Much advice needed! (WARNING, NEWBIE IDIOT!!!!)

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I think that the OP is considering two issues at once, the vehicle and the expedition. My nephew and his wife did the trip a few years back. I'll see if I can find their blog.

Re the vehicle. I'd suggest writing to Foleys or Nenes asking to be taken on as an apprentice for a year or more. That way he'd get to know the minimum spec required, which I doubt whether any Series would meet. The newest ones are coming up to 40 years old.

The route? Probably Morocco then South to Nigeria although I don't know how clever Chad is or whether it can be avoided. Then East, keeping North of the Congo. Once Uganda has been reached, things should be easier.

Dunno if the OP is planning on a single or return but he should remember that dumping the vehicle in SA is not allowed and permanent import would involve punitive import duties.

Shipping it back wouldn't be cheap. Three years ago a 20 ft TIR was around £2000. It would be a lot more now.

Actually, given the area of main interest, scrub all the above.

I'd just go for this plan instead.

https://www.drivesouthafrica.com/en/rentals/4x4-hire/
 
I think that the OP is considering two issues at once, the vehicle and the expedition. My nephew and his wife did the trip a few years back. I'll see if I can find their blog.

Re the vehicle. I'd suggest writing to Foleys or Nenes asking to be taken on as an apprentice for a year or more. That way he'd get to know the minimum spec required, which I doubt whether any Series would meet. The newest ones are coming up to 40 years old.

The route? Probably Morocco then South to Nigeria although I don't know how clever Chad is or whether it can be avoided. Then East, keeping North of the Congo. Once Uganda has been reached, things should be easier.

Dunno if the OP is planning on a single or return but he should remember that dumping the vehicle in SA is not allowed and permanent import would involve punitive import duties.

Shipping it back wouldn't be cheap. Three years ago a 20 ft TIR was around £2000. It would be a lot more now.

Actually, given the area of main interest, scrub all the above.

I'd just go for this plan instead.

https://www.drivesouthafrica.com/en/rentals/4x4-hire/
Chad’s peace talks are going well by all accounts but humanitarian aid is still falling well below par. The good news is your less likely to contract guinea worm these days. :)
 
I joined a group planning to drive a few series IIIs to Morocco and back from London when I was 19. Sadly it never went ahead. I wouldn't even contemplate driving my series to another county now :D
 
Yes, the only reason that the two ideas were relevant to each other is because it would be silly NOT to consider it when selecting/building the vehicle.
Ill look into the rental ideas, of course theres nothing like doing it in ones own land rover, as oppose to a rented modern Jap truck, but Im sure it will be an experience of a lifetime either way.
 
So, erm, hi! Ive currently got a 1996 D1, but dont worry, this is a series related post!
Im thinking of getting a 109 in place of my discovery, since im getting a car for daily/speedy stuff, so Im wanting a land rover to do land rover stuff only, and something simpler/easier to work on etc.
So, for starters, S2, S2a, S3, whats the difference? (Other than the lights/grill). Im sure this as been asked about a million times, so a link to the answer would be great! (Ive looked, but not found)
Are they all equally simple to work on? I dont know how far towards "project" I want to lean. I dont have a garage, only a large pile of hand tools in a shed.
I know that they are VERY easy to steal, so my plan to stop that is very simple, Im just going to chain it to a massive tree, and maybe a couple of points in the ground. It wont make it un-stealable, but it will mean that a lot of noise will be made in stealing it.
Im looking forwards to learning! Never really held a spanner in anger before, but I figured an old series is a good vehicle to start!
I can get anything from a completely rotten shed that needs to be rebuilt on a new chassis/bulkhead etc, to something useable that needs tidying up.
 
So, erm, hi! Ive currently got a 1996 D1, but dont worry, this is a series related post!
Im thinking of getting a 109 in place of my discovery, since im getting a car for daily/speedy stuff, so Im wanting a land rover to do land rover stuff only, and something simpler/easier to work on etc.
So, for starters, S2, S2a, S3, whats the difference? (Other than the lights/grill). Im sure this as been asked about a million times, so a link to the answer would be great! (Ive looked, but not found)
Are they all equally simple to work on? I dont know how far towards "project" I want to lean. I dont have a garage, only a large pile of hand tools in a shed.
I know that they are VERY easy to steal, so my plan to stop that is very simple, Im just going to chain it to a massive tree, and maybe a couple of points in the ground. It wont make it un-stealable, but it will mean that a lot of noise will be made in stealing it.
Im looking forwards to learning! Never really held a spanner in anger before, but I figured an old series is a good vehicle to start!
I can get anything from a completely rotten shed that needs to be rebuilt on a new chassis/bulkhead etc, to something useable that needs tidying up.
I have a few series projects, 2a and 3 also disco 1 and loads of bits, and choice of engine and gearboxes
 
Just a thought, and I thought Ide post it here, since its a newbie idiot series related question.
Would it be possible to buy a landy, particularly a series 3 109, in south africa (or similar) and then drive it home? Ive dont a bit more research, and think that sticking to the eastern side and getting the ferry to italy is a much better idea than morocco.
Reason for picking a S3 over say a defender or a disco, well, its simpler, fewer components to fail (suspension components in particular) and that carrying 2 spare tyres is easier (bonnet and rear door)
Ide fly out with a big rucksack, as if I was going backpacking, and then buy it when I get there. Its a massive risk, because if its crap, im kinda stuck, given the vastness of the country.
Another bonus is that you get amuch nicer one for your money. 70,000 rand is about £3.5k, which over here gets you a pile of bits, or a rusty non-arunner, but over there, it gets you a neat and tidy example with no rust. One issue however is that I dont fancy driving across africa on 50 yo springs, and I dont think I can bring a set of parabolics wth me on the plane! Also, I wont have any tools at all, so Ide have to buy them when Im there.
Or is buying one thats there a bad idea? Or perhaps just drive it around the relatively safe places, and then sell it/ship it back home?
Or am I barking mad?
 
Just a thought, and I thought Ide post it here, since its a newbie idiot series related question.
Would it be possible to buy a landy, particularly a series 3 109, in south africa (or similar) and then drive it home? Ive dont a bit more research, and think that sticking to the eastern side and getting the ferry to italy is a much better idea than morocco.
Reason for picking a S3 over say a defender or a disco, well, its simpler, fewer components to fail (suspension components in particular) and that carrying 2 spare tyres is easier (bonnet and rear door)
Ide fly out with a big rucksack, as if I was going backpacking, and then buy it when I get there. Its a massive risk, because if its crap, im kinda stuck, given the vastness of the country.
Another bonus is that you get amuch nicer one for your money. 70,000 rand is about £3.5k, which over here gets you a pile of bits, or a rusty non-arunner, but over there, it gets you a neat and tidy example with no rust. One issue however is that I dont fancy driving across africa on 50 yo springs, and I dont think I can bring a set of parabolics wth me on the plane! Also, I wont have any tools at all, so Ide have to buy them when Im there.
Or is buying one thats there a bad idea? Or perhaps just drive it around the relatively safe places, and then sell it/ship it back home?
Or am I barking mad?

If you bring it back to UK you will find it nigh on impossible to reg it as they were built from ckd kits and chassis numbers dont follow UK system so dvlc wont entertain them...
 
Interesting and very useful, thanks!
Is this the case for all african land rovers? Or just the south african built series?
Thanks!

As far as I'm aware series not sure about early 90's...iirc they were building the chassis over there and fitting the panels etc from a box of bits at some point...
 
So getting it back here would mean an IVA and a Q-plate, Im guessing? (i.e. more hassle than its worth) or using the vin from a scrapper? (i.e. ringing, which is illegal)
But I could bring a disco back quite easilly? Or an RRC? Or a series that was originally exported from the UK? (if they exist?)
 
So getting it back here would mean an IVA and a Q-plate, Im guessing? (i.e. more hassle than its worth) or using the vin from a scrapper? (i.e. ringing, which is illegal)
But I could bring a disco back quite easilly? Or an RRC? Or a series that was originally exported from the UK? (if they exist?)

They might be rust free as all vehicles are here as well but everything else underneath is knackered we dont bother going to dismantlers here for mechanical parts it's not worth it...panels and cosmetic along with certain engine bits is all you get...RRC/Disco doubt you'll get a cheap one...look here on OLX.pt at the eye watering costs of Landys...the last RRC driven of the line by Noel Edmunds was a 2 door sent here and sold last year in America for I think 75k...
 
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