1983 Land Rover Series 3 88" County

Vendor Cliff Smith bought this Series 3 Land Rover back in 2018. “It was a bit of a wreck,” he recalls. “It had a horrible diesel engine, and someone had butchered all the bodywork trying to fit a roll-cage!

Cue a restoration.

“It was back to bare metal on the chassis, which was in surprisingly good condition. Then it was about trying to find replacement bits for parts that couldn’t be restored or refurbished. The diesel engine was changed for a period correct 2.25 petrol unit that had a new timing belt and both the heads and bores inspected, with the valves re-lapped to restore compression to what it should be. We replaced the carburetor with a new Zenith item and inlet manifold – a significant improvement on the old Weber unit”.

New panels were added where necessary, before the bodywork was re-sprayed in Spring Green. A whole host of replacement parts (and then some) were sourced and fitted. “The result is that the Land Rover is now in factory condition and drives superbly”.

The only non-original change on the vehicle is the use of a 123 ignition distributor. “This ensures that it starts every time!”

Cliff says he has tried hard not to do the maths but estimates the cost of the restoration to be somewhere in the region of £20k – not including the initial cost of the vehicle.

“I have moved house recently, as well as retiring, so I had to choose to keep one of my cars and I made the decision to retain my Range Rover Classic two-door, so the Landie has to go. 

“I really don’t want to sell it, though”. 

The Series 3 presents externally in very nice, restored fettle. 

New panels have been seamlessly integrated where necessary and the paint finish is a treat for the eyes. New lights have been fitted, as has new glass to the windscreens.

 “The Exmoor hood was brand new two years ago and came off a previous S3, so it does have some minor marks on it. Again, the Land Rover is ‘County’ spec. I have a full set of stickers (white stripes and the County logo) that the new owner can have, although I can’t guarantee their quality. 

“The colour is Spring Green, not Light Green, so slightly less ‘sagey’ and a little greener/lighter than the other cars out there”. We’re big fans of that decision because, as the photographs show, it has a very nice mellow tone. 

The wheels are finished in period correct Limestone paint and fitted with new tyres. Bumpers and window frames too, are in excellent condition. 

Overall, it’s an evocative looking example. 

Unsurprisingly, given the outlay, the cabin is in similar tip-top condition. As such, you get a ‘County’ brake and fog light centre panel, new seats (three-abreast up front, foldable bench items in the rear), new mats and a fully refurbished dashboard. Situated in the latter are refurbished gauges and new switches. 

“I had a new Auto Sparks loom fitted, so all electrics work as they should. A new wiper motor was added, and the steering box refurbished by ICS”. All tailgate hinges and chains have been replaced.

The Exmoor hood ensures a light and airy cabin, even more so when Blighty’s weather allows you to get the best out of the design. 

You will find a matching spare wheel mounted just aft of the front passengers.

The attention to detail is high and the finish to a very nice standard. 

The Land Rover has covered just 100 miles since the restoration. Over to the best man for the job (Cliff) to describe how it now drives:

“Every hose and fuel line is new and E10 compliant. The brake lines and flexi are all new, as is the servo and master cylinder. The drums have new shoes and cylinders, so she stops very well. The steering was refurbished, and the front swivels have all been shimmed correctly, with new ball joints and a new relay, so the steering if the best of any Series on the road.

“The engine pulls well and the change to the Zenith carburettor has made a huge difference, as the restored Weber unit had some hesitation and didn’t give a good ride especially when coming off the throttle. It has a new exhaust system and all prop-shafts, as well as the differential, were checked.

“The dampers and springs are new, with the latter changed to parabolic units for a much more comfortable ride. With the canvas roof up in the recent sunny weather and the traditional whine of the gear/transfer box, she drives beautifully!”

Pressing play on our Video Review will allow you to view the Land Rover in all its glory and hear how she sounds when stationary (3mins 32secs). The petrol engine fires first time and sounds nice and lusty under load; it’s mated to a throaty sounding exhaust pipe for some aural goodness, too. 

It’s worth taking the time to look at our photographs of the underside, which show it to be supremely clean.

Very nice.

A full set of restoration photographs comes with the Series 3.

In the History File you will find the vehicle’s V5c document and current MoT test certificate; the latter of which runs until the 6th of June 2025. Also present are a selection of parts and restoration work invoices, as well some expired MoT test certificates and a recent online vehicle history check.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos to support our claim that this car is in a thoroughly excellent post-restoration condition. 

It took 6 years, but the result is surely worth it.

Cliff quite rightly thinks that and wants to keep it; unfortunately, circumstances, most notably a house move, dictate otherwise so someone else will benefit from his restorative labours.

Given its first-class presentation and excellent driving health, we think this lovely Series 3 88” County example will realise somewhere between £20,000 and £25,000.

When you consider the vendor’s estimated outlay on the restoration (we’ll whisper it: circa £20k), well that makes it seem like a bit of a bargain. In fact, we’ll go a bit further than that: it’s one heck of a bargain.

And someone is going to bag themselves a quite lovely Landie.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am- 12pm or 2pm-4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.