Series love affair
RICHARD HALL bought his first Land Rover, a Series III, just after his 18th birthday and has since owned, maintained and restored these vehicles for over 30 years now. He runs a small Land Rover repair and restoration business in Norfolk and every month he lets off steam in LRM.
LAST month I lamented the disappearance of the kind of original, unrestored Series vehicles with which I grew up. No sooner had I filed that column than an original, unrestored Series II turned up in my workshop. I have known the owner for a while – I restored the rolling chassis for his Series I project a few years ago. He did the body and interior, and the finished vehicle was truly gorgeous. But almost too lovely and precious to use regularly, with its all-original mechanicals and flawless paintwork. So he bought a Series II which had been standing a while, and trailered it over to me to see if I could get it roadworthy and usable for him.
The first Land Rover I ever restored was a 1960 Series II, back in 1991 when such vehicles could be picked up fairly cheaply. Mine was a former recovery truck, with holes in the rear floor where a crane had been fitted, large Texaco logos on the doors, and all the evidence of a hard working life. It cost
