1970 SERIES III (PARKER)

SARAH WARDLE, CREDIT CONTROLLER, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Tell us a little about yourself . . .

I am married to Richard – who is not a Land Rover fan – and we have an 11-year-old boy called Roman who, just like me, absolutely adores Land Rovers.

How did you find Parker, your Series III project?

It was actually Richard who found Parker. A chap by the name of Nigel, who is one of his clients, used to own Parker. They were always talking about him and one day Nigel asked Richard if he was interested in Land Rovers. Richard said no – but told Nigel that he was married to someone who most certainly was!

How did it go from there?

When Nigel decided to sell Parker he asked Richard if I’d be interested in buying it. Of course I was! To cut a long story short, in November last year I became the very proud owner of a Series III. I have been walking around with a smile ever since.

How is the engine running?

Really well. Nigel looked after it during his ownership and so there is no need to do anything dramatic, which is always good news.

What are your plans with it?

It’s actually pretty simple, I just want to have loads of fun in it. Is that not why we own Land Rovers? My plans are to keep Parker well maintained and then use him as a fun weekend runabout.

What have you done so far?

The front footwells were rotten and had to be replaced. The fuel hose needed replacing, too. The front seats were not in the best condition and so I decided to get some new ones. Finally, Parker was given a thorough clean.

What are the next jobs you’ll be doing on Parker?

I will need to do some welding on the rear crossmember – that is inevitable with a vehicle of this age I suppose. Then the front swivel seals are leaking so they too need replacing. Finally Parker will get a fresh coat of paint – he deserves it after all these years. I can’t wait to treat him.

When do you expect to finish the Parker project then?

Finish? What’s that? There’s no such thing as a finished Land Rover or Land Rover project, surely!

Who is helping you with the project?

I am very lucky to have a few good friends around to help me with the work that needs to be done. Trevor Newbrook, who helped with the decision to buy Parker, has also been advising me on priorities. Mantas Krisciunas has expertly replaced the seats and carried out other bits of maintenance. Mark Jenkins replaced the footwells and he will be carrying out the further welding.

Any other projects on the go?

Parker is my only LR project. Thank goodness for my knowledgeable friends around me.