Much advice needed! (WARNING, NEWBIE IDIOT!!!!)

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LetsHopeItFits said:
Yep, not possible really.
And it doesnt look THAT good.
Doing strata tomorrow in my disco, then its getting its MoT on Monday. Ive realised that for what a good 109 will cost, I could do A LOT of modifications to my disco - including a chassis extension, if thats what I decide. Although I rather like the look of this:View attachment 270923
Click to expand...

Looks like a cool rig!
Would it not be better to spend a good amount on a massive service and maybe install lpg to your disco?
If the mpg is all that your disheartened with then that would go someway to alleviating that problem (I know lpg has gone up recently but still cheaper than unleaded).
At least you know the disco, and you could do axle/swivel/hub rebuilds, install the lpg at a fraction of what it would cost to buy a series and rebuild it and then still have an uneconomical, underpowered vehicle!?

But if you want a series that's a good enough reason.
I bought my series 3 when I was 18. I drove it for about 6 months and the lights stopped working, so I did the sensible thing and stripped it to the ground, where various bits are scattered around my dads yard. I had huge plans to put it on my rrc chassis etc and it's only now, after having been married, had a baby, bought a house and rebuild my own 90 onto a galvy chassis that, now at 34, want to put the series back together as standard. They are great fun, and full of character. It's the journey you have to enjoy with them, not necessarily the destination! :)
Best of luck whichever you choose!
 
Im off the series idea now, having been laning with a friend who has an '82 109.
Chassis extension idea was inspired by the australians, when they turn landcruisers and patrols into pickups they move the rear axle back. Would be very cool, and its been done, with a disco, but too difficult legistlatively in the UK to bother.
LPG - a number of reasons why not. Firstly, the only place within about 20 miles of me that sells LPG costs 104.9/L. Secondly, if the tank(s) go under the car, theyll be smashed to bits offroad. If the tank goes in the boot, there will be no room for stuff. Thirdly, the issue not only is cost, but also range. Ide need over 100L of LPG on top of my 90L of petrol to go as far as a 300tdi with just a full tank of derv. Also, every jerry can of diesel adds about 100-125 miles of range, whereas ide be lucky to get 60 miles from the same volume of petrol.
 
Alright, so a series 2 ambulance has come up for sale not far from me, 2.25 petrol, army green, the usual. Not a bad price either.
Im getting bored of the disco. I dont want to cut the roof, and theres no other way to sleep in it, and its costing me a fortune in fuel, so Im thinking of selling and getting a series, as its just more special.
So 2 things
1.) Whats a tidy D1 worth these days? Mines a 1996 3.9 V8i manual with 90k miles on it, unmodified, on brand new BFGoodrich KO2s
2.) More about the ambulance, and S2/3s in general - how much power/torque can the standard driveline make? Ide be wanting to put a diesel engine in it. Also, if I bash the back end on rocks etc, is it possible to get replacement pannels?
Thanks!
 
LetsHopeItFits said:
Alright, so a series 2 ambulance has come up for sale not far from me, 2.25 petrol, army green, the usual. Not a bad price either.
Im getting bored of the disco. I dont want to cut the roof, and theres no other way to sleep in it, and its costing me a fortune in fuel, so Im thinking of selling and getting a series, as its just more special.
So 2 things
1.) Whats a tidy D1 worth these days? Mines a 1996 3.9 V8i manual with 90k miles on it, unmodified, on brand new BFGoodrich KO2s
2.) More about the ambulance, and S2/3s in general - how much power/torque can the standard driveline make? Ide be wanting to put a diesel engine in it. Also, if I bash the back end on rocks etc, is it possible to get replacement pannels?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
No idea on point 1, but I would guess not a lot, probably about the same as you have just paid for the new set of tyres!

on Point 2 I can be a little more help. A standard series transmission can cope with a standard tdi as long as you drive it sensibly, so that is about 110bhp but that is about the limit without doing other modification IMO. However if you want deisel there are other options to consider engine wise even before you move outside of the land rover stable.
  • 2.25 series diesel gets an unjustified bad reputation but is capable in a series although with the extra weight of an ambulance body might be a little lacking but lots of people still run the original sereis engines (myself included) and manage with no issues, just don't expect to be overtaking trucks on the motorway.
  • 2.5NA diesel is an ideal engine for a series, there used to be lots of them around but they are getting a little thin on the ground these days
  • 2.5td gets a justifiable bad reputation but they are very cheap as no one wants them. With an easy rebuild and the fitting of a small intercooler (overheating is one of the main issue) the reliability can be improved to be not bad, they just need regularly servicing and taking care of, they are not an engine that can be abused.
  • TDI fitted as a DI with the turbo removed makes for a much easier installation on the conversion and gives a very reliable engine without the ability to break transmission components with a heavy foot but there are other drawbacks. however plenty of people run with this setup
 
Thanks, very interesting.
I have a friend with a series 3 109 with the 2.25 NA diesel. That really is a little down on power personally.
The 2.5TD (19j?) is the one that sounds best to me, despite its bad reputation. The TDI sounds like its more work than its worth in comparison, given it needs timing belt services etc, not just oil changes. The 2.5TD is very cheap and very simple, and Im hoping its capable of getting the ambulance to motorway speeds (65-70 would be fantastic)
 
LetsHopeItFits said:
Thanks, very interesting.
I have a friend with a series 3 109 with the 2.25 NA diesel. That really is a little down on power personally.
The 2.5TD (19j?) is the one that sounds best to me, despite its bad reputation. The TDI sounds like its more work than its worth in comparison, given it needs timing belt services etc, not just oil changes. The 2.5TD is very cheap and very simple, and Im hoping its capable of getting the ambulance to motorway speeds (65-70 would be fantastic)
Click to expand...
2.5 TD needs timing belt changes too. And is likely to be less reliable than a 2.5NA, or a 200Tdi.
I could get 70 mph from a 2.5TD, one of the best examples around, in a Ninety hard top that weighed 1600KG with me in it.
Very doubtful a 2.5 TD will propel a heavy, unaerodynamic ambulance at that speed.
The only thing you are right about is that a 2.5 TD is a 19j.
 
Okay, so the 19j sucks.
The 2.25 is a pushrod engine, without a timing belt, correct?
The 2.5TD 19j has a timing belt, therefore I presume its an OHC engine. Is the 2.5NA the same engine as the TD, minus the turbo? Or is it an enlarged version of the 2.25?
What about turbocharging one of the NA engines? Or is that just a catastrophy waiting to happen?
 
Yeah okay turbocharging the 2.25 is a rubbish idea.
I see many old landys with perkins/mazda/daihatsu/isuzu/etc engines. I always thought it was sacriligious, but perhaps it isnt.
Can someone confirm the nature of the 2.5NA engine? OHC or pushrod? (Bigger 2.25 or 19j missing a turbo?)
Thanks
 
I did. I bought a disco. Now Im about to sell it and buy a 60s S2. I just want to know the best route for running it on diesel, and making it go uphill.
Ive already figured its going to cost me an extra £1000-1500 for parabolic springs and an overdrive, both of which I know Ill want/need.
 
All series landies (except the v8) are plodders really, that is their character and charm. The 2.25 engine suits it well, its not fast and its not quiet but there js a.lot to be said for keeping the vehicle relatively original. I would'nt even bother upgrading to parabolic springs.

Col
 
Im not after a rocket, if I was, Ide keep my disco.
I just want a powerplant that will get it cruising at a respectable speed (i.e. not being in the way of HGVs) and preferably run on diesel, for better MPG and possibly run on veg oil. Also I want it to be very easy to work on, and be very easy to service (e.g. timing chain instead of belt)
Anyway, merry xmas all!
 
LetsHopeItFits said:
Im not after a rocket, if I was, Ide keep my disco.
I just want a powerplant that will get it cruising at a respectable speed (i.e. not being in the way of HGVs) and preferably run on diesel, for better MPG and possibly run on veg oil. Also I want it to be very easy to work on, and be very easy to service (e.g. timing chain instead of belt)
Anyway, merry xmas all!
Click to expand...

Might be better spending your time searching for the Holy Grail...lol...Merry Christmas dude...
 
LetsHopeItFits said:
Okay, so the 19j sucks.
The 2.25 is a pushrod engine, without a timing belt, correct?
The 2.5TD 19j has a timing belt, therefore I presume its an OHC engine. Is the 2.5NA the same engine as the TD, minus the turbo? Or is it an enlarged version of the 2.25?
What about turbocharging one of the NA engines? Or is that just a catastrophy waiting to happen?
Click to expand...
They are all pushrod engines, 2286 cc petrol and diesel have chains, 2.5 NA, Petrol, and TD have belts, as does a Tdi.
2286 cc diesel have the injection pump on a stalk where the distributor drive is on a 2286cc petrol.
2.5 engines have the injector pump in a more conventional place, horizontal, behind the timing case, and driven off the timing belt direct.
A 2.5 TD is a 2.5NA with a turbo fitted. Didn't work that well for the factory, so no reason it will work that well for you.
None of the 4 cylinder engines are OHC.

If you Google search the name of the engines, and Images, there are lots of pics that explain all this.

Unless you want to spend a lot of money, you aren't going to make a Series ambulance go very fast.
But they are actually quite adequate anyway, lots of people use them as campers.
 
LetsHopeItFits said:
Yeah okay turbocharging the 2.25 is a rubbish idea.
I see many old landys with perkins/mazda/daihatsu/isuzu/etc engines. I always thought it was sacriligious, but perhaps it isnt.
Can someone confirm the nature of the 2.5NA engine? OHC or pushrod? (Bigger 2.25 or 19j missing a turbo?)
Thanks
Click to expand...
Toyota make very good diesel engines. They are fitted in Hiace vans, Land Cruisers, Hilux, etc.

All vehicles well suited to what you want, so why not buy one?
 
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