Series 2a 109 6 cylinder restoration

[haveyoubooked]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new here. I bought a very rotten but very original 1971 Suffix H Series 2A 109 6 cylinder that had been sat the past 20 years and am beginning a resto. Have a new Richards chassis, a low mileage Fairey o/d and a few other bits collected and hoping to crack on next month.

I'll probably be making a nuisance of myself on here with lots of questions, so thanks in advance.

Thanks again,
Rory

[Porkscratching]

Probably not many sixes about, the engines having something of a bad name got thrown out very often, I had a bitsa with a six chassis, to which I fitted the appropriate mounts for a 4 cyl. 2.25 worked fine but the engine Sat a bit further back and needed a few mods here and there.
Is yours a station wagon type or a regular LWB rear tub?

[Alan Drover]

It's good that you're keeping the 6 pot engine as they're becoming something of a rarity.
Join the club and make use of the discounts available.

[haveyoubooked]

Hey thanks for the quick responses!

Yes, I'm keeping the 6, I know fuel economy is likely to be 12-15mpg, and it'll need regular manifold off action to keep exhaust valve clearances in check, but beyond that, it seems a strong unit. It was seized when I bought it, I pulled the head and soaked the pistons for 4 months, pounding them daily with a lump of 2x2 and some heat and it finally came free - I had a pact I would drive it from its resting place into the workshop! Surpisingly good compression once head was back on and starts and runs on six, but smokes like a chimney and bores were pitted, so will need a rebuild.  It'll be my daily - I'm a tech on a few remote installs up here, and currently run a disco 3, but have hankered after one of these a long time so I'll be rebuilding each assembly to aim for some reasonable levels of reliability.

From the heritage certificate and the old crofter it came from mine was a truck cab intially, but he fitted a van roof with cat flap. Marks on the capping and the split rear door seem to corroborate that.

Good to know there's discounts available, will look into that.

Few questions for owner feedback already whilst planning parts.

Heated screens - anyone tried em? Any good?

Parabolics - current best supplier? I've been emailing a bit with Paul from GB springs

Piston and bearing supplier for 6's? Seems £750 plus vat for pistons and 200 per bearing set seems normal from FW Thorntons

Door tops? Rocky Mountains have been recommended by friends but wonder if there's any others I should be looking at?

Twin tank hook up options? Its got the factory fitted rear tank (probably need replacing) but im planning to put a military style drivers seat tank, seems there's more than one way to hook up fill and outlets? Its still running the original double ended SU pump under the drivers seat mounted to chassis. Should get me a decent way between fuel stops on 2 tanks

Planning to rebuild it stock as possible with the exception of door tops, O/D and couple of minor things. In that stock list is front brakes (twin leading shoe, servo assisted as standard on 6 cylinders). Is this wise or going to cause me hassle? Don't mind adjusting them every month/2k.

Thanks in advance and if there's recent coverage of any of that in threads I've missed just point me at them.

[haveyoubooked]

Oh and anywhere to recommend for a new VIN plate? mines missing, though the local knowledge history, heritage certificate and V5 as well as any date codes I've found stack up for its originality. Hoping there's a bit of dumb iron of original chassis left behind all the patches verifying that too.

[haveyoubooked]

Few pics of it as it stands

[Porkscratching]

Great stuff 👍 I'd be inclined myself to keep the body and paint just as it is!
I drove a couple of sixes many years ago and borrowed one from a mate for a couple of weeks, the one I borrowed went like a rocket and was very nice to drive.
As he said above,v.good that you're keeping it as a six.

[Alan Drover]

Heated screens are very good but make sure the alternator can cope with the extra load (about 17 amps in total).
I bought a set of UK made parabolics from Dingocroft last summer.

[diffwhine]

Definitely worth your while joining the Club itself. We can do the chassis plates:

"Chassis plates of the correct style for your model are available from our Vehicle Registrations Office - [email protected]"

[haveyoubooked]

Great stuff 👍 I'd be inclined myself to keep the body and paint just as it is!
I drove a couple of sixes many years ago and borrowed one from a mate for a couple of weeks, the one I borrowed went like a rocket and was very nice to drive.
As he said above,v.good that you're keeping it as a six.

Och I'm pleased to hear it went well - I've never gotten to have a go in a healthy six yet and its hard to know what the book figures will actually feel like.

[island dormy]

Hi Rory

  There are more than a few 6 pot owners on here so you will likely get lots of help answering questions.
Parts are available from various suppliers.

I used Rocky Mountain Parabolics 2 leaf front 3 leaf rear and the 3 leaf are more than adequate even for a Dormobile.
The 2 way sliding door tops are very good quality but the are not original.

Here are a few pictures to inspire you.

Victor

[haveyoubooked]

Heated screens are very good but make sure the alternator can cope with the extra load (about 17 amps in total).
I bought a set of UK made parabolics from Dingocroft last summer.

Good to know. I'll have a dig around for a supplier. I want to leave engine bay looking stock so probably will retain the dynamo control box and fit a "dynamator" to keep it looking right under there. Will check out Dingocroft. How have your para's been a year in? Much settle? Much extra waft in the cornering?

[haveyoubooked]

Hi Rory

  There are more than a few 6 pot owners on here so you will likely get lots of help answering questions.
Parts are available from various suppliers.

I used Rocky Mountain Parabolics 2 leaf front 3 leaf rear and the 3 leaf are more than adequate even for a Dormobile.
The 2 way sliding door tops are very good quality but the are not original.

Here are a few pictures to inspire you.

Victor

That looks fantastic! I'm aiming a touch lower, as it would pain me to see every shiny finish dull with daily use, but I will refinish each individual part, just maybe not as far as replacing all the fasteners etc. Looks like a cracking job there though! How often do you find you need to tweak valve clearances? Also any feedback on MPG? (running an O/D?)

Yours looks a wee bit different to mine - mines got the inlet manifold cast into the head, yours looks separate? Seem to remember the NADA spec ones were more powerful?

[haveyoubooked]

Definitely worth your while joining the Club itself. We can do the chassis plates:

"Chassis plates of the correct style for your model are available from our Vehicle Registrations Office - [email protected]"

That sounds good, I'll look that up. Anybody up my way in the club?

[Alan Drover]

My parabolics were fitted last May so are still settling in. The Land Rover is a Series 3 petrol SWB hardtop. It doesn't wallow and is firm without being hard. The spring eye and chassis bushes are standard but the dampers were supplied with Poly bushes which would account for the former ride.
When fitting the chassis bushes and springs give the bolts a coating of copper grease. The Land Rover business that fitted my parabolics and chassis bushes had no problems in removing the old bolts that had been there for about 20 years because they had been coated with copper grease.