What a Land Rover Series 2b Forward Control should look like.
What my 2b looked like when I first saw it.
It had been shortened by 20 inches and converted into a crop sprayer with silly wheels
On the trailer and ready to go to the barn
Safely in the barn and at least with some sensible wheels on it.
What passed for a rear body is now off and you can contemplate the enormity of the problem.
The cab and bulkhead is now off as is the upper chassis
Rust everywhere
Andy removing the front suspension bushes. The chassis was damaged around them
After the attentions of Andy at Meakes the chassis was taken to “Robbie-the-shot-blaster”
A few bits were found that needed Andy’s further attentions, but the chassis was basically sound.
Back in the barn, painted and with the overhauled axle now fitted.
Everything outboard of the “six bolt flanges” was replaced. The svivel housings are from Heystee and take Defender disc brakes. The springs are parabolics and the u bolts some of the last few left that fit a 2b.
The newly built upper chassis is fitted.
The upper chassis behind the cab was in very poor state and was scrapped. A new rear section was built and bolted to the salvaged forward part. The lower chassis takes all the main loads and the upper one is really a subframe to mount the cab and body on, so I was happy to give it a bolted joint.
Various mods to the chassis were needed to fit the 200 Tdi. The turbo exhausts to a point very close to the lower chassis which was overcome by tilting the engine a couple of degrees to starboard. It also fouled the upper chassis which could only be overcome by removing part of the steelwork and making a bridging piece to bolt on. It also needed a cut out to accommodate the alternator and another to clear the injector pump.
Radiator and expansion tank fitted.
It has to come out again while I work out how to fit the turbo intercooler in the space behind.
Damage to the steering box worm.
Replacement steering boxes have not been available for many years, so the answer was to rebuild by modifying a series 3 shaft (lengthen it by 50mm). It will result in a different ratio, but PAS is being fitted anyway.