Thursday, July 24, 2014

Range Rover Classic SWB, white, Great Divide Edition look-alike w/ 200tdi diesel 5-speed swap!

   I just got this truck in.  It looks GREAT,  and has obviously been well-taken-care-of.  Has some GDE badges, but as this truck is a 1988,  it can not be a real GDE as far as I know.      Body is perfectly straight and rust free.   Tires are huge 265-series, and appear to be brand new, and have no miles on them.     Interior looks great,   the major flaw being a long split seam in the driver's side leather seat.  ARB front bumper looks new too.   I may swap seats out to manual seats if I can find a grey set soon.   Factory radio switched out for a newer nice stereo with aux/ ipod input.

   I have here a Range - Rover issue 200tdi turbo-diesel engine and matching LT77 5-speed transmission to go in this truck.    It will have a brand-new clutch, water pump, timing belt, engine seals, diesel lift pump all installed,  and conversion will be done in about 2 weeks (Middle of August).     I have had a lot of requests for another white Range Rover Classic  - so here it is.     The short wheelbase trucks are faster,  and get better mileage by 1-2 MPG than the LWB trucks,  so this should be a great truck for someone.   AND ,  if no one buys it, I am happy to keep it.    It even smells fresh inside.     

  It is rare to find a truck that has been so obviously taken care of as this one.

    If you are interested in this truck,  or having another converted to Tdi diesel power,  shoot me an email at zombiemotors@earthlink.net or call 503-810-4713 and PLEASE leave a message if I can not answer,  and sorry folks, I do not text.   The particular geometry of my thumbs makes it a fool's errand.

   Here are a few photos for you, pre-conversion :

  
















   

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Land Rover / Range Rover Tdi Diesel Engine Conversion kits for sale! - What you get, and what you need/ need to know to do a proper conversion...

   I get engine 'conversion kit' requests almost every day and am asked what the swap includes.      Almost every potential buyer asks me if they can keep their existing transmission,  as 'it is working fine'.       I am typing this post up to hopefully make clear what you can expect to receive in your kit,  and what it all looks like.

   Also,  everyone likes to shop around for good prices,  and I have said it before and may say it again,  but if you buy a kit from someone else,  especially a seller in the UK (Or Atlanta) ,  and once you receive your kit (or do not receive your kit but instead receive excuses why you do not have it yet) ,  I will probably not be able to help you.     I DO stand behind my own engine kits,  and make sure my buyers receive satisfaction.    I have been doing this for a couple of years now  and have performed dozens of engine swaps myself and understand what it takes.    I think  my prices are good,  and I know my service is good,   and I know there are people out there selling engines that are garbage -  I know this because the buyers eventually call me to help them get their engine fixed, and I hear who they purchased their kits from that were shady.

   Enough about that.

   What you receive in an engine swap kit from me will be every part necessary for the job you are doing.   In the case of going from a gasoline-V8 Range Rover Classic with auto box to a Tdi 5-speed, you will receive a complete running engine,  transmission, CDL - equipped LT230 transfer case,  front driveshaft,  shift boots for inside the car, clutch pedal to attach to your pedal box,  clutch line,  radiator/ intercooler,  diesel and air filter assemblies,  wiring harness and glow plug relay, motor mounts, chassis mounts and more.     This is a big kit with a lot of parts,  and we manage to get it all to fit on one standard pallet with careful packaging.

   If you are running a Land Rover with a V8,  you will NEED a new transmission when you go to Tdi/ Turbo Diesel power.    Yes, even if your current transmission is operating perfectly.   The bell housings are completely different between V8 and 4-cylinder versions,  and input shafts are different too.   I am sure you can convert  your V8 transmission to fit the 4-cylinder Tdi engine,  but you will at least have to pay for an adapter plate, or correct bellhousing, and input shaft, and the time to disassemble the gearbox to do this makes it dis-advantageous, in my opinion.     The transmission part of the equation here in the pricing only reflects about $500-$800 of the total price of the kits,  so you may as well just take the transmission too,  even if you think you will not need it.


    I always offer a 'NEW PARTS KIT'  to buyers -  not that you NEED it,   but a lot of people think that while their engine is out,  why not change the engine seals, water pump, diesel lift pump, timing belt,  clutch, etc  -   SO I offer this kit in addition to the cost of the engine conversion kit, should you want it.   I keep all of these parts in stock here in Portland too,  in case you need anything else I can get your parts to you easily in two days.

   Some kits are for 'engine only swaps' -  For example going from a 2.5 N/A gas or diesel engine to a Tdi engine in a Defender 90 or 110.      The 200tdi engine will bolt right up to your existing LT77 transmission,  and you may only want the 'Engine Kit'  -  In this case you will get the complete, ready-to-run engine,  motor mounts, radiator and intercooler including frame,  diesel and air filter assemblies, wiring harness, glow plug relay and harness,   everything you would need to swap engines out to the 200 or 300tdi.    I do have experience here as well,  and can offer advice about mating the 300tdi to your LT77 if you wish,   or installing a R380 behind a 200tdi.      I also offer LT230 center-locking transfer cases in 4 ratios,  to match all engine/ wheel types :  1.6 , 1.4, 1.2 and even 1.1 : 1 final drive ratios.

    My engines and gearboxes have all been tested and ran in the UK by my partner there before being removed, drained, wrapped and forwarded to me here in Portland OR.    My engines all come with a warranty,   and I also offer complete rebuilt engines as well, which adds about $3000 to the price of the engine kits.

    Here are some pictures of a recent engine kit I shipped out.   This was a 'Complete kit'  to go from auto/V8 to 5-speed/Tdi.

  Please message me at zombiemotors@earthlink.net or call 503-810-4713 with any questions.  

 













Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Laws Yes!

  Greetings, faithful Land Rover Lovers  (and other lovers)  -   It has been a while since I posted anything, and that was a bitter little post, that.    It has been grim here, folks.    Grim indeed.    Have you read THIS yet? :

  http://jalopnik.com/the-feds-just-seized-40-land-rovers-imported-to-the-u-s-1605985758

    Well,  fortunately I did not buy a Land Rover from the gentleman in North Carolina,    (and I must say I am impressed with his prolific importation prowess -   60 trucks!!??)  but this article illustrates that the guv'mint is keeping tabs on the trucks and the importation of said vehicles,  and as a result my latest shipment has been stalled in NY/NJ for going on two months now.    Not to worry -    all is in order and on its way again , cleared,  as I type this,  but it was touch and go there for a while.   Google 'Land Rover Defender Importing'  and you'll see my worry.   It is like Googling 'Scratchy, pain in throat' -    Soon you are convinced you are not long for this world.

    The ding-dongs over at the Defender Source are up in arms about it as well,   with plenty of speculation to go around (that is, before they became bogged-down bickering and name-calling among themselves) from those 'In The Know' offering their two cents.    (and some offering many more cents than that) ; http://www.defendersource.com/forum/showthread.php?p=545628#post545628


    So what does this mean for us now?    Well, for me,    it means I will be asked even more now this question :   " Do you think I can register that Defender in Arizona ?"   (Or whatever the state du jour is that particular day) -   Buyers will be more wary.      They may even buy less imported Rovers?  Although,  I doubt it.      JLRNA seems to be kissing hiney somewhere along the line to keep out old Land Rovers -   but why?   My guess is, they believe these old primitive Defenders are cutting into their business selling new Range Rovers.      I would bet on it.  

    There are other things out there to worry about people! 

    The irony is,  a person can being in a truck MORE than 25 years old,  presumably without issue,   but can NOT bring one in 24.999 years old or newer -  DUE TO SAFETY AND EMISSIONS VIOLATIONS.  

    So let me get this straight;   I can bring in a 1958 Land rover with drum brakes that spews black exhaust,  but can not bring in a 2001 Land Rover with a clean-burning-catalyzed-exhaust and airbags  -    For safety reasons?  

   Far be it from me to second-guess.

     ANYWAY -   My other guess is that more fellas are going to want to make their Range Rover Classics and Discoveries (as well as Series 88/109 rigs) turbo-diesel and manual transmission.   Well,   I have engine kits for you.        And I can offer installation and/or technical advice. 

      Bring it.

     A lot going on lately.        I'll be posting more in the near future now that I am breathing again.

    In the meantime,  we have Tdi Range Rovers for sale,   and a Defender 90 with soft and hard-tops.   Whaddya' think??@!


  ZM