Series 2a restoration

Hi guys I'm a new member to the forum and to land rovers in general

Hope I can pick the more experienced minds for some advice. My dad has a series 2a swb which has been sitting in back garden rotting away. My plans for the next year are to get it back on the road, but not back to the original state as straight off the line. I'm looking for it to look like an original but with a more modern running gear/engine for ease and comfort.

Im thinking of buying a disco 300tdi as a donor and use that for the engine/gearbox, power steering, etc so it's all set up for an easier more economical drive. I've read up sum people have used the 200tdi (taken turbo off,which is not I wanna do as I'd rather the extra power of a turbo) also a defender engine but there more $$$. If I were to put a 200/300 tdi engine in what extra would I have to do to the car (gearbox, exhaust, prop, diff etc) to get it all running right.

I also have a mate selling a series 3 which I cud pick up for cheap, but has a petrol engine which I'm not into unless it's the v8 . Are the series 3 interchangeable with the series 2a and Could I also use the series 3 for parts like brakes, baulkhead, chassis, diff etc as It would save me $$$ in the long run in doing so.

I'd appreciate some advice as I've looked into the forum looking for answers and bit of a direction to go into. And looking forward to send some photos once it gets underway.

Many thanks greg

Blimey! If you're planning to use the engine and gearbox from a disco. And the bulkhead, brake, axle and chassis from a series 3, I suggest you have a look at the rules on vehicle identity and sva tests.

DON'T convert the 2a! They are the next high value series and your modifications will just reduce it's value - get the 2a under cover, spray it with oil and watch it appreciate - then buy your mates s3 for your project..................... [by the way, have you ever lived with a series? you have to do a hell of a lot to get them to behave like anything "modern"] good luck,
ps. REALLY leave the S2a original............................

waldamar said:

DON'T convert the 2a! They are the next high value series and your modifications will just reduce it's value - get the 2a under cover, spray it with oil and watch it appreciate - then buy your mates s3 for your project..................... [by the way, have you ever lived with a series? you have to do a hell of a lot to get them to behave like anything "modern"] good luck,
ps. REALLY leave the S2a original............................

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+ LOTS !!!!! leave the 2a original - it will be worth a LOT in the non too distant future. They make a brilliant light use vehicle, and appreciate as well.

the 3 will be the same in the longer term, and if its cheap now, then @waldamar has it, IMHO

And... as @SpringDon says, you will need to research SVA testing, before modding a 2a to that extent....

Also practical reasons regarding the disco running gear. New engine and gearbox mounts will need welding to the chassis, the transfer box is 4wd and the series front axle has UJ's, the engine gearbox combo is a lot long and the centre crossmember will need heavy modification, you will need custom propshafts, and 10 spline diffs.
If you use the disco axles which I would highly advise against, you will need to be extremely confident in your welding to attach leaf springs as well as get the correct angle to avoid upsetting the steering and tracking.

Custom exhaust will be needed
You'll want to upgrade the brakes if you don't use the disco axles and if you do use the disco axles you'll need to re do the whole brake pipe routing as you'll need a servo and dual circuit system.

You'll also need to get a q plate and run it as a kit car for the major chassis modifications alone let alone the other stuff.
You'll then be left with a vehicle that no one will pay decent money for.

I've got a series 2 109 it was highly unoriginal when I got it but it's one vehicle I'll never sell as I bought it as my first car. However I have put a 200tdi in which just drops straight in and I can easily return it to the original engine if I wanted.
My vehicle also works as the farm workhorse for a living so the extra power and economy is needed.

I wouldn't butcher a series 2. If you want all that stuff just run the disco or buy a defender. As effectively that's what you are trying to build. And when cost and time has been put into the equation you'll probably spend more than you would just buying the vehicle you want which is a defender.

Disco1BFG said:

+ LOTS !!!!! leave the 2a original - it will be worth a LOT in the non too distant future. They make a brilliant light use vehicle, and appreciate as well.

the 3 will be the same in the longer term, and if its cheap now, then @waldamar has it, IMHO

And... as @SpringDon says, you will need to research SVA testing, before modding a 2a to that extent....

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Thanks Disco1BFG - Should we start a petition!?

Greg - can I respectfully ask how old you are? I ask because getting insurance - if you're young - on such a highly modded vehicle will cost you a fortune..................................

Hi guys thanks for the replies, much appreciated!

Yeah I think your all convincing me to not mess around too much to be honest especially what I have to do with engine mounts etc (thanks for the detailed description 109inchs)
It's me dads old series and been stud up for 30 years with no enigine in it so it needs a lot of work so I think with that in mind and the $$$ it cost me to get like a defender, I maze well buy one lol, thanks for pointing that

I'm 26 waldmar, and that's the thing I've been living away in OZ for 4 years so I dont have any no claims built up so be interesting to see how that works out.

So anyone recommend a decent engine they'd put in? Diesel pref so a 200tdi is a much better fit then 109inch? And can they marry in with the original gear box etc? I'm open to ideas, as it's all new to me

Many thanks

200tdi is good but can destroy the gearbox if not driven sympathetically. A discovery engine will drop straight in and will need one stud moving in the flywheel housing. A defender engine will need an engine mount cut off and welded in a different place.
The other difficult thing is the turbo in an 88 there is just enough room to keep the discovery turbo as its sits low and very close to the chassis rail whereas in a 109 like mine a discovery turbo won't for so I've fitted a 300tdi turbo which bolts straight on and makes the exhaust a lot easier to route.

The 200tdi is a noisy engine though more so than the 2.25 diesel.

Unless you need the extra power a 2.25 diesel will do the job and I still have the one I took out my series if you're interested. It worked fine just underpowered for Devonshire hills.

Any engine can be made to fit. Depends what you're uses will be and your budget. If just a weekend toy than an original engine would be a better choice.

If a daily driver then a 200tdi makes it much more useable.
Or get it road legal and road worthy sell it and buy a defender.

+1 on all above - how about original 2.25 petrol and lpg it? best of both worlds............... I aint got a crystal ball but diesel is the new evil and don't be surprised if diesel starts going up and petrol down.............. but above all originality is your investment................lpg can just be removed anytime.

Ahh right so you have an original engine 109inch, I'll bare that in mind, I'll mention it to me dad thanks
The only way I'm gonna put an petrol engine is if it's a big v8 waldmar And I guess that will have the same problem As the 200tdi putting extra power through the gearbox etc?

If I were to put disc brakes on the front, I've read people have put 11inch discs on the front, if so what type would fit the series or Would the disco fit on them


Thanks for the advice guys,

Original diesel is barely able to pull it along the road - and is very old school, noisy, rough and basic............. V8 is doable but we are back to originality and while it's better than some conversions it's still devaluing the vehicle. Now there are performance upgrades that can be done to the 2.25 petrol to bring it close to [3.5 carb] V8 performance - that way you get the best of all worlds, keeping it fairly original, good performance and less work................... my friend you could dump a 426 Hemi in there but it'll still be a series landrover............................ check out Turner Engineering

The 2.25 diesel I took out isn't bad. Would do 60 in overdrive and about 50 out of overdrive. It also pulled 1.5 tons of wood 6 miles at about 30 on country lanes. In a heavier 109.

So not too bad

Fair do's I'm happy to be corrected - TBH the last one I had any experience of was totally shagged - half a can of ezee just to get it started....................................

Mine would start straight up after 15 seconds of glow plugs.

I'd vote for the 2.25 petrol+LPG conversion. LPG is relatively simple on an old engine with a carburettor. Power output is about right for a series and keeps things relatively standard.
A diesel alternative would be the 2.5 non-turbo liberated from an early 90/110. It's essentially the same engine with a longer stroke and a useful increase of power over the slow 2.25D.
Enough series landys have been hacked around already when they were just cheap old wagons, and values for original restorations will only go up. Whatever you do, it will never be modern unless it's so modified it's not really a series anymore.

So with regards to the gearbox, is the gearboxes for the orginal series have 4 speed and a overdrive, or can u get a 5 speed gear box, and which gear box would guys recommend for daily use with either an original diesel engine or the 200 tdi?
And what manuals would u recommend me buying for fixing up of the series land rovers?

you can fit a 5 speed but its a conversion , 3.54 diffs with the 4 speed box is usually enough

109inches said:

Mine would start straight up after 15 seconds of glow plugs.

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As I said - totally shagged,

Are we talking about the 2a or your mates S3? iirc the 2a is without engine? is the box still there? Has it got o/drive? I appreciate you've got high hopes - but do ALL the restoration that's needed, fit either a petrol or 109's spare diesel.............. drive it awhile THEN think about conversions.................. if you're quick you'll enjoy a topless summer before committing yourself to LOTS of conversion work........................... good luck