Series 3 Body Removal

TS2304 · May 23, 2023

Afternoon All - been a while since I was on here...not having the Landy as my daily driver any more has reduced the constant need for fettling to a far more relaxing and enjoyable occasional tinker

I feel that now might be the time to bite the bullet and really get to grips with the rot on the chassis. In the decade or so I've owned it I've had to replace an outrigger and patch in various places, but I've never really properly managed to get it sorted - mainly through lack of space, time and energy..

So I'm thinking I really need to take the body off and see what's what underneath, allow me to access it properly to clean / weld / replace as needed... I have what I think is a pretty standard 109 hardtop as seen here:

Tho the observant of you will notice I do only appear to have rear windows on one side...I'm guessing a PO panelled over the other side many a moon ago, but who knows... (and yes, I know the paintwork is shocking...again, not my doing!)

I've never removed the body and the Green Book offers very little by way of help in the matter. SO my question is...how easy is it to get the body off? It is possible to remove in one piece or do I need to break a load of spot welds and rivets? Can I just unbolt / unscrew it from (no doubt) a million places and lift it off to expose the chassis underneath?

If anyone who's done this can offer any words of advice on how best to go about this it would be appreciated - I thought I'd ask before tackling the job rather than wait til I got ½ way through and bolloxed it up and resorted to getting help!

I have to work on the drive and have no lifting gear and am normally on my own too if that is a factor..

Thanks for any advice!
Oh and also, while I'm here, what do you call the type of cable that's got the inner core and the flexi outer - the one that is used to operate the heater control leaver? I need to replace mine and I'm sure I can buy a length of cable cheaper than LR parts places sell the 'right' one if i could only remember the name of the cable type...but I can't. I'm sure it's got a fancy name not just 'inner core cable'...anyone?

Wildefalcon · May 23, 2023

Bowden cable.

Rear tub is nuts and bolts.

Remove roof, sides, wiring loom and tub.

Remove floor, seat box, bonnet, wings. Radiator panel and doors.

Many screws. Self taped and captive nuts.

Expect many seized fasteners, prepare by soaking in penetrating oil. Get a finger sander to sand away fixings that have rounded, or screws that have the heads damaged. Rejoice when a fixing snaps, easier and quicker to replace. Power tools help, impact drivers, air/battery ratchets help. Visegrips can be used as remote hands to hold fixings when you can't reach both sides.

Download the manual.

kermit_rr · May 23, 2023

roof and sides come off as one piece, its quite heavy. Then the tub can come off

dag019 · May 23, 2023

As said above it is easier to split into parts than it is to remove as a whole. it is also not really designs structurally to be removed as a whole.

Roof and sides is one piece (two man lift) - unbolt along the top of the windscreen and each the bottom corner of each side
remove wings
remove doors
remove floor panels, seat box and sills
Rear tub is just nuts and bolts but remember to disconnect fuel filler and electrics.

this should just leave you with the bulkhead. The bulkhead is just the two bolts into the end of the outrigger and the support brackets to the foot well but is a lot of effort to remove as everything needs to be disconnected.

I have done everything other than a tub removal on my own before. You can remove the roof on your own by standing in the tub and using your back to lift and walk it backwards but it is easier with two people.

The bulkhead is definitely a two person lift as it the rear tub. but you don't need any special kit and if you do all the prep work you only need a second person for about 10 min of lifting. to remove parts form the chassis rather than a helper all the time.

Turboman · May 23, 2023

TS2304 said:
Afternoon All - been a while since I was on here...not having the Landy as my daily driver any more has reduced the constant need for fettling to a far more relaxing and enjoyable occasional tinker

I feel that now might be the time to bite the bullet and really get to grips with the rot on the chassis. In the decade or so I've owned it I've had to replace an outrigger and patch in various places, but I've never really properly managed to get it sorted - mainly through lack of space, time and energy..

So I'm thinking I really need to take the body off and see what's what underneath, allow me to access it properly to clean / weld / replace as needed... I have what I think is a pretty standard 109 hardtop as seen here:
View attachment 288871
Tho the observant of you will notice I do only appear to have rear windows on one side...I'm guessing a PO panelled over the other side many a moon ago, but who knows... (and yes, I know the paintwork is shocking...again, not my doing!)

I've never removed the body and the Green Book offers very little by way of help in the matter. SO my question is...how easy is it to get the body off? It is possible to remove in one piece or do I need to break a load of spot welds and rivets? Can I just unbolt / unscrew it from (no doubt) a million places and lift it off to expose the chassis underneath?

If anyone who's done this can offer any words of advice on how best to go about this it would be appreciated - I thought I'd ask before tackling the job rather than wait til I got ½ way through and bolloxed it up and resorted to getting help!

I have to work on the drive and have no lifting gear and am normally on my own too if that is a factor..

Thanks for any advice!
Oh and also, while I'm here, what do you call the type of cable that's got the inner core and the flexi outer - the one that is used to operate the heater control leaver? I need to replace mine and I'm sure I can buy a length of cable cheaper than LR parts places sell the 'right' one if i could only remember the name of the cable type...but I can't. I'm sure it's got a fancy name not just 'inner core cable'...anyone?

Other way round, a previous owner installed the rear side window.

As said before ^^^^^, just take the body apart. You don't need to break any welds and rivets, just undo the bolts.

You can take it apart as much as you like, roof and sides, followed by tub is the commonest way.

You will need to get an assistant, though, unless you want to splash out on crane hire.

TS2304 · May 23, 2023

Thanks gents for the replies...If the weather (and enthusiasm) holds I shall attempt to undo some bolts and see where it gets me... no doubt i'll discover everywhere it's attached is rotten and I'll never get it back on again, but least i'll be able to see how bad the chassis really is and take it from there. It's either that or wait for something to drop off it.

Wildefalcon said:
Bowden cable.

Ah that's it! Much obliged! Will be able to track some down now.

Turboman said:
Other way round, a previous owner installed the rear side window.

Interesting...I'd always assumed it was meant to have windows on both sides...good to know!

tottot · May 24, 2023

Just remove the roof and rear tub to start, its at that end the worst corrosion is usually found.
If rear crossmember is in line for replacement get the new one in place before removing tub and finish welding after. Looks a nice straight truck.

kermit_rr · May 24, 2023

tottot said:
Just remove the roof and rear tub to start, its at that end the worst corrosion is usually found.
If rear crossmember is in line for replacement get the new one in place before removing tub and finish welding after. Looks a nice straight truck.

i replaced the rear xmember with the tub off
measured the existing dimensions in every possible combination, then tack welded the new one in place to make sure the tub fitted with everything still lining up

tottot · May 24, 2023

Trouble is not everyone can measure like you kermit, I have seen some right cockups.

TS2304 · May 24, 2023

kermit_rr said:
i replaced the rear xmember with the tub off
measured the existing dimensions in every possible combination, then tack welded the new one in place to make sure the tub fitted with everything still lining up

Thanks. I think I’ll start with roof and tub as suggested and see what’s what. It’s the top of the chassis where I’ve never seen that worries me most. I’ve patched at the rear previously - welding with the body on but doing it upside down is a right pain and probably didn’t do very good job of chasing out all the old rot. If I can get the tub off ok I’ll see what’s what and then might stick it back on if I do need to replace the cross member as not sure my measuring is up to Kermit’s standards either so Thanks for the tip. Least I’m in no hurry.

kermit_rr · May 24, 2023

tottot said:
Trouble is not everyone can measure like you kermit, I have seen some right cockups.

i'm not saying i'm good with a tape measure either! but in my case i'd already stripped and sandblasted the chassis, so rebuilding wasn't really an option
measure fixed points along the chassis rails. measure fixed points diagonally front to rear.
measure the whole lot twice!! then double check

random spot checks between other points as a safety net

Colthebrummie · May 26, 2023

Sometimes you're better off not knowing. Just saying.

Col

TS2304 · May 26, 2023

I get you… has been my approach for the last 10 years but last proper check showed it was so bad I needed to ditch it as the daily and lay it up over winter to avoid the salt to try and slow down the rot. If I’m going to keep it going I think I need to take the plunge and get to grips with it or just watch bits fall off it on the drive. I’m fairly certain it really needs putting on a new chassis but that’s not an option for me but maybe if I can squeeze another decade out of it with patches I’ll then be in a position to do so.
Or not.

LordOWar · Jun 4, 2023

When I took mine apart the roof bolts were ok and rust free, the rear panels were mostly ok with some rust on the weird bolt things in the rear corners. The tub I think 83.78 % of them snapped and the rest were cut off. I think the bulkhead bolts were cut off due to a combination of rust and previous owners welding.

Series 3 Body Removal

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