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

[burn_e]

Hmm...thats an interesting way to replace the terminal. I would love to see it! Did you take any pictures when you were done?

Well...where I live we do have a lot of water but it is in the form of "rain", NOT deep water that needs to be crossed frequently. Deep water crossings are not something I would choose to do unless I REALLY had to. The location of the air intake is not the only part of the vehicle that would need to be "water-proofed" before attempting to make it through deep water successfully without abusing my Rover (or any vehicle for that matter). That being said...I will be "water-proofing" as much of my Rovers vital equipment as possible just incase I ever have to do a deep water crossing.

There are a many reasons I bought the snorkel. Possible water crossings is one of my reasons. Dust is the bigger reason though, I plan on going to places where dust is part of the daily routine and getting the air intake up as high as possible will help keep both the air filter cleaner and the engine breathing easier. Another reason I bought the snorkel is because I got it for practically nothing. If I remember correctly, the final price for it was something like $80 for the snorkel, the Disco 1 fender it was attached to, the rubber hose that attaches the snorkel to the air box, and I also got the Disco 1 air box with a K&N filter in it. So even though it cost me $80, I was able to get enough parts with the snorkel, to help even out the money that was spent by trading or selling them.

However, the ACTUAL reason I bought the snorkel was because I have wanted a vehicle with a "Snorkel" on it since I was a 10 year old kid. So all of the other "reasons" I listed above are what I used to justify the purchase to myself! Honestly, not every modification I am doing to my Rover is necessary. Some of the modifications are because I have always wanted a vehicle with those modifications done to it. After all, I believe in every "mature" man is an inner "10 year old kid" who just wants to have a really cool toy to play with. I think that is part reason I smile every time I see my Rover!

Great piece of honesty and self awareness here - A rare finding!

 

[rrclassicbt550]

Great piece of honesty and self awareness here - A rare finding!

Thank you very much for such a generous compliment!

 

[rrclassicbt550]

The dual battery system received its first actual test today...

It was one of those mornings in which I was running a bit late for work and upon my arrival at work and subsequent exit of the vehicle, I forgot to turn my headlights off. Well, as you might imagine after 7+ hours I came back to find my headlights still very dimly on. After formulating some sentences I would not be proud of saying if I were in polite company, I remembered that I had installed the dual battery system.

The main battery was so drained that the low battery alarm on the IBS display was quieter then most cheap wrist watch alarms chirping and there wasn't even enough power to light up the display without the key in the ignition. BUT once I pushed the manual link button (which links the Aux bat and Main bat together) and twisted the key, it started up like nothing was wrong at all. By the time I got home both batteries were fully charged and it was like nothing had happened.

Now I know for sure if something like this happened in the "middle-of-no-where" I would still be able to start my vehicle, which is a genuinely satisfying/easing thing to know!

 

[rrclassicbt550]

Alright so there is a fairly large and HEAVY change in plans....

Earlier tonight I purchased a 6.2L Mil-Spec Diesel V8. I know I said I was going to run the 3.5L Rover V8 for awhile longer but....it is quickly becoming cost prohibitive to run the 3.5. Due to the cost of fuel and the low mpg I am getting these days, I feel like I am throwing $5 bills out the window whenever I am driving it, and that does sort of suck some of the fun out of driving it IMHO.

Nevertheless, it will take me a little while to gather all of the parts to do the swap so during that time, I am will keep running the 3.5L. Its days are numbered though and I am looking forward to having a diesel merrily clattering away in my Rover.

I will take more after I unload it tomorrow but for now, here is a teaser picture for now...

 

[burn_e]

:lurk:

 

[Excursion73]

Awesome! We are lucky to be near Ft. Lewis and get good deals on those 6.2'S. Yours looks much cleaner then mine!

 

[LtFuzz]

Awesome -- I'm moving to Tacoma this January.

We'll need to have a 6.2 get together :sombrero:

 

[rrclassicbt550]

:lurk:

LOL don't forget a nice cool refreshment! :beer:

Awesome! We are lucky to be near Ft. Lewis and get good deals on those 6.2'S. Yours looks much cleaner then mine!

Yes we are! Is it cleaner? Got any pictures of yours? I knew the one I bought was going to be pretty good when I left to go take a look at it, but when I got there I couldn't believe how clean it was. It seriously looks like a brand new crate motor. The guy said it had 3000 to 5000 miles on it from new, and the more I investigate, the more evident that becomes. It was a deal I couldn't pass up! :wings:

Awesome -- I'm moving to Tacoma this January.

We'll need to have a 6.2 get together :sombrero:

Count me in Sir, I would love to see your Disco in person! If I can get all the parts together and if life doesn't get in the way again, I should (fingers crossed) have the swap done by then.

 

[rrclassicbt550]

6.2L Pictures as promised...

Here are some more pictures of the 6.2L Diesel. I have given it a fairly good look over on the outside of it and it seems to be very clean and in good working order. The fellow I bought this motor from stated that the motor has had only 3k to 5k miles on it from new. It has definitely had a new coat of paint though...and a new coat of paint can hide some past "sins", because of this (and my natural curiosity) I will be investigating as much as I can without disassembling the motor too far.

From the outside, this "3k-5k" certainly seems to look like the truth. I am going to pull the valve covers and inspect the valve train though just to put mind a little more at ease. I am also debating on pulling the oil pan to investigate there too. The pulley grooves look new with very little (if any) wear and the flywheel does rotate very smoothly back & forth when turned with my hands.

Its not that I am against taking a strangers word as being "gospel" but I would rather be safe then sorry and investigate further to be sure. So far though...it seems like I got a really good deal!

 

[LtFuzz]

Dayum, that does look pretty.

What's up with the paint, though? Did they just spray the entire thing? Only reason I ask is because even the spring on the injection pump is painted. :Wow1:

Are you gonna do a Mark's 4x4 kit or make the adapters yourself?

I'm still waiting to see if someone can pull off A/C. Lots of talk about how easy it is... but I've yet to see it. I know I don't have the bracket to spare without switching to a serpentine belt. Probably don't need it in the PNW, but it'd still be neat to see done.

 

[rrclassicbt550]

Dayum, that does look pretty.

What's up with the paint, though? Did they just spray the entire thing? Only reason I ask is because even the spring on the injection pump is painted. :Wow1:

Are you gonna do a Mark's 4x4 kit or make the adapters yourself?

I'm still waiting to see if someone can pull off A/C. Lots of talk about how easy it is... but I've yet to see it. I know I don't have the bracket to spare without switching to a serpentine belt. Probably don't need it in the PNW, but it'd still be neat to see done.

Well Sir...you have found the right guy. I will find a way to make it work because I want and will use A/C. In the 2 or 3 month summer time we get in the PNW it reaches triple digits and I am not a fan of temps over 100F when sitting on leather seats while stuck in traffic.
Whatever bracket I have to fabricate or modify to make it work...I will. I am going to do my best to retain the LR A/C system for now since I literally just spent a bunch of time and money rebuilding it to make it leak free and actually work properly.

The outstanding question in my mind is IF I CAN/HOW TO adapt the LR cruise control to work with the 6.2. I think it could work because the cruise control is vacuum operated and I "think" it measures overall speed. I don't think the engine rpm or transmission down shift are directly under the control of the CC. I am not totally sure if it will work yet because the thought just crossed my mind last night. I am going to have to do more research and investigation to see if I can make it work.
I know guys hook up aftermarket cruise control but I want to stay away from the aftermarket if possible for certain things. The more factory parts like LR, GM, Toyota, etc. that I can involve, the easier I will be able to source parts if something breaks when I am in the middle-of-no-where.


I think they painted the motors for "tidying them up" purposes, as well as maybe a little rust prevention since these motors would have to sit for awhile. With as many motors as have been pulled and stored...I am thinking they decided to adopt the "spray EVERYTHING in one go" technique. lol

As far as the kit....I am going to make the kit I will use in my truck, I have access to all of the machines I would need to fabricate an adapter kit. Financially, it only makes sense to me to make my own. Despite being called the "Evergreen State", money doesn't grow on trees up here. I am trying to keep the costs down as much as possible. I talked to Eric a little bit already about time of installation and overall install costs. I am not sure if he has any templates left to send out to people but I would really love to get one of his templates because it would save me a TON of time and trouble. Plus he has already swapped a 6.2 into a Classic, which means his template will make sure the adapter made from it, will work first time out with minimal/zero troubles.


Just out of curiosity...where did you get the pulleys you are running on your 6.2? It looks like you have a ton of room in front of your motor. I love how burly my pulleys look but they are thoroughly impractical for space conservation and I am definitely going to be looking into shortening them or swapping them out for others.

 

[LtFuzz]

Just out of curiosity...where did you get the pulleys you are running on your 6.2? It looks like you have a ton of room in front of your motor. I love how burly my pulleys look but they are thoroughly impractical for space conservation and I am definitely going to be looking into shortening them or swapping them out for others.

No idea, they were there when I got it. :\

I can't imagine it'd be hard to find pulleys, though -- lots of cross-listed parts on this motor.

 

[rrclassicbt550]

.....

...I'm still waiting to see if someone can pull off A/C. Lots of talk about how easy it is... but I've yet to see it. I know I don't have the bracket to spare without switching to a serpentine belt. Probably don't need it in the PNW, but it'd still be neat to see done.

I found something very interesting (while researching 6.2L conversion information), which I think you might be interested in. There is a fellow for South Africa who put a GMC 6.2L diesel in a Range Rover Classic AND he put in A/C AND their are a couple pictures to prove it along with many others of the conversion....as well as, write-up for the whole conversion!

Not sure if I am allowed to post someone-elses picture but I give him full credit and a huge amount of respect for doing this swap and for posting it on the internet to help the rest of us!

Here is the link:

http://www.landyonline.co.za/techtalk/gmc-diesel-v8-conversion.htm

AND here is one of his pictures to help coerce you into checking out his page

 

[rrclassicbt550]

Status Update 1/11/2013...

Hello everyone,

Its been awhile since I posted an update, I have been doing a fair bit of traveling in the past couple of months and haven't been able to do much work on the Rover. I am very glad to be able to get back into the garage and get greasy again.

Since finances are a bit tight at the moment and because I am still trying to source parts for the 6.2 swap, I decided to install some more of the parts that have been on my shelves awaiting installation.

On the agenda this time around was the rebuilding and swapping of the front axle, as well as putting in a lift (2" front & 3" rear). I managed to get many of the accessories and quite a few other good parts from that silver 1996 Discovery I got the sheet metal section out of. Some of those parts included the front axle housing, front and rear sway bars, and heavy duty lift springs and long travel shocks. The idea in the long term is was to put the 96 Disco axle housing under my 88 RRC so that I could install my the OEM sway bars later on. The side thought being, while I swapped the front axle out, I could put the lift kit in when I reassemble everything.

Here are the pictures I took along the way while rebuilding/swapping the front axle.

 

[rrclassicbt550]