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1970 Rangie

Grumbleweed

Grumbleweed

Trekker
I just bought a 1971 rangie on a J plate. registered 04/03/1971
Bringing her home tomorrow with a bit of luck. The previous owner has changed a few bits but has owned her for over 20 years.
It has a 3.5 with a chrysler torqueflight autobox fitted. It has a late style taligate fitted properly and later style rear sliding window channels. The engine is superb- putting out 58psi oil pressure when cold! thats better than my EFi!!
Chassis welding all done as is bodywork. All that's needed is to put her back into one piece, put back the rostyle wheels and mot it! Going to paint her the original green.

Going to get her finished for Billing!

Wish me luck!
A few piccies

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/Croisereblanche013-1.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/Croisereblanche014-1.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/Croisereblanche015-1.jpg
 
Got the old girl home today. Drove it back - 3 miles away.
Managed to put the interior back in today- quite an easu job and not too many bits missing. Anyone know where i can get an original steering wheel from?
It needs a service desperately as it has majorly fouled its plugs as it has been run in and out of its garage on choke for the last 3 years without having a good run.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/1970RangeRover005.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/1970RangeRover012.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/1970RangeRover026.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/1970RangeRover019.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/1970RangeRover031.jpg
goes well with my efi!
any suggestions for colours to paint it?
Would be useful to find a rover paint guide for the period.
 
a strange one for you boffins-
the old girl will run and starts well but never really runs great.
I have noticed that whilst the airbox is off, and the end of the carbs are accessible, the right hand one takes in lots of air and will stall if i cover the intake, whilst the left hand one seems to consume much less air and will not stall when covered. Any suggestions?

Other than that, it seems to run very rich and smokes a bit- not blue which is a good sign!
__________________
 
Yep, I think Rich is right.......sounds like carbs need balancing. I assume theyre Stromberg carbs?. you can do this by ear if you're lots cleverer than me or you can get a cheap vacuum guage to measure and compare each side.

Make sure the pistons move freely, make sure the damping oil level is correct in each carb.........

Have a look at the pistons lifiting as you rev it.....the strombergs are prone to knackering the diaphragms.....cheap and easy fix if it is........

BTW Rich......just saw your posting on mud club re OTU :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
Lacy said:
Make sure the pistons move freely, make sure the damping oil level is correct in each carb.........

Have a look at the pistons lifiting as you rev it.....the strombergs are prone to knackering the diaphragms.....cheap and easy fix if it is........
Click to expand...


SU's on this one - the needles are biased (no diaphragms).

I love old rangies - I had a 1973 one for 5 years, loved it and rebuilt it. Painted Sahara Dust - we called it the Champagne Super Rover:)

I'd paint it green - no contest.

Out of interest number is it, on a J reg it must be one of the first couple of thousand or so built?
 
I'd love a tidy two door Rangie. Does anyone know if they ever made them with the 3-speed auto? Because that would be lovely.
 
Ah.......someones already made that sensible swap then......

I used to have a bright lime green 1975 2 door....loved it.

I'd love another one....tax exempt like yours....at a sensible price....yea, I know, I'll find them all for sale just behind the centre steer..........

The Vin No's started at 0001 for the rangies so your Vin will tell you how far into production yours was built I should think.
 
Rich_P said:
I'd love a tidy two door Rangie. Does anyone know if they ever made them with the 3-speed auto? Because that would be lovely.
Click to expand...

Good question. The option of an auto box wasn't available until 1982. The four door was introduced in '81 though the 2 door continued in production for a while so I suppose you SHOULD be able to get a standard 2 door with auto....

I expect Grumbleweeds was converted by a prior owner.
 
The CSK is a lovely machine too. Forerunner to the Range Rover Sport in application and concept I think, as the CSK was the fastest and best handling production Range Rover Classic.

When it comes down to the Range Rover Classics, I think I would much prefer a two door manual with carbs etc. over the later four door EFi autos. :D

These two doors don't go for an awful lot more than the four doors either, even in very tidy condition. Unless they're tax exempt, and then their value goes through the roof.
 
Worth taking a look at www.rrr.co.uk

Nice 2 doors pop up on there for sale occasionally.....trouble is, really nice 2 doors hold their value really well.......most have been bodged, busted or fallen to bits by now.

It's not that long ago that nobody wanted 2 door Range Rovers; you could hardly give the damn things away and, as the cost of repairing and maintaining far exceeded their market value they just got scrapped or cannibalised for parts......bit like early disco's now I suppose........
 
Here's a nice one for you Rich.....off the RRR site......and sooooooooo cheap........just pick up a cheap engine and away ya go

For Sale 1980 V Reg , 2 door , Rare Warwick Green , very original , unmessed with , very good inner body , needs only minor welding to footwells , excellent doors , but needs engine .( Engine is available separately ) . Excellent project , will make a very nice example .
£575
 
Sounds nice. But such a project is certainly daunting for someone who has never done an engine change before... :eek:

'afraid it would have to be MOTed and taxed for me to have it. Had enough of putting things together again after the 2A for the time being. :o

This, even though had a high sale price is a very very nice one. Mint condition. :yikes:
 
The chassis number is 35500493 making it a very early one.

As far as the history of it goes, the guy i bought it off owned it 25 years ago, sold it and then bought it back 10 years later in a bit of a state. The chassis was good apart from the rear x-member but the body was really badly mullered.
The car had a diesel engine with a disco lt77 (now on landybitz for sale) and he subsequently fitted a period engine (with SU's though i still have the strombergs indoors) and a torqueflite gearbox.
He also re-bodied it with the body from a '83 car with a knackered chassis and has fitted it really nicely. He is a master welder so it probably was an easy job! not something i'd do!

I still have the running problems- though i have dramatically improved it. I balanced the carbs quite well but the problem still persists. I then took the carbs to bits and cleaned the jets- a bit of a difference, and then i took out the fuel filter out of the fuel pump. This has made a massive difference but there still is a slight hesitation!
Anyone in the surrey area able to come and take a look as my knowledge of diagnosing engines has really been streched to the limit.
My final thing to change i think should be the wierd looking electronic ignition that is fitted to it. I have not been able to test this but some of the problems i have been experiencing, i have found with knackered EI units before.
Does anyone know where i can get some points and a condenser?!?!?!?!?

i really want to get her MOT'd next month and get her finalised for Billing land rover show

GW


some photos for you

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/1970RangeRover052.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/1970RangeRover054.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/1970RangeRover048.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/1970RangeRover057.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/1970RangeRover017.jpg

as i found her
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a323/Grumbleweed/1970RangeRover001.jpg
 
Lacy said:
Here's a nice one for you Rich.....off the RRR site......and sooooooooo cheap........just pick up a cheap engine and away ya go

For Sale 1980 V Reg , 2 door , Rare Warwick Green , very original , unmessed with , very good inner body , needs only minor welding to footwells , excellent doors , but needs engine .( Engine is available separately ) . Excellent project , will make a very nice example .
£575
Click to expand...

i have a new footwell if anyone wants it- passenger side
and an engine!!
 
She is looking really tidy mate............I'd paint the wheels silver though....might calm them down a bit......or at the very least Limestone!

I still love early ranges......having had a 2 door in the past and 4 doors since, I have always felt that the purity of design suffered badly when someone at Landrover decided they could improve on Spen Kings masterpiece by slapping extra doors and damn Morris Marina door handles on...........It evolved from a brilliantly simple, clean and functional design masterpiece into a chintzy tarts boudoir
 
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