After 4 years of fun with the Wrangler we decided that it was time for something new. The Jeep was too expensive, too thirsty and not practical enough for a camping holiday. So we were discussing the requirements of the new vehicle that should be technically very simple, relatively cheap to run and above all practicle enough for a camping holiday. But most important of all: it had to have  character!!

Astrid and I were charmed by the looks, the simple design and the practicle features of the Land Rover Series and it didn't take long before the vehicle below was bought. Seven seats, quite a bit of space and a 2,25l diesel engine is just what we need. Ofcourse there's a lot of difference with the Jeep. In this car you have to work hard to get it moving!! No power steering, no airconditioning and about 62BHP compared to the 180BHP of the Wrangler..... The Land Rover shakes, rattles, smokes and above 80km/h the noise is truly frightening. BUT.... this is one of the most characterfull cars we've ever had and we all love it!

The documents stated 1974 as year of production but I soon found out that this was not correct. After some research with the original chassis number I discovered that this was a Series IIa that was built in 1965 as a militairy vehicle with a petrol engine. For some unknown reason the Dutch authorities stamped a new chassis number in the car and stated 1974 in all documents. Very strange because the original chassis number and also the original type plate were still in place. Anyway, below are the details I managed to track based on the original number.

Ok, our "prutteltuf" (don't ask me to translate this loving nickname that Desmond thought of!) is a bit older than expected and started its life with a petrol engine. No problem for us because that technical and cosmetic condition of the car is truly outstanding. The former owner(s) has/have put a lot of effort in the car and it really shows.

Chassis and body don't show any signs of rust and damage, all over the car you can notice fairly new nuts and bolts. The hardtop seems to be something special. On the inside there's a sort of roll cage with steel tubes which is not standard for Land Rover. The roof itself looks a bit strange because the sunroof and some sort of patch have been kitted in and that did not work well with the white paint. On the doors there are a few spots that need some attention but in general there's nothing to worry about.

The wiring harness has been replaced with a new one that was special made. In the engine bay there's a new fuse/ relay box in order to improve the original design. Everything has been documented in detail in new wiring diagrams and ofcourse everything works. Also the dash has been heavily modified in order to accomodate all the switches and warning lights. It really looks very tidy.

Engine, gearbox(es) and suspension look clean and solid. There is some oil leakage but it's quite modest and I still have to sort out where it's coming from. The engine itself starts up nicely and runs very smooth once warmed up.