WORK IN PROGRESS

GREGOR SVETLIN AND ARTEJA KOSIR, LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA

Tell LRM readers about yourself and Arteja:

Arteja is my girlfriend and she has been helping me with our Series III project. I am a mechanical technician and am currently studying mechatronics, which is technology that combines electronics and mechanical engineering. Arteja on the other hand is studying economics.

When I have spare time from studies and my Series III, I like to make furniture.

My father purchased this Series III when I was still in pre-school. Back then it was still very much driveable and we had many family adventures and trips in it. We must’ve used it for about a decade but all good things come to an end. When it reached an unroadworthy state it was just parked up. That was until my brother decided to do something about it. He took off the body panels and started repairing them. He did not get far before giving up. Things were not looking good and the Series III was left to rot away.

When did it become your problem and project?

As with most modern houses we had a problem with space at our house so I made a deal with Dad. I made him promise to give it to me if I built a workshop for the Land Rover. Dad relented, I think it was because he wanted to see such an important part of our family history on the road again. So this past winter I built a wooden workshop at our family home. It was only about 25 square metres in size but big enough for my 88in needs. We have another bigger workshop on the property but at least now I have my own space for the project.

What about the engine?

The 2.25 engine hasn’t run for about eight years. Back in the day when we used it all the time it used to run pretty smoothly but there was always this smell of gasoline from the exhaust. (Note from Ed: That is pretty normal). I plan on doing a full rebuild of the engine and am looking forward to it.

What are the general plans with this project?

My plans are to restore it as perfectly as possible. This Land Rover is pretty rusty so I am going to use a method called electrolysis to remove all the rust. I have already built myself a tank big enough to put the whole chassis in. I am happy to report that it works pretty well. Now I have to put the bulkhead into the same tank to remove the rust and paint. A Series III restoration takes time, as your readers will know.

What are you busy with now?

For now I am focused on the chassis because it’s in a pretty bad condition and it’s probably going to take the longest to do out of everything that I need to do. I wonder how many man hours have been spent on fixing the chassis during all the Land Rover restorations ever undertaken.

Hardest part of the project?

I don’t want to sound like a stuck record but I think the hardest thing about this project is repairing the chassis. I am scared that it won’t align with the body panels once I have done all the repairs. Only time will tell.

Who has been helping you with the project?

Every time I run into a problem and if I really don’t know how to solve it, I ask my father and he finds a solution for everything. I trust him and he has been a wonderful help so far. I can’t wait for the two of use to take it on a trip again. As I am old enough now he might allow me to drive!

Anything to add?

If you want to see some more pictures of my project please follow me on Instagram. See @myrustyseries3. Any tips and comments are most welcome.