Thread: Series III Restoration Project

Hello Andrew,

Thank you for posting. Welcome to the rewarding and sometimes frustrating world of Series III restoration. Some photographs of your project would be great to post up too.

Have fun!

Kind Regards
Lionel

Andrew,

Hello from Brisbane and welcome to Series ownership - an interesting path with its myriad pleasures, challenges and disappointments. The ratio will have a bearing on your eventual outlook.

The principal question that you have posed about sourcing parts will likely attract an array of responses - in many ways reflecting the same ratio mentioned above, as well as personal biases on supporting local business, costs, quality (perceived and real) etc.

My own experience, for what it is worth, is that there is no correct answer beyond opportunity, price and availability. The series trucks haven't been made for nearly 40 years and as the fleet declines in number so too has the network of local suppliers of parts for them. Some fairly universal parts (brakes, radiator hoses etc) can be sourced through the usual auto parts outlets while some less common parts can still be sourced from a few specialist outlets - but note that these outlets are in decline and, more often than not, are selling the same stuff as the UK suppliers for about the UK retail price plus a margin that roughly equals or exceeds the freight cost that you would otherwise pay to privately import them.

The main advantage of buying locally if you can get a particular part is being able to get it quickly and easily return it if it doesn't fit or is poor quality. The UK is a long way to send stuff back.

Quality is a vexed issue that draws a lot of conflicting commentary - especially pattern parts (vs NOS or OEM) which are fairly common now that the trucks are ageing. One particular British brand comes in for near universal criticism on quality regardless of which continent the conversation takes place - but the company is a consolidator rather than manufacturer and their stuff varies considerably in performance depending on where it was sourced.

Again in my own case I have sourced parts from suppliers in every continent other than South America - in each case it was a matter of opportunity, landed price and perceived quality (usually because it was either NOS or OEM). In a few cases I happened to be in the right place at the right time when an opportunity arose - eg. an unused Roamerdrive for about three quarters of the new price.

So, it really will come down to circumstances as to how you go about getting the bits you need - and this will likely evolve through time. I wouldn't rush into buying a heap of bits until you really need them. Time will also reveal a network of like minded souls who may happen to have the bits you need or can point you in the right direction for sourcing them.

Then there are second hand parts....an adventure in itself.

Cheers,

Neil

What Neil said.

I wasted some amount of money early doors buying stuff I thought I needed but didnt. However I have it for a rainy day still.
Have a look at timnz posts if you want to set the bar high.
Where abouts in Tas is the truck?
cheers,
D

Originally Posted by Dark61

What Neil said.

I wasted some amount of money early doors buying stuff I thought I needed but didnt. However I have it for a rainy day still.
Have a look at timnz posts if you want to set the bar high.
Where abouts in Tas is the truck?
cheers,
D

Thanks - south of Hobart - Margate.

Where are you in Melbourne ?

Plenty of places in Australia to buy parts but often cheaper to buy from the UK, but as mentioned, difficult to return parts.

From the UK I've purchased windscreens that arrived OK, many other parts like repair panels , door tops, De Luxe seats etc. etc. Rubber parts are an issue wherever you buy them from, they seem to decompose in about 3 years in a dark shed.

Series III parts are not too bad mostly but genuine items are rare, expensive or both. Pattern parts are listed as OEM, OEM quality, OEM supplier they just don't tell you who the supplier is an OEM to because it certainly isn't Land Rover. Most parts are from India, some China and a few parts actually come out of the UK.

UK prices after freight save approx 1/3 over buying locally. Keep the order under $1000 and you don't pay GST but this changes next year (maybe).

Secondhand parts........buy a donor car, then realise it's too good to part out, buy another and so on !


Colin

Originally Posted by andyaa

Thanks - south of Hobart - Margate.

Okeh dokeh - not far from me.
Is it a runner? If so you going to drive it home?
cheers,
D

Originally Posted by Dark61

Okeh dokeh - not far from me.
Is it a runner? If so you going to drive it home?
cheers,
D

Blimey - never heard of Molesworth - and I've got a sister in Lenah Valley!.

No it's not a runner. It will need to be towed. I'm told there is a very good land rover mechanic in Kingston - I've forgotten his name - I think he has a garage on the channel highway as you drive out south of Kingston. Cheers

Justin Cooper. He's on here somewhere. More of a Defender onwards man I think.
cheers,
D