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-   -   Landmaster Project - Part II (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/post-war/43330-landmaster-project-part-ii-2.html)

@Steeroid,

That's great news.

Extending what @Samurai said (Finally your Land is in safe hands)...
Finally your Land lands in safe hands in mallu land.

:)

Steer,

The first part of restoration actually started with a lot of joyous anticipation which in the end turned out to be a sad story. I am praying this time around, you get to turn the Landmaster into a true Landmaster that puts a smile on your and your dad's face. From your account, the old master is a very passionate landmaster lover and let us hope he works his magic on your car.

Biju

Steer ,

The original side trims are in the car itself. See if your aashan can fix it.

Dear Steeriod / JayD and all others who contributed to this project - sitting 1650 kms away from you, I can actually visualise how BML2302 must be running now. Certainly not OK. The senior technician has realised everything. You spent a lot of money and did not get value for it. I therefore request you to start a new thread on "HOW TO ACTUALLY RESTORE A CLASSIC CAR TO OBTAIN MAXIMUM VALUE" (please o it for me - I am too lazy to do it). I have restored 3 of my Fiats. I also went through the agony of dealing with a garage which worked without systematic planning but I always got the result that I wanted (which made me very unpopular with the garage guys). Let people pen their thoughts and I would be delighted to set guidelines which all can follow for best results.

First clue - "there is only one way to do a job and that is the perfect way".
Second clue - "the senoir technician may know everything but he will certainly not have the werewithal to do it. You must catalyse him seamlessly, otherwise nothing will happen".
Third clue - "paying a garage bill will never get you a good car". You have to do it yourself. The garage is just a facilitator".

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Steer good that you found a "ASHAN". Hope this time it comes out well behaved (already its well dressed).

Well its to late and anyone can give a suggesstion since its free :) one from me as well.
You should have done all the job in kerala since Amby's are still running strong in Gods Own Country and in plenty.

Nowadays even garages in kerala do a real good job provided u chase them n they wouldnt cost u a huge sum as well. (atleast 25% less)

PS: I have been a member on this forum for a longtime but i dont post any. This topic I have been tracking from its start hence these posts.

Anyways waiting to hear every bit of the progress. Would love to see it sometime after all the work is done. (May be at a team-bhp meet in Gods Own Country)

Steer, this is good news. Hope everything turns out well this this time.
Good luck.

Nice one Torqy! :uncontrol

Santhosh, i really appreciate your spirit to not to give up. That land is a real lucky one to be in the right hands & i am sure this time the story ends with a :)

This is good news, Steer! I just caught up on what happened, from the other thread.

It is good that you immediately found somebody who could do justice to this beautiful machine. This time I'm sure there will be a happy ending to this project!

Update: We fixed the brakes today - the brake lines to the rear drum had to be redone, the master cylinder relocated slightly to bring in some play into the pedals (it had NO play) and it was fine.

However, on the way back the accelerator pedal that was concocted out of 3 pieces of metal welded together BROKE. So they had to take the car back to the garage and they're still fitting in a new pedal.


Thanks for your kind words, everyone. There are too many pouring in to respond to one by one, so I will reply to those that require a reply.


The old man spanked his son in front of us as he prepared to bend over the fender to look into the engine bay. He told him "Your shirt may be fresh, but the buttons will scratch the paint. Put a goddamn sheet of cloth over the fender before you look in!"

I think it is safe from those issues.

Side trim. Kind courtesy of the Gentleman in my previous garage who couldnt bear to let the car go unfinished.

One piece of one side was missing when we got the car back. In any case the original pieces have dents/broekn parts on them. I think the bronze casting of the pieces will be better.

Eez exactly the plan. ebay.co.uk is where I'm gonna hunt.

You were both right, guys.

Will do, boss. Let this get over - I have a LOT to write on.

Very true. My mistake was trying to get the rebuild done remotely while I was sitting abroad - I didnt really have a choice. Several thousands of rupees of telephone calls are all I have to show.

There is also one more point. Talk to and communicate with the guys who actually do the job, not the garage owner or some faltu service "advisor". In my case, the last two weeks with Vijay (prabhuav) getting involved was the real turning point, as he spent hours at the garage with the guys actually doing the job, sitting with them and talking about the job for several nights after spending whole days at work. He did what I couldnt - and for that I am indebted to him.

Please point out the "welded in place" thing to him. This can get difficult in future maintenance.

Would not the brass and bronze shop cast them for you? (Bit expensive, but they can).

And that is what really counts finally.

What about the engine heating with a/c on?

Steer, Dr Anjan (anjan_c2007) is a member of the Morris Cowley, Oxford and Issis Owner's Club of Oxford, UK, maybe he could help you regarding the spares. Have already sent him a Pm regarding this.

Good to see you persevering with the car. This time round, let's hope it comes out alright.

Are you sure you do not want power steering? You are getting disk brakes, might as well as get power steering. it can never be a bad thing, can it?

All the best with your new project Steer. Its very sad to see that after spending around 4.5 lakhs, we have to see a Landmaster Project - Part II. But anyways whats past is past. Good to hear that you have found a good mechanic now.

From your description, these guys seem to have the knowledge, experience & passion to set your Landmaster right. The good news is, old school cars are pretty easy to set right, given the right skills.

I have been through a horrible swap job in my Jeep and know just how you feel. On the positive side, Mahindra & Milestone did everything they could to get my Jeep back to healthy state. I am on top of the world right now, and wish the same for you, Steeroid. Good luck! Any help required, you know where to reach me.

First Go with the bearing type suspension instead of the Bushes currently in the car , will make a world of difference cost around 3,500 and around 1000 bucks more if you plan to put new bearings in places,time will be around 3 days and the car will have to be left in the garage as the old suspension has to be given to the lathe to be worked on.Install A Power Steering Only if you are in dire straits.Because :-less parts= less leakage=a lot less to worry about=Lot of peace of mind. My "Aashan" Would Do a power steering install in 15 days at a cost of 12K All inclusive.

Disc Brakes can be ordered 2nd hand to be completely machined and ready for fitting condition in just 2 days from ordering at Thrissur will give the number if you require it. The condition of the brake pads vary from piece to piece,cost will be around 4,500 including lathe work,Cost of disc brake assembly etc, if getting such an install done please be sure to replace the front wheel bearings as well.

Who has the formula for the paint ? if something goes wrong (worst case scenario) and we need a touch up job who has the paint mixing combination ? And if someone wants the paint to be in the color he really wanted it to be, the whole formula is given at the DuPont Refinish Website.The Color mixing would be better than the original as can be seen in my car.