Project Lone Wolf. My SLOW Land Rover build thread.

[Akeuri]

Figured I'd start with some pictures of my new baby. She's just like my first girlfriend, ugly, heavy, and tougher than a two dollar steak. She's a 1969 Land Rover Series IIA from South Africa. I apologize in advance for the sporadic updates that will appear in this thread, as I am doing much of the work myself, and I have minimal experience in this field. So this should be both an enjoyable learning experience, and a curse cursing, spit spitting annoyance of epic proportions.





First goals are to smooth out the bodywork, replace weather stripping, 3 windows, 4 lights, door latches, and add grill guard.

[nateted4]

Looks cool, but why on earth did the engineers design the fenders forward of the headlights/grille?

[ZombieSoldier01]

Looks cool, but why on earth did the engineers design the fenders forward of the headlights/grille?

kinda a stupid design I agree, but look at it this way, the pushed the wheels forward to slightly increase wheelbase, and give a little better balance. then the fenders are actually protecting the headlights.


back on topic, great project vehicle you got.

[Ad'lan]

She'll be a Beaut mate.

[bishops13]

Headlights don't bother me nearly as much as the tires on the hood. Especially as you gotta constantly oil these things.

What made you decide to go with IIA and not just a Series III?

[Akeuri]

No idea why the headlights are where they are. And I got a Series IIA instead of the III purely based on price. I've wanted a Land Rover since I was five, and after 21 years of waiting, I couldn't pass up one for $3500 bucks in my own backyard.

[Oneswunk]

Sexy rig can't wait to see progress

[gravy_train]

Hi Guys,
I don't know the reasoning behind having the radiator set back and the headlights in the radiator panel. What I do know, is that having the radiator set back allows plenty of room for a capstan or mechanical drum winch of significant proportions without encroaching on approach angle. The radiator position also helps protect the important bits from animal strikes as the bumper and mud guards//wings/fenders take most of the impact.
It probably has something to do with the fact the first Land Rovers had a tiny 1.6L engine, keeping the heavy bits all behind the front axle is very good for weight distribution, and due to the small engine size simply didn't need to fit it any further forward. No point having the radiator 3 feet from the engine fan!
The IIa's are better than IIIs in many respects, with far less bakelite, vinyl and plastic, stronger gearbox and the four cylinder 2.25s are both better than the 2.6L 6 cylinder in terms of reliability and power vs mpg.

Thanks for sharing the pics Akeuri! What engine does yours have?
Not knowing its condition, I'd prioritise efforts into getting it free rolling-that includes having working brakes and steering, followed by rust repairs in the chassis/frame and firewall, then engine followed by the miscellaneous electrics of which there aren't many! Being Aluminium, the body won't deteriorate while you fix everything else and can be done last. Saves you from scratching any new paint while lifting engine heads etc too!
Need any advice let me know, or for better help come over to www.aulro.com .

I love the cross eyed look
-Mark

[Akeuri]

Forgot to mention that I have to get thebrakes fixed first (my grandfather backed into a tree literally 5 minutes after I bought her, busting out a rear window) The exterior will be after that, to keep the gf off my back. Then the fun stuff (shudders), electronics.Oh, and the motor is an old Chevy inline six.

[MajorNerd]

Nice S2a. The 2a is the best of the Series land rovers. Still had the real metal bits with the good heater and wiper motor. I would say that is a 69/70/early 71? The late '71 has the bug-eye lights (lights on the wings). The advantage to the light inboard is the wings protect the headlights from damage when offroad. You can get the headlight enabled wings from rovers north if you want to convert it. Some people actually run both for 4 headlights.

The rover 6 was a Buick engine that was licensed to Rover when GM was done with it, and Chevy 6cyl conversions seem to be rather popular on the Series. Do keep in mind that the drive train as stock cannot handle too much power (Salsbury axles are very strong, stock are not.)

Rover's North should have any part you need (some are not cheap - look for those elsewhere.) How is the chassis and bulkhead? The body is "Burmabright" and aluminum alloy (reacts like aluminum when welding) and does not rust, but the chassis and bulkhead are both steel and do. If the chassis is a galvi (aftermarket only, but with the rust issues of the factory chassis, not as uncommon as you would think) they can be found. Also the door sills tend to rust out.

The series rover has several design points that I always loved. The original grill could be used over a campfire for cooking. The windscreen when folded down was designed to rest level on the tire to provide a "picnic table". The tires stayed narrow to break traction when on a lateral angle (driving on a left/right incline, rather than forward/back) which was supposed to force the vehicle to slide rather than hold traction and roll. The front of the factory engine (petrol and diesel) has a crank and the handle should have been behind the seat - so that you could start the rover without a working battery & starter (never happen on a diesel). A factory PTO was available to run any number of tools or even a driven trailer.

All in all a wonderful truck for what sounds like a great price. If you are not aware there are several really good forums and resources for land rovers: roversnorth.com, d-90.com, landroversonly.com, lrrforums.com

[DUNCAN]

Great project!!

lots of pics please

[Akeuri]

Awesome info on the Rover, I learned a lot there. Thanks MajorNerd. The only rust on the vehicle is in the engine bay (Thank God), and the frame looks good. I'll have to check out the sites mentioned here, thanks again to everyone. Will have pictures as soon as progress is made, though it may take a while (between working full time and college, time is at a premium currently )

[Sckitzo]

Looks like a fun project man, I look forward to see what becomes of it. I sure as hell can't offer any advice though, well maybe paint it red, as it will go faster that way.

See? No real advice

[Tater Raider]

That truck is so ugly it's sexy. Do want lots of pics. Lots. Looking forward to the build!

[JoeTosco]

Paint like Camel Trophy.