A Landy is reborn

[tractorman]

I found the Plus Gas - it was on the top shelf, behind the 3-in-1 aerosol!

I had hoped to get something done over the weekend, but it was rather wet, so I painted some doors for the new cupboards that will go in the kitchen instead. There's a little "fettling" to do this morning and then I can get on with Landy stuff!

There is a pile of stuff in the kitchen at the moment that I ordered after doing the windscreen. They include top and bottom seals for the screen, some for the hardtop and one of the LH door. As I have a "new" dashboard (the other has a big split in the padding), I thought it might be wise to change the instrument panel mount and, as there is a metal one available for a tenner more than the plastic LR one, one of those is on the (nice new) kitchen worktop!

I have gathered many of the parts I bought and intend to de-rust, prime and paint before I fit them. However, I lent my welder's apron to a friend a couple of weeks ago and he keeps forgetting to bring it back (I'll have to go and see him tomorrow and be awkward!). I use the apron when I'm using the angle grinder because my trouser leg melted one day and I only noticed when I reached into the pocket - and found it wasn't there!

[tractorman]

One step forward and several sideways!

I have been a bit nervous about setting out to free the clutch as there are a number of young children about during the day - especially as it's warmish at the moment. It isn't easy to swing a Landy through from lawn to drive and then to the road at the best of times (it can be fun with the big tractor with power steering!), trying without a working clutch and young children is asking for trouble!

This afternoon was slightly different as, just as I gave up on the idea, one of the mums took the little blighters off to the playground. So, with a few anxious manoeuvres and an increasingly damp steering wheel, I was on the public highway again. After a slight mishap at the junction (I forgot about the clutch for a moment!), I was on the main road (main being relative term) and within fifty yards, I had a working clutch. Flushed with success, I roared along and it took a few minutes to remember that I was in low box! I went along a mile or so further without problem, came home and parked on the lawn again. One job sorted!

I bought a "new" dashboard top section as the padding on mine is torn. The new one has some small splits, but they are in front of the passenger, so won't annoy me too much! As I have a nice new metal instrument housing to fit, I will re-rust and spray the new dash and have it all smart ready for a quick swap some day (after the MOT in July). Some media for the sandblaster is now on its way; I have a "manhole cover" to blast for a neighbour, so he is paying for half the media, which suits me! I'll blast the "new" fuel tank and the brand new front mount (chassis leg) while I have things set up and then have a session with spraygun: weld-through primer, stone chip and black paint before I start the big strip down to fix the shock absorber mount and new fuel tank.

After a long chat with the neighbour, I got the penetrating oil out to spray some of the bolts that need to be removed. Typically, the can wasn't as full as I thought. So I sprayed the springs with 3-in-1 from the new aerosol can and that is empty too - that's just to free them off a little before I take them apart and grease them. Annoyingly, whoever rebuilt the Landy has used the longest bolts he could find - so there are a lot of exposed and rusty threads about!

[tractorman]

Believe it or not, after sorting my neighbour's garden drain last summer, he wanted me to sandblast a "manhole" cover so he could paint it and put it on the soakaway! I suspect most of us would just have put the rusty old cover on! Armed with that excuse and the need to do a little sandblasting on some Landy bits, I ordered some "sand" on eBay and it arrived the next day (yesterday). I also ordered some gauntlets and they came today.

So after my afternoon nap (the dog woke me at 4:45 this morning), I set the blasting cabinet up and did the cover and then discovered the top dashboard panel is a good six inches too long to go in the cabinet! However, there wasn't a lot of dust around by the time I finished doing the back of the panel - there was a good strong wind to blow it over the garage roof and out of harm's way! After giving the dash a couple of coats of etch primer. I got nicely started on the fuel tank (it's well sealed!) and then discovered there are now two nozzles on the handle - the second is from the side of the ball valve (it's a cheapo blasting pot from eBay).

The dog was not impressed - I took the cover back to the neighbour and they were having supper (I think), so I didn't disturb them. The dog? She always potters along as the neighbour's wife is daft enough to spend a fortune on Shapes for her - they haven't got a dog now!!

[tractorman]

Rain stops play! Well, almost - I got the new valve yesterday and fitted it and a new nozzle to the hose this morning! Considering I've only used the blast cabinet properly two times since I made it (about four years ago), and put about 100Kg of media through the gun, I don't think it's worth bothering with a brass valve!



Note the visor - I can use a dust mask while using the angle grinder if I use a visor instead of goggles. The snag is that I can only blame my cough on smoking now!

While waiting for the ball valve, I decided to get the angle grinder and sanding disk out and take a lot of the paint and grot off the fuel tank and new chassis leg. If nothing else, it saves sand - and disks are relatively cheap! I found my "flexi cam" and had a look inside the tank (sorry, it doesn't take photos) and there are only one or two small bits of rust inside. The only worrying thing is that they are on the other side of similar rust spots on the outside of the tank! I'll decide what action to take when I have blasted the outside of the tank, though I don't think it is actually so thin that it needs a patch. The top of the tank isn't as bad as the photo suggests - just a little pitting on the surface that will more or less disappear with a good coat of stone chip.



I etch primed the back of the "new" dash panel the sits against the bulkhead and some new bits yesterday, then sprayed a cost of satin black this morning (I can still smell it, so I must have sprayed myself too!). That's about all I can do today - there are a few showers about and I don't want to get the car out (the DPF doesn't like it!).



Here's a pile of stuff that needs fitting, or blasting, painting and fitting. Nothing exciting, though the two rusty angle brackets are actually two brand new seat belt mounting brackets, nicely plated when I put them in the shed in January!



I mentioned that I had to move the pillar drill to make space for the Landy. I also rearranged things a little to make more space. It means I won't be able to swap the car for a Golf Estate now - it wouldn't fit! The two bags are stuff for recycling, not bird food! After the way the birds have eaten various seedlings, I am not in a charitable mood, they will be on short rations for a while!



I bought some more penetrating oil and an aerosol can of 3-in-1 yesterday (I also bought some etch primer and satin black paint), Just to prove I do have Plus Gas:

[JPB]

I like the idea of a "3 in 1" aerosol container, so I just devised a new one which combines whipped cream, carb cleaner and satin black acrylic paint as its 3. Dragons' den here I go.

[tractorman]

Something has been done at last! After many delays, I have managed to get the Landy into the garage and it makes me glad I'm skinny!



Not a lot of space at the front either:



As the photos suggest, I have made a start on making it roadworthy - I've attacked the shock absorber and enjoyed the rusty nuts and bolts no end!

Earlier on in the thread, I suggested the back end was chopped LWB, looking closely, you may be able to see that there is an LWB-style back axle (with lower shock absorber mounts welded to it). However, I think it is more to do with a military past (I found "Army Green" paint when I changed the windscreen and there are other non-civilian features).



The top mounting is well shot, so some lathe work and the pillar drill will come on very useful here:



The shock absorber is well goosed too - very stiff to move and sticks wherever you leave it (note the LWB-style pin for the bottom mount!)



It looks like I will have to spend more money (now there's a surprise!!)

[JPB]

very stiff to move and sticks wherever you leave it

As it ought to be, unless of course it had been a gas one in which case it should try to open itself.

[tractorman]

Yes, quite - I was probably a little too brief in my description though, I got it closed, but can't get it to open up again (and there are signs of oil seeping out now).

I can't complain really - new ones can be cheap (especially compared to the struts for a Golf) and there are plenty available (unlike BL displacers!), so it isn't a total disaster! The nice surprise was how easily the bolt came out when I took the bit of mounting off it a few minutes ago!

[tractorman]

The new shock absorbers (and straps to stop the back axle from falling off!) have just arrived and, even though they are made by an unpopular British Part firm, do confirm my diagnosis about the old ones!

I haven't got far otherwise - I went to see a friend/ex boss with Alzheimer's yesterday and lost most of the morning. I managed to find a length of box section that I can use to make the new mounting bracket (though I wanted 3"x2" and the stuff I have is 40mm x 70mm). It was the anode for my electrolysis de-rusting experiment, so I had to soak it in rust remover for a while. It has now got a nice covering of flash rust as the remover had to be washed off and I dried the metal in front of the Rayburn!

I am about to go and cut some metal before supper: if only because the car is on the drive (I went shopping this morning) and it seems daft to waste the opportunity to get at the Landy without having to lie on my side to get near the chassis!

[tractorman]

Hmm, the Britpart bug strikes - one shock absorber has three bottom bushes and one top one! Otherwise, the actual shockers are fine and Paddock's, who supplied them, are pretty dashed quick (very impressive!)

I got a new "frame" cut for the top mount and have cut a lot of the old frame off so I could try the new one in place. As you would expect, the top of the chassis has some nice holes where the old mounting was, but is sound either side. The new mount is box-section, so the "bottom" will cover the holes nicely and a good weld will make the chassis perfect. I think I can do a good weld now I have improved the MIG!

The next job is to get the back end higher (I have some tall axle stands that are ideal for the tractors) and get underneath so I can cut the rest of the old mounting off and strip some of the underseal off - it's nice and soft, so blocks sanders and wire brushes rather too quickly! There are cutouts and plates in the tub above the shock absorber mounts, so I hope that removing the plywood floor will show some nice pop rivets and I can take the plates off to gain clear access to the top of the chassis. The slight snag is that I can't get to the nearside while the Landy is in the garage, so getting at the bolts that hold the ply in place on that side may be difficult.