Documents unobtainable

Goudy

I once bought a Defender that had come off a power company's fleet.
The dealer assured me it was serviced on the button but there was no paperwork.

I rang the power company that owned it and was passed around and around without getting much joy. They really didn't care.

Eventually I found out who and where it was looked after and wrote to them.

A few weeks later I got a nice surprise.
They sent me a print out list of everything that happened to that vehicle by date from new.
It included the good, the bad and the ugly.

Everything from service and repairs, replacement tyres because of punctures and wear, driver reports of faults, niggles, knocks and rattles with their comments on inspections and repairs.

There was even an off fleet inspection.
Eight pages of checks done just before they disposed of it, plus details of the kit they removed.
They had gone through the hole vehicle and had notes on scuffs, scratches, blemishes, wheel nut torque, oil condition (all oil, there's a lot of different oils on a Land Rover).
There were even comments on a worn seat (typical Defender)

It was a complete, almost forensic history of the vehicle plus full appraisal of it's condition when they let it go. (it just needed a couple of rear axle bushes in their opinion and they were right).

Unfortunately a truck rear ended me 8 months later and wrote the thing off.
I did think about a new chassis but I didn't have the time.

If you can find out where is came from, find out where is was looked after and go direct to them.