Here it is as Mark dropped him off.
Honestly the wheels were on it when it arrived but I just had to start fiddlin'
The LR came fitted with a truck cab but also includes a new full length canvas and some of the stick set. I still require side rails above the doors, a rear hoop and strengthening bars between each hoop before I can fit the canvas. But you never know what I will find in my regular LR jumble trawls?
I previously had a SWB Series 3 for 9 years ( http://members.lycos.co.uk/pjboomer ) but unfortunately that had to be moved on leaving me LR'less. After a two year sabbatical I now have this early IIA LWB which was demobbed in '75. So the task will be to find out some of it's military history if poss?
From my initial findings the LR looks to have been part of an order del. '66/'67 so the military reg. could be 45 ER 31? It is a Rover 9 GS 109" 12v 2.25 petrol and overall it appears very original and seems to have been spared the mods and tweaks that most have had over the years. Rear x-member is not std but all the rest seems to be there.
Bulkhead ID plates have the following info...
Military plate
Vehicle No. 45 E 31
Chassis 2510627*
Contract No. WV4628
Rover ID plate
Land Rover 109" Series IIA
Vehicle No. 2511026*G (Not sure about the 'G' which could be a 'C'?)
Military plate chassis No. and Rover chassis number don't match?
Also engine No. S25105956G (re-con 3-brg. to 'G' spec.) and Gearbox 25216353C
Demobbed in 1975 and only two owners since and 78k on the clock is believed to be genuine.
It is registered on a 'B' plate based on the V5 having a first date of manufacture as 1962. But where this V5 date came from is unknown and hard to sustantiate at the moment.
From the gearbox and engine numbers we can have an idea of age. The engine is an early 2A one from 1961 that has been factory reconditioned by Rover to Suffix G spec - hence the S at the beginning and the suffix being out of kilter with the number.The gearbox probably dates to around 1964? But then most LR's of this age have had parts swapped.......especially if they were well used military examples?
Chassis initially looked to be a 1 tonne but as pointed by others on EMLRA - it isn't exactly but it is known as a 'combat spec' or Combat Chassis. They are basically the same but with a few minor differences. This can make it a bit of a PITA sourcing some parts (bump stop extension blocks anyone?). I have loads to do but I know it all works plus it has tax and MOT until the end of May. The question is how good is it?
When Mark dropped it off he mentioned the brakes were not that good. So that was my first point to check.
The first day stripping them down found one rear piston seized/one front piston seal gone and both front shoes just touching the rivets - that'll be why then? So before this trucks gets on the road it is at least going to get all its running gear checked over.
More pics from around the truck. Note the unusual sockets on the rear corner. Or should I say one weird one that appears to be a connection for a backup supply generator (big knurled one) with an alternative 'parking' spot for the cap in the LH corner below the reflector? Both the parking spot and the knurled cap were once painted yellow.
It was changed to negative earth by the PO and I'll keep it that way.
Traces or red paint found on both rear 'bumper' faces.
The round Smiths heater is being stripped down this weekend to see if it is a) watertight and b) the fan works. So far it all seems OK but we will see after a few days with water in it? (have to start somewhere?).
Logo found under the paint at the NS rear and a similar one on the NS wing that I need to uncover. EMLRA bods believe it means this was a South Eastern Command vehicle. I have a few aqaintances that were involved with SEC after WW2 but the roll of this LR would still be interesting to find out. At some point I will need to chase either MOD archives of via EMLRA.
NS wing flash has all but worn away but the same SEC lion logo was found face up on top of the wing and the worn away coloured strips wrapped around and onto the front of the wing.
Battery mounting points in the rear bed (single dynamo was all that was fitted though) plus what looks like fixing points for some form of bench/shelf at the rear bulkhead end of the tub? One mount missing and a PO has replaced it with a piece of bent s/s plate. Ideally I would like to get a suitable plate to replace the bodged one.
What do I plan to do with it? Well I am not one to carry out a full renovation to turn it into an LR which is better than new. I am no rivet counter either, though saying that I would like it to at least remain externally as it would have originally been. Engine may change and a few other bits but it will appear as de-comm'd.
Ideally I want a tidy truck (not too tidy) to haul bales of hay and straw about and the odd Roe ;)
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