BODGER’S PARADISE
The next morning I set about turning the little Series I into a usable vehicle, and having seen the mess the previous owner had made of the ignition system I had a feeling there would be a few more unpleasant surprises. The engine change itself was not too difficult. The new engine (another 200Di conversion) uses the same mounts and has the same bellhousing bolt pattern as the 2.25. The main problem I had was the very limited clearance between the front of the engine and the radiator, which made for a very convoluted bottom hose. The front crank pulley was also rather too close to the axle casing for comfort. There are very good reasons why Land Rover lengthened the wheelbase to 88 inches when they brought out the Series I diesel!
With the engine in and running I could now turn my attention to the rest of the vehicle. Due to its age it is exempt from the need for an annual MOT test. I have always been rather dubious about this particular concession – a lot can go wrong with a 60-year-old vehicle in the space of a year. It was structurally sound, although some of the welded repairs to the chassis and bulkhead looked a little amateurish.
But the brakes... Front backplates incorrectly fitted – someone had got them mixed up side to side, so that the floating shoe was towards the front of the vehicle rather than the back. One front wheel cylinder and both front hub seals had failed, leaving the shoes soaked in a mixture of ep90 and brake fluid. Odd-sized rear wheel cylinders, one seized, and the rear brake shoes fitted incorrectly, none of which actually mattered because the rear flexi hose had collapsed internally leaving the rear brakes totally non-functioning.
The bottom steering arm was loose on the relay shaft, the (new) steering box only loosely bolted to the upright, steering drop arm loose on the shaft and fitted in the wrong position leaving only about half a turn of the steering wheel to the left before the steering box internals ran out of travel. no oil in the steering box either. Failed brake light switch, one wheel bearing completely shot and a disintegrated universal joint in the rear propshaft.
As it came in the vehicle was just plain dangerous to drive. If you own a pre-1960 Land Rover, please at least think about putting it through your local MOT station once a year, even if you are not legally required to do so.