1992 Range Rover body swap

[RobXjcoupe]

I’ve owned my 92 Range Rover for about 10 years with a view to a rolling restoration. Long story short the car has sat outside and the body is riddled with holes
Amazingly she still starts up lovely but with a blowing exhaust now. Chassis looks really good but the body mounts are being reclaimed to the earth lol,
So I’m loathe to scrap her and wondered rather than spend a small fortune on inner panels/repairs and welding I thought remove the whole body and fit a good imported 2 door body so making a j plate 2 door vogue se.
Question is do I need to fit the earlier 2 door body shell number plates or keep the original 92 chassis registration?
Thanks in advance for any info

[C Lee Farquar]

You keep the chassis ID.

If you modify the chassis, which you shouldn't need to do, then you're into IVA territory.

[paintman]

I just wonder which is going to be the most work?
Likely insurance for what will be a modified vehicle?
Bearing in mind the number of pre-fabricated body panels available from YRM, Froggatts etc.

[ten200]

As an alternative, it looks like Dakar are still making their kit car that uses a classic Range Rover donor vehicle.

http://www.dakar4x4.me.uk/dakar.html

[RobXjcoupe]

paintman said:

I just wonder which is going to be the most work?
Likely insurance for what will be a modified vehicle?
Bearing in mind the number of pre-fabricated body panels available from YRM, Froggatts etc.

At the time I was happy to plod around, bit of welding here and there. But it’s been parked up and the holes in the floor are so big now it’s stopped getting damp inside .
The car has a bit of history from new but a lot of previous owners. My thinking is build it as something a bit more special. Use an imported LHD 2 door car to donate it’s body from a warm dry climate so when stripped to its inner steel shell there won’t be massive rot if anything a few grotty corners but no bracing fitting inner and outer sills, floors, a and b pillar repairs, inner front wings, headlamp surrounds and looks like bulkhead repairs also.
I think it would be an easier build to swap bodies. A 2 door with vogue se spec in my head sounds like a nicely modified Range Rover. I think they made a special edition like it way back but they are few and far between. So in a way I’m not building anything that isn’t untoward.
Insurance wise it isn’t an issue

[RobXjcoupe]

C Lee Farquar said:

You keep the chassis ID.

If you modify the chassis, which you shouldn't need to do, then you're into IVA territory.

Thank you

[RobXjcoupe]

ten200 said:

As an alternative, it looks like Dakar are still making their kit car that uses a classic Range Rover donor vehicle.

http://www.dakar4x4.me.uk/dakar.html

Had a look, maybe a little extreme for my taste, thanks anyway for the link

[CAPP0]

RobXjcoupe said:

ten200 said:

As an alternative, it looks like Dakar are still making their kit car that uses a classic Range Rover donor vehicle.

http://www.dakar4x4.me.uk/dakar.html

Had a look, maybe a little extreme for my taste, thanks anyway for the link

The trouble with a lot of kit cars is that they end up looking like, er, kit cars.

[C Lee Farquar]

And there are few things that look better than an unmolested two door Classic.

[RobXjcoupe]

I’m quite looking forward to this new rebuild now.

[paintman]

RobXjcoupe said:

A 2 door with vogue se spec in my head sounds like a nicely modified Range Rover. I think they made a special edition like it way back but they are few and far between.

They did a few.
http://www.range-rover-classic.com/Home/land-rover...

[RobXjcoupe]

paintman said:

RobXjcoupe said:

A 2 door with vogue se spec in my head sounds like a nicely modified Range Rover. I think they made a special edition like it way back but they are few and far between.

They did a few.
http://www.range-rover-classic.com/Home/land-rover...

That was interesting reading the specs, I didn’t realise my old Range Rover was so well equipped. It will be a challenge getting the old girl fully working again in a 2 door body but those csk versions look fab. Mine won’t obviously be an original csk but that’s what I’m going to base my car on I think. My cars original colour is Westminster grey, would it be lost in the sea of modern, silver, grey and black cars?

[drmike37]

Have a look at a CSK Range Rover.

[paintman]

RobXjcoupe said:

That was interesting reading the specs, I didn’t realise my old Range Rover was so well equipped. It will be a challenge getting the old girl fully working again in a 2 door body but those csk versions look fab. Mine won’t obviously be an original csk but that’s what I’m going to base my car on I think. My cars original colour is Westminster grey, would it be lost in the sea of modern, silver, grey and black cars?

The RRC shape is so distinctive I doubt it & I certainly don't see that many around any more.

[RobXjcoupe]

I found this picture of a 2 door and I think it’s a csk.
The slightly bigger diameter wheels suits the car well I think. I have a set of twin 5 spokes from a late p38 vogue. Same size as those in the picture but they have a nice dished outed rim just screaming to be polished with painted spokes . The chrome bumpers look good also against the black body on the pictured car a nice design touch. I’ll probably start work on my own vehicle summer time. Nearly finished this xjc and while the body shop are happy with my monthly payment I might as well carry on with another restoration

[paintman]

Looks much like it.
The wheels don't look right for one.
You'll find the LR brochures for the CSK in the link.
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPkCZOS7EzV7p...

Edited by paintman on Friday 24th January 19:09

[RobXjcoupe]

paintman said:

Looks much like it.
The wheels don't look right for one.
You'll find the LR brochures for the CSK in the link.
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPkCZOS7EzV7p...

Edited by paintman on Friday 24th January 19:09

I think original wheels look dated now. The vehicle itself is spot on though

[jon-yprpe]

You really mean buying an entire 2 door LHD Rangie, difficult to find body shell. Not many Portuguese or Spanish cars left at sensible money. There are some in France if you get a ‘dry’ area. Mine came from Lyon. Transport to the Uk is £1k delivered to your door. Quite a few are sound but dented as they tend to be used as cheap hacks and not looked after. Leboncoin is a good site for cheap ones.

Then swap the shells, dash, etc take the chassis plate from your old shell and put on your new front (or transfer the panel), Inform the DVLA of the colour change (unless you get it resprayed).

But in reality, when your taking the body off you may as well do a load of other work and next thing is you have a bare chassis and lots of bits lying around.

[RobXjcoupe]

jon-yprpe said:

You really mean buying an entire 2 door LHD Rangie, difficult to find body shell. Not many Portuguese or Spanish cars left at sensible money. There are some in France if you get a ‘dry’ area. Mine came from Lyon. Transport to the Uk is £1k delivered to your door. Quite a few are sound but dented as they tend to be used as cheap hacks and not looked after. Leboncoin is a good site for cheap ones.

Then swap the shells, dash, etc take the chassis plate from your old shell and put on your new front (or transfer the panel), Inform the DVLA of the colour change (unless you get it resprayed).

But in reality, when your taking the body off you may as well do a load of other work and next thing is you have a bare chassis and lots of bits lying around.

Yep, entire 2 door LHD donor car for the body. Then progress a restoration rebuild for my current chassis and running gear before fitting the restored donor car 2 door body. So finished car will be a j plate 3.9 2 door.
So simple in a couple of sentences lol but I am aware of the work involved

[jon-yprpe]

If the LHD body is in good nick, you’ll prob find the chassis is in better condition than yours.

If you’re taking the body off anyway swapping LHD to RHD isn’t that difficult, and you’ve got all the parts to hand!