1953 ? 80" out of 31 year storage

[80inch]

the 1953 80" after sitting for 35 years! my dad parked it in the 80's.

Needs all the systems gone through.

How many of these 80" inch Rovers are out there?
How hard is it to find bits for an 80?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31397880@N08/5566726354/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31397880@N08/5566726670/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31397880@N08/5566726538/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31397880@N08/5566726784/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31397880@N08/5566726924/

[80inch]

trying to load photos again...
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5058/5566726354_4bcc7e8af3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31397880@N08/5566726354/)
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5267/5566726670_41f544a3ce.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31397880@N08/5566726670/)
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5293/5566726538_f0cf99171d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31397880@N08/5566726538/)
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5566726924_789c11b21c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31397880@N08/5566726924/)

[albersj51]

Looks great! How much do you want for her? ;)

I hear parts are harder to find. Ask gudjeon, he has one and it sees daily driver duty + hauling.

[LaneRover]

Thats a great little Rover!

ALbers is right, parts are getting harder to find. Did your Dad use it for long before he parked it?

There is a great info here, and a few guys who have a lot of SI knowledge!

[gudjeon]

Sweet ser1. There are some parts in common with ser2. Unfortunately, the further you go back, the less in common they have in sourcing parts. Some retrofits can be made. Any original parts to fit are best sourced from England.

As with any old vehicle that has sat, Change oils, look at brakes, and seals seals seals.

[LaneRover]

Cleaning up and labeling your electrical connections would probably help too. Be careful as it is probably pretty brittle at this point.

[80inch]

My pop bought it around 1970 and drove it as a daily driver until the early 80's... all over mexico and then up in the trinity alps of nor-cal. He was an architect / builder.

I remember him driving down these steep wooded ravines on a friends ranch... into the creek... with the rover sitting in the creek at an impossible angle while we collected just the right stones to make a new fireplace chimney with. We would load the thing up until the bed was full of stones... and then climb right back out... albeit very slowly!

[gudjeon]

Did someone mention stones for a series1?

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d187/gudjeon/RoverRocks001.jpg

[badvibes]

I'd say that S I has stones.....

[singingcamel]

I'm restoring a 1951 heres a couple of shots
www.singingcamel.com (http://www.singingcamel.com)

[westcoastkevin]

I also have a 80" S1 ..... or I have the parts to make one.

[Terrys]

I'm restoring a 1951 heres a couple of shots
www.singingcamel.com (http://www.singingcamel.com)
Nice work Marc. Is that plate on the front xmember covering a RHD relay hole, or is this a converted RHD truck?

[Nium]

If your unsure of the year you could check here...
http://www.lrfaq.org/FAQ.3.Chassis_Numbers.html

or enter the chassis number here...
http://www.clifton.nl/index.html?calvin.html

to see what it has to say about the vehicle. Looks like fun. Even if you don't see something listed in the Rovers North catalog give them a call and they might be able to help you out in finding parts. Of course the forum is always here to lend a hand too.

Cheers

[westcoastkevin]

Also, you can go to http://www.lrsoc.com/forum/index.php?action=forum
There is a lot of knowledge over there for the series one.

[singingcamel]

Thanks Friend,
No , its a left hand drive that came out of Northern Minnesota from the woods. I was lucky, it never saw pavememt, it was at a hunting shack..No rust ,YIPEEEE..







Nice work Marc. Is that plate on the front xmember covering a RHD relay hole, or is this a converted RHD truck?

[80inch]

Look... it's grandson lending a helping hand to grandpa!

We got the 80" out today... out of it's resting place for decades...and onto the trailer and home to the dry garage... and importantly to the hoist!... where it will receive vital attention and adoration.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5576043986_226985df6e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31397880@N08/5576043986/)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5030/5575457409_9528ccc4cc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31397880@N08/5575457409/)

[80inch]

I found out the reason it was retired to the barn by the way... a cracked intake manifold. (Don't clean the engine by hosing it off... when it is hot!)

Are series one intake manifolds the same as series 2?

With a new manifold as well as a bunch of misc service due to long storage... I think she's a runner.

[leafsprung]

manifolds are very different. I think I have one. Drop me a note I PMd you.

PS ditch that plastic pretender and get that 80 inch on the road!

[gudjeon]

I loves my ser1. Its like learning and driving a new to you Rover all over again. You'll have a big stupid ear to ear grin when you drive it around the first time.:thumb-up: Yes-the intake is very different.

[80inch]

BTW... don't fret... the defender isn't mine... we just used it to tow with because it was picturesque and I don't have a tow vehicle... it belongs to a local doctor.

[J.McKelvey]

Glad to see another 80".

I restored mine about 5 or 6 years ago.

Their some much fun!

Let me know if I can help out.

John

[singingcamel]

:thumb-up:I'm really excited for , good luck, keep it fun and don't get in a hurry, good things take time..

[80inch]

It is actually the exhaust manifold that is cracked... not the intake... a 1952 center exit variety. Also corroded away is the 1/8th inch thick approx 4"x4" cover plate on the back of the head. So I need both of those.

I found the little 8"x6" U shaped hoops that go on top of the rear galvanized strip around the bed... "D" shaped in section... grab handles sort of... they go on either side... in little holes through the top of the galvanized section above the taillights and stand straight up above the bed... rare little buggers I bet! I've never seen these on another rover... except in photos of other early series ones in the UK. AWESOME to find these in a box in the barn and then be able to figure out what they are!

I also found the little u shaped flat steel hoops that go on the hood in front of the spare tire... for a jack? or a shovel or something??? Not sure

[J.McKelvey]

I have a few space 2.0L blocks that have the parts you need on them.

PM me if your interested.

John