dag019

dag019

Well-Known Member
My series 3 is a late 1982 SWB and as such has never quite had the classic vintage land rover look. I am slowly working on this and moving to the canvas top and wheel on the bonnet has helped. I am now looking further at simple bolt on modification to make it look like an older more classic model. I do not want to radically alter the vehicle, it is currently "original", most things are galvanized and has original engine box axles etc. I know in future this will help maintain its value and do not want anything that will be a permanent change. As the front end is series 3 I am looking for it to be similar to a late 2a. I know the dash, mechanicals etc are different but am only interested in superficial exterior look.
I have a Maltese cross grill to fit, and have fitted a set of pressed tin number plates (white/yellow) rather than the plastic high viz ones. Other than swapping the hinges and mirrors to the older style (currently both 90/110 style) what else is easy to change to make it look more like an older 2a.
 
You've identified most of the easy wins, grille and hinges. 2a also had different rear lights which were larger and had number plate illumination built in (see pic). You could put old style side mirrors on the wings instead of the doors too. Your headlight surrounds are probably silver, think they were body colour on late 2a.

DSC_0865.jpg
 
Rattlegun said:
You've identified most of the easy wins, grille and hinges. 2a also had different rear lights which were larger and had number plate illumination built in (see pic). You could put old style side mirrors on the wings instead of the doors too. Your headlight surrounds are probably silver, think they were body colour on late 2a.
Click to expand...

What do you mean with the number plate illumination? Mine already has the same one as pictured. Although the larger lights will be worth looking into.
IMG_7180.JPG
My headlight surround are silver although on the 2a's I have seen they seem to be all different. some do not have them at all and some are body and some are silver, so I am not sure which is correct. I currently have the same hinges and mirrors as the one you have pictured and whereas I would like to fit earlier mirrors i would like to retain them on the hinge just for practicality and ease of driving.
IMG_7190.JPG
 
If you look at the picture, Rattlegun's landy has larger round rear lights, with a clear section below. The black light like you have is additional on his.
 
Why try to fake age? A Land Rover guy will know and see straight though it and a non-Land Rover guy won't know and won't care anyway. Your reg number will give it away as will the heater intake on the wing. Interior will be a give-away too but only to those who know this stuff. If you want to get rid of the plastic grille, fair enough, but the rest?? Be proud of what you've got as it is.
 
"late 82" is actually before anyone under 35 was born and anyone under 45 could reasonbly remember. When people ask "how old is it" and I answer 47 they just look confused.
 
A metal Land Rover oval decal for the rear. Rear mounted spare wheel. Dixon Bate drop plate and ball, free wheel hubs?
 
dag019 said:
My series 3 is a late 1982 SWB and as such has never quite had the classic vintage land rover look. I am slowly working on this and moving to the canvas top and wheel on the bonnet has helped. I am now looking further at simple bolt on modification to make it look like an older more classic model. I do not want to radically alter the vehicle, it is currently "original", most things are galvanized and has original engine box axles etc. I know in future this will help maintain its value and do not want anything that will be a permanent change. As the front end is series 3 I am looking for it to be similar to a late 2a. I know the dash, mechanicals etc are different but am only interested in superficial exterior look.
I have a Maltese cross grill to fit, and have fitted a set of pressed tin number plates (white/yellow) rather than the plastic high viz ones. Other than swapping the hinges and mirrors to the older style (currently both 90/110 style) what else is easy to change to make it look more like an older 2a.
Click to expand...
Sorry I don’t get your post at all. To Jo Public and even quite a few Land Rover bods. A Series II thru III looks about 98% identical.

Not sure how a wheel on the bonnet or a canvas tilt really make it look older.... not saying don’t do it. But they have nowt all to do with age.
 
300bhp/ton said:
Not sure how a wheel on the bonnet or a canvas tilt really make it look older
Click to expand...

I know these have been fitted to all ages of land rover but the canvas top harks back to the original series 1 era which came before the hardtop was a standard item. Although not technically and age related a canvas top makes it look more of a classic land rover than a modern land rover, which are all hardtops.

rob1miles said:
add dents in every conceivable place?
Click to expand...

I already have these, and deliberately did not fill and smooth them over when I repainted it.

I do a fair number of local classic car meets in it with a friend who has a series 1 (pictured above), and I tend to be the newest vehicle their by a good 15 years, and although I know it is basically the same vehicle as the older versions people turn their nose up when you tell them is it from the 80's. The cut off for these evens seems to be 25 years which means I could theoretically turn up in my daily drive 110 which although still older than I am is only 7 years newer than my series. However the spirit of these events seems to be much older vehicles, they tend to be filled with Austin Healy's and TR4's from the 60's rather than "modern" cars from the 80's. So if I can do some small cosmetic changes to make it look older and then avoid the question hopefully this will stop. They are old car enthusiasts not land rover enthusiast so will not have detailed knowledge on the differences through the years.
 
Personally I’d not let what other people think dictate what you do or don’t.

As for the canvas tilt being only on older ones. Wasn’t the very last Defender built a full tilt 90? The canvas top might not have been a standard model in the U.K. but it was available in other markets right up until the end of production.

I just can’t see the point in all the faff and hassle to change over things like door hinges. But obviously it’s your Vehcile so you can do as you want with it :)

I’d just be proud of what it is though, rather than trying to make it something it isn’t.
 
Colthebrummie said:
I should think they do look confused, if it's an 82 that makes it 35 years old not 47

Col
Click to expand...
I meant mine, its 1970, my point was that once its older than the person asking (if they are old they wouldn't need to ask) it all becomes irrelavent. I don't think of myself as "old" but I bought a 1971 motorcyle new from the dealers and still didn't think of it as old when I sold it 30 years later. My daily driver is 26 years old and its my "modern car", the 1970 series is very old to most people who ask but its still from a time I remember. I was born in 1955 and grew up in Germany at the hight of the cold war, recently I went to Berlin having been taken to see the wall being built as child. The tour guide was born after the wall came down and had learned everything from books. My point (in a longwinded way) - time moves very fast, 1982 IS old to most people.
 
You can,t make a silk purse from a pigs ear ! if you want a older looking land rover sell yours and go buy one ;)
 
Have to agree. A series three made to look like a two would probably be worth a lot less than an original 3.

Old is good and my tratter looks damn old. It is stuck together with all sorts. Even has some series one parts nailed on but I know it’s wirth sod all.
 
rob1miles said:
add dents in every conceivable place?
Click to expand...

What a stupid idea, next you will be saying make the paint peel off, scratch the sides down a hedge, poor manky old oil Round the engine and gearbox and bugger up a valve seal so is smokes when driving.

I think the best way to make it more s11 would be to remove the heater, it was always bloody freezing in mine which was good if you had a lady to take home from the night club!
Got to keep em warm some how.
 
You’ve got a really nice looking series 3 there. If it’s not old enough yet you won’t have long to wait, and you don’t want to have the same as everyone else. Series 3’s are just becoming classics in the Landy world supposedly with their values currently in a dip. Keep yours nice and standard and it’ll reward you in years to come.
 
Huddy84 said:
You’ve got a really nice looking series 3 there. If it’s not old enough yet you won’t have long to wait, and you don’t want to have the same as everyone else. Series 3’s are just becoming classics in the Landy world supposedly with their values currently in a dip. Keep yours nice and standard and it’ll reward you in years to come.
Click to expand...

I am aware of this, which is why I am looking at simple bolt on/off cosmetic changes that are easy to put back to original in the future.
 
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