Clanger 109" - Installing the Cat Flap & Tailgate

I have always liked the tailgate drop down on a landrover / rangerover disco3. Clanger came with a safari door which wasnt original so I searched for a tailgate / catflap to fit. The rebuild of the parts is in an earlier episode. Here we take the 'pretty much rebuilt' parts and install them. There were a few challanges along the way. Installing Gas/Oil struts to hold the catflap aloft was an added complication. Happy with the results though.

[@mumblbeebee6546]

Land Rover: Perfectionists need not apply 😂 You are doing such a great job there, and keeping Zen - I am in awe of you!

[@lookcreations]

There is a lot of editing as my friend will not permit ’potty mouth moments’ as it upsets his good lady when sat on the sofa watching together…… ‘apparent zen’ is the result 🤣

[@MattysWorkshop]

Gday Matt, it’s the little bits that test the patience but it’s a great sense of achievement when you find the solution, it’s really taking shape now mate, cheers

[@guyemmott4009]

Tailgate handle looks like common 'parts bin stock' for most Austin/Morris/Wolsey of the period..

[@lookcreations]

The outside part is available for £40.. which I am too tight to buy, the old garage handle I used on the inside was less than £10 :-) Looks and functions better than the 'gas valve' handle fitted when I bought it.

[@carlwilson1772]

Hello Mat. That was a brilliant update. Great bit of problem solving on the door hinges and the latch bracketry. Your tig welding looks superb. Years ago when I worked on a certain British aircraft (that was built at Warton) a lot of the Hawker Siddelley and earlier De Havilland drawings used to often have the call out "fettle to fit" against some parts. Looks like Land Rovers are no different! Look forward to the front end update. Hope GCSE and A level stuff was ok for your two. My daughter Ollie got what she needed for college.

[@lookcreations]

Hi Carl, pretty sure the entire Landrover series were fettled to fit what was available 😃. Congratulations to Ollie. Both my two got what they wanted so Amèlie is off to university in September and Nat’ college.

[@carlwilson1772]

@@lookcreations Brilliant news on the exam front. Basically every British aeroplane I worked on you had to make parts "to the spirit" of the drawings and then adjust everything to fit the specific jet you were working on. Looks to me like Land Rovers are the same. There is a small aircraft museum near where I live and they have a forward control land rover (we called them 101s in the forces) that is looking unloved and forgotten in a corner. A part of me thinks I should see how much they want for it.

[@lookcreations]

@@carlwilson1772 the 101’s are fabulous. Slightly harder to get parts for but super fun

[@carlwilson1772]

@@lookcreations Indeed they are. I worked with someone years ago who made one into a camper. I'd love to have one. Sadly it's not a very practical dream because I doubt the museum would sell me theirs. Also it needs a lot of work and I have nowhere suitable to do it. Having said that Land Rover Sophie has done amazing work all outdoors. Never mind. What I hope to do is encourage the museum to restore it as I have friends there.

[@philhermetic]

You made the very best of a bad job!! closing the door putshuge pressure on the fixing points, and may in time fracture, but you already know that! The ones I remember had one of those rectangular struts with the catch in the middle that used to hold bonnets and boots open on fifties and sixties cars. She is looking a treat Mat!! Good luck, Phil

[@lookcreations]

Hi Phil, I’ve got umpteen photos of the flap struts in a good few styles. The are like rocking horse teeth to find though. The gas struts were £15 pair so can’t grumble and they don’t rattle which is better than all the original designs.

[@philhermetic]

@@lookcreations yes, they did rattle a lot! It is the amount of leverage you apply to the gas struts when you push the door closed from the bottom that is liable to bend the door. I think what you have done is the best you could have, but the forces involved are substantial! You will soon be driving it! Phil

[@carlwilson1772]

Great job. When I worked on the Nimrod aircraft some of the original de Havilland drawings had the call out "fettle to fit". Looks like Land Rovers are the same. I hope your two got what they expected re gcse and a levels. The welded mods on the hinge latch brackets were superb. Look forward to the front end update. Nice work!

[@mumblbeebee6546]

A Levels? I know I am repeating myself here, but _aaaargh_ I remember them being kids when the Clanger arrived at Matt’s place. Time goes too quickly for me!

[@carlwilson1772]

@@mumblbeebee6546 The funny thing is that I've been following Mat since 2020 so I almost feel like I've watched them grow up.

[@m0xya]

looking fantastic.. excellent work..

[@lookcreations]

Thanks for dropping by

[@scottsorby7966]

Christ you had your work cut out for you this week Matt, happy to see you thought your way around the issues you were facing right enough 👍

[@lookcreations]

This was the less traumatic stuff ! A Level & GCSE results were out .....

[@scottsorby7966]

@@lookcreations Aye we had that the other week up here with lots of extra moody and stressed teenagers, hope your kids got the results they were looking for

[@georgeclements2742]

Bit late now but I can't help thinking that it would have been easier to bin those dodgy hinges from the start. Anyway, good progress and as long as it's three steps forward and two steps back you're winning. Hope that the GCE/GCSE results were o.k. Best wishes.

[@lookcreations]

I think I should have started with some steel flat and made new hinges from the start and used the oddballs as a pattern. But it worked out in the end.

[@somebodyelse6673]

Jiggery-pokery is a whole semester course at Hogwarts...

[@lookcreations]

Always worth standing back to assess the degree of jiggers-pokery to be employed 😃

[@bcbloc02]

Perhaps spraying wd40 under the mat then silicone the edges would prevent rust?

[@C2DSolutions]

Just a heads up... your steering wheel is on the wrong side. 😉

[@jjudy5869]

The Mother Land never listens to us Colonialists!😉😊

[@lookcreations]

Oh crikey, I knew I’d make a big mistake putting it back together

[@69woodburner]

How about independent triangular brackets under the hinge mount. It would give clearance to the hinges and reduce the forces.

[@69woodburner]

Having watched it all now, you altered the hinge feet.😊

[@lookcreations]

It was I think the best solution. If I was doing it again from scratch, I would redesign the corners to make them and the flap frame more robust. It’s not flexing now so I think it’s good to go.