I want to buy this 2004 RR and LIFT IT!

I would think this would take A LOT of money and tons of trouble shooting the computers afterwards. FYI 35 k is a good price but not unheard of. By the time you are done you will be out 50k with an unsaleable rig.

You will have a unique RR...

yea a unique rr and no momey to put gas in it after u spend around 60k.

Thats awsome dood!! gonna be tough on the wallet as they said, but sounds cool as hell!

I have a friend with an '04 which was in LRM a couple of years ago. No crazy lift, but custom made bumpers and sliders... was zebra striped once upon a time, and sits on 18" Hurricanes with Nittos right now. That vehicle has amazed me in many ways. Only been dead on the trail once due to busted CV I believe. Don't waste your money on the lift.. just go with it if you don't mind scratching it up a bit. Good luck.. RobSub

etcatmeat said:

Half of the reason for doing this is because I'm pretty excentric about being "the first guy on the block" and I see this as a great opportunity!

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I hear ya man! Well, you already got the p38 that just a few of us are catching on to

etcatmeat said:

Heres my plans for the modifications...

Build a lift of about 5" with coils and CNC'd towers
-I'm expecting that it will take me a solid month of screwing around to get this done.

Install lights, FF1000's? (on the OEM safari rack thats already on the truck)
33-35" Mud tires
Move spare on the rack
Skid plates
Find someone to make me some custom bumpers and sliders (I dont think I can make anything pretty enough for a MK3 )

If I can keep the total cost at around 50k (35k for the truck, mods 15k), then I'm in good shape. Half of the reason for doing this is because I'm pretty excentric about being "the first guy on the block" and I see this as a great opportunity! I will definatly do the suspension work first (and tires), because its going to cost the most and I will pretty much do (and pay) whatever it takes to make it happen. I will take tons of pics and post an on-going story for you guys to watch (and probably laugh at)

I do not plan to sell this rig if I go through with it.

I am meeting with a CNC/fab guy tomrrow to put her up on the rack and plan this beast out....wish me luck!

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Damn man, do you have hundred dollar bills between the cushions on your couch?

that's a lot of $$$. but it sounds like a project i will definitely follow.

good luck!

Take it to an experienced off-road fab shop. That sort of mod list is odd, but not unheard of and a shop that make buggies and race trucks will know how to make the IFS/IRS work right, and be able to build shocks that are up to the task. I would expect to replace all the supension parts completly, control arms, everything, and likey have to rework the frame somewhat to get that lift height, also it should end up with a much wider stance, otherwise you won't get much travel. Also I would plan on close to 15k just for the suspension work, custom one-of-a-kind stuff doesn't come cheap. You're just down in West Covina, so if you start to get this thing in the works I want to come check it out, a pre-runner RR SuperCharged is one of the things I really really want to build, sounds like your plans are as close as I'll see untill I have the cash to build mine.

If you have the cash and patience there is no reason not to do it.

Ok, I love the idea, and its something I myself would like to do. However, your approach to this is not really the best. Long travel IFS/IRS lifts are great on a desert truck that your budget for suspension and drivetrain is around $60K alone. On a RR you intend to only spend $15K building, not so much. I dont know how the front and rear of the underside of an MKIII look, but chances are its like a unibody jeep, and an IFS toyota, aka there will be room to fit links. You are going to spend stupid money on the custom lift arms and coilover mounts, and in the end they are still not going to flex like a real axle. If I were you i'd get some sized Toy 8", Ford 9" or D60 axles for the thing. From there, go 4 (without panhard) or 3 (with panhard) linked rear, and 3 or radius arm linked front. Then put some 12-14" coilovers up front, and get spring buckets made for the rear, and run RTE springs back there. A RR airbag is about the size of a coil, and spring buckets for coils will be cheaper than CNC'd coilover mounts. In the end, you will probably end up spending $15K on just the solid axle conversion (axles and suspension).

Why am I telling you to do this, for the same reason you dont run 35s on a D2 (for now) and you dont keep IFS on your tacoma if you want to wheel hard. Youre thinking outside the box by wanting to mod an MKIII, but you need to think further outside it. Because in the end, you will have spend an obscene amount of money on this independent lift, and what do you get. A taller truck that flexes a bit better but can still be put to shame by an OME equiped 1988 RRC with 32s. If you do this, build it right, make something that puts almost every other rover to shame. In the end, with your proposed plan you have now, you will still have an MKIII drivetrain platform, this means you'll have axles that will break under 35s and replacements arnt cheap, you have diffs which dont have lockers available for them, you have weak unitbearing hubs, and you have brakes that cost a kidney to do a rotor and pad replacement. You'd be much better with some custom solid axles, theyre alot stronger, cheaper, and way more functional.

www.outbackoffroadcenter.com is not currently fabricating the bumpers and sliders, but that is who did them for my friend a couple years ago. They made some sick looking stuff which has held up nicely. It followed the lines of the truck very well too.. even kept the back up sensors. It probably wouldn't hurt to give Joey a call at Outback to talk about the bumpers/sliders.

Talk to Gerry Berrigan at OC Rovers 714-350-9186. He is taking the lead on building an LR3 for the racing circuit (MDR, SCORE). The suspensions are similar if not the same. And can give you the real scoop on what it will take. Now that he has his own shop, I'm sure he will be glad to take your money to help build yours. Tell him Roverdude sent ya'. Good luck.

First WHY?

Second you aren't going to do much for $15K especially if you have to fab it I would say I have twice that in mine with stuff off te shelf, of course I would assume it will just be a street rig but still $15k will go nowhere

you are going to end up with a truck so f*cked up electronically that itll cost $15k just to replace and remap all the ecus. think long and hard about that project. and $35k is no screamer of a deal.. i just bought a 25k mile 03 for $27k. granted it had some paint work but still.. theyre out there. The concern i think is not only in all the suspension funk, but also the DSC and all of the other stuff in there thats all connected. its not just a modern P38. with that said.. best of luck to you and if it all works i cant wait to see it

This sounds like a sweet project! I second the idea of swapping to solid axles. However I am curious to how you are going to get around the wheel speed sensors, air suspension height sensors, ect...

Good luck though

What's with the jealous haters?
He did not ask if you think it was a good investment. All Rovers are bad
As to the idea, if you can afford it, go for it. I think the solid axle swap is the easiest solution, and if you go with Toyota axles you get tons of options for not a lot of $$$ compared to Rover stuff.

If you really start going throught with this, I can't wait to see the progress and final work. I also appreciate the fact that you want to keep the MK3 RR aspect of it.
Good luck, you are gonna need it