Aero screens, Teak flooring and luxury bits that make your S1 special

[jedwards]

HI all,
There are those in our community that staunchly believe that Series 1’s should utterly basic, uncompromisingly uncomfortable and anything even vaguely approaching luxury should be to put the torch.

Well, I’d like to stamp a bit of my personality onto my 1953 S1 as part of its restoration , so have been keeping an eye out for things that might add to my use and enjoyment of my wonderful old Land Rover.

Super keen to hear (and see) from anyone who has added or is considering adding something a bit special to their special vehicles.

best wishes,
Jeff

[JDNSW]

Apart from the fact that all those pictures show Series 2/2a........

The main concern is that Series 1 Landrovers are essentially collectible vehicles these days, with values a lot higher than they were a few years ago, and increasing quite rapidly. Provided they are substantially original! Most owners have no problems with this, as they are not using the vehicle as a daily driver.

Having said that, there should be no issues with additions or modifications that do not permanently alter the vehicle. I think back to modifications I made to my Series 1 when it was my daily driver nearly sixty years ago. These included sun visors, seat belts, radio, door pockets, additional lights, sound deadening, that sort of thing.

[gromit]

As mentioned by John, be aware that modifications may impact on the resale value in future years.

Are you going to use this as a daily driver ?
Why buy a Series I and then try to make it more 'comfortable' to drive, should you have purchased something else ?
After a probably expensive restoration are you happy to compromise it's future resale value ?

I've seen in the past where the engine is replaced, later full synchro gearbox fitted, brakes are upgraded, seats are replaced, suspension modified, power steering fitted, dozens of extra fuses fitted in the new wiring system etc. etc. then the owner says "it's great fun driving an old Series I"...........???

Each to their own, it's your vehicle.

Probably a different situation if the modifications were 'period' and the vehicle is left unrestored.
1956 Series 1 with PTO welder (home made) (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-i-land-rover-enthusiasts-section/159944-1956-series-1-pto-welder-home-made.html)


Colin

[B.S.F.]

As mentioned by John, be aware that modifications may impact on the resale value in future years.

Are you going to use this as a daily driver ?
Why buy a Series I and then try to make it more 'comfortable' to drive, should you have purchased something else ?
After a probably expensive restoration are you happy to compromise it's future resale value ?

I've seen in the past where the engine is replaced, later full synchro gearbox fitted, brakes are upgraded, seats are replaced, suspension modified, power steering fitted, dozens of extra fuses fitted in the new wiring system etc. etc. then the owner says "it's great fun driving an old Series I"...........???

Each to their own, it's your vehicle.

Probably a different situation if the modifications were 'period' and the vehicle is left unrestored.
1956 Series 1 with PTO welder (home made) (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-i-land-rover-enthusiasts-section/159944-1956-series-1-pto-welder-home-made.html)


Colin
And plenty of chequer plate, don't forget chequer plate !!
.W.

[jedwards]

Sun Visors, terrific idea. I forget those. Thanks John,
Naturally everything is reversible. This is about getting the most out of the Land Rover while you can.

So if I can made her safer, more reliable and more usable, then I feel, that I should.

They will all be unusable in a few years, when petrol is gone and polluting cars like ours are not permitted on the road, so your cars are effectively worthless now, so I suggest that originality in a 50 year old car is grossly overrates in the modern world. They are all going to China to be melted down for scrap in coming years, so think less about originality and more about putting 3 phase on your garage so you can recharge you flash new EV, which will cost you $2.00 a kilometre in road taxes.

If I painted the tub floor in nice shiny Deep Bronze Green, then I would be reluctant to throw 20 or 30 bags of soil or manure into the back for the garden, but that's what I have her for.
If I use EVA Foam as a decking material, it will reduce noise, never rot, never fade, and will protect the tub for years and is 100% reversible. Win, Win in my view.

Sun visors, seat belts, new seating, fuses and interior lighting are all about safety and being able to share the car with family and friends. Without those, I can never allow my Grand-children to travel in her, that would be morally irresponsible.

cheers
Jeff

[gromit]

Without those, I can never allow my Grand-children to travel in her, that would be morally irresponsible.



So will you be adding fully engineered seatbelts and airbags ?

I must be morally irresponsible because my Series I doesn't have seatbelts and my boys have been traveling with me in it since they were about 6 years old.


Colin

[JDNSW]

...... They are all going to China to be melted down for scrap in coming years, .....
cheers
Jeff

If you are talking about Series 1s, they are not going to China to be melted down - they are going mainly to the UK to be restored, being snatched up by canny dealers whose intervention has seen the price of them rise by a factor somewhere between two and ten in the last ten years. And as they become rarer, and as petrol and diesel cars become rarer, they are not going to become worthless - unless they have been modified in a way to make them expensive to restore.

And no, most buyers are not buying them to drive regularly, but as display or collectible items, partly from nostalgia, even if they are occasionally driven, and if they are no longer allowed on the road, this will have little impact on their value.

[B.S.F.]

When Series Land Rovers left the factory they were very capable and reliable vehicles. Now 50 to 70 years later they are still very capable vehicles, how reliable they are is completely up to
you and has got absolutely nothing to do with appearance. I've been traveling in an unrestored, but with a few additions, S1 Lwb for about 18 years. Flinders Ranges, Gulf country and in between etc. (I live near Brisbane) without any major breakdowns. And my work car since about 95
.W.

[gromit]

When Series Land Rovers left the factory they were very capable and reliable vehicles. Now 50 to 70 years later they are still very capable vehicles, how reliable they are is completely up to
you and has got absolutely nothing to do with appearance. I've been traveling in an unrestored, but with a few additions, S1 Lwb for about 18 years. Flinders Ranges, Gulf country and in between etc. (I live near Brisbane) without any major breakdowns. And my work car since about 95
.W.

Love the pictures, love the Land Rovers.

There is a temptation to over restore vehicles but I prefer the unrestored, original ones.

I understand why some people want to have a Series I that looks better than new but there is then a temptation to not use it because the paint might get dirty.

Driving my Series I to Cooma in 2008 with my late Father-in-law was an experience I'll never forget although I remember on the return trip asking if he wanted to go in 2018 and he said if he did, could we tow it there (he was late 60's at the time).
In fact I ended up towing it there in 2018 because the FIL was sick and I went with my sons. Although one had his licence I didn't think he was up to a long trip driving the Series I.

Each to their own but if investing a lot of money into a project you probably need to consider future value.


Colin

[B.S.F.]

Colin
I distinctly remember your SWB in Cooma and how much interest it created because it was a unique and unrestored vehicle. We drove to Cooma via Lake Mungo in the S1 109, which appeared in a couple of pictures in the Souvenir Booklet.
.W.

[gromit]

Colin
I distinctly remember your SWB in Cooma and how much interest it created because it was a unique and unrestored vehicle. We drove to Cooma via Lake Mungo in the S1 109, which appeared in a couple of pictures in the Souvenir Booklet.
.W.

Someone at Cooma 2008, can't remember who, told me it was a unique piece of Australiana.
Won an award at Cooma 2018 and afterwards one of the American guys that was visiting made me an offer my wife told me I shouldn't refuse.....I did though.

Colin

[Don 130]

Bowler did this to a series 1172285

I've copied the text from the article in LRO because the original link doesn't work

What's the story?

It looks like a Series I. It putters and purrs a bit like a Series I. But something about this ‘1957 Series I 88-inch’ just isn’t stacking up. They’re Defender wheels and drive flanges; that chassis doesn’t look like any ‘88’ I’ve ever seen… and why am I getting six-cylinder Jaguar engine noises from a fat exhaust pipe on the ‘wrong’ side?

The answers to these conundrums stem from an unusual brief that landed in rally raid specialist Bowler Motorsport’s inbox, to create a unique Series I. Bowler’s Jon Chester explains: ‘There were three key things… The famous picture of Sir Winston Churchill with his 86-inch Series I ‘UKE 80’ – “That’s cool”, said the person commissioning the project; it had to be British military Desert Sand colour; and “I’d like a Series I that I can actually drive, with sensible brakes, steering, etc.”’ Challenge accepted.

Drew Bowler and his team shortened a TDCi Defender 90 chassis and adapted it to suit the Series I body, which would tick the ‘sensible steering and brakes’ boxes, and take the running gear needed to handle more than 200bhp (see below).

Initially, standard-width Defender axles were going to be used, with flared arches to cover the tyres, but it didn’t look Series I enough, so Bowler narrowed the axles by 60mm each side. The 7.50 R16 Michelin tyres now fill the arches neatly, but taking so much width out of the axles meant the suspension had to be redesigned with a bespoke coil-over set-up. An incredible amount of effort and ingenuity has gone into this project.

At the moment it’s a one-off, but Bowler hasn’t completely ruled-out building more, if there’s enough demand for them.



Our favourite bit?

The near-350% power increase over the Series I’s original 52bhp… That’s where the 230bhp AJV6 petrol engine from a Jaguar X-type comes in. Jon Chester says: ‘We wanted it to look as “factory” as possible, and we knew it could run things like power-steering and air-conditioning that the customer wanted. Plus, we didn’t want to have to tune something and make it unreliable.’ That almost sounds sensible.



And the verdict from LRO editor Mike Goodbun?

I’m not a huge fan of modernising classics; you too often end up with something that’s neither charmingly old, nor convincingly modern, but this strikes a brilliant balance. From the V6’s fuelly rasp to the nicely weighted steering, everything feels and sounds ‘period’.



TECH SPEC

Body: 1957 Series I 88in soft-top

Chassis: Shortened TDCi Defender 90

Engine: 2967cc Jaguar X-type V6, 24-valve, variable valve timing

Power & torque: 231bhp, 209lb ft

Transmission: Permanent 4WD, R380 five-speed manual gearbox, LT230 transfer box, shortened rear propshaft, narrowed Defender 90 live axles

Suspension: Coil-overs all-round, modified front radius arms

Steering: Modified Discovery 2 power-assisted

Brakes: Defender 90 discs and calipers

Wheels & tyres: Defender rims, 7.50 R16 Michelin Latitude Cross

0-60mph: less than 10sec (est)

Contact: bowlermotorsport.com, 01773 824 111

Don.