History

 The idea for this trip was born about five years ago but it wasn't really put into action until 2 years ago when a friend told me about a Series 3 land rover that was for sale for a reasonable price. It needed work but would come with a full MOT; I couldn't wait to get it home to start preparing for the trip.

                                                             Series 3 Before

However as I soon discovered, it all took a turn for the worst. Let this be lesson to anyone looking to buy an old vehicle just because it has a full MOT, does not mean all is well. After removing the back body we found that the chassis had been cleverly patched with some thin plate and waxoil. To cover up the complete chassis which, was rotten to the core.

Rotten To The Core

 After contacting both the former owner and the MOT station, I managed to recover some of my money. However this didn't really pay for the full rebuild that was required. A complete new chassis was needed and the rebuild took a full six months. Many thousand pounds later and we finally had a vehicle that we could do the journey in.

Work In Progress 

The list of work done is endless, however some of the major work was the replacement of the rotten chassis with the new one. The complete overhaul of both axles including new swivels and bearings, new wiring loom, complete new set of brake hoses and pipes. The complete overhaul of the 2.25 petrol engine and my least favourite job, the stripping and repainting of the entire vehicle. However after all the stress, sweat and tears and the occasional temper tantrum (mostly by me), the vehicle was finally done and it all seemed worth it.

The Finished Article