1974 Land Rover Series 3

First registered back in 1975, this Series III Land Rover 88” has been in the same hands for the past 12 years after being bought by the seller as a project when he was just 16 years old.

He learned his craft by getting it roadworthy and then used it only infrequently; as you can see from the MoT history, HDU69N has covered less than a thousand miles in the past dozen years and he’s reluctantly decided the time has come to let it go to someone who’s going to be able to use and enjoy it properly.

In need of restoration – its last MoT expired in 2016 although it is, of course, exempt now – it looks to be remarkably tidy and original and has the benefit of its original engine (albeit not fitted) and an overdrive.

You will need to source a top for it, which frees you up to decide whether that’ll be metal or fabric; either way, there’ll be no shortage of places to get one, either new or secondhand.

It would make a glorious project for someone new to the classic car or Land Rover world, just like it did for the seller, all those years ago.

The panels might be a little battered and dented but nothing wears a patina better than an old Land Rover. They still look presentable but whether you leave them as they are or replace them will depend on your attitude towards originality.

If it helps, the green paint has a mighty shine to it, which compensates a little and is something that might just tip you into maintaining the bodywork largely unaltered rather than replacing/restoring it ahead of a full respray.

(You’ll notice the peeling paint reveals a different shade of green underneath, thus freeing you, if repainting is going to be your thing, of any obligation to keep it in its ‘original’ colour…)

Either way, you’ll need to decide what your plans are for the roof. You could choose from a pickup, station wagon, or soft-top – and the beauty of it is, if you change your mind, swapping it for a different arrangement wouldn’t be too costly, in either time or money.

The steel wheels might have been powdercoated 6-8 years ago but they still look great as the Land Rover’s been carefully stored in the dry and barely used since then.

The wheels are fitted with a full set of Insa Turbo Special Track 2 tyres, tyres whose depth of tread is measured in good old British inches rather than New World millimeters. Brand new, they’re chunky enough to claw your way out of the fiery pits of hell itself.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance, an attitude that’s further reinforced as the spare wheel sports a matching Insa tyre, too.

The front bumper will almost certainly need replacing. Again, the world’s your lobster because the directions you could take are limited only by your imagination.

You’ll need a new front numberplate too, of course but that’s not going to break the bank, is it?

Oh, and the rear step is stuck in the down position. Still, you know what they say: if it moves and it shouldn’t use gaffer tape, and if it doesn’t move and it should use WD-40.

Given there are no carpets, headlining, or rear seats in situ, there really isn’t much to the interior. What there is is a bit tired too, but rather than seeing this as a problem why not see the opportunity it presents?

Take a look at Exmoor Trim and decide how far you want to go because the options are pretty much endless, from restoring it back to a basic utility vehicle all the way to a full-blown luxury SUV.

It’s still usable while you make up your mind and, if you can ignore the gaffer tape on the passenger’s seat, the tattered door cards, and the battered fascia, not too untidy.

The presence of the overdrive means there are no fewer than four stout levers sprouting from the floor in addition to the handbrake. There’s a simple, thin-rimmed steering wheel too plus a dashboard to make a minimalist’s heart sing.

The 2.25-litre petrol engine fires into life but then these things are renowned for their ability to shrug off poor maintenance and iffy petrol with equal aplomb.

It’s not the original engine, although that is available and will come with the vehicle should the new owner want to restore the 4x4 with that under the bonnet.

The engine bay is a bit scruffy but you’ll probably be pulling the engine at some point anyway, so you can prettify that to your heart’s content later.

Speaking of restoration, the seller has a lot of Land Rover spares in the barn that may be available by sperate negotiation.

The Land Rover doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

Writing this advert made us see how much freedom this Land Rover offers. Not just in its ability to take you from a beach picnic to the other side of the world with equal ease but the freedom to take it in any direction you want, from getting it roadworthy and safe but still slightly scruffy all the way through to stripping it to the chassis and rebuilding it in your own image.

Most of us have dreamed of restoring a car at one point or another and a Land Rover would be more straightforward than most thanks to its straightforward construction and ready supply of parts, both new and secondhand.

There’s a ready source of paid help via specialists too, plus more internet forums and Facebook Groups than any sane person could ever read should you prefer to do the work yourself.

Afterwards, you’ll have a new member of the family, something that’ll happily sit in the garage for months on end until you call upon it to keep you mobile in even the foulest of weather, collect the winter’s logs, or just to take you and a few friends down to the pub on a summer evening.

As for what we think it’ll sell for, it’s being offered with no reserve so will sell from the very first bid. We can’t say fairer than that, can we?

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located in Ilmington, United Kingdom. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.