PAC 518 Rebirth - Oxford & Cambridge Trans-Africa Expedition
August 2019
Late 2019, PAC 518 makes its way into Adam's unit. The remainder of the vehicle has been stripped down, and assessed. Of course Adam wants to reuse as much of the original vehicle as he can, the axles, tank, suspension parts & handbrake all get repainted ready to fit to the repaired and repainted chassis.
Week 1 of the rebuild
After being stripped down in preparation for restoration, parts are starting to come together. A huge task, but it's nothing that Adam hasn't conquered before. Many of the parts were missing, sold on, fitted to other vehicles, their owners unaware of the trials they faced on the original journey.
August 4th, Adam showcases his hard work so far, all shiny and clean, ready to go back in. Polished, painted, perishables swapped out, decals replaced, this engine hasn't look so good in over half a century! There are many parts on a 1954 engine that are not easy to find these days, but Adam has a few connections in the Land Rover world and manages to gather everything needed to bring it back to its former glory.
By the 13th, the Engine and gear box are in place, bumper fitted, time to get to work on the front Axle.
3 days later and the build is coming on in leaps and bounds! Front hubs on, front shocks and brakes, wheels and tyres, exhaust. You can't stop progress!
Week 2
September 2019
As with many rebuilds, a new bulkhead is unavoidable, beautifully painted in the correct "grey" as used by Land Rover at the time.
October 2019
February 2020
Fast forward a bit to February and the rear tub is assembled with a new floor and cross members and painted to match.
March 2020
April 2020
8 months in and the its all starting to take shape now, all the base work is done, the tub, cappings, doors and bulkhead are on!
10 days on, floor plates are in, the wings are painted and mounted and the front end has been fitted.
June 2020
Adam using Cleco Pins to temporarily fasten the rear door top. Primarily used on aircraft structures but have found their way into the car restoration world, great for use on any sheet metal project and excellent for Land Rover body work.2021
A lot has happened since June, more body cappings, hundreds of rivets, glass, seals, seats, new wheels, and a lot more perfectly painted panels.
October 2021
Later in the year, a large proportion of the interior is done, rear lights are on, and we now have a roof too!
May 2022
June 2022
After a couple of years hard work, (really hard work) and an almost unmatched attention to detail PAC 518 has a new lease of life, every detail has been meticulously restored or recreated to bring it back to its former glory.
And with its sister PAC 519 (also previously restored by Adam) which is currently on its way back from Australia following an appearance at the Land Rover 75th anniversary grand parade.
And both all the way back in 1954, off on their big adventure.
We think Adam has done an amazing job of bringing this vehicle back from the brink. Looking at it today is almost like having access to a time machine!
A beautiful machine, a piece of history, brought back to life and being enjoyed once again by Land Rover enthusiasts and a worthy entrant to the London Concourse Classic Car show.
2 comments
I am a USA-based author and am working on an e-book about the air ferry companies that transported passengers and their vehicles between the U.K. and continental Europe from the late 1940s – early 1970s.
For the chapter on Silver City Airways, the pioneering air ferry company, I am requesting a copy of a photograph of the Trans-Africa Land Rovers PAC518 and PAC519 as they exist today. If available, these images (or one image with both vehicles in it) would pair well with the image that I have of both vehicles posed before boarding a Silver City Airways aircraft in 1955 prior to being ferried to France and continuing their initial southbound journey.
I have seen photographs of these amazing vehicles and their incredible story in various print and on-line publications, but after seeing your website I recognize that your organization would be the best source for any images of the vehicles and the proper final authority for their use.
In the event that you fulfill my request, please provide the required wording to cite the source of the images.
Thank you in advance for any time that you devote in reviewing and responding to my request.
I live in Stamford Bridge and live next door to the fish and chip shop, what a couple of Beauties when i walked down the street to the shop
Just read on the internet incredible piece of history in PAC 518 and 519 ,