The shop that did that frame swap is based out of Massachusetts. The job could cost between $6,000-$10,000. DIY would be the best route. No labour charges. Take your time. Learn more about the vehicles workings and while your down there it would be a great time to replace the bushings and service anything on the drivetrain. Clean and paint things up etc. But myself i dont have access to a garage space. A forklift can be rented just long enough to lift up the body to be placed on blocks and rented once more weeks later when its time to put thr truck back together. If I had the connections then this is the route I would take. "Hint hint to anyone living in New England..."

 

Unless the used market for Disco's quadruples in value, it will never be feasible to swap the frame out. Spend $10,000 to swap the frame and have a vehicle that's worth $4,000 when you're finished.

 

I just found a nice rusted through area on my 04. It's along the inside of the frame on the driver's side where the bracket for the radius arm is welded on, right next to the muffler. Should be a quick repair. I need to remove the muffler which has a pretty well deteriorated flange on the output end, then try to get the radius arm bolts out, then try to get the crossmember bolts out, then I can do the repair. I have a guy that will do the welding that is a fantastic fabricator so I'm not concerned about the quality of the end product provided that I can actually get to that point. If it all works out, I'll have that part of the frame built from 11 gauge (1/8 inch) steel so it will be the strongest section.

The only way that I can see to deal with more extensive frame rust on a truck with a driveline in great shape is to buy a truck from the south and swap over the engine and transmission. That process will be way quicker and cheaper than a frame swap. I don't know how anyone could justify the cost of swapping in a galvanized frame.

 

Britpart won't deal directly with consumers, you will have to deal with one of their agents.

The two big names in galvanised chassis/frames are Richards and Marsland. You will need to 'negotiate' hard with either or both of them including freigting. They are the recognised top manufacturers of D2 galvanised chassis and they work straight out of the box. It needs to be a 'hard' negotiation as the UK is in a parlous state following Brexit and they will be both vying for sales and business and the USD is strong at present (even with motor mouth Trump blustering along making promises he can't keep) so drive a hard bargain whilst the going is good. Good luck

An old thread here but a lot of data therein.

http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=20522

 

Like I said, major, major work and equipment needed plus lots of garage space. This is not for the faint hearted DIY enthusiast unless they are really keen on their truck and have the resources. In the UK the chassis fitting costs are reasonable but I cannot comment on the work quality 'cos I've never used anyone.

 

Totally agree Jim, unless you are looking real long term and money is no object and you love your D2 then maybe but getting a garage involved IMO is a financial no, no.

 

Your opinion is noted but I disagree. I only buy things I really like. I only buy things I want to keep for a very long time. I take care of the things I buy. Value of a person or an object is subject to interpretation but not always pracitical. For example some folks will spend $20,000+ on a immaculate condition RRC LWB or $50,000 for a used 1980's Defender. Some folks buy a cheap 4x4 and spend over $15,000 on extreme offroad modifications. Some folks insist that a immaculate condition D2 is worth only $1,000. Some folks will spend $500,000 on a super car. None of these folks are pracitical in their investments but in their eyes their investment is worth every penny.

If there is no cheaper way to swap out my frame than a $10,000 frame swap is worth every penny in my eyes. Im keeping my truck and have high expectations for the rig. A rotted frame is a saftey issue and a sad problem for any car enthusiasts. The investment is worth it in my opinion in my case.

 

The only risk with this approach, other than ending up with a vehicle that you can never sell for what you have invested into it, is what happens if someone else hits you and wrecks your truck. If book value is $4k then that's all their insurance will pay and it will be totaled. With the cost of labor and paint these days, that amount of damage is easier to achieve than you would think. After dropping another $10k on your truck that will really suck.

 

Remember that Ive already invested quit a bit into my truck. The Turner block with other misc parts and labour cost nearly $10,000 so Im well past the point of return. In my eyes my truck is worth alot but to anyone else its a total piece of ****; even with a new block and even if i swapped in a new galvanized frame. But as much as Ive invested so far, its still alot cheaper than the cost of making payments on a brand new car. A new well equipped 4x4 suv can easily cost over $400 a month plus mandatory full coverage insurance, expensive registration fees and taxes plus the cost if routine maintenance once warranty is expired. Most new suvs cost upwards of $55,000 give or take. But yes you make a valid point about an auto accident. However it would be cheaper and easier to repair my truck after an accident than it would to deal with a new car involved in an accident. Plenty of used D2 parts all over the world, dirt cheap and with the Rave and guidance most repairs could be performed diy. If course that also depends on how bad the damage is. But i do recall a fellow D2 owner here on the forums who had totalled his truck when it smacked into a box truck. Tge front end was pretty bad but he replaced all the damaged parts and got it looking better than before the accident.

The risk of an auto accident is a risk every motorist shares and is especially a nightmare for car enthusiasts who invest so much into their vehicles. Fortunately our D2's wont likely be involved in any "high speed" accidents... ��

 

TRIARII, you obviously like your D2 enough to have invested big bucks already and you are apparently looking long term and not a short term investment so go with your gut feeling on this one. I've had my D2 TD5 from new, 13+ years now, with 145K UK miles on the clock and it's a dream and I will keep it until it finally expires and is totally uneconomical to repair, maybe another 10 years. There are dozens of diesel LHD D1's running around in France and still going strong which says everything.