early series, project for the dad and kids?

[procrastination inc]

spotted this today
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/08/1085.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/08/1086.jpg
the girls love it :)

a few Q's:

What is it?
What probs should I look for?
What's it worth?

cheers

Jason

[Sleepy]

What is it?
Series 1 88" (Late 50's)



What probs should I look for?
1. Rust - Chassis and bulkhead
2. Addiction to land rovers :)



What's it worth?

Tough - does it run? if it's rusty, probably only a few hundred but could be over a grand if it's all there, more if it's solid.

Do you have the chassis number or any other details or photos to help.

[olmate]

Well said Paul :D.

And 'as for the addiction' - just buy it :D:D:D

[procrastination inc]

rusty bulkhead

chassis looks good. Last run 4 years ago

missing tail lights, tail gate, air filter, top of passenger door, after market dents and and panel tears, otherwise complete

hand painted broccoli green, with a piece of broccoli it seems

[JDNSW]

It looks as if it could be an attractive project. Apart from the points already mentioned, a few things to think about.

Good Series 1 bulkheads are hard to find and expensive if new (I think you can get them ex-UK, but it won't be cheap. While they can be repaired by a skilled metalworker, this could get expensive as well unless you have or can acquire the skills.

Most parts will be obtainable, but Series 1 parts are getting to where you are likely to have to do a fair bit of looking, and pay handsomely when you do find them, although the late ones like this are easier than the 80". On the plus side, with the late Series 1 like this, many parts are either the same as or interchangeable with readily available Series 2/2a/3 parts.(for example, that missing aircleaner is shared with 2/2a/3) But being a stickler for authenticity can add a lot to restoration cost.

John

[procrastination inc]

rebuilding a bulkhead with as much rust as I saw in this one is within my means.

I'm not fussed about originality. I think I might even offend a few enthusiasts :angel:

Functional and good looking is all it needs to be. My 12yo wants it as her first car :)

I think vacuum assisted braking would be in order. She'll just have to develop big arm muscles for the steering

[Sleepy]

Sounds like a good project - given that you reckon you could repair the bulkhead - go for it.:D

Don't worry about the dents,
original lights cost a fortune grab something aftermarket.
Sounds like you should be able to get the motor going - from this distance it doesn't look too bad.
Dual wheel setup - haven't seen that before.:o

If your not sticking with originality you can retro fit lots of land rover bits from later land rovers. (or, god forbid, other brands ;))

Not sure I would wan't my daughter driving one - not the safest vehicle out there - look good at the beach I s'pose.


hand painted broccoli green, with a piece of broccoli it seems Nice one :lol2: - that's a factory option!

[Outlaw]

are my eyes playing with me or does it have dual wheels on the rear? :eek:

[JDNSW]

rebuilding a bulkhead with as much rust as I saw in this one is within my means.

I'm not fussed about originality. I think I might even offend a few enthusiasts :angel:

Functional and good looking is all it needs to be. My 12yo wants it as her first car :)

I think vacuum assisted braking would be in order. She'll just have to develop big arm muscles for the steering

It is not really practical to fit a vacuum assisted master cylinder to Series 1s. However, I seem to remember that someone commented in this forum a while back that the VH44 remote booster is still available, and this is relatively easy to fit. But the brakes on a swb should be fairly good if in good shape, and there is always the possibility of upgrading them to lwb brakes (going from 10 to 11" drums) which may be a more substantive improvement (or you could do both!).

That steering box is not as good as the later ones, and if in any doubt, in view of your not being fussed about originality, I would not hesitate to replace it with a Series 2/2a (to 67) or the later 2a/3 box, both of which are recirculating ball not worm and nut, and are far less prone to wear. All of them are bolt in swaps, except for the horn button arrangement, and the late 2a/3 has a different wheel.

John

[procrastination inc]

are my eyes playing with me or does it have dual wheels on the rear? ......

Dodgy, dodgy set up. Looks like all thread and section of water pipe for spacers.:eek:

[procrastination inc]

If your not sticking with originality you can retro fit lots of land rover bits from later land rovers. (or, god forbid, other brands ;))

maybe an isuzu drive train? jackaroos are cheap. Imagine hoping into the "Isuzu landy enthusiasts" forum and skyting about my 4ZD1 engine:)


Not sure I would wan't my daughter driving one - not the safest vehicle out there

No seat belts:eek:

I'd like a roll bar and lap/sash belts at least

[DiscoDave]

Looks great! Get whatever spares you can thrown in, if you buy it, because some of them could be rare - for example I've seen the horn centre for an 86" advertised for the same price as an entire similar vehicle! Unless your daughter is going to be driving it on the freeway (or you live in steep hilly country) I wouldn't worry too much about vacuum assisted brakes. Repair and adjust the original brakes properly and they are quite light - or at least with my 86inch they are.
Good luck with it. :)

[JDNSW]

I would certainly fit seat belts. Roll bar - unless planning offroad use I doubt it is necessary - the modest performance, plus the alarming body roll and relatively low centre of gravity make these very difficult to roll in normal circumstances.

By the way - you do know the gearbox has synchromesh only on third and fourth? This I would think is a plus for a young driver - encourages skilled gearchanging, plus a real sense of achievement when mastered.

I would not consider a non-standard drive train - any improvement will not be worth the amount of work involved. Same for fitting a diesel, unless a lot of mileage is intended, you'll never recover the cost - and let's face it, a Series 1 is not ideal for high mileage! Since the engine is all there, do it up as necessary - the chances are there is little wrong with it that can't be fixed by a top overhaul and fix the carburetter and distributor, perhaps rings and bearings.

May be worth considering fitting an alternator (although this is not as easy on that engine as on the 2.25), and certainly change polarity to negative earth.

John

[Sleepy]

the gearbox has synchromesh only on third and fourth? This I would think is a plus for a young driver - encourages skilled gearchanging, plus a real sense of achievement when mastered.

Still trying to get..crunch...it..grind..right myself :eek::D

[JDNSW]

Still trying to get..crunch...it..grind..right myself :eek::D

Both my boys managed to learn it within a few months after we got the 2a, only a year or three after they got their licences. (The first two vehicles I drove with conventional gearboxes, long before I was old enough for a licence, had NO synchromesh or even constant mesh, so for me it was not a matter of going from synchro to no synchro)


John

[Shonky]

maybe an isuzu drive train?

YES! Do it!


...and then give me the 2L!

[Larry]

...........I'm not fussed about originality. I think I might even offend a few enthusiasts :angel:

I wouldn't be offended, my 80" has a Series 3 gearbox & 2.25 ltr diesel :eek: & I think it's perfect.:banana:

As others have said, lots of interchangeable parts if you don't want originality.

Go for it.:thumbsup:

[Aaron IIA]

May be worth considering fitting an alternator (although this is not as easy on that engine as on the 2.25), and certainly change polarity to negative earth.

John

This vehicle already has an alternator, as shown by the lack of mechanical alternator, and the external solid state regulator (as used by older alternators) mounted on the right inner guard.

The oil filter fitted to the the left inner guard would take a R4P insert. This is a usual conversion to earlier SI's (when sold through Champions of Adelaide) that would have originally had the disposable ZS1 canister. By the time this Land Rover was made, disposable inserts were already being used mounted on the right side of the block. I don't know why this would have been converted to take a military junior (R4P), but it would make it easier to change.

Does anybody else note that the distributor cap appears to be on the wrong way around? Is this possible, or is the complete distributor 180 degrees out?
Aaron.

[JDNSW]

.....

Does anybody else note that the distributor cap appears to be on the wrong way around? Is this possible, or is the complete distributor 180 degrees out?
Aaron.

I hadn't noticed. I don't think you can put the cap on the wrong way round, but either the distributor is 180 degrees out, which is perfectly possible, and will work perfectly well, or it is also quite possible that there was a distributor cap made (for some other vehicle) that had the leads coming out the opposite way.

John

[dennisS1]

I would say it is a 1954, 86" with a siamese 2L engine and the distributor is the right way. Little bit more difficult and dearer for parts than the spread bore but not much.

Dennis

[easo]

The cap only goes on one way. The leads should lead out of the cap away from the engine.

Mate if you do get her and you need refrence pic from any point of veiw send us a pm and i'll take what you need. I have a 1957 88''

Easo

[Aaron IIA]

Maybe the 1600 engine is different then. My 1600 has the leads facing towards the engine. An early 86"/107" manual that I consulted also showed it this way around. It might be an early/late thing.

Aaron.

[dennisS1]

Its a type of Dissy thing.
Dennis

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Everyone's an expert! Me included.

The distributor on the spread bore 2 litre is a different animal as is the cap.

The BVX Lucas distributor from the 1595cc and Siamese bore 1997 cc engines were also used on multiple other vehicles (including 6 cyl Jaguars) and had a variety of caps. When the distributor was used on the Standard Vangard (engine in TE20 Ferguson tractors) it sits on the RHS of the engine and the leads need to exit on the RHS otherwise they rub on the block, wear through and short out. The cap in question is probably one off a Vangard engine.

There were some LH exit caps used on Land Rovers, but are very hard to find and mostly the only ones available today are the vertical exit leads which rub on the underside of the bonnet on the Land Rover.

Diana

[dennisS1]

True but as a said before the Landy in the pic. I think is a Siamese bore 1997 cc engine and thus a 1954 86". But the cap is still right. Never seen a 86" or later exiting any other way but left.
Dennis

[Lotz-A-Landies]

True but as a said before the Landy in the pic. I think is a Siamese bore 1997 cc engine and thus a 1954 86". But the cap is still right. Never seen a 86" or later exiting any other way but left.
Dennis

I have never seen one of the small dissy's with leads exiting any other way but left (or vertical), but on the large dissys some of which I have seen on 1954's, I have seen caps with the leads exiting both ways. In fact I had to do a double take when I found the first one. Sat 2 caps down together with the arched knotch in the same place and one had the leads on the right and the other had the leads on the left.

When you look at the Lucas catalogues they make no mention of the handedness of the cap.

Will see if I can track down the LH cap and take some pics.

Diana :)

[procrastination inc]

hmmm, just made an offer... a cheeky one I must admit. counter offer of $800. At least I know where I stand now.

I might go and talk to him with cash on saturday after taking the kids to see Armygeddon with the NE boys.

Oh. I'd better ask if kids are ok

[olmate]

Have you had any joy with this Landy yet mate ? :)

[procrastination inc]

nope.

Relly vist saturday arvo--->evening, netball sunday then some napping before night shift.

I have a mate from Melb arriving in albury on saturday morning and will be carting him to Myrtleford for Long Tan memorial at the RSL. I'll take a trailer and talk turkey then.

cheers

[Gillie]

This isn't the one at Ovens is it?

[procrastination inc]

yeah... hands off :p

[Gillie]

All yours! :p
It has sat there longer than I can remember. I know absolutely nothing about it. Though I always look at the trucks next to it when I drive by which is about every day at the moment!

[procrastination inc]

the two GMC's? are gone. That's what prompted me to stop in and ask if he was interested in shifting it.

There is still a blitz chassis there

[slug_burner]

I expect that this has been discussed before, but here goes.

If you want to register the vehicle for road use either on full or club plates will modifications beyond that offered as options by the manufacturer require an engineers certificate? OR will this restoration only be driven on private roads? if the later then go for your life with the mods.

[Gillie]

the two GMC's? are gone. That's what prompted me to stop in and ask if he was interested in shifting it.

There is still a blitz chassis there


YEah I noticed there was only one left.

[procrastination inc]

He's not going to budge on price.:(

So, at that price, I'd walk away if there is chassis rust that needs repair. Looked pretty good with cursory check. Are there any hidy hole bits of the chassis that are prone to rust?

maybe it isn't so bad, I prefer the look of series II's anyway