Mods and Consequences

The right tweaks can make one of the world’s most versatile vehicles even better. Here’s how…

Land Rover Series II and III

The Land Rover Series II and III are in that sweet spot right now in that they’re plentiful, not yet out of reach financially and brilliantly served by specialists if you want to upgrade them.

The Series II arrived in 1958 in 88- and 109-inch forms with a 2286cc petrol engine or a 2052cc diesel. The 1961-on Series IIA brought a new 2286cc diesel engine, then in 1967 a 2625cc six-cylinder engine was introduced, but these are now very rare. When the Series III debuted in 1971 it brought with it a new dashboard and an all-synchro gearbox. From 1979, the 3.5-litre Rover V8 replaced the previous 2.6-litre ‘six’ then, in 1983, the 110 replaced the LWB Series III; the 90 arrived a year later.

The Land Rover’s engine bay is so big that you can fit pretty much any motor you like. The 200 TDi or 300 TDi units of later Land Rovers can be picked up cheaply and easily thanks to the number of early Discoverys being broken. Fitting a 200 TDi engine and removing the turbo reduces strain on the engine and transmission, and it’s easier to accommodate as the intercooler, oil cooler and full-width radiator don’t have to be housed.

The 2286cc petrol engine puts out around 65bhp, but a highcompression gas-flowed cylinder head, SU carburettor, fresh camshaft and tubular exhaust manifold will perk it up. Before making big changes though, fit a new distributor with electronic ignition (£47) and a fresh carburettor (£145 for a Weber).

To improve refinement and fuel economy you also need to raise the gearing. Swapping the 4.7:1 diffs for a 3.54:1 also raises the low-ratio gearing and reduces the handbrake’s effectiveness. An alternative is to fit overdrive, but a £270 Ashcroft Transmissions conversion kit raises the gearing in the high-range transfer box.