The Rolling Restoration & Customization Of My 88' Range Rover Classic

rrclassicbt550

Farmer Jon
Thank you!

I may be working on it sooner than I thought. It looks like I may not be going to Yosemite for Thanksgiving so I don't have to have to get the camper ready and I can put that on the back burner for now. Only a few more things to get out of the way before I get to start on the Rover! I have been looking forward to it for what seems like years now!

wow thats an inpressive drivetrain! Thanks for the update, i look forward to more when you get the time!
 

KLRTim

Observer
Wow Inspiring and Amazing

Hello :)

My name is Tim and I live on a very small Island called Tasmania located Below Australian Mainland.

Impressed / Motivated just does not do justice to your unwavering commitment to your Range Rover at all. To say it is a labor of love just might:)
I have just enjoyed every post in this thread from start to finish whilst looking after my Grandson.
My 1982 Rangie has undergone a lot of work as you have done and is still being improved on, To read about your Build up / reincarnation motivates people like myself and others no end.

Firstly
1) Thank you for taking the time to document and photograph your Work.
2) Thank you for Motivating us. :)
3) Very Pleased to hear you are 100 percent better after you Vehicle Crash. :)

Following you on your Journeys is also Fantastic please say Hi too your Brother from all of us here in Tassie.

4) Stay Well and Travel far :)

cheers

Tim / AKA Gadgets

Hope you do not mind but here are a couple of pics of our Vehicles.

I took the 2 inch lift out of my Discovery 1 and placed it into my 1982 Rangie along with the ARB bull Bar as we use the Disco as a daily driver and the Rangie for 4x4ing and camping. Range Rover picture was taken this month on our Annual Trip up The East Coast here in Tasmania at a lovely Fishing Village called St Helens.

Once again you have Blown my mind with your Work / Life Ethic. Cudos :ylsmoke:
 

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rrclassicbt550

Farmer Jon
Long time coming...

Hello Everyone,

It has been a long time since I have updated this thread. Sorry everyone. I haven't honestly done much work on the Rover in the last year. It has only been in the last few months that I have been able to start doing any work on it.

I have been bouncing back and forth between some of the projects I have on the shelves. I have been working on the winch, water system, power inverters, and the drawer system.

However, I did pick up a LWB Classic that was hit in the nose, I am going to use it to do all of the test fittings and modifications so that I can make the swap into my SWB Classic go much smoother.

I will start doing write ups soon and trying to get back into the swing of things.

Sorry everyone, but if your still reading this thread, thank you hanging in there with me.

Have a good one!
Jon
 

rrclassicbt550

Farmer Jon
DIY Synthetic Winch Line

When I decided to put a winch on the Rover, I decided that I was going to try to learn as much as I could about the the different aspects of all the components I was installing. For example, making custom in cab controls, the different styles of solenoids, remote mounting solenoids, synthetic vs cable winch, etc.
This particular post is going to be about winch lines. I know there is a debate about which is "better", but let's be realistic, people have their own reasons for buying either one.
I had a cable winch line on my Warn M8000 that was mounted to the Wrangler I had many years ago. It worked, it saved me many times, performed adequately overall, and never once failed me. However, once I got it out past 50' in the mud, streams, and embankments, it was.a pain to maneuver or haul it around. It was a pain to feed back in properly without causing kinks or flat spots on the trail and the whole "I will re-spool it properly when I get home" thing, rarely seemed to happen. I know i sound as if I am whining, but I am just sharing some of my experiences.
It's heavy, pretty inflexible, dangerous if it breaks, can kink or flat spot fairly easily, and is annoying to have to re-spool it after each outingl. Although it is fairly simple to repair out in the middle of nowhere, I am still not entirely onvinced it is the way to go.

Synthetic winch line, well this is my first go around with the stuff and so far I am loving it. It is easy to work with, also easy to repair out in the middle of nowhere, and not as dangerous when it breaks. Light, very flexible, doesn't need to be despoiled every time, won't kink, and won't flat spot. It does have drawbacks too though. It is WAY easier the accidentally cut, it picks up grit/grime, is badly effected by UV light exposure, and has a lot more stretch to it.

All this being said, both have their drawbacks and advantages. Like I said before, the cable worked adequately, but this time I am going to try Synthetic.

So, here we go. I bought bulk Master Pull synthetic winch line. You might not believe this but, buying an already made up winch line direct from Master Pull is very close to the same price as the DIY winch line. When I included the bulk winch line., thimble, hook, end retainer, rock guards and splicing fids; there wasn't much difference price wise. However, with the DIY winch line, I would get the line I wanted, the rock guards in the length that I wanted, the hook I wanted, thimble I wanted, etc. Plus I would learn a valuable new skill set to put away for down the road, in case I needed to do repairs or something at a later date.

This is how it went:
IMG_7096.JPG
Here is some of the items I bought. Tubular webbing (the 2 packs in the middle) is what all of the "rock guards" are made of, it is much cheaper to buy in bulk, and I won't have to have a name or logo on it. The rest of the items are fairly self explanatory.
IMG_7097.JPG
Here is a mistake I made. The hook on the right is big enough to loan out to crane operators. I read the description wrong and thought it could be all that big (It was on clearance for something like $20 - $30). It turns out that yes it can actually be gigantic. The one is the proper size, strictly speaking, maybe it is one size larger than I really need but it is better to be safe, rather than sorry.
The thimble is extremely nice and well made. I am very impressed with how robust it is. Thankfully, I got the right on the first attempt at purchasing.
IMG_7098.JPG
This winch hook has an area that allows me to simply slip the thimble into its proper position. Not all hooks are this well though out, some would have to have the thimble bent open to slip into position and then bent closed again.
IMG_7099.JPG
IMG_7100.JPG
The little bit of money I saved buy going the DIY route allows me to buy enough extra synthetic winch line to make a winch line extension/recovery rope. Winch line on the left, recovery rope on the right.
IMG_7101.JPG
To start the loop/eye that goes through the thimble and feeds back into itself, I started by marking off 36" on the winch line.
IMG_7102.JPG
I then placed a piece of very thick heat shrink tubing center on the area that was going to be exposed in the open portion of the thimble. This is to protect the winch line for sun/UV rays, but also to protect from abrasions.
IMG_7103.JPG
IMG_7104.JPG
The. I just fed it through and centered it to make sure none of the winch line was exposed.
IMG_7105.JPG
Then I electrical taped the end of the line.
 

rrclassicbt550

Farmer Jon
IMG_7106.JPG
The tape helps it fit into the back of the splicing did
IMG_7107.JPG
Here is the fid and the line taped together. Making sure they are uniform diameter.
IMG_7108.JPG
IMG_7109.JPG
Then feed the fid through the center of the line
IMG_7110.JPG
Then back and forth (4-5 times) through the line, keeping at least a ropes diameter for spacing between each pass through.
IMG_7111.JPG
Then take the fid and feed it down the center/inner core of the line
IMG_7112.JPG
IMG_7114.JPG
IMG_7115.JPG
I fed it all the way through until the slack at the top was gone.then I pulled the fid and length of line out, making sure to have at least 12" of line exposed
IMG_7116.JPG
I removed the fid and the tape, then untangled the 12 strands of the line.
 

rrclassicbt550

Farmer Jon
IMG_7117.JPG
There are 12 strands. The first strand is left alone, the second I cut 1" off of, the third I cut off 2", the fourth I cut off 3", the fifth I cut of 4", etc, progressivly taking more off each strand all the way up to the 12th strand.
IMG_7119.JPG
The. I put the hook under my foot and slowly used both my hands to pull the slack out of the lint and feed the excess line (that was cut into a taper) back into itself. The picture above shows what it should look like when it's done.

Let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions. I will show more about the rock guards for the winch line in my next post.

Have a good one!
Jon
 

rrclassicbt550

Farmer Jon
Winch line rock guard

The rock guard is Climbing Spec Tubular Webbing. I bought 1" and 2" webbing. I used 15' of the 1" webbing to protect the main length of the winch line. There are a couple of reasons I chose to make such a long guard, because if I have winch over a hazard like a hill or a mound, it will protect a longer length of the line that comes into contact with the crowd. I also wanted the guard to cover the line when it is all spooled up on the winch, that way it will be protected from the sun/UV. I also put a 6' length of 2" webbing on the winch line so I can protect against two hazards if need be. When everything is all spooled up, both the the guards will be within the first 15' of the line so it it covers the line to protect it from the Sun and also will not get tangled in anything.
IMG_7126.JPG
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I melted the edge so it is less likely to frey
IMG_7128.JPG
Then I attached the splicing fid to the end of the winch line.
IMG_7129.JPG
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This was a pretty slow process initially, but sped up when I got the fid all the way through.
IMG_7134.jpg
The guard is somewhat snug now, but can still slide. Once the winch line is installed and stretched, it will slide easier.
I will have to show you the 2" rock guard when the winch line is finally installed.
IMG_7131.JPG
Here is how the recovery line turned out. I used 1" around the eyes to protect against chafing by the shackles and used the 2" inch on the main portion so it would protect the line from the Sun and dirt, but also so I could slide the guard off and throw it in the washer if it gets too dirty.

Have a good on!
Jon
 
Last edited:

rrclassicbt550

Farmer Jon
Hello Tim,

Thank you for the wonderful words, it is hard to really say how much they mean. It has been an interesting, busy, and sometimes rough couple of years buying a house, moving, getting married, getting a small farm going, and then having the house (as well as many other things) fall apart on us. There have been ups & downs and it felt like we were in way over our heads. It genuinely felt like we were never going to come up for air, during all of this I had no real time to dedicate to anything other then the immediate issues that needed to be addressed.
This meant all of my projects fell by the way side, especially the Rover. However, even though it has been mistreated and somewhat neglected in the last couple years, it has been there for me every time; steadily and quietly doing everything that is asked of it and it hasn't let me down.
I bought the Rover and started working on it during a difficult time in my life and it stood by me and helped get me through then, and it is staying faithfully by me during the challenging parts of my life now. That is why I put so much time into it.
Thankfully, it seems like things are becoming a little less hectic and difficult. So I have been able to start (slowly) working on the Rover again.
I suppose one of the reasons I started this thread was not only to help people and show off a bit of what I have done, but also to get opinions and advice from people who can relate.

Thank you very much for reading every post in my thread, and thank you for letting me know how you feel about it. It takes a lot of extra time to document/photograph everything and it is nice to get feedback.

I don't mind at all if you post some pictures of your Rovers. Your Disco looks good but I have to admit that I am a bit biased toward Classics. Especially the early 4 doors. I wish I could get ahold of a set of front doors with quarter windows. I have looked high and low in the U.S. for years and still haven't found a set; maybe one day. How are you liking the larger mirrors? I really don't like how small the ones on my Classic are; they suck to use when I am towing a trailer. I emailed Clearview in Australia but haven't heard back from them.

Thank you again for your kind words I genuinely appreciate them.
Have a good one,
Jon A.K.A. Farmer Jon

P.S.
My brother says thanks for the hello from everyone in Tassie and would like to say a nice Hello back to everyone in Tassie.

Hello :)

My name is Tim and I live on a very small Island called Tasmania located Below Australian Mainland.

Impressed / Motivated just does not do justice to your unwavering commitment to your Range Rover at all. To say it is a labor of love just might:)
I have just enjoyed every post in this thread from start to finish whilst looking after my Grandson.
My 1982 Rangie has undergone a lot of work as you have done and is still being improved on, To read about your Build up / reincarnation motivates people like myself and others no end.

Firstly
1) Thank you for taking the time to document and photograph your Work.
2) Thank you for Motivating us. :)
3) Very Pleased to hear you are 100 percent better after you Vehicle Crash. :)

Following you on your Journeys is also Fantastic please say Hi too your Brother from all of us here in Tassie.

4) Stay Well and Travel far :)

cheers

Tim / AKA Gadgets

Hope you do not mind but here are a couple of pics of our Vehicles.

I took the 2 inch lift out of my Discovery 1 and placed it into my 1982 Rangie along with the ARB bull Bar as we use the Disco as a daily driver and the Rangie for 4x4ing and camping. Range Rover picture was taken this month on our Annual Trip up The East Coast here in Tasmania at a lovely Fishing Village called St Helens.

Once again you have Blown my mind with your Work / Life Ethic. Cudos :ylsmoke:
 
Last edited:

Series1Rangie

Adventurer
Thank you for the compliment and thank you for bringing my thread back from the great beyond. I sincerely appreciate you still looking at it even when I haven't posted in it for ages.

I was excited to have your thread show up at the top of my feed again! I also have been struggling g with my classic and life getting in the way. It's amazing how much time and effort buying and renovating a house can take. We "finished" read made habitable our house the week my wife gave birth. Finally after 2 years I am finding ways to get some garage time.

I really appreciate the detailed pictures and documentation. Please keep it up and I'm glad to hear that you may be in a better place these days.


Mike and Myles



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

rrclassicbt550

Farmer Jon
Hey!

It's been a long time! I am glad your doing well. Nice timing with getting your house ready just when you needed most. Congratulations on the bundle of joy!

Yes, it is amazing the amount of time and effort that can be soaked up by houses. Our roof just about caved in on us during our first winter, the land flooded, and we had to build a bunch of temporary shelters for the animals.

We ended up having to restructure/rebuild half of the roof, buy a tractor with an excavator on it and start reworking the drainage of the property, and build better/solid/permanent out buildings for our animals. I also had to gut the whole shop so all the electrical could be rerun because the previous owners knew more about starting fires than good electrical.

How is your Classic holding up? What are you working on (attempting to get time to work on)? It has been awhile since you mentioned what you were up to on it.

Have a good one,
Jon


I was excited to have your thread show up at the top of my feed again! I also have been struggling g with my classic and life getting in the way. It's amazing how much time and effort buying and renovating a house can take. We "finished" read made habitable our house the week my wife gave birth. Finally after 2 years I am finding ways to get some garage time.

I really appreciate the detailed pictures and documentation. Please keep it up and I'm glad to hear that you may be in a better place these days.


Mike and Myles



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Series1Rangie

Adventurer
Sadly my classic has been on blocks for about 20 months. I decided to convert to 24 spline with lockers and then had issues with compatibility and time. After dismantling of course. . Big trip scheduled next month, so I have a deadline. And all the correct pieces (I think).

Glad the house didn't burn down. Our previous owner wasn't stupid, just cheap. So just a backlog of items.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

rrclassicbt550

Farmer Jon
Wow, I feel your pain. I have had similar issues happen to me. It has gotten to the point where I actually went out and got another Classic to do all of the time consuming portions of the work on, so I can then put the finished product on my operational Classic with the least amount of downtime possible. I got a whitw LWB for free, well not totally free, I traded my labor for it. I helped strip it of the valuable parts and then instead of it going to the crusher, it fallowed me home. You might be able to work out a similar deal with your local LR shop. Then your Classic can be operational more of the time.

Sorry! For whatever reason it wouldn't let me post a quoted reply.
 

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