Paddock Spares

[See image gallery at blog.paddockspares.com] One of the appealing things about rebuilding a Land Rover is that it is just a great big Meccano set; everything bolts on to a ladder chassis and many components are interchangeable from one year or generation to the next. Parts are relatively cheap and usually readily available, either second-hand or from after-market suppliers. While one must be practical by nature to undertake any sort of rebuild, a Series Land Rover is the perfect first Vehicle. This was what swung it for owner Steve Simpson, a retired Watch Commander with Manchester Fire Brigade. A few years ago, Steve attended the massive War and Peace military show in Kent and was absolutely gob-smacked at what he saw. ‘The stuff there – it just blows your mind!’ he enthuses. He spent two days going round and realised even this really was not enough time. The experience really inspired him and he realised he wanted a bit of the action with all purpose, mechanical boys’ toys.

A confession

‘At first I wanted a Willys Jeep,’ confesses Steve but he soon realised that they were very expensive to buy and too much hassle with steel bodywork in a wet climate. ‘But a Land Rover – now there’s just something about them.’ Attributes include simple construction, aluminium panels, an affordable so therefore an accessible classic for the average person. For someone who had never rebuilt a vehicle before and without a huge budget he soon saw that a Land Rover Series One would be perfect. He was also lucky that his friend and fellow fire-fighter, Keith Bradshaw was equally enthusiastic. A competent mechanic, he was on hand to give support and offer assistance with any of the more technical jobs. Even so, this was going to be an adventure as neither of them had undertaken any work at all on a Land Rover before. They were definitely on ‘green’ watch!

Decision made, the search was on and soon eBay came up trumps; a 1955 86in unfinished project, mostly complete with some work done, 914 XUH sounded perfect and the deal was done. Dreams and reality seldom entwine completely and on collection, while not disappointed, Steve realised he had bought a dismantled pile of parts. ‘It was a shed,’ he confessed and, being new to the Land Rover game, he and Keith had to work through this pile of parts, identifying what was what and whether to keep it or chuck it. There were also a few non Land Rover bits in there that added to the complications.

Backbone

Land Rover sales literature has long made mention of the robust ladder chassis that forms the backbone of the vehicles we love and Steve was lucky that the original had been repaired well by the previous owner. This needed very little work other than stripping the rust and old paint, checking it over and repainting it with four coats of primer and three coats of good quality black chassis paint before ‘waxoyling it to death’. One of the most exciting parts of any rebuild is when you can start bolting items back onto a clean new chassis and the visual impact spurs you on.

A full set of standard leaf springs and Dephi Decarbon gas dampers were ordered and a pair of heavy duty Series IIA axles were totally rebuilt and fitted to create a rolling chassis. The later axles are a direct fit onto the Series One chassis and they benefit from having fully-floating half shafts on the rear that can be changed quickly and easily, unlike the semi-floating originals. Being new to the game, both fire-fighters reckon the axle rebuild was probably the hardest job but, resourced with a workshop manual and a modest tool kit, they fitted new steering swivels, seals, gaskets and bearings before protecting the chrome swivel balls with leather gaiters. It goes to show that often the hardest part of a job is actually getting round to it and going into the unknown. With support from fellow enthusiasts and a bit of common sense, much can be achieved.

The project came with a 2286cc engine and gearbox from a Series IIA. The original 1997cc inlet-over-exhaust engine can be very expensive to rebuild but the later engine is both simple and parts are plentiful. If originality has been lost, or is not considered important, the ‘two and a quarter’ is both affordable and sensible, bolting in with no chassis modifications. The engine was dismantled and the bores found to be in good condition. The head was stripped and the valves reground but nothing awry was found. A repaint of the block and head and reassembly with a full set of gaskets has produced a neat, oil free engine bay. The addition of an electronic ignition has also help to create a quiet and super-smooth running power-plant.

Body building

With the main mechanical components bolted onto the rolling chassis, Steve and Keith turned their attention to the pile of bodywork bits; working out what was what in the remaining collection of parts and whether it could be saved. Typically, the galvanised components had suffered over 55 years of being exposed to the elements. The windscreen surround, bumper, grille and various parts such as door hinges were sent to Wedge Group for re galvanising

. The bulkhead required a few repairs and, like the chassis, was heavily waxoyled through holes drilled in the box sections. Previous coats of paint were stripped from the panels, taking it back to bare aluminium. Some body panels were beyond repair and needed replacing before everything was resprayed in Pastel Green. This is an uncommon shade used on Series II and III vehicles and similar to the very early 80in models. Though not a standard 86in option, it makes it stand out in the sea of Deep Bronze Green at Land Rover shows.

Steve undertook the paintwork himself, having never done any spraying before and has done a superb job. He is very critical of his own work, pointing out one or two runs, but the overall result is excellent and not shown up even by professionally finished vehicles. Assembling bodywork onto a chassis can be a bit of a dark art and getting panel gaps equidistant can be time consuming. Perseverance has been rewarded by straight lines and doors that close with a satisfying ‘clunk’.

Usable Classic

Classic car electrical specialists Autosparks supplied a new main wiring loom adapted for an alternator and some later lighting components have been fitted to make the vehicle more usable in modern traffic conditions. These include the standard Series III Wipac stop and tail-lights and direction indicators. Indicators were never a standard fitment on utility Series Ones but trafficator arms could be specified – the latter are nigh on useless on today’s roads. A Series III combined fuel and temperate gauge with charge/ignition light has been fitted, allowing the driver to keep tabs on what is going on under the bonnet. Standard rims are shod with Kingpin 205R16 radial tyres with a tread pattern based on the traditional Michelin M+S as used on the early Range Rover. This is a vehicle designed to be used, an everyday classic that looks at home at either a vehicle show or out on the hills when used on Steve’s shooting trips.

One brilliant accessory that attracts a lot of attention is the duck-board in the rear tub. Home made to his own design, this protects the lovely paintwork but doesn’t hide it and the colours complement each other beautifully. ‘I should have patented that idea’ jokes Steve. It is a simple but effective solution and so in keeping with the spirit of the vehicle. New, comfortable seats to the original pattern have been fitted and a tilt and a set of hood-sticks from Exmoor Trim keep the weather out – even though the door tops weren’t fitted on the day we saw it.

Inspiration

Steve comes across as a modest man, almost apologetic and unsure whether his vehicle was good enough to feature in a magazine. The truth is that what Steve and Keith have done is to create a vehicle to inspire others. They are normal, practical guys with a modest budget. They loved every day they spent working on the vehicle, dedicating a regular two days a week to it. They have been pragmatic and used later parts where necessary but have not scrimped on the finish or the mechanical integrity of the vehicle. They have learned new skills together and overcome the fear of going into the unknown. The finished result is brilliantly put together and nothing is bodged; every modification looks factory fit. They have built a vehicle to be used and enjoyed, not mothballed. They certainly were green and inexperienced with Land Rovers but it is hard to believe that this was their first project. If you want inspiration to start out in the classic Land Rover scene, this is surely it.

Series 1 Restoration -Steve Simpson