THE BIG RESTORATION
Quite simply the best Land Rover we’ve ever seen; restored to perfection by one man
In March 2014, while looking for an old British motorbike to restore, Steve Brown stumbled across an immensely forlorn-looking Land Rover Series 3 and, glancing across at his wife, received the firm instruction ‘don’t you dare!’. But eight years on, that very same pile of scrap is now a true work of art; resplendent in stunning Bronze Green, the underside just as perfect as the top, rendering both photographer Tom Critchell and me speechless as Steve opens the garage door and rolls it out into the sunshine.
‘It’s better than the day it left the factory,’
I exclaim. ‘That’s because I wasn’t working there,’ retorts Steve who is clearly, and justifiably, incredibly proud of his handiwork. If you’ve been following our Rebel with a Cause project, then Steve’s name will likely be familiar to you. Steve is the perfectionist genius who, in a matter of just a few days, prepared and painted that glassfibre shell to an amazing standard in time for it to be unveiled and reassembled live at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show at the NEC in March. This beautiful Land Rover, completed to Steve’s own exacting standards without the pressure of a curtain call just weeks after taking the project on, exemplifies exactly what he can really do, given the opportunity.
Rotten beginnings
The rotten 88-inch diesel Series 3 had been festering, unknown to Steve, in a barn just a mile from his house since the early Nineties, but from the moment he laid eyes on it he saw the potential. ‘I originally intended to buy it as a doer-upper and move it on quick quickly,’ admits Steve, ‘but as soon as I discovered just how bad it was, I realised that I was in this for the long haul.’
THE RESTORER
Steve Brown is technical Manager at HB Body and has worked in and around body shops for all his working life, as well as serving as a British Army reserve. Steve recently painted PC’s Reliant Rebel project that will soon be sold to raise funds for NHS Charities.
TECH SPEC
1980 Land Rover Series 3
Engine 2286cc/4cyl/OHV
Power 56.2bhp@4000rpm
Torque 101lb ft@1800rpm
Gearbox 4-speed man + LR
0-50mph 20.5sec
Top speed 65mph
Fuel economy 28mpg
Price new £6972
Value now £35,000
Having got the Land Rover home, Steve set to with the spanners, stripping it into manageable parts. ‘With the rear tub off, it quickly became apparent that the
