Beschreibung
Here we have a very fine and original Land Rover 80” Series One RHD Home Market built on the 11th June 1952 with low genuine mileage of only 62, 000 miles, never restored and always in regular but gentle use, few previous keepers with a fantastic well detailed history file.
Overview: Supplied new by Burridges Motor Works in Chippenham, Wiltshire, TFO was with her first owner, a local farmer, until August 1989 (a remarkable 37 years). Over the next 30 years she has collected a further 5 owners, all but 1 local, before passing to myself in 2019. TFO is remarkably original having never been subject to a major restoration, never having been laid up or languishing in a shed or barn and being a matching numbers car. Sadly her original registration number (JAM 377) was removed by a previous owner in 1996 and put onto his Range Rover – he still has the number on one to this day. She has won “most original” and “best unrestored” vehicle at the Series One Club rally at least two times, starts on the button and drives like no restored car ever does.
Structure: Superbly solid and on its original chassis, a couple of small, localised repairs to the rear crossmember as can be seen in the pictures and a tiny similar plate to the N/ S/ F bumper mount – these are historic repairs which could be cut out and made invisible, however they are part of her history and totally solid, no repairs or corrosion to the main chassis rails or other crossmembers. The bulkhead has had some repair work to the footwells and top rail in the 1990’s, again completely solid and part of her history. I have completely and very thoroughly steam cleaned the chassis inside and out, duck-oil treated chassis and bulkhead (again inside and out) and then thoroughly waxoyled the same with clear waxoyl thinned with white spirit – this gives the best possible penetration and future protection without coating everything in a claggy mess!
Bodywork: Fantastic and original bodywork with majority of original paint and a fantastic patina, superb galvanising and new Avon Traction Mileage tyres (full set of 5, new 2020) from Vintage Tyres at Beaulieu. Period genuine Land Rover canvas fitted, recently treated with UV and water proofer, along with incredibly rare original fume curtain.
Interior: Original seats present in very good order, Exmoor trim new set fitted at present to help preserve the originals, all switches and controls working as they should, original Clayton heater in lovely condition with original, sound, core and working fan, original steering wheel repainted by Charlesworth Mouldings (the original moulding was in such good order they did not re-mould it, just deglaze and re-paint) with original horn push and dip switch again working as they should.
Mechanicals: Original matching numbers 2. 0ltr engine, gearbox and axles. All very well maintained and with low mileage (62, 000mls), when I purchased TFO she was a little rumbly and had low oil pressure when hot, I sent her to Dunsfold Land Rovers to have the engine removed and rebuilt – the full rebuild was carried out by Series One engine specialists Meridian Engine Services and the main bearings were found to be breaking up through age, the crank has only been ground -10thou (generally they are ground -40 or -60 as smaller undersize bearings have not been available for a few years) and the bores were on the borderline for wear so were bored +20thou oversize. The engine has now done 2, 500mls since rebuild and has run in beautifully being one of the sweetest running, quietest and most willing I have had the pleasure to drive. While at Dunsfold for the engine rebuild I also had them fully rebuild the front axle with new swivel balls and bearings, new front brake cylinders and new clutch linkage along with rebuilding the transfer box output assembly, the steering box was found to have a small crack in the casing and so one of the genuine Land Rover newly manufactured steering boxes from the “Reborn” programme was sourced (@ £1, 674!) and fitted by Dunsfold. I have replaced the brake shoes all round with CKD top quality examples and both front and rear propshafts likewise and managed to find a brand new old stock carburettor of the correct (early 2. 0Ltr) type, the recent expenditure has run to over £15, 000 – be under no illusion, it is very easy to do this if you want a series one to perform as it should, even if you start with a really good base vehicle!
Paperwork: Log book and previous log books (some copies from DVLA) present back to the first owner, copy of the original registration record entry, Heritage certificate and associated paperwork in very detailed history file of previous receipts and maintenance along with magazine articles, MOT’s back to 2000 (mileage was 53, 000 back in 2000) and period correct operation manual.
All in all an outstanding and highly original example, I do not think you would find a better, original, unrestored, Series One 80”, it has been fastidiously looked after and has benefitted from much recent expenditure importantly on the right parts and with the right specialists. There a fewer and fewer decent unrestored 80”s around like this one as more and more have been repainted and re-bodied – they never look quite right and sadly once ‘done’ there is no going back. I have many more photographs that I am happy to email or WhatsApp anyone interested.
£33, 500. 00
