Pick Up Project: 1960 Land Rover Series II

There are all manners of vintage cars and trucks that are slowly becoming too costly to restore, at least relative to what you can do with them afterwards. For a hot minute, I thought old Land Rovers might be headed this direction, but I no longer believe that. In fact, if I were a betting man, I’d wager that old Land Rovers and Range Rovers like this 1960 Series II pickup listed here on craigslist will fare better over the coming years as a vehicle that will continue to enrich restoration shops and those owners lucky enough to have a preserved example in the barn. The seller is asking $11,000 for this truck which he claims is a rust-free North American Spec (NAS) example.

I realize there are people who get paid a fair wage to predict where the classic car market is going, but my sense is that old-school Rovers will be supported for some time to come. At the end of the day, if you can’t easily get parts for an old-school car or truck, you’ll see enthusiasts pull away from the brand and values will likely drop as a result. In the Audi world, there’s been plenty written about the lack of support from the factory for the old-school cars despite the fact that all of those parts resident in the Audi Tradition catalog in Germany – they just don’t want to ship them to U.S. customers. As a result, plenty of people I know have chosen to invest in different brands with reliable parts supply.

Land Rover is one of those companies, even if your local showroom looks nothing like a place that could help you put this truck back on the road. There are numerous U.S.-based companies specializing in parts sourcing, and actively have what you need sitting on the shelf. In addition, you don’t have to look too far to find a restoration specialist that can help bring this truck back to good health if you’re an open checkbook kind of guy. Finally, there’s also plenty of parts sharing between different models, and old trucks were always fairly rudimentary in their construction – meaning nothing from the factory was perfect, so if you have to bodge it together, it’s not the end of the world. Heck, you could drive this Land Rover without a dash for years to come!

The 2.25L gas engine produced around 73 horsepower and 120 lb.-ft. of torque. It is known for its reliability and I suspect it will come back to life with relative ease considering it still turns over. The seller is correct that this truck will not likely last long at the asking price considering its supposed rust-free condition. There must be some paper trail or other supporting history given he knows it was imported through Los Angeles when new. The European-market license plates are a tad confusing if this truck came to the U.S. in 1960, so I’d for clarification there; regardless, if the condition is as-described, it’s worthy of in-person inspection. Thanks to Barn Finds reader T.J. for the find.