Chassis clean and paint

With all the panels removed and the engine farmed out for overhaul, it was time to remove decades of grease and mud and carefully check the chassis out for cracks and corrosion. Fortunately after a good pressure clean and grind back with rotating wire brushes and floppy sanding discs, things looked pretty good. The chassis rail had been cracked and repaired under the passenger seat and although the plating and welding weren't fancy, they were strong and no subsequent cracking was evident. The general lack of corrosion was no doubt due to the vehicle having spent its life on inland farms, away from the coast. After a fair bit of web searching as to best paint options, I elected to clean down with degreaser and mineral turps and brush paint with a kill-rust paint sequence of etcher-primer then satin black barrier coat. Axle and diff housings received the same treatment. A full set of new springs were sourced from a Western Australian springworks and the old spring bushes replaced. This proved one of the most difficult jobs in the rebuild. The old bushes were seized and had to be cut out with a hacksaw blade. For most bushes, two cuts a few mm apart were needed with the piece between being hammered out before the bush itself could be driven out. I chose to again go with steel, rather than nylon bushes, but getting the new bushes in was also a process. I had to significantly file down the exterior sleeves before they could be gently hammered in. The new bolts and hanger bolts were amply greased. The new springs gave a modest lift over the standard ride height and finding suitable new shock absorbers proved difficult until I found those suiting the early Range Rovers were a good match. With the chassis painted I was able to refit the repainted firewall and overhauled steering box. Despite jacks and a nine pound sledge hammer, the steering relay could not be budged from the front cross member and so was rebuilt in place. The chassis assembly was then taken back to McLaren Engineering who refitted the engine and gearbox, with new clutch.