I bought this 1952 80" Land Rover in 1992 when I was getting more involved in trialing and greenlaning. It was not particularly original or tidy, but it drove very well and I was delighted with it. It has been used as a trialler, greenlaner, was my only transport for many years and has even been used as a wedding car on two occasions.

Over the years it has had a number of modifications, usually driven by parts availability and cost. The engine has been replaced with a late 2-litre petrol engine, which I rebuilt in 1996 and still runs beautifully. The steering box was replaced with a Series IIA recirculating ball type, the braking system modified with a CB type master cylinder and Series IIA wheel cylinders and a later upright handbrake was fitted, which was easier to reach than the original.

The 80 is still remarkably original. All the bodywork is original and the chassis, gearbox, transfer box and front axle are all original. I got fed up with changing the old semi-floating rear halfshafts when they broke and modified the original rear axle with Series IIA hubs, Series III halfshafts and turned down drive members as spacers, to allow the longer fully floating halfshafts to fit. Wheel bearing and hub oil seal replacement is much easier with this setup and halfshafts can be changed quickly and cheaply.