Show us your Series

[Rich Lambert]

Intro & pics

My name is Rich Lambert and I live in Granite Falls, WA. I picked up my first Land Rover off CL last week. It's a '58 Series II 88". I've always wanted an old Land Rover and this one seems like a good starting point. I say starting point because it sat outside under trees for 10 years, doesn't run, and has some frame rot issues, but I went into this looking for a project.

When I first brought it home, after a wash.









Petrol engine & rat's nest wiring. I spent about 6 hours sorting out the wiring mess. When I started I had right blinkers and one wiper. Now, everything works but the one wiper. The AC Delco alternator threw me for a loop as my schematic had some other model with different wiring.


Inside...after about 3 hours of cleaning and removing the brown fabric bucket seats


3 more hours of cleaning and the back looks like this




I'm looking forward to getting deeper into this project and I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions for you guys.

Rich

[Andrew IIA]

I'm looking forward to getting deeper into this project and I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions for you guys.

Rich

She a beauty ! Enjoy and keep us posted

Regards, Andrew
'63 SIIA 88" SW

[Correus]

Looks like you got a great one there!

[Nium]

My name is Rich Lambert and I live in Granite Falls, WA. I picked up my first Land Rover off CL last week. It's a '58 Series II 88". I've always wanted an old Land Rover and this one seems like a good starting point. I say starting point because it sat outside under trees for 10 years, doesn't run, and has some frame rot issues, but I went into this looking for a project.

Congrats! Looks like a typical rover.

Since you wrote that it currently is in a no run condition. I'd recommend starting with the ignition. Make sure the points, condenser, distributor cap, rotor button, spark plugs, spark plug wires, and (very importantly) the low tension lead are all in good condition before doing any other service. the timing should be set or checked too.

Replace all the fluids. Oil and oil filter and radiator coolant. Make sure the engine will turn over by hand.

The ignition is the most important system of the engine to have working soundly it will stop the rig before anything else. Don't do anything to the carb till the ignition is solid. The most overlooked thing is always the low tension lead. That little 2" piece of wire IS the most important wire on the whole truck. Seeing by your pictures that you have the early style distributor I strongly recommend making sure that little wire is in good condition.

If you already know all this then...

HAPPY ROVERING!

[greenmeanie]

Congrats! Looks like a typical rover.
The ignition is the most important system of the engine to have working soundly it will stop the rig before anything else.
HAPPY ROVERING!

I'd argue that oil pump is the most important system on the engine. Before you get carried away making sparks and trying to start it you want to make sure you have oil flowing where it should. Starting an engine after that length of time without priming the oil system is going to lead to some nasty wear at least and terminal destruction at worst.

Pull the valve cover and dizzy, buy or make a tool that runs on a drill and turns the oil pump shaft. Look for oil coming out the rocker shaft.

If you feel adventurous it doesn't hurt to pull the sump which is probably leaking anyway and then inspect the bearings.

There's plenty of info out there about bringing an engine back from extended hibernation but, of course, if you already know it....

[Nium]

I'd argue that oil pump is the most important system on the engine. Before you get carried away making sparks and trying to start it you want to make sure you have oil flowing where it should. Starting an engine after that length of time without priming the oil system is going to lead to some nasty wear at least and terminal destruction at worst.

Pull the valve cover and dizzy, buy or make a tool that runs on a drill and turns the oil pump shaft. Look for oil coming out the rocker shaft.

If you feel adventurous it doesn't hurt to pull the sump which is probably leaking anyway and then inspect the bearings.

There's plenty of info out there about bringing an engine back from extended hibernation but, of course, if you already know it....

Yeah, that would be more important good point.

[NickDawson]

Great looking rig Rich - congrats! Looking forward to updates as you get deeper into the project.

[Rich Lambert]

Thanks for the input, but I should have been more specific. The PO said the throttle stuck wide open while his his daughter was driving it and the engine started making metallic sounds. He said it's probably just bent valves, pushrods, and maybe the timing chain skipped a tooth. If I was the optimistic type, I'd believe him. When I delve into that, the first thing I'm going to do is to drain the oil and see if there's any important looking things in there. I'll also pull the pan and the head and see what's going on. I'm hoping for the best, but...

When I bought my last project, the owner said it ran good one minute and bad the next. I hoped for the best that time too, but found a big hole in the #5 piston caused by the valve head breaking off and banging around between the head and the CC about a thousand times. I think the PO failed to mention he pulled a money shift from 3rd to 2nd and over-rev'd the engine.

I did find why the throttle on the LR stuck open:
One of the bolts on the many pinch clamps was turned the wrong way and the nut was wedging itself into a bracket at WOT.

That would have been okay, but one end of the return spring was connected to the wrong place, so that when the nut was wedged into the bracket, the fully extended spring pulled one of the many rods into a binding position.

None of that would have happened if the clamp that connects to the pedal hadn't been adjusted so that the linkage could reach that binding position. At WOT the throttle plate in the carb was opening about half way. No wonder she floored it.

Could they have made that linkage any more complicated? I suppose once it's set-up you never have to touch it again, but some PO touched it.

[South Larry]

Beautiful starting point for a restoration!! My first sat outside for close to 20 years. We had to cut down some big trees that grew around it just to move it!! Heck it was hard to move it in one piece onto the trailer!

Congratulations on reaching a new mental state. We Rover fanatics believe we are whimsical, luminary, aloof, intuitive, curious, perplexing, sultry, scholarly, amorous, rabblerousing dreamers.......what we really are is just plain crazy.

Welcome aboard.

Larry

[Rich Lambert]

Beautiful starting point for a restoration!! My first sat outside for close to 20 years. We had to cut down some big trees that grew around it just to move it!! Heck it was hard to move it in one piece onto the trailer!

Congratulations on reaching a new mental state. We Rover fanatics believe we are whimsical, luminary, aloof, intuitive, curious, perplexing, sultry, scholarly, amorous, rabblerousing dreamers.......what we really are is just plain crazy.

Welcome aboard.

Larry

Thanks Larry...I don't know, it's going to be a stretch to see myself as "sultry".