Category Archives: Land Rovers

The truck as performance art

Posted on by
Reply

It’s been a few weeks since I got my first look at what I’ve started thinking of as “the Eldon truck.” It’s sitting outside the garage of a local mechanic who one day hopes to find the time to bring it back to life. In a bizarre example of cosmic coincidence, it’s the same year (’79) and model (Series III) as my Land Rover. While I’ve yet to get my hands on my truck, I have been allowed to poke around inside the Eldon truck.

The the owner of the truck (now deceased) reportedly bought it new in 1979 and wasn’t bashful about “enhancing” it over the years, the flyswatter and fan being to of my favorite mods.

As a general rule I tend to be clutter-averse. I like things tidy. But sitting in the driver’s seat of this old truck, it’s hard not to get a sense of performance art. There’s a Rube Goldberg Machine quality to all his little tweaks.

In the photo above, note the Mystery Knob. I don’t think this was merely decorative. It had some purpose but the old man took that with him when he went.

My truck will arrive in pristine condition. Seems unlikely I’ll live long enough to give it the character of this beauty. I’ll do my best.

More photos of the Eldon Rover

Posted on by
Reply

A couple of weeks back I posted about an old Land Rover (spotted by one of my coffee shop buds) wasting away in Eldon, MO, a small town about 30 miles southwest of Jefferson City. Since then another coffee shop pal purchased the the truck and it’s now sitting in the garage of another coffee shop friend who has the task of bringing the truck back to life.

She needs some work but that’s a good thing. This is the exact year and model as my truck, right down to the 2.25 litre diesel engine. As pal #3 (a talented mechanic) works his magic, I’m hoping to watch (quietly) from a corner of the garage. (I assume I’ll have to pay for the privilege)

There has also been some question as to whether my truck would fit through my garage door. I kept hearing different measurements from the guys in San Diego. This is important because we don’t want a diesel engine sitting outside during mid-Missouri winters. I now know it will pass easily into my garage (84 in clearance).

My truck scheduled to be transported from SoCal to NoCal this week.

Eldon Land Rover

Posted on by
Reply

One of my coffee shop pals reported seeing an old Land Rover on the outskirts of Eldon, a small town about 30 miles south of Jefferson City. So I hopped in the car and drove down to see if I could find it.

The owner was a gentleman who passed away a month or so back. I introduced myself to a young man (a grandson?) who was getting things ready for an estate sale. I asked if I could take a look (and some photos) of the Land Rover. No problem. He said the owner (who was in his 80s when he died) bought the truck new. And small world that it is, it’s a 1979 Series III. Same year and model as mine.

The young man said there was a fender in the building, to replace the damaged one above.

The tub was filled with parts, old manuals, etc.

The old girl looked pretty rough. Someone with more knowledge and experience than me would know if this could be restored and what that might take. He said prior to the old man’s death, he had an offer of $2,500.

One car too many

Posted on by
Reply

From the day I decided to buy a vintage Land Rover the plan was to make it my everyday vehicle. I’d sell the MINI almost immediately. Friends and concerned strangers urged me to hang on to the MINI, if only for a few months, to make sure I could make do with a 40 year old truck. So I rented one of those U-Store-It places to keep the MINI, even though I’m not entirely comfortable with having two vehicles. The Land Rover is still a month away. Maybe six weeks.

In the meantime, the MINI’s value as a back-up ride has… diminished. Might have a crack in the head gasket which is an expensive repair. $1,500, maybe two grand?

I paid $24,000 for the MINI in the fall of 2011. The Blue Book value is around $5,000, perhaps a bit more. But that’s WITHOUT a serious engine problem. Do I invest $2K to fix the car in order to sell it for $5K? If I’m doing the math correctly, the car is only worth $3K at the moment.

I’m almost completely ignorant in these matters because I’ve always driven cars (Toyotas) for 300,000 miles or more. Then I’d buy a new one. Zero experience with used cars. And more importantly, I refuse to fuck with buying/selling used cars.

So I’ll keep the MINI until the Land Rover arrives but keeping it in storage no longer makes sense. I haven’t figured out what to do with it but I will. The local high school has a career center with an automotive program that accepts donated vehicles for the student to work on (for practice or to fix and sell). I might donate the MINI.

What I’d like to find is a “concierge seller.” Someone that finds a buyer and takes a commission.

I was a little surprised at how quickly the MINI lost value. And how difficult and expensive it was to maintain. And, yes, driving a 40 year old truck will have a new set of surprises.

Jim and Neil: Rover Bros

Posted on by
Reply

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!)

Land Rover Series III Driving Techniques

Posted on by
Reply


Frankly, I’ve never understood the appeal of off-road vehicles. ATV, dirt bikes, etc. But after watch a whole bunch of videos showing Land Rovers doing impossible things in all kinds of terrain, I’m getting a little tingle.

Mind you, I have few legitimate reasons to go “off road,” but a couple of times a year a big rain will completely wash out the gravel road leading to our house. Deep ruts that would swallow my MINI whole. I’ll be sure to post videos.

Fear not, I’m going to spend some time practicing this kind of driving, starting with gentle roadside ditches and farm pastures.

PS: Looks like this video was produced in 1972 but the voice-over sounds like 1955.