solvista · Dec 16, 2015

I've wanted a series landy for years and set my sights on buying one this year. After a couple of disappointments (people selling the damn things before I could even get to see them) I saw this one and went for it.

I sent money up front (no more than I could afford to lose) to secure it, and on Sunday I travelled down to Cazorla in Jaen (Andalucia) from my home in Vigo (Galicia) to do the deal.

It was a risk, as the only way I could get it home was to drive it the 1000kms from A to B. Thankfully it made it. It took 28 hours of driving (at 60-70km/h on national roads, to avoid motorways) and getting the odd hour here and there of sleep. The way I figured it was that if it made that journey without complaining it would do for me. There was no plan B.

I've got to know it pretty well. It smokes more than a dozen troopers, goes wherever it wants until coaxed in one direction or another by pushing and pulling on the very loose steering wheel, once it's moving it doesn't want to stop unless someone stands heavily on the brake-pedal, and it makes a lot of noises that I'm not used to.

That said, it starts first time, goes, and keeps going.

It's a 1978 Santana 88 Especial, 2.25 diesel with 113,000kms on the clock. It had never been out of its province before this week (It was built in Jaen - Santana factory in Linares). It had had two previous owners who made it work in the olive groves. Jaen has very little rain and they don't chuck salt all over the roads when it gets a bit nippy. So, it's relatively rot free.

I'll ask for some advice when I've had time to give it a good once over and looked at what I can afford to do, or not.

solvista · Dec 16, 2015

A pic of the back. Quite a novel door, which separates like the front doors, so the top can come off if I want to take the roof off.

honolulujoe · Dec 16, 2015

sweet looking truck, nice find, seen people make the back door into a stable type door, curious to see the other side of the door

brakes may just need new shoes, my series both stopped fine but the rear brakes on both hadn't been done properly

Hub · Dec 16, 2015

28 hours! I'm sure you got to know one another quite well! I like the look of it, and the way you describe it- 'noises I'm not used to' that's what it's all about! Congratulations, look forward to hearing more about it

John S · Dec 16, 2015

Welcome mate. That's a great high risk journey and it worked. Nice colour for dry climate. There will be problems along the way post it in the series section.

JordiLr · Dec 17, 2015

Welcome from Spain too (from the oposite side of the ountry). Typical spanish Land Rover Santana, looks so tidy and if you could manage this 1000km's it's not so bad.

Try to adjust the steernig box and bleed the brakes and look for leackings on the servo unit and tubes. I'm sure with this couple of manteinance routines will be another car.

chris7 · Dec 17, 2015

She looks beautiful, straight and undamaged! A few little gremlins but we've all experienced those! Congrats on a great find, look forward to seeing more of her!
Chris

RobertP · Dec 17, 2015

Looks a good buy. Well done. I love those rear door hinges.

solvista · Dec 18, 2015

Hub said:
28 hours! I'm sure you got to know one another quite well! I like the look of it, and the way you describe it- 'noises I'm not used to' that's what it's all about! Congratulations, look forward to hearing more about it

Yeah, we're best of mates now hehe. I'm going to let it sit at the country house (not mine, I'm not landed gentry) over Christmas as I'm off to the UK for a few weeks. Then I should have some time to do a few bits.

honolulujoe said:
sweet looking truck, nice find, seen people make the back door into a stable type door, curious to see the other side of the door

brakes may just need new shoes, my series both stopped fine but the rear brakes on both hadn't been done properly

It was built that way. Santana often made a few changes of their own based on feedback from their customers in Spain and from South America. When I take the door card off, cos it's a bit tatty, I'll take a pic.

John S said:
Welcome mate. That's a great high risk journey and it worked. Nice colour for dry climate. There will be problems along the way post it in the series section.

Thanks mate. Yeah, I do stupid things like that sometimes; but usually get away with it.
As far as the dry climate is concerned, I don't live in the dry part of Spain (unlike JordiLr). I live in Galicia, where we have more rainfall than Manchester. Galicia is more akin to Ireland than the Costa del Sol in terms of weather. So, green would be a much more appropriate colour.

JordiLr said:
Welcome from Spain too (from the oposite side of the ountry). Typical spanish Land Rover Santana, looks so tidy and if you could manage this 1000km's it's not so bad.

Try to adjust the steernig box and bleed the brakes and look for leackings on the servo unit and tubes. I'm sure with this couple of manteinance routines will be another car.

Ah, you're over on the dry side. That's a bonus. Yes, it is a typical working Santana that has been reasonably well looked after, just because it needed to work amongst the olives in a very hilly/mountainous area.
The two bits of maintenance you mentioned are exactly the first two on my list, thanks.
Por cierto, supongo que eres español. Genial que estas utilizando un foro en Inglés, pero no me gusta que tu Inglés es mejor que mi Castellano jeje (I can't remember seeing a rule about using English only, sorry if there is one).

chris7 said:
She looks beautiful, straight and undamaged! A few little gremlins but we've all experienced those! Congrats on a great find, look forward to seeing more of her!
Chris

Thanks. Yeah, she goes in a straight line Chris, and the only real damage is to the two front wings; the one not shown is a bit more beaten. I'm not thinking of replacing them, or beating them around just yet. I'll get all the little niggly mechanical bits done first and then worry about what she looks like.

solvista · Dec 18, 2015

RobertP said:
Looks a good buy. Well done. I love those rear door hinges.

Yeah, they're different. I suppose it's to allow the door top to come off when you take the roof off. Pretty cool idea. I'm not so keen on the lights at the back though; I may change them for the UK style round lights at some stage.

nickjaxe · Dec 20, 2015

I like it...what's the big 80 for on the back...I dont like that...is its a mx speed for it.
keep us all informed as to how its going.

honolulujoe · Dec 20, 2015

yes surely that should be 88 on the back

solvista · Dec 20, 2015

nickjaxe said:
I like it...what's the big 80 for on the back...I dont like that...is its a mx speed for it.
keep us all informed as to how its going.

Yeah, it's a legality. About 50mph is the max. I'd love to see it beat that anyway. Nobody has mentioned the ugly light cluster on the back. They're on the list of changes.
I'm going to UK on Tuesday for a few weeks. When I come back I'll start seriously looking at what needs doing and what can be afforded. It has it's ITV (Spanish MOT) until Feb, so I might not do anything until I need to.

honolulujoe said:
yes surely that should be 88 on the back

True hehe.

Land Raver · Dec 20, 2015

Looks great. Keep the dents and damage - all part of it's interesting history.
Worth changing all the oils, everywhere, and topping up steering box and steering relay in chassis. Seems you're off to a good start already.

Mr S1 · Dec 20, 2015

Cool little truck, I like !

goonarmy · Dec 28, 2015

Spare sits pretty low there have you got it? What's the difference between that and the equivalent landy? That another santana down the road?

solvista · Jan 5, 2016

goonarmy said:
Spare sits pretty low there have you got it? What's the difference between that and the equivalent landy? That another santana down the road?

Yeah, it looks a bit low doesn't it. I popped it on to see what it looks like.

There are no major differences, as far as I can tell. The rear lights, and there being a strange hand-throttle down by the heater being two things I haven't seen before.

Yes, it's a swb Santana 2500 down the road. The area I got it from (Cazorla) is brimming over with Santanas. They were put together from kits not far from there in Linares.

honolulujoe · Jan 6, 2016

I think some are low to allow for bigger tyres, my door had it low but someone moved it up.

with 7.50's and the higher position I wouldn't be able to access the rear door lock

solvista · Jan 6, 2016

It's only got 6s on it (skinny little things). I'm in UK at the moment, so I can't go out and have a look at it, but looking at that last picture it seems to hinder the easy use of the tow hitch.

Really, I'd like to mount the spare on the bonnet but I can't find a cheap method of doing that, so it might just go back inside and be anchored to the centre bulkhead again.

honolulujoe · Jan 6, 2016

I keep meaning to get one of those swing away jobs but like so many things I just don't get round to it

I got a spare bonnet off the bay with mounting but it is so hard to either find one local or someone who can be bothered to post

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