Help me put a # on this progect

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
I have all but agreed to drop everything and put together a basket case defender. Pictures look good but just pictures. Drivetrain and suspension is set on a new galvanized frame. Nothing in front of the bulkhead is on the body. Doors are on but the roll cages are in bags looking like my stuff does when it comes back from powder coating . But again just pictures.

The money he's paying for the truck easily leaves $25 grand to finish it without being upside down but of course I'm not gonna get that. But I need to come up with several different verifiable stopping and paying stew points. Fist one being basically running and blowing hot air and cold air but shit hanging off it / second actually road worthy and ready for paint / and stage 3 would be back from paint and all bumpers rock sliders / spare carrier and all exterior and interior trim assembled. I think I could get close to 10 for this . What do you guys think that's worth?
 

Tugela

Well-known member
May 21, 2007
4,754
562
Seattle
As a business consultant once told me, "Think of a number that makes you want to throw up."
 

jymmiejamz

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Dec 5, 2004
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Los Angeles, Ca
How familiar with Defenders are you (can't remember when you started with Land Rover)? Do you have another truck to use as reference for reassembly?
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
How familiar with Defenders are you (can't remember when you started with Land Rover)? Do you have another truck to use as reference for reassembly?

I started in 1999 and ya I know them fairly well. But your right about another truck for referance. But whats this worth Jymmie? 10 grand? Just got my first look at it and I think the engines gonna need to come back out. Wrong bolts in valve covers, crossbolts in main caps are wrong,bolts holding the a/c compressor on are wrong. Some seat covers got ripped by all the parts stored in it. So I'm gonna be recovering those seats.
 

discostew

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Sep 14, 2010
7,706
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Northern Illinois
Gonna dig the parts out of the interior and see whats missing today. Gotta figure out how to get paid. Thinking about trying to buy into it.
 
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discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
I think I figured out how to work this. Never got the parts out of it cause we're busy as hell rt now. But..He owns a 3 car hauler 5th wheel trailer that's GOTTA be worth more than putting this damn thing together. He's been trying to sell it so I think I could make this work. That puts me in the dollar amount I would want, the trailer is something I've wanted for a while, he's wanted to sell for months.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
He sold that trailer already so here is what I plan to throw him for a #. I'm gonna charge $50 an hour(my normal side job rate). I'm going to track my time the best possible. I wan't paid at 50 hours. If he doesn't like the progress he can take it away. I think in 50 hours when he sees what he's getting he will want the next 50 and I can't guaranty that I'm gonna be completely done at 100 hrs.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
I think that's your best option. Side work in New York is $150 an hour, you should move here.

That sounds pretty good. Why should your personal time be worth less than the time your boss is peddling.

I got a good look at it yesterday, going to try to figure out just what I need to do and pulling the body back off the frame looks like it might be nec. It looks like the body was just thrown on it when the job got pulled from the other shop. He's on board for the money. I think its reasonable and this way if its not as bad as it looks he won't have to pay as much. If it is bad then I still get paid.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
I know what I have here now. After running down this vin.It has a really small warranty history and looks like it was wacked really hard in the right front though carfax called it sideswiped. Looks like a bodyshop started to put a rovers north galvanized frame in it. They just swapped the axles with the radious arms and trailing arms as whole assemblies. So the only new bushings are at the ends of those. They didn't notice that something is broken in the rt swivel housing. I can't turn the wheels at all. And the body is just set on this frame to make it one pile.

I'm going to take the body back off and get a really good look at the bulkhead. It's a little bent up at the top by the vent openings and a little bit of damage below that. If I think it needs a bulkhead I'm going to see if he wants to change the color to something crazy like a pea green or something rover but not that year. Like the burnt orange they put on some early Range Rover sports. Right now it's that dark green. Woodcoat green or whatever.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
My employer has a real problem with this project. The guy who owns the truck works here also. I told him to make sure its all good with the owner of the dealership. IT'S NOT. Anybody else interested in doing this thing?