Found One!

[Jeff Aronson]

Lots of new parts including original replica engine and upgraded SU Carb. Engine and Card have less than 10,000 miles on it.

It's a bugeye in the front, which would make it a '69 officially in the US. The quote above on the engine raises concerns; what's a "replica engine," and why would a Land Rover engine have SU carbs? Only Rover car engines used SU's in the US- Rovers used Solex or Zenith carbs for sale here.

It might have another engine dropped in, but it's unlikely to be a 2.25 standard engine.

Jeff

[jac04]

...and why would a Land Rover engine have SU carbs?

ACR has a SU carb upgrade available for the Land Rover 2.25.

[Jeff Aronson]

Neat, Jac - never seen ACR or their "upgrade." Thanks for the information.

My experience with SU carbs on my MG Midget would not leave me to believe that SU's represent the best "upgrade" for off road or bad road uses.

My Solex Rover has the ability to seemingly shake off grit and junk that gets shaken and stirred in the gas tank. Indeed, Solex used to advertise their capabilities as proven by their standard fitting in Land Rovers. And Rover chose Zenith carbs to meet our first emissions legislation.

My Weber Rover is more finicky than the Solex car but at least it can be cleaned out easily in the woods.

Taking apart my SU's was not a "field experience," but something that needed to be completed on the kitchen table.

Jeff

[109 Pretender]

Wow! Awesome thread guys and a lot of sage advice here. I think Ike hit the nail on the head earlier though - find the best body/frame you can - the rest is just parts... We all know the shortcomings w/steel and alum. touching. Add to that salt and road chemicals used in the snow (rust) belt and well after 40 years you have a body that almost isn't worth messing with if you desire a 1st class end result.

Decide now what you are willing to ultimately spend on the final project and what you desire it to look like. If you want perfection then the body is the most important element. Frames are just money. Many body panels are NLA so scrounging around is a must if they are rotten. Mechanicals can be rebuilt even though some parts for the trans. and 6 cyl. engines are also NLA.
Also remember that no matter what it's 40 years old and was designed to be a utility vehicle and most owners used it that way - little if any care over the years.
That said - IF you are willing to take your time, look at several and select the one that best meets your goals AND are willing to spend a LOT of money you can end up with a Rover that's better than new. I paid 3500.00 30 years ago for a 109 NADA which had a perfect frame and body. I drove it 50,000 mi over the next 4 years mostly trouble free and then rebuilt it completely (every square mm) at a parts cost alone of over 40,000. (yeah, every single nut, bolt,etc) It took me over 10 years to do it and I did everything myself except the galv. and machine shop work. That's why a perfect rebuilt anything that is that old is so valuable - it costs major bucks to do it right.
If all you want to do is own a decent example and use it - that's ok too. Best examples are going to be found in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Arizona, NM, Cali. and Nevada (think dry climate) and they are out there. I know of an S3 88 in Kansas in a field that's been there for many, many years - and it's aging quite nicely... I say go for it once you have identified what your end goals are then dig in and get greasy!

Oh yeah, stay away from the imports if you can - the Brits are out to make a buck off us "rich Yanks" right now. Ha, Ha!

Cheers!

[109 Pretender]

Nick, here's a followup to my own reply. You mentioned that you don't have a lot of mech experience. With that said I'd recommend that you should really try to find as nice an example as possible. I twisted wrenches on British and Italian and German iron for almost 20 years professionally and have restored 6 vehicles from the frame up. I own more tools than I care to admit. Many of these guys here have also worked professionally and have the tools at their disposal and they have lots of experience. Tools are expensive and so is the labor if you farm it out - there's no cheap, easy way to do it right. However, a Land Rover (or old MG) is just about as entry level as it gets in terms of complexity and it's a great way to learn about wrenching. I'd also recommend that you make sure you have a good place to work on and disassemble the vehicle because it takes up about 6 times more room when taken apart.
Again - get one and get greasy!! You'll either LOVE it or hate it. Guess you already surmise that all of us love it - at least most of the time...

Good Luck!

[adkrover]

Yeah. What he said!

[NickDawson]

Yeah. What he said!

[Lawrie]

Next ones for Nick

Nick,
Lawrie here up in Vermont - My container arrived Tuesday am, all paperwork clean, customs only sniffed around for an hour at border. I unloaded 40' container in 70 minutes (three Series 3's, 8 engines, gearboxes, pick up cabs, hoops, miltary gas tanks,odd old and hard to ship bits typically not easily available from our hosts. I am organising, and will take pictures, write-up and get off to you.
I have skimmed through this thread and the previous one of yours and think I may have a truck for you and what many on this thread hit on:
Galvy chassis, stock set up, regular use and MOT history showing truck is getting attention, normal upkeep, no new/fancy paint to hide anything.
I have:
two - S3, RHD, galvy chassis, straight, no wierd mods, marine blue/limestone, parobolic springs, recent MOT,
one is 2.25 diesel - new chassis, brake pipes,.. clean up in 2005 (and to my shock it is NOT smoky, actually quite peppy (seller did say it was rebuilt, but I usually don't believe it unless I have proof, as a UK rebuild may mean a valve job - sorry Brits but i am not far off when it come to old iron)
one is 2.25 petrol - new chassis, springs, pipes, petrol tank, good quality paint job, new deluxe seats, roof rack and ladder in 2004.

I need to dig deeper, drive around abit before i settle on price, want to be fair as they need tinkering, and dollars - but are solid base to learn, invest in, rather than something that will be a liability in a few years. I am thinking ~$6 - 7 k. I will list on for sale section.

[greenmeanie]

Nick,
I usually don't believe it unless I have proof, as a UK rebuild may mean a valve job - sorry Brits but i am not far off when it come to old iron)

Lawrie that is a pretty universal statement no matter where in the world you look. One man's rebuild is another man's half arsed overhaul.

[69Bugeye]

Is this a bug eye? Looks like one to me... pricey but guy sounds motovated

Hey. New guy here. Yes it's a Bugeye. I just bought it. Love it.

...and yes, the seller was motivated.

steve

[NickDawson]

Hey. New guy here. Yes it's a Bugeye. I just bought it. Love it.

...and yes, the seller was motivated.

steve

Nicely done!
Must be why I couldn't get him to return my calls

[NickDawson]

Lawrie here up in Vermont - My container arrived Tuesday

Lawrie - looking forward to some more info, thanks for keeping me posted!

Just got back from being out of town and playing catchup...

[NickDawson]

looking at the new listings on ebay...
This guy sounds interesting - but I've become distrustful of anyone who makes claims about the frame and bulkhead... anyone in Waxahachie, Texas? Also what is a "military engine"?

and of course, there's there whole RHD/import issue... but I'm hearing some success stories lately that make me think it is possible to find worthwhile imported trucks...

[Jeff Aronson]

Nick,

A glance at the EBay seller's description and photos hints to you he is not a Land Rover enthusiast. Misspelling the "Fairey" overdrive is an unlikely no-no for any Land Rover owner. I'm going out on a limb to say it's not a typo, but a lack of knowledge.

Also, the interior door panels really look like the gray ones with the arm rests from a Series II-A, not the black ones that came with the Series III. It's not a big issue, but it leads to questions about the originality of the Rover.

As for the "military" engine, it's likely a replacement one put in by the previous owner - thus the 20,000 miles. The Ministry of Defense would buy engines to support their Land Rovers; at times, they would sell off surplus stock. As the Series III no longer plays a role in the British military, you could get new MOD engines as "drop in" replacements. The 5-main bearing model is the same that went into the Series III as well as, I think, the later II-A models. The extra 2 bearings should help it last longer.

On the plus side, a solid bulkhead and frame and a newer engine [hopefully broken in properly and well-maintained since] gets you off to a reliable start.

Good luck,

Jeff

[SafeAirOne]

Nick,

Misspelling the "Fairey" overdrive is an unlikely no-no for any Land Rover owner. I'm going out on a limb to say it's not a typo, but a lack of knowledge.

It's hard to tell, since the seller had a bit of trouble with the word "military" as well....