Classic Safari vehicles!

[weatherm]

This is my first post on this forum. Me and a few guys at work absolutely love this place. Anyways I would like to contribute a picture of my almost restored 1980 Land Rover Series 3 LWB SW expedition wagon. I spent a year on the project to get it worthy of whatever I could throw at it. I love the old hard man stuff and this site is great for it. Some of you other guys have to have some old vehicles your restoring or restored past or present to share

Hope to enjoy some good pictures. Couldn't upload them for some reason. Enjoy

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...97&id=46207194

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...8e&id=46207194

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...c3&id=46207194

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...dd&id=46207194

[Razorman937]

Absolutely awesome.

[Eric P]

Cool

[NelsAnderson]

Well, I certainly share your opinion of the long wheelbase Land Rover being the classic safari vehicle. I have one of my own, a bit older than yours. When showing it off to the public I like to dress it up:



But it does get used as intended at times too:

[andy richards]

Great thread! The Land Rover 109 station wagen is IMHO the ultimate classic safari vehicle! My first Land Rover was a 109(inch) 1973 station wagon. I came so in love with this car that I even gave it a name, "Croc"...
After a few years there came a few more Land Rovers in my live... A 1979, 109 ex-military reconassance vehicle and a 1980, short-wheel base hard-top. Here my 109 station wagon:


The canoe is a 17ft Grumman.



Finally I had to sell my beloving vehicles and bought something both my wife and I liked. Here our daily transport a 1998 Land Rover Defender. It has a 2.5 Tdi diesel engine.


Cheers,
Andy

[HHISIII]

I've got a 1981 88". She's my baby, I've never liked a vehicle this much. I've also got the engine from a mercedes 240 diesel in the garage waiting to be rebuilt. I plan to get that done and drop it in to the rover along with a roverdrive around the beginning of the year.

[Chainsaw]

Love the Defender Andy! They only sold them for one year here in Canada, 97'. Funny thing instead of depreciating their value actually went up.

[andy richards]

Thanks Chainsaw (and that's what I carry sometimes in the back as well...). The Defender, especially the 200Tdi and 300Tdi, are very valuable as well in Europe and do not depreciate in value to bad as other vehicles. For your information, the latest Defender has the Ford Transit diesel engine with 6 speed gearbox, including high/low and diff lock. They will be in production until 2011 or 2012, and then it's all over... Maybe the new owner of Land Rover, TATA motors India, will build a no-nonense Safari Vehicle build on the Defender chassis in future??
Andy

[andy richards]

I've got a 1981 88". She's my baby, I've never liked a vehicle this much. I've also got the engine from a mercedes 240 diesel in the garage waiting to be rebuilt. I plan to get that done and drop it in to the rover along with a roverdrive around the beginning of the year.

Interesting that you are about to transplant a 240 Mercedes diesel in your 88" Land Rover. It has been done before. You need an adaptor plate to get it matched at the bellhousing though and you will encounter some problems, but it can be done. I once installed a complete Nissan Patrol straight 6 diesel 3.3 non-turbo, complete with gearbox/transfer box in a Land Rover 109 SW... If you ever need info, advice or adresses regarding parts just PM me and I will help where ever I can.
Cheers,
Andy

[HHISIII]

I've seen the write up on this specific transplant floating around the internet. It looks like the only two major issues are the bell housing adaptor and making an adaptor to move the oil filter a bit out of the way.
I've got experience with the Benz engine (I've got an old 240d, that's rolled the odometer and still runs like a top) and it's as close to bulletproof as an engine can get. As a bonus, parts are cheap and fairly readily available.