First off, you’ve got to hand it to this guy. Not only has he restored something that should have gone to the scrap yard but he’s done it and filmed it in stop motion as if it were doing the job itself (ok, except for later bits where you do see him working).
But really, what shines out of this is just how lazy and basic the original design is. I say lazy as it looks to have very few pressed parts. Most could be made, under the skin at least, on a pressbrake and seemed to use 14 bits where Toyota would use one heavy pressing. So basic, that this resto was possible initially with no bending tools apart from a vice, clamps, block of wood and a hammer…or two. I guess you could say that design has appeal to be able to be easily repaired. I tend to think of it as a lost opportunity and lack of vision building a prestige vehicle with a high end price tag. A lot of the suspension looked very flimsy compared to the cruisers and I’ve always disliked the way the trailing arms attach through a plate with a nut and a couple of huge tap washers. Despite this, there is technological brilliance in making what is a highly capable and comfortable vehicle.
It just seems like LR raided the parts bin and made something in the garage to cobble it all together.
I just feel sad that it could’ve been so much better designed.
A very good watch nonetheless.
