SER1 getting started (ie lots of silly questions)

[prev] [thread] [next] [Date index for 2004/08/10]

hello all,

I've been lurking here for a few months, which has been very useful: 
thank you all for the various tips and small parcels of reassurance 
that have got me this far. Now I'm about to embark on some more 
substantial work and I'm hoping you can answer a few silly questions 
for me.

My series 1 is a 1958 88". Originality is not the goal, nor really 
possible. This is my only vehicle: it has to get me to town in all 
seasons and, as you'll discover, it has been quite creatively 
maintained over the years. To get it back to anything like its original 
condition would amount to building a new one from spare parts. I just 
want to make it as practical and healthy as possible.

It has the 2.25 petrol engine from a 2a (i think), along with the 
gearbox and an overdrive. The steering column controls are also from a 
series 2, with a floor-mounted dip switch. The tail lights are from 
someone's trailer, the tailgate has been modified to open sideways, the 
wheels are from a forward control, the whole front end has been adapted 
to hinge (i use the word loosely) forwards in the style of a triumph 
herald, and the stumps of an old rollcage suggest that it has seen some 
hard use over the years.

Mechanically it appears excellent, apart from the usual oil bath. The 
chassis is perfectly solid, so i'm very happy to spend money and time 
bringing it up to a better overall standard and I hope it will carry on 
being my only vehicle for years.

I plan to fit parabolic springs, new shocks and freewheel hubs this 
weekend, deliveries permitting: it's very crashy at the moment and one 
of the, er, bits that connect shock to spring has just broken off, 
leaving me with a dangling damper and little faith in the rest of the 
suspension.

some questions, if I may. I'm sorry they're so basic, but I'm sure more 
advanced ones will follow :)

1. The main weak point is the bulkhead, which is very ropy beneath the 
windscreen and has a couple of holes in one door pillar. can anyone 
suggest where i might find a replacement without a mortgage?

2. the footwells are lovely and warm. perhaps a little too warm. should 
they be?

3. the wheels. they're very funky and all that but significantly larger 
than the originals. this appears to provide a useful bit of extra 
height and longer gearing, at the expense of some turning circle, but i 
worry about the strain on axles and differentials. would anyone like to 
breathe in sharply and advise me to take them off?

4. the springs. i plan to fit them using the hi-lift-and-swearing 
method described here:
	http://www.chrisperfect.com/info/parabolic_springs_fitting_guide.html
is that wise? and is there anything else I should be doing or avoiding 
at the same time? new bushes I have. new shackles? er.

5. the front end. access to the engine is excellent, with the whole 
assembly of wings and bonnet swung out of the way, but it's quite scary 
to look at and I'm sure it's not as strong as it should be. keep it or 
fix it?

6. seat belts. i think what i'd like is some kind of discreet roll bar 
that one could mount seat belts on. my wife would like that very much 
too. sacrilegious, i know, but is it possible?

7. seats. the current set are series 3ish, floppy and badly fitted. any 
suggestions for a good set of comfy seats?

8. wiring. it looks like every owner added some new wires and nobody 
ever bothered to remove the old. most of them don't go anywhere, so 
after the springs i want to completely rewire it. i followed with 
interest the earlier discussion about sourcing a whole loom, and plan 
to order one from autosparks. will the modifications i've mentioned 
make it significantly different from the standard item? i did ask them 
but they were too horrified to reply.

9. smiths heater. it's there, but with no demister hoses or any pipes 
to the engine that I can see. can i just fit the hoses, or is there 
more to it than that?

10. i've been advised to replace the hood ropes with something elastic. 
it sounds easier: is there a set of something that I buy, or just cut 
bungee to size?

thank you very much indeed.

will

ps. the only-car thing isn't as daft as it sounds: i live in the lake 
district and actually need the ground clearance to get home.






To change subscription see www.landrover.net/series1/mail