Short Land Rover Series 3 resurrection thread - great success!

7,068 · January 3

It's in there somewhere...

3,988 · January 3

Just fire up and drive out? 🙏

7,068 · January 3

That's the plan.

Bit clearer at the back now

7,068 · January 3

There are SHIT LOADS of brambles. 2 years' growth worth of the bastard things.

I hate brambles.

3,988 · January 3

Look on the bright side

You've still got a rear crossmember 👍

26,125 · January 3

1 hour ago, comfortablynumb said:

Just fire up and drive out? 🙏

You forgot add loads of oil. It will have dripped it all out

7,068 · January 3

Just now, Remspoor said:

You forgot add loads of oil. It will have dripped it all out

It will definitely need that.

7,068 · January 3

19 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

Look on the bright side

You've still got a rear crossmember 👍

Chassis's not bad on this one actually.

26,125 · January 3

29 minutes ago, N Dentressangle said:

There are SHIT LOADS of brambles. 2 years' growth worth of the bastard things.

I hate brambles.

You need to hire something like this. https://www.stihl.co.uk/en/c/brushcutters-grass-trimmers-clearing-saws-98236?facets=drive%3APetrol

I have one for over 15 years. For you renting will be better solution for the occasional use.

7,068 · January 3

Well that was quite hard work.

7,068 · January 3

1 minute ago, Remspoor said:

You need to hire something like this. https://www.stihl.co.uk/en/c/brushcutters-grass-trimmers-clearing-saws-98236?facets=drive%3APetrol

I have one for over 15 years renting will be better solution for the occasional use.

That's actually exactly what I have!

But I am old and unfit.

Next step > add battery. I know I robbed the dizzy cap off it for the Mini a year ago, so that'll need sorting too.

14,365 · January 3

New project?

14,365 · January 3

Any chance of some interior and dashboard photos before you clean it?

3,988 · January 3

15 minutes ago, N Dentressangle said:

know I robbed the dizzy cap

AHH! I was just going to ask, petrol or diesel? 👍

7,068 · January 3

8 minutes ago, Peter C said:

New project?

It's my old trialling Land Rover. I laid it up a couple of years ago - low oil pressure and a knackered transfer box being the problems - and it's sat there ever since.

I might have someone interested in taking it on, so thought I should at least see if I can get it going first!

7,068 · January 3

Roof is a bit tatered, but it was knackered anyway so no matter

It already had a makeshift lining as it pissed water in

138,037 · January 3

Absolutely love these things, it's a shame they're getting out of reach price wise these days. Look forward to seeing how you get on with it.

7,068 · January 3

Engine still all enginey

~~I think this is the right way round - can't be arsed to check properly~~ This is the wrong way round - rotates anti-clockwise, so I'll fix that...

7,068 · January 3

I'd say mine is similar to this one https://ebay.us/m/yRMT5F in terms of the amount of work needed - engine refresh, transfer box rebuild, and that's about it - so will probably let it go with the hard top for a similar price.

Does that seem reasonable or daft or too optimistic?

7,068 · January 3

53 minutes ago, Peter C said:

Any chance of some interior and dashboard photos before you clean it?

3,988 · January 3

They're into 'good money ' territory now, particularly if the chassis is good, that one you showed above needed repairs or replacing.

How's the bulkhead?

7,068 · January 3

3 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

They're into 'good money ' territory now, particularly if the chassis is good, that one you showed above needed repairs or replacing.

How's the bulkhead?

Bulkhead and footwells are all pretty good for one of these. Nothing major needed.

3,988 · January 3

6 minutes ago, N Dentressangle said:

Bulkhead and footwells are all pretty good for one of these. Nothing major needed.

Well, that's the two major points, as I'm sure you know.

Id have said it's worth more, but the Market seems a bit flat currently.

Edit- seem to be all over the place, anything from £500 to £4k, but if it was mine I'd think with minimal welding required it ought to be around £2.5k, so I'd think you're a bit low with the one above.

Unless it's a good mate

7,068 · January 3

Gonna need a better battery...

1,545 · January 3

If you're going to sell it around that price I'll buy it...

7,068 · January 3

2 minutes ago, DeanH said:

If you're going to sell it around that price I'll buy it...

A mate is interested at the mo, so we'll see what gives 👍

7,068 · January 4

Ok, another day and we're better prepared...

The SU conversion on this has always been a bit shit - crap throttle and choke cable connections mostly, plus trying to find the 'right' needle - but a quick fiddle with the throttle to hold it slightly open, plus something similar with the choke and...

I'm calling that done.

We have a clutch, so we're in business.

7,068 · January 4

On 03/01/2026 at 11:59, N Dentressangle said:

I'd say mine is similar to this one https://ebay.us/m/yRMT5F in terms of the amount of work needed - engine refresh, transfer box rebuild, and that's about it - so will probably let it go with the hard top for a similar price.

Does that seem reasonable or daft or too optimistic?

Time for a re-think having spent a bit more time on this one.

I think it's too much work for my 'mechanical virgin' friend. It needs a transfer box rebuild - bits are about £100 - but not much more serious work than that. Little if any welding. Engine sounds fine. However, the typical other stuff - brakes etc - will take him ages with much hand-holding from you know who. It's had a '4 screw restoration' at some time in the past: it was originally (I suspect) a non tax-exempt 1982 Series 3, with 11" TLS front brakes and a 5 main bearing engine, given the ID of a 1974 car to dodge the tax. This means the brakes actually do something and the engine's not that rough.

The prices of these are actually more than I thought. I think my best bet is to get it in the garage, pull the transfer box, sort anything else it needs and get it through an MoT. Seems daft not to, given I've got most of the parts for these on the shelf. A little tidying - chance to practice spraying perhaps? - and I suspect it might see £4-5k, which is worth the labour IMO.

12,135 · January 4

2 minutes ago, N Dentressangle said:

5 main bearing engine

I managed to get one of those in the higher compression (8:1 ??) flavour into my Ser 2a 88" - timed up right it would allow the wee thing to hold 65 mph + on the motorway* using a Fairey O/D out of a 109" Safari - a much better engine than the original 1968 three bearing that came out of it. 10" drums all round though - stopping was never a strong point :-(

Sometimes, rarely, I wonder why I sold it - then I remember the constant bits falling off, welding etc. but - what a simple thing to work on - if I was 35 years old again? Would.

*pair of ear defenders came in handy - even at my normal cruising speed of 55mph it was not that comfortable.

7,068 · January 4

11 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

I managed to get one of those in the higher compression (8:1 ??) flavour into my Ser 2a 88" - timed up right it would allow the wee thing to hold 65 mph + on the motorway* using a Fairey O/D out of a 109" Safari - a much better engine than the original 1968 three bearing that came out of it. 10" drums all round though - stopping was never a strong point

Sometimes, rarely, I wonder why I sold it - then I remember the constant bits falling off, welding etc. but - what a simple thing to work on - if I was 35 years old again? Would.

*pair of ear defenders came in handy - even at my normal cruising speed of 55mph it was not that comfortable.

My second Series (bought in 2011ish) was a 109 Series 3 pick-up which had been given the identity of a 1970 car. WAX 215H had also been fitted with an utterly knackered ex-Army 2.5D NA engine out of a 90 or 110, and was easily the noisiest shitbox I've ever driven. Any journey was not just like a skeleton wanking in a biscuit tin, but one who'd also taken up Keith Moon drum solos for a laugh. It was piss-poor - fuck all power, used loads of diesel, supertanker turning circle etc. Here she is:

I straight-swapped it for the S3 petrol in this thread with no regrets.

Short Land Rover Series 3 resurrection thread - great success!

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