I whole post about the 1971 RR ex-bobtailed jobby now
No more banana shape, that's good news eh
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The inner wing is too low at the back, compared to the outerwing which fits the B post and the d post. Just need to split a weld and it will soon line up.
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At least stuff is sort of lining up now. Something I can work with.
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This is a 1990 LT77 5 speed box and Borg Warner transfer box with automatic viscous centre diff lock. Nice box, very clean on the inside. Need to get a V8 bellhousing and sort out the chassis mounts which were a ballsacre I had yet to find out about.
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Next up, engines or boat anchors. A chap contacted me via youtube, he had 4 RV8s, two in bits and 2 runners with carbs and loads of stuff at an attractive price. Very long story cut shorter, I went to a load of effort to borrow a mates L200, get it insured and drive it 200mile round trip to see a huge pile of scrap and used engine parts. blocks with pistons seized into bores, blocks with no bearing caps, loads of alloy carbs and inlet manifolds all stored out in the open sea air. All corroded to fuck.
Massively unimpressed but what can you do. Anyway two complete engines, one seized but the other turns. Great big long diatribe, mostly bollocks about EFI cams and duplex chains, but assured that it was a runner and recently rebuilt. FFS and to try save a day I said I would go for it. Lifted it into the back of the L200 and tipped it onto the side and 5 litres of water poured out of it! I should have tied it to his house and driven the truck away. That it turned gave me some hope. Got it back to my workshop and got another 5 litres of water out of the sump followed by 4 litres of cappuccino.
Because the engine had been on it's side and I believed the shite about rebuild I opted to haul the heads off and ensure that the bores were clean and dry.
This is one side, yeah, that is sand!
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Standard 3.5" bores and OE standard 10.5:1 pistons, no sign of a rebuild. lots of heavy duty wear though
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quite a few heavy scores like these. ffs the camshaft looks fucked too.
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Flipped it over and pulled the sump off, standard crank, unmachined but with new cheapo bearings installed.
It will rebuild but not anytime soon. The heads are in good shape but pre 76, so less useful. Waterpump, front cover, block and crank are all serviceable, the rockers shafts are well worn but have some life left in them. I reckon the rest is scrap. The cam is as worn as I have ever seen, half of the hydraulic tappets have collapsed and I cannot understand how this thing every fucking ran. yet he installed a duplex chain kit for some fucking reason that I cannot fathom.
Experience is a marvellous thing. Luckily I didn't pay that much for it. Plus en route to this debacle I visited another yootoob follower who donated £hundreds worth of nos parts and special tools. You win some and you lose some
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Anyway now half my workshop bench is covered with fucked rover v8 parts. I hauled the LT95 out and fitted used old stock roof rail to get the body frame back up to full length
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And installed the LT77
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More to come