Restoration

Here is what the truck looked like when I bought it. It had been sitting in a garage for about 10 years. It had a fancy sound system and expensive sound proofing. Sadly, a lot of the mechanical had been neglected. I opted for this one because there is a shortage of left-hand drive Defenders around here.

The rolling chassis of the 110 after the body had been lifted off it. That alone was a few weeks worth of work. Those bolts had 30 years of rust on them. There were some days where I would only be able to get 4 bolts off. A lot were quite difficult to access, all were seized.

Take a look at the old frame just after the rear half had been cut off. I was able to purchase a new rear half chassis from the U.K. Then had to patiently wait for it to be welded onto the old frame.

This is the front axle, painted & ready to go. A new pinion seal has already been fitted. The wheel hubs are almost ready for install.

Here are some suspension parts. They are all sandblasted and painted.

Restoration Project Update:

After many ridiculous delays, the welding on the chassis was completed. The frame was then sent to Techno-Strip in Brampton. Sanjay and his crew provided excellent service with a quick turn-around. The chassis was then delivered to a galvanizing plant in Brantford where it will be hot-dipped.


I have several body pieces that are being repaired and will be going for paint very shortly.


Exciting times as the build should start to take shape soon. Stay tuned!

Restoration Update for April:

I had a very productive week as assembly has started. The rear and front axles were installed, along with most of the suspension. Lots of heavy work there, as most of the fixtures had some impressively high torque settings.


I’m still waiting for a couple of brackets for the rear shocks. And one of the front swivel housings is enroute from the U.K.  The next couple of days should see the engine and transmission joining up then installed on the chassis.  Lots of fun and action going on in the barn these days. More updates to come.

Restoration Update for August

The rebuild is plodding along. Nigel is still waiting for that painted bulkhead and box. 


Apparently, deadlines only exist in my mind. The planning and preparation for the wiring is in progress. That part should take shape shortly after the bulkhead shows up.

The Restoration Project is Moving Along Again

The bulkhead issues have been resolved and it is now painted and installed. The support brackets and steering column will go on shortly. The new silicone hoses have  arrived. It’s nice to know that all the old hoses have now been replaced. That should eliminate some future roadside problems. Last week I installed a new floor in the box. Just a couple of patches to go in and it should be ready for paint next week.


Once the box is on, I can start on the wiring. There are lots of upgrades there. It will be exciting to finally install all these new parts I’ve been collecting. Stay tuned!