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[agg221]

Unfortunately, these holes are going to be difficult to fill.

That said, this looks like a much better vehicle than the previous one 

If you have access to someone with TIG then it is reasonably easy to fill all surplus holes using scrap bits of Birmabright. You can make them disappear completely.

I agree with Tom that this is a good candidate for a restoration. I would get the unit numbers - engine, gearbox and axles and also the steering box and see whether they look right for the chassis no. but if they are right then there isn't much wrong with it.

It seems quite common to find early vehicles which have had a facelift at about 10-12yrs old to make them look 'modern'. The black panel and the padding around the dash fit with this, together with the black vinyl seats. Instruments and the steering wheel and horn bracket do turn up on Ebay. Not cheap but easy enough to find on the timescale this is likely to take. The most difficult bits to find would probably be the seats. Original elephant-hide seats are near impossible but the Exmoor Trim ones are a good substitute.

There are several variants of the heater vents, from different eras. Since heaters were an aftermarket option anyway I have never been quite so concerned about finding exactly the right ones - who knows what date someone added the heater. However, i agree with Tom that one of the various metal types would look better.

Basically, you would be budgeting a reasonable amount (maybe £1-2k if you wait for them to come up on Ebay?) just for parts to replace the currently fitted, perfectly serviceable but incorrect period ones, plus the seats on top of that.

Alec

[FRQ]

Tom: thanks for the insight. I've contacted the seller for further information, but we're talking about a 60 year old car located in Serbia, I'm sure the language barrier will make things interesting. Other than that, I've restored cars before, there are always surprises, as long as I can start with a solid base, other issues are worth sorting.

I also wasn't planning on turning the search for a good 58 into a full time job, so we'll see what happens. It's a distinct possibility it might take a few more years for the right one to cross my path. In my experience, they always seem to turn up at the least opportune times. 

[MrTDiy]

....probably already mentioned but the military one at the beginning of the thread has the wrong windscreen hinges...should have a wingnut on them

[Formerlyjeremy]

Looks like a S1 rear crossmember.  As far as I know all S2's have sharp corners for the dropped section in the middle - and S1 have sloped.  The end sections of S1 crossmembers end with a square hole, S2 being extended frwards to form a rectangle the ends of which are hidden by the bottom corner of the back wings.

Late S1 and early S2 share many features like warning lights which don't pop out of the dash panel and have screw fronts.

The S1 chassis has curved outriggers to support the bulkhead, S2 are straight.  (The reason is the S1 brake master cylinder is under the floor mounted on the outrigger and the bend is to get enough room.  Its a definite large bend not a small defection.

[diffwhine]

Not sure if it helps, but I have a lot of Land Rover friends in Serbia. One runs a very successful Land Rover workshop and I'm sure that if I promise to ply him with sufficient beer on my next visit, he could do some investigation locally. PM me if you want any help. We can also easily recover vehicles in Serbia.

Not sure if its of interest on here, but Yugoslavia was Land Rover's biggest European export market outside the UK during the 60s and 70s. Prior to that, trade restrictions made supply very limited, but once Tito brought down the trade barriers, the Rover Company sold shed loads of Land Rovers there. Many are still on the road and very well loved. There is a big Land Rover enthusiast sector in Serbia.

[FRQ]

@agg221: I'm compiling a list of things to ask the seller, we'll see what he comes back with. In any case I'm glad I took the time to register here, I knew there were some pitfalls to early Series Land Rovers, but as it turns out, "some" was wishful thinking, lots of cobbled together projects out there...

@Formerlyjeremy: thanks, I'll be sure to ask if the chassis was restored at some point with an S1 crossmember.

@diffwhine: I've sent you a PM, but I think it's still early days with respect to technical inspections and sorting logistics.

[Matt Reeves]

....probably already mentioned but the military one at the beginning of the thread has the wrong windscreen hinges...should have a wingnut on them

They are correct for a 64/65 though.

The Mk8 GS in the pictures is actually a pretty good example of the type, and at least equally as rare in original unmodified form as a 58 S2.

[agg221]

The Mk8 GS in the pictures is actually a pretty good example of the type, and at least equally as rare in original unmodified form as a 58 S2.

You never know - if the number is still in place on the chassis it could even be possible to reunite it with its correct identity.

Alec

[FRQ]

You never know - if the number is still in place on the chassis it could even be possible to reunite it with its correct identity.

Alec

95% chance it won't be, the car has a Dutch title, I know for a fact the VIN is checked and has to correspond to the documents in order to register it. The remaining 5% chance would be that the guy is selling it without documents and accompanied by a seperate set of 1958  papers intended for the galvanized chassis that it's bundled with.

[agg221]

95% chance it won't be, the car has a Dutch title, I know for a fact the VIN is checked and has to correspond to the documents in order to register it. The remaining 5% chance would be that the guy is selling it without documents and accompanied by a seperate set of 1958  papers intended for the galvanized chassis that it's bundled with.

I was speculating based on the presumption (which may well be incorrect) that non-UK knowledge of where to find the chassis number on a Land Rover may be limited. It is easy to swap over the cab plate but I was contemplating that the number on the cab plate and stamped on the chassis itself may not match.

Alec

[FRQ]

I was speculating based on the presumption (which may well be incorrect) that non-UK knowledge of where to find the chassis number on a Land Rover may be limited. It is easy to swap over the cab plate but I was contemplating that the number on the cab plate and stamped on the chassis itself may not match.

Alec

Sadly not, location of the chassis VIN is one of the first things clearly marked on the Dutch registration. In Belgium I've even had to transport a Landcruiser with a chassis replacement to Toyota headquarters for scrutineering at their homologation department, cost me 200€ to obtain an approval document, but not after weeks of waiting for the police to see if the car wasn't stolen. Without said document, it would be impossible to pass a Belgian MOT. We do love bureaucracy over here...