Faults:

Almost right away I changed the following items. Most of which were working, but I could tell were on the way out. The list may look extensive, but the items are very cheap - especially DIY fitted.

Clutch master and slave cylinders, The overdrive was sluggish engaging and disengaging. Took about 2 hours to replace, refill and bleed.

Engine began behaving erratically. This suggested distributor or HT leads. I replaced the dizzy with a refurbished unit from an MGB (£15) and installed electronic points at the same time. Took 1 hour.

Checked rear differential and realised it was empty despite checking the level between 500-1000 miles earlier. Oil seal cost pennies and again took about an hour.

Valve stem oil seals and fluid change. The Smokey engine starts didn't use up much oil, but for the time it takes I had no excuse!

General Comments:

Buy one and you will fall in love with it. Mechanically it is a dream to work with with excellent accessibility and very cheap parts. Off road performance is superb, leave all these modern wannabes in the mud.

As soon as you buy it replace the master & slave cylinders (or just the seals) on the clutch and brake systems. It will take you a day or two max and you will have a seriously reliable system afterwards. It gives you the opportunity to check the brake shoes at the same time. New transmission brake shoes can be changed a the same time, may as well as you already have the tools out!

Also put in a new thermostat, distributor points and coil. Again, just knock off £100-£200 off the asking price and spend the difference on these new parts. Valve seals should be changed on an engine that is smoky when starting. These are a couple pounds and allow you to check the roller gear and rockers at the same time.

When buying, check for rust on the chassis and bulkhead. As long as these are sound the rest is an easy and relatively cheap fix.

Military models have a stronger chassis and come undersealed, i.e. less likely to have severe rust.

Military models are easier to work with as they have been dismantled a lot more. This makes jobs a little quicker with fewer rusty bolts to deal with.

If it has an overdrive and front free-wheel hubs all the better! You might even be able to cruise at 70! (WOW)