1971 Land Rover Series III 88-inch

Description

Modernised classic; lots of TD4 and Defender upgrades;  a little bit quirky

First registered in December 1971, this comprehensively updated Series III Land Rover is fitted with TD4 running gear consisting of engine and gearbox, coil springs and has been resprayed in light grey around 18 months ago - a perfect modernised Series Land Rover to use as a serious workhorse.

Upgraded before our vendor’s ownership, we are not one hundred per cent certain on what exactly has been done, however some of the more potent upgrades are clear to see, perhaps the most obvious is that it actually starts first try when you turn the key.

Looking underneath we can see the leaf springs have been discarded for coil suspension, with what might be Defender axles or a full Defender chassis (we advise bidders to do their own research). It also appears that new brake lines have been made up at some point. Under the bonnet we find the 2-Litre turbocharged inline-four diesel engine more commonly found in a Freelander, providing a big jump in power and torque over the original engine, and the gearbox gives a much more refined and enjoyable drive.

Resprayed some 18-months ago, the bodywork presents well and while by no means a show condition car, it holds its own for a working Land Rover. The front end of the body has clearly been changed to either 90 or Defender spec and inside we can see the usual robust interior you would expect, the back decked out with double bench seating.

To help stop it’s new-found performance, new front brake callipers were fitted along with discs and pads in October 2015, the work carried out by Foundry 4x4 Ltd in Gwent. At the same time new steering joints were also fitted, along with this we can see a handful of other invoices as well as a large stack of old MOTs.

Looking through its MOT history we can see just 7,620 miles have been covered since 2008, the odometer now reading 28,003 miles.

Contact: Quintin.hayward@brightwells.com