James's 90

As some of you may have seen in the defender section, I have rebuilt this over the last 6ish months. Bought from my parents farm in Oct last year looking like this


Which was mechanically sound, but tatty and tired with a leaking head gasket.

The chassis wasn't too bad, but it needed a new crossmember and rear section of chassis, and if I wanted to do expeditions in it I wanted to know everything had been looked at. So I bit the bullet, borrowed some money and rebuilt it.

£5000 later, we have this which I am pretty damn pleased with





Next are some expedition mods...

Great looking 90!! Borrowing money to do it up was a good investment it'll go for years now!

Well done!

W

Looks great!!

Littelwill said:

Great looking 90!! Borrowing money to do it up was a good investment it'll go for years now!

Well done!

W

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Thanks.

Hope so

I am paranoid about it getting stolen now though...

rosie said:

looks great!!

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Borrow another 5 grand and build a decent shed to keep it in??

Littelwill said:

Borrow another 5 grand and build a decent shed to keep it in??

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Haha, I only borrowed 3

It used to fit in my garage, but I don't think it will with less saggy suspension.

It has a clutch claw and I block it in with cars at night so it shouldn't go anywhere I hope. I have an alarm imobilizer on my desk that I need to fit for insurance, but there are just SO many wires!

james6546 said:

Haha, I only borrowed 3

It used to fit in my garage, but I don't think it will with less saggy suspension.

It has a clutch claw and I block it in with cars at night so it shouldn't go anywhere I hope. I have an alarm imobilizer on my desk that I need to fit for insurance, but there are just SO many wires!

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My insurance company told me it made no difference to them that I have an alarm, immobiliser, tracker because it's worth less than 40k

I'm pleased with my parking post in the driveway, makes me feel a bit better about leaving it at the house

Rosie said:

My insurance company told me it made no difference to them that I have an alarm, immobiliser, tracker because it's worth less than 40k

I'm pleased with my parking post in the driveway, makes me feel a bit better about leaving it at the house

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A parking post wouldn't really help as they could just drive over next doors lawn!

I can't believe your ins said that, mine was £430 with an imobilizer, £670 without, and its def not worth £40K!

james6546 said:

A parking post wouldn't really help as they could just drive over next doors lawn!

I can't believe your ins said that, mine was £430 with an imobilizer, £670 without, and its def not worth £40K!

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Yeah it's crazy, I will be changing next year but I was half way through a policy with them when I switched cars and they were going to charge me to cancel it...

Yeah parking post probably not worth it for you :lol: my drive is really narrow, there is about 6 inches either side when I'm parked up... I just about manage to squeeze myself out but it means it would be bugger for anyone to lift it out!

Nice clean landy love the red looks brilliant

v8geoff said:

Nice clean landy love the red looks brilliant

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Thanks. To be honest I actually wanted to change the colour, I'm glad I didn't though.

Very tidy job. Personally I'd have kept the NAS rear step bumper or have you just not got around to refitting it?

DefenderPilot said:

Very tidy job. Personally I'd have kept the NAS rear step bumper or have you just not got around to refitting it?

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It doesn't fit the TD5 crossmember, plus the actual step part has rusted through!

When I get around to it I will take it to a friend who does metalwork and see if he can adapt it to make it fit as I do want a NAS step back on it.

Nice job you did there James, hope your not going to have a stroke about the sand blasting your shiny chassis is going to get in April

Looks lovely mate, I bet you are very pleased with the result after the effort put in! looking forward to taking time off work and doing mine when I've saved up the money for a galv chassis! I'll just have to keep her running on bits of scrap and second hand parts for now!
Swapped a Christmas tree for a new (second hand) windscreen other day, inc surround hahah strangest trade I've made so far :L

MrNasty said:

Nice job you did there James, hope your not going to have a stroke about the sand blasting your shiny chassis is going to get in April

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Haha, naah, I built it for fun, not to be precious with it, that is why it still has the dents. At least it isn't shiny black, that wouldn't take kindly to sandblasting

TheRealPlank said:

Looks lovely mate, I bet you are very pleased with the result after the effort put in! looking forward to taking time off work and doing mine when I've saved up the money for a galv chassis! I'll just have to keep her running on bits of scrap and second hand parts for now!
Swapped a Christmas tree for a new (second hand) windscreen other day, inc surround hahah strangest trade I've made so far :L

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A better deal would have been to swap a christmas tree for a windscreen after christmas!

Would def recommend rebuilding one, its been a pretty cool experience and a massive learning curve for a computer programmer with little to no previous mechanical experience! Though I wouldn't do another anytime soon, I'm enjoying my evenings again...

I intend for it to return back to the UK shiny black too..........

james6546 said:

Haha, naah, I built it for fun, not to be precious with it, that is why it still has the dents. At least it isn't shiny black, that wouldn't take kindly to sandblasting







A better deal would have been to swap a christmas tree for a windscreen after christmas!



Would def recommend rebuilding one, its been a pretty cool experience and a massive learning curve for a computer programmer with little to no previous mechanical experience! Though I wouldn't do another anytime soon, I'm enjoying my evenings again...

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Ahhh! Very impressive! mechanics is very different from computer programming, that's for sure!
I'm learning 'c language' at uni atm as part of my HNC in engineering - blowing my mind haha
But I'm a grease monkey at heart an always will be, all these rebuild threads make me very jealous!

I am a programmer and I normally do all my own car maintenance.

In my life I have fully rebuilt

1 x 100cc 2 stroke single (easy and bike was quick)
1 x 250cc 8 valve DOHC twin (mainly for cam chain)
2 x 1600cc Rootes engines (2 different cars, great engine)
1 x 2600cc GM V6 (oil seals)

This is well beyond a service or simple head gasket (done a few of those)

Done engine, gearbox, axle transplants.

For a programmer nothing too difficult except for body strength as we have the problem solving ability, but sitting at a desk is not muscle building.