Restoring Defender 90

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It looks like it has potential :)

cheers mate, i went under today an done alot of cleaning an the chassis come up clean. i found a hole in my shock absorber tho :( just wondering if standard absorbers are worth getting if im going to be taking it off road :S
 
is the hole in the shock absorber or just the protective sleeve? if just the sleeve it will be ok for now until you decide on new shocks or not. standard shocks are fine for off roading mostly.
 
is the hole in the shock absorber or just the protective sleeve? if just the sleeve it will be ok for now until you decide on new shocks or not. standard shocks are fine for off roading mostly.

more sweet music to my ears mate thanks, i think its the p[rotective sleave that got the hole in it ioll have a nother good look at it today :)
 
just replaced my shock abosrbed cone mount thing. I guess your talking about that. AKA turret. Mine was heavily corroded so I replaced it. But, found the bushes and stuff were gone on the shock. So I got to either replace the bushes and washers etc or buy new shock. The standard I hear you say, are fine? if I get few years out of em, im happy.
 
Not being funny. Ha ha. But thats the same year as mine and in much much much worse condition than mine when I bought it. Personal opinion (which usually counts for nowt) it's ****in abysmal. Be honest with yourself. The undersides shot. Completely. If anyone disagrees then fine. Best of luck to you all. I think you would be better off replacing the whole chassis (get a galvanised one), suspension, brake lines and the rest. In the long run it will save you money, rather than faffing about with a cross member here, an outrigger there, a new shocker, will it pass an MOT or not, "Oh me mates a welder. He'll sort it" etc etc. Once you have the underside sorted then you can work upover. If you want to do it, and you have the new religion (Land Rover) for thats what it is mate, you'll do it. You made your bed. Now lie in it. If you love it you'll do it. I'm sure you will. I will kill and die for mine. Best of luck mate.
 
just replaced my shock abosrbed cone mount thing. I guess your talking about that. AKA turret. Mine was heavily corroded so I replaced it. But, found the bushes and stuff were gone on the shock. So I got to either replace the bushes and washers etc or buy new shock. The standard I hear you say, are fine? if I get few years out of em, im happy.


ill get a picture of the chock absorber tomorow. i think it is just the protector but i think im going to replace them all anywayse
 
Not being funny. Ha ha. But thats the same year as mine and in much much much worse condition than mine when I bought it. Personal opinion (which usually counts for nowt) it's ****in abysmal. Be honest with yourself. The undersides shot. Completely. If anyone disagrees then fine. Best of luck to you all. I think you would be better off replacing the whole chassis (get a galvanised one), suspension, brake lines and the rest. In the long run it will save you money, rather than faffing about with a cross member here, an outrigger there, a new shocker, will it pass an MOT or not, "Oh me mates a welder. He'll sort it" etc etc. Once you have the underside sorted then you can work upover. If you want to do it, and you have the new religion (Land Rover) for thats what it is mate, you'll do it. You made your bed. Now lie in it. If you love it you'll do it. I'm sure you will. I will kill and die for mine. Best of luck mate.

to be honest mate the only badly rusted places is the rear crossmember and the 4 spots on the inside, yesterday i cleaned up the chasis and its all fine apart from that one spot on the crossmember. just cant wait to get it on the road :D
 
Nuff said. Love yer steering damper. Accidents happen. And happen they will.

haha thats getting replaced no matter what, that and the tracking rods. i already have those here, im just waiting for my shockies and the electrician to come take a look and then MOT time
 
well more good news for me lol

electrics man has been and taken a look, all is working, it didnt even need much, alls i need now is a indecator flasher and new wheels and im ready to try its MOT :D
 
whats wrong with the wheels mate?

there just rusted realy bad mate. one of them is risted that bad its got a slow puncture but the hole is in the wheel an not the tyre. ill get pictures if you like and you can judge for your self :) i wouldnt mind saving them if i could, i think they look the part
 
if the tyres are good then they should be fine for the mot. where is the air leak? chuck water over them and look for it. if its between the syre and rim then you may get away with having the tyre re seated. If one wheel really is dead stick the spare on for the mot and leave the other at home. If you have a bald/flat spare you fail. If you have no spare they don't mind. very strange!
one time my tyre failed on a tiny tiny split in the side wall on drivers side. when i went back for the re test i simple swapped the front tyres over. it passed :)

tbh the effort in cleaning them up, painting etc you can probably buy a standard set of ebay for very little.
 
if the tyres are good then they should be fine for the mot. where is the air leak? chuck water over them and look for it. if its between the syre and rim then you may get away with having the tyre re seated. If one wheel really is dead stick the spare on for the mot and leave the other at home. If you have a bald/flat spare you fail. If you have no spare they don't mind. very strange!
one time my tyre failed on a tiny tiny split in the side wall on drivers side. when i went back for the re test i simple swapped the front tyres over. it passed :)

tbh the effort in cleaning them up, painting etc you can probably buy a standard set of ebay for very little.

i know what you mean. my mate said just get them sand blasted but its more trouble than its worth. i can get a set of tyres wheels with tyres for cheaper haha

the puncher is actualy a hole on the wheel its self. and all the tyres have cracks through the treads so im deffo gunna have to get new tyres. time for ebay shopping

dose anyone happen to know how to get to the window whipers from behind the dash. i need to free them up a bit so i can get the full movment from the whipers
 
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finaly ordered new wheels an tyres. capping is in the post andshould be up an on the road in a nother week or so.

im going to need to replace the seal that goes between the capping and the roof. if the stuff has rotted then it mustent be that good. dose anyone use a better alternative?
 
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