be able to use the original coil seats off the kingswood ute at the font with some modification to the RRC diff housing. I'm not big on power, 202 is more than enough - don't need a stroker or efi V8 haha

Something like this, except with less sag in the rear haha



OR maybe the tonner?? The tonner would be easier I think to do a replica but I kinda prefere the look of a styleside overlander



Both are genuine overlanders from the Arthur Hayward factory in tassie

Here's another really good example. I have seen this one in the flesh - has a V6 commy engine, very well finished

Looks like the boys at Superior Engineering near where I live (well brisbane anyway haha) know a little about them. This is another genuine example taken from thier website





Will definatly be talking to the fellas at Superior in the future

And here come the Wagons, this one has a 6.2L Chev Diesel



what a beast lol



from the original holden sales broshure



and another



Sorry for clogging a LandRover forum with pictures of Hodens hahah I LOVE them lol

for anyone interested in the procedure I am thinking of doing to create a replica, check out this guy's piccys from oldholden.com overlanda-build

very informative

This is the sort of strengthening that needs to be done (taken form the above link)

This is a rear spring mount for the LH front spring



In this one a plate in welded across the underside of the chassis, on the left hand you can see the original coil spring seat (control arms removed)



Front spring shackle mounts





And everything in place in the front end



note that this particular project was a REPLICA and I thinke he used toyota running gear from a HJ45 (springs included). That was just a taste, there are a heap more piccys at this link overlanda-build

As you have shown in your pics, building a replica would be heaps of work and heaps of expense. You would be paying at least $1k to an engineer. Who would likely insist that a ticketed welder do all welds (or at least sign off on them). IMO would be a minimum of $5k - likely more - even with you doing as much as possible yourself.

The original axles were Dana IRC.

I have seen a 1-tonne ute on a RRC/Defender chassis and running gear. Looked quite good.

Crazy is correct! Let me tell you, as some one who is in the throes of a ground up rebuild, there is an absolute ****LOAD of things which you haven't even begun to think about yet that will cost you more than you can imagine!

And I'm only building to standard spec! (ish... )


You have two cars and cant afford both, so you want to *build* a third? And when it's done and you are up to your ears in debt, will you be able to bring yourself to sell BOTH the Landy and the Kingswood to pay of the looming financial institutions?

Keep in mind that you will have to engineer the engine too. You can't use an engine that is older than the chassis, and you can't have a V8. So say you put in a V6 commy donk, then what do you do for a Gearbox?

It all gets very complicated!

The options as I see it:

1: Cop it on the chin, keep paying two regos and have the best of both worlds.
2: Put the 2A on historic and be restricted to fun on club trips
3: Sell both and buy a cheap disco (but be careful not to get a lemon!)
4: Put the Kingswood up on blocks (or historic rego) and daily drive the 2A

4 would be my option. Nothing on Landies is too expensive (water pumps are $75 new on eBay) and you won't be too worried about ruining it (unlike that VERY nice Kingswood. )