Is the solenoid earthed? You need to be methodical so firstly check all your earths using a multimeter, best way is connect one lead to the earth of the battery and with the multimeter set to continuity touch the other lead to the body of the starter motor & then test the solenoid by touching...

There's is no finer thing than a V8 in a Land Rover:D

If you've got it stripped down I would go for 200tdi, been done loads of times. 2.5 petrol is a nice engine but will be thirsty. 2.5NA diesel is ok but slow much like a 2 1/4 diesel. Of course there are other options out there, what about a V8? They're not as heavy on petrol as some people say...

The hoops are pretty easy to make BUT the door surrounds & shark tooth rail above the windscreen are a bit more complex.....

Always worth checking breathers are not blocked as well but given yours has been stood awhile not likely in this case

Why not put bolts into the captive plate prior to dipping it then remove said bolts after plating???

Do not turn up the boost on that engine, you will kill it:)

You would do better soaking them in diesel & when you get them moving use spray on copperslip type grease & keep working them until you're happy with them

For removal just attack it with the angle grinder to get rid of the welds. Next you need to drill a series of holes through the rubber so you can knock out the centre sleeve. After you have done that slide a hacksaw blade through then mount the blade upside down in a hacksaw. Saw through outer...

I've got an exmoor trim one & my mate has an undercover one, I will be changing mine asap.....

It's a pretty easy job but access isn't great. You will probably need to drill the retaining bolts and then remove with an eeziout, just take your time and your patience will be rewarded

Without the turbo a 200di will be working hard to pull 3.5 diffs, Reliability with these engines isn't a massive issue so I would put the turbo on. Try using one from a 300 engine, apparently it's a bit easier to fit. The transmission will take the extra power so long as: a. It's in reasonable...

Erm, what about front prop UJs?? If it's that horrendous a vibration & it's gone engine, I wouldn't worry too much as it will probably self destruct next time you start ito_O

My apologies, I somehow missed the fact it was a T diesel, thought it was a 12J, anything with a turbo will work better with a decent diameter exhaust around the 2" diameter size

Won't make a significant difference for a 2.5, you only need to start thinking about exhaust size when you go tdi or V8 route, at least that's my personal experience

You should be able to strip it and tighten it up. Take it off and have a go, you can't be any worse off...

It all depends on what the bodywork is like. My advice would be find someone to paint and get their advice on how far you need to go with the prep. You shouldn't need to go all the way back to bare metal but you do need it to be flat & that rakes lots of time and hard work.

I would say budget at least £2k for a good paint job, cheaper ain't often better when it comes to painting. The key to a good paint job is the preparation, the more of that you do the cheaper the paint job will work out.

Right let's be crystal clear the gearboxes are the same BUT the bellhousing, input shaft and selector are different. I think people are mixing up what a gearbox is with a gearbox & bellhousing. Anything can made to fit anything within reason but whether you should or not is a different matter

If you're going to use a trickle charger then take the battery off the vehicle to do it. It will make the vehicle harder to stealo_O