1976 Land Rover Series III 109"

My very first Land Rover! Bought off a friend of my Dad's when I was fourteen, it was a right shed :-) It had been converted to be a V8 (goodness knows what it was before that...) but had been stood for the best part of five years. Every panel on it was corroded and / or dented and the chassis looked like it was made of swiss cheese.

The very-well-siezed V8 was pulled and replaced with a Nissan LD28 (bought from Samurai Conversions: steer WELL clear of these people!) with a conversion kit that would allow it to "bolt straight on". Not a chance. Much fettling later and the LD28 was in, but at that point "A" levels kicked in and stole too much time.

The 109 sat for ages, and I eventually decided - grudgingly, I might add - to sell it on, but I held on to the LD28 engine as I'd paid more for that than the vehicle itself. (That was a decision I was later to congratulate myself on as I subsequently acquired a Nissan Patrol, into which the engine dropped extremely easily!)

Although I never got to drive it, I was caught by the ubiquitous Land Rover Bug, and consequently ended up with the Discovery, Dakar and Range Rover as soon as funds would allow...

• Initially a siezed3.5-litre carburetted V8
• Subsequently swapped out for a Nissan LD28 - 2.8-litre, naturally aspirated stright-six diesel.
• 4-speed manual transmission with two-speed transfer box
• Two-wheel (rear) drive with four wheel drive engaged with floor-mounted lever and free-wheeling hubs
• Two-and-a-half seats in the front, six inward-facing seats in the van-body rear.
• Cart springs all round :-)
• Drum brakes front and rear