Defender Source Forum banner

NAS 110 145/500 Restoration

36K views 239 replies 40 participants last post by  JimC 
#1 ·
Now that there is some progress and plans, I guess its time to start a thread dedicated to this resto.

I bought the truck in late 07: http://www.defendersource.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13597

Some choice quotes from that thread:

WhiteD90: "it looks like it is in decent shape"

Wrong!

JimC: "I've seen worse"

Wrong!

Recent quote from evilfij: "I don't know if I've ever seen worse."

In all fairness, I might have seen worse sitting on ECR's lot, but that question is purely academic.

First, I've pulled the cage and had it powder coated, pix to come.

The most recent progress is freshly blasted and galvanized parts...
 

Attachments

See less See more
4
#102 ·
A@ Garth - I was going to go with a tdi until I got orders to Germany, where they actually inspect to see what motor is in your vehicle. I could put a tdi in, but unless it was Euro-IV compliant, then I actually couldn't drive it to the installation where I'll be assigned. The new German laws restrict certain vehicles from certain cities based on emissions.

As far as aligning the body, Ron is right, pretty much all you can do with the bulkhead is lean it and use washers to move it fore and aft. Everything else can (and needs to be) shimmed into place.
 
#103 ·
JimC said:
A@ Garth - I was going to go with a tdi until I got orders to Germany, where they actually inspect to see what motor is in your vehicle. I could put a tdi in, but unless it was Euro-IV compliant, then I actually couldn't drive it to the installation where I'll be assigned. The new German laws restrict certain vehicles from certain cities based on emissions.

As far as aligning the body, Ron is right, pretty much all you can do with the bulkhead is lean it and use washers to move it fore and aft. Everything else can (and needs to be) shimmed into place.
I thought someone on this board said they're like giant erector sets and "just" bolt together :)

Sounds like you're having a good time Jim, keep the pics coming!
 
#104 ·
Lots of parts back from the paint shop, and they really did a good job. I was pretty specific about not wanting the spot welds filled in or sanded, and they actually got it right. They also did a fabulous job of re-skinning my rear doors - I'm just overall quite pleased.

Things are coming together quite nicely. The string test indicates that the tub is lined up perfectly with the bulkhead, the door gaps are coming out with a perfect 3/16 gap front and back, and even the b-pillars are in the right spot.

Things would be going faster if lazy kitty would pick up a wrench.
 

Attachments

#105 ·
JimC said:
Lots of parts back from the paint shop, and they really did a good job. I was pretty specific about not wanting the spot welds filled in or sanded, and they actually got it right. They also did a fabulous job of re-skinning my rear doors - I'm just overall quite pleased.

Things are coming together quite nicely. The string test indicates that the tub is lined up perfectly with the bulkhead, the door gaps are coming out with a perfect 3/16 gap front and back, and even the b-pillars are in the right spot.

Things would be going faster if lazy kitty would pick up a wrench.
YES YES YES, lookin good :cool:
 
#108 ·
This is backing up a bit, but I've got more pix indeed-

Here are a couple of the motor, trans and t-case all linked up following my pilot bushing debacle. Lots of bruises on the legs from supporting the trans and t-case and wrastlin' 'em into place.

There's a pic of the damned rear cage support that cannot be installed or removed with the tub in place. Later D-90 style supports just bolt up from behind the crossmember, but these "clip" over the top. Forgetting to install them now would lead to massive fits of swearing later on.

There's also another appearance by lazy cat, who won't so much as lift a paw to help.

Follow-up Post:

Incidentally, there's a pic there of a great tool I found - the "nutdrill." Its much easier and more controlled than the stupid hand-powered ones that have a tendency to jump as the mandrel breaks and have the potential to scratch your paint. This think sinks rivets easily and completely each time and is definitely the next best thing to a much more expensive pneumatic rivet gun. This was definitely 60 bucks well spent, and I obtained it with characteristic ease from McMaster-Carr.
 

Attachments

#110 ·
Lovely. Yeah Ron was just telling me about the 110 rear support difference. I could pull those easily on my D90.

Dmitry if you see this, you need those little spacers shown in the third picture. They prevent your rear cross member from being crushed when you bolt on your bumper. Judging from the marks on the rear cross member of your old frame you didn't have these. Sorry for the hijack Jim.
 
#112 ·
Jim - quick question ... how did you restore your plaque? It looks great!
 
#113 ·
The plaque was pretty easy, but it was a few steps. I bead blasted it, the powder-coater put a flat black on it. I sanded the black off the letters and then they did a gloss clear powder coat over the top. It should be pretty good for a long time now.
 
#116 ·
Both look great ... item 100 on my list of non urgent things to do!
 
#118 ·
I wish you had not shown the rivet tool. I have never scratched paint. I have been aware of that tool Now that I have seen it. Surely I will scratch paint now. So I may as well buy the tool I guess.

Uuugh

Send me yours when you are done with it. I'll give it back when you need it. One less thing to travel with.
 
#120 ·
Yep Doug, gonna go with the new dash and underdash AC. I'm not into the whole obsolete original AC thing. I was going to experiment with making it work, but in the end I just gave all my old AC stuff to Ron, who likes that sort of thing.

Also have a rear AC if you look closely at my most recent pic of the body. The enlarged window trim is the duct for the rear AC. Fortunately, it looks like only very minor trimming of the trim piece will be necessary to get the duct to fit with the cage.

And sorry Pendy, I can't send you my "nutdrill" - I don't have the hand strength that you do.
 
#121 ·
Slow progress. This weekend all I got done was installing the ECR LED's - its always nice to install parts that have been sitting in your stash for several years.

Fortunately, the NAS plinths do cover the holes left by the old trailer-style lights, but only just. I had to carefully place the first light on each side to ensure that the inside light would cover the big hole.

Not much explanation required for the pix, but the old hole is pointed out with the red arrow. Not that I'll be going back to trailer lights, but this mod is theoretically reversible.

One thing to note is that the roll cage support is in the way if you try to install the regular NAS-style lights with bulbs. The ECR LED's are flat on the back, so they don't "foul the cage" as they would say in brit mags.
 

Attachments

#122 · (Edited)
Some more slow and minor progress last weekend.

The back seat is installed. There was some space remaining between the cross-piece on the frame and the part of the tub where the seats mount, so my wife made some ABS spacers in Solid Works and cut them out on a laser cutter. Not that there would be a problem with the galvanized steel against aluminum, but its also nice to have a plastic piece in there to separate the metal parts.

Eww, seats need a cleaning.

On the motor I've almost finished reassembling the parts I pulled off and sent to the powder coater. These were previously a gold color, but I had them re-done. Next mission is to swap out the valve covers and plenum so they aren't white.

And my assistant is always ready to use her rubber mallet to "fix the ro-ro." I'm going to have to go back and find all the bolts she's stuffed into holes, fix the scratches she's putting in the paint, and re-buy some of the parts she is carrying off and hiding - but I wouldn't miss those opportunities for anything at all.
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top