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evolution of my 40

Rodger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Messages
1,562
I'd wanted a 40 for years and in 2002 I got mine. It was a retired winch- competition truck - no doors, no roof and, actually, no winch either. But it did have independent front suspension, front wings sectioned by 2inches, HJ60 engine (2H), gearbox (5spd), and axles with 60 series steel rims and an exhaust that finished at the top of the windscreen.
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Got some doors and a welder, taught myself to weld and then modified the doors and then we had a roof made, using the roll bar as hoops. Got the opportunity to acquire some standard front wings (and before you ask the 2 45s in the background are not for sale)
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We're not afraid of going out to play, as some of you will know from Lincomb Farm, and I figure that if we rebuild the bits that need doing well enough then we can continue to play!
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First major job was to rebuild the front valance and change the front wings, so I taught myself to paddle lead.
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Aside from all the bodywork we had a stainless exhaust built.
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That was the first part of the rebuild. If anyone needs more detailed shots, to help them get their 40 sorted, just let me know.
The back end had a flat tailgate and an rsj for a bumper and underneath it a lot of rot!. The lights were mounted on the rollbar and both axles have breathers. Quite liked the lights up there so we left them.
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The cross member for the body was completely rotten and a new one was $750+ so I made one.
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Bottom of the wings were scrap too - so we made repair panels for them
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Welded them in and paddled some lead for the finish.
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But now I needed a tailgate, but they're too expensive by the time you've shipped, paid the duty and the vat. But I did have a spare pair of ambulance doors, so I made a tailgate.
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Cut, weld them together, insert a frame, and lead, just like that. It took weeks!
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Currently we're removing the last of the stripes and renovating the cowl and bonnet.
The job goes on and I'll post more shots if people want, either of the stuff we've done or the stuff we're doing.
I say 'we' because the repairs/restoration is all done by me and my amazing wife!

Hope this helps
Enjoy
 
Wow that's real dedication to your truck and built not bought!
 
Great commitment to your 40 there, Rodger!!

Do you offer wife training services for LC maintenance and repair? :mrgreen: Very impressive to get that much support!

Cheers,
 
Very nice indeed. Your attention to detail is very impressive as is you metal work... I can only dream about ever attempting something like this
 
Such a nice truck. Would love one....
 
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The wife is the daughter of an engineer - and was around all things mechanical & electrical from being a toddler. I can't take credit for the training. (Not sure she'd be too keen on me training other people's wives, anyway!)

Thanks for the comments - it's appreciated

Regards
 
Rodger Attaway said:
it did have independent front suspension
Rodger do you mean it had coil suspension in the front?
 
Yes Rob, coil front suspension - my mistake - typing too fast without necessarily having the brain in gear when trying to get the whole post done - sorry.
It has been built with early RR coils and cages plus radius arms (is that the right name?). The inner arches have been modified to accomodate the cages.

Today we finished this winter's project - removing the stripes and repairing the cowl and repainting those bits. It all went back together today. Just needs cleaning which will happen next week - work always interrupts what you really want to doing, doesn't it? I'll do some photos next week.

Regards,
 
That really does look great Rodger. I look forward to seeing it. It makes mine feel a long way off. Good pictures I will start my own post as soon as the weather improves!
 
Just thought I'd post a couple of pics of my 40 now that the work is finished - for now at least!

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Other than routine maintenance, that's it for the time being. I think 'truck time' will be spent on Jonnie's trucks. So far we've swopped the engine from the old (Irish) one into the Oz one and that needs to be finished and then rebuild the Oz engine as we progress with the aluminium one. Busy summer then!

Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed the 'evolution' and if anyone needs more detailed shots, just ask.

Regards
 
Rodger

Nice work ! !

Btw - is that a Austen A40 pick-up in the background of the 1st pic (rare as rocking horse sh1t)
 
Hi Keith,

I think, if memory serves, that it is a Morris Minor p/up. He still had it last time I was there but that was a while back.

The guy has all sorts of unusual stuff - much of which he wont even show to anyone - tucked away in various lock ups. He also has a 70 series wrecker / recovery truck and an 80 series with a LR pick up body on it. Said he'd never do that conversion again as it was too fraught with problems!

Regards,
 
I thought I'd give you all an update on the things we have done to the truck over the intervening years. Aside from moving to Spain and getting the truck registered which took two years but we got there an now she runs with Spanish plates.
To get her legal we had to fit one of those bright red lights on the back and a reversing light but we didn't want to cut the dash for the extra switches so we removed the radio and fitted an extra panel in its place. No radio?! well it didn't have any speakers so it was no loss. A voltmeter will be fitted in the remaining space.DSCF9708.JPG DSCF8061.JPG
New shocks and poly bushes all the way round and new, greasable, rear spring hangers and at the same time we checked the axle alignment and fitted some BFG All terrains.
We bought some 2nd hand headers for a 2H and dragged them back from Canada in a rather distorted suitcase only to find that they didn't fit - so a friend got some new profiles cut and we remade them. Now we don't need a radio because the music is all around! DSCF9683.JPG

We used to flood alternators if we went through water of significant depth so we made a front dam. Not the3 prettiest thing but it seems to work and it is removable. The photo, assuming it uploads, is by TonyS and is at the top of the Smugglers' Pass in Andorra. View attachment photo ts2.JPG

Only a short update but to finish you know that they say there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow well we found our 40 there!
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Haha
Cheers
 
Looking good Rodge, I can only see photos 3 & 4 though. [emoji20]
 
Not sure if the photos uploaded fully (sorry I'm a bit of a Luddite) let me know and I'll try again.
 

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I'll try one at a time...DSCF9683.JPG
 

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