Author Topic: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS  (Read 18377 times)

Offline Vixen

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Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« on: May 21, 2012, 09:52:45 PM »
I didn't have this posted in the old REMLR, but have decided to post it here because I know some would like to see it. It is the diary I posted to Facebook as we were working on the rebuild. Not having mechanical knowhow, we had to get a fair bit of work done by others but we had a fair bit of involvement in the whole process  :)

Castrol, named for the copious amounts of oil he drops on the driveway, is a 1964 Series 2a ex- Australian Military Land Rover.





The Aussie ex-mils are noteable for their cut guards and 2 inch lift (extended spring hangers) and on some, such as Castrol, a removeable gearbox chassis cross member to make gearbox access & removal easier.

Many of the Aussie Military Land Rovers served in Vietnam, but Castrol never made it off Australian shores. After his military life ended he was sold for $2500 to the RAAF, and was used on their base at Fairburn, Canberra. After that he had a number of different owners before coming into my hands in 2007.

When purchased he had been sat on the side of the road for 3 years. He had a blown head gasket and no brakes, so these were the first things rectified. The head came off, was machined and hardened valve seats fitted. The brake and clutch master & slave cylinders replaced, brake shoes, drums, cylinders and lines replaced. His canvas canopy was rotten, but included in his purchase was a brand new one. He was blowing oil out of the oil filler, which turned out to be due to a leaking gasket and the fact that he had no backflow baffle behind the filler....that was an easy fix.

He has always blown clouds of black smoke, which we had hoped was due to the fact that the carby needed an overhaul, so this was done this week. BUT...it also turns out the head gasket was blown and the extractors were leaking at the block due to poor fitting, so these problems have been rectified, and he no longer blows smoke....and once again has some power.




3rd September 2010

Soooooo........a sudden impulse to lose coolant has brought the bad news that Castrol has a cracked block. Cracked all the way through from front to back along where the welch plugs sit.  So he's off the road until further notice and while I decide whether to spend the money on fixing him.

5th September 2010

I've sourced a block (many thanks zulu delta 534)....just need to pick it up and take it up to the mechanic. Of course, I have no idea if it has been rebored, or if it has any damage or scoring until the pistons etc come out. No idea how much of Castrol's bits will go back on and how much will need replacing etc etc. Don't think I'll get out of it cheaply tho 


3rd January 2011

2011 and Castrol is booked in at the local landy mechanics for a heart transplant soon...so today we started stripping down the donor block. Some of the components will not be needed, so we are stripping it back to the bare block and cleaning everything up, so that the things needed can be used and the rest put away as "just in case" spares.

Part of the reason for stripping the block down is that we need to transport it to the mechanic....stripped down, we should be able to lift it into the RRC without too much trouble. It was a hell of a job getting it in there to bring it home.

4 people, lots of ingenuity and 20kg of kitty litter required

I've ordered a new wiring loom (Aus mil spec) so that will go in while the motor is out.

Then all that is needed are:

Changing ignition back to push start, & installation of immobiliser of some sort

Putting the correct blinkers/parkers on, plus blackout lights & nato plug socket.

Getting the dash back to original configuration

Repairing the filler necks of both fuel tanks

Replacing the rear crossmember

2 new second hand doors

A complete repaint

By 4pm the block is fully stripped

Tomorrow's job is to clean everything up and pack it up to take up to the mechanic.

At least we can lift the block easily now it is stripped back

16th January 2011

We cleaned up a couple of things for Castrol today......

Part of the battery/oil bath cleaner holder ( I only have the top half, going to have to get the base made) and the oil bath filter itself, and the horn for the top of the carby.





It's all had one coat of black paint



27th January 2011

and that air cleaner painted nice gloss black



and poor Castrol, half apart



2nd February 2011

New wiring loom arrived at the post office yesterday   

The mechanic was impressed with it when we took it up to him

The block is away getting a rebore. The plan is, once the motor is out, the engine bay and front chassis gets a high pressure clean and we get in a paint it.

16th February 2011

Spent the day at the mechanics workshop. He kindly invited us up to clean up and paint the engine bay and front of chassis while the motor is out.

So the day was spent removing things like steering linkages, miscellaneous electrical items attached to the firewall & scraping, sanding & wire brushing off layers of paint and mud.

Got it pretty well cleaned up and the firewall at the back of the engine bay painted with primer...my lovely GALVANISED firewall 

Back tomorrow to finish wire brushing etc and degreasing the front of the chassis before some nice black bitumen paint and painting the inner guards.

17th February 2011

Removed the brake & clutch master cylinders and the fluid reservoir. Rubbed back the primer on the firewall, sanded and primered the inner guards.

Quick drying primer on the inner guards so they & the firewall painted, along with the bits of chassis that are easy to reach at this stage.

so early this morning it looked like this



and by the time we came home it looked like this



18th February 2011

More painting

the chassis looks shiny now   shows up all the dirty dull black elsewhere tho 

Removed the gardening tool brackets and the bonnet clamps, to paint ready for when the panels get done



When we left the workshop this afternoon the 2 junior mechanics were being instructed on rebuilding a series motor, because as the mechanic said....."they won't get much of a chance to do this sort of thing"

21st February 2011

Spent a very hot Sunday afternoon doing some paint stripping. We had removed the front bumper and brushbar, in one piece on Friday.

Getting the brushbar off the bumper was a longer than expected process with some of the rusted solid bolts needing to be ground off. Coops is handy with an angle grinder thank goodness, but he was tryng hard to warm his front bits on a hot day!!



Once the bar was off we had a go at it with paint stripper....we found though that a flapper wheel on the angle grinder was much more efficient for removing the "at least 5 layers of paint" though. Then out with a small wire brush to get into the corners. One ready to paint brushbar



The bumper is badly bent. I would seem it has had hard contact with something on one end. So....new bar now being sourced!! I think this one too hard/costly to repair



23rd & 24th February 2011

Cleaned up and painted the sump pan, the brake & clutch pedals, the brake/clutch fluid reservoir and the brushbar

Flapper disks on the angle grinder really eat through layers of paint!!







26th February 2011

The bad news is that the head is also cracked, so yesterday evening was spent at the local landy wreckers sourcing some bits n pieces like another head, an oil filler tube (for some reason Castrols has had some hacked off the end of it) and a hand throttle.

Today I dismantled the hand throttle and cleaned up all the bits and sprayed them with primer.



2nd March 2011

Back up to the workshop to clean up the dash. May as well do it now while all the instrument panels are out.

Took my very bent bumper to a fabricator today, along with a very straight S3 bumper. He is going to make mounting brackets on the S3 bumper so that it will fit my S2....only the very pedantic will know the difference :)

3rd March 2011

Back up to the workshop. Neil put a 2nd coat of paint on the dash, while I stripped the instruments, switches & lights out of the instrument panel.





The motor looks soooooooooo good. I wish it could look this way forever!! Check all the shiney bits.











and a nicely worked and reconned head.....





« Last Edit: May 21, 2012, 10:26:42 PM by Vixen »

Offline Vixen

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2012, 09:53:21 PM »
7th March 2011

Been working on spraying the dash panels, hand throttle & linkages.

Sourced an indicator stalk and a push starter at the local wreckers yesterday. Things are moving on.



14th March 2011

Almost ready for the BIG strip n paint job   

4 litres paint stripper....check

50 sheets of wet n dry....check

4 litres of etch primer....check

4 litres of Olive Drab....check

6 pressure packs of olive drab for the fiddly bits.....check

organised loan of spray gun.......check

Just need to organise a compressor and we are all systems go.......oh, and need to have Castrol back at home ;)

21st March 2011

Work that we can do at home has slowed down a little. Just waiting to get castrol back now so we can organise the repainting.

In the meantime though, a set of steel D1 rims have been painted matt black & fitted with some nice chunky tyres



and the rollbar for the back has had a rub back, been primered and resprayed in matt black also



28th March 2011

Things are starting to look good in the engine bay



11th April 2011

Stripped the radiator panel and painted the inside with engine black and the outside with primer







Also stripped the bonnet and had some rusted reinforcing ribs repaired



6th May 2011

Home from the mechanics and was a pleasure to drive home. We now accelerate up hills and no longer blow clouds of black smoke.

The engine bay looks very neat and clean





12th May 2011

We have done a test paint on the bonnet using foam rollers. Not 100% happy with the finish, think the paint may have needed more thinning. Not too bad though.



27th May 2011

Started stripping and sanding back the body panels ready for painting. Hard work, LOTS of sanding.

The paint is layers thick on the body

Original Bronze Green

Olive Drab from Army service

primer

Blue from navy service

primer/undercoat

Camino Gold

Olive Drab

Olive Drab

Need LOTS of paint stripper!!

The blue Navy paintwork had some stripes over it. Probably put on after service



Lots of sanding later it looks like this



Have started on the other side also



and there is plenty of mess and dead paint to clean up



Sanding and stripping will be what happens now in the coming weeks

1st June 2011

Spent the afternoon sanding one of the doors. There is about 8 man hours in stripping and sanding to this stage





10th June 2011

Castrol has been back up to the mechanics today to have the front swivels overhauled. The chrome balls were badly scored, too badly to leave on so he has has a couple of good condition 2nd hand ones put in with all new seals etc. While at it the mechanic changed the hubs to series 3 hubs so I could run disco rims and bigger tyres. These also went on, and because he is such a great mechanic, without even asking him, he painted the wheelnuts & hubs black to match the rims.

Not only does he now go much much better, but he steers much much better too.......he is one great thing to drive now. So much fun.

So....looking a little sad cosmetically, but mechanically things are great.







26th June 2011

On the advice of the local panelbeater & spraypainter, we are removing the copious amounts of bog in the body panels. The drivers side guard is cracked, so we are looking for a replacement (hard to get as they were modified in the ADF) or will have to get one made. The bog is very thick in some places



So....the majority of the stripping is done. The  tailgate is a bit dodgy, so we will be replacing that. The lights now need to come out so we can get in around them and strip the last of the paintwork.

This is where we are at presently









7th July 2011

The last couple of days have been spent stripping the inside of the rear tub. It's hard going having to work around the fuel fillers and light wiring, but we can finally see the end of this job coming up. Just as well, as it's booked in at the spray painters next week (after deciding that painting it ourselves was going to be too big a job).

I now have an almost shiny silver land rover











15th July 2011

Finally, finally, finally after what feels like years a backbreaking stripping, scratching and scraping, ALL the paint that needed to come off is off.

We did a final test fit of the rollbar before the painting happens and drove Castrol down to the panelbeaters/spraypainters for some bodywork and painting. Hooray!!











20th July 2011

No replacement guards found, so the panel beater had said he would repair and bog to the best of his ability without going overboard. We dropped by to see how things were getting on and there is a nice bog coating on Castrol.







26th July 2011

Not a lot of work done on Castrol still (he is an in-between job for the panelbeater/spraypainter) but you'd never recognise those guards now







Dropped in at the panelbeaters today to see how things were going. Main body is painted. He ended up doing the seat boxes and floors and sprayed the underneath black. He was painting the inside of the doors doors today, and hopefully rewiring the new blinkers, parkers and stop lights in. It looks VERY nice



16th August 2011

Took the freshly painted windsceen down to the panelbeaters and while there fitted it, along with the doors and bumper. I then drove it around to the auto electricians and left it with him. He is going to wire in the blinkers, parkers and hopefully the nato trailer socket.

Nearly there.......looking pretty damned good





25th August 2011

We had tried to fit the rollbar we have, but it wasn't going to go on easily, so we took it and Castrol up to the workshop where the bar was built and got a few small adjustments made and the bar fitted.

We are ALMOST finished. It's looking pretty damned good









14th September 2011

Have had the tonneau and soft top (off another of the land rovers) cut back to fit Castrol. Just doing finishing touches, like painting screw & bolt heads, putting some of the smaller items back on and finishing painting in the cab. Have slapped some fresh paint on to the old tailgate to tidy it up until we can get the other nice straight tailgate we have ready to go on. For all intents I think we could just about say it is finished.....hooray!!

Looks good both with and without the soft top.





and the most recent pic I took last week out and about in the local area

« Last Edit: May 26, 2012, 04:37:12 PM by Vixen »

Tommy

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2012, 09:58:16 PM »
Awesome  8)

The motors Duck Egg Blue...from a can or spray can?

Offline Vixen

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2012, 10:11:09 PM »
Tommy, it's an aerosol can of Ford engine blue from Repco  ;) and thanks  ;)

Offline juddy

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2012, 10:11:38 PM »
Great post, and fantastic to see your re build. :)
1991 110 Truck Surveillance (RFSV), Winch MC2 *51-656*
2004 Truck, Carryall, Lightweight, Modified Military Special, With Winch, MC2/3 205-301, Haulmark PT1-1.2 *205090* No5 Trailer

Images © 2008-2017 J Burton

Offline master chief

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2012, 10:29:31 PM »
Top Job,
Looks really nice.

MC
2A Workshop 172-559 Tasman Warrior

Offline THE BOOGER

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2012, 10:54:36 PM »
Looking very good, need a roll bar like that myself
s111 GS, no 5, xt600 & Ferret mk2
Geoff C

Offline bobslandies

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2012, 11:26:27 PM »
Great build-up post Pat! Thanks for putting it on here.
Like the "Coopers" tyres too! :)

Bob Shannon
Vice President, Steering Committee
Land Rover Owners Club of Australia (NSW Branch) Inc
LAND ROVER Enthusiasts - NSW

Offline juddy

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2012, 09:56:44 PM »
Thanks for the picture of the restoration, gives me hope...
1991 110 Truck Surveillance (RFSV), Winch MC2 *51-656*
2004 Truck, Carryall, Lightweight, Modified Military Special, With Winch, MC2/3 205-301, Haulmark PT1-1.2 *205090* No5 Trailer

Images © 2008-2017 J Burton

Offline Minikeg

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #9 on: May 29, 2012, 08:39:29 PM »
wow..

Its good to see Castrols had some TLC, not a fan of the rollbar/top (just my opinion), but the rest is great!

Will it have 'Castrol' sprayed back onto the bar? Any of the white army markings returning? Will the sconecutters on the rear be replaced with original army or are the current ones near enough?
I'm not completely useless.. I'm missing some of the pieces
110-415 'Agro' 1959 88" CR              111-676 'Pickles II' 1959 88" CR
114-270 'Maya' 1967 109" GS/WS      113-368 'Castrol' 1964 88" GS
48-975 'Reptar' 1988 110" FFR           48-932 'Widget' 1988 110" GS

Offline Vixen

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #10 on: May 29, 2012, 10:48:59 PM »
wow..

Its good to see Castrols had some TLC, not a fan of the rollbar/top (just my opinion), but the rest is great!

Will it have 'Castrol' sprayed back onto the bar? Any of the white army markings returning? Will the sconecutters on the rear be replaced with original army or are the current ones near enough?

At this stage, there are no plans to do any further to Castrol, so "no" pretty well answers your questions in that regard. I do have the scone cutters to replace those none original ones, just as I have a military rear crossmember and all the bits to do the rear end. Just don't feel like doing any more at this stage  ;)
« Last Edit: May 30, 2012, 12:54:52 PM by Vixen »

Offline Ellard

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2012, 07:16:28 AM »
Hi there

I have a huge passion for the SWB IIA - they are great little trucks and thanks to Digger I may ............

Also an exelent rebuild report - I can relate when you spend so much time work on these vehciles they become part of the family (like my Fire Engines).

Although its not original I do like the roll bar as well, my daugters who are 8 & 11 drive the 88 CR & the 86" around the farm and has given me an idea to make there driving experiences much more safer.

PS -were did you get the cam seat covers............



Thnaks again

Wayne
« Last Edit: May 30, 2012, 07:37:01 AM by Ellard »
2 x SI 1958 LWB Fire Engine
1 x SII LWB 1961 Angus Firefly
1 x SIIA LWB 1963 Fire Tender (No 5 fire trailer)
1 x 110 48:005 Forward Command Podt

Offline Vixen

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2012, 12:53:16 PM »
Ellard, the covers were on Castrol when I bought it. They are canvas covers that slip off...the vinyl seat is underneath. They are pretty neat  :) Minikeg may know where his dad got them made (unless they were on it when his dad bought Castrol also)

The rollbar (well, it's more bling than functional) is purely for fun. We drive it mostly with no top on and I have all the original bits so if I want to display Castrol at any time it is purely a case of changing 4 wheels (ok they won't be S2 rims but most people don't know the difference), changing the windscreen and putting the canvas & hoops back on  ;D...easy peasey really  ;D

Offline DennisM

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #13 on: May 30, 2012, 03:25:15 PM »
The seat covers were made by a chap unknown to me, who wanted to make them enmass, he made a set for Ross.C to trial and show but that was as far as it got AFAIK!, cheers Dennis.

Offline Vixen

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Re: Vixen & Cooper's S2a GS
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2012, 05:20:05 PM »
The seat covers were made by a chap unknown to me, who wanted to make them enmass, he made a set for Ross.C to trial and show but that was as far as it got AFAIK!, cheers Dennis.

Shame  :( I think they are very good. I'm sure they would sell (well, now at least, if not back then)  ;)
Thanks Dennis  :)