LAND-ROVER SERIES II
One minute I was throwing the Series II around the local roads, enjoying the autumn sun and revelling in the fact that 267 HYP was running wonderfully since I had re-gapped the points; the next I was nursing the Land-rover the last half a mile back home.
With a cough and a splutter, the 88in had suddenly lost power and there was a serious hesitation in the running, but, with a flight to Holland to catch early the next morning, there was no time for investigation – just a case of dumping it on the driveway.
Having spent three days catastrophising about what could be wrong, I decided that the first course of action was to put in some fuel. It had been a little low, but as we lurched away from the petrol station I resigned myself to it being more than just that, and it felt as if air was being sucked in.
I popped into the shop to buy a pint of milk and prepared myself to get annoyed when the man in the van next to me nudged the side of the Land-rover with his door – a reaction that subsided when he asked if I’d be interested in some spare parts for the Series II.
So I followed him home, hoping that the Landie would make it. Amazingly, from that point on it ran perfectly and five minutes later I was sorting through the chap’s Land-rover graveyard.
The affordable 80in Series One project might not have been there, but I shook on a deal that involved the Series II being loaded with two windscreens (complete with three early Lucas wiper motors), an early seatbox and transmission tunnel, a front radiator panel – including grille and Lucas headlights – and a set of five wheels.
The transmission tunnel is a find: the plan is to fit a good overdrive when I find one, but I didn’t want to cut the original tunnel for the lever. The ‘new’ early grey one will act as a temporary replacement that I’m happy to cut and means the original stays intact in the garage.
With the running still holding, I decided that the ultimate test would be a commute; 110 miles and four hours later all was fine, so maybe it was just fuel after all? Either way, perhaps now is a good time to finally get the original Solex carburettor reconditioned – my confidence that the running issue won’t make a reappearance soon is already waning.