Corvette powered Defender
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davew
- Chairman
- Posts: 2242
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:54 pm
- Location: Knaresborough
- Full Name: Dave White
Well, it's finally over.
The last day or so has been a battle against time as the list of jobs that needed doing exceeded the time available.
On Monday morning I knew we were in trouble with so many of the jobs on the "crucial" list still not done and only 24 hours left I wasn't going to get the job done on my own. I called Patrick to see if he had space available for me to work on my motor there so that, at the very least, I could keep working until whatever time without upsetting the neighbours. Fortunately he did have a ramp spare so a quick call to Alec (didn't really want to drive it there after all the time spent cleaning the underside) transport was arranged.
By mid-afternoon the motor was on the ramp and all available bodies descended on it to tackle the list. Patrick and Pete changed/fitted all the shock absorbers, changed the front wheel hub oil seals and changed all the brake pads. Pro-Comp let me down with the new front shock absorbers (they finally phoned me in the morning to let me know they wouldn't have any for 3 weeks...) so we fitted Lovell's shocks to the front as well as the rear, handy doing that kind of work at the UK distributors where you can simply pull 4 front +2inch shocks off the shelf
I set about bolting down the metalwork inside the cab and adapting the rear winch cover to fit over the cables. Pam mixed up a small amount of 2 pack red and touched up some of the paintwork and painted the recovery points.
Roger came over and we had a look at the possibility of fitting the spot light bar. I knew roughly how I could modify the old one to fit and soon Roger was cutting and welding the old bar to make it fit.
As time went on those of us with more sense than others went home until it was just myself and Pam left. We continued working through until 7am on Tuesday morning by which time the motor, while not finished, was as ready as it was going to be. We went home, picked up a few odds and ends, printed out some paperwork to go in the container, had a hot shower and headed back with an hour or so to do a couple more jobs on the motor before loading.
The jobs that were completed included, in no particular order, front and rear shocks fitted, brake pads fitted, hub oil seals fitted, new coolant hoses made up and fitted, heater control cables fitted, spot light bar fitted, gps aerial fitted, rear winch cover fitted, load area work light fitted, reversing light fitted, fog light fitted, reflectors fitted, number plates fitted, recovery points painted red, cab headlining fitted, sun visors fitted, VHF radio fitted, computer fitted, seats fitted, rear harness mounting bars fitted, harnesses fitted, fuel pump inspection cover made and fitted, fitted uprated engine mounts. A complete inventory/manifest for the vehicle was created and the vehicle loaded and packed with all the equipment and spares.
The jobs that never got done... fitting speakers and aerial for the radio, fitting new rear radius arm bushes, fixing down the centre cubby box, fixing down the fire extinguishers, wiring/fitting the spotlight control switches, wiring the engine stop circuit on the master kill switch, fixing the reversing light circuit, bracing the power steering pipes, supplying power to the GPS and map light, mounting the hi-lift jack on the back.
I can't thank enough the members of the club and friends that have put time and effort into helping with this preparation. Some things I simply couldn't have managed on my own and all the time that has been put in, all the jobs done, that simply wouldn't have been done within the timescale. Again, in no particular order: Andy, Wayne, Alec, Roger "two sheds", Jim, Dave B, Adam, Patrick and Pete.
We knew that loading the three vehicles into a 40 foot container would be a tight squeeze but on our second attempt, having removed a ground anchor mount from the bumper of the Rangie and with the vehicles closer together, they just fitted in.... final pics in the next post.
The last day or so has been a battle against time as the list of jobs that needed doing exceeded the time available.
On Monday morning I knew we were in trouble with so many of the jobs on the "crucial" list still not done and only 24 hours left I wasn't going to get the job done on my own. I called Patrick to see if he had space available for me to work on my motor there so that, at the very least, I could keep working until whatever time without upsetting the neighbours. Fortunately he did have a ramp spare so a quick call to Alec (didn't really want to drive it there after all the time spent cleaning the underside) transport was arranged.
By mid-afternoon the motor was on the ramp and all available bodies descended on it to tackle the list. Patrick and Pete changed/fitted all the shock absorbers, changed the front wheel hub oil seals and changed all the brake pads. Pro-Comp let me down with the new front shock absorbers (they finally phoned me in the morning to let me know they wouldn't have any for 3 weeks...) so we fitted Lovell's shocks to the front as well as the rear, handy doing that kind of work at the UK distributors where you can simply pull 4 front +2inch shocks off the shelf
I set about bolting down the metalwork inside the cab and adapting the rear winch cover to fit over the cables. Pam mixed up a small amount of 2 pack red and touched up some of the paintwork and painted the recovery points.
Roger came over and we had a look at the possibility of fitting the spot light bar. I knew roughly how I could modify the old one to fit and soon Roger was cutting and welding the old bar to make it fit.
As time went on those of us with more sense than others went home until it was just myself and Pam left. We continued working through until 7am on Tuesday morning by which time the motor, while not finished, was as ready as it was going to be. We went home, picked up a few odds and ends, printed out some paperwork to go in the container, had a hot shower and headed back with an hour or so to do a couple more jobs on the motor before loading.
The jobs that were completed included, in no particular order, front and rear shocks fitted, brake pads fitted, hub oil seals fitted, new coolant hoses made up and fitted, heater control cables fitted, spot light bar fitted, gps aerial fitted, rear winch cover fitted, load area work light fitted, reversing light fitted, fog light fitted, reflectors fitted, number plates fitted, recovery points painted red, cab headlining fitted, sun visors fitted, VHF radio fitted, computer fitted, seats fitted, rear harness mounting bars fitted, harnesses fitted, fuel pump inspection cover made and fitted, fitted uprated engine mounts. A complete inventory/manifest for the vehicle was created and the vehicle loaded and packed with all the equipment and spares.
The jobs that never got done... fitting speakers and aerial for the radio, fitting new rear radius arm bushes, fixing down the centre cubby box, fixing down the fire extinguishers, wiring/fitting the spotlight control switches, wiring the engine stop circuit on the master kill switch, fixing the reversing light circuit, bracing the power steering pipes, supplying power to the GPS and map light, mounting the hi-lift jack on the back.
I can't thank enough the members of the club and friends that have put time and effort into helping with this preparation. Some things I simply couldn't have managed on my own and all the time that has been put in, all the jobs done, that simply wouldn't have been done within the timescale. Again, in no particular order: Andy, Wayne, Alec, Roger "two sheds", Jim, Dave B, Adam, Patrick and Pete.
We knew that loading the three vehicles into a 40 foot container would be a tight squeeze but on our second attempt, having removed a ground anchor mount from the bumper of the Rangie and with the vehicles closer together, they just fitted in.... final pics in the next post.
Last edited by davew on Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
davew
- Chairman
- Posts: 2242
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:54 pm
- Location: Knaresborough
- Full Name: Dave White
Roger modifying the light bar
Patrick and Pete making the new coolant pipes
James' full length Rangie first in - we wanted him to go in last as the longer vehicle he could then drive into a wall if there wasn't room, so he drove in before we got the camera out
Neil's Ibex on it's way up the ramp
Finally, reversing my motor up the ramp
A slight problem....
Back out again so the other two motors can be moved about
Time to try again... it fits !
Team photo... 30 hours without sleep !
Next stop Sydney... hopefully !
Patrick and Pete making the new coolant pipes
James' full length Rangie first in - we wanted him to go in last as the longer vehicle he could then drive into a wall if there wasn't room, so he drove in before we got the camera out
Neil's Ibex on it's way up the ramp
Finally, reversing my motor up the ramp
A slight problem....
Back out again so the other two motors can be moved about
Time to try again... it fits !
Team photo... 30 hours without sleep !
Next stop Sydney... hopefully !
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