Hello and welcome
This site is to here to share my interest (some would say obsession) with Land Rovers and will be a place to collate my various ramblings and photo diaries.
If this is your first visit here you may like to read the About page which gives a potted history of my life in relation to this hobby of mine and will give you an idea of the sort of person I am.
Please take a look in the various categories on the right hand side of this website which contain detailed photo diary posts of my various projects including the complete rebuild of my Series II, the refurbishment of my wifes Series III and the renovation of our house.
I hope you enjoy your visit and please feel free to comment. I will endeavour to answer any questions as quickly as possible.
Ian (aka MUD4FUN)
Hi, Had a pleasant afternoon’s read through your site. Lovely explanations and photos off all. No itching to get back to my Series 2 SWB refurb. (working on contract in Tanzania, will be home (Johannesburg) later this month. cheers Jan
Jan, many thanks for your kind comments. Best wishes for your Series 2 refurb. Ian
Hello Ian, what a great site iv just found. Its been a great read. Keep up the good work. Steven
Thank you Steven, very much appreciated.
Hiya Ian, the site is looking fantastic and the progress with Annie is excellent.
Great read as usual!
Neil
Thank you Neil. I hope you are making good progress with your station wagon. Do you have a name for her/him yet?
Hi Ian, you have have a nice website! I have several questions regarding on your modular wheels. Steering will not be too heavy in comparison to standard LWB rims because they continue to stand outside? And it is self centering well as a drive to turn out a straight piece? Do you still let loose a calculation on the bearings (railko bushes) of the steering bulbs eventually not too heavily loaded? Thank you for any response.
Greeting,
Maurice Wanink from Borne in the Netherlands.
Hi Maurice,
Thank you for the kind comment.
The steering on my wifes 109″ is a little heavier now than it was with the skinny standard LWB wheels however that is mainly due to the wide tyres rather than the negative offset of the modular wheels themselves. I have had modular or 8 spoke wheels on every Land Rover I have owned for 26 years and I have never felt that the steering was too heavy.
My wife manages to drive the vehicle without problem although she did struggle at first because she had been used to cars with power steering. At very low speeds/stationary the steering is very heavy so you do need to be rolling slightly before turning the wheel but I think that is true of any vehicle without power steering.
Self centering is no worse than with standard wheels and tyres. In fact the vehicle is much nicer to drive on the modern tyres and wider track given by the modular wheels. The 109″ handles really well and can be driven much quicker along winding country roads than when it was fitted with the skinny 7.5×16 tyres and standard wheels although it does have more understeer.
The bigger tyres also improve ride quality slightly compared to the stock tyres.
The turning circle is actually better than standard as the negative offset wheels sit much further out than standard and thus can be turned much further than standard (assuming the lock stop bolts have been adjusted)
The railko bush will wear out faster however I believe it will still last some 60K miles (from previous experience) and I am happy to accept that level of wear because I like the bigger tyres and the modular wheels.
The wheel bearings are also likely to wear out faster too however they are not that expensive or difficult to replace so again I am not worried about that.
The biggest problem is wear in the steering box and after 5K miles on the big tyres I have already noticed wear. Annies steering box was already worn when we bought her and had not been lubricated properly and the big tyres have increased the wear to the point that it is now unacceptable. I will be fitting a replacement steering box shortly that I believe will then last a long time if properly lubricated.
In summary, while the bigger tyres and wider modular wheels will increase the risk of wear in several components, the reality is that these items are so over engineered that they will last a very long time before the wear becomes too serious. The items are also quite cheap (other than the steering box) and easy enough to replace so for me the risk of wear does not put me off fitting the bigger tyres and wheels.
I hope that helps,
Ian
Hi Ian,
Thanks for your comment. I ride in a 109 truck cab. It is a militairy version with parabolic springs. I’m driving for a few years with wolf rims and 235/85 General Grabber TRs and that’s good if the tires are stif but very quiet and the handling is goog especially on snowy roads. The wheels have an ET value of -20.6 mm, wich is LWB rims is -33 mm. What I read on your site is offset from modulars is +2.5 mm, so modulars are approx 23 mm more outward than wolf rims? I think to myself in the future modulars to purchase. Especially if you put them in an original retro colour spray they get the car in a very modern way up. Thanks for any comments and a happy Chrismas.
Greetings,
Maurice Wanink from Borne in the Netherlands.
Hi Maurice,
Yes, the modulars sit approx 23mm further out than the wolf rims. However, that is with my modulars. I believe there are some different makes that have slightly differing offsets but generally speaking most modular wheels will sit further outboard than wolf rims.
Regards,
Ian
Ian, looking at your body section, why don’t you convert the series 3 bulkhead to series 2? If you have the original series 2 one it’s pretty easy, I did mine. In fact I could even do it for you if you want.
Hi Kevin, many thanks for the kind offer. I don’t have the original Series 2 bulkhead as Ciggy came with a previously bodged Series 3 one – common problem I guess as the Series 2 bulkheads rotted the Series 3 ones will have been cheaper and more widely available. To be honest I’m building my own dashboard anyway so it will not look remotely like an original Series 2 or like a Series 3 one either so I might as well leave the Series 3 screen hinges as they are. That part of the bulkhead is in excellent condition too (surprisingly). I do already have some proper Series 2 upper door hinges (brand new too) and they will be fitted along with some correct bottom hinges once I can find some. One of the bottom hinges is actually still manufactured I think as it is the same as some safari door hinges from memory but the other is NLA. I did originally intend to restore Ciggy back to as much Series 2 as possible but in reality I got Richards to fit Series 3 gearbox crossmember fillets so that I can fit a fully synchromesh gearbox. I am also fitting a 200TDi engine. I’ve also rebuilt her axles with later Series 3 parts so doesn’t seem much point in worrying too much about originality now
She is going to be my daily driver so I’m planning on making her usable, comfortable and reliable for daily work. I’ve come to the conclusion that having a vehicle that can be used daily even if it is a bit of a mongrel is better than having an original one that can only be used at weekends. 
Thanks again, Ian
I am in pretty much the same position, I use mine almost every day during the winter, it has modern seats, a home brewed heater system lpg, and 4 synchro box ( the chassis has also been changed at some time to the generic series type used in tge 70s / 80′s).
next up is removing the bulkhead behind the seats to let them go back further and allow rear access between the front seats. I try to use parts in keeping with it’s age and hide the modern parts but at the end of the day the priority is for it to be fun to use.
Keep up the work, I can’t wait to see it finished.
Thank you Kevin, I can’t wait to see it finished either! I only get 5 weeks of annual leave a year in which I can really do any work on the vehicles as weekends are spent with family and due to the job most evenings are out of the question. I had hoped to finish Ciggy last year but 4 weeks of my holidays were torrential rain
Fingers crossed for some hot weather in March/April when I’ve booked two weeks annual leave. If I get two good weeks I’ll have the bulkhead painted, all the brakes, pedal assemblies and steering back in her and hopefully the engine rebuilt too. That will just leave minor stuff to finish off on the next holiday in June and could see her MOT’d in August…..
I know what you mean about time, before we had the kids I could spend 2 or 3 evenings and at least 1 day at the weekend on cars, I stripped the tr7 to a shell replaced all the rotten metal, re painted it and had it on the road in 4 months, now I am lucky if I get a couple of hours per fortnight.
Yes, not just family though; I also have jobs to do on the house. That is the downside of living in an old house – it needs frequent attention. All the doors and windows need varnishing every few years, hedges to trim, lawns to mow, render to paint etc, etc. All take time away from the hobbies. Mind you, having said that, as long as we get good weather I can get alot done in a short time. If I had a big workshop with concrete floors, heating and insulated I would have been able to do far more. Currently I have to do most of the work out on the drive or in the back garden so I’m weather restricted. If I had some spare cash I think the 1st job would be do do a proper workshop.
Much the same here, 1930′s house, which 8 years ago I doubled in size almost single handed, now all the decorating apparantly needs re doing again inside and out plus the garden alotment and 3 classic cars, my wife has also just gone back to work full time so I have to do more of the houshold chores as well.
On the plus side I do have a garage all be it a freezing cold concrete one, one day I would like to line it out, might end up a retirement project at the rate I am going though!
LOL, it is amazing how fast the decor deteriates when you have young children running around. The white gloss on the skirting and door frames has been chipped off over the year where prams, toy cars etc have been crashed into them and we have marks down the walls where the kids come in with dirty hands and lean against the walls to take their shoes off.
All part of the fun of having children I guess?! 
We also joke that Ciggy will be my retirement project as it feels like we’ll never get her finished.
Hi, great pictures and explanations. I have a B2500 the same as Thomas. I was wondering, where did you get the wheel arch flares/eyebrows? I have been trying for ages to locate some. Did you get them from Mazda? If so do you have the part number and rough idea of price? I am trying to “dolly” mine up a little to make it a little easier on the eye! Like I say you have made yours with just a few simple modifications.
Thanks Doug
Hi Doug,
Many thanks for the kind comments. We bought the wheel arch eyebrows from Nunns of Grimsby Mazda (genuine parts). It was some 8 years ago so can’t remember the exact price but my wife and I think it was approx £200 for all four eyebrows. I had to buy them to cover the tyres I bought as the aftermarket wheels had a greater offset than stock. Since then we’ve fitted those big Mitsubishi alloys and 265/70R16 tyres so the eyebrows work well with those too. Fitting was really easy (when the vehicle was new) and took about 30 minutes for all four. The drivers side rear arch is shaped perfectly to clear the fuel filler cap, I’m not sure an aftermarket ‘generic’ arch would work as well. To me the price was worth every penny because they make such a huge difference to the looks, especially when fitted with the bigger tyres. In my opinion Thomas looks better than the top of the range Barracuda models despite Thomas being the cheapest spec. We got a fantastic deal on the Mitsubishi tyres and wheels, paid just £200 for a set of five off ebay and the tyres lasted a further 60K miles!!! Bargain
(The guy that sold them to us had removed them from his L200 to fit those super low profile tyres on stupidly large diameter alloys – I think the stock alloys that he sold us looked better on the L200 but his loss our gain
)
Regards,
Ian
BTW Doug, my wife thinks we may have the original invoice for the eyebrows in a box upstairs somewhere. We’ll have a look over the weekend and if we find it I’ll post the part numbers here.
That’s great thanks very much for that. I have just fitted 235 70 16 BF Goodrich mud terrains with black Modular wheels. My B2500 is white so they look great together. So I have the problem that my tyres extend past the current wheel arch. I could just drive around like it, but I would much rather stay legal. I didn’t realise that the offset was so different. I plan to call in at my local Mazda dealer tomorrow to see if they can help me out.
If you do find the reference then that would be great.
Thanks again
Doug
I wanted a white one myself but my wife preferred the blue. Black wheels on a white truck is a nice combination
Thanks
Unfortunately the wheel arch flares are no longer available. Oh we’ll I guess I will have to keep an eye on eBay, although I’m not sure i will have much luck. Just thought I would let you know so you don’t go to the bother of looking for the paperwork. Thanks again Doug
Doug,
It may be worth contacting some breakers as flares were fitted to the top of the range trucks and you might find some being broken up now and they’d be quite cheap?
Ian
Thanks,
I’ve already tried…….just got to keep looking now
Ian – Have enjoyed reading your pieces especially as they contain clear photographs, which are a great help. Quick question for you regarding your engine bay – I like the use of colours; what made you choose the various colours? And as time has passed, would you use the same paint again? Thanks & regards, Chris
Hi Chris,
Thank you for the kind comments, very much appreciated.
I’m assuming you are talking about Annies engine bay? (The blue 109″) If so then the engine colour of red was chosen because I like that colour on an engine and I’d previously painted my 200Tdi engine block in the same colour (and same paint) so I knew how it would look and I already had some spare paint.
I used Halfords very high temperature engine paint for the engines, it comes in a little pot to brush on, not a spray can. It is a bright cheery colour and stands out in the engine bay. Do bare in mind though that it needs a good couple of coats to build up to a deep colour when painted over freshly cleaned and bare casting. It is also much easier to see any oil leaks against a bright red block rather than a dark colour. I’m not keen on the original 2.25d colours that you see such as black or eggshell blue.
Annies engine has done approx 3K miles since I painted it last summer and the paint is still looking vibrant and clean despite some awful oil leaks from faulty rocker cover gaskets etc. It washes clean quite easily with a bucket of hot soapy water (I use fairy liquid) so I would definately use it again on any future engine work.
I’ve had to give the engine bay a good wash down twice in that 3K miles to remove oil from leaks and to remove road grime that built up. I use a sponge soaked in the hot soapy water to quickly wipe the larger areas then throw the buckets over the rest. Each wash has taken no more than 10 minutes and the engine bay is as clean today as it was when it was all refurbished. The polished alloy parts are still quite shiny, after each wash and once dry I give them a quick polish with a duster and some brasso. The brasso seems to leave a protective coating on the mirror polished surface as I haven’t suffered any significant dulling of the surfaces. Obviously some people may question my sanity in wanting to keep an engine bay looking shiny and clean but for me, for the little effort it entails, it is worth it. It makes working on her so much more pleasurable especially as with a Series Land Rover you end up lifting the bonnet a lot more than you do with a modern car!
The silver paint on the bonnet underside and air filter were to get light into the engine bay which works well. I also think the bright silver looks lovely in combination with the marine blue panels and red engine. The extra reflected light also shows off the polished alloy rocker and manifold too
The copper hammerite on the heater matrix, vacuum tank and brake servo was, to be honest, simply because I had a pot of that paint on the shelf in the workshop and made the mistake of showing it to my wife who loved the colour. I was thinking of using black on these items. As it was her truck I couldn’t really refuse even though at first I wasn’t that keen. However once I’d fitted those painted parts back into the engine bay I realised the copper colour actually works well against the blue panels and I would probably paint future engine bays in the same colours.
Thanks again,
Ian
Hi, I just read what you posted about your changing the 109 from a truck cab to a van body. I’m currently looking to do the opposite, would you be interested in selling the truck cab assembly?
Hi, we are going to keep the truck cab so that we have both roof options. In fact the truck cab is back on the 109″ at the moment until we can afford to get all the seats for the back. I prefer the truck cab myself and it is a lot warmer in winter.
However I have another truck cab in the garden that is in a very poor state with badly dented roof etc. I was going to strip it back to bare metal and re-spray it in limestone and fit new seals and then sell it. Not sure it would be suitable for anybody in its current state! Where in the country are you?
Ian
I’d not have a problem with taking on one that needs the work, the rest of the truck needs dent-fixing and paint anyway – I could use the practice. I’m in Leicester, near the M1/M69 junction.
You can email me at this name @ gmail dot com if you’d like to discuss it.
To be honest it is pretty rough so may not be worth coming all this way as there may be better nearer to you. The thing is the alloy roof is difficult to de-dent as alloy stretches when dented so won’t return to its original shape. Mind you, with my 88″ I fitted a truck cab roof that was also pretty dented but when stripped to bare metal and re-sprayed it looks OK. You can see the process in these posts here:
http://mud4fun.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/truck-cab-strip-and-prime/
and
http://mud4fun.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/finished-painting-the-truck-cab-roof-and-back/
I will take some pictures of the spare truck cab this afternoon and email you tonight
Ian