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[angello]

Thoughts please 

I have a lovely old fellow in my village with a '64 Series 2a 109" hardtop. I've known him all my life, grew up with his kids etc. and he's done work for all of us over the years - proper salt of the earth type of chap. Worked all his life on machines - diggers and tractors, excavating and ditching etc.

He's always had this old Land Rover and it's worked and worked and worked, towing and carrying plant and heavy equipment and being his 'car'.... I remember playing in it as a lad in the '70s during it's first rebuild  It's basically part of the furniture and he must have owned it 50 years+ 

Come the millenium he decided it was time to refresh the old girl as he was getting into his '70s himself (!) and he wanted to get it sorted to see out the rest of his career  So it was stripped right down, a new galvanised chassis ordered, axles rebuilt, new engine bought etc. and the rebuild began..... that started a few years ago and I've been gently helping where I can, but the pace had certainly slowed down. He admits the inclination to get back out into the shed having done a full day's work on the machines doesn't burn as bright when you're in your eighties!

As amazing as he is, it appears he isn't invincible and sadly he suffered a stroke at the end of the summer, with the inevitable hospital recovery stay.

He's made a miraculous recovery, but some (luckily not physically limiting) damage is done and he has finally agreed to stop working and retire!

Not being the 'inactive' type thoughts immediately turned to the next project, now going out to work wasn't on the agenda and the faithful old Series 2a has swung back into focus.
I was up at his yard at the weekend going over it with him again, ready to formulate a plan when a horrible realisation dawned........     

It seems that whilst he was in hospital some low-life-scum-eating-unmentionable-cretin has snuck into his yard and cleared out all the easily kinck-able Land Rover bits of value 

The windscreen with frame and wipers has gone
The instruments have gone
The switches have gone
The old elephant hide seats have gone
The Tex-Magna indicator switch has gone
The front panel (with headlights) has gone
The grille has gone
The bumpers have gone
The steering wheel has gone
.... plus probably some other bits, we aren't sure what...

Basically we're left with the bulkier main bits and it looks like pretty much everything else has been cleared out   

Whilst he's pretty sanguine about it, I'm really sad. He's owned that Land Rover damn nearly it's whole life, worked damn nearly his whole life and the one moment he's knocked off beam some unspeakable cretin robs him..... Seemingly by a cretin who knows old Land Rover's too..... It's hard to find the words 

I want to make it right for him. I've searched the local free-ad pages and no suspiciously useful Series 2a bits are for sale, so the thief isn't a complete moron, but it looks like we now need to source a load of Series 2a bits to get back on track...... This is where I could use some Forum thoughts. Does anyone have these bits kicking around? Do you think I am best to store up a shopping list and hit the 4x4 spares day 'sort outs'? (are Series bits still being regularly offered at spares days?) or trawl eBay? or am I better to try and look for a complete basket case Series 2a breaker to try and buy with a view to sourcing all the bits I need in one hit? anyone got a suitable candidate? any other ideas?

Over to you for your thoughts, please 

[GlenAnderson]

Scumbags.

Ok. I’m not wanting to sound like a misery, and I want to help... If we can verify the situation as genuine, and have some idea of where and who you are, because I don’t recognise your username and the new forum has reset all our post counts.

If you could promise me, to the best of your abilities, that the parts will get used by him on his project, and not get flogged off elsewhere, then I’d consider donating a T shaped radiator grille and a working Tex-Magna indicator switch.

Some of the other bits I might have, but they’d be age/model specific (instruments etc.) and we’d need to know what year/spec the Land-Rover was.

[Wittsend]

Terrible shame ...

Once you have the parts you need and start to reassemble - consider using Smartwater to help identify parts if they are subsequently found.
Be in no doubt, the police do wander around autojumbles and the like - unfortunately with lack of man power they can't be everywhere - but you never know
Also, a good CTTV system in the yard may help.
Fitting a tracker in the vehicle could be another deterrent.


Series 2 Club members qualify for a discount IIRC
In any event, joining the club and attending local meetings might help you source parts at sensible prices.


 

[TimV]

Why not offer to buy it from him, then move it to a more secure location, before sourcing new bits.

[angello]

Thanks for the comments... and Glen, thank you for your kind offer (I'll drop you a PM). Exact spec is a tricky one..... it's a '64 from memory and it's been a diesel all the time I've known it, but I don't know if it left the factory as a diesel. It's been a working vehicle all it's life and engine capacities have grown as it's been tasked with pulling ever heavier loads...
The idea was to rebuild it back more to original as it wasn't planned to be doing the heavy work any more.

SmartWater is a good idea and one I'll look at - I could probably use some myself anyway. His yard is at his house and isn't insecure - all the bits had to have been physically lifted over two sets of locked gates (which is probably why none of the  bigger stuff went) and it isn't a thoroughfare area... that's what's kinda depressing about the bits going missing - it really points to someone who knew  he had those bits and knows enough about old Land Rovers to know they were worth having away. If it were an opportunist thief there was plenty worth pinching, but nothing bar the Land Rover bits was touched. It's never nice to think there are individuals within your own specific interest group that are untrustworthy scumbags... but such is life I guess...

TimV - damn you with your impure thoughts!!!  I don't need another project and hadn't thought about offering to buy it... but then.... the more I think about it, the more I now want to!! It's probably the most likely way he'll see it driving again in reality and that has some appeal...
I'll cogitate on this some more as this could be a delicate area.... What do the collective think it's worth though? '64 Series 2a long wheel base, in bits (some missing!), so incomplete, but also with some duplication (like doors, bonnet and rear tray from memory). The chassis is assembled, rolling, around a galvanised 109" chassis, refreshed axles on new or good springs, with 'box and new Perkins diesel engine installed. The chassis has been modified around the engine mounts and battery tray to fit the engine, so wouldn't be a  viable base for a standard resto without work...   

[w3526602]

Hi,

I regret that I have moved any S2 debris onto other club members.

Q1. Is SMARTWATER good for "washing ones mouth out"?

Q2. Will S3 parts fill the big holes.

Ooops! I lied in my first sentence. I kept my S2 Parts Book, and still refer to it from time to time. How about I offer to lend it to your friend, until such time as ( or IF) I acquire another S2 (or maybe an S3 thingy). I pay postage both ways, unless we can organise a club "shuttle". I can accept that IF it comes back, it might be grubby (patina)

602 (DOB 23rd March 1939)

Forgot ... I think I also kept the factory Workshop Manual. Same terms.

[Wittsend]

A generous offer ^^^

BUT

S2C members can view/download the S2 parts manual and workshop manual from our website.
Just £21 per year and you can now join online with all payment options available ....

HOW TO JOIN ...

You can now join online, with PayPal, cards or set up a Direct Debit....
(or if you prefer, by post with a cheque)

JOIN HERE


 

[w3526602]

Hi Wittsend,

Thanks for that (i love you too .. ).

Whatever, my offer still stands for Angello's buddy (it seems a worthy cause). I won't be unhappy to see the books remain on my shelf.
I'm reluctant to dispose of any reference book ... experience has taught me that I will need it next week.

602

[Growler]

I've got a spare front bumper if someone can collect. Don't know where in the country you are otherwise I would have offered delivery.