Long before it was turned into a model name, the thrill of discovery had become a fundamental piece of the Land Rover story. And while the English 4x4s have enjoyed a renaissance of popularity as of late, for every pristine one parked in a spotless garage there’s an old workhorse being chucked through the mud, used as intended. Basem Wasef falls into the latter camp; his 1963 Series IIA cleans up pretty nicely, but it looks much better fording than it does parked and polished. Early Land Rovers like this one are pieces of equipment built for prolonged and hard use. A tool for travel, for exploration, for finding the pleasure in mechanical purity. To drive it requires constant adjustment and attention, and you’ll barely hit highway speeds down a hill, but to be part of a different era and attitude of the automobile is well worth it.