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e had to divide up the team to get things moving. The frames would need weeks and weeks of work to bring them back, and in a few cases decide to let them pass on. One team was given this daunting task to undo what time had done. The other team would set out on a mission to recover the original parts as best they could. We found out quickly that trying to recover the original aluminum body parts with years of cheap repairs done to them was far more time consuming and ultimately counter to the philosophy of the Nature Rovers Project that simply making new ones. We could have bought new panels from England but with the rich history of fabricators and experienced Land Rover builders in country we decided to build them like they used to be built, by hand!
The mechanical team put to work to remanufacture the drive train to as new or better in some cases. The engines were completely gone through with new pistons, rods, cranks, heads and intake/exhaust. The body team made new fenders, doors, rear beds, hoods, top assemblies. The frame teams made slow and painfully unrewarding progress as they watched the other teams put out brand new shiny parts. This all changed one morning when the frame crew asked the team to join in the frame room to see what was no longer a grinded on, striped, welded, straightened frame, but a fully restored to like new frame in modern rust proof coating! This was soon to be followed by a customary shiny black frame and then another and another! This was progress!
What emerged from this tremendous project was like a ghost from Costa Rica 's past. The shiny new Land Rovers are truly like looking into the past. Everything is new but yet the old world charm has not been lost. The all aluminum construction (a carryover from the war years and aircraft manufacturing) with its riveted panels and support structure gives the car a vintage yet rugged look that a sculptured modern car has lost forever. When you run your hand down the panels you feel the rivets and the joints, you see the way the panels were fabricated. In the car restoration world there is a rarely heard term called ‘Over Restored'. Old cars have flaws, imperfections, and irregularities which an enthusiast would call, charm, character and ‘Original'. Our Rovers have these original features because we did not use modern hydraulic presses to build the panels and epoxies to glue them together. We put in every blind rivet and every button top rivet and did it by hand. In all we kept the temptation to use easier modern solutions at bay in favor of the old way, the more costly and time consuming way.
Since our Rovers have been coming off the production line we have put many Kilometers on them in search of a weakness, trying to break them and doing so on the beaches, in the jungles and in the pot holes (yes ‘IN’ them, they are very big here!). Our Rovers enjoy more power than original, better fuel economy, smoother running, easy starting, easy shifting, stronger brakes, smoother ride, more ground clearance, and added amenities like the hardened lock box or ice chest if you prefer, full soft top convertible, 3†more legroom for us larger Gringos! We always draw a crowd when we show up, whether you are Tico (Costa Rican) or Gringo (not a bad word here for Foreigners), a Land Rover fan or not the crowds know they are seeing a treat. We feel great pride in our accomplishment and in our ability to share it with you while you are here, enjoy it! Pura Vida!
Here is a company that refurbs them and refers to the factory here in CR, I'm having trouble googling it as well to find info....but I have driven by it so I know its there...no need to advertise for them???? keep researching ID I'm sure you will find that they do indeed manufacture Land Rovers in CR, maybe they closed it down recently? Land Rover does have a history in CR trust me
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As far as I know there are no cars manufactured in CR.
Pura Vida 
