WELCOME TO RIVER DAVES PLACE

Advice Needed, classic Land Rover Repower.

Dalton

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2011
Messages
2,246
Reaction score
2,036
If I saw a cool looking Land Rover on Craigslist and it said it’s a Land Rover body on a “ford 4x4” or Jeep chassis, I would think one thing…run lol
 

HydroSkreamin

StressEliminator
Joined
Jan 12, 2014
Messages
2,105
Reaction score
5,654
Cool project!

The “easy button” is going to be LS, but for gas power I’d consider the 4200 twin cam 4-valve from the Trailblazer/Envoy line (made from 2003-09 or11?) They’re 290 HP stock, and wouldn’t be hard to get 400 if you wanted to with a blower or turbo.

For diesel options I’d do a Mercedes 5-cylinder. They’re about indestructible, and are plentiful in Sprinters, where I’ve seen my buddy get 25 mpg on a trip. Another friend has one in a Jeep and it’s a sweet package.

Good luck with your project!
 

4Waters

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2016
Messages
30,221
Reaction score
75,070
I would do a Cummins 4BT in a heart beat! It would be sick, run forever, fuel efficient, crawl and tow. Otherwise, a LS1-6, but the diesel would be more fitting.
X2. They can be found in forklifts for pretty cheap and are easily rebuildable
 

Sleek-Jet

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2007
Messages
12,710
Reaction score
15,372
Personally, I think any HP number over 200-250 is to much for these cars. They handle like shit as it is, let alone with gobs of HP.

I know I know, no such thing as "to much", but even a mild power plant will make it very drive able without bringing the shit-your-pants quotient to high. Or require cubic feet of money to design a suspension to handle the increases engine output.
 

hman442

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2021
Messages
1,083
Reaction score
2,366
Speaking of Chev Colorado, they also had a Gas 5 cylinder for a while. If you find that the v8 is too wide, and a six is too long, the 5 might be the ticket.
 

Dalton

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2011
Messages
2,246
Reaction score
2,036
Speaking of Chev Colorado, they also had a Gas 5 cylinder for a while. If you find that the v8 is too wide, and a six is too long, the 5 might be the ticket.

5 cyl was buzzy and had head gasket issues
 

monkeyswrench

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
26,078
Reaction score
71,746
Cool project!

The “easy button” is going to be LS, but for gas power I’d consider the 4200 twin cam 4-valve from the Trailblazer/Envoy line (made from 2003-09 or11?) They’re 290 HP stock, and wouldn’t be hard to get 400 if you wanted to with a blower or turbo.

For diesel options I’d do a Mercedes 5-cylinder. They’re about indestructible, and are plentiful in Sprinters, where I’ve seen my buddy get 25 mpg on a trip. Another friend has one in a Jeep and it’s a sweet package.

Good luck with your project!
I think the Sprinters went from a 5 to a six. They can be little bastards though to work on in a stock application. Lots of mid year changes on filters and cooler fittings. Motor does run really well though, and doing injectors in a vehicle with a real hood would be great!
 

4Waters

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2016
Messages
30,221
Reaction score
75,070
Speaking of Chev Colorado, they also had a Gas 5 cylinder for a while. If you find that the v8 is too wide, and a six is too long, the 5 might be the ticket.
Mercedes 5cyl turbo diesel, those actually ran good, I saw a CJ5 for sale a few years back that had one in it, claimed it was getting 30mpg
 

monkeyswrench

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
26,078
Reaction score
71,746
Mercedes 5cyl turbo diesel, those actually ran good, I saw a CJ5 for sale a few years back that had one in it, claimed it was getting 30mpg
I think the Mercedes 5cyl is the Cummins of the middle east. Seen articles about taxis there having 1.5m miles :oops:
 

Mandelon

Coffee makes me poop.
Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
13,963
Reaction score
18,524
As far as the purists, they can fuck right off. LOL This rig has already been cannibalized by the last owner. It started life as a Dormobile, which was a pop top camper. The last owner swapped that rear part off the truck. So the body is not all original, the engine was already swapped.

The original little engine was probably about 45 HP. So you know that's going nowhere, and not fast. I'm sticking with gas because that fuel will be readily available and the engine will be much quieter than a diesel. Anything over 200 HP will be plenty.
 

monkeyswrench

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
26,078
Reaction score
71,746
I'm sticking with gas because that fuel will be readily available and the engine will be much quieter than a diesel. Anything over 200 HP will be plenty.
Ok, so a peripheral port 13b is out...
HP is good. Runs on gas and will fit in anything...


....but sure as hell ain't quiet 😂
 

Waterjunky

RDP Inmate #94
Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
4,721
Reaction score
3,950
I would do an Ecoboost 4 out of a wrecked vehicle. The packaging would be a cake walk, it has plenty of power for this type of application without having to re-engineer everything in sight to handle it, they are plentiful, plenty reliable to everyone but die hard Chevy people (I know, I know, there is never even a need for parts at the parts store for them as they are eternal and every other brand can't clear the parking lot without breaking). Something also to look at is the weight you are hanging out over the front end. What does a full size v8 weigh vs the original motor? This would be lots simpler than many of the options talked about and make a wonderful driver with the turbo. Realistically they have been proven to be reliable, perky, and get quite good fuel mileage.
 

boatpi

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
7,922
Reaction score
11,684
Why not a 2020 Gen 5 RAM diesel??? A take out. 8 speed trans
 

2Driver

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2007
Messages
16,684
Reaction score
29,944
That brings back memories as a kid.........On safari with my folks in the 70's. An hour from camp and 2+ days from the nearest town.

1971-02p.jpg
 

poncho

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
5,378
Reaction score
8,541
I think we're safe from the purists. All we have to do is stay on pavement, and pedal briskly. They'll never catch up 😂
Some of the responses on this thread would send the Land Rover forum purists into a seizures followed by a mob out for blood.

I always laugh at shit like that, Ive always been a your car, your money do whatever you please with it. One of my Best friends builds some seriously nice old school street rods, years ago he turned me onto a build thread he had going on the Hamb, that shit blew me away, those guy's can go 5 pages on a steering wheel horn button.

Kind of thought about this post and realized it may come off as a dig at the purists, that was not my intent. I am glad they are out there doing what they do for the sake of keeping a part of our history alive which is something this country seems to be in a hurry to get rid of.
 
Last edited:

monkeyswrench

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
26,078
Reaction score
71,746
Some of the responses on this thread would send the Land Rover forum purists into a seizures followed by a mob out for blood.

I always laugh at shit like that, Ive always been a your car, your money do whatever you please with it. One of my Best friends builds some seriously nice old school street rods, years ago he turned me onto a build thread he had going on the Hamb, that shit blew me away, those guy's can go 5 pages on a steering wheel horn button.

Kind of thought about this post and realized it may come off as a dig at the purists, that was not my intent. I am glad they are out there doing what they do for the sake of keeping a part of our history alive which is something this country seems to be in a hurry to get rid of.
Your money, your car, is exactly it. Be they restored, low mile original or highly modified, they all keep the cars alive. Some would be scrapped, instead get resurrected. I'd rather see a Rover on juice with a metal flake paint job, than see it crushed and turned into a Kia.
 

coolchange

Lower level functionary
Joined
Jan 1, 2008
Messages
9,842
Reaction score
14,128
Cool project!

The “easy button” is going to be LS, but for gas power I’d consider the 4200 twin cam 4-valve from the Trailblazer/Envoy line (made from 2003-09 or11?) They’re 290 HP stock, and wouldn’t be hard to get 400 if you wanted to with a blower or turbo.

For diesel options I’d do a Mercedes 5-cylinder. They’re about indestructible, and are plentiful in Sprinters, where I’ve seen my buddy get 25 mpg on a trip. Another friend has one in a Jeep and it’s a sweet package.

Good luck with your project!
My brother is building a 5 cyl Merc powered over lander.
 

Mandelon

Coffee makes me poop.
Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
13,963
Reaction score
18,524

These guys have a couple of similar vehicles are swapping in an LS....
 

PlumLoco

Vintage Jawa CZ motorcycles
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
2,029
Reaction score
2,803
Buick V6 3800, supercharged.

It should shoehorn in quite nicely. Up to 260 HP.

Dan'l
And I think 280 ft/lb of torque. The motor was the only thing in my Grand Prix that didn't need fixing. Supercharger oil was low from the factory however. Real fun car to run from Running Springs to Big Bear in.
 

Orange Juice

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2017
Messages
4,330
Reaction score
5,062
I know we have some serious gear heads on here. I picked up this 1967 Land Rover Series IIA 5 Door station wagon last year. So far I haven't done anything with it. I was planning to sell our 62 Nova first. I don't have that much driveway space... LOL But things are getting more serious so we can start getting our plans more finely tuned.

View attachment 1105816

Currently it is unpowered. No engine, no transmission, no transfer case. Ha, not much of anything... Rust wise it is surprisingly in solid shape. Rust is a major issue with these vehicles. We will be taking it down to the frame and doing essentially a resto-mod treatment. When it came it had a non running late 60s Ford 302 in it. That engine has been pulled and sold off. Keep in mind the engine bay is tight. But dismantling the body will make it much easier to get to.

I was thinking of essentially building this with essentially a restored classic bronco powertrain. It would be fun to put a "5.0" badge on the lower front fender. LOL

We plan to tow it behind and RV and explore off road around the West, so I really prefer fuel injection over a basic carbed engine when dealing with altitude. Looking for crate motors hasn't left my pocketbook feeling good. Blueprint has a motor they make for Bronco restorations, but it is priced around $7000. Add on a Tremec trans and Atlas Transfer case and I'm damn near $15,000.

Certainly an LS swap is a viable option, but I find myself eyeing a power train from a crashed F-150 4x4. I see engines with all the parts, AC, PS, computer, wiring harness etc. with matching transmission and transfer case on E Bay for about that same $7000 price. Granted it will have some miles on it, but they run quite a while. Some folks swap in the old Chevy 292 engines, but I'd like more guts than that. There is a fairly popular Cummins diesel swap too, but I would prefer a quieter gas option. I'm thinking there's just more support for doing either and LS or the Ford 5.0 (Coyote) swap. Torque at low revs is more beneficial than a higher revving hot rod motor. Anyway, I'm looking for some opinions to help me decide on which way to go.

Brakes will need to be upgraded, and they have disc kits for a painful amount of money. We may swap the leafs to coil springs, but I think I want to get it running and driving first before we make that decision. So many choices....I'd prefer not to make the wrong ones out of the gate. It has a fairly narrow wheelbase, so only a few axle swaps can work without major mods.

This won't be a quick project, and I'm OK with that. Here's a few more pics.



View attachment 1105822
This makes me laugh, there's not even an engine, and this thing still drips oil! LMAO


View attachment 1105823 The see through engine bay.

Here's one that has been restored from BAT to give you an idea of the after photo.

View attachment 1105824

Here's one done by ECD who builds some amazing old Defenders:

This would be a very cool AWD electric conversion. I believe there are some nice kits, that might do this justice.
 

monkeyswrench

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
26,078
Reaction score
71,746
Ok, bad idea time: stick with a six...2JZ.
I have no clue what stock torque numbers are, but good motors.
 

Mandelon

Coffee makes me poop.
Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
13,963
Reaction score
18,524
I appreciate all the creative thinking, but going with an LS is going to be simpler. There's adapter kits and wiring harnesses available all over. Nothing custom or proprietary needed. That KISS method has some merit.

The 2JZ costs more by itself than an LS package with transmission and transfer case. I know this won't be cheap, but I'll probably shoot my wad on brakes and the interior. Keeping the running gear reasonable is a place where I can get a good bang for the buck.
 

evantwheeler

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2015
Messages
2,418
Reaction score
4,579
I appreciate all the creative thinking, but going with an LS is going to be simpler. There's adapter kits and wiring harnesses available all over. Nothing custom or proprietary needed. That KISS method has some merit.

The 2JZ costs more by itself than an LS package with transmission and transfer case. I know this won't be cheap, but I'll probably shoot my wad on brakes and the interior. Keeping the running gear reasonable is a place where I can get a good bang for the buck.

How much is the disc brake kit alone for those rover axles?
 

LazyLavey

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
5,997
Reaction score
9,609
What ever you put in there it will definitley be cool

and highly desirable
 

pronstar

President, Dallas Chapter
Joined
Aug 5, 2009
Messages
34,461
Reaction score
40,890
From easy to hard, this is what would be on my short list:

1. LS all the things
2. Cummins 4BT would be perfect, it’s all grunt
3. Toyota HiLux diesel/entire drivetrain swap
 

calkid

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2007
Messages
617
Reaction score
998

Mandelon

Coffee makes me poop.
Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
13,963
Reaction score
18,524
How much is the disc brake kit alone for those rover axles?


There's a few options if we stay with the original axles. But about $3000 to swap over to disk brakes. Forbyn Brothers makes a cool set. Another option is to buy a wrecked or blown engine Discovery and swap axles to get disc brakes and spring suspension.
 

evantwheeler

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2015
Messages
2,418
Reaction score
4,579
There's a few options if we stay with the original axles. But about $3000 to swap over to disk brakes. Forbyn Brothers makes a cool set. Another option is to buy a wrecked or blown engine Discovery and swap axles to get disc brakes and spring suspension.
I have a ‘69 landcruiser with non-boosted master, drums front and rear, 35” tires. It stops great. Drums are more maintenance keeping them adjusted, and really only lack in performance after getting wet IMO. I bought the truck with the drums having been recently rebuilt, i likely would not have spent the money replacing all the wheel cylinders and pads. That being said, I would not spend $3k to put discs on this truck.
 

rrrr

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
14,985
Reaction score
32,565
There's a few options if we stay with the original axles. But about $3000 to swap over to disk brakes. Forbyn Brothers makes a cool set. Another option is to buy a wrecked or blown engine Discovery and swap axles to get disc brakes and spring suspension.
After going silent for months, I figured you had come to your senses and abandoned the project.

😁
 

Mandelon

Coffee makes me poop.
Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
13,963
Reaction score
18,524
LOL, no. Not yet anyway. I have an offer out for a motor/trans/transfer case package. Just been buried with work this year.
 

Shlbyntro

Ultra Conservative
Joined
May 27, 2018
Messages
7,744
Reaction score
22,543
So time to finish the Cobra ? Or is that wrap and I missed it ??

this fall/winter is the plan.

right now, ive got to pull the Lightning out of storage and fix the coolant leak at the hoses (mostly on my back work I hope) so I can drive it for the next month or so. My doctor could not believe I drove a stick shift to the office for xrays with a broken left foot lol. I told them, "I didnt know it was broken at the time!" but she still gave me a dirty look.🤷‍♂️
 

4Waters

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2016
Messages
30,221
Reaction score
75,070
this fall/winter is the plan.

right now, ive got to pull the Lightning out of storage and fix the coolant leak at the hoses (mostly on my back work I hope) so I can drive it for the next month or so. My doctor could not believe I drove a stick shift to the office for xrays with a broken left foot lol. I told them, "I didnt know it was broken at the time!" but she still gave me a dirty look.🤷‍♂️
You only need that foot to take off, just float the gears from there
 

Sportin' Wood

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
1,896
Reaction score
5,368
Didn’t chevy make a 4x4 diesel Colorado? Take the power train from one of those.
I've got one. It's an Isuzu and has been discontinued. I don't think I would go that way. The 4Cyl Cummins still seems the best bet to me. Ian Johnson did a build I am guessing @Mandelon has seen. Did you settle on a drivetrain yet?
 

SBMech

Fixes Broken Stuff
Joined
Jul 25, 2012
Messages
11,627
Reaction score
20,783
Never mind the naysayers about EFI. It's a very robust and tough system perfected over millions of miles in the LS's case.

I personally would go with a completely stock 6.0 swap, factory EFI setup sensors and all. Everywhere stocks common LS electronics. In fact I'd try to find a complete truck and swap it all, tanks, axles everything so you have basically a Land Rover on a Chevy frame, makes it simple to order parts etc.

The only limits these days is your wallet, there a lots of people who will help you spend your money to create your dream....😄
 
Top