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Ratty43



Member Since: 01 Sep 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 87

United Kingdom 
Cheers, really pleased with it. Canvas for the pop top was delivered today so need to get started on the frame for it.
Post #930041 16th Nov 2021 9:55pm
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Christian1402



Member Since: 17 Feb 2016
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 214

United Kingdom 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Indus Silver
Ratty43 wrote:
Another busy weekend ahead of our first trial outing next weekend. Both front hubs have new wheel bearings and vented discs with new calipers. I had an hour spare so also got close to finishing changing the glass fuse blocks over to blades. When my now wife and I started dating I suggested a classic mini which she adored but it came with glass fuses that caused no end of problems so I've sworn off them! All the wires are fitted with crimp spades using a kit from Amazon. I was going to spend more on a crimper but saw this one for £20 with 150 connectors and thought it was worth a gamble, which it was, great bit of kit!

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Hi mate,

I don't suppose you have a link to the crimp tool do you? I'm currently building a 4x4 sprinter out myself and have been disappointed so far with my choice of crimp tools!
Post #930995 24th Nov 2021 3:44pm
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Ratty43



Member Since: 01 Sep 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 87

United Kingdom 
They are the the Preciva ones, I can't find a way to send a link thanks to it always opening in the app. They are not perfect thanks to being quite restrictive in cable size so I've been considering buying the ones with interchangeable dies from 12v planet.
Post #931037 24th Nov 2021 7:45pm
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Christian1402



Member Since: 17 Feb 2016
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 214

United Kingdom 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Indus Silver
Thanks, I'll take a look!
Post #931072 25th Nov 2021 7:54am
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Ratty43



Member Since: 01 Sep 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 87

United Kingdom 
Bit more progress over the last couple of weekends. Randy came with a Terrafirma foam cone air filter stuffed on the end of the air intake pipe. I don't believe this is good enough filtration and also felt that breathing hot air from next to the exhaust manifold was less than perfect.


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Looking on line the cost of the proper defender 300tdi filter box and mounts together with the pipework was a bit of a shock but plenty of people had used a Disco airbox mounted next to the heater. So off I went and ordered one off eBay. To discover that there was absolutely no way to get it to fit. Turns out they work as long as the engine has been installed on the original mounts. The person who converted mine put in an R380 and correct engine mounts so it sits further forward in the correct 300tdi position. Possibly, with convoluted ducting I could have made something work but I really don't like bodges. So back to eBay and found the mounts for sale second hand, those, the hose from the airbox to the turbo plus a new airbox was the best part of £200 which seems absurd for a few bits of bent metal but supply and demand has its effect.

Once they arrived it was full steam ahead and got the bracket mounted under the cylinder head bolts


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From that point I assumed it would be plain sailing, stuck the duct on the turbo and around the back of the block and hit the next snag. The original position for the fuel filter on the 2.5TD was on the bulkhead, exactly where the air duct passes around to the airbox on a 300tdi. So off came the fuel filter and in went the airbox and duct.

That then left the fuel filter needing a new home but to put it in the right place for a 300tdi needed new fuel lines, so back to raid the piggy bank and I now have a set of them ready to fit.

The 130 had a grill on the driver's wing so I assumed it was a later wing and I just needed a bit of hose to go to the air filter. Nope, the grill was a dummy planted on with silicone. Pop onto eBay and even second hand the ducting from the wing to the airbox is over £150. For that money I decided I might as well get a snorkel, the Safari one for a V8 comes with a 1.5m hose so connects straight to the airbox.



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And there it is, very expensive process just to get rid of an air filter! Just have to fit the new fuel lines now and it's good to go but there's a biting wind down here so I'd had enough.
Post #932433 4th Dec 2021 5:17pm
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L110CDL



Member Since: 31 Oct 2015
Location: Devon
Posts: 10420

England 
Nice work done there and it will be worth it in the end when you have the fuel lines done, will look proper Thumbs Up 1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up. Keeper.


Clayton.
Post #932901 8th Dec 2021 9:18pm
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Ratty43



Member Since: 01 Sep 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 87

United Kingdom 
Cheers. Always the problem with conversions, although my previous 90 was converted by a chap that worked at a main dealers so everything was perfect and all genuine parts so I was spoiled. It's surprising how quick things add up, buying a bonnet prop wasn't a particularly cheap outing, have to keep reminding myself that the chassis is immaculate!
Post #932904 8th Dec 2021 9:27pm
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L110CDL



Member Since: 31 Oct 2015
Location: Devon
Posts: 10420

England 
I use to do that with the chassis thinking Laughing

It's never one item to replace, it ends up as how long a piece of string is Rolling Eyes 1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up. Keeper.


Clayton.
Post #932909 8th Dec 2021 9:43pm
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Ratty43



Member Since: 01 Sep 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 87

United Kingdom 
It's the little bits that add up, started off with a £20 bonnet prop then ended up buying all the bits that go with it plus replacement cable and latch and doubled the cost. At least once it's done it's done!
Post #932952 9th Dec 2021 10:37am
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L110CDL



Member Since: 31 Oct 2015
Location: Devon
Posts: 10420

England 
Thumbs Up 1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up. Keeper.


Clayton.
Post #933135 10th Dec 2021 8:54pm
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Ratty43



Member Since: 01 Sep 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 87

United Kingdom 
There hasn't been much progress with Christmas getting in the way but this weekend we made a start on the pop top roof. The frame is made from 38mm square pine and will make a void in the roof of 150mm which will allow the bedding to stay in place when the roof is closed. Interns of height it'll give a floor to ceiling height of 7' 1" at the highest and 5' 2" at the lowest (where we intend to have built in storage, including the eater tank and batteries). At 6' 2" I'll be able to stand for about half the length which, given we intend to be outside wherever possible, seems alright. The framing of the body is 28mm so I'm going to insulate with 30mm XPS insulation on both the roof and body. The roof will then be sheathed on both sides with 3.6mm ply and fibreglass which should (hopefully) make for a reasonably strong structure.



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Post #938050 17th Jan 2022 12:41pm
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Ratty43



Member Since: 01 Sep 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 87

United Kingdom 
Managed to get a bit further along in the last couple of weeks, started out by glueing the top skin of 3.6mm ply to the roof, onto this is bonded 30mm XPS insulation then the lower skin of ply.


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The result is fairly rigid deck which is still light enough for two people to lift onto the roof, which is what we did next so that the sides could be fitted.



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These were tacked in place with mitre bond and then fixed with a run of fibreglass tape epoxy before it was lifted down and into the garage for glassing. With the front and back panels on the joints were filleted with an epoxy/fibre mix to form a stronger joint. Next weekend the first job is to glue in additional side pieces to so that the long edges form a triangular box section that will hopefully reduce the flex. After that we'll wrap the whole thing in fibreglass twill cloth and epoxy.



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Another couple of weekends and we should be ready for cutting the hole in the roof, exciting and nerve-wracking!
Post #940473 1st Feb 2022 8:41am
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L110CDL



Member Since: 31 Oct 2015
Location: Devon
Posts: 10420

England 
It's taking shape very nicely and you cant beat a in house workshop Very Happy 1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up. Keeper.


Clayton.
Post #941035 4th Feb 2022 8:37pm
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Ratty43



Member Since: 01 Sep 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 87

United Kingdom 
Thanks. Yes, nice to work inside in the warm, we needed a flat surface for building the frame so had a good excuse.

Bit more progress today, made up the additional side pieces which once tacked in place made the sides much more rigid.


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After that it was onto fibreglassing, the twill cloth was pretty difficult to work with but we now have the entire underside wrapped in it. I'm hoping that we have enough epoxy resin left to do the top tomorrow, in theory I had plenty of it but suspect I've used far more than needed.


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Post #941152 5th Feb 2022 6:12pm
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Ratty43



Member Since: 01 Sep 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 87

United Kingdom 
Managed to get the top all done, we ended up with a better technique which used less resin and ended up with a decent finish, since it's the side that will be seen handy to have managed an alright job. We've got 5kg of gelcoat arriving this week and all being well should be installing it next weekend assuming the weather is alright.



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Post #941276 6th Feb 2022 5:14pm
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