The Black Bear
1970 Land Rover Series IIa Restoration

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Maticulous attention to detail

Our core principle was to honor the beauty of transformation through the value of preserving heritage. With an obsession for detail and a commitment to the essentials, the Black Bear was completely disassembled down to the very last bolt and brought back to this new life, acknowledging it’s legacy while honoring the present.

  • Build

    • Fully rebuilt 2.5 litre 200TDI Engine; 135 HP

    Bottom End

    • New pistons ans piston rings; .20/.30 oversized

    • Cylinders bored and honed

    • Block resurfaced

    • Block mains aligned and honed

    • Connecting rods honed and re-bushed

    • Crankshaft cut and polished; .10 oversized

    • Camshaft cleaned, measured, and polished

    • New camshaft bearings fitted

    • New big end bearings

    • New connecting rod bearings

    • Freeze plugs replaced and oil/coolant galleys flushed and cleaned

    • Oil pump disassembled, inspected, and rebuilt

    • New timing chain

    • New oil pan

    Cylinder Head

    • Hardened valve seats

    • New intake and exhaust valves, and valve guides

    • Pressure tested head

    • Resurfaced and CC head

    • Replaced valve springs

    • New valve seals

    • New water pump

    • New engine and transmission mounts

    • New alternator

    • New radiator

    • All new hoses and hose clamps

    • New thermostat

    • New glow plugs

    • New stainless steel exhaust system

    • Spin-on oil filter adapter

    • Hi-torque starter

    • Rebuilt turbo

    • Custom intercooler and piping

    • New electric fan

    Current Odometer

    • ~1,000 miles, fully tested and tweaked

    • New Stainless Steel Fuel Tank

    • New fuel level sending unit

    • New electric fuel pump

    • New fuel lines

    • New diesel injection pump

    • New fuel filter

    • New stainless steel fuel lines

    • New fuel injectors

    • New Ashcroft R380 Gearbox

    • Transfer case Adapter Kit (Ashcroft Transmission)

    • Road Spec Clutch Assembly (Series III)

    • Rebuild transfer case

    • New clutch and pressure plate

    • Flywheel resurfaced

    • New clutch push rod

    • New clutch slave and master cylinders

    • New clutch hose

    • New clutch steel lines

    • New shift knobs

    • New shifter O-ring

    • New front and rear driveshaft

    • Differential rebuild; crowned wheel & pinion

    • Axle housings sandblasted and powder coated for corrosion protection and durability

    • New swivel balls

    • New swivel pins and bushings

    • New swivel bearings

    • New swivel seals

    • New hub seals

    • New hub seal races

    • New wheel bearings

    • New (late-Series Ill) half shafts

    • 24 spline rear drive flanges

    • New rings and pinions

    • New galvanized chassis, powder coated matte black

    • New Parabolic springs

    • New Old Man Emu dampers

    • Galvanized spring mount plates

    • New shackle bolts and nuts

    • New U-Bolts

    • Steering Rod set , heavy duty Series II/III

      *All suspension components were sandblasted, epoxy powder coated primered, then powder coated Satin Black for ultimate corrosion resistance

    • Body panels stripped to bare alloy, epoxy primered and painted Matte Black

    • Bulkhead sandblasted, repaired, and sealed, epoxy powder coated and painted Matte Black

    • New tailgate, epoxy powder coated and painted Matte Black

    • All cappings, windscreen frame, bonnet frame, sills, tire carrier, and underbody supports galvanized and painted matte black

    • All new weather stripping, seals, grommets, etc.

    • New hardware on floor panels

    • New windscreen glass

    • New lower doors (half doors)

    • New hammer rivets and sealed rivets

    • New door latches

    • New hinges

    • New headlamp buckets with uprated H4 bu

    • Wiper motors rebuilt and restored

    • New old stock shift boots

    • Galvanized bulkhead vertical supports

    • Galvanized under seat tool box with Churchill Bespoke Leather Tool Roll

    • New bumper / galvanized

    • New window tops with sliding windows (removable)

    • Series 3 deluxe front seats (bench) - black vinyl

    • Rear bench seat package. Two bench seats finished in black vinyl complete with four lap belts and all fittings.

    • New floor mats

    • New rubber mat in load bay

    • New defender shoulder harness seat belts

    • Powder coated seat brackets and sliders

    • Power brake conversion

    • Front disc brake conversion (50% greater stopping power over conventional drum brake system)

    • New rear drum brakes

    • Stainless steel brake lines fitted

    • New hard-lines bent and routed

    • All body hardware and brackets acid etched and zinc plated

    • Fully rebuilt parking brake assembly

    • Five 16" wheels powder coated black

    • Five new Cooper Discovery STT Pro tires

    • Wheel offset - wide track

    • Factory 16" wheel with OE tire on bonnet

    • New british wiring cloth covered wiring harness, body, engine, and chassis

    • Original style parking lamps, brake lamps, and turn indicators with LED bulbs fitted

    • New original type battery cables

    • New horn

    • New fuse box

    • USB and 12v ports added to dash

    • Chassis Powder Coated Satin Black

    • Tow package with 2" receiver hitch

    • Fuel tank skid plate

    • Galvanized Rock Slider

    • Cargo hold-down rings

    • Front differential guard/alloy

    • Mt Mansfield Heater

    • 88" Full hood stick set

    • 88" Canvas Top in Black

    • Custom audio system - bluetooth/aux-in receiver with 5 ¼ speakers, custom hidden speaker enclosures under seats. Sounds amazing!

    • Two road or mountain bike mounts at front of load bay

    • Warn winch on the front bumper

A labour of love

The approach went far beyond the restoration process. Over 2000 man-hours of dedicated craft were invested. Still, the most challenging part of the creative process was to keep it simple, remove as much as possible, and add sparingly. The end result exceeded our expectations.