71 88 series iia, buying advice (1 Viewer)

[Indy262]

I was looking for a FJ80 as a fun truck to have on the side. Local New England search has not been going well. I stumbled onto a guy selling a 71 series iia Land Rover project. Price Seems more than fair but still needs a lot of work still. I’m in love with it but don’t know anything about these and don’t want to go in blind. Any advice is welcome.
Needs all lighting re wired,
Brakes line leak
Exterior body unrestored
Frame restoration incomplete. (Rust around ?middle? Crossmember bu5 front welded back together.)
Ball joints shot


Pan has been restored and painted
Runs well and drives at least at in yard
(Has optional overdrive)

 

[Indy262]

Leaning more, should I be worried about whitworth or British standard fasteners in a USDM series 2a? My google powers are failing me and I’m not getting a clear answer.
I’ve been loving just owning metric tools and a bunch of weird tools may be a deal breaker.

 

[Seth S]

Bulkheads...they rust and they hide it well and they are very expensive to replace and to repair as they are a complicated piece with lots of small pieces welded together. You could easily spend $2000-$4000 or more out of pocket to buy one new if you can find on or spend many hours repairing one. Frames.....they rust and you can buy lots and lots of repair pieces for them because they have been around forever and their rust behavior is well documented. But if you have to major frame repair then seriously consider just buying a new galvanized chassis for about $2500. This will be easier, add a ton of value to the truck, and likely outlast you.

Axles....ok when under a stock rover motor but have their issues and not super robust...plus they are 60 years old now and most have lived hard lives, Doors, tub, roof etc...anywhere there is an aluminum panel there is probably some level of corrosion....the rubber gaskets separating the steel from the aluminum probably fell apart 30 years ago and ever since the galvanic corrosion has been going to town.

Wiring. Stock Rover wiring was problematic at best even on the day it rolled off the sales lot. The earlier trucks had like 4 fuses for the entire truck and Lucas components were not know as "The prince of darkness" by mistake.

comfort.....slightly faster than walking, slightly drier than an umbrella after a hail storm, Stopping...optional.

Be wary of people selling $100 trucks for $5000....lots of those out there.


Tools...yeah every truck could be different or a mix of metric and whitworthless.

On the plus side there are lots of parts still available and because the design really didn't change much for almost 80 years there are a lot of cross model options.

 

[Indy262]

Thanks Seth! I Appreciate a little extra help talking me down. I’m a sucker for British cars and trucks but after 10 years with a BMW Mini (06 mcs) I should know better.
Toyota made my most reliable car, I should probably have stuck with them.

 

[Seth S]

I started out on the rover path. Now I have an fj60 and I’m driving it. All of my rovers are still in pieces. .

 

[Seth S]

My plan for putting my S2/3 parts back together is to use a toyota engine, trans, transfer, and axles with the rover chassis and body. This way I get a land rover but with a driveline I can trust.

 

[Indy262]

My plan for putting my S2/3 parts back together is to use a toyota engine, trans, transfer, and axles with the rover chassis and body. This way I get a land rover but with a driveline I can trust.

You’re way more ambitious than me, good luck

 

[wapitimud]

Ok. The S2 will need inspection and repair, but I wouldn't shy away from it if the price is right. Some steel areas like bottom of bulkhead can rust; but most 1971 Toyotas will have lots of holes in them as well.

The series 2 is very rebuildable, moreso than a modern Toyota. I was under a 70 series today, swivel balls are welded to axle casing there. In LR, they are bolted and replacable. Aftermarket or OEM LR parts are cheaper to buy than comparable Toyota as well.

You won't go very fast with a series 2, and it won't be a reliable daily driver, more of a sunday car. Again, a comparable 1971 FJ with original unrebuilt drivetrain would be a problem also. It wasn't made of magic sauce.

 

[Indy262]

Thanks, the thing is still up for sale, if anyone is interested.
1971 Land Rover Series 2A
His wife doesn’t want to ship it up to their new home in VT. I think it’s at a “I don’t really want to sell price”
Its rough but he was off to a good start Restoring it and I figure there is still value there even with professional restoration...
However I’m thinking an LX470 might be more what I need but I don’t really need a truck at all. (A smoother quieter ride would make my dog happy)

 

[Giftshopduane]

Funny my defender is in pieces and my 2a is waiting.. just picked up my 2nd fj60