advice and guidance

Hi all,

Right... so. A long while back I had an idea. I own a discovery td4 with a good/reasonable chassis, low mileage but with a rotten body. I also have a mk6 transit, my current work van, with an immaculate body but a terrible engine and running gear... so, my plan to start was put the discovery engine in the van and get new running gear, but then I went a bit nuts with the possibilitys. I always wanted one of the older County 4x4 transits, so my plan is to combine the two. Transit body on a disco chassis. After googleing, I didn't really find anything. Im already aware of the need to stretch and reinforce the chassis, as its a lwb transit. Width works out similar, although I was concidering some wide modular rims to give the width a bonus. To be honest, it would turn more into a toy, maybe an overland camper. My goal is to do it so its 100% road legal. Apart from the obvious steering column, pedal box, levers and wireing issues I will encounter, and a fair bit of welding and making new mounts, would it be as straight forward as striping them both then putting it together? Im expecting a few negative comments along the lines of buying a decent landy instead, or dont bother, but im hoping to get some helpfull words of wisdom aside from that. I can tackle everything else after "body swap".

I hope to hear back soon. Apologies if I send you into a fit of laughter.

No such thing as a td4 discovery could be a td5 or a 200/300tdi. Why not shorten the body of the discovery to a two door and put the bed of the pick up behind it?

My first thoughts are that the disco gear levers are going to be a long way back, not a problem if it's an auto and the transit bulkhead will be in the way involving lots of modding.
I'm only guessing this though, in my mind, never measured either vehicle.
A rust free transit body?
That's rare!

My project involved extending the chassis, and little else is standard LR. If you can imagine it then it's almost certainly doable.

As far as the extending goes, the rails are flat along the top, bottoms are curved. I cut at the deepest point and welded in a box section of about 400mm, then doubler plates on the sides for about 500mm each side of the joins, and doubling straps along the top and bottom for the whole length of the flat top section and the same length underneath. Edges all seam welded, but with a 50mm gap every 200mm (because I'm galavanising it and need air gaps for expansion). I also had holes cut in the side plates so that some plug welds were possible.

You'll never get it insured.

Sofasurfer said:

You'll never get it insured.

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Plenty of people have told me that, and that DVLA won't recognise it. Luckily for me - it's complete bollocks.

It may very well be a td5 engine, its definitely td something. I couldn't even be sure if its the original engine, Y reg discovery. Mechanicaly its faultless, but more or less everything else is buggered. like the idea of shortening the body and the pick up bed, but the worst of the rot is around the front bulkhead and floor. My main reasoning for my idea is I hate letting good vehicles go to waste, but having a rare breed of transit with no rot whatsoever and a disco with a good chassis but a body not worth a ****e to me seemed a good base for a project. Im a welder by trade, so a bit of fabrication isn't an issue. I just think the discovery body if way past the point of a worthwhile and economical repair.

fluffy bum said:

My main reasoning for my idea is I hate letting good vehicles go to waste, but having a rare breed of transit with no rot whatsoever and a disco with a good chassis but a body not worth a ****e

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Unusual, normally the chassis is rotten on a the D2's and the body is good.

Cheers

neilly said:

Unusual, normally the chassis is rotten on a the D2's and the body is good.

Cheers

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Tis a rare td5 indeed when the chassis outlasts the body

And it's a rare transit with a good body/poor mechanicals.

Marmaduke said:

Tis a rare td5 indeed when the chassis outlasts the body

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Flossie said:

And it's a rare transit with a good body/poor mechanicals.

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I have a name for this project... The Unicorn.

Seriously tho, Would be an interesting build.

Cheers

Transits are transverse-engine and generally FWD? The biggest issue is how you accommodate a longitudinal engine layout under the transit body shell. Two options I guess - extend the bonnet or have the engine inside the cabin. You'll be sitting a fair bit further back in the cab than you are now with the latter option.

Nothing is impossible - but only you can decide whether the project is viable or not.