I “met” Jim Potter and Neil Sommers on a Land Rover forum and they’ve been answering my newbie questions ever since. Yesterday I drove over to Kansas City to meet them (and their Land Rovers).

That’s Neil’s 1963 Series IIA and the photo below is Jim’s 1968 IIA.

I’m in love with the soft top on this truck and plan to order one for next spring. Jim will be switching back to his hardtop soon which he keeps suspended from the roof of his garage.

UPDATE: By the time I finally take delivery of the truck, spring won’t be that far off so I’ll probably order a soft-top and have it ready. The Hoist-A-Top is for Jeeps but looks like it would work. The Harken Hoist looks a bit complex and requires 10 ft which I’m pretty sure i don’t have. Jim made his own hoist (below).

The highlights of the trip for me were the drive from KC down to Neil’s farm in Jim’s truck. Bumpy, loud, slow… wonderful! After meeting Neil, we jumped in his truck and drove around in one of his pastures. He let me drive for a bit and it was a blast. My first time to drive a Land Rover (right hand steering!).

Neil has one of the most amazing shops I’ve ever seen. Okay, I haven’t seen that many shops but this thing was packed with every imaginable tool and some big-ass metal lathes. (I think).

Update from Neil: “The freshly painted blue machine tool is a Steptoe 16 inch metal shaper. It is painted Land Rover Marine Blue. The metal lathe is a Monarch 10EE and the big drill press looking tool is a Bridgeport milling machine.”

Behind the shop Neil had the axles from one of his Land Rovers on sawhorses (he’s doing some more restoration (that’s the chassis above). After explaining how the differential gears worked and how I would need to check the fluid levels periodically, he presented me with a custom tool for taking out the plug. Uh, yeah, maybe.

Jim and Neil are passionate about old Land Rovers and they could not have been more gracious and hospitable. I was pumped about getting my truck but now that I’ve actually driven one… (high pitched squeal!)