Chassis Dynamics

For the longest time, I've been debating what to do with the chassis. I've agonized, made decisions, reversed my decisions, and waffled for a couple of years now. As the largest single expense in this rebuild, it's arguably the most consequential to my budget (if I ever bothered to set one) and it's one of those "points of project death" where you have to find a way past it if you're to carry on. 

The one I have isn't too far gone. In fact, it's in pretty good shape, given its age -- I mean, try finding a 61 year-old human who hasn't needed surgery! There are (of course) problems with the original chassis that would need to be rectified. Like any old thing made of metal, there are some problem areas due to simple corrosion. There are also a few human-caused issues, and there are a few previous 'fixes' that would need to be redone. 

The old frame first and foremost would need some patches to previous work. There are some ugly holes that I think someone attempted to fix previously, but... didn't:

There are unfortunately a couple of these. 

The bottom of the frame, similarly, has some pretty major dents / bumps in it and new metal will need to be welded in.

Additionally, the rear crossmember (a common area for corrosion) was redone with homemade 'outriggers' made of thinner sheet metal. It looks OK from the outside, but I'd want a new one in place. 

There is also the matter of the stuck steering relay, which is, uh, a bit of a story. What's left of it will need to be cut out which would probably necessitate the replacement of the front crossmember. 

Finally, there's the matter of having to pull the whole thing apart, cleaning all the mouse nests out, and finding the areas where new metal would need to be welded in. 

While the chassis is not at all in bad shape overall, I am not a metal fabricator. I have *no* skills. And finding someone to do the work has proven to be quite problematic. There are some restoration shops -- think, like, a hot rod shop -- but they're expensive at $100 an hour (or more.) There are the Land Rover specialists, similarly, who are also about as expensive. I could certainly go about repairing what I have. 

But I worry about cracks and otherwise thin / worn parts of the chassis that I would never be able to see. 

And, once repaired, I'd need to galvanize or powdercoat the repaired chassis to make it last. 

Fortunately, because the Land Rover community is so large, we have alternatives. There are three -- that I know of -- manufacturers of brand-new, reproduction Series Land Rover chassis. 

I took a look at Shielder, based in Northern Ireland. They make galvanized bulkheads as well. Nice. They bothered to email me back, which I appreciated. 

Most LR enthusiasts are familiar with Richards, the 1,000-lb gorilla of galvy chassis manufacturers. You can buy their products, sometimes, through importers like 3 Brothers Classic Rovers in Ontario, or Rovers North in Vermont. This would be really convenient if you lived near either operation, because they bring containers full in a couple of times a year. 

However, I don't live near Ontario. Or Vermont.

A new chassis from Shielder or Richards is about 2400 GBP -- at current exchange rates, that's about $4200 Canadian kopecs. Not a bad deal, actually, considering that you get a new build product that'll last for fifty years or more. And it has the benefit of being dimensionally accurate, which is not a guarantee when one starts welding big patches on one's old chassis. 

The catch is: you have to get one from the UK to the West Coast of Canada which is, let's be honest, a really long way. 

I spent a lot of time pestering people looking at my options. Most didn't really want to talk to me, including (at first) Richards themselves. I learned it would cost me nearly as much to ship the thing to a warehouse in Surrey (the one in British Columbia) as it would to buy in the first place. If you decide you want to go this route, you'll need to prepare to spend $8k + CAD, as well as find a broker to clear your chassis from whatever local warehouse they put it in. 

The cost is not, therefore, trivial. 

For a person like me, this was the most feasible option. I looked at sharing container costs (shipping quote: $2500 FOB Calgary), ordering one through 3 Brothers (same cost + a one-year wait) or Rovers North ($1500 USD to Blaine, WA) plus, again, the wait. Also, you get what they have in stock, which seems mostly to be 88" frames.

What the hell, I decided. If I was going to get a new-build chassis, I may as well get the one I really wanted. 

I've liked the look of Peter Knowles' truck. He put his on a military frame... so that's what I ordered direct from Richards. 

The process was a little weird. They haven't asked for a deposit and there's no clear indication what the next steps are. I asked what they wanted me to do and basically they said, "wait." 

OK then. I guess I'll figure out how to pay them later?