While in San Diego this week I went up the road to San Marcos to visit Lucra Cars and see my 1979 Series III Land Rover truck and meet Luke Richards.

I had never met Luke or even spoken to him on the phone. All of my contact has been through Grayson Wolf, the “concierge buyer” who found the truck at Lucra Cars. Luke welcomed me warmly and gave me a tour of his operation and a close-up look at my truck which is nearing completion.

When I arrived Eric and Ron (above) were working on my truck. Luke explained that he had been restoring the truck for his own use when Mr. Wolf contacted him and persuaded him to sell it.

For the next 45 minutes Luke showed me all of the tiny improvements that make this restored Land Rover better than it was when it rolled off the line in Santana, Spain. Luke prefers to restore Land Rovers from the Santana plant because they’re always in better shape than the ones he gets from the UK (which are “usually shit”).

There were a couple of other Land Rovers in some stage of restoration but I think they were all Defenders. Mine was the only Series I saw. He had some more outside that were too far gone for restoration and — I assume — were salvaged for parts.

Luke finished up the tour with a visit to a nearby shop that (I think) did custom design and fabrication of aluminum body parts. The hardtop on my truck had some bad spots and this was where they repaired and replaced those.

I noticed some movie posters on the walls and asked about them. Turns out Luke and this shop have done some custom vehicles you heave — and will — see in the movies. (They told me but I can’t tell you). Photo below is Luke and Curt, owner of CRB Aluminum Fabrication Services. 

When Luke and Company finish the restoration it goes to Mr. Wolfe (in the Bay Area) where he’ll drive it to break in the rebuilt diesel engine properly and find/fix anything that might have been missed during the restoration. During this period I’ll go out to meet Mr. Wolf and get a crash course on old Series trucks. When it’s as good as he can make it, Mr. Wolf will load my new toy on a truck and ship it to me. I’m hoping by October 1. [Restoration photo gallery]

Nothing says safari like a spare on the bonnet. Probably won’t leave it there. Couple of other options. Does look sorta bad-ass.

Watching my truck (’79 Series III Land Rover) being (re)built piece by piece is delicious agony. They’re taking their time, ordering pieces as they decide what needs to be replaced and waiting for them to arrive from the UK supplier. Every couple of weeks they post four or five photos and I pour over them inch by inch. As much as I’ve enjoyed my MINI, nothing about it has this kind of attraction for me. Like all my other vehicles, it’s a way to get from A to B.

But this truck. Everything about it seems to pluck my magic twanger. Take look at the front bumper (below). It’s a big hunk of steel. No chrome. No curves. No ornamentation. Just a big metal bar. I guess the idea was if you happened to hit something (or something hit you) the bumper would protect the front of the truck. Is there a vehicle on the road to day that can take a bump at any speed without resulting in hundreds of dollars in damage? But function aside, I love the form of this thing. Could it be more simple?

And then there are the iconic Land Rover door latches. Grab. Pull. Gonna be driving through the bush? No problemo. Door handles are recessed, thank you very much.

And that lock. Won’t be needing that bluetooth remote for these. You need a key. (Even though these looks look like they could be picked with a paper clip)

I mean, there’s just no extra shit. Everything has a purpose. A function.

Waiting for new photos of the truck is exquisite torture. If we’re down to things like headlights and grills we must be in the home stretch. Next week I’ll get to put my hands on this baby (I hope) and meet the guys doing the restoration. Been awhile since I’ve been this excited. More photos »

I’ve been hanging out on a Land Rover forum and mentioned my fondness for the simplicity of the old trucks. Another member posted these photos of the engine compartment of his Audi. One with the engine ‘cover’ and one with it removed.

Legend has it that you can only change two sensors without removing the engine. The crank sensor and the Temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is underneath the AC pump though, which needs disconnected. Therefore it needs to be done at a garage as the engine cant be run with no refrigerant gas as supposedly there is no clutch on the AC pump. (doubtful IMHO). To remove the engine means dismantling everything from the rear diff forwards, lowering the engine, front transmission and subframe then lifting the car off. On the Landy you can get to pretty much every part of the engine in situ. The engine only really needs to come out if the crank needs to come out.

For all the charm of an old Land Rover, the lads (mostly Brits) who haunt this forum pull no punches about what it’s really like to drive one of these things. Cold in the winter, hot in the summer, noisy in any season. Only time will tell if I can make the transition from the MINI. I’m approaching this more as art project and philosophical exercise than a way to get downtown.

Since pulling the trigger on a Series (III) Land Rover, I’ve been on a steady diet of YouTube videos. Restoration videos; how-to videos; for sale videos; and lots of fan videos. One of the best of these is on a channel called Harry’s Garage. I gather Harry knows a good bit about cars and he is very found of his 1954 Series I Land Rover.

First half of the video is a walk-around and in the second half he takes us for a ride. The person recording the video is in the back of the truck and you can see the road and the speedometer. But you can’t hear a word old Harry is saying because the truck is so loud. When the speed reaches 50 mph the truck is shaking like the space shuttle during lift-off.

Since learning my new highway top-end would be around 50 mph I’ve been setting the cruise control on my MINI at 55 to get a feel for what was coming. It felt frighteningly slow. Every other car whizzing by. How will I get used to this, I wondered.

I won’t have to. Riding along with old Harry in his Series I at 50 mph felt like 80 mph!

Wish I knew the names of the technicians working on my truck. Trying to put together a trip to San Diego to see the truck and maybe learn about about its history. Probably a long shot. Nice to start getting some photos again. Never seen a battery like the one below. I’m told that’s because it has to crank a diesel engine.

If you’re joining us late, you can read about the beginning of the Land Rover adventure here.

I purchased a Repair Operation Manual for my Land Rover. This is different from the owner’s manual. “The purpose of this manual is to assist skilled mechanics in the efficient repair and maintenance of the range of vehicles given on the title-page.” (Series III)

Land Rover owners insist these trucks are so simple, so basic, that any good auto mechanic can service and repair them. But the truck is 38 years old and having the factory manual can’t hurt. It was pricey but a good investment.

When my truck arrives it will have a hardtop. But I haven’t given up my dream of going topless in the warmer months. Lots of advice on this topic in the forum I’ve started haunting. This young man lives in Scotland:

“Unfortunately, living in Scotland, it’s rarely dry enough or warm enough to take the top off. I would love to get a soft top for my truck. The hardtop doesn’t really make it a great deal warmer or less draughty than the canvas. In the winter, even with the hardtop on it is bone chillingly cold. In the summer, with the hardtop on, it is like sitting in in oven. I reckon with the canvas, the summer would be much more comfortable, with the easy option of rolling the sides up and the winter would be just as equally horrendous. The funny thing is, even with the hardship and discomfort, driving the land rover in any season is always a joy and a choice.”

Yes! I hear that over and over. He shared a few photos of his Land Rover. I suppose there are perfectly restored Land Rovers sitting in climate controlled garages but I just haven’t come across those. Most owners seem to drive them, and drive them hard. I love the scruffy look of this truck.