Modifications to the Land Rovers

What I’ve done to my IIA

This section describes the modifications and repairs I’ve made to my Rover. The information contained herein  isn’t necessarily priceless, and many experienced mechanics would laugh that I mention most of this.  It’s primarily here so I can have a record of everything I’ve done, and also there may be some other recent Rover purchasers who are–like me–trying to crawl under a car for the first time.
These aren’t really part of a restoration, but rather what I call remodeling. I’m not trying to get the Rover back to its original state, but trying to get it to the point where it’s a useful daily driver and competant off-road vehicle. I like to call the mods I’ve made ‘appropriate’ rather than ‘correct’ or original. I do have a preferrence for Genuine parts, unless I’ve found an after-market part of better quality or more utility.

Electrical

That’s funny.  This appears to be the longest section.  It takes constant vigilance to ward off Joe Lucas, Prince of Darkness.

Ground Conversion

The Land Rover was orginally Positive Ground. I needed to switch it from positive to negative ground before a stereo or any other modern electrical accessory could be installed.

Accessory Fuse Box

I’ve installed an accessory fuse box, through which I have my heater and work lamp fused. Power to these components comes from the ammeter (through which all power in the vehicle goes) to one side of the box, and then goes off to whatever component or switch through the other side..
Wiring Harness

I’ve renewed the wiring harness. This is described in a separate document.

Ignition switch

The problem which caused the fire that caused me to renew the wiring harness was a faulty ignition switch.  I replaced that one with another, but I’m pretty sure that the basic design is flawed, so I’m planning on replacing that with the Late IIA iginition switch.

Alternator

I’ve replaced the generator with an alternator. This is also described in a separate document.

Headlamps

I originally put Sylvania halogen headlamps in place of the original (one Lucas, one Westinghouse) ones.  They were $7.95 at Kragen, and the alternator generates plenty of current for them.  Later, I replaced them with Hella H4s.  These make a much nicer light pattern, although the high beam is not legal in the US.

Reverse Lamp

For some time, I’ve been using my rear work lamp to see where I’m going when I’m backing up.  I found a reverse lamp at the Hayward All British field meet, and purchased it for US$10.00.  I installed it on the opposite side of the work lamp and wired it into the same circuit.

Map Light

I purchased a Hella map light on an 18″ flexable arm.  I’ve mounted this on the side of the center console.

Stereo

I’ve installed a Sony AM/FM/CD player in the center console (it was designed for this purpose).  I bought some Pioneer speakers which have their own enclosures.  The speakers are mounted above the foremost jump seats in the back.  Thus, only kids can sit in them.  Maybe someday I’ll find a better place to mount them or a better set of speakers, but for now, they suit me just fine.   The antenna is on the passenger side between the door and the side windows.

Main Fuse Box

I was continually having problems with the connections on my main fuse box, so I replaced it with the same Lucas part.  The part was $15, and I bought it form O’Connor Classics in Santa Clara, CA.  They are relatively close to my house and have a variety of Lucas parts.  See below for more information.  Given the price of this part, I’d recommend replacing it if you have any problems–it’s one of the cheaper parts on a Rover.

Switches

I found the “Bat Wing” type switches at O’Connor Classics in Santa Clara, CA.  They were about US$8.00 each there, so I’ve replaced all the switches in the IIA with that type.  They look much better than the generic ones the PO had.

Auxilliary Driving Lamps

I purchased some halogen auxilliary lamps at NAPA, and installed them on their own circuit runing through the main wiring harness.

Auxilliary Power Supply

This used to be known as a cigarette lighter, but I guess times have changes.  I didn’t actually buy the lighter part, just the hole.  I use it to power my PCS phone.  I wired it into my center console, along with the map lamp.

Cyclops (3rd brake light)

I wanted a third brake light so that it was more obvious that I’m stopping.  I’m not positive this is necessary–it just makes me feel better.  I used the rectangular light that RN sells as a rear fog lamp for a D90.  I think this was either standard or an option on Euro D90s, but not here in the US.  The part that is noteworthy is that I ran into a very strange phenomenon while getting the it to work.  When I origninally installed it, it didn’t work, and I couldn’t figure out why.  I had other things to do, so I just left it and came back to it later.  I was a bit nervous, however, as I think it’s more dangerous to have a non-functional cyclops than none at all.
It turns out that these rectangular lamps require more voltage than the brake lamps on a SIIA.  I measured the voltage going back to the rear harness from the main harness at ~5V.  However, the voltage going to and coming from the brake lamp switch (this is the type on the 5-way junction) is 12V.  I still don’t know where the other 8V went.  I worked around it by tieing in a wire from the ground-side terminal of the switch, and I now get 12V at the rear lamp.  Rather odd….

CB Radio

I installed a CB from Radio Shack in the center console along with the PCS phone, stereo, and map light.  The antenna is on the dirvers side between the front door and the side window.

Wiper Motor Conversion

I have ditched the old wiper motors and replaced them with a two-speed single motor system.  This is described in a separate document.
Winscreen Washer (!!!)

About three years after purchasing the windscreen washer bottle and motor, I’ve installed it.  I did the plumbing with tubing TMS uses for her sprinklers–she had great T fittings.  Some PO had installed the jets but not the washer, so I just had to plumb it.  The motor and bottle are installed next to the alternator in the wall of the engine bay.  It’s a little luxury, but one I dearly love.
Suspension

Shocks

Since the ride from Boulder to Palo Alto was so horrible.  I thought I needed new shocks. What I found out after installing them was that in reality, I needed new springs. So….

Springs

I’ve replaced the springs, shackles, U-bolts, and some of the frame bushings.  This is described in a separate document.

Exterior

Paint

I painted the roof white with Rustoleum Gloss White and the gavanized steel body cappings and bumpers Rustoleum Flat black. My stepson and I painted the entire interior from the gunwales down Rustoleum Flat Black. This stuff will hide lots of cosmetic defects. I’ve recieved many complements on the way the interior and trim look. This is a great paint for these types of jobs and it was less than $60 for all the paint.

Window Channels

All of the window channels were shot.  I replaced them with parts from British Pacific.  This was a lengthy task, as some PO had decided to use brass screws rather than aluminum rivets.  These were a cast iron bitch to get out.  I just about wore out my new Makita drill on that job.  In addition, the old channels were so filthy that I looked like I had blackface on when I was done.  Here is some more information.

Defender Mirrors

I’ve replaced the original side mirrors with side mirrors for a Defender.  This cost about $200, but I think is worth it, as these mirrors resist vibration sufficiently as to be able to see out of them–as opposed to the original mirrors, which were worthless.

Rear Step

After the suspension work, the Rover was just way to high for my three-year-old to get in it.  He strenuously objects to being lifted into a car, so when Granville Pool offered me a rear step for $30, I leaped at it.  Installation was pretty simple, due to my non-original rear cross member.  It was simply a matter of bolting it on and tapping one of the pre-existing holes for a bolt.

Drive Line

Free-Wheeling Hubs

The original (Dealer installed in 1965) free wheeling hubs were replaced with Fairy (now SuperWinch) units that I bought from a friend who had a IIA when he was in school. Now I no longer leak axle grease.

Rear Half Shafts

I broke the rear short half-shaft, so I replaced both shafts.  Replacing the unbroken long one was a breeze.  I just pulled it out and put a  new one in.  Replacing the broken shaft, however, was a pain.  I couldn’t get one of the nuts holding the differential off after many attempts.  In the end, I took the Rover to my mechanic, who freed the nut, got the diff out and inspected it.  Luckily the ring and pinion were not damaged, but it took them a long time to get the broken stub out of the diff.

Plain Front Hubs

After bashing the right front hub on the Rubicon Trail in 1998, I replaced both hubs with the normal, non-free type.  These stick out a lot less.

Engine

Webber 1Bbl Carburetor

I installed a Webber 1-bbl carburetor I got from a local LRO.  The installation was quite simple at first:
Two bolts to attach to the intake manifold
One hose for fuel
One line for vacuum
Connect the choke linkage
Connect the accellerator linkage

The accellerator linkage was the hard part.  Many people told me to simply put the bell crank on upside down, but I (and another person helping me) couldn’t figure out how to do it.  What we ended up doing was reversing the bell crank, bending the tab that moves the linkage around 180 degrees, and bending the ball linkage attached to the bell crank a bit to make the connection better.

I’ve noticed a significant increase in power and accelleration, and recommend this modification to anyone.

Head

I turned up with some burned valves, so I had the head redone.  They installed new stellite (unleaded) valve seats,  valve springs, and valves. It idles and runs much smoother now.  At very low idle speeds, it is a little rough.  I believe this is due to a wobbly distributor shaft, and the Crane electronic ignition I have been failing to install should fix that problem.  I was going to write up a big page regarding this part, but it’s such a bad memory that I don’t want to do it now.  I think I’ll just let that memory fade into the recesses of my mind.
Since the head rebuild and the second valve adjustmet after it, my gas mileage is between 12 and 14 MPG.  That’s 2-4 MPG greater than I’ve ever had before.

Oil Pump

My oil pressure was terrible, so I took the car to Sean Murphy (sometimes I don’t have the time to wrench it myself) and asked him to install a new oil pump.  My pressure immediately went back to Here’s the interesting part:  he said that the pump wasn’t viisbly messed up.  Perhaps a rebuild is in order so I can use it as a spare.

Instruments

I replaced all the instruments but the speedometer and the dual water temerature / oil pressure gauge. The multiguage cluster was replaced with a tachometer from an MGB, The ammeter was replaced with a buss bar since I have an alternator instead of a generator.
Speedometer Cable

Replacing the speedo cable was trivial, but I’m trying to document everything here, and I was daunted by the task the first time I looked at it.  The speedometer cable is secured to the transmission via a disc-shaped plate, which is held by three bolts.  A nut driver is useful for removing these, and a socket is close to useless, a combination wrench is useless, due to the little nook in which the assembly lives.  The tricky part of this job is that the small (speedometer) end of the cable has to go through the plate that secures it to the transmission.   As I’d already removed the inner cable, I just cut the old cable and then ran the small end of the new cable through.  Then I secured the new cable to the transmission.  TerriAnn Wakeman suggested that replacing the original bolts with allen-head bolts was a good idea, and I agrree.  I didn’t do it, though I’m sure I’ll regret that later.  I then snaked the new cable alongside the old one until the new cable was at the hole in the bulkead where it goes into the instrument compartment.  This involved running along the longitudinal frame member, into the engine compartment, between the engine and the firewall, and up to the hole.  The old cable wasn’t secured to anything, and I only secured the new cable to the frame crossmember  under the firewall so I could keep it away from the exhaust pipe, as the old cable had lost its PVC sheath where it had been touching that.  Then it was simply a matter of removing the instrument panel and pulling the old cable out (remember, I’d already removed fat end at the transmission), and snaking the new cable through the grommet, then fastening it to the speedometer).

Fuel Gauge

I added a separate Smiths fuel gauge in preparation for the tachometer, which will replace the multigauge cluster.  I installed it in a gauge plate that I bought from British Bulldog.  I had the gauge bead-blasted, then painted it satin black (I’m moving the interior from flat black to satin black).  Since I wasn’t using the switched power connector for the old wiper motor (I switched to a single motor system), I used it to power a voltage stabilizer, then routed power to the gauge, and out of the gauge through a hole in the firewall, down and around to the sender.

New Instruments/Controls

With the new fuel gauge and the bus bar replacing the ammeter, it was time to do some real work to the dash.  Sean Murphy did the bulk of it, and I did a few odd bits at the end:
Multiguage was replaced with tachometer
Fuel guage and its panel (see below) were moved to LH side of the main dash
New hole was drilled in fuel gauge panel and dual water temp/oil pressure guage was installed in addition to fuel guage
Old panel for water temp/fuel pressure was moved on spot left (adjacent to steering column) and voltage gauge installed in guage hole, while switch hole above was drilled out and a Marinco 12V outlet installed.
Cold start lamp switch was fixed and lamp moved from lower-right corner to top center.
Main beam lamp from multiguage replaced with new blue lamp between ignition and cold start lamp.
Oil Pressure warning lamp moved from top center to lower left.
Switch added on center-right of main panel for panel/instrument lamp switch.
New holes added on each side of top center (cold start warning) lamp.  RH switches power to Hella 500 fog lamp relay, left is power for rear work lamp.
Heater control panel (right side of main dash)  stripped and painted.  SCOT black paint removed from knobs.  Knobs cleaned with naval jelly and polished.  Heater motor switch repaired.  Heater vent control repaired and reinstalled.
Land Rover 2-spead wiper/washer switch installed in LR of main panel.

Interior

Seats

I installed a set of Deluxe High-back seats with headreasts. These are wonderful. They have the following excellent features:
Great lumbar support
Head rests
The cloth (Caviar) covering helps deaden sound
They mount on the old seat brackets

They were purchased from British Pacific, but I’m pretty sure they are the same that BLRS advertize in Land Rover Onwer International. The shipping charges on them from BLRS are such that I’m pretty sure it’s easier, if not cheaper to buy them from British Pacific.

Door Panels

I’ve also installed caviar door pannels for the front and rear doors.  On the rear, I placed 3/4″ foam rubber for sound insulation.  This helps me not to notice that I probably need a new muffler.  I had to wait a long time for the armrest and door top interior parts, though.  So, if you order the caviar stuff from BP, be sure and tell them that you want the armrests and top parts, too.

Headliner

I purchased headlining material from Mountain View Auto Interiors, and did a thoroughly horrible job installing it (see pics above).  I guess I’ll give it another try later on.  The material was US$16.00 per yard, so it’s not that big of a waste.

Carpet

I also purchased black carpet from Moutain View Auto Interiors.  In the back, I simply cut it to fit, but in front, I cut it to fit over the floor mats (which are in horrible condition), and then glued it to them with a hot-glue gun.  I intend to glue head-shielding/sound-insulating material to the underside of the mats, then get the County rubber floor mat set to go over all of that.

Center Console

I installed a Tuffy center console/lock box which I purchased from Overland Motors, Ltd. I bolted it onto the transmission access hatch, and that can be locked to the vehicle. Since my Rover doesn’t have locks, it’s nice to have a fairly safe storage unit in it. Here are the things I like about it:
A place to mount a stero under its own hatch, so its not noticable (I put my Sony AM/FM/CD in there)
Cup holders big enough for a one-liter bottle of watter
Very sturdy
Makes a nice arm rest

The console currently has:

two 12-volt cigarette lighter power outlets
Hella map lamp
Cell phone mount
Sony AM/FM/CD
Radio Shack CB
mounting for Garmin GPS III

Seat Belts

I installed seat belts in the rear from Scherba’s in Palo Alto. These were $20 each and work fine. Installation was trivial once I figured out how to thread the belt through the fittings that attach it to the car body.
Steering Wheel Cover

Old land rovers have large-diameter, narrow-grip (vulcanite?) steering wheels. The grip was simply too narrow to be comfortable for me, and I wanted it to be somewhat softer, too. I put a vinyl steering wheel cover on it that advertized to be good for padding. I then covered that with a leather one that required stitching. The result was a grip size I liked and it feels nice, too.
Demister Hoses

I bought the hoses for the windscreen demister at NAPA.  The total cost was about $15.00.  I don’t remember the part number, but I just took the demister in and they found a hose that fit.

What We’ve Done to the 110

Medhi took very good care of the 110 when he owned it, so there wasn’t a lot of DM to do.  Happily that meant I could go straight to upgrades!  They are a lot more fun!.

Tuffy Box

For Father’s Day, 2000, I returned from a business trip to find a Tuffy center console box with a Panasonic AM/FM/CD and changer installed in place of the original center console.  Pretty cool!

CB

I’ve installed a Cobra 75 WS ST CB Radio.  It has 40 CB + 10 WB channels, and the tuning controls are in the mic.  The box to which the mic is attached is installed in the tuffy box.

HAM Radio

I’ve installed a Kenwood TM-V7A in the Tuffy box.  The main unit is in the box, and the head is mounted on the dash next to the GPSIII.  It is one fancy radio.

Rio Car

Since I’ve converted my CDs to MP3 format, I bought a Rio Car in place of the AM/FM/CD.  I placed the external tuner module and the amplifier in the Tuffy box–taking back some of the space saved by removing the CD changer.  Now the 110 has Linux Inside!

GPS

The Garmin GPS III+ goes back and forth between the IIA and the 110.  In the 110, it’s mounted on the dash.  I’ve also installed a Lowe Active GPS antenna on one of the light tabs on the front roll cage.
Schuback Rock Sliders

I purchased a set of rock sliders from Steven Schuback in Portland.  I have since taken the truck (yes, my 110) through the Rubicon, and they held up.  In general the 110 is too long for me to drive it on that trail, though.

Skid Plate

I installed a skid plate from British Pacific to protect the steering components.   It seems to have done the job fairly well (but not perfectly–see Repairs) based on the mangling it’s taken.

Chequer Wing Protector Plates

I installed chequer plate wing-top protectors because I was walking around on the wings a lot.

Warn Winch Mount Bumper & XD9000i Winch

I bought a Warn winch mount bumper and installed an XD9000i winch there.  I had to trim the grille a bit for the integrated solenoid.  Warn say that you can’t do this with A/C, but they mean you can’t do it on a 110 without trimming.  On a 97 D90 with A/C, it works just fine.

Jack Rack

On the rear spare tyre carrier, I’ve installed a Safari Gard jack rack.

Wing-Mounted Shovel

I installed the Land Rover shovel mounting kit on the near side wing.  It’s pretty handy for getting to the shovel, and hey, how many trucks have a shovel on the wing?

Lights

I replaced the main headlamps with Hella H4s, and have four Hella 1000 lights on the top of the roll cage.  On the bumper, there are two Hella 500 fog lamps.

OME HD Springs and Shocks

Once we bought the Airstream, it was clear that the 110′s suspension was tired.  Thus, I swichted to OME HD springs and shocks.

Trailer Wiring

Afer we got the 1964 Airstream Globetrotter, I needed to get the brake controller and wiring hookup working again.  After fiddling about with a batter splitter, a perusal of the manual showed there was a relay-based dual charge controller in the box as standard equippment.  The charge line goes through the terminal in the battery box and can charge the trailer.  The original owner installed a brake controller, and I’m using that.

Repairs

Stuff that’s either worn out or broken on the trail:
Clutch
Master and Slave Cylinder
Drag Link (Rubicon)
Tie Rods (at least twice annually!)
Right-hand trailing arm
Front-right hub
Seals
Door latches
Hoses
Belts

What We’ve Done to the 90

CB

We’ve installed the same Cobra 75 WS ST CB Radio.  as the 110 has. The antenna mounts to the rear spare carrier, and the cable snakes around through the tub to connect to the power box behind the front seat.

Skid Plate

TMS installed a skid plate from British Pacific . It involved removing the steering stablizer and the tie downs, then placing the plate and refitting them.

Rear Quarter Panel Protectors

Because the Rubicon Trail was tough on my IIA’s quarter panels Suspension page), we decided to purchase protectors for this area from Desert Rover. The installation involved drilling holes in the bottom of the rear cross-member for them to bolt on, but other than that, it was trivial.

Rear Bumper

TMS also removed the rear bumper (the step/hitch assembly) to improve the departure angle (and because we thought that it was required for the rear quarter panel protectors()).  A hitch from a Series land rover was installed on the rear cross member for recovery.

Diff Guards

We installed AllMakes differential protectors on the front and rear differentials. The diff is a very vulnerable part on Land Rovers.

Replacement Sills

We installed replacement sills from Desert Rover. These bolt on to the cross member that supports the firewall in two places, and then connect to the tube behind the door.

Shipman Bumper & M8000 Winch

For Chrismas 1999, TMS asked for a winch.  Santa happily obliged with a Warn M8000.  Originally, it was installed on a Warn bumper, but we’ve since installed it on a Doug Shipman bumper when the Warn went into the Range Rover.  Man, is that bumper strong.

Suspension

For Christmas 2001, TMS asked for a lift.  Santa brough her OME Medium Duty springs and shocks.  The sway bar was taken off long ago.

Parts Vendors

I’ve used the following parts vendors, and have been happy with them all:
Briitsh Pacific
Rovers North
British Bulldog
Atlantic British
O’Connor Classics (Santa Clara, CA, USA)
Overland Motors
John Craddock (in the UK)
Roverland
Safari Gard
NAPA

Mechanics

Although the majority of the work that’s been done on the IIA has been done by me (with some help from time to time), sometimes, I don’t have time to do it. I have taken the IIA to two different mechanics: Ellworth Brothers in Mountain View, and Sean Murphy.  Both do an excellent job, but Sean has two Land Rovers, and he definitely has the love. I still use EB from time to time, but the IIA goes almost exclusively to Sean if I don’t have the time to fix it.
Another thing I like about Sean is that he lets me help him work on the car when it’s there. I end up learning a lot when he does this, and it’s almost as satisfying as DIY.

Rover parts I want

I’m looking for the for the following items. Most of them are NLA from the parts suppliers. Let me know if you are trying to get rid of any.

Piece to attach front (sort of vertical) part of headliner to top of windscreen frame. I don’t know what it’s called, because I can’t find it in a catalog.
Framework or pattern for side SW trim
Knob for scuttle vent
Bulkhead trim retainer strip
Footwell retainer strip LH
Footwell retainer strip RH
Cost Of Ownership

I keep a spreadsheet of what my rover has cost me since July of 1996.