SEVENTEEN years. That’s how long it took Paul Ridler to complete the restoration of this 1976 2¼ petrol Series III 88in. It could well be a record. He did everything himself with the exception of the gearbox and transfer ’box rebuilds, which were entrusted to Whitehouse in Wolverhampton. Paul has a garage that will take two cars, but they have to be parked nose to tail, and there is barely room to squeeze between the walls on either side and the vehicles. Most of the work on the Series III was done outside, on the driveway.
I’m meeting Paul and his wife, Debbie, and their eldest son, Anthony, to hear the story, and hopefully go for a spin in the Series III. Paul’s introduction to Land Rovers started at a young age, on a farm in Somerset which was the regular destination for his family’s summer holidays. There was, of course, a Land Rover on the
