Reader Mike M recently sent in a discovery he made in his hometown of Boise Idaho. It appears to be a Series II Land Rover and it has been parked in this alley for many years. The paint is faded and a tree branch is laying on the hood, but Mike would love to have it. He has even taken a unique approach to warming the owners up to idea before making direct contact. Here is the story in his own words:
“I have seen this truck for about as long as I can remember, parked down an alley (actually it’s a long driveway, the house is behind another house if that makes sense…) that only leads to one house. One day I got up the nerve to go snap a few pictures and was encouraged to find the tires way to far gone to drive, pretty much all the rubber and plastic would need to be replaced, but no large amounts of rust. It was chock full of paper bags filled with books and they appeared dry.
The license plates show it hasn’t been registered since 1986, which sounds about right as I started noticing cars around that time. I decided the best approach to buying the car would be to not act too obnoxious and I didn’t want to be considered a solicitor, so I mailed the homeowners a letter, letting them know how cool the car was and how long I have wanted it. I let them know I was a lifelong South East Boise resident and how they’d see me driving it around town, and that my plans didn’t involve putting a big honking V8 and enormous mud tires on it.
I never heard anything back, but shortly after words the truck moved. I was dumfounded and crushed! I thought surely they figured it was worth something and sold it without contacting me. Then, fall came and the leaves fell, they had just moved it further up the alley closer to their house. And, there it sits. I am finally done with school, and can finally afford a little project, so I might approach them again and see if I can get a deal worked out…”
Thanks to Mike for sharing this find with us and we wish you luck in your quest to acquire this Land Rover. If you do end up convincing the owner to relinquish it, please let us know. We hope you keep the original paint and Boise State College bumper sticker intact. They just add character and keep a nice connection to its local past.
certainly looks restorable
We/I could use a 4X4 such as this here in Alaska. It is just the correct size.
Sincerely,
Br. Anthony, IC XC NIKA
Be sure to inspect the frame & the bulkhead. They are prone to rust.The body is mostly aluminum, so a “rust-free” exterior might be hiding some expensive problems underneath.Galvanized replacement frames are available, but they can be pricey!Parts are readily available form several sources, both here in the US and (of course) in the UK.Good Luck with the acquisition!!-Bear-
The truck looks to be around a ’62. The exterior is in great shape for an old landy. I just finished a frame up restoration on one in nearly the same year and tipped the $50k mark. My suggestion is to do a little more recon work…if the frame and bulkhead are rusted out, bite your tongue, enjoy the fantasy and move on. It is substantial work and $ to replace this stuff. A new galvanized frame from Rovers North is around 3k. If you wanna get it, get the engine running and just ride it rusty then go for it!Best of luck…looks like you’ve got the bug.Nick
Mike, Awesome find!! I search out old cars a lot and have never seen one of these setting around! Good luck! (PS, better make your next move quickly, because with the posting of the license plate on line, some out-of-towner could do a DMV search, locate the registered owner, and swoop in without putting in the care and caution that you’ve invested to date!)
Nice find. Funny about these Series Rovers – people tend to develop a very deep emotional attachment. They are a challenge to keep running right and that only seems to make people love their quirks even more. I second Doug’s statement. Knock on the door and tell them the story you wrote here. It might get them to at least commit to selling to you first if they sell.
I’m guessing that if they took the time to move it closer to the house and a little more out of sight, then they’re not planning on selling any time soon. I also agree that people become very attached to them, even with their quirks, and getting them to part with it is sometimes impossible.
When we were in Illinois, I saw a 1972 Olds Cutlass in a small shed that was falling down around it. I peeked inside and saw it was still okay but getting bad. I found the owner and he told me it wasn’t for sale, period. He did let me look at it and I found dead mice under the hood and mold all over the interior, it was truly depressing.
I hope this is not the case for you and you’re able to work out a deal.