05 HH 47

[jsbenson67]

Right, where do i start.
I was on here a few years ago when i first got my lightweight. It was originally an FFR 24 volt. But, at some point in the past this it was changed to a 2.25 Diesel and 12 volts. The electrics were shocking, with earths being attached to plastic etc. Well, i used it for a couple of years and then the engine finally gave up the ghost and it has been sat unused on the drive for the last 2 years.
So, i now have a dilemma, what do i do with her?
I have just sold one of my motorbikes and managed to get about £2000 to spend. I have a good 300 tdi disco engine sat waiting to go. But i'm torn!! What do i do. 300 tdi or back to 2.25 petrol but keeping the 12 volts.
What would you do?
What improvements would you do, i'm thinking, fit the 300 tdi, new suspension and brakes and sort the electrics and see how much if anything is left. But at least i will have a good useable vehicle, albeit not original.

[88lr]

2.25 petrol but keeping the 12 volts.

Yes do that!

[StuWright]

Well I think it all depends what you intend to do with it and how long you intend to keep it.

I love the original vehicles and would have liked to have seen it as the correct 24v FFR spec. That would be great if using as a perfect show vehicle and not many 24v examples around anymore.

If going for a regular drive and you are not fussed about rivets I would go for the Tdi with updated suspension and brakes. Mind you I would say that because I like the old look with more modern drive/economy. It's all in the eye of the beholder and all good if another Lwt is back on the road.

[jsbenson67]

Cheers guys,
The 2.25 petrol route has the potential to eat most of the £2000 especially if trying to put back to 24volts as stuff like alternators, starter motors etc all tend to be horrifically expensive. I would also imagine that most if not all 2.25 engines will need a good deal of cash throwing at them to get them any where near what they were when new. Most of the ones that i have seen on eBay are only fit to be used as boat anchors, and themselves are starting to ask stupid money.
I do still have my 110 TDCI station wagon as my daily driver. So the lightweight would be for weekends and fun. I'm not really a rivet counter so i'm not that bothered about it being as it left the army, not under the bonnet anyway. But externally and at first glance, internally i would like it to look as it would have. Steve Parkers have started marketing a conversion kit to fit 300TDIs into series Land Rovers. So maybe i could go along the path of how it would have evolved if they kept producing it. 300TDI, front disk brakes, wolf wheels, better suspension?

[andrewjsimpson1977]

For me, I would go 2.25 petrol and spend any leftover getting it back to 24v FFR spec. I would then start tracking down a URS table and frame and all the radio kit.

But that's just my preference, and what I'd like to do next once I finish my GS.

The good thing about going down the 24v route is you can do it in stages. You could start with getting enough bits to have a running vehicle, then a few months later when you have had chance to generate some more funds, look at the various generators, ammeters, shunt boxes etc, then finally the radio kit. You don't have to do it all at once.

Just my opinion but there are too few FFRs preserved out there.

All the best with whatever you choose to do,

And

[landymad]

Well i have a 200tdi in my old girl and have to say ive never looked back. I would love a fully original Lwt and if i ever got another id keep it petrol. However.....

I'd vote TDI, your money is better spent improving rather than trying to resort it back to original. Unless you have a bigger pot of money that is and twice as long....

[jsbenson67]

Cheers,
Did you do the 200TDI conversion yourself? What was involved? How does it compare to how it was before?
Sorry if i have loads of questions, but i do!!
I too would love and so can be returned to what it originally was, if and when you want too. It is bolt on, so can even be applied to a galvanised chassis. So i could do it, and then get a cheap/shonky 2.25 petrol and overhaul it at my leisure, whilst still enjoying the lightweight.
Sounds like a plan!!
Unless someone has and unbelievably cheap 24 Volt 2.25 petrol kicking around that they don't want (Hens teeth, rocking horse poop!!!)

[landymad]

I've converted three to 200tdi now and have got it down to what I think is a factory looking job. As for performance it's worlds apart! It also means I can travel to shows down south without taking out another mortgage to pay for the fuel!

[aerialphil]

Very tempting to fit tdi engine. However You probably bought the lightweight for it's classic good looks and the mechanics of
a bygone era. Now you own it You are considering throwing out a big lump of it and replacing with something more modern more common and I would suggest of less interest to someone admiring your rebuild and keen to see what it looks like under the bonnet. Only to be disappointed that it has a modern engine and no battery shelf or battery under there. My local pub built 1652 looks fantastic outside. timber wattle and daub. Inside it's high tec bar swivel stools brilliant white everywhere. The youngsters love it the majority think they have trashed it. When you buy a 40 year old vehicle you are buying history a record of the past.As it used to be in the 60's 70's etc In years to come future owners will look at what was done to these vehicles and wish we had left them original. As i am wishing looking at the 80 inch series 1 in my garage with a 2 1/4 diesel in it where a quiet 1600 petrol once lived. These were swapped over for more powerful 2l versions and the 1600's mostly scrapped without any thought.Try finding a good 1600 engine now under £3000 Not many would modify a series 1 80 inch today . The need for originality is well recognized as it is starting to be with lightweights. Imagine a grandfather clock with an original mechanism from the front fantastic open it up and there's an AA battery and a chinese mechanism in there. If I fitted a tdi I know it would be much more noisy. Especially the 200tdi and the vibration on tick over is most noticeable. If you want power buy a 90 with a tdi Just my opinion others will differ from this I know. But finding all those original bits is going to be hard and expensive in the future Phil

[jsbenson67]

Hello again!!
I've been away from the forum for a while, family stuff constantly seems to be taking up most of my spare time. But, i have now made the decision to go down the standard 2.25 petrol route.
Having bought the 300tdi and all the gubbins needed to fit it i had a crisis of conscience and have now sourced a standard engine. I don't know much about it, has been stored for years, turns freely by hand and looks in pretty good nick. Before i fit it i'm going to have a look at the bottom end and see what state the big end bearings are in, plus a top end strip down and refurb. Is there anything in particular that i should be looking for, or change whilst the engine is out on a stand? Being as i'm now reverting back to petrol from diesel i will give the fuel system a good clean and rinse through but along the way it now has has no oil cooler connections. It has the original oil cooler still fitted to the vehicle and the "new engine" has a couple of pipes still attached, but there are parts missing. I can find an exploded diagram of the oil cooler and parts but no part numbers, its not in the parts book. does anyone have them?
Cheers
Steve