Land Rover Series IIA: A fairly chaotic review. 

It's crazy how Land Rover went from making this to a modern day Velar. With all those levers and double declutching, driving one smoothly is a work of art.

To use a phrase (sort of) from Morcambe and Wise Ians showing all the right videos but not necessarily in the right order. Welcome home Ian.

Learned to double-de-clutch in my first car, an Austin Cambrige 45 years ago. I'm still d.d.c.ing in my knackered Disco 2! Nothing's changed!!!

Great fun! I drive mine pretty much daily - I don't think of it as being hard work any more and trust it like no other vehicle. It's just a different way of driving, you are very "involved" in the process and I like that.

In all my years driving, I've never thought to carry a spare head gasket... Quite brilliant.

The series IIa was the most beautiful of all series land rovers in my humble opinion. Character in bucketfuls and sadly worth more than a two bedroom house now in the uk (ok I may be exaggerating slightly but only slightly). Only car I know that is quieter with the roof down😉

"Tyres now roaring away" - cos you've got proper Land Rover tyres on it :). Irritates me no end seeing modern ones with 'slicks' on ! :)

Aah that's a proper Hubnut video, we've missed the chaos! Thank you :-)

Thanks for the drive Ian. These old Landies are just wonderful 👌

Pronunciation of Bache was correct. Knew him personally through a motor club way back. That car also has Fairey front hubs as did my old 1954 Series 1

Great review. Well done. As you say in your notes below the video: "a review to remember" - yes! Great stuff. A proper car! Many thanks.

I've been waiting for this review, good work that man.

That video really brought back some memories. I had a 1967 series 2a long wheelbase pickup many years ago. This took me right back to those days, I could even smell it! Thank you.

A smashing video Ian, fantastically knowledgeable and informative. I grew up on the family farm from late 60s with series 1, 2 ,2A and series 3. I thought they all drive the same, the newer just get less draughty. Great video and welcome home squire.

The sounds and noises bring back many memories! Nearly got the levers right. Red Lever forward, yellow Knob up is 2WD High Range, Yellow Knob down engages 4WD high range, red lever back disengages 4WD high range and engages 4WD Low Range. You are correct there is now 2WD low range, but if you disengage the FWH's you have the same result (Good for shunting trailers around). Then Pushing the Red lever forward takes you back to the start and Engages 2WD High Range. Difficult to explain, but after a few goes it starts to make sense. Nowdays its just a couple of buttons - much simpler perhaps?

At 12 minutes in I loved the camera falling over. What a powerful beast that Landy is. I still mess up the odd gear change in mine. Well done!

Brings back memories of my old 88 and 109 Series IIIs. Noisy, leaky and uncomfortable but I’d have another in a heartbeat. Not so fond memories of driving to work in winter whilst the ice that formed on the inside of the roof overnight gradually melted and dropped ice- cold water down my neck!

12:00 called the "sitting on dads lap while he drives to town" view

Bouncy, noisy, uncomfortable, yet beautifull. I'd love to take a trip in an oldie like that!

Great video, very entertaining. Interesting about maybe getting the idea of the opening vents from a 2CV: both cars were introduced in 1948 (along with the XK120!). (As others have said, the small yellow 4WD push-knob works the other way round!) Many thanks for the great content. Love an old simple Landie. Jowetts, 2CV's and old Landies are fabulous 'anti-modern' cars, and every car nut should ride in one before its too late! Glad you made it back to the UK before the flights stopped. Keep safe.

I miss my 1971 2a (with a ‘65 transmission and hood) dearly. Double de-clutching is certainly a mostly lost art but I got quite good at it. One of the cool things about non-syncro transmissions is that with bit of care and practice you can make smooth and quiet up-shifts without using the clutch at all. Now imagine driving from London to Singapore in one of those loaded with three people and full travelling gear.

Love the architecture in that little town you drove through, at least what we could see of it. What a delightful town Napier looks to be. Give me an FJ40 Land Cruiser rather than a Land Rover any day.

Love the sound of that old landy such a familiar sound when I was a child in Zambia. I'm afraid they all drive Toyota now. Probably the same as the rest of the world.

Marvellous. I had a Series 2 for about thirteen years. Superb fun, go anywhere, any time, tow anything. Needed plenty of steering correction and good notice of braking, all very good as long as you weren't in a hurry.

love the floor mats that is ultimate HubNut practicality!

Series 2 and series 3 are my faves . great video.

This is definitely the best TV show on plant earth, keep up the good work mate 👍

Another great video ;) Nice to see a "young lad" like yourself discovering a series 2a :D I drive one every day (a 1971 - one of the very last before series 3). I have cheated a bit and put in a 2.5 litre 300tdi out of a Discovery. The huge torque and 115bhp means that mostly I just need 3rd and 4th with overdrive permanently engaged but double declutching still comes instinctively when needed after driving it for many years with the 2.25 petrol. I did put free wheeling hubs on it for a while but could not tell the difference so sold them to a friend as they were just something else to maintain. By the way, the yellow button engages 4wd when pressed down rather than the other way round. The overdrive is not really an overdrive, it is another transfer gearbox. So in total you have 16 forward and 4 reverse gears! And yes with copious double declutching you can go through all 4 gears of the main box 4 times without stopping. I know as towing very heavy loads on steep hills gave me plenty of practice!

Who doesn't love an old Landy? Great video

Thanks, brings back lots of memories. I had a Series 3 of 1976 vintage, it had electric wipers and all the mod cons. God I miss it so...

Brilliant video Ian. I've been waiting for you to drive a Series and was going to offer you my Lightweight when you return to Blighty. Let's just gloss over the Yellow knob faux pas

I first time I drove one, I was amazed at how much work and physical effort it took. I loved it! I now own a 1966. Lol Anyone who can down shift one of these has my admiration. I have yet to master the art of down shifting the Landy. Cool tip about going to 3rd before 1st when starting at a stop light. I usually go to neutral at stoplights to go easy on the graphite throwout bearing, so this little trick will save much gnashing of teeth. ( in more ways than one) Those guys that did the Trans-Africa , and First Overland expeditions we’re manly man. My hat is off to them! Lol Cheers!

Thanks for that Hub Nut , very nostalgic ! I learnt to drive (aged12) in a 1950 S1 on the beach in front of my parents pub. It was my brothers Landy, he used to let me drive it in low range, it was easy as it had a hand throttle just below the instrument panel, very cool to hear those sounds again.

I like these Spartan cars. They do just what they made for. 👍

Really lovely video. I have had 4 series LRs three 88" and a 109 that drank fuel, I could watch the petrol gauge needle go down! My favourite was a series||| 2.25ltr petrol short wheelbase, it was amazing! I bought it in 1991 it was made in 1974. A week later we as a family went to Brittany by ferry from Lancashire, camping. It was brilliant. Put seats in back for kids, cool box up front instead of centre seat, roof rack on top. Scared the pants off some frenchies (I drove it hard). Great fun. Thankyou for the excellent videos, you are a gem.

Was watching the Austin Kimberley Video and this appeared in my feed....love it

Oh yes! I'm glad you've experienced this. I wouldn't give my ambo up for the world. The double clutch, the noise, the over heating, it's too nice 😭😎 I hope you had fun! 👍

Brings back memories of my two and a quarter series 3 diesel 88in and I had a 109 too

Really liking watching you drive cars from my past, I had an 86" series 1 1954. You soon get used to double de-clutching. Good job Hubnut.

Love your videos take care of your self very educational as always

Love it 😍 learned to drive in one on a beach funnily enough. I lived on Isle of Sheppey so plenty of quiet places 🏖️😎 hehe love the tyre noise, bounciness and simple lines 😎

Great video Ian, informative and entertaining. My Dad had an early SWB diesel. I cut my teeth on it learning to drive. Driving anything after that was easy. 😁

I used to have a Series 3, and I miss it greatly. Watching Series 2 and Series 3 videos is like some sort of drug. I know it's bad for me to watch them, but I can't resist..... Thanks for a great video.

Superb, been waiting for this one!

Wonderful video. Small correction, push the lever down for 4wd. Yes, even though it pops back up when using low range, land rover ergonomic madness

I love the review as always Ian, but driving these is my idea of hell. I've done it, I hate it so fair play to those that do!

Many thanks for the lovely video. Great driving. And commentary. And double-declutch sequence. You can also easily drive a Landie with no need for the clutch, once you've got moving, as the gearbox is easy to rev-match to remove 'gear teeth load', then to slip into neutral, and then rev-match to the next gear. Keep up the great work. Cheers.

Top sandal work Mr Nut!

Great review. Thanks.

Thanks again for sharing Ian. Land Rovers still seem to hold their value today even with all the tough competition from the big Japanese makers.

That was a blast riding with you. I did hit my head at that last turn and now I have an ice pack covering the bump. Lol🤣😂🤪

'Fond' memories of travelling in a Series 1 Landy. We never exceeded 35 mph, even on A roads, Very noisy, lots of tyre and wind noise on top of the engine roar, hard seats, lots of carefully-positioned metal protuberances to engage with elbows, knees, etc, and a bouncy ride. The Golden Age indeed...

So much fun trying to figure out where you were! The lawyer's office you drove past finally gave me enough to search for it. I haven't been to that city, so didn't recognise any thing.

Perfect review, thanks, my first motorcar at 17 y/o 1955 Series I, then 1977 Series III, 1980 Santana, 1964 Series IIa, 1978 Santana, 1979 CKD Venezuela Range Rover, and now 1979 Santana, all the Best

I learnt to drive in one of those. It had some gears, sometimes. Stood me in Good stead for just about any car afterwards. More good memories. Thanks.

Hey that's a lovely rig! Great basic engineering, no frills! Now I feel bad for highlighting my T3 Syncro's simplicity!

Nice vid mate. I drive a 2A LWB every day, no roof or windscreen, had it for nearly 40 years. Now my 14 year old is learning to drive it too. Last year's maintenance costs were about $115 total but it does like the petrol...

Thanks for the video mate it takes me way back to the army days in the early seventies, yea good one son. 👍👍👍👍👍

Well, I enjoyed it. Keep them coming. I quite like a bit of chaos.

Loved the video, I had a 62 series 2a with a Holden 186 straight six in it. Hours of fun, should have held onto it, but children arrived and something had to go!!

A Hub Jeep. Just awesome Sir 👍 Tam.

NZ certainly has So.California lighting and skies! Or the other way round... Always loved these early Land Rovers, still see them here in LA!

Entertaining footage!

A lot of old Land Rovers that had engines replaced with Holden red motors in Australia still on the road

Hi looks good mine's in the shed after winter 67 2a after watching this makes me want to get it out early usually on st Patrick's day here in Ireland but the all cancelled because of you know what.watching you work yours is the same as mine .we all changing back to original petrol here so out come all the tdi and in the petrol never thought I would see the day.

I learned to drive in a Series 2 Land Rover at the age of 8 on our farm, poor clutch and no brakes. It is still in the family but in need of restoration. Thank heavens for Birmabrite aluminium body!

What an icon, I just love the old Land Rover.

This was awesome!

I learnt to drive in cars with no synchromesh on first gear, so always went from neutral into second, then into first. It took years for me to get out of the habit of doing that, long after getting a posh car that had synchro on all gears! 😁. PS glad to hear you got home safely, hope you’re not too knackered!

Everytime I see one of these I think of "The Antichrist" from The Gods Must be Crazy. It all came flooding back when you mentioned you had a squeegee bottle for the screen wash :)

Hello Mr hubnut your next holiday should be here in the USA. We would love to have you explore our cars.I enjoy your videos.

We had a series 2 same model year herein Pakistan. Ironically it had the outer headlights ( the one you said we're US mandated) Engine was changed so no synchromesh problems, but otherwise was all original and man what a sweet litttle ride. We had travelled all over the country in it. I have to say that was the best vehicle we've ever had.

Beautiful

In the background at the start, not one but two Howard GEM rotovators, another piece of British engineering that lives on in rural areas far from where it was manufactured. The one that I have with a Hatz diesel engine has lived outside for many years but started for the first time (10+ years) and ran on the ancient fuel in the tank. Thanks and welcome back Ian!

Whilst they look a job to drive I'd still love to own a Land Rover series 2 or 3 SWB one day. Thanks for the brilliant video Ian, it's great to see the real world videos.

A lovely Hawkes Bay sky!

Lovely old beast, that one's still going to be around long after we're gone. Like the mini at 9:22 as well...

I absolutely love old Land Rovers! I plan to buy one... some day. Lol.

I was taught to double de clutch by my dad when I was about 7 years old after I nagged him to explain. I've never needed to use it on up changes though, a gentle use of throttle and learning to change at right time is the trick.

Great video Ian. Just to clarify the red/yellow selector levers, thhe red one is the transfer lever (forward for high range, back for low 4wd) and the yellow operates ths dog clutch that sends drive to the front axle when in high range. To engage 4wd drive high, the yelow lever needs to be pressed down; to disengage 4wd high, the red lever must be pulled back to release the yellow, then returned to its forward position. 4wd is automatically engaged in low range. The very early versions had a pull-chain on the floor instead of the yellow lever, however this was not popular with farmers who would have to grope through a lot of mud and manure to find it!

Loved my Series 3, most fun thing ever.

I rarely bother with first gear in my series one unless I’m starting on a big hill. Saves a lot of effort.

A common mod in Australia and NZ was a Holden straight 6 cylinder engine swap, especially in the LWB.

Hi Ian,drove a slightly newer model than the one you reviewed,very very noisy at speed,just about make 60 mph if i remember,but solid work horse, probably one of the best 4x4,s made alongside the range rover, for it simplicity,ruggedness and go any where attitude,yes theirs lot of 4x4 ,s but mostly made for style,comfort and refinement. keep doing what you love and farewell......

One of my favourite childhood memories is just me and my dad driving in his long wheelbase long wheelbase series 2 landy with the roof off. Every time we went round a bend his door flew open and when we drove through a forest he said “go and lay down in the back” so I drove through the forest laying down looking up at the sun streaming through the trees that stretched over the road 😁😍

There are far too many inconsiderate, American videos about series land rovers. Glad to see your video on the iconic landy!

😄😄..I have cooked on a 2a grille plenty of times.. Smells of bacon and steak from the front after a weekend camping were part of the joy of owning a real series LR.. The best vehicle ever!!!..My kids luved that you could hand operate the wipers...and as they got older ,it was a sign of manhood when they could start it with the starting handle 😊😊

Front screen is fitted with a canvas hood / bra plate on top, so as a truck-cab / pick-up it probably had a full canvas tilt and hoops / sticks in the past. Lovely landy, my daily driver is also an early s2a, truck cab :D

First vehicle I drove. In a field of course cos I was about 12. My Dad's 1974 109 inch Series 3 pickup with a 2.5 perkins diesel conversion. Your body had to be adjusted to the non adjustable bench seat. Terrible steering lock and 45 mph top speed downhill with a tail wind. Unstoppable though, except when the front wheels dropped into a big whole off road, because the front axle had a habit of puncturing the oil filter, which wasn't ideally located on the Perkins. However, the green light on the dash did inform you that the oil was no longer with the vehicle Would be worth a fortune now. Seamless shifting as usual Hubnut. 👍👍

More please that was fun 👍👍👍🚗.

Loverly memories were created by this video - thanks Hubnut Not many vehicles were manufactured in NZ - all vehicles either imported fully assembled (english assembled vehicles were always sort after) or completed knock down and assembled in NZ, free wheel front hubs were an after market accessory. Yellow knob 4 wheel high and you needed to engage red lever for 4 wheel low and the back to disengage 4 wheel drive - believe red lever has a position between 2 high and 4 low to drive the PTO system if fitted. Family traded P4 rover 75 for land rover series 2 sub with rear seats and safari roof (sheet metal above the main roof to allow air flow between to two in an attempt to keep the heat from the inside - sort of worked from memory) got this one stranded while crossing a small stream at the beach - dropped a wheel in a hole on the stream bed and it had no traction so lost all traction ( needed lockable diffs) had to be towed out. NZ farmers modified these things - knew of one who had the radiator plumbed to the passenger floor area to create a warm area for new born lambs to keep them warm etc, another farmer had cleats to go on the four wheels (wheel chains with crawler tractor type track across the tyres instead of the usual chains to provide extra grip on the clay surface - the bugger kept all four in the spare wheel on the bonnet - engine wasn’t check all that often.

This takes me back. I had a 1980 series 3 lightweight and inside it had all the old series 2 dials. It was very entertaining to drive and the engine was incredibly smooth, being as it was the same as fitter to the Rover P4. I never knew that there was no synchro on 2nd. Explains a lot.

"Go away Bixby said a lot of Samsung owners" Spot on Ian I like my Samsung phones but not any of that Bixby shenanigans. You also have brought back a horrible memory of driving an early S2 LR in Cornwall during peak holiday season, mostly 1st & 2nd gear work! My legs were so stiff afterwards

Had a 109 six cylinder as a company vehicle for a while. I was warned many times it could shear half shafts with ease. Also you had to keep the revs down to avoid it's serious drink problem.

Even in my more modern land rover that I owned a while back, you could get a headache after half an hour in it. All good fun.

I remember well fighting my way through those three multi-coloured gear levers. You should try some of the tractors from the sixties and seventies like David Brown and International, or the Ferguson TE20 where you have to hold a button in with your ankle on the left of the gearbox and move the gear-lever over to top left (or was it top right) to start the engine! 😄

Land Rivers have always been full time 4x4. The locking/unlocking hubs are an accessory. The two coloured levers are hi/low range and centre diff lock.

I have had a number of Land Rovers over the years, from Mk1 through to series 3. on all of them four wheel high is engaged by pushing the yellow knob down to get oy of four wheel high you have to use the red lever to go into transfer neutral or low and the yellow knob pops up you then push the red lever forwards for two wheel high.

I don't know a huge amount about Land Rovers, but always interesting.

Great video Lovely car would love to own one but not as a daily driver don’t think the commute to work would be very comfortable but then again I get stuck in traffic most of the way