Thread: Paddock Find

Originally Posted by briza

G'day
I just wanted to put up a few photos of some Series 2a's that i can get my hands on for next to nothing . I am thinking of getting them both and restoring them into one .

And I have some questions for the home restorers on here.

What would be a realistic time frame/cost to restore one of these old girls ?
I am not planning on a showstopper just neat and tidy .

Impossible to say from the photos - there are too many unknowns. It all depends on the condition of components - engine in particular, but also rust state of chassis and bulkhead, and how badly neglected it was before going out of service. You can expect to have to replace all brake and clutch hydraulics (cylinders, hoses), electrics are likely to need attention, and upholstery and seat belts will need dealing with. Fuel tanks may need attention, and whether the radiator is serviceable will make a big difference to cost. Check steering free play - if there is not much, good, if there is a lot of free play, expect to spend a lot on tie rod ends and swivels. Time depends entirely on work needed and how consistently you can work. Cost - minimum a few thousand, and the sky is the limit.

I am very handy with a Welder , not as handy(but willing) with the spanners.
Can do the Painting.

Where do you begin with a project like this ?

Cheers Brian

Where to begin? I would start by getting a workshop manual and parts book (see Rave CD in "Shop" above) and then stripping to a rolling chassis You can leave the bulkhead in place at this stage. This enables you to see what needs doing, and makes the chassis repairs and painting easy. Expect a lot of broken bolts getting the body off - it comes off in bits like a meccano set.

If the engine needs attention, it would be next - probably sent off for expert attention. If there are no signs of oil blown out breathers and hand cranking shows even compression, you may not need to do anything to it. Unless you know otherwise, the clutch, gearbox, transfer case, and diffs probably need no work immediately, although if you have to remove the engine, check the clutch.

Likely work on the chassis would include swivels, spring bushes and tie rod ends. Brakes are likely to need new linings and possibly drums. Check prop shaft U-joints and sliding joints. Pinion and transfer case oil seals and hub oil seals are likely to need replacing.

Hope this helps.

John

Paint and panel are the biggest expenses in any restoration today. If you wish a near new or better standard of fit and finish, then you will find that professional paint and panel work is expensive. Rust in the LR chassis would be next.

Early Land Rovers are very simple mechanically and should present no difficulty to a reasonably experienced amateur mechanic.

Total cost? How long is a piece of string? I have seen cars that had $25,000 spent on restoration to a high standard. Rarely are they worth this much after restoration. Think of it as the cost of your hobby, not value adding, and you won't be disappointed.

How long is a piece of string? Indeed.

Restoration time will depend on the hours of work you are going to put into the project, and the amount of money too. You may have some skills that will save you money, you may decided to buy second hand or cheaper new parts in order to keep your costs down.

None the less the points made so far are all spot on, and again its hard to tell until you start to strip things down. I would suggest you strip down the one you want to restore, this way you will have a good idea of the condition of things, and can decided what you may replace with new or repair.

I would rebuild both axles, ie brakes, hub seals etc, brake pipes with new quality parts.

And I would also check the steering, replace shockers, springs if required.

amongst other things

Our Restoration as cost alot more than i wanted it to, but alot do.

To give you a idea

Tyres x5 $600
Exhaust OEM new $240
Brakes, hub seals, new cylinders OEM $600
Nuts and bolts, mix of genuine and not, $300
Steering parts $200
Repair wings $300
Body cappings, rear tub $300
2x OEM door bottoms $450
Mudflaps, lights, interior fixings, $500
Engine parts, $500
New Trim $500
New canvas $1300 x2
Paint, etc, $500
Tools and consumables $400

Cost left to do, $500 maybe..

ouch, far too much money...

really it depends on how fussy you are what it is like mechanically.
what would your intentions be for it when done and how perfect do you want it to be when your done?

Originally Posted by briza

G'day

I just wanted to put up a few photos of some Series 2a's that i can get my hands on for next to nothing . I am thinking of getting them both and restoring them into one .

And I have some questions for the home restorers on here.

What would be a realistic time frame/cost to restore one of these old girls ?
I am not planning on a showstopper just neat and tidy .

I am very handy with a Welder , not as handy(but willing) with the spanners.
Can do the Painting.

Where do you begin with a project like this ?

Cheers Brian

I spent 3 years & somewhere between 10k to 12k on my series 3 LWB rebuild , Its slightly modified. But needed heaps of welding..It all depends on what your idea of a tidy up is.I'm very fussy & wanted to do everything good so if i did'nt like it i started over.I did everything myself only sent out a few jobs , tyres to fitted & an Xray on my steering as i have power steering.everything else i did..Again it all depends on what your standards are.But i'd say go for it BUT i am biased i love series landys & say just do it..

From my experience so far in restoring my 2a I would pay close attention to the chassis and firewall and make sure they are actually usable, DLS in the UK can ship firewall repair panels across at reasonably decent prices.

If you buy items in decent bulk from the UK you can save a lot of money, but be prepared at minimum to have to purchase:
Brake kits front and rear
wheel bearing kits
steering tie rod ends etc
probably an engine loom
door seals
door tops
headlight bowls
a set of seats (can get $$$ if you want originals)

A variety of other small parts which will be stuffed on both of them which can add up in price.

If i was you and you wanted a cheap project, purchase one thats already had money spent and been on the road and strip these 2 for future spares, it will work out a lot cheaper in the long run