I

iforland

Member
I've been considering which is the best option for by defender in terms of the chassis.

1. Replacement galvanized chassis from Richards or someone else
2. Original Land Rover chassis that has been galvanized

I've got an old 86 defender that I converted to a 200tdi many years ago, but the chassis has had it, but I have the option to buy a new TD5 chassis that has been converted and then galvanized (so no rust to start with).

So what are the pro's and con's?

I think one of the main ones is thickness of the metal, I don't intend to off road this one so might not be a major issue.

Can anyone advise?
 
I bought mine from Richards chassis and was very happy with it.
Would I go anywhere else? Probably not as they're only down the road.
 
Id go for the cheapest, assuming the td5 chassis is absolutely correct for your needs, if the td5 chassis has a chassis number then it would have to take on the td5 identity I think....a new chassis could have your old chasis number
 
If the td5 chassis is already stamped then you will face problems registering it. There's a seller on eBay selling new take off chassis that he welds on whatever mounts you want then galvs. He will not answer questions relating to whether they're previously stamped though - personally I'd avoid going down that route. If a chassis is stamped then it really should come with a v5 and pair of reg plates.
 
Subject as ever to pennies, new makes sense

If you're going the used route, make sure it is 100% legit and above board!
 
It will (should!) have a chassis number stamped on it, that chassis number 'should' have a registration number registered against it if it hasn't been recorded as scrapped with the DVLA. If it hasn't been scrapped then it should have reg plates and a V5, if no V5 is available then it may have been scrapped which will cause difficulties with DVLA. You couldn't fit this chassis to your vehicle and keep your original reg, it would have to assume the reg recorded against the chassis
 
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No complaints with my Richards chassis, everything from the ninety bolted straight on, brackets all in the correct place etc..
 
What no-one is considering here is that the untitled td5 chassis could be from stolen trucks........for peace of mind I would go with Richards.....
 
To approach this from a different angle.
I'm thinking of the insurance implications of using a 2nd hand chassis.
Should the vehicle be involved in an accident serious enough to write it off.
I would imagine the insurance company would at the very least want to examine the vehicle to confirm identity.

Even worse if the vehicle was involved in an injury accident where there is the possibility of a joint investigation, you may find that you are left without a chair when the music stops.

You also run the risk of hassle come selling time should someone pick on the numbers being different.

I did think about a 2nd hand chassis for my Project Discovery but after researching decided to weld up the existing, to minimise any future problems of using a 2nd hand one with different numbers to those listed on the V5
 
Ok, a lot of really good points being raised...

So to make it a little clearer the original land rover chassis that I have been offered is a brand new one, that they have modified to accept the 200tdi mounts and then had galvanized.

Therefore no issues of rust or bad repairs...only the issue of chassis number which I have asked them about.
 
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