Help With 1970 Series 2a ReBuild!!!

Hello chaps i have just got myself a series 2 (i'll stick some pictures on here), the person before hand put a 2.5 ford transit (banana) engine in it, I want to restore my series however what do you guys think, should i keep the engine in or should i swap it for a 200? I love the idea of a 200 with a r380 gearbox but that's about all i know, I have a disco 1 however its standard, i don't really use it off road YET, I don't understand all these gear ratio's people are talking about, i'm asking for your opinion on what engine and gear box i should run? what's worked for you and what is a giant no? The whole idea is to spend around 7 thousand on it ready for an expedition, I am never going to sell it, i believe we should have land rovers not kids so its gonna be my baby lol

many thanks landy lovers,l i look forward to hearing from you

Get yourself over to the intro section and introduce yourself, then get back here and post some pics

Unless you want to restore the IIa back to factory spec (in which case you need a 3mb 2.25, either petrol or diesel) I wouldn't change the engine. The main discussion regarding changing engines is "will it fit", yours is already converted so it clearly does fit, I would leave it as is.

Well you can't really see it but it has a n/a 2.5 ford transit (banana) engine. it was a barn find, i put a new battery in it, checked oil water etc and it started on the button, i could not believe it. however its bloody loud

Nice, looking forward to the build thread

nice truck, seems to have a series 3 front not 2a

honolulujoe said:

nice truck, seems to have a series 3 front not 2a

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no its a late s 2a ,so for 1970 its the right front and bulkhead ,,as for the engine ,i would leave it as is ,
200 tdi to a r380 box can be done but you have to swop flywheel,ect
300 woth r 380 would be correct combo ,and they do fit
i would just run it as is,dont over restore it ,and just enjoy it

I wonder why it has a purple pin stripe running down the side?

Looks good though Are you keeping the toolbox on the front?

Looks great. Like the toolbox on the front!
Your budget of 7k will get you a nice Richards galvanised chassis and a galvanised bulkhead, front panel and cappings, new brakes, springs swivels etc etc If you're going the work yourself you will probably have enough spare to fill the rear with some celebratory crates of beer too to enjoy before your expedition.
Do keep us updated to your plans and progress

The toolbox is actually where the battery goes. However i don't really like the look of it so i will more then likely take it off, okay problem i noticed earlier that the drivers door pillar is rotten threw and not actually attached at the bottom, my mate said you can replace the door pillar? i thought it looked attached to the bulkhead? can i just replace the door pillar or would i need to get a new bulkhead? it would be a shame to have to get a new bulkhead because there is practically no rust on it anywhere else. MAJOR TRUMA 2 you are spot on, the land rover being a very late series the lights are in the wing tops, something the seller didn't know so i managed to knock off a little extra hehe, i know the 300 tdi and the r380 are a match made in heaven however i read online somewhere about if you put the 300tdi engine in a series you cant have power steering because of the turbo placement, can you put a 200 turbo on a 300 engine? because i want it to be an expedition vehicle i was was thinking a 200 because there simple, and no matter where you are in the world you can find parts for it. the thing that scares me about it being a transit engine is because i don't have a clue about there engines, they seem simple enough however for all i know it may have already done 500 thousand miles and i don't want to brake down somewhere in europe next year and be knackered because of the engine has given way. i don't mind it not having a turbo because i'm really not a speed freak however it will have a lot of weight on board, 200 is running in threw my mind. i also been told if you put coil's on a tax exempt vehicle its no longer tax exempt? is that true or are people winding me up? i personally want to keep leaf springs, many thanks for your compliments chaps

afaik a transit engine was a popular conversion years ago.

I don't think your friends are winding you up, there is a points system for maintaining tax free status, losing the original suspension and modifying the chassis would go a long way to losing enough points.

this is a good site for info

Rebuilds and the law - by Glencoyne 4x4 (Thetford)

short 380/300 combo will work. Long one wont

you can adapt the series transfer to fit then and retain a similar lever position, chassis rail and bulkhead needs sorting to allow turbo/injector to fit, intercooler will fit in there with the rad if you're creative whilst keeping the series front end, although a skinny high performance intercooler to fit in the gap in front of the rad would be better. The kind with the inlet and outlet on opposite sides in which case some pipework is all thats needed

Thants so much honolulujoe and Dr_evil, that website helped loads, however if you glance threw this webpage and look at the 4 problems with sticking a 300 tdi engine in. Series III 300 Tdi Conversion you will need to make it coil sprung because the leaf springs wont cope with the torque of a 300tdi. adapt the chassis for a 300 and r380, surely that will bugger any chances i may have of have of keeping the tax exempt status, i might just bite the bullet and pay tax haha thanks chaps you really have been a great help, please do keep your ideas rolling

thats bull****, whoever wrote that was an idiot!

Leaf springs and parabolics can cope with much more torque than a 300 can produce

as to r380 combo into chassis make the R380 mounts fit the series chassis, don't mess with chassis, weld to gearbox mounts

If it is the Banananana Ford 2.5 it is good. Diesel Bob recons it the best engine ford made. I have the pre banananana 2.5 and it is great. very economical. Nice looking vehicle.
And the heater works really well. burns the legs of my wife!