I got a new SWB (no, it's not a 912 rally car)

[Rich Lambert]

It's a 1958 Land Rover Series 2 88". It's a project that hasn't run since 1999 and has some fairly serious rust issues, but hey, for $2300 I can deal with issues. I've wanted one of these for a long time and that empty space in the new garage was just begging to be filled.







Get this, the engine's in the front. It's got a Weber one barrel.


The old boy sat outside for the last 10 years. No more...

[flat6pilot]

Very cool. I've always wanted one of those myself. Good luck.

[MysticLlama]

Cooool...

I see some 14-16' fences out back and lions in your future, gotta have somewhere to drive that around properly with a big cat on top.

[BAPhotowerks]

Rich is one of the few I know with space enough to let this thing run, I'd like to see it wade the neighbors pond myself, followed by Chris. Tigers would be cool though...

Dumb question: is it petrol or diesel? I too have lusted after these as well, though a 110 would be my ultimate. There is a cool shop down here in Ballard that always has a few of this vintage around. I don't recall the name, but I'm sure he is known in the Rover community. Just south of NW Market off 14th Ave NW; let me know if you want to meet and poke around down there, he had a few interesting projects last time I was down there.

Is it basically the frames that rot on these or more?

BA

[cnielsen]

very cool Rich! Can't wait to see it run. I've had a couple D90's, love the classic Rover lines.

The bodies are aluminum so they don't rust but anywhere they meet with metal, it causes galvanic conduction and the steel rusts... Frames, bulk heads and sills are all common areas. Best to buy a pre-made galvinized frame that is already setup for coil spring suspension.

[Rich Lambert]

Originally Posted by BAPhotowerks

Rich is one of the few I know with space enough to let this thing run, I'd like to see it wade the neighbors pond myself, followed by Chris. Tigers would be cool though...

Dumb question: is it petrol or diesel? I too have lusted after these as well, though a 110 would be my ultimate. There is a cool shop down here in Ballard that always has a few of this vintage around. I don't recall the name, but I'm sure he is known in the Rover community. Just south of NW Market off 14th Ave NW; let me know if you want to meet and poke around down there, he had a few interesting projects last time I was down there.

Is it basically the frames that rot on these or more?

BA

Brad, it's petrol and I would definitely like to go see the shop in Ballard sometime. I'm hoping frame rot is the worst thing that can happen because I've got it. Here's a sample that's right behind the rear tire. Note the proximity to the spring perch.

Originally Posted by cnielsen

very cool Rich! Can't wait to see it run. I've had a couple D90's, love the classic Rover lines.

The bodies are aluminum so they don't rust but anywhere they meet with metal, it causes galvanic conduction and the steel rusts... Frames, bulk heads and sills are all common areas. Best to buy a pre-made galvinized frame that is already setup for coil spring suspension.

Chris, pretty much everywhere water can collect has a little rust and/or moss, like the steel door frames, tail gate window frame, windshield frame...etc. I don't know if a new chassis is in the cards, but some pieces definitely need to be cut out and replaced. I wish I knew someone who could weld...

[Rich Lambert]

Originally Posted by MysticLlama

Cooool...

I see some 14-16' fences out back and lions in your future, gotta have somewhere to drive that around properly with a big cat on top.

Rob, we've got mountain lions...does that count?

[gtc]

I have a friend that had one just like that in college... it was without a doubt the scariest vehicle I have ever driven. In fact, i wouldn't even call it driving - that would imply that I had some control over it. It was more like I was sitting in the left seat "suggesting" that it accelerate, shift gears, brake, etc...
Lots of fun though, especially with the roof off.

[Rich Lambert]

Originally Posted by gtc

I have a friend that had one just like that in college... it was without a doubt the scariest vehicle I have ever driven. In fact, i wouldn't even call it driving - that would imply that I had some control over it. It was more like I was sitting in the left seat "suggesting" that it accelerate, shift gears, brake, etc...
Lots of fun though, especially with the roof off.

Graham, I used to have a CJ-5 like that...steering input was a suggestion, at best. I used to tow a 2200lb tournament ski boat from Lynnwood to Entiat almost every weekend with that thing and I'm sure, somewhere, people still tell stories of their near-death experience with a boat towing brown Jeep crossing the center line of hwy 2.

[al lkosmal]

It looks pretty small until you look at it next to the 911 in the garage.

[Jeff Higgins]

Very, very cool, Rich. An old 88" Land Rover has been towards the top of my "some day" list for some time. I used to work with a guy that had one (back in the early '80's). We had some great times in that thing. Lots of cool, unique features, too.

How is parts availability today? Back then, my buddy had to order parts from some outfit in Florida, who would then get them from South Africa or some other equally convenient location. Seems a lot of unique vintage vehicles are beter supported now than they were back then, though. Is this one of them?

My alternative to the Land Rover was a '71 Land Cruiser. I owned it for almost 30 years, and put well over 500,000 miles on it, before the rust got away from me. It now resides in a co-worker's garage, as a pile of flat sheet metal. He literally drilled out every flippin' spot weld and reduced it to flat panels. Gives a new meaning to "frame-off" restoration. I'm looking forward to seeing it again in about, oh, another decade or so...

Anyway, cool ride. Make sure you buy about ten jerry cans to keep on the roof - that eight gallon tank, and surprisingly bad gas milage means pretty limited range. These were originally sold as around-the-farm utility vehicles, after all; never meant to stray all that far from home. At least until those crazy Brits started dragging them all over the world with them.

[Rich Lambert]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Very, very cool, Rich. An old 88" Land Rover has been towards the top of my "some day" list for some time. I used to work with a guy that had one (back in the early '80's). We had some great times in that thing. Lots of cool, unique features, too.

How is parts availability today? Back then, my buddy had to order parts from some outfit in Florida, who would then get them from South Africa or some other equally convenient location. Seems a lot of unique vintage vehicles are beter supported now than they were back then, though. Is this one of them?

My alternative to the Land Rover was a '71 Land Cruiser. I owned it for almost 30 years, and put well over 500,000 miles on it, before the rust got away from me. It now resides in a co-worker's garage, as a pile of flat sheet metal. He literally drilled out every flippin' spot weld and reduced it to flat panels. Gives a new meaning to "frame-off" restoration. I'm looking forward to seeing it again in about, oh, another decade or so...

Anyway, cool ride. Make sure you buy about ten jerry cans to keep on the roof - that eight gallon tank, and surprisingly bad gas milage means pretty limited range. These were originally sold as around-the-farm utility vehicles, after all; never meant to stray all that far from home. At least until those crazy Brits started dragging them all over the world with them.

Jeff, I wanted something near original. I looked at old TLC's for a long time, but it's almost impossible to find one that hasn't been bastardized and if you do, it's insanely expensive. I also looked at old Broncos, but again, most have had the rear fenders cut or they're $8K. The LR is amazingly intact. So far, all the bolts I've removed have had a flat washer AND a lock washer on them. That's like finding Schnorr washers on an old 911. And it just looks so dam cool. I'm going to attack the electrical system tonight as more stuff doesn't work than does. I've got parking lights and one wiper.

Parts seem to be plentiful, if not cheap...but cheaper than 911 stuff.

Speaking of 911's, I've gone to the dark side...I bought a Pertronix. I haven't put it in yet as I need to do a search on Pertronix-vs-MSD and figure out what goes where.

[Jeff Higgins]

I've got instructions on how to wire Pertronix to MSD. I think they were actually included in the instructions that came with one or the other. Take a look at your MSD instructions; I think that's where I found it.

I've been keeping one eye on the old FJ40 market. Unbelievable. Good original ones are easily $15-20k; bastardized Chevy V8 conversions are a dime a dozen. Not many good ones left, unfortunately.

[Rusty Heap]

Rich.

My metal fab skills, chop saw/band saw, shop bay and cutting torch and arc welder is always available, and I work cheap........well maybe not cheap, but highly affordable for you rich Boeing employees.........I've got access to a wire feed welder too.

Very soon the carcass of the dead red car is about to go to the scrap yard, so I'll have an open bay if you want to leave the ride for a couple days.

[Rich Lambert]

Originally Posted by Rusty Heap

Rich.

My metal fab skills, chop saw/band saw, shop bay and cutting torch and arc welder is always available, and I work cheap........well maybe not cheap, but highly affordable for you rich Boeing employees.........I've got access to a wire feed welder too.

Very soon the carcass of the dead red car is about to go to the scrap yard, so I'll have an open bay if you want to leave the ride for a couple days.

Thanks Dave! I will definitely be in touch.

[teenerted1]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I've been keeping one eye on the old FJ40 market. Unbelievable. Good original ones are easily $15-20k; bastardized Chevy V8 conversions are a dime a dozen. Not many good ones left, unfortunately.

argh...i am still shooting my self in the foot for not picking up a pretty stock FJ back in 1991, back when i was into 4x4's. instead i went for a cj5 with the stock v8, 10 leaf springs, and 33's. it think the FJ was @$3k and the jeep @$4k. if only i knew then what i dont know now.

[al lkosmal]

I sold my very.... very nice FJ40 about 10 years ago and I'm still kicking myself in the a$$. I looked for a long time to find the right one...almost every stock, straight, "rust free" example I looked at , I could see daylight through. It took a while to find the right one. Occasionally, I still get the bug.......but I'm usually ok, unless someone shows pix of something tasty that they dragged home........must look away now and go to my happy place.

[Rusty Heap]

Pics of what I did last weekend with some hardcore jeepsters out at Reiter Trails system just north of Index...........NICE articulation and wheel travel!!!!!!!!!!

[911s55]

Rich don't forget to mount the spare tire on the bonnet for visibility!
Friend of mine has a nice '71 with canvas top, lots of fun and rides like a rock.

David

[Rusty Heap]

Rich, after re-reading your post(s) again, you said it hasn't ran since 1999? Even a more fun project for me to dig into, and I've got access to a tilt bed beaver tail tandem axle car hauler trailer if you need me to come pick it up. We'll winch it up there and bring it over to my place for a good clean-up.

I need a new project and some pocket money funds, come hire me before I go get a real job.........