#landrover #landroverseries #modification
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We all like to use our classic cars as often as we can, but how can they be sympathetically improved or modified to make them more usable in modern traffic? In this episode I look at the Land Rover Series 3 and how you can make yours a more usable classic car. I take you on a tour of my own 2.25 diesel 1976 Land Rover Series 3 (rolling restoration) project vehicle. I deal with engine modifications, suspension, brakes, overdrive, free wheeling hubs and soundproofing. There is so much to cover in this subject!
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Great vid with a lot of inspiring ideas. Is the voltmeter a genuine Smiths or Lucas one? Never seen before. How do you route the line of your worklamp to the front?
are you really use earth cable RED? in Europe is BLACK and positive RED…. are you American?
prob should of gone black for the additional earth lead?
Would you have a link to the voltmeter you installed at the dashboard ?
And do you need to do some additional modification to the wiring ?
Good video with a lot of good ideas for upgrade. Thanks
Just curious, what are those seats have you have got in the Landy?
Hey man your trailer looks great . Any more photos of it?
Very nice Land Rover and good advice all around. Thanks for taking the time to make and post this video.
Free wheeling hubs create wear, propshaft splines, railko bushes and crownwheel rust are common on vehicles fitted with fwh, I've seen this too many times over the last 30 years working on series landies. Free wheeling hubs belong in the bin.
Really good modifications with having the vehicle for ten years your probably very well aware of the auxiliary sockets on the dash are a notorious shorting point, and had this dreadful burning out of my wiring loom due to fitting a 12 volt socket and the positive and negative vibrating together, I've since fitted a new wire loom and placed a thick piece of plastic in between the two terminals been fine ever since.
Fitting electronic ignition to my 2.25 petrol was by far the best thing that I did performance and starting wise to my engine. If I had kept it, I would have fitted a ported head with hardened valve guides.
Free wheeling hubs are also good, just make sure to engage them ocassionally to get the oil swooshed around and lubing everything.
Finally, if my Series was a daily and/or I towed with it, I'd consoder fitting a Zeus front disc brake conversion – mainly as they brake better, and there's no need to get under and adjust the drums..
Hey there, I've been loving your videos having just purchased a Series 3 myself. For a very cack handed amateur, how hard are the rear bench installations? Also regarding servicing, how often to you check/change filters, plugs (injctors), oil? Thanks!
Do you have any idea of a part number or good keywords to find a similar volt meter to this? I can only find standard round ones.
Also what happens to the charge light with this change?
I see you have an overdrive fitted….When new these Fairey overdrives were recommended for use in all gears, effectively giving you 8 gears to play with….ever heard of a twin stick?? ask an old time trucker or look on YT for vids….The OD can be fitted (as I did) with a long stick (you will have to angle it just right and it will act like a 'splitter' or 'two-speed axle' of course it operates differently, but gives the same effect…In reality you will only use the top 3-4 of them…but….well just watch some twin stick vids and you will see how it can help.
Not controversial….I have owned 7 Series Landrovers and I learned early..Fit an extra Earth lead…not expensive but means if it is in good condition…it will start every time with a 10 seconds heater plug application even in the deep minuses.
I did the following to my '79 109" panel van.
Parabolic leaf springs and uprated OME gas dampers. This allowed for significantly better diff crossover.
I replaced the old oil bath air cleaner with a Donaldson dry air filter fed from a snorkel.
I replaced the old SU carb with a Weber Tipo 34 carburetor.
I fitted a free flow 2.5" stainless steel exhaust system.
I replaced the steering box with a period replacement as the gears and linkages were worn and added an uprated steering damper.
I rebuilt the Salisbury diffs with new running gear and ball joints and added a centre differential lock.
Fitted a BMW 5 series power steering system.
The single best thing I did was fitting the parabolic leaf springs, 2 leaf on front diff, 3 on rear, load capacity of 2.5 ton but very much more comfortable than the old school leaf springs. I had manual lock free running front hubs already so that didn't need work
I'd love to have fitted discs to the front but I had the drums very nicely balanced with new wheel cylinders and lines from the already installed uprated V8 servo assisted brakes.
Miss my Landy, great vehicle that I regret selling
Fairey overdrive is top priority if doing any sort of distance, as the engine wants to give more but is strangled by the gears.
Freewheeling hubs will also increase driveability on road and should decrease fuel consumption slightly.
Parabolic springs increase ride comfort a little bit and a twin leading shoe conversion on the front brakes will help it stop with more braking efficiency.
There is no end to the mods and upgrades that you could perform to a series III, but it is what it is.
If you want something more driveable, buy a 90/110
I've added a battery isolator switch under the bonnet – I don't use mine much and there must have been some drain on the battery without it. I've also converted my "cigarette lighter" to a USB power socket for phones and GPS. Sadly the driveway is empty now because its at the mechanics having jammed in 3rd gear last week…
Will you be doing a video on changing the swivels ??
Luckily mine came with freewheeling hubs, but I think my best additions so far have been adding servo assisted brakes with an electric vacuum pump that is activated by the brake light switch, and changing the static seatbelts for retractable seatbelts.
Why use a landrover for long distance motorway driving they're noy meant for that.