2a chassis swap

Hi everyone

We have our old 2a SWB station wagon up at my grandparents which is in desperate need of love and care. Normal landy situation looks fine from the top but underneath chassis is rotten. So looking at swapping the chassis.

Our plan is to have some days off work and get it done quick as if we do anything else she will just end up a box of bits. Then treat it as a rolling restoration. Thing is I have no idea how long it will realistically take. There will be two of us on it all day and possibly a 3rd in the evenings

I am thinking strip it one weekend then the following start bolting her back together. So two questions really. How long to pull her to bits? How long to bolt it back together?

Thanks, Tom

Lots of other parts will be rusty. To get to them again when it comes to doing the full restoration would probably require another strip down.

Also, be prepared for the bulkhead to be in need of replacement as well if you are planning on doing it quickly.

Have a good supply of replacement bolts at the ready. You will need to cut through quite a few during the disassembly phase as they will be rusted solid. If not rusted solid, many will strip or shear when you try and undo them.

Perfectly doable in a weekend between 3 or four blokes with some idea and one that just sits and watches (The bloody owner)

We did this a few years back ....in a short weekend ...

Bit of prep fitting reconned axles and new brake lines to the new chassis and liber application of plusgas to rusty bolts .

2 post lift made it a doddle leaving the body intact and just disconnecting electricals steering brakes .


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w1f_VePNis

Also, be prepared for the shackle pins to be rusted solid into the spring and chassis bushes. These may well require getting a hacksaw into the gap between them to cut off both ends of the bolts.

A full set of replacement shackle pins, shacke plates and axle u-bolts/nuts would be a good thing to buy before doing it.

It would also be helpful to have access to a suitably powerful hydraulic press to remove the most likely knackered spring eye bushes.

I did see this done on a you tube post in I think 24 or 48 hours. They where going at it though. With all the gear to leave the body intact like the professional outfits the job should be around 40 hours. Add to this seized fixings time to grind/saw curse the bolts out. You will need to replace all brake pipes/flexis and cut the exhaust off to speed things up. We have all spent over an hour just getting a shock absorber split pin out !

Thanks for the advice everyone, my plan would be to remove the body as one piece as we have the lifting gear to do it. Glad my original thoughts on the amount of time was not far off.

My plan would be strip it one weekend, then spend the week in between cleaning off and painting axles etc and also order all the new parts that are needed. Then following weekend bolt back together with a couple of extra days off planned just in case. May be easter weekend would be a good time for it

good luck

my vote is no, it'll take you months

Get a rolling chassis done, with all pipe work ect and then go for body swop one weekend.

I would think that lifting the body off and straight swapping it is only viable if the bulkhead is good. Do you know anything about the condition of the bulkhead?

Me and the old man did this in 2 days.


We had a rolling chassis in a day.

Nice work Mick2a, but the average guy has to work in a small workshop or his driveway. Space is everything when so many pieces come off.

divie said:

Nice work Mick2a, but the average guy has to work in a small workshop or his driveway. Space is everything when so many pieces come off.

Click to expand...

That's my mates garage and I had to be in and out in 2 weeks. Wish it was my space.

Looks good thanks for the pics, fortunately we have a barn to do it in with lifting gear etc. That will be coming empty around April time when our steam engine comes out of it ready for rally season.

Sounds like you have what you need to get the major part of the job done in a weekend.GO for it. cheers.