In 1975, the Range Rover Classic was still new to the world. It came with a Buick-derived 3.5L aluminum V8, paired to twin Zenith-Stromberg carburetors—chosen for their altitude compensation and smooth delivery rather than raw throttle response. But over time, even the best setups lose their edge.
This old two-door Range Rover Classic hailed from a family-owned coffee plantation in Costa Rica and no longer would breathe right. Choked up. Heavy with fuel. Black smoke curling from the pipes. It ran, but not well. Not like it should.
We pulled it apart to understand. Carburetors were the cause—half-finished, half-fitted, leaking too much, doing too little. They needed a full rebuild. We stripped them off. Cleaned the manifold. Cleaned the block. Made sure every surface met the next with honesty.
The original Strombergs were incomplete, mismatched, and beyond proper tuning. Rather than chasing ghosts, we opted for a full upgrade—rebuilt from the body out. These side-draft units, with integrated float chambers and improved thermal isolation, offered tighter fuel control and easier servicing. The throttle shafts were firm. The bushings tight. We set the jet needles to spec and matched the airflow by hand.
The intake manifold came off. We cleaned it down to bare aluminum. Debris, carbon, gasket material—gone. New valley gaskets, end seals, rocker cover gaskets—all fresh. No shortcuts.
We fabricated a custom choke linkage and installed a new manual cable to work with the SU’s cam-style enrichment system. Everything was adjusted and lubed: throttle rods, choke cams, return springs. No play. No hesitation. The engine fired with purpose and settled into a steady lope—smooth, even, just right.
We set the needles. Calibrated the mix. Checked the throttle by hand. Lubed the cables, tightened the nuts, tested the springs. Everything smooth. Everything sure.
The valve covers came off. New gaskets in. No leaks. No guesswork.
After that, we drained the blood. Oil, coolant—out. Fresh in. Nothing fancy. Just what it needed.
In the back, we replaced the tailgate seals. Cleaned the bolts. Set them firm. No more rattle. Just a clean shut and the soft click of things lining up.
Dusty is still what it was—an honest machine. But now it’s got lungs again. No more smoke. No more struggle. Just fire, air, and the road ahead.
Driving a classic Range Rover with tired Strombergs or an untuned SU setup? Whether it's black smoke, rough idle, or poor throttle response, we’ve seen it—and fixed it. We specialize in carburetor restoration for Range Rover Classics: Stromberg CD175 tuning, SU HIF6 conversions, intake manifold cleaning, and choke linkage fabrication.
Bring your Series I or early RRC to us. We’ll make the V8 breathe clean, strong, and true—just like it did in 1975.