[WIP] 1986 Ex-Military Land Rover 110 - GS450H
Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:21 pm
So this is another thread Im starting well before I make a start on the conversion. Although I have done some stripping down already.
The Vehicle
This was pretty much an impulse purchase in the middle of Covid way back in 2020, I was still half way through the MG so had no intention of doing an EV conversion to this. Originally I was going to transplant in an L series Diesel engine from the Rover 25 you can see in the side of one photo, then do the NC500.
It had been sat in a wood for two years previously, but started up and was cannonballed home (luckily only a few miles). I managed to get it through an MOT with only a bit of welding to the rear crossmember and some new spring turrets. It also needed a bit of rewiring just to get it functioning again.
I didn't drive it for long before storing it at the farm. In 2022 I made a start stripping it down for a nut and bolt rebuild. Still intending to ICE swap it and just make bits of progress when the EV conversions were waiting for parts etc. This was when the chip shortage was still in effect.
This above photo is the rough plan I have for the aesthetics. I want to go with a sort of Mad Max/beach buggy look. With a roll cage, bikini soft top and the option to push the windscreen down. Obviously this is the ideal setup for the UK weather. I haven't decided if I want to keep the original patina or nato desert brown paint.
I have some ideas for a bit of decoration down the sides of the chassis rails, I have the military records of this vehicles so I was thinking regimental cap badges where this was used down one side and then maybe something to represent the three civilian owners down the other. Not sure about this though.
This is the stage where I left in back in 2022, last year I sold the engine and bought chassis repair parts. Now it's covered in the usual farm accumulation. Last year I also made the decision to just skip the ICE swap and convert it to electric.
The Plan
Motor
I've been thinking about this for a few years, currently the plan is to use a GS450H gearbox attached to a divorced LT230 transfer box. The ratios in high work really well with the standard diff ratios. I have bought an adaptor flange for the LT230 from a company called Rakeway in the UK. The GS450H will give plenty of power, but not silly amounts. The drive train should be good to handle this, in my previous job we were putting LS3s with pretty aggressive auto boxes into Defenders and the drive trains handled those just fine.
Battery
Originally I was thinking E-Corsa batteries given the price. But I have recently had some experiences with the VW batteries and I think I prefer the bigger but few module approach. So will probably go with a 55kWh ID3/4 pack, although I'll wait until the motor is in and spinning then see what the battery market is looking like. I have made a start designing some coolant plates for this pack since I'll be going with CCS for fast charging, plus after running the MG over a couple winters I would really like some options for battery heating as well.
Other bits
I have a discovery gear selector knob which I plan to use for direction control.
In the dash Im keeping the original speedo, but then all the other dials and lights are getting replaced probably with a tablet running Torque OBD.
This may mean I end up with a canbus enabled 12v system for lights etc as well.
Everything else is much more up in the air and I'll decide for certain when I get there.
Well this is probably the last you'll see of this for a few months yet. I'm planning to move it from it's current location to my new workshop in the spring so I can get to work on chassis repairs.
The Vehicle
This was pretty much an impulse purchase in the middle of Covid way back in 2020, I was still half way through the MG so had no intention of doing an EV conversion to this. Originally I was going to transplant in an L series Diesel engine from the Rover 25 you can see in the side of one photo, then do the NC500.
It had been sat in a wood for two years previously, but started up and was cannonballed home (luckily only a few miles). I managed to get it through an MOT with only a bit of welding to the rear crossmember and some new spring turrets. It also needed a bit of rewiring just to get it functioning again.
I didn't drive it for long before storing it at the farm. In 2022 I made a start stripping it down for a nut and bolt rebuild. Still intending to ICE swap it and just make bits of progress when the EV conversions were waiting for parts etc. This was when the chip shortage was still in effect.
This above photo is the rough plan I have for the aesthetics. I want to go with a sort of Mad Max/beach buggy look. With a roll cage, bikini soft top and the option to push the windscreen down. Obviously this is the ideal setup for the UK weather. I haven't decided if I want to keep the original patina or nato desert brown paint.
I have some ideas for a bit of decoration down the sides of the chassis rails, I have the military records of this vehicles so I was thinking regimental cap badges where this was used down one side and then maybe something to represent the three civilian owners down the other. Not sure about this though.
This is the stage where I left in back in 2022, last year I sold the engine and bought chassis repair parts. Now it's covered in the usual farm accumulation. Last year I also made the decision to just skip the ICE swap and convert it to electric.
The Plan
Motor
I've been thinking about this for a few years, currently the plan is to use a GS450H gearbox attached to a divorced LT230 transfer box. The ratios in high work really well with the standard diff ratios. I have bought an adaptor flange for the LT230 from a company called Rakeway in the UK. The GS450H will give plenty of power, but not silly amounts. The drive train should be good to handle this, in my previous job we were putting LS3s with pretty aggressive auto boxes into Defenders and the drive trains handled those just fine.
Battery
Originally I was thinking E-Corsa batteries given the price. But I have recently had some experiences with the VW batteries and I think I prefer the bigger but few module approach. So will probably go with a 55kWh ID3/4 pack, although I'll wait until the motor is in and spinning then see what the battery market is looking like. I have made a start designing some coolant plates for this pack since I'll be going with CCS for fast charging, plus after running the MG over a couple winters I would really like some options for battery heating as well.
Other bits
I have a discovery gear selector knob which I plan to use for direction control.
In the dash Im keeping the original speedo, but then all the other dials and lights are getting replaced probably with a tablet running Torque OBD.
This may mean I end up with a canbus enabled 12v system for lights etc as well.
Everything else is much more up in the air and I'll decide for certain when I get there.
Well this is probably the last you'll see of this for a few months yet. I'm planning to move it from it's current location to my new workshop in the spring so I can get to work on chassis repairs.