1976 RANGE ROVER CLASSIC
NEKKIES SMIT, WELLINGTON, SOUTH AFRICA, LANDY MAN
Tell us a little about yourself?
I own two independent workshops in the Western Cape that specialise in all things Land Rover.
And this Classic project?
I bought this 1976 three-door from a loyal client about seven years ago. He sold it because he wasn’t using it any more.
Why has it taken you so long?
We had too many projects on the go. Our workshop is always very busy with servicing and fixing Land Rovers so this was pushed to the back of the queue. You have to pay the bills, remember.
But now it is nearly finished?
In January 2019 a classic car specialist asked if we would restore a three-door Classic Range Rover for him as he had seen a lot of our other projects. I agreed to the build and when he saw mine he suggested that we should do both at the same time and so we did.
How was it driving?
The Classic was running and driving fine, but since this was going to be a complete rebuild I decided to redo all parts on the drivetrain. As I have a collection of Land Rovers, this will be added to the collecton once finished.
How far are you from completion?
The project is nearing completion and I only need the last few bits and bobs which I currently importing from Famous Four in the UK. Then I will be driving it and sorting out all the last little niggles.
What has been the toughest part of the project?
The hardest part of this project was to source and then get all the parts that I needed. Luckily I often go to the UK but flying home with 100kg of Land Rover bits can get tricky. Especially at customs. Still, restoring a Land Rover like this is worth every cent as it’s an important part of a very special heritage.
Will you domore of these type of restos?
When I started it was a big challenge but now I have good contacts and suppliers in the UK, so it will definitely be easier in the future. I expect this side of my business to grow nicely.
When will it be completed?
If all goes well by March 2020 just in time for their 50th birthday! I have a dedicated rebuilds team at my Wellington workshop and they have done a great job so far.
Are there lots of Classic Range Rovers in South Africa?
We do have access to quite a few of these cars, but unfortunately a lot of them were used for launching boats so they can have bad rust issues.
We, however, look for vehicles that were not close to the coast to ensure a solid foundation. The client that we did the other three-door for was very happy with the result. He has now given us 11 threedoors to restore for him.