LR Series fever starting up again - help!

[rstl99]

Hi all.
LR Series fever seems to be acting up again, for no reason at all.
About 12 years ago, I bought a basket case Series IIA and spent 2-3 years trying to fix it up and put it back together. Acquired a bunch of series parts, new and used. Eventually sold the whole thing to a guy who hauled it all away on a flatbed.

Then I bought a diesel Land Cruiser BJ60, saw it start to rust and sold it. Then I bought a diesel 110 from Labrador, kept it two years, sold it to a guy from Tofino BC. I still have a bunch of new parts I had bought for it, in boxes.

Last year, I picked up a 92 diesel 80 Series Land-Cruiser (LHD, 5 speed, from Europe), which I really enjoy. Much more comfortable than my 110, and also built very tough. It's the "poverty pack" model, vinyl floors and seats, barn doors in the back.

I recently bought a country property adjacent to a series of trails and logging roads, and all of a sudden I'm thinking: wouldn't it be neat to have an old Series truck parked there, to go exploring the woods with? Even though my 80 Series TLC would be quite up to the job, there's something about owning a Series truck that has never quite let go of me. Maybe I'm masochistic who knows, or yearning for the smell of 80w90 on my hands? I suppose part of what's pulling me in this direction is that I'll be retiring in a couple of years, and figure it would help keep me busy to work on a Series rig (as if I don't have enough things to do as it is, maintaining three cars etc.!).

Anyway, thought I'd inquire with you guys to see if you have advice in treating Series fever!

Cheers,
--Robert

[badvibes]

sure I need help, I mean I can help...

Anyway, thought I'd inquire with you guys to see if you have advice in treating Series fever!

Cheers,
--Robert

OK just so I understand here, you are seeking advice from a bunch of guys who think having to change a fuel pump on the drive home from work, or that rebuilding their truck from the frame up forward of the seat box is how you replace a motor, or that always carrying every tool to disassemble and re-assemble any piece on your truck, is normal and reasonable then you're in the right place.

If you're looking for the voice of reason that says "Run away, run far away" and never look back at the potential misery and harship of dealing with 40 and 50 year old trucks I'm not so sure.

Like I told my friend when he asked me about buying a Series they are money pits, slow, noisy, leaky, frustrating, with no local parts availability, beware they are like crack. Just search for the posts by "scott" he's the frame up engine replacement guy.

So OK yeah some advice, uh what was the question again?

Jeff

[amcordo]

Bump

Ha!

OK just so I understand here, you are seeking advice from a bunch of guys who think having to change a fuel pump on the drive home from work, or that rebuilding their truck from the frame up forward of the seat box is how you replace a motor, or that always carrying every tool to disassemble and re-assemble any piece on your truck, is normal and reasonable then you're in the right place.

If you're looking for the voice of reason that says "Run away, run far away" and never look back at the potential misery and harship of dealing with 40 and 50 year old trucks I'm not so sure.

Like I told my friend when he asked me about buying a Series they are money pits, slow, noisy, leaky, frustrating, with no local parts availability, beware they are like crack. Just search for the posts by "scott" he's the frame up engine replacement guy.

So OK yeah some advice, uh what was the question again?

Jeff

[SeriesShorty]

I tried a warm compress once. Then I bought another Rover. The only cure is more cowbell.

[Jim-ME]

Starve a cold feed a fever.

[I Leak Oil]

This is like trying to hold an AA meeting at the local pub....

[rstl99]

Hahaha. well put guys! Indeed, kind of silly to be posing such a question to a bunch of LR addicts

Well, I suppose, once a Series owner always a Series wannabee owner, no matter what one is driving. I'm not sure what I enjoyed more about LR ownership (the Series basket case, and the nice diesel 110): fixing them, or driving them. Probably the former. With the Land Cruiser it's more the pleasure of driving, because the reliability is higher so I need to do less wrenching. Maybe I miss that wrenching in an odd way. There's something about the simplicity of a Series Rover that is always appealing to me.

Having said all that, I wish I could turn back the clock and un-sell that 67 IIA and plethora of parts that I unloaded 12 years ago (had reached the end of the rope with that truck), I could keep one running about forever with the parts I had then...

Anyway, thanks for putting up with my moment of temporary fever-induced insanity!

Who knows, if the right one comes along at the right price and I have the room/time for it, I might let my fever run its course!

Cheers, all.
--Robert

[Nium]

You must posses a Series Land Rover to be Happy!

[bmohan55]

You must posses a Series Land Rover to be Happy!

In my short time of ownership I've found that "IT" posses me!

[rstl99]

In my short time of ownership I've found that "IT" posses me!

To paraphrase the old chinese (?) saying: I dreamed I was a man who owned a Land-Rover, only to wake up and wonder if I was not a Land-Rover dreaming I owned a man!

The stuff we put ourselves through, owning and maintaining these old "specialty" vehicles (be they Series LR's, LandCruisers, VW beetles/buses, Dodge Powerwagon, choose your poison). I think it was John Jerome who wrote in TRUCK (a great book!!), "in the end, I think I was only looking for a vehicle I could love"... (or something like that)