Series 3 Restoration Thoughts
Discussion
Depending on a lot of possibilities there is a chance that within a year or if not, three years, I could start to restore a classic vehicle.
Renting somewhere for it is only a small part of the things needing to fall in to place, however I'm doing my best to make it happen.
The basics are that I'm a teenager who like many on here is interested in cars and suchlike. I've read Land Rover magazines for half my life and Land Rovers fall onto my shortlist of cars I'd like to restore.
I have relatively little experience of working on cars but I'm willing to learn and as I understand it, Land Rovers are a good place to start due to availability of parts and relatively simple construction. Once built I'd be interested in driving off-road.
If I was to do a Land Rover project, I'd probably pick a Series 3 due to cost and availability and I'd aim for a 3 or 5 bearing 2.25 petrol engine and a 88" wheelbase. I thought of trying to secure one for £600-700 with a sound chassis, strip it down to a rolling chassis, overhaul the braking system, transmission and rebuild the engine with renewed parts, repair or replace the bulkhead and clean down and repair the bodywork, interior and all other parts. Plus anything I've missed
.
I have looked at the adverts in the magazines but I'm not sure what the overall cost would be. Obviously this would depend on what I did, but including purchase price could this be done over 2-4 years in spare time for less than £3000?
And also is it realistically feasible?
At the moment this is hypothetical, however even if it doesn't happen in the next year or the next 5, I hope it does at some point as I reckon it might be one of the best ways to learn about and have experience with classic cars.
Many of you are experienced so I thought it would be best to see what you think, and to discover if I'm very far off the reality. Sorry for the long post and thanks for any replies in advance.
Renting somewhere for it is only a small part of the things needing to fall in to place, however I'm doing my best to make it happen.
The basics are that I'm a teenager who like many on here is interested in cars and suchlike. I've read Land Rover magazines for half my life and Land Rovers fall onto my shortlist of cars I'd like to restore.
I have relatively little experience of working on cars but I'm willing to learn and as I understand it, Land Rovers are a good place to start due to availability of parts and relatively simple construction. Once built I'd be interested in driving off-road.
If I was to do a Land Rover project, I'd probably pick a Series 3 due to cost and availability and I'd aim for a 3 or 5 bearing 2.25 petrol engine and a 88" wheelbase. I thought of trying to secure one for £600-700 with a sound chassis, strip it down to a rolling chassis, overhaul the braking system, transmission and rebuild the engine with renewed parts, repair or replace the bulkhead and clean down and repair the bodywork, interior and all other parts. Plus anything I've missed
.I have looked at the adverts in the magazines but I'm not sure what the overall cost would be. Obviously this would depend on what I did, but including purchase price could this be done over 2-4 years in spare time for less than £3000?
And also is it realistically feasible?
At the moment this is hypothetical, however even if it doesn't happen in the next year or the next 5, I hope it does at some point as I reckon it might be one of the best ways to learn about and have experience with classic cars.
Many of you are experienced so I thought it would be best to see what you think, and to discover if I'm very far off the reality. Sorry for the long post and thanks for any replies in advance.
Feasible? Yes, certainly.
Finding one with a good chassis for £700 might be harder, prices have gone up a lot in the last couple of years. I bought a 1983 ex-MOD 24v 2.25 109FFR 2 years ago for £650 and she passed MOT with no advisories. Sold it last year for £1300 having spent £35 on a new seat squab. Same thing would maybe get £2k now.
Hope you've got a good garage and lots of WD40
Finding one with a good chassis for £700 might be harder, prices have gone up a lot in the last couple of years. I bought a 1983 ex-MOD 24v 2.25 109FFR 2 years ago for £650 and she passed MOT with no advisories. Sold it last year for £1300 having spent £35 on a new seat squab. Same thing would maybe get £2k now.
Hope you've got a good garage and lots of WD40
To be perfectly honest, if I were you I'd be looking to spend say £2000 on one and spend the last grand fixing all the little bits that aren't quite right!
The problem with a £350 one is that it won't just be the chassis that's f
ked!
Galv chassis for an 88" is, what, about £1000? So £1000 to buy the car, £1000 for the chassis and £100 for other bits and bobs. Sounds good to me. Parts are cheap and easy to get and, to be honest, they're not that difficult to work on.
The problem with a £350 one is that it won't just be the chassis that's f
ked!Galv chassis for an 88" is, what, about £1000? So £1000 to buy the car, £1000 for the chassis and £100 for other bits and bobs. Sounds good to me. Parts are cheap and easy to get and, to be honest, they're not that difficult to work on.
If you have the space and time to do it then that budget is not unrealistic.
I'd be tempted to go for a few hundred quid mot failure with rotten chassis and then go for the galv chassis option and refurb the rest of it.
As whilst there will be a lot more to do you'll have the satisfaction that it's all been done rather than something 'should' be ok as you spent more on the base vehicle.
I'd be tempted to go for a few hundred quid mot failure with rotten chassis and then go for the galv chassis option and refurb the rest of it.
As whilst there will be a lot more to do you'll have the satisfaction that it's all been done rather than something 'should' be ok as you spent more on the base vehicle.
PeetBee said:
If you have the space and time to do it then that budget is not unrealistic.
I'd be tempted to go for a few hundred quid mot failure with rotten chassis and then go for the galv chassis option and refurb the rest of it.
As whilst there will be a lot more to do you'll have the satisfaction that it's all been done rather than something 'should' be ok as you spent more on the base vehicle.
Thanks for the post, and when the opportunity arises I think I'll go with this.I'd be tempted to go for a few hundred quid mot failure with rotten chassis and then go for the galv chassis option and refurb the rest of it.
As whilst there will be a lot more to do you'll have the satisfaction that it's all been done rather than something 'should' be ok as you spent more on the base vehicle.
Lefty said:
To be perfectly honest, if I were you I'd be looking to spend say £2000 on one and spend the last grand fixing all the little bits that aren't quite right!
The problem with a £350 one is that it won't just be the chassis that's fked!
Galv chassis for an 88" is, what, about £1000? So £1000 to buy the car, £1000 for the chassis and £100 for other bits and bobs. Sounds good to me. Parts are cheap and easy to get and, to be honest, they're not that difficult to work on.
Thanks for the post and inspiration really, can't wait until it can happen The problem with a £350 one is that it won't just be the chassis that's f
ked!Galv chassis for an 88" is, what, about £1000? So £1000 to buy the car, £1000 for the chassis and £100 for other bits and bobs. Sounds good to me. Parts are cheap and easy to get and, to be honest, they're not that difficult to work on.
.Firstly, good on you for choosing to go with a classic, especially a Land Rover!
Secondly, Learn to weld. Even if you go with a different classic this skill will be invaluable and save you a fortune over the years.
Most of the chassis problems can be rectified with a welder and a little care and attention. So whilst a replacement chassis might be in excess of £1000 for a galv example, repair can cost half that.
rear x-member can easily be replaced, front dumb-irons, outriggers all sold by the likes of Paddock Spares.
Bulkheads are the other issue you face, a high price doesn't always reflect a good condition bulkhead
You'll probably want to budget for new springs/shockers/4x hub rebuild kits, 4x sets of brake shoes, brake pipe + unions, brake flexibles, fuel tank, clutch plate/slave/master cylinders. (off the top of my head, things I replaced for the last Series 3 I built)
The rest of the parts you can repair or source good second hand.
Given that it's going to be your first car are you going for a sympathetic restoration or applying a few mods along the way?
Personally I'd source something pre-1971 for the tax exempt goodness and spend as much on the base vehicle as possible!
Best of luck.
Secondly, Learn to weld. Even if you go with a different classic this skill will be invaluable and save you a fortune over the years.
Most of the chassis problems can be rectified with a welder and a little care and attention. So whilst a replacement chassis might be in excess of £1000 for a galv example, repair can cost half that.
rear x-member can easily be replaced, front dumb-irons, outriggers all sold by the likes of Paddock Spares.
Bulkheads are the other issue you face, a high price doesn't always reflect a good condition bulkhead
You'll probably want to budget for new springs/shockers/4x hub rebuild kits, 4x sets of brake shoes, brake pipe + unions, brake flexibles, fuel tank, clutch plate/slave/master cylinders. (off the top of my head, things I replaced for the last Series 3 I built)
The rest of the parts you can repair or source good second hand.
Given that it's going to be your first car are you going for a sympathetic restoration or applying a few mods along the way?
Personally I'd source something pre-1971 for the tax exempt goodness and spend as much on the base vehicle as possible!
Best of luck.
task said:
Firstly, good on you for choosing to go with a classic, especially a Land Rover!
Secondly, Learn to weld. Even if you go with a different classic this skill will be invaluable and save you a fortune over the years.
Most of the chassis problems can be rectified with a welder and a little care and attention. So whilst a replacement chassis might be in excess of £1000 for a galv example, repair can cost half that.
rear x-member can easily be replaced, front dumb-irons, outriggers all sold by the likes of Paddock Spares.
Bulkheads are the other issue you face, a high price doesn't always reflect a good condition bulkhead
You'll probably want to budget for new springs/shockers/4x hub rebuild kits, 4x sets of brake shoes, brake pipe + unions, brake flexibles, fuel tank, clutch plate/slave/master cylinders. (off the top of my head, things I replaced for the last Series 3 I built)
The rest of the parts you can repair or source good second hand.
Given that it's going to be your first car are you going for a sympathetic restoration or applying a few mods along the way?
Personally I'd source something pre-1971 for the tax exempt goodness and spend as much on the base vehicle as possible!
Best of luck.
Thank you for the reply, lots of useful things to consider. I'll learn to weld.Secondly, Learn to weld. Even if you go with a different classic this skill will be invaluable and save you a fortune over the years.
Most of the chassis problems can be rectified with a welder and a little care and attention. So whilst a replacement chassis might be in excess of £1000 for a galv example, repair can cost half that.
rear x-member can easily be replaced, front dumb-irons, outriggers all sold by the likes of Paddock Spares.
Bulkheads are the other issue you face, a high price doesn't always reflect a good condition bulkhead
You'll probably want to budget for new springs/shockers/4x hub rebuild kits, 4x sets of brake shoes, brake pipe + unions, brake flexibles, fuel tank, clutch plate/slave/master cylinders. (off the top of my head, things I replaced for the last Series 3 I built)
The rest of the parts you can repair or source good second hand.
Given that it's going to be your first car are you going for a sympathetic restoration or applying a few mods along the way?
Personally I'd source something pre-1971 for the tax exempt goodness and spend as much on the base vehicle as possible!
Best of luck.
It will probably be straight restoration with few or no modifications. It won't be my first car that is road legal as before it it's finished I'll have another car.
viperboy said:
Hi, me and my dad are currently restoring a 1968 series 2, it’s a great way to learn about old cars and mechanics, I am also young (15) and am very lucky because all of the funding comes out of my dad’s pocket.
Here is a pic of where we are at
That's very impressive, I'm 15 too Here is a pic of where we are at
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