109 Series 3 Stage 1 1980

Hello. Brand new to the forum!

Thought I'd start a thread on my recent purchase.

I don't know very much about any landrover so please jump in with any tips or suggestions. I do have my girlfriends dad who is very knowledgable though!


The project -

Pretty sure it's a genuine v8, has the locks in the door skin, originally inca yellow, now green. Pick up too!

Sat for about 12 years.

My initial check list - get it running, sort the chassis and paint the body

I've started on the chassis and attempted to start it. It'll need the rear crossmember replaced, passenger bulkhead welded and a crossmember under the cab (it's bolted across on the bottom of the chassis under the cab, unsure of what this I called) I'm not sure if a holy floor is an mot fail? I want to get this to a rolling project.
The motor is turning over, initially there was no fuel (seriously cracked fuel line attached to the sender/pick up) but now there seems to be no spark!?
I was told by the previous owner that the distributor drive cog had missing teeth but had started but roughly. There is spark at the points. More diagnosis on Friday and a bit of body prep.

Pictures and updates to follow!

good luck with the work, looking forward to the pix

I ran a Stage One V8 for years, great vehicle. If it's a V8, make sure the cooling system is in good order. They don't like getting overheated! For this reason, I don't recommend getting rid of the viscous fan and fitting electric fans. I recommend fitting electronic ignition, if the budget will allow. The genuine article has a range rover gearbox (LT95 I think) and vacum operated centre diff.

When I went to view.


The delivery guy couldn't get his trailer up the drive so had to push it off up the hill and then push it up the drive round a 90 degree corner. Super stressful with no brakes, no clutch and what I thought was a seized steering damper!


Got it up safely, started rubbing back. Getting it painted is a bit of a priority due to it having to be moved next month to somewhere more....public.


passenger foot well





What a beaut!

zeaphod said:

I ran a Stage One V8 for years, great vehicle. If it's a V8, make sure the cooling system is in good order. They don't like getting overheated! For this reason, I don't recommend getting rid of the viscous fan and fitting electric fans. I recommend fitting electronic ignition, if the budget will allow. The genuine article has a range rover gearbox (LT95 I think) and vacum operated centre diff.

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Thanks for the tips. There is no fan, I think for access to the front of the engine re the distributor drive.

I'll go electric I think.

well done getting it on the drive, hope its not too much work to get it on the road, looks like a sweet truck

Looks great You painting it or keeping the patina

Good luck getting it running! Ive had loads of problems getting a v8 running in the past, but it turned out to be a multitude of issues from the carbs, to the plumbing of fuel pipes, to a dodgy fuel pump, then onto a crappy brass filter reducing fuel pressure in the line! Once sorted it was a monster.

Is that a 90 bonnet?

AshTheLast said:

Thanks for the tips. There is no fan, I think for access to the front of the engine re the distributor drive.

I'll go electric I think.

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The viscous fan that was fitted was also used in other Leyland vehicles - you should be able to get one - I am serious about the over heating issue, the V8 generates a lot of heat and doesn't respond well to overheating.
If you decide you must go electric, run a seperate feed and operate the fan via a relay. The standard facet fuel pumps can give problems, as the contacts seem to wear quickly - I went through 4 in as many years. Vechile wiring products do an electronic version which looks better.
The front brakes are a bit special - twin cylinders and bigger shoes. They work well, but are a bit of a pig to bleed.

I do like the patina on this but it's going to be bronze green, I hope by next week.
Got the body work prep almost done today and removed the NS mud shield with the wee steering box and the 'crossmember' that's under the cab that I can't find online...see what you think. It's almost like a strut brace. :scratching_chin:




Think the bonnet is the standard for a stage 1.

Thanks zeaphod - noted with the overheating. That will be high on my priorities.

Not attempted to start it again yet. May look over the fuel system @stevemanta

Here is an update on the Landy, trying to get as much time doing it as possible.

HAVE NOT MANAGED TO START IT YET. Any enthusiastic tinkers fancy lending a hand would be great. The fact it will not go is holding me up a little.


I have replaced everything between the coil and engine. Including the coil.
I don't seem to be getting a spark, I've turned it over with a spark plug resting on the manifold and theres nothing.

Set the points gap, tried the dizzy 180 degrees the other way (I'm guessing that there would still be a spark, but at the wrong time.)

Is the low tension lead to the negative on the coil?

A few pics of its current 'state'








Using a lot of that anti rust paint...

Scotland is a big place might get some assistance if you give an area.

Central scottish borders

Take distributor cap off and give us a few pictures of how you have it set up inside.

Yer gonna need a helluva lot of anti-rust paint on that chassis rail

Points don't look like a matching set

take it you had a rotor arm fitted ?

Haha yes the rotor arm was fitted!

I bought the points from paddocks, do you mean they don't match up?

The chassis needs the front legs and rear cross member, everywhere else can withstand a stab

AshTheLast said:

Haha yes the rotor arm was fitted!

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good to hear, been a long time since dealing with petrol engines but thought something was missing from the picture

What's the square riveted patch on the bonnet for?? I also have a 1st registered in 1988 Stage One, that was made in Sept 1980 - done know where it was for the unregistered 8 years though!?!