Disco 2 Considering a galvanised replacement chassis

Well, I can't be surprised given how much I have already said stuff ROTS for FUN where I live (very salty air!) but it looks like my D2 which I bought with a nice solid chassis a year to 18 months ago, is now not looking good at the back end of the chassis.

I have done years of welding for every MOT (wife's transits and my discos) and kinda sick of it, and the totted up costs soon mount up to thousands. So I am considering a half chassis from Dixon Fabrication (https://dixonfabrication.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=87_92_137&product_id=169)

It's a fraction of the cost of a full chassis, and that 2200mm one will go past any rust on my chassis, which is very good at the front (long term oil leaks helped of course!)

I need to find a damn good welder, or MAY considering doing myself as my welding has come on a lot recently, but ideally would rather pay a pro. Finding one in Cornwall isn't too easy, but worst case I may have to pay my mate to come down from Norfolk as his welding is good.

Anyone have any experience of doing this kind of thing? A full chassis is around 3.5k, so a half (more than half i reckon) for a grand, plus maybe a grand for fitting and replacing brake pipes etc, seems reasonable considering it will add value and save on MOT welding costs for years. I want to make my D2 able to live for a good ten years or so, the engine has only done just over 100k, mint inside, mint body, so i think its time to commit. Thoughts welcome!

That looks like a full chassis, and if their product is on a par with their spelling…..Mebbes I would have me doubts?
On the other hand, I wish I had known services like this existed before I parted with my beloved Disco 1, may she rust in piece.

Coley53 said:

may she rust in piece.

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HA HA HA HA

Funny you say that, as **** like that OFTEN turns me off a purchase, even a 5 quid item on ebay! But in my experience, have to give some leeway for metalworkers and engineering types! Without wanting to slur anyone, as it's a generalisation, but I know some very talented engineers and even my mate who is a darn good fabricator and welder, he can't spell for toffee!

It does look like a full chassis but it's not, it comes to somewhere under the rear side doors, nearer the front doors perhaps. My tail end is going now, its not terrible but having never been welding, I dont fancy starting that now. The chassis has scaling/surface rust further forward but definitely not as far as this galv chassis goes, so it should cover me and add life to the vehicle.

Some pictures...

Vid...

john snoo said:

not as far as this galv chassis goes,

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Thats not Galvanized.
But I suspect the full chassis at 3.5k would be. Would also expect to hold a bit better price if you did decide to sell in 10yrs.

Have you considered the amount of work you would need to do to replace half chassis. When you are that far in surely not much more to change all and less chance of it not being straight, when you drive it down the road .

J

I often wonder if it is worth fitting galv to a disco, its not like the cars are mega money to start with?

marjon said:

Thats not Galvanized.
But I suspect the full chassis at 3.5k would be. Would also expect to hold a bit better price if you did decide to sell in 10yrs.

Have you considered the amount of work you would need to do to replace half chassis. When you are that far in surely not much more to change all and less chance of it not being straight, when you drive it down the road .

J

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There's an option for the galvanised finish. It's about 3-4 times the work to do full chassis, plus over 2 grand more. I would love to do full chassis and would if i could afford it.
The way I see it, if this costs me 2k all in, it would most likely add that to value (near enough, I have seen one sell for well over 2k more than normal price just due to galv chassis). But the purpose isn't to sell, I hope to keep the Disco 'forever', at least til it's graveyard shift.

lynall said:

I often wonder if it is worth fitting galv to a disco, its not like the cars are mega money to start with?

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Depends what you call megamoney really. I have spent megamoney keeping a transit running (and an old disco years ago) just on welding and fixing rusted off ****. This way I can do away with all the rot worries, and just concenrate on all the oil leaks and other faults Disco's have

john snoo said:

There's an option for the galvanised finish. It's about 3-4 times the work to do full chassis, plus over 2 grand more. I would love to do full chassis and would if i could afford it.
The way I see it, if this costs me 2k all in, it would most likely add that to value (near enough, I have seen one sell for well over 2k more than normal price just due to galv chassis). But the purpose isn't to sell, I hope to keep the Disco 'forever', at least til it's graveyard shift.


Depends what you call megamoney really. I have spent megamoney keeping a transit running (and an old disco years ago) just on welding and fixing rusted off ****. This way I can do away with all the rot worries, and just concenrate on all the oil leaks and other faults Disco's have

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Dont forget the body as well, not sure if d2 rot out their floors and arches like d1?

john snoo said:

There's an option for the galvanised finish. It's about 3-4 times the work to do full chassis, plus over 2 grand more. I would love to do full chassis and would if i could afford it.
The way I see it, if this costs me 2k all in, it would most likely add that to value (near enough, I have seen one sell for well over 2k more than normal price just due to galv chassis). But the purpose isn't to sell, I hope to keep the Disco 'forever', at least til it's graveyard shift.


Depends what you call megamoney really. I have spent megamoney keeping a transit running (and an old disco years ago) just on welding and fixing rusted off ****. This way I can do away with all the rot worries, and just concenrate on all the oil leaks and other faults Disco's have

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Both Disco 1s and Disco 2s are great when they are running great.
Both rust, just in different places.
If you like them you have to live with it.
Only alternative is to upgrade to a D3/4 and then you open up a whole new can of worms.
If it was me I'd go for the whole shebang if I could afford it, and then as you say, you can carry on spending your dosh on the electronic bits, (oh and the odd oily bit!)

lynall said:

Dont forget the body as well, not sure if d2 rot out their floors and arches like d1?

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No they don't, thank the Lord.
Else mine would have gone the way of all tin and I'd have got the D1 going a lot faster!

lynall said:

Dont forget the body as well, not sure if d2 rot out their floors and arches like d1?

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I got a great body don't you worry bout that!
She's good, very clean underside of body, but will take the opportunity to squirt something on her if go ahead with chassis

Stanleysteamer said:

Both Disco 1s and Disco 2s are great when they are running great.
Both rust, just in different places.
If you like them you have to live with it.
Only alternative is to upgrade to a D3/4 and then you open up a whole new can of worms.
If it was me I'd go for the whole shebang if I could afford it, and then as you say, you can carry on spending your dosh on the electronic bits, (oh and the odd oily bit!)

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Ha ha ha, my thinking pretty much exactly. D3 have their own "nuances" as you say, and I just love the D2s, always have. My chassis isn't "fukked", not like my last one which was totally rotted out. It's been lovely all it's life, but then I brought it to the seaside (with zero coatings underneath) and in a year or so she's shown the harm the salty air does. I have been waiting for my guy to find time to do the underside with Bilt Hamber (got the stuff on the bloody shelf for months now). That hole is the first one, I am sure most people (including me normally) would just weld that up, MOT It, and wait for the next hole. I could still do that too as I am ****in skint, but I have done the false economy before and totted up the bills and realised I would have saved money by borrowing for a galv chassis and doing away with the rot problem altogether. Then I can just wait for the engine to go bang

I have a new clutch, reduced effort slave cylinder, fixed my gear change (mostly, clutch will hopefully sort the rest of the notchiness), and fitted slick shift. Before I do any more (EGR, De-Cat maybe, maybe variable turbo and bigger intercooler, oh and straight through exhaust...) I need to make a firm decision on whether I am keeping her forever or not. I do want to, so I think getting rid of the rot is priority number one, before the fun stuff.

You any good at welding Stan? Not asking you to do it but might pick your brains about whether I am up to it, as I suspect I am but bit nervous about it.

john snoo said:

There's an option for the galvanised finish. It's about 3-4 times the work to do full chassis,

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How much more is the Galvanized option?
You really think it 3-4 times the work, I dont see it sorry as being that much more.
But if budget is tight then I understand. Whatever you decide its your car and you know how much you can afford.

J

john snoo said:

Ha ha ha, my thinking pretty much exactly. D3 have their own "nuances" as you say, and I just love the D2s, always have. My chassis isn't "fukked", not like my last one which was totally rotted out. It's been lovely all it's life, but then I brought it to the seaside (with zero coatings underneath) and in a year or so she's shown the harm the salty air does. I have been waiting for my guy to find time to do the underside with Bilt Hamber (got the stuff on the bloody shelf for months now). That hole is the first one, I am sure most people (including me normally) would just weld that up, MOT It, and wait for the next hole. I could still do that too as I am ****in skint, but I have done the false economy before and totted up the bills and realised I would have saved money by borrowing for a galv chassis and doing away with the rot problem altogether. Then I can just wait for the engine to go bang

I have a new clutch, reduced effort slave cylinder, fixed my gear change (mostly, clutch will hopefully sort the rest of the notchiness), and fitted slick shift. Before I do any more (EGR, De-Cat maybe, maybe variable turbo and bigger intercooler, oh and straight through exhaust...) I need to make a firm decision on whether I am keeping her forever or not. I do want to, so I think getting rid of the rot is priority number one, before the fun stuff.

You any good at welding Stan? Not asking you to do it but might pick your brains about whether I am up to it, as I suspect I am but bit nervous about it.

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I totally am not the right bloke to ask about welding.
I do it but if I tell you I actually prefer stick welding to MIG you'll know, as will anyone else, that I must be at the veryu least a bit weird.
It comes from fabbing bits for kit cars which are made of feck off thick metal.
I have welded in metal in rusty footwells but any proper welder would fall about laughing at the bits of mig wire that went through gaps etc and had to be ground back.!!!!!

john snoo said:

Ha ha ha, my thinking pretty much exactly. D3 have their own "nuances" as you say, and I just love the D2s, always have. My chassis isn't "fukked", not like my last one which was totally rotted out. It's been lovely all it's life, but then I brought it to the seaside (with zero coatings underneath) and in a year or so she's shown the harm the salty air does. I have been waiting for my guy to find time to do the underside with Bilt Hamber (got the stuff on the bloody shelf for months now). That hole is the first one, I am sure most people (including me normally) would just weld that up, MOT It, and wait for the next hole. I could still do that too as I am ****in skint, but I have done the false economy before and totted up the bills and realised I would have saved money by borrowing for a galv chassis and doing away with the rot problem altogether. Then I can just wait for the engine to go bang

I have a new clutch, reduced effort slave cylinder, fixed my gear change (mostly, clutch will hopefully sort the rest of the notchiness), and fitted slick shift. Before I do any more (EGR, De-Cat maybe, maybe variable turbo and bigger intercooler, oh and straight through exhaust...) I need to make a firm decision on whether I am keeping her forever or not. I do want to, so I think getting rid of the rot is priority number one, before the fun stuff.

You any good at welding Stan? Not asking you to do it but might pick your brains about whether I am up to it, as I suspect I am but bit nervous about it.

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You could do all the work, fit the 1/2 chasssi, then get a mobile welder in?

lynall said:

You could do all the work, fit the 1/2 chasssi, then get a mobile welder in?

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Not forgetting that he'd possibly have to do something about the galvanisation so as not to poison said weldery bloke!

Welders don't like galvanising - as Stanleysteamer says, it gives off lots of very toxic fumes while welding & I think needs more skill to weld through.

For info I think the 2200mm section is probably a lot more work than eg a 1400mm section & requires a lot more care as you're removing the rear axle / radius arm mountings - so alignment is a lot more critical to ensure the rear axle is aligned properly.
I was surprised how easy it was to fit a 1400mm rear section & the only alignment issues relate to body mounts - which are nowhere as critical as axle mountings - but are relatively easy to align as the body mount is the datum & is still in place when the chassis section is being welded up.
Making sure the new axle mounts are in the right position I could imagine being a challenge !

I was surprised that despite the old rear (higher) section being really rotten, the area round the longitudinal arm mountings was in really good condition - even though it was full of sand & grit from various wading while off-roading repeatedly. On our TD5 it definitely didn't need more than 1400mm replacing.

Hi I have had a look at the video and stills thats very similar to mine which I did last year,I cut an shut it with a 1/4 chassis section no rear suspention to take off it tooke me a few days, hardest bit getting the fuel out
it does help when your a excoded welder like me but its realy not that difficult the body is normaly solid so before you weld it bolt it back up to the body to line it all up, with a 1/4 section there is enought access to weld the top , I suspect with a 1/2 section you will need to either cut an access hole to weld the top or remove the complet body to weld the top, still once its welded back in place the carpets will hide it, the main problem I find is the vast amount of underseal on the inside that takes a lot of effert to remove before cutting and welding

yes welding galv is not nice , but you can just prep the ends by grinding off the galv then weld then piant with zinc base paint the weld area