Sometimes it’s best to get these things straight from the horses mouth, so to speak. So here, in it’s entirety, is the latest email from Matt at the Overland Preparation Barn, up in Matlock:
Barry and I took the body off yesterday and had a look at everything. Barry is quite keen that you get a new body, but I think, for what you want to do with it, repairing the existing body will be fine. Although this is going to cost a bit of time and it'll still look shabby! The strengthening cross members have all rotted away. And (as we know) the floor needs a long plate on going from one side to the other. The bit under the fuel tank has been bodged up with wire mesh and filler. It looks horrible, and a nice metal bit would be better (as it is susceptible to being hit, off road), but I think if you want this to be metal then it would be easier to simply get a new body.
Now the chassis is in great condition, although it has been hit on the front RH side and on the rear RH side. And it looks like the rear axle has been pushed (in an accident) to the left hand side. But these little inaccuracies are very easily straightened (by Barry!) There is only one little crack on theLH front hander (that we saw when you dropped it off) that need repairing.
The springs look rusty, but I think they are ok really. All the shocks are ok. There is a little play is one of the king pins, but itmight be possible to adjust this. All the wheel bearings/hubs are packed with nice NEW blue grease! It could do with four new hub oil seals, and one (well two really) of the stub axles have a VERY big groove in it where the seal seals against.This is on the rear axle and I think the stub axle is part of the whole axle assembly, so I suggest we fit a speedi-sleeve to these (about £45 each).
The wheel cylinders and the shoes all look kind of new, so I think we'll simply clean them up and put them back together. The master cylinder looks old, so I think a new one of them would be a good idea. Also a set of (four) brake hoses.
Oh, and I guess there is some sort of bush that the brake pedal pivots on, this has worn as well, so we need a new one.
And, the steering box is knackered!
On the chassis there is part of a stamp that says "F", it's not possible to read the rest,looks like the beginning of Ford?!
1 comment:
Blimey, this is all so grown-up. The nearest I come to this is to stand open-mouthed looking at the Jeep specimen in the Imperial (don't you just love that) War Museum.
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