Winter is fast approaching, and that means only one thing. No, not Christmas shopping, though come to think of it, I should probably add that to the list. I was actually referring to the slate of projects I plan to tackle during the months without car shows and other events. Top of the list is catching up on Project Sunny, my 1993 Range Rover restoration.
For months it’s been in limbo, the body resting on a cart and the nearly stripped chassis awaiting further attention. Other priorities put the project on everyone’s back burner. With the SEMA show now behind me, I figured it was time to get back out to the shop and pick up where I left off.
I plan to spend the dark months working between body repair, chassis restoration, and engine overhaul. The body has already been off the frame for a while, sitting on a body cart. However, I’ve come to realize it really needs to be on a rotisserie for proper work to continue. So that’s where I started. But I also needed to remove the engine and transmission from the chassis and separate them for mechanical work.
From Cart to Rotisserie
Moving the body from its rolling cart to a rotisserie proved far less challenging than getting the body off the frame. Essentially all that was required was to bolt the arms of the rotisserie to the front and rear body mounts. Since the body was simply resting on the cart, there was nothing to unbolt there.
The Range Rover’s front section, however, isn’t structurally sound enough to support the vehicle’s weight without buckling. And unlike a lot of vehicles, it’s all welded – not bolted – to the main body shell. So we needed to connect the front half of the rotisserie to the firewall. Getting the rotisserie arms to reach the firewall required adding extensions, which came in the form of two 4-foot sections of 3-inch square tubing.
Despite the way it looks, the load of the front end is carried entirely by the firewall. As we lifted the body off the cart, the headlight buckets just barely came into contact with the rotisserie arms. We watched closely to ensure there was no deflection in the front inner fenders as we continued. All is good, it turns out.
This rotisserie is rated for 3,00 pounds, more than adequate for the fully stripped shell. It uses a worm-gear drive system to allow the body to rotate smoothly into position. We’re counting on this feature to work more comfortably on the floor repairs later with the body tilted.
Engine Out, Transmission Off
I’ll be totally honest – I was concerned about getting the engine off the frame. My concern was mostly around freeing up all the engine and trans mounts on a presumably rusty chassis. My fears were unfounded, as the majority of the rust was merely superficial. Only four mounts secure the whole drivetrain to the frame, two for the engine and two for the gearbox.
To remove them, we used the same 2,000-pound-rated gantry crane we’d previously used for the body removal. Mounting one lift chain to the engine and a second one to the transmission, we balanced the load carefully to keep it all level. We landed the drivetrain assembly on a furniture dolly so we could disconnect the engine from the transmission. We left the trans on the dolly but mounted the engine on a rotating engine stand to facilitate restoration.
From here, the plan is to tear down the engine so I can clean and refinish all of the external surfaces and components. The 125,000-mile engine ran sweetly when I last drove it. Unless I see anything alarming when I get the heads off, I probably won’t be tearing it down completely. Instead, I’ll likely replace all the gaskets and seals, put a new water pump in it, and focus on a light overhaul.
The transmission will get a light service as well, with a concentration on cleaning up and refinishing external components. Once the chassis is restored, the engine and transmission will go back together and get installed.
Check in for another video update soon and we’ll get to work starting to make everything look great again.
