Thread: The Land Rover experience

So I'm just getting into the Land Rover scene at 44yo after getting all fired up over a 80" Series I a few weeks ago. I didn't end up buying the one that got me intrigued but I am looking at a Series IIA tomorrow and still keeping an eye out for a S1 for restoration. Anyway, I had bought a couple of books recently and had one ordered in for me. It arrived yesterday and the shop (The Pit Stop Bookshop in Perth) rang to tell me it had arrived and I picked it up this afternoon.

After some Christmas drinks from a previous employer, I got on the train home and started thumbing through the book - Practical Classics Guide to Series I Restoration. I'd barely started when the young couple seated next to me spoke up:
"Excuse me. What are you reading? Don't see many books with black and white pictures these days".
So I showed them the cover and mentioned it's a restoration guide for an old Land Rover. Well it was like opening a floodgate. They wanted to know what I had, was I doing a restoration, what do they cost, etc, etc. I told them I hadn't had my offer accepted on a really old (1953) one so was going to look at a "newer" one (1970) tomorrow. The girl was from Narrogin so I mentioned one of the AULRO members that had been helpful with advice was from Narrogin so she wanted to know who that was. Didn't recognise "Charlie" but will ask her family.

The usually boring 25 minute train trip was over before I knew it! I'm now wondering if the owner of the old Canning Stock Route expedition S1 parked in Leederville the other day saw me "hovering" around and waited until I'd given up before venturing from a hiding place to jump in the drivers seat and take off. Must be a time hazard owning one of these old beauties!

"The Land Rover Experience"? I suspect so.

JayBoRover,
I had a similar LR experience a few weeks ago.
We are about to start building a new house in Bunbury and our neighbour has just started building also.
A couple of weeks ago we met up for the first time at our blocks and were going through the normal pleasantries.
He made an off-the-cuff comment about our "pretend" Land Rover (our D2a) and of course I had the retort that the real one is in the shed at home, a 1954 86".

Well the floodgates just opened! He had had a S2 when he lived in Victoria and had to sell it when he moved to WA a few years ago. Needless to say I think I have rekindled his Land Rover interest and one day a project may reappear in his garage (much to his wife's mirth I think). At least I think I might have a cheap labour source when I get around to finishing the resto on mine!!

It can be a small world sometimes...
Cheers,
Chris