Wizard
So, hiding there in the back of a farm implement shed, I met my first Series 1 Land Rover.
[IMG][/IMG]
30 years of dust set the mood ... and colour. The SWB ute was bought in 1978 and then parked in the shed in 1980, so it's pretty much spent half it's life in the shed with the tractors!
[IMG][/IMG]
The rust below the windscreen is all light surface rust only. It taps solid and pretty much wipes off with barely a bubble.
[IMG][/IMG]
The rhs front guard is not a pretty sight. It looks like it might have had a mirror mounted on it that was torn off, as there's a fair hole ripped through the panels right about where I reckon a mirror on a stalk might have been.
[IMG][/IMG]
The lhs front guard isn't a pretty sight either. (Is a matched pair worth more???)
[IMG][/IMG]
The engine didn't look too bad, not that there's much to see. Most bits seemed to be there, although a few wires were simply cut and hanging. I think they were indicator wiring from a relay of some sort. I think I've seen photo's of other S1's with the same device wires cut.
[IMG][/IMG]
The front cross member has a little rust through it so will need replacing.
[IMG][/IMG]
The ends of both chassis rails between the front of the front spring hanger and the front bumper bar were completely rotten. This seemed to be limited to the very front though and the actual spring hangers seemed solid. I assume the whole section of chassis from the ends to behind the front cross-member would have to be replaced though.
[IMG][/IMG]
The dash seemed to be all there although kids playing in it have long ago lost the ignition key. (The owner tells me the "kids" have now long grown up and moved out).
[IMG][/IMG]
The lhs of the windscreen frame doesn't seem quite right. A botched home repair I suspect.
[IMG][/IMG]
The door handles for both doors were there, and worked, but I'm curious as to the handles themselves. I expected the exterior handles to be recessed into the doors and share the inside handle itself. This ute had exterior handles separate from the inside and were like door handles. There is no "cutout" in the outer door skin for access to the interior handle, just the mechanism shaft poking through to the outside and the handle mounted on it. Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of the outside door handles. Here's the inside.
[IMG][/IMG]
A couple of other things I noticed but didn't take photo's of.
- The rear cross member is perfect, with not even surface rust on it. I crawled around underneath a little and the rest of the chassis seemed pretty good, although access was difficult due to the dirt floor and flat tyres making the clearance tight.
- The lhs rear was the only place with the indicator and tail light lenses on, and also still boasted the original Land Rover badge.
- All four tyre are cracked and buggered.
- The drivers door perspex sliding windows are broken but the passengers door windows are still good.
- The gearstick is missing the knob.
- The brake pedal was lying flat to the floor so I assume there'll be a bit of work in that.
- The rear tub was pretty perfect and the tailgate looked pretty good, although I couldn't get a really good look as it was parked very close to the back of the shed.
- The previous owner (32 years ago) apparently said the engine had not long been reconditioned, but that's probably not a lot of value now.
- The paint looks like it's been hand painted with a house paint.
- The seat squabs are missing although the seat backs are there. The passenger one is eaten out rotten but the drivers one is pretty much intact with one tear in it.
- The firewall looked good.
- The windscreen wipers are missing, although the motors are fitted. (Those pesky "kids" again)
So I haven't bought it yet. What do you reckon? Is the state of it manageable with replacement parts? The front cross-member and chassis front sections are probably my biggest concern followed by the front guards. The engine, gearbox, transfer box and diffs don't worry me too much. The electrics I can manage.
Any questions I should be considering? Any advice from the collective? (Aside from start running in the other direction).
Cheers
JayBoRover
Last edited by JayBoRover; 7th November 2010 at 10:00 PM. Reason: Added another bullet point note
Swaggie
SubscriberHmmm - that's quite a big project! The cheapest part will be the purchase price - how much do they want for it?
You'll be whiling away your evenings to the sound of chassis grinding/welding for a while
Cute little car though. The engine might surprise you. I bought one from a farmer where it was stored outdoors for 7 years, and with some fresh fuel and a new battery it started right up after only 2 or 3 goes.
Good luck with it.
TopicToaster
Looks like a nice project for you. Don't be deterred by rust in the crosmembers or rails, it just means you will need to learn to weld if you don't already weld.
Good luck
Wizard
For the asking price I didn't expect it to be quite as big a project as it's looking. I suspect the $4,500 ask is too high for the work that's required in it. Still, it was a nice drive in the country and you never know yet, he might move his price and I might find some reasonable priced bits somewhere. Neither seem too likely just at the moment though.Originally Posted by spudboy
Yep - and isn't the wife happy about that prospect!!You'll be whiling away your evenings to the sound of chassis grinding/welding for a while
I've heard lot's of stories like yours about the engines starting up with little or no effort required. That's why I'm not too concerned about the drivetrain - plus it all seems pretty simple stuff and I'm pretty handy around mechanicals.
Just have to work through the issues and then see what I'll be prepared to pay and what the seller will be prepared to accept.
Cheers
Swaggie
SubscriberJayBo - I am no expert on pricing, but unless that is something special I don't think it is worth anywhere near $4.5K.
If you hadn't said anything I would have guessed $1K in that condition.
However, somone might come along soon and say it is a rare and precious model and that price is realistic...
Fossicker
Just my 2 cents but in a car thats being restored, if its a 1k buy in or a 4.5 k buy in that wont mean much at the end. Alot more than that will be spent on it restoring it and the purchase price is soon forgotten.
It all comes down to how much you can do yourself, and how much you have to pay someone else to do for you.
RoverLord
It is an 80 inch, in surprisingly good condition for a "farm" ute. Door handles are probably standard for a late 80". One with a good bulkhead is pretty rare. It would be a pretty easy restoration job - for an 80". It is probably worth more than the suggested $1000, as these are now getting quite rare in condition this good. But whether it is as high as $4500 may be another matter.
It would probably be worth close to that or maybe more in the UK - but it is not in the UK, and the $A is getting higher relative to the pound.
What it is worth is what someone will pay for it - and with few of these available and few looking seriously for one, the actual selling price can vary wildly, depending mainly on who is in a hurry to sell or buy.
John
John
JDNSW
1986 110 County 3.9 diesel
1970 2a 109 2.25 petrol
ChatterBox
Hi there
They always look great parked in the back of a shed..........
With the 4.5k asking price I personally wouldnt touch it as I can already see the dollars signs ticking over in my head to bring it back to a roadworthy condition.
With a price set so high, it dosent leave alot of room for bartering.
All the best
Wayne
YarnMaster
Nice find Jay!
Good points:
1. Minimal rust - although repairing the chassis or even the bulkhead is very easy to do.
2. Seems to be a 1953 80", check the chassis number on the LH engine mount and on the bulkhead plate inside the cab.
3. Has a truck cab roof, which is apparently very rare.
4. If the engine really is reconditioned, that is a win, as mine cost me about $3500 for parts and machining.
Bad points - when compared to the asking price:
1. Knackered front wings, new ones from the UK plus freight
2. Non original speedo - very rare hard to source.
3. Every system on the car will need overhauling and checking after sitting still for so long. I have spent about $5000 on my rolling chassis mainly in parts so far, and still don't have the engine running!
What you pay for it is up to you; I would think $1500 -$2000 is a reasonable price given the cost of parts and scarceness to make it roadworthy. See if you can get the engine running before you buy - mind you I got my seized engine running and it sounded superb, no rattles or knocks, but when I stripped it everything in the bottom end needed reconditioning
Cheers Charlie
Volumetric Genius
I think it's sweet!
I agree - the purchase price will be forgotten once you restore her and get out driving it. Good luck with her if you buy it.
2007 Defender 110
2017 Mercedes Benz C Class. Cabriolet
1993 BMW R100LT
2024 Triumph Bonneville T120 Black
Posting Permissions
| Search AULRO.com ONLY! |
Search All the Web! |
|---|
|
|
|
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks