Buying an 88" rag-top

Hello. This is my first post here. I am relatively (well, very) new to LRs. A long time fan, occasional user, but never an owner (yet).

Next summer I'll be moving to Napoli, Italy, and I'm going to need something rugged and reliable to get me there, and to use while I live there (hopefully for good). I am strongly considering an 88" rag-top (don't like hard tops, don't want a truck cab. The rag-top is ideal for summertime).

The thing is, I don't have a ton of cash to spare. So it's got to be reliable and as economical as possible, and also survive a 1,600 mile drive to the south of Italy. In the summer. Carrying me, my dog, and a couple of boxes of my posessions.

Naturally I was thinking diesel is the way to go. I don't really like the standard 4-pot diesel that came with the SIII. Agonisingly slow, ear-burstingly noisy and not that economical. I am therefore considering a replacement engine.

Bearing in mind that I am not overly well-off, and my need for reliability, easy access to parts, and economy, I was thinking that the Transit 2.5 diesel is the way to go, especially as there are tons of them all over the place. What problems might this present re. fitting the engine/gearbox into the SIII chassis? It has also been suggested to me that a Perkins 2L diesel from a Montego is the way to go?

I am open to any suggestion for a reliable easy-to-fit diesel engine (and 5-speed gearbox) suitable for an SIII.

I would also be buying a left-hander since it will most likely spend the rest of its life in Italy. Would this make things difficult if doing an engine replacement? If need be I could just get a right-hander and use it there.

If anyone has any ideas, suggestions, insight or anything else to say, I would really be exceedingly grateful.

Regards

Colin

The transit lump wil fit, conversion plates are easy to obtain but you will need to move the engine mounts. The Montego perkins, if memory serves me, doesn't need an adaptor plate, it will go straight in.

for a rhd landy, just fit the engine in back to front ... it'll fit perfectly but make sure you alter the firing order or the cooling fan will be pushing air through the rad instead of pulling it .... this will create a rollong resistance and make it less economical.

The biggest problem you will have (if moving to Italy) is finding a Landrover with one forward gear and four reverse. Practice surrendering, you know what they say ... when in Rome.....

Heidi is LHD and we use her daily in England - no problems, so I don't see why driving a RHD in Italy would be any different. You soon get used to being near the kerb. But LHD Land Rovers are not hard to find - if you want a soft top why not go for a military one? Lots of those are LHD and they've usually been well maintained. Army vehicles tend to look awful because the squaddies don't care about dents and always slap another coat of paint on 'em every time they go on exercise. But they HAVE to be reliable, so the important bits are always in good nick. The exception is, of course, anything the Marines have got their (webbed) hands on. They like driving through salt-water, you see . You're right about the 2.25 naturally asthmatic diesel, though

I have a IIA 88" Rag Top which I use daily for work (until I broke my leg and have to drive the auto rangey), It has a Daihatsu 2.8 (non turbo) diesel that fits well and has bags of torque. It seems bullet proof and parts are easy to source. However for the type of use you are needing and a warm climate musts would have to be a Kenlowe, an overdrive and Range Rover diffs, but this would be the same for any engine you fit.Remeber do your sums first and take into consideration what you can realistically afford and whether to buy a finished project or go for it yourself. If possible check out other people who have done similar conversions.

Gareth Coe said:

----->>> The exception is, of course, anything the Marines have got their (webbed) hands on.---->>>

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My hands are not webbed, neither have they ever been. Personally I would steer clear of anything owned by the Army. They ain't called pongo's for nothing!

I see you're still attracted to salt water - living in Sarfend. Wasn't you burnt down the pier, was it?