1974 SERIES III 109 DAVID AND LUCAS COX (13), DIDCOT, OXFORDSHIRE

Tell readers a little bit about yourselves

I am an agricultural engineer while Lucas is a full-time student in secondary school.

Why a Land Rover project?

When Lucas was born he had a heart problem which led to him spending a lot of time in hospital. In 2016 he went in for a new pacemaker and we said that for his tenth birthday we would look at getting him a Land Rover project.

How did you find the 109?

A friend at work said a neighbour was having a clear-out and he had a Land Rover in a field. He asked if we were interested. We went and had a look; it was a Series III 109 with a capstan winch and a Harvey Frost crane in the back. On the downside it had a tree growing through the front bumper and was a non-runner, obviously. The farmer estimated it had been there for over 20 years.

We decided to take it. I used my Defender and a tractor to get it out of the field and back home. When we moved it the chassis snapped in half.

What happened next?

Once back at home we began to totally strip it down. The chassis was obviously a write-off. We would have to find another one. We had to decide if we wanted to keep the 2.6-litre six-cylinder petrol engine or replace it? Our research said it was a rare engine and so we started to strip it to see if it was usable. Some of the bits would need replacing but they were easy to come by.

So the engine was totally rebuilt with new gaskets, the carb was taken apart and rebuilt. We fitted electronic ignition and then came the big test. Would it start? It did and we are happy to report it runs beautifully. To us it’s the beating heart of the Land Rover and now we could rebuild everything else around it.

There was still lots to do though, right?

While the hunt for a chassis begun, Lucas stripped the front axle, fitted a new swivel ball and resealed it all. A new chassis was out of our price range but I managed to find a secondhand military 109 chassis on Gumtree. We spent a year cleaning and repairing it as it was pretty rusty. We welded in a new rear crossmember and also had to move the engine mounts as these were for a four-cylinder chassis.

The second axle was then finished. New front springs were fitted; we decided that the rear will get new ones at a later stage. We now had a rolling chassis.

What about the bulkhead?

It was not in the best condition and needed extensive repairs. We’ve nearly finished it but it has been tough and taken up the most time. Lucas meanwhile was given a lesson in how to overhaul a gearbox and off he went. We put in new bearings and closed it all up and it is good to go.

When will it be finished?

This project has been going on for three years now and we hope to get it on the road for when Lucas turns 17 so he can take his driving test in it. Then he will take it to shows and just enjoy it. I have loved getting Lucas involved in every aspect of the project. I’ve taught him important Land Rover life lessons.

How can readers follow the project?

Check us out on Instagram on @landy_109_project. We also upload videos onto Youtube.