V8 WONDER FROM DOWN UNDER
Just before Christmas a good friend of mine told me he had just bought another two-door Range Rover. He already has a very original two-door and after finishing its light restoration, he swore that he would never do another one again. Some people never learn.
Two-doors are obviously very high in demand at the moment, with parts very difficult to source. Mechanically most parts are available, but interior parts and various outer panels, badges and mirrors are completely non-existent out there, and when they do come up you need a very big cheque book! There are reproductions of certain parts available, but like many others I prefer to see and use the real thing.
My mate bought his first two-door at the right time; he got it for very cheap compared to today’s prices, and luckily for him it was all complete. Interestingly it had a factory-fitted winch, which is why the grille sits differently, as the winch sits behind it. This was all fitted by Land Rover from new. As with most vehicles from that era, not everything was 100 per cent, so some bits of trim were replaced, and also various exterior panels.
He was lucky to get new old-stock front and rear wings. Then he managed to retain his original bonnet, but did have to replace the frame, so it has the original skin on top. Doors and tailgates are both original, too. Very little welding was required to the shell, but all the panels were removed so any rust could be treated, and then thoroughly protected so hopefully it won’t rust ever again!
At the same time as he was doing his two-door, I also bought a very early 1971 Suffix A on a J plate, with a very low chassis number. The trouble with mine is that it wasn’t at all like my mates; it required an awful amount of welding and it had been converted to a Perkins diesel, so needed a 3.5 V8 sourcing for it. Most of its interior had seen better days or just generally needed missing bits replaced. Before I could even start mine I had to find all the parts that were missing, or needed replacing. Buying the weld-in panels was the easy bit, but sourcing early trim was an almost impossible task.
So, with me frantically looking for parts to begin mine with, his was well under way; in fact it was being painted. He did have difficulty sourcing various rubber
seals, such as the waist seals, and had to pay over the odds for them when they did turn up. After going to the trouble of a full paint job that isn’t cheap the last thing you want to look at is dried out and cracked rubber seals.
Fast forward four years and my twodoor nearly bankrupted me while I tried to get all the bits for it. All my money was spent on parts and I still had a rotten car, an engine that needed a rebuild and no money to pay for it! I then did the worst thing possible and sold it, which I truly regret. I should have popped it away for a rainy day as I now have all the bits that I had needed for it.
Unlike my story, his had a happier ending when his two-door was all finished and looking very smart. It was then that I asked if he would do another one, which was answered with a resounding “No!”. As much as he had enjoyed doing it, it was a very costly process – as with all restorations – but two-doors do seem to cost more than most other Land Rovers at the moment.
So, back to Christmas last year when he told me about a friend of his out in Australia with a two-door that they have owned from new. It needed a new home and they wanted to know if he would be interested? After several email exchanges and lots of photos, the next thing I know there is a two-door en route to the UK.
As soon as it arrived I went over to have a look. I could not believe the condition that it was in. No sign of any welding. It certainly did not need any welding anywhere. Even the original spot welds all over were as clear as the day it left Solihull. The interior was good and complete with the exception of a seat base trim and ashtray that I happened to have spare in my shed.
The only thing the car is really in need of is paintwork, having been touched up in places in the past. But even with a full repaint, this car comes in cheaper than trying to attempt a rotten UK car. In fact, with the purchase of the car, shipping costs, having it painted, and any other bits it may need, it will come in just under £10,000. I spent that on the purchase and collecting bits for my two-door and he spent an awful lot more than that on restoring a good UK two-door. Importing from a drier climate is something to consider, but make sure it’s all complete.