Land Rover Series 1 80 1949 Lights Behind The Grill

  
Here we have quite a sweet, and very early Land Rover - as can be seen by the photos, it's clean and reasonably tidy. Firstly, this is not a vehicle for the purist - it is originally a ring pull type gearbox "R01" chassis number, although neither the box nor the engine survive.... The chassis plate is present and and matches the logbook, which, interestingly has had only two former keepers since registration on 16.08.49.

The engine is a 2200cc diesel engine, once fitted to the Austin Gipsy - this is actually quite a nice set up (listed as such in logbook)..... They are great little engines, far better than early Land Rover diesels. It starts eagerly, sounds nice and runs without issue. The result is a neatly fitted, appropriate sized unit, which has a little more power over standard - it feels just right. The gearbox is spot on, as is clutch and brakes (some recent brake parts fitted) and it drives with a feeling of dependability.

There's the usual free play in the steering, but it falls in line with other Series 1s of this age. There are signs of recent ball joints etc (and a new swivel set), so it's mechanically very good.

The chassis is believed to be the original, and has only had very minimal work to the back end in the past. The vast majority of it is unwelded and we would say that it would be more solid than most at this age - in short it's very good. The bulkhead is also in good order - this vehicle has been a daily driver for the previous keeper of 10 years. The brake lights work, as do all others required if it needed an MOT, but we are not supplying it with one as it doesn't need it.

It's nice to see the dash lights working, plus the headlights working off the twist switch around the key slot. Some things don't work - the speedo has packed in, and the dials are not great - this is a common problem on an old Land Rover. The auxiliary oil pressure gauge works! There's no heater fitted, but there never was! The inside is tidy and has some of the original brass badges supplied with it when new, which is nice. It's actually fairly standard inside, and the seats are nice. The horn has been moved from the wheel to the dash, and there's a glow button on there too for the glow plugs. The rear is unfitted but has a load mat. Externally, the paintwork isn't too bad for an old girl.

There are various dents, ripples and imperfections which we feel the photos clearly show. It's far from showroom, but we think it looks ok. Most, if not all of the galvanising has been over painted over time.

The canvas is new, as the old one was at the end of its life. There are no door tops supplied, and it is presented for sale exactly as you see it. The tyres are the right size and have good tread. There, you will be able to see what tidy examples fetch!

In summary then, this is a smart, early and very useable 1949 Land Rover. It can be used "as is" or improved, as they all can. We believe it to be an honest example of the much sought after lights behind the grill.

We can deliver if required at cost. The item "Land Rover Series 1 80 1949 Lights Behind The Grill" is in sale since Thursday, May 26, 2016. This item is in the category "Cars, Motorcycles & Vehicles\Classic Cars\Land Rover".

The seller is "johnbrown4x4ltd" and is located in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. This item can be shipped to United Kingdom.

• Year: 1949
• Manufacturer: Land Rover
• Model: Series 1