Diary of a Series lll Restoration

Rebuild 2012

Series lll Rebuild

Why ?

So why embark on a rebuild ? Well for several reasons really. Lucy was partially rebuilt 8 years ago, and has also had several minor repairs over the years to keep her on the road and legal. A pre MOT check revealed some work needed to some difficult to get at parts of the chassis and the replacement of the swivel joints was also needed, two things that were left until absolutely needed.

2009 - Looking good, but there’s some bits rotting underneath that need replacing

During the time I’ve had Lucy, I’ve tried to keep her as original as possible, original engine, chassis and parts replaced, with directly compatible period replacements. However while keeping her as original as possible is what the Land Rover purists would agree with, living with and using a 1983 diesel Land Rover in 2012 is a different matter.

A top speed of 50mph, deafening engine noise, wandering and unbelievably heavy steering (don’t even think about parallel parking) bone shaking suspension, and enough smoke when under load to hide a tank behind make Lucy a vehicle that just isn’t up to daily use on the same roads as modern cars.

So we’re embarking on a ground up rebuild, hopefully complete in 3 months, and comprising of chassis repairs, engine replacement, transmission, suspension and steering upgrade and a bit of cosmetic work as well. Don’t panic though, she’ll be vastly different under the skin but still have the original look on the outside.

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Page updated 21 June 2012

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