LABOUR OF LOVE
At Jaguar Land Rover Classic, our passion for classic cars extends beyond the workplace. Many of our dedicated employees not only enjoy working with classic vehicles, but also invest their spare time in restoration projects.
We have had the pleasure of speaking with Ed and Scott from Jaguar Land Rover Classic, who have shared their most cherished projects with us.
ED HARVEY - LAND ROVER SERIES 1
Were there any memorable moments during the restoration project?
The most memorable moment was being able to collect my Series 1 Land Rover with my last of the line Defender Landmark, the Landmark holds the memories rather than the Series 1. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy one of the very last Defenders.
Even more so, I was lucky my Defender survived following an incident after only 200 miles over ownership. The car became instrumental on the morning of my wedding day. Storm Desmond had hit and Bowness was land locked. My wedding was to be cancelled as the band, beauticians, florists and even the registrar could not get to the Hotel. Luckily, my Land Rover saved the day and we were able to collect and deliver everyone and everything. It flooded the interior of the car and fused the electrics, but the wedding went ahead!
I purchased the Series 1 from a friend. He became too unwell to finish the project. So, I suppose its special in that regard that I am able to finish it on his behalf.
How has this project impacted your connection to classic cars?
The biggest impact was not the mechanical side, but the importance and appreciation of originality and documented history. Having the vehicle is one thing, but there were ~75 thousand manufactured. Although perhaps not special, it is a limited run of aluminum bulkhead models.
I'm unsure the reason behind this, but apparently the steel pressing tool for the bulkheads broke. A soft tool was produced as a stop gap, but this could only press aluminum, thus the aluminum bulkhead run of vehicles until a hard tool was put back into manufacturing. Being in the job I do, understanding the forensics behind a customer vehicle ensures that any work we do is in-keeping and sympathetic to its past.
So, knowing the history of a specific model is key to ensuring you don't lose particular attributes during the repair process. This can lead you down many different paths of discovery. I wanted to learn about my Land Rover's travels. So, through clubs and heritage organisations I learnt that it was built on the 21st of October 1952 at our Solihull manufacturing plant and shipped on the 23rd of October to R H Collier of Birmingham England. They still exist as a JLR dealer today! From there I lost its history, but with help from the national archive I believe I may have found some of its history, so I hope to pick up the chase once more!
What advice would you give to others who are considering or currently in the middle of a similar restoration project?
My advice - it's only original once! You can easily over restore things and end up with a new car rather than a restored example. A classic cars' past is one of its endearing features. Certain things were done for certain reasons, whether it be a factory change in manufacturing process or an after-market modification to accommodate a needed accessory. A dent here and a scratch there has a story behind it, and it's all personal to the car and owner. Personally, I believe in fix rather than throw away. My Land Rover will have restored chassis and power train but a beaten up tatty body! Of course, there are service, reliability and safety critical parts that must be replaced, but the heart of the car (chassis, bulkhead, engine, gearbox, axles etc.) I feel should remain as supplied.
SCOTT BARBER - 1998 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 110
I purchased this Land Rover as it has an interesting history, Mechanical PTO winch and crane fitted, all of which can aid me with my second world war lorry restorations. It wasn’t intended to turn into a restoration, but things escalated.
Were there any memorable moments during the restoration project?
The most memorable moment of this project was making it home (without issue!) from Croyde to Leicestershire, and the stage I am out now, which is the final stages of the project with the to do list not increasing faster than what I am repairing.
This Land Rover has had a hard-working life and it showed. Once stripped down, the chassis required considerable attention. Also needed was a complete suspension overhaul, axles overhauled, major engine work, body repairs and electrical rectification.
How has this project impacted your connection to classic cars?
I already have a strong love and passion for all classic forms of transport owning and restoring all types of vehicles over the years, however this Land Rover project I really enjoyed due to all the unexpected issues I came across and jobs I needed to do that I haven’t done before. So much so I have bought a Series 3 Air portable Land Rover to do next, it will be a lot less work than this one.
What advice would you give to others who are considering or currently in the middle of a similar restoration project?
Advice for anyone considering a restoration project would be... Pick a marque you're passionate about and talk to friends, family, and colleagues about it you can receive a lot of helpful pointers.
The other big one is research, find out parts availability, areas to check on the vehicle.
You will have some long and hard days but the achievement at the end its all worth it.
I restore classic cars and lorry’s all year round, so to those who are restoring a project, keep going it will be worth all the long hours and cold days when driving in the spring and summer months with all the shows to attend.
ARE YOU IN THE PROCESS OF RESTORING A CLASSIC JAGUAR OR LAND ROVER?
If you are currently in the middle of a restoration, or if you'd like to share a previous restoration story with us we would love to hear from you.
We stock tens of thousands of parts which are manufactured to precise specifications using original drawings and tooling, often by the original suppliers. Here at Jaguar Land Rover Classic, we are as committed as you to maintaining the unique spirit of a true classic.
Every classic Jaguar and Land Rover is a treasure to be cherished.
