Mercedesrover
Explorer
Under the hood is all but done. I piece of hose leading to the intake and the cable to the heat valve and that's it. On to lighting and other wiring and getting the bulkhead put back together.
109 Expedition rig build
- Thread starter Mercedesrover
- Start date
frans
Adventurer
I am really looking forward to seeing how you will set up the interior of your truck!
Your progress has been so fast, really. Some projects I have seen have taken double or triple the time you have taken, and have not been nearly as good.
ps: This might sound silly but don't forget to check the oil and other obvious stuff before firing up that engine!
Your progress has been so fast, really. Some projects I have seen have taken double or triple the time you have taken, and have not been nearly as good.
ps: This might sound silly but don't forget to check the oil and other obvious stuff before firing up that engine!
greenmeanie
Adventurer
Jim,
Any chance of posting some detail shots of the driver's side wing? I'd like to see how it fits round you steering column linkage and power steering box.
Cheers
Gregor
Any chance of posting some detail shots of the driver's side wing? I'd like to see how it fits round you steering column linkage and power steering box.
Cheers
Gregor
Mercedesrover
Explorer
Yorker said:
Wanted to get it painted in installed before I posted a picture.
Here it it:
Mercedesrover
Explorer
Haven't posted in a few days so I thought I'd put up a pic of the latest progress.
Besides the headlight doors and the front bumper, everything is done forward of the bulkhead. Everything is wired, plumbed, tied, bolted, screwed and ready to go. Next project will be painting and installing the seat box and getting to work on the control wiring and the dashboard/switch panels. There will be nothing Land Rover electrically in this truck except the wiper motor, turn signal switch and the ignition switch. All the other switches/relays will be generic and common. As well, the wiring harness is/will be home-made from scratch. The battery, fuse bank and all relays will be under the drivers seat and nothing electrical exposed to the elements except wires running out to do their jobs. It should make for a reliable system.
Anyway, here's what she looks like at the moment. I know the 4-headlight deal isn't very popular with the purists but it allows me to operate the inner lights as driving/off-road lights and eliminates the need for accessory lights hanging off the truck that get hung up and tangled in the bushes.
jim
Besides the headlight doors and the front bumper, everything is done forward of the bulkhead. Everything is wired, plumbed, tied, bolted, screwed and ready to go. Next project will be painting and installing the seat box and getting to work on the control wiring and the dashboard/switch panels. There will be nothing Land Rover electrically in this truck except the wiper motor, turn signal switch and the ignition switch. All the other switches/relays will be generic and common. As well, the wiring harness is/will be home-made from scratch. The battery, fuse bank and all relays will be under the drivers seat and nothing electrical exposed to the elements except wires running out to do their jobs. It should make for a reliable system.
Anyway, here's what she looks like at the moment. I know the 4-headlight deal isn't very popular with the purists but it allows me to operate the inner lights as driving/off-road lights and eliminates the need for accessory lights hanging off the truck that get hung up and tangled in the bushes.
jim
Michael Slade
Untitled
Mercedesrover said:
1. I'm not a purist.
2. I don't like how it looks.
3. I love how it works.
That might not make sense, but when did I ever make sense?
Seriously man, that looks very sweet. Beautiful color. New galvanizing makes me happy.
Yorker
Adventurer
Mercedesrover said:Wanted to get it painted in installed before I posted a picture.
Here it it:
Ahhh OK!! I thought it might be one of those- the distribution box goes under te parcel shelf and over to the drivers side and has little doors that open to sistribute the heat. You'll have to let me know how well it works. Are you going to put an aux heater in the rear too?
Mercedesrover
Explorer
Work from the past couple days.
Painted up the seat box and got it in the truck. Started to run wires under the driver's seat. Everything electrical will be in this box. Battery, fuse panel, glow plug relay, headlight relays, etc., everything. Wires go out to do their job and that's it.
Get to start soldering and shrink-wrapping tomorrow.
Painted up the seat box and got it in the truck. Started to run wires under the driver's seat. Everything electrical will be in this box. Battery, fuse panel, glow plug relay, headlight relays, etc., everything. Wires go out to do their job and that's it.
Get to start soldering and shrink-wrapping tomorrow.
seriessearcher
Adventurer
Looking good Jim
Jim,
You are working so fast you may need a trest drive next weekend. We will save a spot for you in Moab!!
Jim,
You are working so fast you may need a trest drive next weekend. We will save a spot for you in Moab!!
Mercedesrover
Explorer
Everything under the seat is wired but the battery. I'll get that on Monday. Dash and gauges are next.
24HOURSOFNEVADA
Expedition Leader
I love this build. It's one of the things I think about when I'm not obsessing over my motor rebuild.
Outstanding job.
Outstanding job.
TeriAnn
Explorer
Mercedesrover said:Everything under the seat is wired but the battery.
Jim, your work is lovely but I personally would worry about your seat box electrical layout. Everything is a compromise and where you intend to drive, where you have driven and their environmental conditions influence how we decide to make the compromises that we do.
I have been in situations several times where water would be flowing into the box through your wire openings. Where Land Rovers that had electrics down that low had to be towed out of rivers, once in numbers that might exceed the daily catch limit. All because electrics needed to keep the engine running were submerged.
The wiring openings in your seatbox don't appear to be water tight and there is no water protection in your fuse box or relays. If any of those connections are required to keep the diesel running I worry that you might find your Rover dead in the water.
Maybe I just worry too much but I've learned to keep my electrics at distributor/instrument panel heights. I realize diesels with mechanical injection change the dynamics, but your layout still gives me pause.
It is lovely work though.
.