1987 RRC with Toyota 3L Diesel with LT95 and overdrive

[cosmic88]

I am the very happy new owner of a bulletproof Rover / Toyota. It's a 1987 RRC with a Toyota 3L and a LT95 with overdrive. At first I had a bit of buyers remorse but after more inspections and a few drives around the block I am itchin to get this thing off road and open it up.

I know who did the work years ago but I don't 'know' him. A guy named Ed from the Ocala area of Florida. The closer I look the more I like what he did with this conversion. However, he was not the one who started this project of converting a RHD RRC to LHD and dropping in a Toyota 3L Diesel. From what I heard a shop in the South East was performing the conversion for a customer and as the old story goes, the guy ran out of cash and signed it over to the shop... they eventually went out of business and that is when Ed acquired it and finished the job.

A few details (all I know for sure at this point):
Truck - 1987 RRC - Right hand drive conversion
Engine - 1990 - Toyota 3L
Trans. - Rover LT95 w/ overdrive unit
Diffs- 4.11
Shafts - ?
Axles - ?
Tires - 265/75 Dunlop Mud Rovers
Bounce - 3" OME HD's, OME shocks
Insurance - Safari Gard diff covers, Steering Guard, Sliders and rear bumper with quarter bars, snorkel, PRP buckets with R.J.S. three point belts.

Luxury Features - All lamps work, Power windows still work and the original RRC Clock keeps on ticking

I definitely have some work to do here but for the most part, this thing appears to be ready for some good times. I'd like to find out more about it's history but for now I'm just bringing everything up to par so more to come as I dig deeper...

 

[honda50r]

That thing is SWEET

 

[p m]

Where does it get vacuum for the brake booster?

 

[Roving Beetle]

Vac is on the rear of the alternator, you can see the little pump. Common spot.

 

[Nomar]

I hope those air horns work.

 

[cosmic88]

I hope those air horns work.

Damn right...

two tones (one at a time) and that pump is FIAMM from Italy. This truck is like IHop...

Vac is on the rear of the alternator, you can see the little pump. Common spot.

Correct. It is a combo unit, alternator, oil pump and vac pump.

I still need to check the vac out as the brakes are pretty sloppy but that could be about 5 different things...

 

[cosmic88]

OK, another piece of the puzzle (I think) may be in place. The rear drive shaft has www.thatchedroofgarage.com on it. Now I remember hearing that a shop in TN. started the conversion many years ago. Any of you Dweb lifers know David Gage or know what happend to his shop, Thatched Roof Garage in Kingsport?

 

[aliastel]

First thing I would do is check the head and do the head gasket. Those motors are known for developing cracked heads. . .

 

[cosmic88]

^Headgasket jokes are top of my mind at the moment since I'm doing a full rebiuild of the top end of my 4.2 at the moment. Thankfully that is the LAST thing on my mind with this Classic Yota.

So things are looking up. Not only is the truck in great shape after a more thorough inspection and some use but apparently there is an interesting story behind it.

After doing all fluids (drained Yoohoo out of the trans / txfr) and replacing a couple seals, all of the fuel filters, shock bushings and ball joints I was able to talk directly with the guy who built, revived, Frankensteined this beautiful machine. Ed told me there are not 4.11 thirds but Detroits front and rear, it is a 3B motor which I am cool with and he built most of the armor. Also, there is no rust to speak of.

So some as yet unsubstantiated back story is worth sharing. Not that any of you will give a shit that Lady Di learned to drive stick in it or that any of this is provable but here it is. So David Gage used to travel to the UK and buy up product and projects. Somehow he comes across the run down Estate car of an aristocratic family. Probably used as the work vehicle around a large property. Strangely, they have an '87 with a Toyota engine in it. What I find interesting and what makes me most curious about it is that the Toyota Diesel conversion was done in the UK at that time. David bought it as a resale project, imported and titled it intending to do a rebuild at his Thatched Roof Garage. Apparently it was pretty badly rusted out and was not viable. Ed here in Ocala, Florida bought it for next to nothing about the time when David was closing up shop and got to swappin...Frame, steering gear, homemade sliders and bumpers, Detroits... he really did a great job building a purpose built trail machine. Some of the only gear to survive from the original truck was the 3B and the LT95. The same year RRC was used as the frame and body donor. Also, the RHD steering gear from the original had to be used.

Apparently there are pics and some documents to show chronology and ownership. This weekend I'll drag it to the forest where a few friends are getting together and hopefully Ed and his wife will be able to make it. I plan to lube up his mind with few drinks, sit back and listen to the stories. How great it is to find out the history (someone's story) of a new-to-me Classic but also to get a chance to go over a few things with the guy who built it.

Maybe some royal twat chased sheep around their farm in it...

By-the-way, the air horn is from a British ambulance and still makes the two-tone siren sound if you hold the button long enough. What a strange truck.