1968 Land Rover Series IIA £35,000
This exacting restoration is possibly as close as you can get to buying a brand new Series Land-rover IIA, reckons Paul Guinness
It’s easy to justify this Series Iia’s asking price, given the £15,000 worth of parts used during the vendor’s recent restoration of it. Various new genuine Land Rover or Oem-standard parts and panels have been fitted including the door tops and bottoms, tailgate and rear floors. Panel alignment looks perfect and the Bronze Green paint finish is impressive. The original bulkhead has been shotblasted and galvanised and a brand new galvanised chassis fitted. Real attention to detail has been paid throughout, with the body cappings re-galvanised for a perfect finish. The brand new canvas hood from Exmoor Trim fits superbly and even the wheels are in as-new condition, having been shotblasted and finished in period-correct Limestone paint and shod with new tyres.
The interior has been renewed with three Elephant Hide Grey seats, again from Exmoor Trim, providing a factory-correct look, along with new seat belts and seat belt bar. Churchill 4x4 has also fitted an uprated Clayton round heater for extra comfort along with authentic new rubber floor mats. Everything has been done to a high standard with even the paint finish of the floors being excellent. The galvanised hood frame is new and the tight-fitting new hood draught-free. It’s assumed from the 3000-plus odometer reading, unsupported by paperwork, that this is a 103,000-mile Land Rover but its extensive restoration means that it’s literally like new inside.
The rebuilt engine (complete with unleaded cylinder head) and ancillaries are clean and immaculate with all-new hoses, wiring loom and so on. The engine ticks over smoothly and evenly and is all ready for its next owner to run in. The gearbox, steering box and axles (including the front chrome swivels) have also been reconditioned and there are new leaf springs and dampers plus a new fuel tank and exhaust. There are obviously no signs of any leaks or other impending problems.
No Series IIA provides a sophisticated driving experience, but this one is as good as they get. The rebuilt 2.3-litre petrol engine starts instantly, sounds smooth and pulls well through the gears and the gearchange is as precise as any period Land Rover’s. The selectable four-wheel drive system shows no faults and, being stripped and rebuilt to a high standard, everything works exactly as it should. The new brakes are firm and responsive, the steering is as relatively precise as it would have been when new and the new suspension doesn’t crash over undulations. The whole vehicle feels taut and together.
It comes with its original handbook and there are just two owners shown on the V5, the first a farmer who reputedly kept it from new until 2009. Unfortunately he didn’t keep any other paperwork with it.
So this is a car that you buy on condition – the standard of presentation is particularly high, with an excellent paint finish throughout and decent detailing. That makes it a contender for anyone looking for a Series II to show and enjoy rather than use as a workhorse.