Restoring a 1960 Land Rover Series 2
A Midlife crisis restoration
1960 Series II Land Rover Restoration
Purchased in October 2023, this 1960 (Car/Chassis# 153001027) ex-Army Land Rover had served in Vietnam, ended up in Sydney, worked on a farm and then came to rest in Dalby, QLD where she sat in a field for over 10 Years. Her Army record shows ARN 111-387 as a "Truck, Flatbed, 3/4 Ton, GS, Radar Set AN/KPQ1, No 2 Loading" and she left the army on 6th Dec 1983 and ended up in NSW. The army record shows engine number 151018512, which was the 2l Land Rover engine, however when purchased she had a Holden 202 v6, which was a common change after the army days. After some tinkering, the engine started and ran for a while and then seized with a loud crunch. Parts for a new (old) Land Rover 2.25l engine were sourced from the Sunshine coast and $700 later, I had an engine (sort of).
- All
- Old
- Engine
- Paint
- Build
Fitting Out The Land Rover.
Obviously lots to be done before we can start fitting out the Landy. Restoration is still under way.
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Interior back
I am thinking a roof top tent, a seating area inside with a small kitchen, 2 fridges and a fresh and grey water tank. Batteries for power can go in the side boxes, where the army would have stored ammo and hopefully a large bag of tobacco.
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Car electrics
The engine electrics were all ripped out when the restoration happened, however the plan is to keep the engine (and car) wiring a simple as possible. Sadly no room for an ECU, anti skid brakes and stability control. Cruise contract may exist if I can find a brick the correct weight for the accelerator.
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Cooling and heating
I am in two minds about what to do here. Landy's of this age had a heater added as optional, however as this car started its life in Vietnam, it wasn't really needed. It is possible to get an engine driven air conditioner, but that will take power from the already under powered engine. Still undecided..
Lots to do and lots to plan yet, however there is time to have a play. The front dashboard will be minimal and analog dials and lots of switches. There will, however, be the mandatory USB sockets.
Technical Stuff
Sandy The Landy is still being built, so this list will grow.
Land Rover Series 2 Parts Catalogue
Absolutely priceless when building the engine and dismantling and rebuilding a Series 2.2A Land Rover.
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Car Electrical Diagrams
This year model was 12v +ve Earth electrical system and the Australian Army converted it to -ve Earth and left a bit of a mess, so it was all replaced. Electrical diagrams and other useful information is here.
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2.5L v4 Engine
The Landy came with a Holden 202 (v6) engine that was didn't turn over (Actually, it started and went crunch after a few minutes), so it was replaced with a 2.25L Land Rover Series 3 engine parts and fully rebuilt. More details in this section.
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Body Panels
The firewall steel had a few pieces replaced and the front wings were replaced too. More details about body panels and the chases is here.
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Restoration - Frequently Asked Questions
There are lots of questions we get asked when restoring a vehicle. Here are some of them.
How much did the Landy cost?
The Landy was in a bit of a bad state when she was purchased and was not running. She cost $2500 cash.
How much did it cost to restore the Landy?
The restoration is still underway, however so far:
Landy - $2500
Engine Parts $800
Tools (Engine crane etc)-$1000
Engine Machining and Boring - $2800
Engine Components (Camshaft, Manifolds etc) - $3000
Left Hand Thread Bolt (for Timing Gear to CamShaft) - $350!
Mechanical (Wheel bearings, ball joints etc) - $600
Body Panels and Things - $5500
Replacement Glass - $600
Electrical Components - $800
Seats - $1200
The list keeps growing, but it is for the love of it and not a resale value. (I think)
Can you get the Landy roadwothy again?
Unlike my last restoration, which was a 1972 VW Kombi, the 1960 Landy was born before and Australian Design Rules (ADR), so re-registering her means she just has to be compliant with the regulations at the time, which is handy.
Cars back then didn't need seat belts, so 'on paper at least', it doesn't need seat belts now (in Queensland anyway). As long as it moves, stops, steers, has a windscreen wiper on the drivers side and the lights work the way they are meant to, safety glass is installed etc... then it should be ok to get a safety certificate and registered. (I will install seat belts though, because glass and steel are the only thing that would stop me in an accident without them!)
Why did you replace the engine ?
Good question. The dead (non-running) Holden 202 was a v6 engine, so it would be expensive to register, which was the main reason.
I actually wanted a diesel engine in the Landy, but couldn't find one available, so the next best option was to take her back to a Land Rover 2.25 v4 petrol.
The Land Rover Series petrol and the diesel engines have the same engine block, so with the petrol engine having a far lower compression than diesel engine, the block is way over engineered and stronger than it needs to be, so in theory the new engine will last another 70 years. (The 202 is in the shed and waiting for a new car to sit in)
Is the Landy running again?
First the first time in about 20 years, she is moving under engine power again! Follow the progress on the YouTube Channel
How long did the restoration take?
I have a day job (luckily), so the Landy has been in the shed with weekend work on it for 18 months now. I reckon it will be another 12 months to get her up and running again.
Parts Suppliers
During the restoration and build, we used the following excellent providers of parts and equipment.
Contact
You can contact us if you have any questions about the Land Rover build.