This is a 1969 Series IIa 88" Land Rover, powered by a 3.3 litre 4-203 Perkins diesel engine, from either a tractor, or more likely a Lansing fork truck. Coupled to the transmission, there is a Fairey overdrive unit, housed in the axle casings 3.54:1 differentials out of a Range Rover, these items are essential for highway use, as the Perkins engine, although producing a great deal of torque, will not rev at high enough speed for standard gearing.

My son spotted this truck for sale locally, and knowing that I was looking for one, he excitedly mentioned to me where it was. Having basically decided that I would buy it after only driving by, I broke all the golden rules of vehicle purchasing when I went to view it, I barely glanced underneath, I didn’t poke at the chassis with a screwdriver, I ignored, or just plain didn’t hear any strange noises. I just knew that I wanted it, and I wanted it now!

Soon after buying, my wife and I headed up to the Lake District for the weekend, where I was able to assess the truck. It coped with the motorway quite well, managing to overtake several lorries on the flat stretches, but was hampered by the long hills. Whilst up there I discovered 2 stripped wheel studs on the rear offside, but generally, I was pleased with the way that it coped.

After a couple of years general service, the chassis finally gave up the ghost. Not wanting to scrap the vehicle, I knew that the easiest solution would be a chassis swap, repair was out of the question, it would probably cost as much as, if not more than, a new chassis, and involve far more work, so the hunt was on. I figured, that if it was having a replacement chassis, it might as well have a galvanized one. The cost of purchase, and delivery would have been near enough to 1000 pounds I figured, so I started to look on Ebay, as I had seen a few come up occasionally.

After awhile, an abandoned project, a rolling chassis with 2-1/4 diesel engine, transmission, new suspension and brakes was located in Leeds. Once purchased, I hired a tilting trailer and went to collect it, it felt so good to be towing my new chassis home over the M62, although reversing it into the back lane when I got home was a task. My 83 year old neighbour, Ronnie, was excited to see the new arrival, and he helped me to unload and position the truck to where I hoped to do the chassis swap.

I had a concrete hard standing in front of my shed, not the ideal place, but all I had. This position meant that I had to move the Land Rover each time I wanted to get my bike out of the shed, also every time I had time to work on the truck, the weather would conspire against me. What I thought was going to be an easy task, turned into the impossible. When I bought an engine hoist, I realized that the concrete would be too rough to roll the hoist once the engine was suspended, so I moved the chassis round to the side of the shed, hoping to make the ground level and strong enough to cope with the loads I needed to put on it, but this wasn’t happening either, things were looking bleak.

I had managed to transfer the rear tub, doors, screen and tilt from the old chassis. But the problem of the engine swap wasn’t getting solved at all. Then my wife and daughter spotted a property which would suit the whole familys needs, it included a large cattle shed, large enough to house both Land Rovers, all my tools, bikes and equipment. Finally, I would have the workshop I had always dreamt of, the BIG shed!

Once we had moved into the house, I was able to start bringing up the Land Rovers, I borrowed my friends trailer, and over 2 days, brought up and positioned the 2 rolling chassis, facing each other so that the engines could be swapped. I removed the 2-1/4 from the new chassis first, and set this aside, well out of the way. Then concentrated on the old chassis, the idea to strip it totally, scrap anything that clearly wasn’t any use, chop up and scrap the carcass, and make plenty of room to work around the Yeti Monster. Some aspects of the strip were very difficult, due to the advanced state of corrosion, and the total lack of assistance that I received from everyone!

Eventually, as time allowed, I made progress, until one day, approximately 2 years after the Yeti Monster going off the road, it had finally gone, disappeared in a pile of rusty scrap steel. Anything that was worth selling or using was kept, the rest was delivered to the scrap metal merchants. After pulling the new rolling chassis into the well lit working area I could really get started. First the front axle was stripped, revealing seized bearings, perished oil seals, worn splines and missing components. I knew that I would need to strip the rear axle, as the poor assembly of the front one left me in serious doubt as to the quality of the rear, also the differentials would need swapping, as these were 4.7:1 ratio. In addition with this, I also wanted to use stainless steel fasteners to attach the body work, so I removed the rear tub, which made access to the rear differential, so much easier.

Once more, fate was conspiring against the Yeti Monster, when I've had the time, I've not had the money to purchase vital parts. Until now, I have been lucky enough to find 2 replacement 3.54:1 differentials, at very good prices. Another recent bargain is a replacement Perkins engine, again off Ebay, once inspected, I think this will go straight in to the Yeti Monster, leaving the old one free for overhaul and storage. So I now have spare engine, gearbox, transfer box and differentials, which is a good situation in which to find ones self.

As a special treat, I have also bought a full set of the correct style door hinges and wing mounted mirrors, not essential at this stage, but they will return the original look of the truck.

Latest work sessions have been very productive, seeing the installation of both front and rear differentials, the completion of the front and rear axles including overhaul of the brake cylinders, adjusters and back plates. Prior to fitting the rear diff. I fitted a filler pluginto the diff axle casing, as the newer diffs don't have facility to fill in the housing. New wheel bearings all round, new oil seals and new steering swivel pins, bearings and railko bushes. The Yeti Monster is now a rolling chassis once more.

The steering box has been checked and filled with oil, the track rod length has been set but the drag links still require fitting. The bulkhead has been shimmed to enable the doors to be fitted correctly and the transmission brake has been overhauled. The most satesfying task to date, has been the collection and fitting of the "new" Perkins engine.

After all this time, it seems that just about every task remaining, is a task that will bring completion ever nearer. Finding time, amidst all the other work that the property throws up, and maintaining family life as well, is difficult, but the rewards are great, both physically and mentally. The rolling chassis has been moved forward into a better lit area in the middle of the shed, but alas, no further work was possible as time home had been cut short due to the usual inability of my employers to arrange a brew up in a pizzeria.

Before any further progress takes place, I intend to remove the bulkhead again, in order to install the missing captive nuts for the door hinges, and to apply paint of the correct colour. I may also give the chassis a coat or two. Progess on the MF 50B will allow more time to directed at the Yeti Monster, which has seen no real progress in many a moon.

THE YETI MONSTER