I have been lurking away for sometime and thought I really should say hello!
I have a lifelong love of old series landrovers, my Grandfather had an early Series 1 (1949 I think) which we would be driven around in and later as it rotted away in the garden we’d use it to pretend we were driving and try and work the gear lever. Since then I have owned many 4WDs including modern defenders but always in my mind is that love of an old series.
Last year in a moment of unconsidered madness I put a bid on a Series 3 SWB that was being sold via the police auction site here in Dubai and am now slowly working my way to getting it road worthy. It’s a slow process with the need to ship parts over but it’s very satisfying and maybe one day I will actually get it on the road!
It has a murky history in that it was sold (I am told) by the police themselves and has no history. I suspect it was at some point renovated by them using an old chassis that they had hanging about on one of their compounds (still broken glass and sand in the nooks and crannies of the chassis) and spare surplus parts. All the work has been done quite well but without the care and attention you would use if it was for yourself, as if someone was fixing it up but didn’t really want to be doing so. It seems to be a combination of series 3 and some series 2 parts and none of the numbers stamped anywhere match anything on the internet (it may well in fact be of Iranian origin at some point as there are ‘made in Iran‘ markings on some of the light lenses). It is constantly providing little surprises and there has been some interesting fixes done at times in its past.
Still the engine runs well and the chassis is solid and with the help of many of the threads on here I am already a good way into getting her going. Sorry for the lengthy ramble (the photo is from the day she arrived about 12 months ago), hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!
(edited to add photo)
I have a lifelong love of old series landrovers, my Grandfather had an early Series 1 (1949 I think) which we would be driven around in and later as it rotted away in the garden we’d use it to pretend we were driving and try and work the gear lever. Since then I have owned many 4WDs including modern defenders but always in my mind is that love of an old series.
Last year in a moment of unconsidered madness I put a bid on a Series 3 SWB that was being sold via the police auction site here in Dubai and am now slowly working my way to getting it road worthy. It’s a slow process with the need to ship parts over but it’s very satisfying and maybe one day I will actually get it on the road!
It has a murky history in that it was sold (I am told) by the police themselves and has no history. I suspect it was at some point renovated by them using an old chassis that they had hanging about on one of their compounds (still broken glass and sand in the nooks and crannies of the chassis) and spare surplus parts. All the work has been done quite well but without the care and attention you would use if it was for yourself, as if someone was fixing it up but didn’t really want to be doing so. It seems to be a combination of series 3 and some series 2 parts and none of the numbers stamped anywhere match anything on the internet (it may well in fact be of Iranian origin at some point as there are ‘made in Iran‘ markings on some of the light lenses). It is constantly providing little surprises and there has been some interesting fixes done at times in its past.
Still the engine runs well and the chassis is solid and with the help of many of the threads on here I am already a good way into getting her going. Sorry for the lengthy ramble (the photo is from the day she arrived about 12 months ago), hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!
(edited to add photo)
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