BIRTH OF A NEW TOY 'A RANGE ROVER 3.5EFI'

By Barry Baker

I BOUGHT A RANGE ROVER 3.5EFI IN THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER 2005. IT CAME TO ME AT £600 WITH A FULL M.O.T.

THE FIRST THING I DONE TO IT WAS TO LOOSE ALL FOUR VOUGE WHEELS AND TYRES FOLLOWED BY ROOF LINING/REAR SEATS /CARPETS/FRONT BUMPER AND FRONT SKIRT.

A QUICK PHONE CALL TO MM4X4 IN WORCESTER FOR POLY BUSH SET/FRONT STEERING GUARD AND A 2"LIFT KIT. THEN PHONE SCORPION RACING FOR A PAIR OF FRONT CASTER HOCKEY STICKS AND A REAR SET OF CASTER TRAILING ARMS.

WHILE WAITING FOR ALL THESE PARTS TO BE DELIVERED I STARTED TO DO A 2" BODY LIFT. NOW THIS WAS FUN.

MAKE UP 10 BODY LIFT BLOCKS FOR STARTERS. NEXT UNDO BODY FROM CHASSIS (WORSE JOB OF ALL). NEXT WAS TO JACK BODY UP ONE SIDE AT A TIME AND INSERT FIVE BLOCKS AND REBOLT. THIS WAS DONE WITH THREADED BAR AND NYLOCKS, ONCE BOTH SIDE WAS DONE NEXT WAS DROP ALL BRAKE PIPES AND RE-WELD WITH DROP PLATES. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY SORTING OUT STEERING LINKAGE. THIS HADE TO BE LENGTHENING BY APPROX 1"AS BODY WAS LIFTED. NEXT MAJOR JOB WAS LENGTHENING  THE HI/LOW LEVEL AS THIS HAS GONE DOWN THROW FLOOR NOW

NEXT WAS LOWER AIR FLOW METER BY 2" AS THE MAIN PIPE WAS AT WRONG ANGLE, RAD WAS NEXT. THIS HAD TO BE TO BE DONE AS MOUNTING BRACKETS WERE TO HIGH..

NEW BITS ARRIVED SO FITTING OF NEW SPRINGS AND SHOCKS WAS NEXT ON AGENDA.

A NEW FRONT BUMPER WAS MADE FROM 75X3MM TUBE. BUMPER ALSO HAD TO BE MADE FOR THE 2"BODY LIFT. I'VE NOT COMPLETED IT YET TO TAKE A WINCH

ONE OF THE NEXT JOBS WERE TO RE-ANGLE THE REAR EXHAUST TO COME OUT OF THE REAR PANEL. THIS WAS DONE BY CUTTING OFF REAR BOX AND USING A LANDROVER 300TDI FRONT PIPE WHICH WAS THE RIGHT ANGLE FOR COMING OUT THE WING. THIS WAS WELDED AND TRIMMED

OTHER BITS DONE WERE. GPS, TERRA-TRIP, FULL HARNESSES, WAFFLE BOARDS MOUNTED IN REAR, SHOVEL, ETC. MY NEW TOY WILL BE ON THE ROAD AS FROM 1^ST FEB 2006

THERE IS STILL A FEW JOBS THAT NEED TO BE FINISHED BUT IT WILL BE READY FOR ITS FIRST BIT OF OFF ROADING IN MINSTEAD ON THE 19^TH OF FEB. I WILL UPDATE WITH OTHER MODS DONE AS AND WHEN DONE.

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