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Great explanation on the diffs Treckledog!! and sorry about that on where you sourced your Ant, it was your Moke that came from NMP.

The Diffs that Henry has are those as fitted to Prototype 4WD Mokes. They have a factory Part Number



I can find no reference to that number, but I am also aware that the E on the end of the prefix means that it came from the Experimental Dept. The letter Y means Australian Manufacture (or design at least). I've made several approaches to Henry to see if he'd part with these and I know others have too, he seems rather attached to them, maybe he has a project in mind?

These have a ratio of ~2.1:1, way way to tall for any RWD vehicle that I know of! and your Ant stuff is also very tall. I can get these cut, but fairly expensive.

It would be reasonably easy to convert a 4 synch box to take the Ant bits, just time consuming. If I were to do it, rather than use the bits from the Ant Box, I'd fabricate and / or machine new parts the same (maybe with mods), it would be easier and a better end result.

For my own 4WD Moke, I'll be making the gearbox, including the transfer housing. It will have a similar layout to the 4WD Moke Box, but 5 speed with Hi / lo range. The main gear set is Japanese. Honestly, not a difficult task - just time!! The rear suspension design I'm still working on. I've looked at a number of set ups now, but for something as short as the Moke, swing arms are pretty hard to go past and it's likely I'll run with those. Like yourself, I'm looking to do the job with minimal body mods, I'll be using a face lift body (80 - 82) as these were re-arranged for the 4WD Moke that we never got!!

The more I looked at the detail of what the Australian Factory did with what they had to work with, they were damn clever with what they did. If only they had a gearcase like the Metro Turbo's - which was still ~2 years in the future at that time - and used a wider CW&P, things might well have been different.

Looking forward to the Ant pics

<Edit to re-insert photo>

Oh you have got to be joking me! lost another post!!!
Wrote mountains again.
Will rewrite later, off to dig for parts and take pics now.
If I'm not back in 24hrs, send a search party !

A little lunchtime snippet.......
The likeness to the classic Ferrari gearchange gate is just stunning!

Photo shoot wasn't a great success, I need to get all this stuff in the workshop really, but here's a couple of pics. Both of the underside, one from slightly behind where the rear diff would be, looking forward to the heel plate and tunnel. The other looking at the toeboard/bulkhead area looking back towards the tunnel. note that the floor goes right across and encloses the bottom of the tunnel.

Thanks for putting up the pics there Treckledog. Odd-ball design, and I'm thinking a bugger of a thing to get the propshaft out of. How bad was the whole thing?

Like it or not, there will be more pics. Lots more pics!
Flat underside would obviously be advantageous off road, and by enclosing the bottom of the tunnel it may have made the body stiffer in torsion. However, yes, the prop would be awkward to remove. It has to be taken out the back once the diff has been dropped. Not too many bolts to do that, but keyhole surgery at the front to release it. In all a minor problem compared to some maintenance issues on the Ant !
The underside of the body was not too bad, that's why I kept it for reference measurements.
From sill level up, it's a different story! The history I have of it, from early 80's, is that it was at a chap's house and he wouldn't sell it. It turned up some months later at the local scrap yard and was bought off the heap. Some damage was done here. It was then taken to a farm to be restored, and left, and left, until the farmer sold up to move. At this point it was put on his scrap heap and nearly sold as such, until moments before the hammer fell someone pointed out that it shouldn't be there and should be excluded from the sale. It moved with the farmer and took up residence in a bramble bush and nettle bed! And was left, and left...
The transmission had already been taken out and that was safe, but the diff was still in the body.
By the time I got to it, I was convinced the half of the crownwheel out of the oil would be rusted beyond use. But no, all the bolts came out easily and the contents of the rear end were like brand new. What a relief !!!
The body had taken a proper beating by now though, and unfortunately for the few surviving Ants, but luckily for my project, was beyond any chance of repair. I'm reliably told it was removed from the farm scrap heap by JCB, and it shows! There is nothing straight above sill level, no doors, no bonnet, no B post, no dash board, no tail gate, no screen surround. Just basic body.
At some point it will see the light of day and decent pics will be taken.

But in the meantime........

Treckledog, thanks heaps for posting up the pics.

Gee, it really does look like it's been sucked in, chewed up and spat out again! Poor thing, but definitely salvageable, again, only needs time and lots of it, I'm just glad to learn that it has been saved from being turned in to razor blades (or what ever).

Did you get the rear suspension with it?

Along with words, pictures tell a tale. Happy to post all I can, what's the point in having knowledge if you're not prepared to share it?
I think the pics may have fooled you into thinking the body is better than it is. Trust me, this body is not ever going to hammer straight again. It's been through too many wars. With the state of it now, and all the missing bits, it just wouldn't be worth even attempting. Unless you want it!!!!
Better to let it donate it's vital organs and continue it's life in the Moke shell.
RIP another prototype, Long live the Moke/Ant hybrid !

..........or not!
Moke project still on.
Another Ant purchased with a view to making a good one out of the two. This could take a while....... and a while longer still!

Hey Trekledog, trust you've been well mate.

What???? Another Ant????? What the....... Mate, sorry, I wouldn't usually pry, but where are you finding these?? They are so damn rare yet it seems you've a yard full of them!!

More than one ant is just plain greedy. Hmm, where's the envy emoticon?

Tim

Tim, we've been doing a job next door to the old West Works of Longbridge, we had a machine break through into a cellar of some sort, we found a few interesting bits and pieces! bought the lot off the site owner.

Too cruel, and I'm sure you'd see straight through that......
Just by luck and speaking to the right people at the right time I was lucky enough that this fellow was prepared to part with what he had left over from rebuilding his Ant. With what i already had, what i now have got, and some careful remanufacture of things, i should just have enough to carry on with the moke and build an Ant too. What i do have is pretty bad though, it ain't gonna be an easy ride.......
But, i might know of another... !

wow, buried treasure!

Tim

check your PMs Tim

Treckledog, I think I hate you

Keep at it, it'll be a hard slog for sure, but well worth it.

Sprider, you don't hate me, you're just rear diff deficient. Tablets will help a little, engineering will help a lot!
Get in the shed and make it happen........

Teckeldog wrote:Sprider, you don't hate me, you're just rear diff deficient. Tablets will help a little, engineering will help a lot!
Get in the shed and make it happen........

Cheers mate.

Nah, can't get in the shed for about a month now. Got a fair bit of work (as in real paying work for a change!) and have to knuckle in to that, preferably without distraction. I'd rather start a project, then keep at it until it's done. Also makes the forum up-dates less dull

Mmmmm....... class comment and valid point there Spridrer!
I don't mind starting a new one, but would have prefered to have finished one first!
I'd definately prefer it if someone hadn't already started and completely screwed this one up before I got hold of it. I hate undoing and correcting other peoples faults........ Grrr
Btw, at last count we were upto 15 Ants confirmed and possibly another 3 to be confirmed, that's not bad out of the original 24!
I need contact with the one in Western Australia please, we're starting a register over here.
Cheers
Teckeldog with bits boxes!