Restoration dilemma
Discussion
A housemate of mine has recently purchased a classic 1977 Series 3 Land Rover with a very interesting history, for restoration (which I will help him with when I have time).
The car was originally supplied new to the Metropolitan Police, and we have pictures of it in service, jam-sandwich paint, blue lights, the works.
However, it's next role, after it was purchased from the Police, was as a support vehicle from the RAC rally. It comes to us fitted with a rear stage illumination lamp, special heavy-duty fixtures (including some interesting equipment fixtures in the back, which could be either Police or Rally), a strengthened tow bar for pulling cars out of the mud, and a front bumper specially sprung, rubberised and reinforced for pushing cars to safety.
Thing is, we want to restore it to one of its original specifications, and there is a vast market for both people who collect Police vehicles, and people involved in historic rallying who want something 'period' to tow their RS2000 or Avenger Tiger to a rally.
He wants to restore it as the Police car but is open to suggestion, I'd like to see it as a classic rally support vehicle, as most of the equipment and decals are still on it.
Either way, the chassis and engine need overhauling first, but what do PHs classic contingent think it should be?
Oh, also, there's a big dent in the rear wing that we think probably came from a rally car (that we have no intention of sorting out
)
The car was originally supplied new to the Metropolitan Police, and we have pictures of it in service, jam-sandwich paint, blue lights, the works.
However, it's next role, after it was purchased from the Police, was as a support vehicle from the RAC rally. It comes to us fitted with a rear stage illumination lamp, special heavy-duty fixtures (including some interesting equipment fixtures in the back, which could be either Police or Rally), a strengthened tow bar for pulling cars out of the mud, and a front bumper specially sprung, rubberised and reinforced for pushing cars to safety.
Thing is, we want to restore it to one of its original specifications, and there is a vast market for both people who collect Police vehicles, and people involved in historic rallying who want something 'period' to tow their RS2000 or Avenger Tiger to a rally.
He wants to restore it as the Police car but is open to suggestion, I'd like to see it as a classic rally support vehicle, as most of the equipment and decals are still on it.
Either way, the chassis and engine need overhauling first, but what do PHs classic contingent think it should be?
Oh, also, there's a big dent in the rear wing that we think probably came from a rally car (that we have no intention of sorting out
) 
dilbert said:
I suppose the obvious question is, is it a V8.
I went in one of those once. I couldn't believe that what is essentially a steel box could attain such speed!
It's not a V8, it's a 2.25-litre petrol-engined version, with a few tweaks here and there from its Police days.
[pedant] and it's an aluminium box![/pedant]
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