Scot and Ben

For starters I'm not one for 'naming' vehicles but as I've ended up buying 2 Series 2a's and one was 'named' Ben by the previous owner and it even says Ben in small letters on the number plate I've ended up calling the other one Scot as I drove to Scotland to buy it and it helps me differentiate between them when I'm talking to my wife about them (just before her eyes glaze over) .

So for starters Scot is a 1964 2a 2 1/4 petrol that I drove the best part of 800 miles to collect the other weekend, both are doer uppers and sell on, (I currently work up to 70 hours a week and it's ****e so the plan is work less and do up and sell 2a's in my spare time, that's the plan anyway). It cost me £750 and it's got new springs and shocks, engine and gearbox, hard top with cat flap rear door and a pretty decent looking chassis the bulkhead needs a little bit of work but is fairly solid. Anyways pics....













The wings and bonnet are in the shed and are pretty straight and sound. After trawling ebay and a couple of other websites for missing bits I came across an advert that just said 'Land Rover series 2a v8 with spare wings and gearbox £350 and after some ensuing monkey business that I wont bore you with I ended up hiring a trailer and buying it and it was only the other side of Birmingham so about 40 miles away. When I collected it I saw that both number plates had the name Ben on them and when I enquired who that was I was told it was the cars name. Pics of Ben when I collected it....









Initially if the worse came to the worse I was going to break it and take the parts I needed to get Scot on the road and the ebay the rest but it's to good to do that so I now have two projects to go at. I started to strip Ben today as the chassis is rotten in places but nowhere as bad as I thought it would be



Gave it a quick scrape with a screw driver as you do and it looks like this



I've got a bulkhead and a rear tub from a previous folly into 2a ownership so the plan is to repair the tub I've got lying around has it previously had a hole cut in it for a reversing headlamp and to repair the bulkhead, get it stripped and galvanised along with the front radiator panel and go from there so regular updates here we come

I envy you! Where did you find them both?

Edit: you found the v8 on eblag.

I never named any of my cars in the past but I did the landy lol


Goodluck with the restoration buddy! I've always fancied a series to mess around in but things like leaf springs put me off as I know naff all about them!

Keep the pics coming!

I've only named them to help differentiate between the two..

Stripped Ben on Saturday,



This was all the crap that fell off



Plenty of welding to do when it's Bens turn, there's some nice holes underneath as well but it's nothing that's not fixable



I think I'll be re-using the wiring loom on Scot to keep costs down, I'll also be repairing the front panel and getting it galvanised.

I'm on holiday next week so I've ordered some bulkhead repair panels for Scot as there's been some dodgy looking repairs done and I also want this galvanising



Roll on Saturday....

Holy thread revival Batman

Well Ben has been sold a while ago and scot or as I only have one now my 2a has been neglected for a while

But as I have sold my defender and my youngest lad has said he wouldn't mind driving it once he's passed his test then it's time to give it some attention.

It's been sat like this for over a year

I've sourced a different tub that I've repaired the rear panels on and turned it around



Bloody hard work that was using a high lift jack and wheel chocks and here it rests for a while



Had to nip out for a while, when I got back I saw I'd left the keys in my lads moped on the drive



Anyway I need to get hold of a trailer once the defender has gone and I've got some room, probably going to buy a knackered caravan and strip it for its chassis as I only need to use one four times and it'll cost me 45 quid a time to hire one

Plans are shotblast the chassis, galvanise it and the bulkhead and radiator panel. I'm pricing up galvanised door tops and bottoms

Don't know which way to go on the radiator front, old flat top, aluminium one or a brand new series 3 type?

Anyway some serious eBay perusing to do

What sort of trailer are you looking for?
IIRC you are just up the road from me and could borrow mine if it's suitable.

Grebby said:

What sort of trailer are you looking for?
IIRC you are just up the road from me and could borrow mine if it's suitable.

Click to expand...

Seriously? I need to take the chassis to burton for shot blasting then collect it when it's done. Then take the chassis, bulkhead and a few other bits to Stoke for galvanising and then fetch it back when it's done. So it was either buy one then sell it when I'd done or buy a knackered caravan and strip it for its chassis.

I have a Brian James A-Max with a 3.6m * 1.76m bed. I think it's 2 tonne gross weight. You are welcome to use it
Just let me know when you want it as I'll have to get it back off a neighbour.

Grebby said:

I have a Brian James A-Max with a 3.6m * 1.76m bed. I think it's 2 tonne gross weight. You are welcome to use it
Just let me know when you want it as I'll have to get it back off a neighbour.

Click to expand...

That's really kind of you I'll be in touch if that's ok. I work in Lichfield so not too far away

I'll drop you a PM with my phone no.

What a nice guy thumbs upto that man.

Think I've dodged a bullet

Striped the bulkhead and replaced most of the panels a fair while back and never used a jig or template. I actually did it in the tub

Today was the day of reckoning and I'll be honest I've been putting it off but it's dropped straight on get in....



It'll need a bit of fettling but a massive sigh of relief

You getting it galvanized my mate?

danny6801 said:

You getting it galvanized my mate?

Click to expand...

Yes pal that's the plan. Galv bulkhead, chassis, front panel and doors. Should outlast me then hopefully

Look the part that all this work we do that Land Rover should of done.

Had a free day in the sunshine to have a mess so had a play.

Engine and gearbox lifted out




Get my personalised spanner out


And strip the axles off





Had a 300 odd mile round trip last weekend for replacement lwb axles as there's loads of play in my diffs. The lwb diffs feel pretty good and the swivels are perfect so I'll be stripping all four down and swapping bits over.

Got to get this sponging thing out next

And it's properly stuck tight, might have to introduce it to Mr Sledge and buy a replacement if it won't budge.

Four suspension bushes to remove as well but I can drill those out then sort a load out for shotblasting courtesy of Mr @greyhair 's recommendation of a place in Stoke.

Here you go @kevstar a few years in the making I think I've got through about 13 discoverys and a rusty series

Missus has gone out so I've done a bit of painting in the old lounge


This is the parts car I picked up for 250 quid

Marmaduke said:

Here you go @kevstar a few years in the making I think I've got through about 13 discoverys and a rusty series

Missus has gone out so I've done a bit of painting in the old lounge
View attachment 201281

This is the parts car I picked up for 250 quid
View attachment 201282

Click to expand...

Parts ffs that's fixable Good to see you've got your finger out

These are just lying in my shed.……..

kevstar said:

Parts ffs that's fixable Good to see you've got your finger out

These are just lying in my shed.……..
View attachment 201284

Click to expand...

It fell in half in the trailer