Progress has been mostly online this last few weeks. I have mocked up the RHS header and fabbed up one cylinder primary tube, but I just was not happy with it. Way too close to the starter and too close to the steering shaft. So I pulled the shaft and UJs out and turned it over. All that achieved was moving the problem to another spot. So I decided I really needed to ditch the fat Volvo shaft.
I looked on Gumtree and contacted anyone selling an old Range Rovers to see if they had any parts or suggestions. One bloke came back and suggested Black Stallion Motors in Victoria. Mostly a ferarri shop but for some reason they have a huge collection of old rovers. They were very helpful and promised to look.
While they were doing that I had another browse and I must have typed just the right thing into Google. Voila! Coleman Racing in the US do exactly what I need. Part Number 119-112. For $29 USD! Plus $170 Shipping!!! I about died. So I looked again for the exact part. Jegs sell it for $51 plus $76 shipping. So looked again and, what do you know, there is a bunch in Queensland who sell the shaft, but none in stock. :-(
https://www.ianboettcherraceparts.com.au/shop/Coleman-119-112.html
I gave them a call and found they had an "identical" shaft made by Sweet for $40 . Sold! I got one here a couple days ago but it did not fit. The Coleman shaft has 4" of spline on each end allowing you to trim as required. The Sweet shaft only had 1" of spline. I could probably make it work by removing the entire steering shaft and then sliding everything back in, but I decided to get smart about the Coleman shaft.
The Shaft is 3/4" x 48 Spline, 12" long by the way. 3/4" shafts almost always have 32 splines. 48 splines are used on 1" shafts. So this is a bit of an oddball.
I've sent the Sweet shaft back and contacted some friends in the states and ordered the Coleman shaft for $29 plus $18 shipping to Georgia. Kim will ship it on to me for perhaps about $30.
A hundred bucks is really no big deal in the grand scheme of things but I hate being ripped off. I think the US merchants have realised that everything in Australia is 3 times the price so they just crank up their shipping quote about 5 times and know that they will still be fairly competitive. That or they don't really want to bother with the business unless you are happy to be raped.
Black Stallion just got back to me and they now have a Range Rover shaft on the shelf, so that will be my plan F.
In the mean time I came across this guy in the States who has done a similar conversion:
http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=255021
His LS seems to be mounted further forward and higher than mine. Also, he chopped the cross member something serious, which I doubt would impress our local inspectors. He was able to use off the shelf hooker maniolds, but he did not have to clear the starter and steering shaft simultaneously.
I now await Australia Post.