1979 Land Rover Stage 1 V8 With A/c on 2040-cars

Very nice, clean 1979 Land Rover Stage I V8.  For those of you who haven't heard of the Stage I, that was Land Rover's bridge between the old Series III 109 and the Defender models. By the late 70s, consumers were getting tired of the lack of performance from the old Land Rover 4 cylinder engines used in the traditional Series III "old school" Land Rovers.  The 4 bangers didn't have enough power to go proper highway speeds, were slow on acceleration, and didn't have great fuel mileage to boot.  Fearing loss of market share, but lacking the funds to completely redo their large station wagon models, Land Rover took their 3.5L aluminum V8 out of the Range Rover, mated it to their heavy-duty LT-95 4 speed military truck transmission, lengthened the engine bay, and came up with the Stage I V8 model.  What you get is a rare truck that looks much like the beloved Series III, 109" wagon, but with an engine that can actually handle highway speeds and a transmission that doesn't disintegrate from the added power--which is a common problem with converting the old Series IIA and III wagons to V8 power. It also comes with permanent all wheel drive carried over from the Range Rover design.  I bought this truck from a collector in New York and drove it back to my summer home in Minnesota, where it stayed useful for several years.  I just brought it back to Colorado, and now I find that I'm not really using it at all much anymore due to the fact that I now have a G-wagen instead.  This truck is in really very good condition.  The paint and interior are exceptionally clean and quite good, and I suspect that the previous owner spent a fair amount on the paint and interior.  It really turns heads.  There are a few chips in the paint, and a few nicks, but this is easily the best looking classic Land Rover I've owned (out of about 6 of them).  The paint is frankly better than what it would have looked like new.  The chassis is decent, and the front and rear members were replaced at some point in the past.  there is some surface rust underneath (see photos), but no rust-through and not the kind of cancer you often see on these old Land Rovers.  I was told by the previous owner that this truck was originally delivered to Saudi Arabia, which might explain why it has air conditioning, left hand drive, and an almost non-functioning heater.  The A/C doesn't work currently, and the compressor was removed, but the evaporator and undermount unit seem to be complete. The vacuum line that goes to the center diff lock switch needs to be replaced so that the diff lock will work properly.  That is a common problem with these military transfer cases, and the parts are readily available.  A couple of the rear plastic light lenses are faded and/or need to be replaced.  Rovers North has most of this stuff. The truck easily goes highway speeds, as I drove it from NY to Minnesota to Montana to Colorado over the years, without any problems or glitches whatsoever. Really very solid and trustworthy, and I wouldn't hesitate to get in and drive this old fellow, although you have to realize that these things do ride and handle like trucks. This truck is registered in my name in Minnesota, but with no title, ONLY A BILL OF SALE. Because of the age of the vehicle, NY didn't title it, and the seller had only registration papers that he signed over to me.  Minnesota got all snarky about this and wanted me to post a bond because Minnesota (unlike NY) does have titles for vehicles that age.  The compromise (at least from their standpoint) was that they allowed me to register the vehicle and gave me Minnesota plates, but wouldn't give me a title without a bond.  I will also note that the Minnesota registration lists this as a 1972 model, which I don't think is correct since the Stage I's were made later than that. Thus, I will sell this with a Bill of Sale only.  I've factored that issue into my asking price because I know that in some states (like Minnesota), that can be a hassle. On the other hand, if you compare this Stage I with an NAS Defender -- which most people mistake it for -- it's worth it.  NAS Defender 110's are going for like ten billion dollars (perhaps a minor exaggeration), but this is fairly close to the same thing (sans coil springs), but at a fraction of the cost, and in a better color. This rig also more than favorably compares to many of the overseas Defenders/110s you see on eBay.  For one thing, you don't need to import this and go through customs, risking a denial of entry, which is becoming a danger with imported Defenders.  For another thing, this fellow is already left hand drive, so it doesn't need to be converted.  Anyway, just my two cents' worth.  Nice truck.  I think you'll agree, especially for the price.