1970 Land Rover Series II A

1970 Land Rover Series IIA (2A) 88 NAS

You are looking at a magnificently restored 1970 Land Rover Series IIA, manufactured for the North American Market.

The vehicles 2.25 Gasoline Inline 4-cylinder engine starts on the first try; runs and drives exceptionally well. Engine is impeccable, and the four speed manual dual range transfer case shifts well through all gears. The differential was replaced less than 500 miles ago and she will cruise at 55-60 mph without issue. Clutch is excellent. Suspension and brakes are excellent, and all fluids were changed within the last 500 miles.

This gorgeous restoration boasts 16 Inch Wheels, Manual Locking Front Hubs. Other features include upgraded Old Man Emu shocks with new parabolic leaf springs, manually locking hubs at the front and safari roof with 4 roof vents. Brand new interior includes 3 seats across the front, inward-facing rear bench seats and additional padded panels throughout. It was purchased by the previous owner in 2008 as a very straight running vehicle with a rusty frame. It was mostly stored inside for 12 years and occasionally driven around a 14-acre property. The ground up restoration was begun in 2021 following the seller's retirement in 2020 from his vintage British automotive restoration business for 40 years Steele Motors in Pennsylvania. This Series IIA is one of at least 6 series Land Rovers meticulously restored and held in Mr. Steeles private collection.

The restoration was carried out as follows: A new hot-dipped galvanized Marsland frame was purchased from Britpart. It received new parabolic leaf springs, shackles, U bolts, limit straps and Old Man Emu shocks. Front and rear differentials were dismantled, cleaned, inspected and reassembled with new gaskets before the primer and paint were applied. All new wheel cylinders were installed with new hoses and new nickle/copper lines. Front swivel balls received new seals and leather boots. Lockout hubs were cleaned and serviced. The Series Rover sits on new 16 inch wheels on Cooper Discoverer 265/75R16 Tires. The bulkhead required some welding at the bottom and the entire body was dismantled, with each piece being cleaned, primed and painted inside and out. The safari roof was disassembled and restored with new rubber and operable roof vents. A new wiring harness was purchased and installed. The interior is all new with 3 fronts seats, 2 rear seats, door panels, kick panels, floor mats, etc. A new white vinyl headliner was installed into the safari roof. All new rubber was purchased and installed for the top, windows, doors and fold-over windshield. Front galvanized bumper is new. Transmission and E-Brake assembly was cleaned, inspected with new gaskets and seals installed. Clutch was replaced. Engine rebuild included new pistons and bearings, the crank turned, head machined and a valve job. It now runs on a new replacement Weber carburetor, new mechanical fuel pump and an auxiliary electric fuel pump. Starter and generator were serviced. New voltage regulator and water pump were installed. Radiator was re-cored.
This beautiful Series IIA has been on the road for about 5 years with fair-weather driving following the completion of the restoration and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner!

According to Hagerty, the median for Land Rover Series II/IIA models has increased 18 percent in the past two years, standing now at $39,000! https://www.hagerty.com/media/buying-and-selling/land-rover-series-ii-values-climbing/. However, if you do a frame off restoration like this one, you are looking at $78,000 at a quality facility like DC Rovers! https://www.dcrovers.com/defender-1. That puts you at over $100k.

Just for reference a new galvanized frame runs roughly $5,000, plus another $15,000 in labor to disassemble and reassemble - this doesn't count paint and other repairs...

The truck is finished in an elegant Pastel Green, with Limestone Roof and rims. The interior boasts brand new ExMoor Deluxe Front seats in Oxford Tan, new door cards, arm rests, door seals and window track! The vehicle has front and rear towing hitches, sliding side windows, and the original rear jump seat frames in black. New ExMoor Deluxe Bench seats to match the front.

The Land Rover Series IIA, was manufactured from 1961 to 1971, and is the most common vintage Land Rover in the US. The change to Series IIA came about because of a new 2.25-liter diesel engine that was available. This being an upgrade from the previous 2.0-liter diesel. The Land Rover Series IIA was around for roughly ten years, so things are different, even though the series remained the same. Some categorize the Series vehicle from the Series IIA to the Late IIA. The Series IIA is best set apart from the Late IIA by the placement of its headlights. The SIIA headlights were closer together. The Series II and Series IIA were the same in this feature in the headlights. The Late Series IIA had the lights on the fenders.

The Series IIA arrived in showrooms with improved running gear and styling tweaks in 1961. In 1969 the Series IIA hit a record sales figure with 60,000 units in a single year. In 1971 the last Land Rover Series IIA rolled off of the Solihull factory line as the Land Rover Series III was introduced.

Other changes in the Land Rover Series IIA came as Land-Rover started putting better equipment in the vehicles. One addition was a starter that was activated by the ignition key. The seats also changed from a basic grey to a pleated black that could slide back and forth on adjustable tracks. In 1967, Land-Rover got rid of the individual windscreen wiper motors in favor of a single motor system that operated both wiper blades simultaneously. The Late Series IIAs saw Land Rover beginning to limit what was available in the U.S. The U.K. had various sub-models including a 1 ton 109 pick-up. In the U.S., we were only shipped, one basic model, an 88 with a full hardtop, sliding window roof sides, a rear door, a four-cylinder gas engine, and a small choice of colors.

The Late Series IIA continued until 1971. The only significant difference from the bugeye was the restyled front wings. New illuminated side markers were also installed on the Late SIIAs. The best way to identify the two sub-groups of Series IIAs is by the headlights. The SIIAs had the headlights in the radiator support, while the Late SIIAs had them on the wings. Both models had metal wire mesh grilles.

The car is sold AS IS with clear title.