KSU 250 - 1957 88in Series One
An early Series One 88inch model, KSU came to us having clearly lived a very hard working life and like so many Land Rovers it had picked up a fair few modifications to keep it going throughout its years and clearly plenty of stories to accompany them too.
Complete with Series 3 running gear, steering box and later dash, KSU was a full-on eighties spec "Series 1A", arguably the best Land Rover never made. Our clients had fallen in love with the way the vehicle looked, all of its changes and modifications but wanted a reliable and fully functional vehicle they could just get in and drive. Keeping true to this and maintaining our ethos, we left the body work visually untouched but cleaned up and de-oxidised the paintwork. Every panel was sympathetically repaired to return it back to being as strong as, or stronger than new, but without being noticeably visible.
KSU was in a poor state when it arrived with us, but provided a brilliant basis for restoration.
Factory fresh running gear.
Within a total bare-chassis rebuild including full in-house mechanical restoration we retained all the modifications that contributed to the better driving and usability of the vehicle whilst adding some changes of our own and in other areas reverting back to original to maintain a factory-like finish to the completed vehicle. Great pains were taken to match freshly-painted parts to sit well with the old. All done here of course.
Topped off with a special full canvas interior to match the new hood, new Clayton heater and Series 3 single motor wipers that fold with the windscreen, all further improving the usability of the vehicle.
The result? A 'patina-perfect' Series One ready for any occasion. The increased performance helps it keep up in modern day traffic and the added ergonomics of a synchromesh gearbox, easily operated wipers alongside our many other small improvements have resulted in this being a brilliant and extremely useable vehicle.
