Is there a place here for modified ex army Land Rovers?

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Navigation, my first car was a SWB series 3 with a holden 202 and nissan truck gearbox. Sounds similar to your setup. This was a great little car. We also put range rover diff centres to improve the cruise speed. It would easily cruise at 120km/h. It had wide tyres also but even then it would still spin on the bitumen (even in 2nd) without much effort. Broke a couple of axles  .

Unfortunately my photos of it are pre-digital era. I ended up selling it back to the guy I bought it from too!

I think there is a lot to be said for simple discrete mods which enhance a vehicle's usability. That being said I am trying to keep my ex mil 109 GS completely original. If you kept the original gearbox and engine then you cant potentially have these bits with the car when you sell it.

Thanks for the comment.

I thought mine went well with the 4 speed, hi transfer and hi diffs, but the 5 speed atop all that...along with the souped up motor, makes for an express truck in the literal sense.

I've no desire to store engines and gearboxes for future returns back to standard. It just isn't worth it. Fair enough if the vehicle was sought after enough to command a decent return...but I'm yet to see Land Rovers pulling big dollars here. I don't do it for potential future value, I do it because I find it to be a great hobby, rather than sitting in front of a TV or whatever.

I see it like this, an old SIII 109 GS was never supposed to be quick, and people don't expect them to be more than slugs, so the rascal in me wants to exploit that and spin people out with the way an old jinker like this can go.

I was going to supercharge it, but it doesn't really need anymore than it has, lest I overstep the spec on another componant, as you say, axles, drive flanges etc, all play a role.

I already had to re-engineer the drive hubs/flanges to cope with the added stresses of the Detroit Locker. I'm running M12 cap heads on those now.

This isn't the first vehicle I've built either, I've been building up hot cars etc all my life. I don't watch much tv, nor am I a sports fan, obviously. 

[navigation]

I suppose the other thing that sets what I've done aside from what most other people have done, is that I've upgraded this unit to suit its role as an every day driver, not a once in a blue moon/weekend toy.

I do concur with Diana about retaining the military look in some instances, and really would have liked a high performance olive green of camo coloured SIII 109 GS, but it just wan't to be for me.

Would I entertain the thought of building another in green or camo, not likely, I'd choose another type of vehicle entirely next time. There's no challenge for me in stirring the same pot over and over.

Carzee mentioned cost in one of his posts, saying this has cost me a lot of money to build. Not sure where the cost input level should be for a one off custom build, but I have done this as cheaply as possible, and the main area where I've saved money is in doing it all myself, with the aid of likeminded friends assisting. I/we make what needs to be made, or get it done via a mate if we haven't the capability to get it done ourselves.

Perhaps the hardest part in building a vehicle is in the research of what can and cannot be done. I reckon I spent 4 times as long doing the research as what it took to actually do the mod in question.

Someone else mentioned Land Rovers as being "versatile", and that they are, for they really are quite easy to work on if you plan out what you're doing and set off on the task with a positive attitude.

Things like rewiring may daunt some people, but it's really pretty simple when you do a bit of "Googling" beforehand.

I actually did feel I'd bitten off more than I could chew with the wiring, so asked an auto elec mate to come past and offer some advice. I won;t tell you what I paid him for his advice, as it was more than I believe it was worth, for his advice was to just keep soldiering on myself and only to call on him if I got stuck. I didn't get stuck, I'd just Google and use common sense and it all fell into place for me.

Juggling how to make the standard indicator mechanism work witha  Chevrolet spec 20x circuit loom wasn't anywhere near as hard as you may thing, nor was including the Chev ignition switch, Chev headlights and wipers switches, or upgrading the lousy Land Rover sealed beams to Crystal lights with decent globes and ceramic plugs etc. It all flows. You roll with one thing at a time and before you know it you reach the end.

This vehicle got a full rebuild, except diffs and suspension, over 1x winter period. True.

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This picture shows what went on in the rear cargo area.

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Body deadener/heat shield was used on both sides of the firewall, floor plates, seat box etc, anything which I felt would help with the noise and the heat, was covered. Then Carpet was applied over the top.

[pop058]

OK, I have been watching this thread for a while and I freely admit I fall into the "leave it generally original" category.  BUT, Kudos to you mate, that is one of (if not) the cleanest S3's I have laid eyes on.

I think you have given a few people (me at least) a bit of inspiration to venture a bit further afield with a Series Landy, be it a civy or ex-mil.

 MMMMMM, I have got a 3.9/R380 combo sitting in my shed not doing much. 

[Diana Alan]

I was looking at an earlier post and notice you have what looks like a computer fan in the heater/demister air intake.  Will that push sufficient air?

[Phoenix]

I too like them original, but I would love that as my every day driver, I miss driving my S3 FFR, and i've not yet driven my ambulance

Last military vehicle I got to drive was a Moke, and that was fun

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I was looking at an earlier post and notice you have what looks like a computer fan in the heater/demister air intake.  Will that push sufficient air?

Hi Diana,

It's more commonly referred to as a bilge blower. 135 CFM, it's a serious fan, unlike a feeble computer fan.

It's only one speed, however, it's main use (in my case) is for demisting and pumping hot air into the cabin till the cab is warmed a whisker...beyond that it's really unnecessary as I've rebuilt the entire heating system and enhanced it suitably enough that it works pretty well with no fan at all.

http://compare.ebay.com.au/like/380178417079?ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes

My fan is similar to this one, but I think mine is rated higher and cost less from memory. Again from memory, there are two ratings, and I think mine is the higher one. Could be wrong. Either way, it pumps some serious air and makes the standard fan look like a joke. 

Ok, here's a Nascar brake duct fan, note the price, even with shipping. This is the route I took.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NASCAR-RACE-CAR-brake-or-driver-cooling-air-blower-fan-4-inch-NEW-/321058376165?pt=Race_Car_Parts&hash=item4ac09209e5

They use them as brake cooling fans in race cars too, and that was where I directed my search at the time, so while they sell as bilge blowers, they sell far more units as brake cooling fans for NASCAR etc. If you're in the market for one, go the NASCAR route, it'll save you money. Anything marine is priced significantly higher...just a bit of a cryptic tip. 

**Remember I no longer use a mechanical water pump or mechanical fan, I use a digitally controlled Davies Craig electric water pump and 14 inch thermo. The thermo saw service previously as a backup to the mechanical fan, but since I shifted the engine forward by 100mm and relocated the radiator etc, I'm no longer able to utilise a mechanical fan, so the thermo is now prime.

Because the algorithym in the digital engine temp controller is factory preset to run at 85 degrees (midway point), I get engine water recirculation for 10 seconds every 30 seconds even when cold. This means that the heater/demister gets warmed water earlier than would be the case with a thermostatically controlled system, as per standard.

*The engine thermostat (standard) basically holds back the warm water to the heater until the engine is at temp and the thermostat opens...

The electric water pump and digital controller allows warm (ish) water to circulate long before it can in standard spec. This can be a bonus to the operator.

Also, the digital controller can be adjusted, so you can alter the operating temp of the engine via the controller on the dash, and run it incrementally higher or lower from the standard thermostat controlled temp as per standard.

I run a blind across the radiator, to restrict airflow as I've got a too efficient cooling system...the blind restricts the air down to the point where I can now apply the digital controller to run the engine temp where I want it, dependant on seasonal changes and performance expectations.

I hope I've explained this sufficiently enough to answer your question.

[navigation]

OK, I have been watching this thread for a while and I freely admit I fall into the "leave it generally original" category.  BUT, Kudos to you mate, that is one of (if not) the cleanest S3's I have laid eyes on.

I think you have given a few people (me at least) a bit of inspiration to venture a bit further afield with a Series Landy, be it a civy or ex-mil.

 MMMMMM, I have got a 3.9/R380 combo sitting in my shed not doing much. 

Thank you pop058,

I warmly encourage you to do your due dilligence and look at souping up that engine and drivetrain, if done correctly, you will have a nice little performer on your hands.

People tried to get me to go diesel when I was doing the gearbox modification but I just couldn't afford it at the time, it is a loose change hobby after all, but if I had gone that route, I would have had the fuel pump drilled out and probably would have hung a big (ish) turbo onto the side of it. Just to get it crackin'...

As mine is a daily driver on suburban streets and highways, I've set it up to exploit what's available using petrol.

My engine is not a really high performance engine, it's just warmed sensibly.

Bathurst spec head, Crow Towing cam, blueprinted 34 ADM Weber carb, extractors, electronic ignition, electric fuel pump, electric water pump etc.

Just plain jane mods based on proven performance formulas.

All designed to create torque down low, much like a diesel... ...but just revs a bit harder.

I am a diesel fan as a matter of fact, and have built several very fast trucks over the years, but this vehicle had the petrol engine, diffs etc already in place and I couldn't justify the cost of going diesel with it...

Thanks for the kind words too, glad you like it.

I'll warrant a guess that you'd be loving it even more if I ever pulled up alongside you at the lights, and blasted off and left you for dead...as is my usual trick.

I've had many people with Land Rovers smiling gleefully when I've launched it and left them for dead.

It goes pretty well, more like a WRX Subaru than an old ex army chariot.

Regards to you.

*p.s, don't forget that the 27a law was exempted for the military. Think about that...

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installing carpet in the front...

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The standard dash binacle was a treated to a bit of an overhaul too...

That's a Jaguar Tacho and Speedo, and rocket launcher covers on each of the blue LED switches. Each toggle switch serves a different role.

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All the dash lights were converted to green, and are dimmed via the Chevrolet headlight switch.

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Oh, and just in case some of you still believe this is a crazy Series III rebuild and takes the vehicle too far away from standard, then take a look at this next image of the last car I built for/with my stepfather.

This could have been the Land Rover, but I never went that far on what I view as a fun 4x4...

[Diana Alan]

Hi Diana,

It's more commonly referred to as a bilge blower. 135 CFM, it's a serious fan, unlike a feeble computer fan.

It's only one speed, ...<snip>
I hope I've explained this sufficiently enough to answer your question.

More than sufficient.   

In fact, I have been considering options for fitting A/C to my Defender, but the available space to integrate the evaporator in the heater box was restricted by the size of the blower unit.  Your fan could change that whole assumption.

I was also considering fitting a change over where I could shut off outside air by blocking the external intake and opening a recirculating intake from the footwell, again your fan makes that possible.

[navigation]

There are always alternatives Diana, the sky's the limit really.

If you hatch a plan and want to ball park the process, ask here on the site for ideas.

I'm sure there are many capable tinkerers here willing to lend a hand/advice.