Ingles Tico

New Member
Hi all, I’ve often looked at Landyzone, but never had a significant contribution until today.
I drive a 58 Series Land Rover with a standard petrol engine, built in the mid-60’s.
Series Land Rovers are not pristine darlings, used for aiming a camera at, in Costa Rica.
They are usually well beaten up & working hard, be they a mere 40 years old or over 60 like mine.
I decided I needed a new carburettor & asked my local Land Rover (only) mechanic to make a suggestion.
Well for the last 50 years or so Costa Rica has been dominated by Japanese & Korean cars. Lots of Series Land Rovers because the coffee farmers bought thousands of them in the 60’s/70’s.
He said get a Datsun carburettor (J15) originally used in the 521 pick up. They sell them new (made in “Asia”) at the local parts store for under £100. OK with me.
We installed it today & it’s brilliant. Everyone swears by these Jap pick up carbs here. They’re simple & reliable. Parts are everywhere & emissions sufficient to pass the local annual roadworthy requirements.
The old beast has significantly more get up & go than he did this morning! I was delighted enough to share the information in case anyone fancies a Datsun carb on their Landy in good old Blighty. Works surprisingly well. Cheers The English Tico.
 
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Hello across the pond hope it not to windy.
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Welcome Aboard :)

You imply your LR is no beauty queen - well, neither is mine - but we'd still like a few piccies :D
 
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Welcome Aboard :)

You imply your LR is no beauty queen - well, neither is mine - but we'd still like a few piccies :D

Thanks for the welcome. Piccies the man says. Well I’m no photographer but here’s an attempt.
You will see the entire front end is not original (except maybe the bonnet & bumper). The previous owner drove “Trueno” (thunder, in Spanish) for 50 years & changed almost everything during that time.
I think it started out as a diesel pick up, with the then latest OHV Diesel engine, & it definitely wasn’t red.
I’ve had “Trueno” for 13 years now & in that time, made new seats for it, almost totally rewired it myself, swapped out the diesel for a 60’s petrol engine, returned the brakes to original (you don’t want to know the gory details of that story) plus put original wheels & tyres on it. I put in electronic ignition & now a new Datsun carburettor.
Just the gearbox, drive train, windshield/wipers & chassis I know to be original. Anything else I wouldn’t bet on it.
As a historical curiosity the Costa Rican license plates back in the day, were purely in sequential order. So “Trueno”
was the 6,865th private vehicle to be sold in Costa Rica (ever). (Commercial vehicles have different plates)
It’s considered cool here to have a 4 digit plate & numbers are never transferable between vehicles!
“Trueno” like any good Landy, will never die. I’ll never change him for another vehicle. He was born in England the same year I was & we’re buddies now. I have a 73 Bonnie, so I won’t be needing a motorcycle either. Brit vehicles are immortal. There’s nothing that can break, which is that unobtainable or hard to install. Long live Trueno!
 
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