Please be aware that ECR is now a Defender repair and modification shop only.
We no longer work on Range Rovers, Discos or Series Rovers.
These pages are from work we did in the past and left up for your enjoyment.
1972 Series III 88 Hardtop
Galvanized frame swap and misc work orders.
This Series III has come to us from VT for some much needed rehabilitation. The Rover's frame has seen better days and the Rover has had numerous patches and past poor repairs, so we'll be removing the original rusted frame and installing a new galvanized chassis long life and replacing what is needed with new Genuine Land Rover parts. We'll also be making a few updates to the 88 to make it exactly what the customer desires and help make it safer along the way. As with any project that comes to ECR, we have completed a full evaluation of the Series III and then gone over that list with the customer to get the scope of the project ahead.
Once the rough work list is set up then it is time to dig in and get rid of the old rusted frame. Each system is carefully disconnected in order to save as much as possible on the Rover, because this is not a restoration, just a frame swap and refurbishment. Once everything is taken apart we can remove the body and...
roll out the rusted old chassis from underneath it. Doing frame swaps this way saves thousands of dollars over taking the Rover to pieces like some shops do, and it also is a great way to get a Rover that just has a bad frame, but doesn't need restoration, back on the road again.
Yikes! The brake pipes and some other systems have not survived due to the rust on this 88, but the good news is that along with the galvanized frame we will be replacing all the brake pipes so that this dangerous rusted brake line issue will not come back.
Ah... 35 years of New England rust. In most cases these axle casing have rusted completely through so this 88 is ahead of the game. Next we'll get axles cleaned and and ready for set up of the rolling chassis.
Here you can see the new galvanized frame that will be a welcome addition to the Series III. The old frame was getting so weak that the doors no longer closed correctly. Once the new frame is installed all those issues will be addressed., but for now we will start making the stainless steel brake pipes that will help end the brake line rust issues on the Rover.
Rust and more rust. This image shows the front axle in tear down mode. All that is left is the front axle case. This will now be blasted back to white metal and coated so that it won't rust out. The swivel balls will be taken down and rebuilt so that the steering works again and so that the swivel housings will actually hold oil. The differential will be checked and adjusted as needed and treated to new seals as needed so that it won't leak.
As axle tear down continues its time to get the bulkhead fixed up. The bulkhead on this Series III is far better than most we see, but still the rust has taken hold. The yellow arrows point to the through rust on the bulkhead, you can see the holes. This rust is caused by the mud shields and their tendency to collect crap. The mud shields form a collection point in these locations that traps mud, leaves, water and more. When that sits on the steel it causes rust. A simple fix for this is to use small spacers between the bulkhead and the mud shield. This lets the water and debris pass by and stops this collection point. If you have a Series Rover we strongly suggest you clean out these areas and add some spacers to the mud shields. The bulkhead you save could be your own.
The original plan was to fix this bulkhead in place, but once we started to grind down the rusted areas they just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. So instead of doing a patch job that would then need more patching in a few months, we have removed the bulkhead from the rear body and put it in our bulkhead jig. Now that the bulkhead is in the jig and cannot lose its correct shape and dimensions it is time to cut away the rust, and as you can see above that was a big area. The new floor panels and door posts (the steel was badly rusted behind the original door seal) are now going into place.
Here you can see the RH side of the bulkhead that has been replaced with new panels. This is the mock up phase where everything is measured and set up. If everything makes the cut we will then fully weld everything to make it a rock solid and rust free bulkhead, just like back in the 70's.
This image shows the repaired bulkhead ready for some coats of epoxy primer. The bulkhead has been media blasted back to white metal so that there can be no hidden rust under the new primer. Once primed we will apply 3 coats of the correct single stage Marine Blue paint.
Here is the bulkhead after its bake time in the spray booth. The new Marine Blue paint looks great and the bulkhead is structurally sounds, and will be for many years to come. The new bulkhead combined with the galvanized frame will make sure this SIII 88 is around for the long haul.
As the paint and body work is being done, the mechanical items are addressed. Here you can see the tired old 2.25 is being stripped down, its parts cleaned up and made ready for the new engine.
The new engine is a Turner 2.25HO. This engine has more grunt and is already set up for unleaded fuel. It will drastically increase the performance of the 88 when compared to the old engine and is built to high quality standards, for a good price. It will be combined with a newly rebuilt Ashcroft gearbox assembly for trouble free driving of this cool old 88, even thought the rig will look over 30 years old, but that is the cool part about old Rovers. They look great with what some of our customers call "patina", as long as the guts are top notch and ready for the road.
Here you can see the rear axle assembly coming together. The housing has been painted with tough as nail paint and the differential has been re-worked and installed. The new brake parts are starting to go on and the new parabolic springs with upgraded shocks are already in place. The new springs will still keep the character of the Series III, but give it a much less bone-jarring ride.
The front axle case has been through the same treatment as the rear. The differential installed and ready to go and you can see the new brake flex hoses and the stainless steel brake pipes that have been fabricated for the truck. If you look a few pictures up you'll see why we always use stainless steel brake pipes. The stuff they put on the roads in VT, where this truck lives, likes to eat steel, so with stainless brake pipes with stainless fittings the customer won't have to worry about rust in those areas.
Here you can see the 88 is a rolling chassis again. The new rubber and 130 steel wheels will make the finished product look great and along with looking great the freshly redone swivel housings, steering box and brakes will make sure that the 88 drives as nicely as it looks. Next up we will add the rest of the body and install some more new parts like the upgraded heater.
Stay tuned as this 88 gets a new lease on life.
The remainder of this project was posted on our Facebook page. Check it out there.