1962 Land Rover Archives

THE FINAL GOODBYE …

So the day of saying goodbye to Livingstone has arrived ….. Treasuring the last couple of hours with Livingstone the new super excited owner of our beloved 1962 Series II Landy was picked up in Livingstone (what else?) at the George Airport to meet his new love. Time was really running out …… we need to say a final goodbye. Livingstone was washed one last time by my Malawian garden keeper, who is always very proud to be entrusted with the Land Rover, before turning up for the final photo shoot. We knew that this hour will come, but all the while we were hoping from the bottom of our hearts for the slightest chance of NOT parting with Livingstone. Somehow reality was catching up on us. We were holding thumbs that Livingstone will find a really passionate new owner and we were fortunate enough to find him. Thank… Read more >

AN EMOTIONAL DECISION

This will not be a long post, but rather a reflection to capture the times we had with Livingstone. A very emotional decision was made last night to sell Livingstone. It is time to say goodbye to our beloved Landy. As I am writing this my eyes are filled with tears and my heart with a little bit of sadness … Both my husband and I got so attached to our daily drive with the dogs. Even the dogs associate the sound of the Landy and the jingle of the keys with their daily walk. I hope that we will find the right owner for Livingstone and that his new owner will be a real Landy lover and drive him with the necessary passion and respect. Go well Livingstone, you are leaving your oil marks in my heart ….

HISTORIC MONTAGU PASS

The historic Montagu pass is situated in my town’s backyard . When you take the N12 from George towards Oudtshoorn you will find the sign to turn right onto a gravel road. Calm down and don’t be in a hurry when following this road. It is very narrow with only single lane traffic possible and no trailers, caravans and trucks are allowed and just a special warning: it is popular with mountain bikers coming down hill at great speeds! At several occasions we narrowly missed these projectiles. I swear that they do not have nerves or they are so high on adrenaline that they do not think straight …. Travelling with a 1962 Landy we do not have a choice other than to go slow, very slow and enjoy the ever changing views of the Outeniqua mountains covered in all shades of green, purple and pink as the flowers… Read more >

WHERE IS THE NEXT CUPPA?

We are really enjoying our 1962 Landy now after the rebuild has been completed. We regularly go for a “coffee drive” where I pack my Stanley flask with steaming coffee and we just explore all the scenic passes in our own backyard. What a joy and privilege to live in the Garden Route. Some times we take the dogs along with for the ride. Chuck, the Fox Terrier, just loves it, but Pilot, the Jack Russel, is sometimes a bit nervous, but he is getting better the more he rides. Lately we have a new dog addition to the family – a Bull Terrier named Fiela – which we are training to enjoy the drives but sometimes it gets a bit busy at the back. Hoofseun, aka Pilot, is trying his best to teach her although he is not a very good traveller. Life passes you slowly when you drive… Read more >

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES …

Once home after the epic journey from Johannesburg to George Livingstone (as the Landy was named) was taken to a friend’s shed where the restoration project started. Rivet by rivet and bolt by bolt Livingstone was stripped of it seats, canvas canopy and all its panels, nuts, bolts and springs – right down until only the rusted chassis remained. Sometimes the surprise was big that something was still in such a good and original condition and the next moment the moods were down on the ground when rust appeared to be worse than expected. There were also some mystery finds such as a couple of bones in the chassis … Every panel and part was stacked and packed in neat little heaps waiting for the time when it was ready to be assembled again. Within days the Haynes owner’s manual, which was ordered by mail from a bookshop in South… Read more >

AN EPIC JOURNEY WITH A 1962 LAND ROVER

A classic 1962 Landy was an item that was on hubby’s bucket list for a very long time. So it happened that while he was working somewhere in Africa he bought this old lady over the internet and had to pick it up at O R Tambo on his homeward journey. So off I go on a Kulula flight to O R Tambo to courier the necessary tools, several other items as well as some warm clothing that (we thought) would be needed for this epic journey after the late snow falls that had the country buzzing. A bit of TLC here and there and we set off on a 1 200 km road trip to take her home. All went well until just before Kroonstad where our first of 42 unplanned mechanical stops started. With a speed of about 20 kmph and a stuttering Landy we arrived at the Shell… Read more >