Under seat storage tray

Beneath the middle seat on a Series vehicle is a removable lid. This gives access to the PTO on the back of the gearbox, handbrake assembly and overdrive linkage. I don’t know which models introduced the underseat tray but it fits neatly into the opening left when the cover is removed.

I had one in a Series 3 and was a very useful space for bits and pieces you didn’t need immediate access too. The turnbuckle on the lid also allows it to be secured with a padlock.

LGL didn’t have one fitted from new. Original Land Rover items are non existent so a decent reproduction was ordered from Bits for Landys last summer. I got as far as priming it but nothing else.

To finish the job, I needed to apply a top coat, line the inside with Dynamat and some carpet… Oh… and to cut a piece of the tray out so the lid would fit…. Maybe it was designed for a later model? I’m not complaining, as with all of BfL replacement parts, they are very well made.

bFIaY7SBSUuVoYRwSFylMA — With the cubby box and cover removed the mechanics below are revealed. As with most Series gearboxes, there is an element of transmission noise, so the tray will ultimately have some Dynamat applied

0hqwTyHySAy9ogT+EAGUEQ — Seat tray offered up… but…

HEp1oBauRk6eKMQqI1Fz7A — When the lid is fitted back on, the tang on the back is set too far back on the lid.

ln2CTF8bSLObIxmgU7ryCQ — The tang above should fit under this angle. *It does fit* but the front of the lid is 45mm too far forwards. I’ll have to cut the angle off and cut a slot across the back edge so the tang on the lid passes through the tray and fits into its original location on the seat box

yJqbEH6HTMiSAQfjYKDdlw — With the tray clamped down, one side of the angle is ground off and the section to be cut out marked up

QDovg9ZxRsGNjW%Xl7my8Q — Two minutes later offending section is removed

HHMPxp3tQl6Bl5t%1G+H0Q — With the edges de-burred and the corners rounded off with a file, everything is put back together… didn’t take a picture of that, but the lid now fits correctly.

In the side of the tray are two small screw holes that match with 2 x 2BA threaded captive nuts on the seat box, the threads of which are full of paint from when I sprayed it. These needed a tap run through them to clean them up.

4cuq4PqZTO6JnPqNwmu2Jw — Handle, ratchet, 2BA tap and machine screws

7DJq7Y87StGTCrs3qf3jjw — Tap is wound into the thread. The machined edges remove the paint 🙂

Then it was onto the Pastel Green top coat…

Nk+0Qz0OQt6mFmt9kQG9Pw — In order to paint the underside of the tray, it was two visits to the garage once the upper side had gone off

Efforts to make the ride in the cab as comfortable as possible continue so more Dynamat was applied to the inside of the tray. I still have a lot of Dynamat left over, so the offcuts were put to good use…

TTjqiogrQhC8Q9ZtHo7qYw — Sound insulation in place

Dynamat isn’t that aesthetic so the inside was finished off with a layer of inexpensive carpet. Again, offcuts were used. I originally bought the carpet when I sound proofed and prepped rear of my 110 Defender hard top.

I have enough of this left to finish the inside of the seat box under the drivers seat which, at the moment, is still resplendent in Dynamat.