Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 15

Thread: finally gave in

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Washington, VT
    Posts
    180

    Default finally gave in

    My father bought an 88 diesel in 1963. It was an immediate icon in my family. All the kids learned to drive on it, and it did it's fair share of farm chores in east Tennessee. My father died in 1976, I left and my mother sold the farm to friends, in 1978. The disposition of the rover was never finalized and the notion of reclaiming it from tennessee was insane and cost-prohibitive. It sat in the weeds having been driven last in 1980. My mother recently passed away and some of her belongings will travel north via truck. Suddenly the cost of towing it on a rented trailer became incidental.

    Rover literally eyeballed from google earth ' streetview'. Current land owner's graciously said it's mine for the taking, they even seem to be planning a labor day barbecue to celebrate our arrival and the tentative resurrection of the rover. A friend visited the hulk and says frame and bulkhead seem sound. He sees 'surface rust' and that absence of a gas cap........apparently been gone for years. So for under $300 I can drag the lonely heap to VT. It is like a dream. Mindful of what I see on the forum I can see this becoming a nightmare. Where does one begin? especially if I want to do as much as possible with my son, as a learning project? Suggested sequence of assessment and repair?

    Preparing to drink the cool-aid.
    Last edited by kwd509; 08-07-2010 at 06:04 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Midwest City, OK
    Posts
    81

    Default Pictures!

    Sounds exciting!

    Must have pictures! Take lots before during and after the resurrection then post them. Once we see it I'm sure everyone will have some good advice.

    Start thinking of a Budget: Think of a number in your head... then double it... then double that, your getting closer.

    Cheers!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Rutland, Vermont
    Posts
    757

    Default

    Where in Vermont are you? I don't in any way claim to be a rover expert but I'd be happy to help. The nice thing about Vermont is that there are a lot of Rover Resources such as our host and one of their competitors. There are a lot of rover people in Vermont and surrounding area.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Washington, VT
    Posts
    180

    Default

    Thanks for the offer. I'm in Washington, VT. About 20 minutes outside Barre. It does seem that VT is rich in rover resources. Bit of Britain just overt the hill in Corinth has parts, and a friend with a series 3 just reminded me that he has a 2A sitting in the woods for parts, some of which are of no use to him. TriedStone's recommendation of planning for an astronomical budget is ominous.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Redding, CT
    Posts
    1,504

    Default

    If the truck is indeed not completely rotted out, I say go for it. Pictures would be needed for an assessment by the forum however.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    2,020

    Default

    Well, it never ceases to amaze me how many Land Rover products are lurcking in the woods of Vermont.
    My parts collection of Classic Range Rover sits in Cabot and I cannot say I have seen many Series vehicles driving around Rt15 or Rt2 from Barre to Joe's Pond.



    Any restoration of a Series vehicle is always good news for the product and for those of us who suffer from 90wt-itus.
    Les Parker
    Tech. Support and Parts Specialist
    Rovers North Inc.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Midwest City, OK
    Posts
    81

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kwd509 View Post
    TriedStone's recommendation of planning for an astronomical budget is ominous.
    Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya. It was past my bed time and I was trying to be funny and my wife was already asleep so she couldn't remind me that I am not funny. One nice thing about the series truck parts is most of them are still available for a reasonable price and furthermore most can be rebuilt or refurbished. If your frame and bulkhead are ok it shouldn't be to difficult to get it going. I've spent more on my wifes 95 D90 in the week and 1/2 that I've had it than I've spent on my 59 SII that I've had since February. If you can do most of the work yourself you'll save a ton, and it looks like you already have some volunteers to help out.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Washington, VT
    Posts
    180

    Default Before the 'before' photo

    Someone asked for photos of the 88 before I collect it and begin repairs. Having not yet made the trip to east Tennessee, I don't have them. Come labor day there should be photos and a whole lot more info as to its condition.

    But in the meantime, while sorting through my mom's stuff (she passed away in late June) I came on this photo. It is me and my father in early 1963. I'm seven and he is the proud owner of a new and pristine rover. I apologize for the poor quality of the 47 yr old polaroid. It is a pretty preposterous photo, except for the rover. As you may guess, my interest in this rover is in some respects sentimental. My father appreciated the rover as much as forum readers.

    As I recall it arrived in boston 'uncrated' but there were many components not yet assembled and installed. it took hours to find the keys and a weekend of work to assemble the thing- so I was told......

    I'd love to find that the vehicle is in the same shape but after 15 years as a working farm vehicle and then 32 years of sitting, that's not in the cards. If the frame and bulkhead are solid I guess I have something to work with.

    As I dig through photos we may actually come on some of the rover in action.
    More soon.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Redding, CT
    Posts
    1,504

    Default

    That is a stupendous photo. Without the background you gave, this could easily have been mistaken for some sort of a hallmark card picture. But no, this was for real. Not only was dad in the right gear, son knew it and looked on longingly.

    Fantastic!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    The Granite State (NH)
    Posts
    3,435

    Default

    Well, after seeing that photo, there's NO WAY you can leave that Rover in a field in Tennessee! It has to go to Vermont with you so you can (eventually) get her back to her former glory!

    What a story--Probably aren't too many who have a story like this to tell.


    Did your dad buy this rover used and have it shipped over? Seems a bit curious that it'd have UK registration plates and what appears to be an AA badge on the grille below the headlamp (though It's not really clear).

    Just in case you're really bored and want some details on that UK registration plate in the photo:

    The registration plate appears to date from before the registration system became universally organized between 1962 and 1965. Unfortunately, since the system wasn't universally organized, you can't determine the year of registration or which particular area office issued the plate, like you can on later plates. However, you can tell that the office that issued the plate must be located in a pretty populous area, since it ran out of plates in the normal format (3 letters then 3 numbers) and went to a "reversed" format with 3 numbers followed by 3 letters. The first offices started issuing these reversed plates in 1953.
    Last edited by SafeAirOne; 08-08-2010 at 10:53 PM.
    --Mark

    1973 SIII 109 RHD 2.5NA Diesel

    0-54mph in just under 11.5 minutes
    (9.7 minutes now that she's a 3-door).

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
About us
Unparalleled product knowledge. Our mission is to support all original Land Rover models no longer supported by your local Land Rover franchise. We offer the entire range of Land Rover Genuine Parts direct from Land Rover UK, as well as publish North America's largest Land Rover publication, Rovers Magazine.
Join us