Tucker BeattyLand Rovers’ debut in 1948, there have always been mechanically inclined enthusiasts taking care of them. Now, another generation of owners has grabbed the torch to continue the decades-long tradition and stewardship of these incredible vehicles. As one who found himself convinced into buying a Defender 110 myself, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to meet, firsthand, my peers in the Land Rover community– young people who love this old British manufacturer, looking to challenge themselves.
Few have challenged themselves more than Hunter Finn, Topsfield, MA. A self-taught bike mechanic, Hunter is a lifetime tinkerer, always interested in how things come apart and get put back together. After years of working on two-wheeled vehicles, Hunter was searching for something more challenging, something bigger to test his mechanical skills while learning new ones.
While Hunter had never worked on cars or even driven a stick shift, he wanted a proper project to take his two-wheel knowledge to the next level. He found his new challenge in the form of a ’74 Series III SWB.
After spotting the Land Rover on Facebook Marketplace, Hunter connected with the owners; tucked away in a crumbling garage in Rowley, MA, was a Series III begging for a new life. Not originally mentioned in the deal was a second Series III, rotting away in the woods next to the garage. “Every facet of the project from the initial deal to the daunting amount of work was a huge red flag – but something just felt right. I couldn’t just leave it there to be scrapped. I quickly realized that’s where my stewardship of this truck would begin.” Hunter delighted in spotting a straight, galvanized frame that sat under one of the Series IIIs. He knew then and there what he had to do; he had to save these Rovers.
The negotiations rivaled those of Wall Street hedge fund traders. The package deal had to include both Series IIIs, an engine, transfer cases and any parts Hunter could find scattered on the property. He bought the vehicles and their scattered components, which launched his stewardship journey. “The parts extraction was a multi-day s***storm,” Hunter recalled. Over several days, the new Land Rover mechanic scoured the property, collecting all of the old parts he thought he would need to make one good Land Rover out of two.
Once back home, Hunter began the painstaking process of taking inventory of what he had just bought. One good chassis, one good engine, a couple of transfer cases, more than enough body panels and plenty of rusty bolts. Getting this Land Rover back on the road would prove a daunting task.
One foot in front of the other, Hunter began to strip everything away from the chassis. The peach of a frame proved the perfect foundation. “Mechanically speaking, the engine rebuild took the most brain power,” Hunter said. “The engine work resulted in the most curses and drew the most blood. Learning the hard way how long a project like this truly takes was the other edge of the sword.”
First the engine, then the transfer case, next the tub, the suspension components, axles and wiring, all made for slow progress. “Seeing it all come together for the first time has been special,” said Hunter. “It’s been years of tooling around with steering boxes and brake pedals all in pursuit of an idea in my head. Starting with the Land Rovers in the shape they were in provided me, a real novice, with an amazing refurbishment opportunity.”
Although Hunter was never a ‘car guy’ before embarking on the Rover restoration, he did come from a fascinating automotive background. “My mom drove a Datsun 280z in her 20s and my dad had his Alfa Romeo Spider around the same time. There was a brief resurgence in cool when my mom brought home a Discovery in 2001. After being Roverless for 20 years, a combination of nostalgia for her old Disco and my Land Rover ownership convinced my mom to get a new Defender just this past fall.”
Seeing this project through from a dream to completion, Hunter has further fallen in love with what it means to become a Land Rover enthusiast. “My current daily is a ‘98 Land Rover Discovery LSE. I found it in Georgia with only 48,000 miles on it. After trips to Vermont and Cape Cod, it still only has 70,000 miles. The Series project has further instilled a substantial appreciation for the Land Rover marque. It’s hard to describe, but I don’t think I could ever live without at least one Land Rover in the garage.”
After his hard work, Hunter now enjoys one living, breathing Land Rover from the souls of two basket cases. Reflecting on his experience, Hunter said, “It’s a super cool feeling. I’ve been able to uncover the history of one of the Land Rovers; first imported by an abstract artist, I am now its third custodian. That is a term I’ve often heard used to describe the ownership of an old Land Rover and it seems to hit the mark. As much as this Land Rover is mine now, and having no intentions of ever selling it, I am bluntly aware someday it will be someone else’s cross to bear.”