My first series Landy

[procrastination inc]

Picking this up tomorrow

land rover 1959 series 2 - eBay, Passenger Vehicles, Cars, Cars, Bikes, Boats. (end time 14-Apr-09 11:41:46 AEST) (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=130298022547)

sight unseen

wish me luck.

[isuzutoo-eh]

Well done

and

Good Luck!

Looking forward to reading your repair/resto thread when the time comes.
Cheers,
Mark

[procrastination inc]

Looking forward to reading your repair/resto thread when the time comes.....


it might be some time. I don't use this handle for laughs you know

[JDNSW]

Looks quite reasonable, but a lot of work coming up!

John

[Sleepy]

Looks nice.
Must be a private import.
Calvin lists it as a "home market" build.
Good Luck!

[procrastination inc]

I think I've stumbled onto something really special here.

I'll get some pics up soon, card reader is playing up and I don't have time to mess with it

Very straight 7 seat 88", dead brakes, dead clutch, told it starts with petrol down the carb. some rust in the right rear cross member and inner guards. Doors and firewall look really good. Still some mud caked outriggers to inspect

it has the original british (cast aluminum) rego plates and paperwork to match.

Only reg'd for one year in england then privately imported by the original owned when he immigrated to oz.

This was a doctors car and appears to have been appropriately appointed.
Smiths heater, demister to the windscreen. Door linings with incorporated arm rests, shiny fire extinguisher in passenger footwell. and oddly a rear PTO as the previous owner told me "well, he was going to the colonies" :D

the second owner was a nurse who worked along side the original owner in western victoria.

I don't think the doctor or the nurse really gave it a hard time. Minor incidents here and there, but the factory sills don't look like they have seen any serious 4wd action.

The last 15 years, it has served as a farm hack but looks to have suffered very little in that role. it sat eight of those in an open shed

I bought the little bus from the nurses daughter in outer eastern melbourne.

That'll make me the 3rd registered owner in 50 yrs.

My daughters have named him "Doc" in deference to the original owner.

Now, seeing that I think he is a special unit, I want to be very careful to maintain his authenticity. I plan on only fixing what needs fixing and leaving as much as I can as found.

It'll need springs, lots of body rubbers, those cacky rectangle indicators removed, tyres, clutch and brakes sorted, motor running...

I'll start a project thread soon.

In the mean time, what advice can you guys give me about restoring series II landies?

[d@rk51d3]

Sounds like a real gem.


Bring on the piccies.:D;)

[procrastination inc]

as found
Doc has rested here for about 8 years

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/04/244.jpg

see the peeking Brit number plate?

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/04/245.jpg

Original owners manual (original brit rego papers tucked inside, perfect condition)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/04/246.jpg


loaded up
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/04/247.jpg

on the road behind "Diablo"
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/04/248.jpg

shiny plates get shinier

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/04/169.jpg


4 seats in the back make 7!!!

I can bin the disco :D

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/04/249.jpg

[HBWC]

nice it looks better in the open

[JDNSW]

Looks to be a real gem.

For a start, I would read everything in the 2/2a section here, and get hold of a factory workshop manual and parts book. These are available if you look around, either hard copy or from the "shop" in the top bar of this page in digital form.

You will have to decide whether to do a complete, or at any rate a major strip, or just to repair what is necessary. This will probably depend on the amount of rust that needs attention, although it may be necessary to remove the hardtop to replace some rubbers.

John

[Grover-98]

This prob a silly question but...

I have always wondered why didnt they make the series landys with a wider track to suit the body? it would only increase their already incredibly sure footing on side slopes...
Brilliant find! cant wait to see it all cleaned up :)

[JDNSW]

The Series 1 Landrover dimensions, including track, were taken from the Willys Jeep (whose dimensions ultimately came from the Austin 7). This set the track until the introduction of the Series 2, when the track was widened to match the slightly wider body.

I'm not too sure what you mean by "wider track to suit the body" - looking at my 2a, with standard 7.50x16 tyres, any track wider would need flares (which were unheard of in a factory car before the eighties and the coil sprung Landrovers would have been better with a wider body to match the track, which was inherited from the RR). Of course, with the swb on standard tyres, the tyres come comfortably within the bodywork, but it was necessary to keep the same track for all models (the 2b forward control got a wider track largely because of the stability problem with the higher bodywork).

John

[GSKeeper]

G'day All,

I recently picked up an early Series 2A mainly for parts. It has exactly the same "fill in panel" between the grill and the bumper as this 1959 English import.

I originally assumed that it was a home made item...... as I have never seen one before, until now.

Can anybody shed any light on this particular body panel?

Thanks

Ben

[JDNSW]

A fill in panel between the bumper and the grille was standard on all Series 2/2a/3 Landrovers, although not fitted to Australian army ones or those fitted with capstan winches, and seems to have often been removed.

However, I note three different part number just in the 2a book, without looking at 2 or 3 parts books. The first two differ in that one is flat, the other shaped, and the third, also shaped, differs in attachments. A picture would help to explain what you are talking about.

John

[GSKeeper]

Thanks John,

I'll try and get a couple photo's of the different types of "fill panals" that I have at home in the next couple of days.

Ben

[isuzutoo-eh]

This is a piccy of my flat fill panel.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/05/769.jpg


I believe they added this panel to increase the down force at high speeds over rough terrain. The later curved panels were the result of fine tuning during testing in Wales-the roller of an Aveling and Porter road roller was found to be the correct radius for maximum aerodynamic efficiency.
You have probably noticed formula 1 cars have adopted this idea. Land Rover did it first.

I also believe im telling porkies.

[olmate]

Well done fella - it looks great ;)

[JDNSW]

The picture would be 332640, alternative to "shaped panel, 336786, and, from suffix G, 395469.

John

[olmate]

More photos fella ..... more photos :D:D:D

[ezyrama]

Your making me very jealous, I am waiting on bated breath for my new series 2a to turn up from Sydney, bought sight unseen except for my Dad's opinion (which is gospel to me). It looks like a sensational vehicle, I will be in contact to find out how it's going.

Regards Ian

[procrastination inc]

well, with a million other things having priority over Doc, it wasn't until last weekend that I checked the oil and water, pulled the pugs and put some diesel down the holes. After a little soak, dropped a charged battery in and pressed to go button.

he cranked over well.

Ignition on and a spark plug resting on the head to check we had spark. All good. I noted a pretty decent fuel leak on the hose to the carb, the pump looked like it worked.

Plugs in, crank. Nup. Crank and pump the accelerator, nup.

A bit of fuel down the carb ( leaks from the accelerator pump :( ), crank, Vrooom!

But it wouldn't feed through the leaky carb and stopped after the swig of fuel down the throat ran out. A couple more trys of that with the same result. Not bad really, so I planned on getting a carb kit for the solex.

Today, My neighbour had his newly regd, club plated, Humber , ExMil, 4WD truck out for a spin. When he got home, he popped over to see how my old landy was going. I told him the story above, then popped a bit of fuel down the carb and cranked it just to show him where it is at. And Doc just kept running. not one drop from the carb of fuel line. I guess being wet for a week sealed everything up.

He just idled away, pretty steady with a faint, intermittent miss. Oil pressure 50 psi (I'll be interested to see what this does with fresh oil). Over 15 minutes idling, the temp got to 65 deg C. No bubbles in the return hose to the radiator, But I noticed the rad cap seal is stuffed. The miss got worse as it ran, I guess plugs and points are in order. Maybe just timing though.

If I get the brakes and clutch sorted, he'll be rolling.

I think I've found a new bit of enthusiasm :D

[JDNSW]

I'd do a rough compression check (turn over using crank) to make sure the miss is not due to a leaky valve, and with this in mind, check the tappet clearances.

As well as the plugs and points, I would think about new high tension leads - they are probably getting pretty long in the tooth, and if so these can make a big difference.

John

[procrastination inc]

"I would think about new high tension leads - they are probably getting pretty long in the tooth"

the ones in there look very 1960's style :)

compression test tomorrow, I have some 5yo bosch leads laying about I might try

[Shonky]

Good stuff! :D

[procrastination inc]

compression ratios

9, 7.5, 7.0, 7.5

not so good

Plugs sooty

Battery too flat to restart and my lad has my charger at his place

A little work to do here I think

[JDNSW]

compression ratios

9, 7.5, 7.0, 7.5

not so good

Plugs sooty

Battery too flat to restart and my lad has my charger at his place

A little work to do here I think

Before you consider pulling the head off, listen in the manifolds to see if there is compression leaking from either intake or exhaust valves. Also check tappet clearance.

The sooty plugs may simply reflect that it has not run enough to get hot, or may mean the plugs are the wrong ones, or may mean the carburetter is running rich, likely if it is a Zenith (do a search for problems and fixes).

John

[RobHay]

My Army Fire Tender has that fill in section behind the bumper, but my 109GS does not