My new (old) Defender .. ;)

Landyfox said:

Paul looks good mate!

I would definitely address the bit rust on the bulkhead as a priority as once that starts to rot it becomes rapidly worse.

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Yeah, I like it ..

We're ordering a few bits and pieces, but for now I'm addressing immediate issues to allow us to get to the Lakes by the end of the month! I know the bulkhead needs doing badly 'cos the passenger door is a tad loose due to it flapping at the hinge end, but it can wait a couple or so weeks .. !!

Paul D said:

Yeah, I like it ..

We're ordering a few bits and pieces, but for now I'm addressing immediate issues to allow us to get to the Lakes by the end of the month! I know the bulkhead needs doing badly 'cos the passenger door is a tad loose due to it flapping at the hinge end, but it can wait a couple or so weeks .. !!

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you get there mate one step at a time

Just come in, been swapping between the Defender and Disco half the day, ‘cos it took the first half of the day fettling a new rear brake line .. b’stard of a job! _Nothing_ was straightforward … hey ho, job’s a good ‘un now though.

Close to swapping Disco for Defender axles, my main concern is the front drag link and steering damper. On the Disco the damper is on the rear trackrod, on the Defender it’s on the front Drag-link .. and has a different steering arm. Does anyone know if the Disco steering arm will fit, so I can use the Disco HD steering rods with a clamp? I can use the Disco trackrod clamp I think and the original Defender mount .. the steering damper looks ****e but feels perfect! Disco only needs the radius arms lifting out and trolleying to the Defender ..

Disco ..

The Defender needs the brake lines undoing, but they look way better than the rear, the radius arms undoing and the springs, dampers and turrets removing as well as the steering arm if it will work!

Defender ..


Everything else looks identical!!

Ooh, other than the steering guard! Think I might have to fettle mine a little to make it fit, especially as it has my winch plate welded into it! This won’t be done for Lakes, I’ll probably be winchless, no matter.

You know, the more I see of the Disco as I strip bits off it, the more I like it, the chassis is perfect, the bodywork is battered but solid, there’s only a little rust, inner wings have spots, nearside rear passenger footwell has holes, that’s it! The thinking is now we’re going to keep it, strip it, fettle the engine and stuff and make it into a BFO Winch challenge style truck, or a Trialler/CCV machine .. should be fun!

to fit the disco steering damper
, i think you need to swop the steering box drop arm aswell, i think Gwyn Lewis has something similar on his site,
and will you be fitting a periscope to the fender?? lol

Thought so johnlad, cheers.

Not a periscope, bitch, but I will fit a snorkel .. wait till it's all done, I now have a little 'badge' that Juliet (the wife) found for me ..

Paul D said:

Thought so johnlad, cheers.

Not a periscope, bitch, but I will fit a snorkel .. wait till it's all done, I now have a little 'badge' that Juliet (the wife) found for me ..

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is it a scout swimming badge?

Good work Paul, Got the disco set up on my 90 including the drop arm. You're welcome to have a look or I can get some pic's if you're not sure.

DiscoPol said:

is it a scout swimming badge?

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Scouts wouldn't have me ...

aaronmorris said:

Good work Paul, Got the disco set up on my 90 including the drop arm. You're welcome to have a look or I can get some pic's if you're not sure.

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Yeah, cheers I'd love to have a look, always open to new ideas and seeing how others have overcome stuff.

pm me your address/mobile I could pop round tomorrow morning if that's OK ..

Paul D said:

Yeah, cheers I'd love to have a look, always open to new ideas and seeing how others have overcome stuff.

pm me your address/mobile I could pop round tomorrow morning if that's OK ..

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No worries. PM sent

Paul D said:

Yeah, I like it ..

We're ordering a few bits and pieces, but for now I'm addressing immediate issues to allow us to get to the Lakes by the end of the month! I know the bulkhead needs doing badly 'cos the passenger door is a tad loose due to it flapping at the hinge end, but it can wait a couple or so weeks .. !!

Click to expand...

The pin housing inside the hinge tends to wear away, Our very own LZ member Oldseadog found a bloody good solution - knock the existing one out of the hinge and replace it with a section of modified copper piping to secure the pin snuggaly - job done for pennies

Landyfox said:

The pin housing inside the hinge tends to wear away, Our very own LZ member Oldseadog found a bloody good solution - knock the existing one out of the hinge and replace it with a section of modified copper piping to secure the pin snuggaly - job done for pennies

Click to expand...

Thanks for that, I was looking to do something similar, and it might work for the drivers side, but passenger is definitely the bulkhead!!

Did a bit over the weekend, and today, thanks top-cat ..

Disco front axle now where Defender axle was. So it's now Disco axles front and rear so commonality of parts and 24 spline all round ..

Swapped the Disco ball joint at the steering arm end to accomodate the Defender Steering damper .. much 'safer' than trying to bolt or weld a clamp onto the HD drag link. Also had to make brackets to suit the brakes, on Disco the brake line comes down the front of the shock tower and spring, on the defender it's on the rear. It looked like the Disco mount would unbolt and spin round, but it doesn't so a bit of grindypoo and weldipoo and job's a good 'un. Still got to drill the top mount for the brake pipe out to 17mm to suit the extended brake lines, the Defender is about 10mm ish ..

Can't get the Panhard rod in yet, but that will pop in later when it's off the chassis stands and on the wheels so I can flex the axle more.

Still a fair bit to do, but getting there now ...







Then it's a full service, all fluids filters timing belt etc .. The Disco had not long had new pads and stuff all round so they'll be OK when bled out, everything else on the Defender is on a 'can it be fixed before we go to the Lakes' basis, if it can I'll try to, but if it can't it can wait!!

coming on nicely mate

It’s done ..

Had fun getting the Panhard Rod back in, but a bit of lateral thinking and force …



Also renewed the brake lines to suit the newer +4” stainless flexibles .. Had to modify the caliper and the bodywork brackets, but it’s all modded properly and more importantly, safely and unobtrusively. Don't worry about the prop not being connected in these pics, it is now.






Well, it still needs a full service, fluids changed, tracking and a good shakedown, but other than that, it’s ready to roll now ..

As I got it …





What it looks like now. Nothing done for aesthetics yet, dunno if anything will be, it's all done for articulation and ‘off-roadability’.






After ‘The Lakes’ I’ve got the part to do the bulkhead door post, the door hinges, and a host of other niggly bits, like High-beam working normally, but not as a flash! Lots of little bits like that!

But it’s going, and it’s ready for Lake District.

I is HAPPY !!!

PS, I can't believe It's as high as it is .. I can barely get in the fecker, so god help Juliet, gonna have to work out something like a chain step maybe ..

Paul D said:

It’s done ..

Had fun getting the Panhard Rod back in, but a bit of lateral thinking and force …

Also renewed the brake lines to suit the newer +4” stainless flexibles .. Had to modify the caliper and the bodywork brackets, but it’s all modded properly and more importantly, safely and unobtrusively. Don't worry about the prop not being connected in these pics, it is now.

Well, it still needs a full service, fluids changed, tracking and a good shakedown, but other than that, it’s ready to roll now ..

As I got it …

What it looks like now. Nothing done for aesthetics yet, dunno if anything will be, it's all done for articulation and ‘off-roadability’.

After ‘The Lakes’ I’ve got the part to do the bulkhead door post, the door hinges, and a host of other niggly bits, like High-beam working normally, but not as a flash! Lots of little bits like that!

But it’s going, and it’s ready for Lake District.

I is HAPPY !!!

PS, I can't believe It's as high as it is .. I can barely get in the fecker, so god help Juliet, gonna have to work out something like a chain step maybe ..

Click to expand...

well done paul,the tratter is looking the dogs danglies now.

nice one matey, looking good now, cant wait to see it in the lakes

Still got to drive it with the bits on, and maybe trim the spats and stuff, but yeah, I like the look ..

Looking better now Paul

Hit a small snag .. Disco HD steering bar (drag link) is longer than Defender, but we thought we'd covered it by using the Defender end and HD bar, with a bit cut off and threaded to the very end .. we haven't. The steering now turns 1/2 turn to the right and about 4 turns left!

No sweat, dropped the drop arm off the Defender steering box, thought it's bound to be the hardest so tried to get it off first .. took 5 minutes, easy-peasy! Went to get the Disco arm off, 2 1/2 hours later I've given in and ordered a new one!

Which means .. I don't have to mess replacing the nackered Defender ball joint 'cos the Disco ones were brand new, and the front axle is back to all Disco .. and when I get round to re-doing the Disco I don't need another drop arm, it can stay on!

Also bled brakes, ran it round the block to get some surface rust off, which is when I found I needed a 48 point turn to get back into the school gates!