Workshop Projects
Standard Class Challenge Truck / Tim's introduction
Believe it or not, for most of the time, working at Devon 4x4 is very much like any other job. We talk to customers and suppliers, we manage stock, we offer advice and chat to customers... all routine, every-day stuff. From time-to-time, the mundane activities are broken up with more exciting happenings; We get to do really interesting things like visiting the SEMA show in Las Vegas, we get to play with some very cool toys like the Devon 4x4 trayback 110, or the Bowler Nemesis that we had on our stand at the LRW show, we also get to share in successes such as the Devon 4x4 team triumph in the Outback Challenge of Morocco. For any off-road enthusiast, these things are definitely the perks of the job, they keep you interested and on your toes.
Now I mention these things, not to make readers jealous, and any chance of pay negotiations has now probably gone out of the window ! I mention them because the project on which we are about to embark falls very much into the category of a 'perk'...
For some time, Simon has been talking about building a company 'hack'. A basic off-roader which could be used for events without the worry of damaging one of the 'flagship' vehicles. The trouble is, there was always something else to take priority, be it a customer project, a show or just the normal pressures of the job. What was needed was a goal... a deadline to work towards. This came in the form of the decision that Devon 4x4 would sponsor and be involved with a new 2 day challenge event run by Challenge South West called the 'De-Cider Trophy' After a bit of discussion, it was decided that Jake and I would enter the event in a vehicle that would have to be built ! The entry form was submitted, and the wheels started turning.
The first thing we needed was a base vehicle. Wandering around the yard, we had the choice of a number of possibilities. The one which stood out the most was a D registration Land Rover 90 with an old naturally aspirated diesel engine and a serious case of tin-worm. It was going to take some major work, and in order to keep costs to an absolute minimum, some major scrounging !
Now, before we go too much further, and for those of our readers that have never had the pleasure of meeting Jake, it is probably worth pausing for a moment to examine his key skills. Jake is a class one blagger. He wanders around making a mental note of where things are lying, he watches as old bits of vehicle are tossed away when they are taken off old vehicles. He's the sort of person that you'd expect to see in one of those terrible prisoner of war films... 'Right Jake, we need two steel tubes, a ball of string, some matches and a small herd of Peruvian goats', 'Not a problem, I'll be back before breakfast !' These skills will hopefully prove to be very valuable in the near future !
Our project vehicle identified, we set about a basic list of specifications and started to ponder where we could find the items we needed. The spec was pretty straightforward. We wanted a standard class vehicle, that means just a single winch and no diff lockers... yes folks, we will actually need to know how to drive to be competitive ! It will be a straightforward truck-cab vehicle with very little fancy bodywork. We will need to replace the worn out TD engine and a decent Tdi lump is the obvious choice. We'll need a roll cage and a winch.
There is a saying that fortune favours the foolish, and in this case it may be true ! Regular website visitors will know that the Devon 4x4 90 is undergoing a complete rebuild at the moment, along with a conversion to trayback, this means that amongst other things, there is a roll cage and a D44 winch bumper lying in the take-offs pile. They are a little beaten and battered, but there is also an expression which says that beggars can't be choosers ! With two of the major components located, we turned our attention to other things. The engine was another major item to find so once again the scouting began. By chance, Liz got a phone call from a customer with an MOT-failure Discovery. The body had rotten in all the usual places, making it pretty much uneconomical to repair.. the customer needed it gone, so with a bargain price negotiated, a grubby red 300 Tdi Disco arrived in the yard.
The choice of gearbox to use is still open to discussion.. do we mate an LT77 box to the engine, convert the Discovery box, or try to source an R380 from a Defender... the jury is still out on that question !
As the vehicle is currently a county station wagon, a new roof is needed. Time to raid my parts pile at home. A quick search yielded a suitable roof and also a set of half-doors to replace the rotten ones on the 90.
As the pile of parts in the yard increased in a short time, the mood around the project has a distinct sense of optimism. Things were shaping up nicely for the vehicle, and the event. You never know, we might even get it finished in time to go to an event before the De-Cider and practice !!
*Please note : no Peruvian goats were harmed in the making of this article.
Now I mention these things, not to make readers jealous, and any chance of pay negotiations has now probably gone out of the window ! I mention them because the project on which we are about to embark falls very much into the category of a 'perk'...
For some time, Simon has been talking about building a company 'hack'. A basic off-roader which could be used for events without the worry of damaging one of the 'flagship' vehicles. The trouble is, there was always something else to take priority, be it a customer project, a show or just the normal pressures of the job. What was needed was a goal... a deadline to work towards. This came in the form of the decision that Devon 4x4 would sponsor and be involved with a new 2 day challenge event run by Challenge South West called the 'De-Cider Trophy' After a bit of discussion, it was decided that Jake and I would enter the event in a vehicle that would have to be built ! The entry form was submitted, and the wheels started turning.
The first thing we needed was a base vehicle. Wandering around the yard, we had the choice of a number of possibilities. The one which stood out the most was a D registration Land Rover 90 with an old naturally aspirated diesel engine and a serious case of tin-worm. It was going to take some major work, and in order to keep costs to an absolute minimum, some major scrounging !
Now, before we go too much further, and for those of our readers that have never had the pleasure of meeting Jake, it is probably worth pausing for a moment to examine his key skills. Jake is a class one blagger. He wanders around making a mental note of where things are lying, he watches as old bits of vehicle are tossed away when they are taken off old vehicles. He's the sort of person that you'd expect to see in one of those terrible prisoner of war films... 'Right Jake, we need two steel tubes, a ball of string, some matches and a small herd of Peruvian goats', 'Not a problem, I'll be back before breakfast !' These skills will hopefully prove to be very valuable in the near future !
Our project vehicle identified, we set about a basic list of specifications and started to ponder where we could find the items we needed. The spec was pretty straightforward. We wanted a standard class vehicle, that means just a single winch and no diff lockers... yes folks, we will actually need to know how to drive to be competitive ! It will be a straightforward truck-cab vehicle with very little fancy bodywork. We will need to replace the worn out TD engine and a decent Tdi lump is the obvious choice. We'll need a roll cage and a winch.
There is a saying that fortune favours the foolish, and in this case it may be true ! Regular website visitors will know that the Devon 4x4 90 is undergoing a complete rebuild at the moment, along with a conversion to trayback, this means that amongst other things, there is a roll cage and a D44 winch bumper lying in the take-offs pile. They are a little beaten and battered, but there is also an expression which says that beggars can't be choosers ! With two of the major components located, we turned our attention to other things. The engine was another major item to find so once again the scouting began. By chance, Liz got a phone call from a customer with an MOT-failure Discovery. The body had rotten in all the usual places, making it pretty much uneconomical to repair.. the customer needed it gone, so with a bargain price negotiated, a grubby red 300 Tdi Disco arrived in the yard.
The choice of gearbox to use is still open to discussion.. do we mate an LT77 box to the engine, convert the Discovery box, or try to source an R380 from a Defender... the jury is still out on that question !
As the vehicle is currently a county station wagon, a new roof is needed. Time to raid my parts pile at home. A quick search yielded a suitable roof and also a set of half-doors to replace the rotten ones on the 90.
As the pile of parts in the yard increased in a short time, the mood around the project has a distinct sense of optimism. Things were shaping up nicely for the vehicle, and the event. You never know, we might even get it finished in time to go to an event before the De-Cider and practice !!
*Please note : no Peruvian goats were harmed in the making of this article.
