1969 Land Rover 109″ Series 2a Ex-Dutch Military Ambulance

This was a great fun project. Why do I have this, of all things…

The back story: my mom’s mom in Holland had an armoire that my parents were trying to find a way to bring back to Florida. The cost was very expensive in shipping, to say the least. My resourceful dad figured out how shipping companies decide costs and learned that a functioning car 25 years old could be shipped much easier and for one-tenth the price of the armoire on its own.

So what else do you do but naturally buy an ex-military surplus ambulance, stuff the armoire in the back, and send it on over.

Complete with 100 lbs of green camouflage roller-brush paint holding up the rust bucket. I quickly got myself a tetanus shot and filled it full of surfboards and windsurfers. I kind of stuck out like a sore thumb when I drove it to high school every day, too — that, and my siren was a bit alarming as well.

All the while as I drove Dusty everywhere around town in Sarasota, FL, I thought to myself, “Let’s just pack up and drive from here to Patagonia, Chile!” Surf and cultural adventure, and live in the back.

Ten years later I decided to take on the job of giving Dusty a frame-off, full ground-up restoration.

Upon completion, I made it so “cherry” that I never wanted to mess it up romping around in Central and South America with him. That’s my downfall — I don’t settle for second best in my work. It’s the right way only. The Artist in me comes out all day long, creating a unique look but not sacrificing strength, only promoting it further — as well as blending a new modern feel into a timeless icon, the Land Rover classics.

Dusty is 15% from completion and is for sale. Enjoy.