Just over 5 years ago I pushed this 1955 Series 1 107 into my garage. A few weeks ago I drove it out for the first time. In those 5 years, I learned some valuable lessons restoring an old Land Rover. This was the first Series 1 that I restored and the oldest vehicle that I have restored. In this article, I share my 10 biggest lessons for a successful restoration.
I have done a previous article on the top ten tips for doing your dream restoration where I talk about how to choose a suitable vehicle and how you need to tackle the whole process. So have a look at that one if you haven’t seen it yet.
Bear in mind that I have done this a few times already but still I have learned some more valuable lessons. So let’s count it down from number 10.
#10 Patience
A restoration is going to take longer than you think. You are going to have to wait for parts, You are going to forget to do parts. You are going to find a problem that sets you back. The small things will take you longer than you think. Without patience, you will take shortcuts. The more patience you have the higher the chances that you land up with a high-quality restoration
#9 Measure and check all inter-vehicle parts.
Don’t think that all Land Rover parts are interchangeable. Just because they look the same doesn’t mean they are the same. There are subtle measurement differences between many parts. A Land Rover 80 inch may look similar to an 86 inch but it shares almost no common parts with an 86. Make sure you do your research well and measure the parts properly.
[Battery brackets, engine mounts, hubs, steering arms, steering boxes, exhausts]
#8 Get the right parts
Some parts just differ cosmetically but can be interchanged and used. But some parts may fit but they will result in failure and poor or unsafe performance. Take for example the tie rod ends. There are two types, earlier versions with unthreaded collars and later with full-threaded sections. You have to used the collard version with the tie rod with the recessed thread. Mixing them up can result in failure and steering safety concerns.
#7 Dry fit first
Towards the end of my restoration, I started dry fitting and saved myself a ton of time and frustration. Dry fitting means that you preassemble sections sometimes before painting and sometimes when you have some new parts. This helps to confirm that everything will fit and often will highlight if you are still missing something or if you need to make some changes. Then you can make changes without damaging your new paint work and save time by getting a missing part to complete the final installation. Dry fitting the body panels is especially beneficial if you want to save yourself some heartache. Also dry fitting before you need to apply gaskets and sealants will save you having to redo some sealing work.
#6 First time right
Take the time to do it properly or redo it if necessary. Don’t leave a problem or even worse ignore a problem. Sometime you just get so demotivated and just want to get the project finished. But another hour, day, or week is not going to make a difference in the grand scheme of the restoration. It will save you time later and give you a better quality finish at the end. You don’t want to look back and regret not doing something. Rather take the time and do it properly now.
#5 Restore and Reuse
There are very few OEM replacement parts. So most of the replacement parts that you will buy will be aftermarket and not at the same quality as OEM. It’s tempting to avoid cleaning and restoring a part because you want a new shiny one rather. But I learned that it can backfire on you especially when you can’t find a replacement part or you have to pay a fortune for a special replacement part. I restored many parts that were 70 years old and they worked perfectly once cleaned and lubricated. Plus it is hugely rewarding to know that you have reused original parts. That is what restoration is all about after all.
[Door handles, Bolts, brake switch, brake reservoir, fuel tank, Steering wheel – old vs new fpics]
#4 Disassemble carefully
The previous point all starts with the disassembly process. Make sure that you know how to disassemble the parts. If you don’t know then find out or proceed very very carefully. It is not always easy because you are working with decades of oil, crud and rust so it can be difficult to work out how to proceed sometimes. But trust me some of my biggest regrets on this restoration are not taking care of disassembling the delicate parts like the steering and dash.
#3 Take detailed photos of the disassembly
Even with all the photos and videos that I have of my restoration. I still wish I had detailed photos of so many sections. Like the roof fittings, I lost some parts there. The rear cab window section, the spacers on the rear tub and even the fittings for the firewall. You almost need to take pictures of every single bolt and junction. If you look at it its not that many and quite doable.
#2 Double your budget
This is one of the hardest ones to get right. It is very difficult to do a budget when you do not know the full extent of the work required. But it’s probably advisable to plan for the worst and hope for the best. But then again you might scare yourself off and not even start. Some advice would be to ask around and see what it has cost other people. If you ask they will usually tell you. It’s better to be prepared with your budget so that you can plan your finances and make sure that you finish the job and don’t abandon it halfway. It’s unlikely that a restoration will be a profitable exercise. But it is guaranteed to be rewarding.
#1 Get the parts Manual
The biggest lesson that I learned in this restoration was that the parts manual is like gold. It is way more useful than the repair manual. You will need both but you cannot do without the parts manual. The more you become comfortable and know the parts manual the easier the job will be. It will make sure that you don’t miss out on anything and that you use the correct parts and assemble them correctly. I especially found it useful for many of the smaller items that I was not even aware of because they had gone missing. Also for the nuts and bolts, it is essential to make sure that you use the right fasteners.
I hope that I have highlighted some things that will help you if you plan to tackle a restoration. Watch the full video of this article @theoverlandlegend on Youtube
