LRCC

For sale, 1968 Land Rover Series 2A Dormobile model 626.
6-cylinder 2.6 petrol engine, automatic freewheeling hubs. Spare galvanised replacement chassis.
OFFERS OVER £4,500. PM me here.




This vehicle is SORN and requires restoration. It was last on the road in 2003 and is understood to have be laid-up by the previous owner following a clutch failure. It comes complete with a spare, new galvanised late Series 2A chassis (correct for its suffix letter) believed to be by Richards.

Odometer reading is 76,000 miles. There is no documentation aside from the vehicle registration certificate, but judging by the wear to the interior I would say that this mileage seems credible.

A photographic survey of the vehicle as she is at present is available http://flic.kr/s/aHsjEpEfcV. Viewing of the vehicle is encouraged and I'm happy to arrange an appointment. She is currently in store at Helensburgh, near Glasgow.

Dormobile enthusiasts will appreciate that she retains all of her original fixtures, including a full set of Dormatic seats - which do not appear to require reupholstering - kitchen unit with burners and sink and cupboard/storage unit; folding table (water damaged and requiring new wood). Not all of the door cards have survived.

The roof opens and operates as intended and the original fabric covering appears to have survived in good condition, although some staining is present. The ventilation hatch and lock are in working condition and the fibreglass roof shell is sound and without cracks or missing any sections. The two roof windows have been removed while the vehicle is in store as the seals have perished. The roof glass is present. The two upper bunks are present, with one retaining its original tartan fabric (although this may not be robust enough to retain) as are the interior lights and curtain rails. There is a set of nylon curtains in a jolly 1970s toxic orange for those with a taste for kitsch.

The engine has not been started since 2003, when it ran well enough for the last owner to drive it back from Glasgow, and its condition is unknown. Likewise the gearbox. The clutch is known to have failed.

In terms of typical vintage Land Rover corrosion, I would describe the overall condition to be moderate to fair. The tub, seatboxs and floors seem particularly good and I can find little evidence of galvanic corrosion. The bulkhead will require A-posts, footwells and possibly repairs to the vent panel. New sill rails will also be required. The B-posts may require new footings.

The chassis itself is corroded and while it probably could be saved, how much of the original metal would survive is debatable.

Springs and suspension will need to be replaced.

The vehicle will be sold as seen, complete with the galvanised chassis which may be viewed at the end of the survey photos. It is currently resting on axles in order that it could be moved and with a station wagon tub residing on it. These will be removed and the buyer will received the bare chassis only.

I had hoped to restore this lovely Dormobile myself and it is with a very heavy heart indeed that I invite offers in excess of £4,500. PM me here.

I feel sorry for you, to find a Dormobile in more or less complete condition, and then having to let it go...........
Hope you will find another at a later date.

Hi Kath

It looks a quite original specimen, however, I hope you don't mind me offering my opinion, that the price you have in mind is rather optimistic, for what is, in effect, a rebuld project needing transportation to where ever the new owner might live.

This is offered with the experience of owning 2 Dormobiles - one has been rebuilt and the other is being rebuilt, on a galv chassis after being transported from Braemar.

I wish you the best for the sale and commiserate with you on having to sell it rather than rebuild it yourself.

Thanks, Alex.

You will doubtless be aware of the price reached by the last - and very similar in condition - Dormobile to be auctioned on eBay. £4,100, if I recall. My one will come complete with a new galvanised chassis (£1,700 if you want to buy one from Richards). Which I think makes it a very realistic price for both, don't you?

I must admit, I have seen both top end and also lower price Dormobiles sold on ebay last year. If I recall correctly, £1100 was for one in COrnwall with a mountain of spares - but not a galv chassis.

My last one cost me £900 plus getting it dragged down to yorkshire £350, plus a galv chassis £400 plus a wardrobe £300 (to be made) plus doors plus a/b posts etc etc
My first was a bargain - £825 rebuilt, just needing putting back together.

My opinion though, not a reflection or dissing your vehicle or valuation.

I have been pondering this....

I don't know how much you are in for this Dormobile (hopefully not an excessive amount), but I think you might (and I could be proved wrong) have to drop the price slightly to achieve a sale. Like Alex I am not criticising the vehicle as it is nice and complete and we all know how hard they are to come by. The galvanised chassis is a bit of a red herring, taking aside the legalities (which I am not going to go into here as it always opens a can of worms), it is a second hand Series 3 item and is not worth £1700, possibly £500? The rest of the vehicle is an excellent find but I did not pay anything like that for mine and if anything it was more original (I apologise if that sounds like I am making it a competition). The reason is the amount of money I have had to plough into it already and I am still going! Yours will require a lot more from the look of it, I am sure you know this as you priced the work.....

I hope you can find a buyer at the price you are seeking, but it may not be in the UK? A very good one sold last year for less than £6k and that was in very good condition/sorted with a peugot engine. If you are after a quick sale, you could do worse than to drop it to what it owes you (if indeed it is less than this) and get yourself a working LR...?

Anyway, just an opinion so please don't take offence. When I was humming and harring about buying mine (yes I did, down mainly to logistics and other stuff going on in my life) Jon the Series 2 Club Chairman pointed out I might never find another one again so I should just do it. If there is anyway you can keep it and do it yourself, try and do so, as you might not find another... I wish you all the best though.

I had forgotten the Peugeot engined one - that was a peach - get in and off to europe!

Originally at about £ top end of 7, went for just under 6

DanC - not offended, not yet anyway, but please don't start telling me what the chassis is or is not. Have you examined it in person? Have you come to see the vehicle? No, you have not.

It's a late Series 2A chassis - which is correct for the vehicle - and no, it is NOT secondhand, ie used, and I will politely ask you to withdraw that remark. It has NEVER been fitted to a vehicle.

You are, of course, welcome to hold whatever opinion you wish as to the value of this vehicle and the chassis. What it is worth to you and what it is worth to someone else may be very different. A buyer will decide for themselves.

Well, the last post by me was a little hot-headed. Sorry, Dan.
If you look at Richards' own site http://www.richardschassis.co.uk/series ... s-iia.html, it points out the difference between an early S2a and a late. The giveaway is apparently the cross bracing (which the S3 also has) and the brake relay mount, along with the splayed gearbox gusset. As far as I or indeed anyone else is aware - including the man who ordered it in the first place, it is a late S2A chassis.
I'll try and regain my composure now.

HI Wildwoodflower

Thought I had better post and give you a bit of support. You can ask whatever price you want and it is very easy to sell things too cheap. Most of us on here have been fortunate to buy vehicles at bargain prices. Once you set a price, is is very rare to be able to raise it. Far better in my opinion to start high and wait for the right buyer. You may have to wait a while or might be lucky?

If you want that price, you need to advertise it widely and not just Land Rover sites. Classic cars sites and Camper van sites are definitely be worth a try. Ask Overlander.

You have to remember that a good VW camper can sell for £25K and they don't have room for a porta potti when the bed is made up. There rubbish.

Sorry your having to sell her as we know what adventure Land Rover Dormobiles can deliver.

Good luck with the sale.

Mick