1988 110 County Station Wagon

[Migz]

And so it begins.... This is a thread I am starting to, I don't know, chronicle the development of my 110. I started awhile back so I have a backlog of pics and work descriptions. I will be adding the stuff in the next few days to catch it up to current. Question and comment are welcome. I look forward to the responses. Even the critical ones, "like hey, dummy why did you do that?" or "man that looks terrible". At the end of the day I love cars, all cars. I particularly love putting old cars back in service and using them for what they were designed to do whether that be haul dirt or go around a race track. Drinving an old car should put a smile on your face. Being new to Europe I don't have the same automotive support groups I had back home. I have been looking for a LR forum for a while. This forum looks to be one I would like to participate in. So, with that said here we go.

Z

What it is: 1988 110 County Station Wagon. It was originally a 2.5L petrol but somewhere along the line it got a 3.5L petrol and an auto trans from a Range Rover Classic.

Why I bought it: I am an American expat that got an expat gig in the Netherlands. I have always had and built 4x4's of all makes and models over the years. 110's and 90's were always the forbidden fruit in the States so when I found I was going to be in Europe for an extended period it was time to purchase a 110. I have always felt that if your going to get a Rover you should get it from the U.K. and it should be RHD. It's just the way they are meant to be. Being American, it had to have a V8. I know, everyone reading this can roll their eyes now. It's just how it is, Americans love V8's.

Where I got it: I purchased it from a sheep farmer in Belfast. From the amount of mud I am still getting out of the frame and underside, a year later, I would guess it has been a farm rig for a long while.

When I got it: I purchased it summer 2018.

Planned Upgrades: First things first. This Rover wasn't a basket case but it wasn't in tip top condition either. I could give you the laundry list of high dollar items that I have in mind but the reality is that this is a daily driver. As it is a daily driver I have to do upgrades as they make sense, i.e. as things fall off or break. As I do get ahead of the necessary repairs and get to add fun stuff I am building in a specific direction. I use the 110 to haul my family all over Europe and we love to camp so I am building it with overlanding in mind. So upgrades will be selected and added with that end in mind.

Pics of from the advert I purchased from.

 

[freqmikey]

Nice one, hope you have a lot of fun together cool to have a V8 too, you'll have the nice soundtrack as a background to your adventures.

I used to have a very similar bull-bar on the front of my 109". Over the years the plastic coating cracked and peeled from various adventures and it looked grim. People over here get a bit upset by bull-bars anyway so shortly before the engine swap I took it off. I was amazed at how light and nimble the steering suddenly became !

Good idea to plan any upgrade carefully and it often helps to think outside the box. Remember that every single job you choose do is only one job out of the three that are actually needed. When you get to the point that you don't know what number job it is anymore you're going in the right direction.
Keep digging the mud out !

 

[Migz]

Here are a couple pics of the engine compartment. This is before I stripped out the LPG system.

 

[DarrenH]

look forward to your updates

its very patriotic so say about RHD and british etc, but you might argue that the concept and design/implementation in '48 was to be a vehicle for export

i like the under-slung lpg tanks, it always bugs me when they are in the load space and it would be a deal breaker. on the flip side they do look a little exposed there, right in the brake over angle

 

[Migz]

Removing the LPG system. Had to repair the holes in the runners where the LPG mixer rings were installed. Removing the system proved to take a lot of time. It was quite an elaborate system.

 

[Migz]

I had a terrible oil leak coming from the pan gasket. I also thought there maybe an vacuum leak. I was having problems with the idle. Well after the gasket change and cleaning up the intake and runners I still have a weird idle.

 

[Migz]

The rover gets a rack and tent.

 

[Migz]

Installed an air compressor. All my rigs have one of these if they have lockers or not. In my opinion on board air is one of the most basic but necessary upgrades out there. They ability to fill tires on the road is priceless. It's been my experience that compressor at the petrol stations are usually out of order. On board air allows the flexibility to air down when needed.

 

[Migz]

One item on the rover that I always had problems with was the cooling fan. At some time in the past a rude electric fan set up was installed. The thermostat control utilized a capillary bulb on a copper line that was slipped in to the upper radiator hose. It was awful. The upper radiator hose leaked a bit. Terrible. I chose to go back to original with a fan and clutch. I wasn't able to find a fan shroud so I had to fab one out of aluminum. The set up works so much better now. No overheating in stop N go traffic. A world of difference.

 

[Migz]

Took the rover up to Norway this summer for holiday. Prior to the trip I had to make a removable tray for the back for a cooler and dogs. It worked out great and is easy to remove and store when not in use.

 

[Migz]

The stock jack that I got with the rover was terrible. It was rusty and neglected. I had a High Lift jack that I brought from the States. I couldn't bring myself to pay for the simple adapter that Paddock and others sell. I fabbed one up real quick.

 

[Migz]

Rover in action. We had to pitch camp at midnight the first night in Norway. The pic is of the next morning. Had to figure out where we were, and where we were needed to go. We decided to just crash for the night and figure out the next move in the morning.

 

[Migz]

To smooth the rough edges.

 

[Migz]

Norway was the death nail in the suspension. I thought I had more photos of the spring swap but I was pretty concentrated on the job and didn't get a lot of pics. I went with Rover HD, NRC6904 NRC6389 330 lb/in, and 130 helpers, RRC3266 140 lb/in, in the rear and Rover HD springs in the front, NRC 9448 NRC9449 225 lb/in. While in there I had to replace all the hardware and rubber bumpers. I went with standard Rover 110HD/130 shock up front. still workin on the rear. I have to replace the shock mount on the frame as well as do the rust repair in that general area. I am doing the rust repair in sections. Knock off the big stuff with a pressure washer, let it dry, hit it with a flap wheel, then sand blast the area, then prime with a high solid primer and then spray paint. I also replaced the bushings in the panhard bar. I had a bad case of death wobble. The bushings on the panhard were totally gone. The next item to get to is to refurb the radius arms. New bushings, clean up and paint. So far I am happy with the resulting ride. It is stiff but with the tent up top and passenger it rides comfortably. I do need new sway bars front and rear.

 

[Migz]

Here was a small, fun thing to add last week. It seems more proper than the LR sticker that was originally on there from the factory. With this I am up to date on rover happenings as of October 2019.

 

[DarrenH]

fantastic fabrication

 

[cappers]

Great work there @Migx, and welcome to the forum. I like your attitude w.r.t these 'forbidden fruit'!

Being American, it had to have a V8. I know, everyone reading this can roll their eyes now. It's just how it is, Americans love V8's.

Rolling eyes with a swoon There are many V8 fans in the UK and on this forum......how can one not love a V8 I've had 7 Landies (and a RRC) and all but three were original or converted V8s. My current 'keeper' is a 90, was a 2.5P but I had a 3.5V8 and RR autobox fitted. A wonderful combination.

Your fan shroud is ace; I have an electric one, better set up by the sound of it than your old one, but I'd still prefer a viscous but have no shroud, so I might take a leaf out of your book and do similar, it looks just the ticket. Would it be a cheek if I asked for dimensions etc? It looks like the engine is in the 'proper' factory position so it should work for mine.
Good luck with your endeavours and enjoy your forbidden fruit

 

[cappers]

That should have been 'Great work there @Migz'

 

[Migz]

Been away from home for awhile...family stuff, last vacation of the summer etc.. back to working on the Rover. I am working through the front axle. The bushings and hardware on the radius arms looked pretty nasty, so it is time to do a quick refurb. Also, I am taking the opportunity to deal with the surface rust on the frame in the general location of the radius arm mount. Here are a few pics of the driver side. Passenger side to follow later this week.

 

[Migz]

fantastic fabrication

Thanks for the kind words. I try and improve a little with each job.