Hi all
First time on hear and posting and most likely going to wind up series 3 owners but hear goes this is what I want to do/going to do so if any one has any thoughts ideas or no what I'm missing as I go along the help will be much appreciated !!!

I have just brought a 1972 series 3 88", 2.25 petrol .
My plan is new galv chassis, 300tdi with axles and coil sprung , power steering , anti roll bars and ABS if I can .... Also going to put a defender front end on her so I can the disco box as well .

So my first thing is iv got to clean and start stripping the shell off , order the new chassis and get the engine out the disco...

Does anyone no of any problems I am going to accrue when I get started ...?

Many thanks and I will start adding pictures as I go

Without any real experience of what your intending , I think you may fall foul of tax exempt status which is your aim am I right?
I believe it was easy to get away with at one time but not now.
It may end up a Q plate.

Yes and no .... Yes on the point system I would but i think I may have thought a way around it but will only find out once complete ... But you may be right, not a Massive bigy if I don't keep it tax exept

Why not buy a Defender to start with instead of #######ising a series vehicle? I might be getting a grouch in my old age but I don't see the point. Soz

Why mess a series up, why not just get a Defender or a 90/110 ?

Seems pointless to me is all ..

I know it is , but A. It was fairly cheep . B front end is nakered + chassis and not worth really putting it back to a series . C wanted to do a nut and bolt rebuild and have a 300tdi at the end of it as I can build all of this for about 4K to how I want it . Yes I could go but a 90 with a 300 in it for a half decent one for around 3/4 k but then have to spend another £1000-£1500 sorting it out to how I want it ..... So that's why I went for the series I found

£4k to build it. Are you stealing the other components too?



Joking aside, but there is only one company that does 88" coiler chassis, and they ain't cheap. Or are you looking at a different wheelbase? Either way, a galv chassis will eat up a huge chunk of that money. Plus you'll need a donar vehicle.

Not saying it can't be done on the cheap, but who will be doing all this work? Some rather major mods going on = lots of labour.

So effective you'll have a defender with a split windscreen?

First rule of modifying any car don't build something you can already buy.

If you want a series 3 get a series 3 and accept its flaws but enjoy it's character. If you want the comfort of coils and power steering get a defender.

I've got a defender and a series 2a the defender is bog standard, the series 2 has a Tdi and disco diffs. Other than the power steering the coil springs aren't worth shouting about both are still uncomfortable. The gear change is a little nicer on the defender but the series box is completely knackered.

But I prefer driving the series. The engine was upgraded because mine works for a living and the 2.25 diesel struggles up hill pulling just the Land Rover up. But it looks like a series and drives like a series.

And for your budget you could get a half decent 300tdi defender. My 200tdi defender was £1700 all in.

And if the chassis is in good nick on the defender then just galvanise that one. But a nut and bolt rebuild for £4000 plus massive modifications you'll be lucky.

As for abs I've never found it necessary in any of my land rovers. In the 5 years I've been driving them even when towing have I thought I wish I had abs. If you drive it like a Land Rover you shouldn't need it.

I just never see the point when folks buy a series and then make it look and drive identical to a defender.

i can understand doing stuff to a series a keep it looking like a series.

Bloody hell can of worms or what ..... I can see both of your points, I will be doing all the work , only main reason for me doing it is front body work is no good and yes it will be working for a living , not going to have it to look at . New gal chassis is £1650 , series £700 disco 1 £500 I can sell unwanted bits to make some other money back also already got a whole front end of a defender £180 yes there will be a few other bits to do and will not likely go over what I think I will spend but dosnt all projects ... , but when the chassis is going to have the engine mounts in place ready to take the engine and r380 box that will sit the gear leavers in the right place . I understand keeping it original but needs must hey , easier to get defender panels than series panels. ABS isn't a nessasery but do help in some ways I have know a few now write them off from A not having anti roll bars and B no abs .
I'm not on hear to wind people up but needs must hey .

Hey.................. if you ever get it finished it'll still be an old landy - if things like ABS are on your list then I don't think you can have much landy experience...................................
And as you probably wont get it finished you'll have screwed up a fairly early S3 - which you'll regret as they're steadily going up in price.
But hey, needs must [in which case just go buy a Shogun - they have ABS and they're cheap]
Good luck

Doesn't need abs it was just a idea.... , I may get half way threw and keep the series front and decide I was a total d**k and better off with it you never no . it will get finished don't you worry about that .... It only a idea haven't got down the the nitty gritty get so will just be seeing how it goes

Problem is you're really only using the series 3 for its tax exempt ID. The running gear won't be series, the chassis won't, nor will the steering.
A better starting place would be a rotten defender, you'll already have the axles, bodywork, suspension and depending on age the 300tdi and gearbox.

You'll be replacing pretty much everything on the series for defender or disco parts. Minus the rear tub windscreen and roof everything else will most likely be defender.

Don't just buy the first vehicle you see because it's cheap. Most rotten defenders are cheap and as you want to do a rebuild you might as well buy a heap that is the vehicle you want.

But with a series vehicle and the mods you want to do it will end up on a Q plate. With a defender as a base it won't be.

Dan Rabin said:

Yes and no .... Yes on the point system I would but i think I may have thought a way around it but will only find out once complete

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The points system is pretty well buttoned down. People have been looking for loopholes for a very long time now.

Even if you do get away with it, which I very much doubt, insurance companies are going to be rubbing their hands with glee at the kind of premiums for such a modified vehicle. Insurance may actually be cheaper to get SVA and a Q plate. Don't forget, penalties for upsetting the law can involve more than just points, seizure of vehicles is a well established practice now, and often as not more expensive than the fine.

I am no lover of series trucks, but project management head says you are in way over your head here, making unnecessary work for yourself, probably very under budgeted too. Quickest, simplest, cheapest is to start as near to your completed ideal in the first place.

Dan Rabin said:

Hi all
First time on hear and posting and most likely going to wind up series 3 owners but hear goes this is what I want to do/going to do so if any one has any thoughts ideas or no what I'm missing as I go along the help will be much appreciated !!!

I have just brought a 1972 series 3 88", 2.25 petrol .
My plan is new galv chassis, 300tdi with axles and coil sprung , power steering , anti roll bars and ABS if I can .... Also going to put a defender front end on her so I can the disco box as well .

So my first thing is iv got to clean and start stripping the shell off , order the new chassis and get the engine out the disco...

Does anyone no of any problems I am going to accrue when I get started ...?

Many thanks and I will start adding pictures as I go

Click to expand...

Sounds expensive, and as has been pointed out, you will end up with a bitsa of possibly questionable legal status.

If you have a cheap series, why not spend less, and restore it to what it is. S3 are quite a useful vehicle.

I am pretty certain no one ever crashed because they didn't have abs and anti roll bars, I am certain they crashed because they weren't driving to the conditions of the road at the time, or going to fast or braking to late.

This whole project sounds dodgy, your basically going to end up with a bitsa ringer that you may struggle to sell in the future, if the old bill and the dvla let you keep it

I think the only company who do a series coil spring chassis now are designa (if they are still trading) and they were alot more than a standard chassis

If you want the 300 tdi then richards would fit the right mounts for you and same if you wanted and lt77 box but its alot less hassle using a series box as the props will fit with no mods ,as for power steering and a fender front end couldnt you just get e replacement series front end ? may even be cheaper that way

I fitted a 300 to my lightweight as i had a rotten disco with a good engine but using the series mounts was a right PITA as i made all the parts and the full kit from parkers costs around the same as a running 200 tdi ! (although im sure the kit is well made like all of his stuff)

It could all be done but would be alot of work and when you factor in the extra cost and risk when you can get a decent 90 with a galv chassis for 4k i wouldnt bother

Dan Rabin said:

New gal chassis is £1650

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Where can you get a galv 88 coiler chassis new from for £1650?

Genuine question, because as far as I know Designa chassis were the only people to offer this. And I believe including VAT + Del you'd be talking the high end of £2xxx or maybe more.

Dan Rabin said:

, series £700 disco 1 £500 I can sell unwanted bits to make some other money back also already got a whole front end of a defender £180 yes there will be a few other bits to do and will not likely go over what I think I will spend but dosnt all projects ... ,

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You seem to have done very well at getting deals, suspect it would be hard to repeat. Not all that many £500 Disco's about these days and I haven't seen any Series motors for less than £1k for quite some time.

And yes, there will be loads and loads of other bits.

-custom exhaust
-custom rad piping
-custom intercooler piping
-wiring loom
-new engine/gbox mounts
-probably some PAS pipes/hoses and things
-new radiator
-custom prop shafts
-custom intake setup

And loads of other bits.

Dan Rabin said:

but when the chassis is going to have the engine mounts in place ready to take the engine and r380 box that will sit the gear leavers in the right place .

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Surely only with the Defender bell housing and top gearbox linkage. I don't believe you can buy an 88 chassis to fit a long R380 assembly in and have the sticks in the right place, as it would mean the front timing cover would have to be where the radiator is.

(I might be getting mixed up on 200Tdi's and LT-77's, haven't looking under a 300Tdi Disco for ages and forget how it looks exactly).

Dan Rabin said:

easier to get defender panels than series panels.

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You sure on that?

Dan Rabin said:

I'm not on hear to wind people up but needs must hey .

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I'm not wanting to dissuade you, but I seriously think you have under estimated how much work and cost this might be. I've priced up something similar, only already having all the body work, engines and a chassis. So just all the other bits come out to more than what you are budgeting for.

Seffy said:

The points system is pretty well buttoned down. People have been looking for loopholes for a very long time now.

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This isn't really the right place for it. But it isn't buttoned down at all. And most certainly not how it is presented to the public.

In fact, it is fairly clear to say the points system doesn't even exist or is not applicable. Because there are at least two different systems described on the .gov website. Depending on if the vehicle is 'rebuilt' or 'heavily modified'. Yet there is no description on what constitutes either.

Further to this, it becomes a complete minefield and 'personal' interpretation on what actually constitutes a different component.


For example, a Tdi engine, is by and large a variation of the original Series engines. You could rightly argue that replacing a 3 main bearing engine with a 5 main bearing engine is as big a change as fitting a Tdi.

The basic block is largely the same in all cases. And things like 'turbo's are not counted as part of the engine normally.


Same with suspension. Both vehicles would still use a live axle/solid beam axle suspension setup, rather than independent suspension systems. The only thing you change is the 'spring type', not the suspension type.


With the chassis. Well were does a chassis mod start or end? Is fitting a new rear cross member a mod or a repair? How about a new half chassis (available for Series vehicles). What about if you fabricate some plates to repair a chassis or make an entire chassis leg? If all these can be done without an IVA, then surely fabricating the rest of the chassis is no different.

Although interestingly the regs on the .gov site say 'any' welding means an automatic IVA. So if you take it to the letter, then anyone with a welded in roll cage would need an IVA. And anyone who has fitted a new rear cross member to a Defender would need an IVA.

In fact the only things that won't be as 'original' as defined by the rules on the .gov site are the gearbox and 'maybe' the steering.

The steering is again undefined. As where does the steering start and end?

For example, would changing the steering wheel count as changing the steering?

HD steering rods maybe?

What about PAS? But wait, you can by ram assisters for Series vehicles, so simply saying PAS is not clear cut enough. As surely fitting the Heystee PAS setup on a Series shouldn't cause you to have to have an IVA.



So no, it isn't buttoned down at all.