Series IIa Land Rover - Trubshaw!
For a long time I'd been harbouring the idea of getting a landrover. My love of the outdoors and the need to often be carry large amounts of kit, including canoes, bee-keeping equipment etc. means a rugged machine that should in theory be straight forward to work on proved appealing.
My original idea was to find a LWB Hardtop SIII with a petrol engine and convert it to use a Perkins Prima diesel I had in a rusty Montego. Along with many other (often bizarre ideas) the thought of using bio-diesel is very appealing. Quite how I can fulfil this pipe dream remains to be seen. As to the purchase of my landy, well, that I've already done!
The actual purchase is a sad tale of foolishness on my part and then a combination of a dishonest dealer mixed with incompetent government agencies. That said, the Ministry of Transport was very swift and helpful. It is Trading Standards who I categories as 'as much use as a mermaid in a chorus line'! I've often been tempted to commit the whole sorry tale to a web page, but frankly it angers me so much that to do so would probably result in me chewing the furniture again. Suffice to say I payed a road going price for a vehicle that should never have passed an MOT or in anyway been regarded as fit for the road. I should have known better.
Still, in an attempt to remain positive I'll count stock of what I have. All the above took place a couple of years ago, so I can now write it down without losing my rag (as the saying goes). So what do I have? Trubshaw is a 1969 Series IIa 109 with a hard top and sporting a 2¼ petrol engine. The body works seems to me to be in pretty good shape, but both chassis and bulkhead are in need of attention. He has a good engine, but the gear box seems suspect to me.
I'll let you take a cursory glance at the overall condition with a look at a few photos of Trubshaw.
A little over a year ago I joined up with the Series II owners club. I've not had a lot of contact with them, but what I have has been positive. The Series II Club has their own excellent website for enthusiasts the world over.
Please pop back here every now and then to see if I've managed to get any work done and to see how Trubshaw is fairing!