Talk me down from the ledge... Series III

[CLynn85]

Ok, so I'm not a land rover guy, but I've always had a soft spot for the series II/III and Defenders. I need another car like I need a hole in my head, but....

This little guy came up on one of my stupid random craigslist searches last week, and I like it, a lot.

http://norfolk.craigslist.org/cto/1680226326.html

We went yesterday and looked at it. It's noisy, smelly, barely does 55, and I LOVE IT. The funny thing is, so does the wife. I would normally pass this off as one of my silly fantasies, check my bank account, and go on with life as usual, but she's thrown me for a loop this time and is all in on it. The bulkhead looks relatively solid, as does the frame, it's got a few quirks, like the solenoid bypass at the moment, but nothing that doesn't seem workable. It had the 2.5 Diesel installed while it was still in the UK, where they added a defender grill and hood. I know very little about rovers, but that's never stopped me before...

Should I?

 

[Antichrist]

Sorry, afraid I can't do that. LOL

If the chassis is in decent shape and there's not a lot of bulkhead rust and lower door rust, it seems a pretty decent price.
Just from the photos it looks pretty stock except for the defender front end bodywork (bonnet and radiator support panel) they've stuck on it. Is it the stock 2.25 engine, or didn't does it have a V8 or something requiring the Defender front end.
Personally I'd pay more for a stock one (the interior I can see looks tidy and stock, both the seat back and base are stock, but from different trim levels), so if it has the 2.25 the first thing I'd do is put a SIII front end back on it. It allows a lot nicer mounting for the 8274 winch too.
It does look a bit saggy in the rear, so probably needs a new set of springs.

I wouldn't expect it to take long for him to sell it.

 

[Wander]

As Tom mentioned the frame and bulkhead condition are key. I would expect rust on both as it's from England. The Defender front end is curious so check to see if there was/is collision damage. As for talking you down....we're on the same ledge brother!

 

[discodisco]

Looks Great

From my own personal experience, I would say buying a vehicle that your wife likes too is pretty awesome. My last hobby car was a Triumph GT6 that my wife wasn't interested in. It is a totally different experience working on our Landy that she loves to work on. So if your wife likes it too its a great thing to work on together.

 

[czenkov]

It will cause you so much trouble you will love it! Word of caution. Be sure you really like the RHD. Might seem cool at first but it might irritate over time. I drove a RHD once and got used to it in 5 minutes - but I knew me and I would have tired of it. With that in mind you should be able to find a LHD in that part of the country in solid condition for that price I would think.

 

[CLynn85]

Well, looks like we'll soon be the proud owners of yet another money pit. Can't say no when the wife wants something this cool and there were no real compelling arguements against it.

All this started because I was looking for a vintage beater convertible for the wife for the summer.... at least she's happy.

 

[Gonzo]

Hi Carl,

Since you are "not a Rover guy" I'd like to drop by 2 cents for you. Rovers are terrible project cars if you are goal driven and desire to "complete" the project. There's always something that needs looking after on a Land Rover no matter how perfect it is. Parts are expensive when compared to its American alternatives and it'll never not leak or be loud.

The flip-side is that it will be more like a pet than a project car and you'll find your neighbors and extended family inquiring as to "how the Rover is doing" and you'll probably name it and only refer to it only by that name. The Land Rover is purpose built to be worked on and fixed anywhere so, with a little bailing wire and chewing gum, you'll always make it home. It'll amaze you offroad. Maybe not compared to some bubba truck with 42" tires but it'll amaze you. Finally, the community surrounding these vehicles is wonderful and strong and you'll soon find your family wearing the gear and going on little weekend trips with the local club.

My buying tip would be to tap the rear cross member and lower portions of the bulkhead just in front of the doors to ensure it sounds hollow and not stuffed with hidden rust that will cost you much pain later. Also, like the others, I encourage you to really evaluate the RHD concept as it isn't for everyone. When test driving it try to strain the transmission to see if it pops out of gear. All fixable items but I'd negotiate the price if any of those items fail to pass your test.

Good luck!

Brian
1973 Series III 88"

 

[James86004]

Hey, Gonzo,

Welcome to ExPo!

James

 

[Gonzo]

Thanks James! Loving the blog - don't forget the Death Valley trip! ;o)

Brian

 

[James86004]

Thanks James! Loving the blog - don't forget the Death Valley trip! ;o)

Brian

I will never forget it. I wrote an article about that and it was just published in Land Rover Enthusiast.

 

[CLynn85]

Gonzo, thanks for the pointers.

This is mainly going to be a run into town, occasional local powerline trails, weekend overnight camping kind of rig. I'm NOT going to restore it, just fix what breaks and keep it rolling.

 

[czenkov]

Congratulations! You got one of the coolest "vintage beater convertible" :victoryut there! They climb like goats!

"just fix what breaks and keep it rolling."

I have never made the mistake of adding up how much money I have in my pit. I did however do a work vs. reward analysis and came up with 1 hour of work = 6 minutes of reward. And that is just since I took over the main wrench turning duties. Don't get me wrong - I love every @$)(!^% minute of it - the reward - not the work.

In all seriousness. Congrats. You will love it!

 

[clalor]

I'm NOT going to restore it, just fix what breaks and keep it rolling.

I love this. In my opinion, Series Rovers should NEVER be shiny. Their paint should be dull and oxidized, at least in the areas where it hasn't worn away (like this one).

Good luck with the Rover!

 

[Sirocco]

Congratulations! You got one of the coolest "vintage beater convertible" :victoryut there! QUOTE]

If you want to, you can remove the roof and sides and replace with hoops/canvas

As the sun is starting to return to the UK I have removed mine from my 2a lightweight, folded the windscreen for a while but the wind is still cold! :bike_rider:

G

 

[RBBailey]

I still don't understand the point of this thread.