1980 Land Rover Series 3

Finished in the iconic colour of Marine Blue, ‘SUR 981W’ is a Land Rover Series 3 88” that’s fitted with the sweet-revving 2¼-litre petrol engine we raved about earlier. It’s been upgraded with an SU carburettor too and feeds the power through a new clutch and the rare and highly-sought-after Roamer overdrive.    

The seller’s owned it since 2019, and he’s spent the past six years commissioning a full rebuild from a variety of carefully chosen specialists.

Since completion, his beloved and expensively fettled Land Rover has covered fewer than 3,500 miles and has been kept securely garaged when it isn’t being driven.
 

Resprayed from its original colour of green to the Marine Blue you see here in 2019, the bodywork is in a very good condition – but then a lot of work went into making it so. The front wings and wing skins, for example, were replaced during the rebuild with ‘new/old’ stock items.

The front radiator panel was also replaced with a mint original example, the door bottoms were replaced with high-quality aftermarket items, and while the ‘dished’ bonnet was found to be in good shape and free of dents, its frame needed repairing and painting.

And, while the rear tub was also found to be very good, three of the underlying floor supports were replaced with new galvanised items.

The tailgate is a new too, and this also benefits from a galvanised backing plate. Speaking of galvanising, all the original body cappings, the windscreen frame, and the hood sticks were regalvanised during the rebuild.

The front bumper runs straight and true too, as do all the panels; while no Series Landie will ever challenge the likes of Audi or Mercedes for shutlines, the ones on this example are remarkably good and speak of many long hours carefully easing them into alignment.

Once reassembled, everything was stripped back to bare metal before being professionally resprayed with modern 2K Marine Blue paint and then machine-polished.

As the photos make evident, it really was a top-notch job and we can’t see many folk finding anything to do with the coachwork other than to keep it well polished.

The steel wheels have been painted Limestone, and the job has been so neatly done that the stamped lettering that identifies the wheels is still easy to read.

The wheels are also held on with new wheelnuts, and being freshly refurbished they’re in a fabulous condition with no scuffs, scrapes, or other damage - but then with tyres this chunky, damage to the rims is all but impossible.

They’re good tyres too. 7.50Rx16 Avon Rangemaster, in fact, and all four have good tread on them.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

The black folding hood is free of rips, tears, and other problems. It also fits well and being able to roll up the sides to allow fresh air in but keep sunlight and rain off is a nice touch.

A towbar, which is fitted with single electrics, adds utility.

As for decoration, this is limited to a pair of period-correct, raised-letter numberplates along with a set of four heavy-duty mudflaps and a very nice front grille. 
 

The interior received a huge amount of attention too, including three-abreast Deluxe front seats from (who else?) Exmoor Trim.

The same firm also supplied a pair of fold-down bench seats for the rear, lap belts, and a fume curtain. The latter reduces noise and seals off the front cabin in the winter, helping the heater keep you toasty, something that can be a challenge in a soft-top.

Helping the cause is a freshly fettled heating system that features a thicker heater matrix fitted inside the existing heater box. The owner also refurbished the lower dash vent flaps, repaired and lubricated the heater control mechanism, and fitted new demister trunking and rubber grommets.

Extra sounding-deadening has also been fitted in the cabin, which also helps insulate you from the cold outside. Supplied by “Wright Off Road’ it is an attractive three-piece heavy-duty polyurethane matting system that cuts down noise and provides greater insulation. It covers the seat box, transmission tunnels and footwells while still providing access to the seat box lids.

Dynamat sound deadening has been added to the underside of the seat box, the engine side of the bulkhead, and to the back of the front doors.

The instrument binnacle has been replaced by a powdercoated steel version by Raptor Engineering, which is “more substantial than the original brittle plastic version supplied by Land Rover”. The instrument panel has also been cleaned and fitted with new switchgear labelling.

The lower dashboard was stripped back to bare metal before being powdercoated in satin black. The foam was then repaired and reattached before being professionally re-trimmed in UV-resistant 4-way stretch black vinyl. The dashboard top has also been stripped and covered in the same material.

Vinyl also covers the door cards, although these do boast real leather door handles.  

Other miscellanea includes replacing the door seals, tailgate seal, and front air vent seals with OEM items.

It’s all in a wonderful condition too; whereas many restorations reuse stuff they really shouldn’t like rusty fasteners and patinated control knobs, everything here is as bright as a new pin.

It’s also very nicely judged, retaining the utilitarian looks we all love while managing to make it just that little bit more comfortable.

And it is very far from being all-show-and-no-go because the seller tells us that “all electrical items and dials work correctly”, including the SkyTag Tracker, which will need registering in the new owner’s name.
 

The engine is the correct capacity but given the engine number dates it to 1983-85, it’s clearly not the same one it left the factory with.

Nor can we confirm the mileage as the odometer wasn’t working when the seller bought it in 2019.

But, given the extent of the work that’s been carried out, we don’t see this as an issue: the cylinder head has been refurbished with hardened valve seats and new valve stem oil seals, but that was all the work the engine needed as the bores were found to be in “good condition with honing marks present”, so it was just put back together with a new head gasket.

The stock carburettor was replaced with a new SU HIF44 that had been handbuilt by Burlen. The seller chose this because he believes that “it is superior to the stock Zenith and Weber carbs usually found on these vehicles, and provides for more power and a smoother, more responsive throttle.”

Cleverly, an adapter kit by HNJ Engineering allowed him to keep the original oil-bath air filter to maintain the engine bay’s traditional appearance.

Other engine parts that were replaced include the fuel pump, the exhaust system and manifold, and the engine and gearbox mounts.  

The cooling system was upgraded with a copper and brass radiator in addition to new coolant hoses, waterpump, thermostat, and temperature sender. The coolant has recently been changed.

Nor did he neglect the braking system, modifying it to run a safer dual circuit instead of the single circuit system that Land Rover fitted 45 years ago. The brake master cylinder and servo have also been replaced, as have all the brake shoes, wheel cylinders, and brake lines. The transmission brake is said to have been “serviced and works correctly.”  

As for the suspension, new handed parabolic springs have been fitted to all four corners, along with new Girling dampers, bump stops, and axle straps . Other new parts include the front and rear propshafts, wheel bearings, hub oil seals, distance pieces (‘lands’), and steering arms.

Of course, the standard LT76 four-speed gearbox was stripped and rebuilt by a well-known Land Rover expert, with new parts as needed including the primary pinion and constant gear along with bearings and seals. 

A new Bork & Beck clutch was installed along with a new clutch release bearing and a Roamer overdrive, which “provides for a fifth gear and allows for more relaxed cruising, reducing engine revolutions by 28% and saving on fuel. It can be used a splitter gear in all forward gears and is particularly useful on hills. It shares its oil supply with the transfer box and is more substantially built than the historic ‘Fairey’ overdrives originally sold by Land Rover. The transfer box cover has been replaced with the aluminium version made by Rocky Mountain, which is less leaky than the steel original.”

The seller tells us that “gear changes are smooth and crunch free. The gearbox holds all gears and does not jump out on the overrun, and four-wheel drive (high and low range) both work.”

The ignition system has been refurbished with a new Lucas coil and new HT leads. The Distributor Doctor rebuilt and recurved the Lucas 45d distributor and replaced the points and condenser with an electronic ‘Pertronix Ignitor’ module for more power, reduced maintenance, and better reliability.

Autosparks provided all new wiring looms, and all the lamp lenses were replaced during the restoration.

The auxiliary dash panel features a twin USB port to charge your stuff, and it also shows the battery voltage, which is neat. To help the battery keep up with the increased demands you’ll be placing on it, the alternator has been replaced with a more powerful 45amp version, and the battery was changed for a new one in January 2025.

The video shows the engine, which is the later five-main-bearing version,  starts easily, idles and revs as it should. It also has an attractive note from the new exhaust system.

The engine bay is very nicely finished, and the upgrades that have been made have been carried out very sensitively, which is (another) lovely touch.

As for the chassis itself, we are told: “It has not been subject to any patch welding. The front dumb irons and outriggers are all original. During the rebuild the chassis was shotblasted back to bare metal and coated with Dinitrol rust protection. The only part that needed replacing was the rear crossmember, which was so expertly welded around all four faces of the chassis rails that the welds are invisible.”

The bulkhead and floors, all of which are notorious for rusting, are good: “The areas around the top rail, vent flaps, and top corners are all original with factory spot welds present, as are the door pillars and feet. The footwells were corroded, so the lower half of the driver’s footwell was replaced, as were the upper, lower, and side panel of the passenger footwell. Only high-quality parts were used, and these feature the pressed ribs in the footwells. The support brackets holding the bulkhead to the chassis, the steering box bracket and cover, and the mud shields have all been replaced with new galvanised replacements.”  

As for faults, the only one we are aware of is that the bonnet-mounted spare wheel, which cannot be balanced.

The auction includes some spares and other bits and bobs, including:

•    Disklok steering lock and a pedal clamp.
•    Inertia reel seat belts for the driver and front passenger seats from Exmoor Trim, including the necessary mounting brackets and fixings. 
•    A selection of Land Rover books including parts manuals, service guides, and Land Rover restoration books, including one that contains photos of this particular vehicle being restored.

A Heystee power steering kit is also supplied but is not fitted. This comprises a hydraulic ram that replaces one of the front steering arms to make the steering lighter. Its pump is powered from the front crankshaft pulley, and the full kit and instructions are included in the sale.

The seller tells us he removed this to work on the steering but didn’t refit it. He says that “it was in working order when removed and had only covered only approximately 1,000 miles at the time. It has sat dormant in a box for a few years, so there is no guarantee. The hydraulic hoses are perishable items, but they should have plenty of life left in them.
 

Despite not needing one, the Land Rover’s MoT certificate, which is valid until March 2026, was issued with no advisories, just like every single one since 2018.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for a change of colour.

The Land Rover comes with two keys, three folders of invoices, photos of the restoration, and some useful miscellaneous information, and a bunch of expired MoT certificates.

As for the service record, a schedule that details the work done and on what date and odometer reading has been kept.

It’s exempt from having to pay road tax too and is ULEZ-compliant; throw in classic car insurance and low depreciation and you’ve got iconic all-weather, all-season transport for next to nothing.
 

Which brings us to the thorny question of how much we think it’s going to fetch.

We estimate the final hammer will fall somewhere between £18,000 and £23,000, which doesn’t feel like a lot for such a well-restored and hugely versatile example of a machine that is in such demand.

It’s also worth noting that we’ve seen a lot of restored Land Rovers over the years, but few of them appear to have been as meticulously done as this.

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 ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.