When I stayed up in Orkney, I drove an early 60’s Series IIA Land Rover along with a Volvo Amazon estate of a similar vintage
The Land Rover was an ex civil defence vehicle. I bought it for £400 as a non runner due to a frost plug having popped out. I checked the head, replaced the valves and it ran beautifully.
I used it for towing mostly, I harvested peat for fuel in my croft
When I left Orkney, I gave it to a good friend who’s sons were Land Rover mad.
Twenty years on, I still miss its simplicity and character. So I randomly bid on a project I found on eBay
Another ex military Land Rover, but this time a 109 Series III FFR
It was sold as parts. A new chassis, rebuilt bulkhead, MOD reconditioned engine and a host of new, still boxed genuine panels.
I won it and drove just south of the border a couple of weeks ago to collect it all.
It had stood for eighteen years as a project the owner realised he’d never complete. I hopeful I can piece it all back together as a truck cab pickup
I’ll add some links to my Instagram page so folks can follow progress in case I fail to update things regularly here. I know there are a few Land Rover fans on here
I’m hoping to end up with something like this
Pfft, here's the real challenge...
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Is that the one in Torwood?
If it was 62KB00 in military life it went off the end of a bailey bridge then had the back end ripped off by the recovery truck
It’s a no from me !!
all you need is the right hammer and that will be good as new
Super-jealous. I would love a project like that, but have no garage and not so much time. Will follow with great intrest!
Is that the one in Torwood?
Nope - Ardeonaig.
OP im really excited to watch your progress. Im even considering joining Instagram to follow you.
There is an ace thread on here detailing an XLWB van conversion....i would love that level of reporting!
Good luck
Ian
Very nice!
My uncle did a full build of a series II when I was about 9. I ‘helped’ alot and it’s what started me on a passion (and career) for engineering. One day hope to do one, once the space is available
Enjoy the build and keep motivated, music and podcasts have always helped me through big hands-on projects
As with all of your various projects you're making me jealous and you'll no doubt do it justice!
Following with interest.
I posted this a few weeks ago, not sure if anyone noticed it
My neighbour asked if I could help him with his Series One Land Rover. It’s gearbox was making unhealthy noises.
I’d randomly seen it first years ago in town. I was struck by its originality, battered panels, chipped green paint, field repaired but complete. It had period stickers from Zimbabwe on the rear. No one was around, I took a couple of pictures, and forgot about it. Until I happened upon it’s owner who happens to be a neighbour.
He said he had bought it from a forester who had worked in Zimbabwe, he had bought it from an African mechanic who had cannibalised other Land Rovers to keep it running.
As I lifted the hinged panel under the central seat to get to the gearbox I noticed and gasped that it was painted a pale blue.
My gasp needed some explanation. I relayed what I remembered of this video clip.
Oxford was painted a dark blue - Cambridge a paler blue.
When I was under the floor, I noticed the whole underside was the same pale blue. No one would respray the underside a different colour.
The First Overland was I’m in ‘55, our understanding is that my neighbour’s is a ‘57. Cambridge was last seen in Morocco.
Land Rovers would be routinely stripped for parts in Africa. It made us both pause for a minute and ponder the what ifs.
That is definitely a project. Subscribed and looking forward to this.
Would love the opportunity to do this, but no garage and I’ve been advised I can only do this if I sell all my bikes and my Disco, which I’d rather not do.
I'm a yes, I think that will run again. Good luck
I’m pretty positive it’s found the right place for its restoration. I already follow you on IG, so I will keep tracking the progress!
I'll go for a yes as well! 🙂
If I got mine back on the road I'm sure you'll be fine 🙂
I would say that’s a very good buy McM! Good chassis and bulkhead which is well over half the battle. The engines are very robust and that is usually the simpler bit. I have a 1955 86” which ran for the first time last year after 20 years, 10 in my ownership being used as a storage unit.
I’ve had to go for a new bulkhead and chassis though!
Good luck with it.
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Timbog, that’s a cracking project. The patina makes it
Set back number one - the engine has been sitting in the chassis I believe for the last eighteen years. It’s seized. With no propshafts on it, I can’t give it a bump in gear. I’ve pulled the plugs and filled the bores with diesel and atf. I’ve ordered a head gasket set, so I’ll whip the head off and see what’s what
As I lifted the hinged panel under the central seat to get to the gearbox I noticed and gasped that it was painted a pale blue
I'd be restoring that one.
It can run again.... all depends on your will and the depth of your pockets.
Just don't think you can turn a profit on it....
Set back number one – the engine has been sitting in the chassis I believe for the last eighteen years. It’s seized. With no propshafts on it, I can’t give it a bump in gear. I’ve pulled the plugs and filled the bores with diesel and atf. I’ve ordered a head gasket set, so I’ll whip the head off and see what’s what
Sounds like it needs a v8 😉
Progress is glacial between other chores. But it’s coming together, that might be an oxymoron as parts are everywhere. The chassis is in Glasgow being blasted and galvanised and the axles are in Thornton for shot blasting. Parcels of parts arrive daily. My hope is to have the axles rebuilt in time for the return of the chassis so they can be reunited quickly and I can have it semi mobile. Each chunk on its own is darned heavy.
When I got back from delivering the axles to the shot blaster, I thought I’d mend my engine crane. I fixed it. However, a while back one of the boards in the inspection pit had broken and left a six inch space. It wasn’t an issue with the Rolls Royce on top. Replacing the board was on my to do list. I’d adjusted the gaps between the remaining boards to make up the difference , but when moving the axles, I needed a smooth transition for the sack barrow, so closed them together revealing the four or five inch chasm.
As I was working on the ground, I laid a sheet of cardboard on the ground. It partially covered the gap left by the board.
A bit like an elephant trap, I blindly turned around, stood on it and my leg went through the gap. I fell the length of my leg.
I thought I’d broken it. I lay breathlessly on the ground for minutes. My thigh trapped between the boards. No one would have thought to look for me until darkness fell. Somehow I freed myself.
I don’t think it’s broken but I have a bad scar. I need a Health and Safety review, any plans I had to model tights are now on hold.
Worse though is that the box I was carrying contained a thousand split pins in assorted sizes were strewn across the garage floor. I swept them up and randomly refilled the box. OCD hell. When my nieces revisit I hope they will sort them back into their sized compartments
Pics on Instagram
Are you going for WCA's crown here McM??
Ouchie! I feel for your plight.
Thought I’d point out the rewards available for tarting up an SIII to look like Craig’s retirement runabout - Sotheby’s auction
Blue rattle can ahoy!
Fitted For Radio and all that extra 24v gubbins should add some fun to the process 🙂
On Sunday I took the cylinder head off the Land Rover engine to get to the bottom of the seizure. The seller’s listing said it had been rebuilt by the MoD and that it had covered around five thousand miles since then. ‘It ran sweetly’ he added.
Pulling the head revealed rust around the top of number two cylinder and the valves in the head
Andersons in Kirkcaldy think they can sleeve and rebore that cylinder, so all is not lost
A new set of rings and bearing shells is the best possible scenario. I’ll strip the engine down to the block and the machinist can make a proper assessment. Hopefully the valve seats are ok, I’ll probably change the valves and guides as it’s fairly straightforward while it’s all apart too.
The seller isn’t answering calls.
Pics on Instagram under mcmoonter.
I’m going to convert it to 12v, most of the parts need replacement anyway, starter, alternator, distributor, wiper motor and heater fan. I’ll probably replace the loom too
Trigger's Broom, but still an awesome project!
I’ve stripped the engine down for a post mortem with the machine shop in Kirkcaldy.
In a previous post I mentioned that the engine had seized. I took the head off to find water had corroded number two cylinder. I managed to knock the piston out to see the full extent of the damage.
The machine shop can sleeve that cylinder and rebore it. Although the other bores seemed ok, we agreed that we’d rebore them too and fit oversized pistons, the crank and big end bearings were still standard, but they’ll polish them and fit new shells. We’ll fit new valves and guides too while it’s all on the bench. I’ve ordered new timing sprockets, a timing chain and an oil pump, so pretty much everything that moves will be new. The investment is more worthwhile than a shot in the dark replacement and the numbers will match in the log book.
I collected the chassis back from galvanising in Glasgow this afternoon. Along with a host of other parts which should make the finished job both a pleasure to work on and more durable long term.
The chap who I dropped the axles off with to get sand blasted hurt his back, I got a text from him the day I dropped them off from A&E. He texted me yesterday to say he hoped to be back to work next week.
I have all the parts to rebuild them, so hopefully I can reunite axles and engine to the chassis fairly soon. Hopefully that’ll be the worst of the rusty and oily stuff behind me
Pics on Instagram under mcmoonter
Chassis looks great. You’re making rapid progress - Ive done next to nothing on the series 1 this year - too many other projects, and work as well of course! Looking forward to next update..
Love this! Recently got rid of my SII lightweight (with a V8!) not sure if I want another Landy challenge - 6 bolts to remove, 5 come off in 5mins, the last takes the rest of the day. Love the IG
Don’t how I’ve missed this so far, but loving it. Off to follow you on Instagram
Following on Instagram!
I can recommend Geoffrey Croker on YouTube for an excellent nz based Landy restoration
Following with great interest.
I learnt to drive on a farm in a series II, truck cab, 107", in 1974.
I’m a huge fan of his channel.
Following you on IG now.
Good luck!
A little update on progress. I nipped past the machine shop today to drop off the correct exhaust valves. The guys were pleased with the sleeved repair on the corroded cyclinder. The sleeve is in place and it and the other three are being bored out to +40. The crank has been polished, but is still standard, it and the big ends will see new bearings. A new oil pump and timing gear should see it almost as new.
I drained the gearbox yesterday and found a couple of bits of what may be a synchro ring or locking tab. I’d hoped the gearbox would be ok, but now I’m sceptical and am thinking of having it stripped and checked. There’s a good Land Rover independent in Walkerburn near Innerleithen who may either be able to rebuild the box, or supply me with another one. We will see what the survey says.
The axles and springs came back from blasting. When pressing in new spring bushes, we spotted a couple of leaf springs had broken. The cracks weren’t visible before the blasting. I opens the door to a parabolic spring upgrade which should improve the ride.
I’ve press fitted the shackle bushes to the chassis. Despite making a special tool to press the old ones out, I had to resort to hacksawing and chiselling them out. I’d left them in during the galvanising process for fear the coating would reduce the bore size making refitting the bushes without a reamer, impossible
Hopefully the engine rebuild will go ok, I’ll need to give it a thorough clean internally and I’ll paint the outside too. It would be a shame not to. I’ve got everything to rebuild the axles, which should be straightforward. Once those bits are in place it’ll start to look like rolling chassis again. I like to feel as though things are moving, however glacially, in the right direction. Rainy weekends are the only free time I can muster at the moment
Pics on Instagram
I'll point my nephew in this direction for inspiration. We drove up and collected a series III from Aboyne in the summer. Also a project, which the owner had stalled on. It was his daughters daily and he also used on a shoot. It has already got the galvanised chassis and came with nearly all of the parts, all cataloged on a spreadsheet! The former owner was a rig manager so was very organised. It also came with a recon gearbox, and engine and the old gearbox which jumped out of third apparently.
Nephew has lots to do. He promised to drive it back to Aboyne when he finishes. He better do a good job as it is now in Bristol.
That sounds like a more common sense project than mine. I’m trying to justify it by saying I didn’t want to pay a lot for stuff I wouldn’t be happy with, not quite realising just how much stuff there is on a Spartan series LAnd Rover.
I have a nice painting in the Fife Arms in Braemar, that I’d like to see again, a friend has a cottage near Dinnet, a mile or two from Aboyne that’s up a farm track. I think as a maiden voyage it has challenges and rewards
I’d like to see progress on your nephew’s Landy
Currently on axle stands and in boxes at the back of my work covered in tarps. If he doesn't get on with it, he will end up having to give it to me as rent!... To be honest it was a great deal, the guy who sold it lost his daughter to cancer at a very young age and as it was her car. Will intends to keep him up to date of progress. Problem Nephew has is that his daily Defender is taking up too much of his spannering time and ££. He got so much stuff with it. We had a car trailer behind the Boxer van which was pretty much full with parts and tools. Next time I'm in Breamar I'll go and have a look at your painting and possibly a pint..