Considering converting S1 to TDI?

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mike.gamble

Member
Posts
54
Location
Penzance, sunny Cornwall
I've had my S1 for about 4 years and have been slowly working my way through the restoration, the rolling chassis is all sorted and mostly new but, I've run out of drive for it.

I love the S1 look and charm and a friend who has 2 loves them but, although I don't want it as my daily driver, I have realised that having a stock original one, although looking lovely, wouldn't really be my thing - I'd like to use it more and be able to travel with slightly more ease in it.

This train of direction came a couple of weeks ago when I was driving up the M6 and was excited to see an S1 ahead of me in lane 1. As I gained on it, I watched it pop a couple of overtakes on HGVs and as I went past it, I reckon she was sat at around 65 mph chugging on quite happily - contending with modern life and traffic. I'm guessing it was a diesel - mainly from the sound but, I thought, that's what I want! The look and the charm of the S1 but, still able to live in modern traffic.

I am at a stage when I am just about to start sorting my engine (it runs) and gearbox out before repairing the bulkhead and pushing on with the final assembly.
However, I'm also at an ideal time to convert to a 200/300tdi and maybe even look at something as exotic as power steering?
The fabrication side of things, new mounts being welded and any other required mods but, where could I look to get the correct info to find where to place things and is any particular vehicle is better as a donor?

My thoughts were that with the price of some of the S1 parts at the moment, I could probably sell my engine and gearbox and have enough to go out and buy a Disco/Defender to provide a large proportion of the parts needed?

I'm not worried about devaluing the vehicle, if I can get it to do what I want, I wont be selling it!

Any thoughts, direction?
 
mike.gamble said:
I've had my S1 for about 4 years and have been slowly working my way through the restoration, the rolling chassis is all sorted and mostly new but, I've run out of drive for it.

I love the S1 look and charm and a friend who has 2 loves them but, although I don't want it as my daily driver, I have realised that having a stock original one, although looking lovely, wouldn't really be my thing - I'd like to use it more and be able to travel with slightly more ease in it.

This train of direction came a couple of weeks ago when I was driving up the M6 and was excited to see an S1 ahead of me in lane 1. As I gained on it, I watched it pop a couple of overtakes on HGVs and as I went past it, I reckon she was sat at around 65 mph chugging on quite happily - contending with modern life and traffic. I'm guessing it was a diesel - mainly from the sound but, I thought, that's what I want! The look and the charm of the S1 but, still able to live in modern traffic.

I am at a stage when I am just about to start sorting my engine (it runs) and gearbox out before repairing the bulkhead and pushing on with the final assembly.
However, I'm also at an ideal time to convert to a 200/300tdi and maybe even look at something as exotic as power steering?
The fabrication side of things, new mounts being welded and any other required mods but, where could I look to get the correct info to find where to place things and is any particular vehicle is better as a donor?

My thoughts were that with the price of some of the S1 parts at the moment, I could probably sell my engine and gearbox and have enough to go out and buy a Disco/Defender to provide a large proportion of the parts needed?

I'm not worried about devaluing the vehicle, if I can get it to do what I want, I wont be selling it!

Any thoughts, direction?
Click to expand...

Yup keep it as original as possible as it will be a more desirable vehicle & its money in the bank don't waste it ffs
youd be better chopping up a 300tdi disco, well just shove the body off as its probably rotten,
Chop the chassis & stick a series 1 body on it.....
 
kevstar said:
Yup keep it as original as possible as it will be a more desirable vehicle & its money in the bank don't waste it ffs
youd be better chopping up a 300tdi disco, well just shove the body off as its probably rotten,
Chop the chassis & stick a series 1 body on it.....
Click to expand...
Now thats an idea :eek::confused:
 
mike.gamble said:
I've had my S1 for about 4 years and have been slowly working my way through the restoration, the rolling chassis is all sorted and mostly new but, I've run out of drive for it.

I love the S1 look and charm and a friend who has 2 loves them but, although I don't want it as my daily driver, I have realised that having a stock original one, although looking lovely, wouldn't really be my thing - I'd like to use it more and be able to travel with slightly more ease in it.

This train of direction came a couple of weeks ago when I was driving up the M6 and was excited to see an S1 ahead of me in lane 1. As I gained on it, I watched it pop a couple of overtakes on HGVs and as I went past it, I reckon she was sat at around 65 mph chugging on quite happily - contending with modern life and traffic. I'm guessing it was a diesel - mainly from the sound but, I thought, that's what I want! The look and the charm of the S1 but, still able to live in modern traffic.

I am at a stage when I am just about to start sorting my engine (it runs) and gearbox out before repairing the bulkhead and pushing on with the final assembly.
However, I'm also at an ideal time to convert to a 200/300tdi and maybe even look at something as exotic as power steering?
The fabrication side of things, new mounts being welded and any other required mods but, where could I look to get the correct info to find where to place things and is any particular vehicle is better as a donor?

My thoughts were that with the price of some of the S1 parts at the moment, I could probably sell my engine and gearbox and have enough to go out and buy a Disco/Defender to provide a large proportion of the parts needed?

I'm not worried about devaluing the vehicle, if I can get it to do what I want, I wont be selling it!

Any thoughts, direction?
Click to expand...
Tdi will be noises, unrefined and a bone shacker in an S1.

If you want modern performance a Rover V8 is the answer and an established conversion. If you want a little left field but still Rover. Then a 2.0 litre T-Series or T-Series turbo. The T-Series was used in the Mpi Discovery and some 90’s for the Swiss or Italians.

Other engine swaps could be Ford V6 or even a Jaguar XK straight 6. Both have been done in the past.

I’d be tempted to keep the original engine/box. Tuck them in the corner. If you ever want to revert back to original you’ll have the bits.

As for keeping it stock. Plenty of others will do this. You might as well enjoy yours however you want. And having a stock car you don’t want to drive much is somewhat pointless vs a modded one you’d actually use.
 
You’ve hit the nail on the head - I don’t want a stock original car that I won’t use.
I want something that looks stock but, is slightly easier to live with on a day to day basis.
My suggestion for a 200/300tdi was mainly due to them being plentiful and, in comparison to the original 2.0 lump, it would be quite ‘modern’.

I’d like diesel as opposed to petrol so, going back to the original question, how do I do it?
Can anyone point me in the direction of someone who’s done it?
 
mike.gamble said:
I've had my S1 for about 4 years and have been slowly working my way through the restoration, the rolling chassis is all sorted and mostly new but, I've run out of drive for it.

I love the S1 look and charm and a friend who has 2 loves them but, although I don't want it as my daily driver, I have realised that having a stock original one, although looking lovely, wouldn't really be my thing - I'd like to use it more and be able to travel with slightly more ease in it.

This train of direction came a couple of weeks ago when I was driving up the M6 and was excited to see an S1 ahead of me in lane 1. As I gained on it, I watched it pop a couple of overtakes on HGVs and as I went past it, I reckon she was sat at around 65 mph chugging on quite happily - contending with modern life and traffic. I'm guessing it was a diesel - mainly from the sound but, I thought, that's what I want! The look and the charm of the S1 but, still able to live in modern traffic.

I am at a stage when I am just about to start sorting my engine (it runs) and gearbox out before repairing the bulkhead and pushing on with the final assembly.
However, I'm also at an ideal time to convert to a 200/300tdi and maybe even look at something as exotic as power steering?
The fabrication side of things, new mounts being welded and any other required mods but, where could I look to get the correct info to find where to place things and is any particular vehicle is better as a donor?

My thoughts were that with the price of some of the S1 parts at the moment, I could probably sell my engine and gearbox and have enough to go out and buy a Disco/Defender to provide a large proportion of the parts needed?

I'm not worried about devaluing the vehicle, if I can get it to do what I want, I wont be selling it!

Any thoughts, direction?
Click to expand...
Doing that is more or less an act of vandalism. When I first started driving Land Rovers, there were countless Series 1s with V8s and roll cages being battered around as triallers. The people who did it almost all regret it now, partly because of the massive financial losses they have sustained.

If you want to make it a bit more driveable, put a 2.5 Petrol in it, and keep the original engine in storage for if you want to sell it.
 
Turboman said:
Doing that is more or less an act of vandalism. When I first started driving Land Rovers, there were countless Series 1s with V8s and roll cages being battered around as triallers. The people who did it almost all regret it now, partly because of the massive financial losses they have sustained.

If you want to make it a bit more driveable, put a 2.5 Petrol in it, and keep the original engine in storage for if you want to sell it.
Click to expand...

Problem is, peeps want their cake and eat it, the fun they had from v8 trialled far outweighs the worth of the vehicle,
 
mike.gamble said:
You’ve hit the nail on the head - I don’t want a stock original car that I won’t use.
I want something that looks stock but, is slightly easier to live with on a day to day basis.
My suggestion for a 200/300tdi was mainly due to them being plentiful and, in comparison to the original 2.0 lump, it would be quite ‘modern’.

I’d like diesel as opposed to petrol so, going back to the original question, how do I do it?
Can anyone point me in the direction of someone who’s done it?
Click to expand...

Just noticed your location.

In fact, a Series One as stock is quite a practical drive in West Cornwall, you won't be going faster on those roads, especially in tourist time. :D

Easiest might be to use the S1 locally, and buy or hire a little car for trips upcountry. That is what I used to do.
 
Gents. I’d like to convert to a modernish diesel, and any help with that would be gratefully received.

I accept all the other opinions and thoughts but, I’ve considered most of them and hence, my potential course of action.
 
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