Description
For sale, through JOHN BROWN 4X4 LTD, Land Rover® Lightweight in Drab Olive (1980).
Petrol 2286cc. MOT & Tax Exempt. Brand New Galvanised Chassis. Brand New Canvas. Bonnet Mounted Spare. Front and Rear Bumperettes. 600 Military Style Chevron Tyres. Late release in 1999. Only 2 former keepers. Twin Tanks. Rear seats with belts. Heater with Demist. New Weber Carburettor.
We are delighted to present for sale this Land Rover® Lightweight, previously sold by us in times past. At the time of the first sale, this Lightweight had an entirely unwelded chassis – however, the customer we sold the vehicle to elected, at large expense, to set about rebuilding the vehicle. Unfortunately, due to ill health he was not able to drive it once completed – and as such, sold the vehicle to us in order to find it a new home.
It is very rare, except for our own rebuilds, that a vehicle comes in with a brand new chassis… just look at the photos supplied – the only mileage this chassis has done is during our testing and inspection, which was completed in dry weather only – it is absolutely spanking new…. and beautiful to look at! During the rebuild process, many other parts were also replaced including all new brakes, new shock absorbers, new hubs, new bearing, new clutch, new exhaust manifold, new exhaust and all-new wiring too. It is freshly rebuilt and ready to go – and will outlast all of us. With such a late release in 1999, and only two former keepers (one of whom being the customer we sold it to originally) – this is about as good a lightweight as one can find.
As the photos show – the outside of this Lightweight is just lovely – it has all the features one might hope to see – front and rear bumperettes, rope to the front bumper, bridging plate, bonnet mounted spare tyre with camouflage netting and correct retaining strap, front military lifting eyes, ATU boxes with supplied whip aerials (as photo’d), NATO hitch, split tailgate, military screw lenses – the list goes on, and on, and on. A set of period correct set of military 600 chevron tyres are fitted too, with a new canvas to complete the look. We think it looks absolutely stunning, and can’t remember ever seeing one better than this.
On the inside, there are two front standard seats, with matting to the footwells. The batteries are housed under the middle seat, as this is a 24v variant, as the photos show. Again – inside it is much the same story as the exterior. All the features you’d want to see are here – the convoy switch, the heater with front demist (handy for the colder weather), the military fly screens, wiper motor cover and the steering column shrouds too. The rear houses a heavy duty load mat, with a pair of side facing full height jump-seats with lap belts – the radio racking which would’ve originally housed the FFR radio gear is also still here, and even has its “Land Rover” sticker still on it… just great to see.
Out on the road, that rebuilding process means this Lightweight is an absolute joy to drive…. a new weber carburettor has been fitted at significant expense, meaning increased power over standard. The period-correct tyres mean light steering and brisk acceleration. All new brakes (done with high quality mintex shoes) means superior stopping power. Both of the twin tanks are new – they work – and the gauges even read correctly too – this means a 500 mile range between trips to the pumps, which is a massive bonus… almost no Lightweights still have them fitted, but it is something you’ll really appreciate when on a road trip, at a show miles from the pumps, or when you get caught short on an excursion.
In summary, if you are looking for a Land Rover® Lightweight which has been freshly rebuilt, but don’t want to pay out of your own pocket to have this work done – then this could be for you. To build one yourself to the same specification would cost far more, especially when factoring in purchasing the vehicle to restore too. With petrol power, MOT & Tax Exemption, Brand New Galvanised Chassis and a huge amount of new parts fitted – this will stand the test of time and should prove to be a solid investment for the future. We seldom see rebuilt lightweights – and even less so ones that have done less than 50 miles since completion, all by our own hand!
RESERVED
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