Help not sure what I've got!

Cairndene · Nov 20, 2009

Hi all,
This is my first post and (what a surprise!) I need some help identifying my Landy.
My wife bought me it as a project for our anniversary (and to stop me buying a motorbike) and it is a bit of state. The thing is I was told it was a Series III 109 and everything about it identifies it as one (plastic grille, dash dials in front of driver, Salisbury rear axle etc.) but the chassis number and V5 identify it as a Series IIA. Was first registered 1st of June 1971 and first 3 digits of chassis no. are 345 so it would seem to be a IIA but I don't understand why pretty much everything about it screams series III.
Does anyone know if this was common on very late IIA's to essentially be a series III. Need help so I can get the right parts for it.

Cheers
Cam

carpy · Nov 20, 2009

hey mate, welcome!

Check the chassis number of the chassis, see what that says. in all likelihood what you have got is a late IIa 109 where someone has either presumed it was a series III (to the untrained eye it looks the same)and therefore used series III bits, or just used whatever parts fit. alot of old landys are bitsas where any old thing that fits is used.

if you look on the wings, on the series III the air intake comes out through the wing, the series IIa doesnt have this. the inside should hold some clues as well.

series IIa do have salisbury rear axles also

get some photos up - its hard going by a written description!

Cairndene · Nov 20, 2009

That's what I'm thinking. Funnily enough the wing is series III, has the heater intake on the side. I'll grab some pics off camera soon. Unfortunately I've been a bit mental on disassembly so far and only the drivetrain, chassis and bulkhead are left attached (not bad for a total of 3 working days I think).

carpy · Nov 20, 2009

you got any before pics? lol

109party · Nov 20, 2009

sounds like a late series IIa

with series 3 wings,

Cairndene · Nov 20, 2009

Here are a couple. First is what the landy looked like when I got it. The second is about the only view showing the dash and instruments (and a happy looking father in law)

carpy · Nov 20, 2009

hmm you aren't wrong it does look alot like a series III. the rear cross member does seem series IIa to me for some reason. but on the surface it seems like a series III.

if the paperwork corresponds to series IIa then i would take that, makes it tax exempt afterall.

oil dripper · Nov 20, 2009

does the gearbox crossmember look like its got reinforcement pieces onnit where it attaches to the main rails ?

Teflon · Nov 21, 2009

Short answer, its a 1971 Land-Rover 109.
There were more differences between early SII's and late, than there were between last SII's and teh SIII's which saw very little change in thier entire production run.
Very last of the line SIIA's used an awful lot of SIII parts as they were introduced.
'officially' the plastic dash, plastic rad-grill & syncro first box were the only distinguishing changes for the SIII.
And by NOW, with a car that is nie on 40 years old, chances of it having stayed 'original' are minimal.......
Its a question of accademics, really, and I guess that it really is only THAT important if you want to do a full on 'concourse' restoration to original specification, in which case, being right on the change-over point, where it could have been old dealer stock SII or early release SIII, it needs to be 'nailed' properly and the only way to do that is a chassis no search with Gaydon motor heritage via the build records.
Else, restore as you preffer / find easiest & enjoy!

steve2286w · Nov 23, 2009

Have you checked Slobs sticky link above

carpy · Nov 23, 2009

if you can get the whole chassis number check it out with the chassis numbers on the database - one of the stickys at the top has the website with that database. go down the list and find what year, model, type etc your corresponds to. there you have it. simples as that bloody meerkat says

Cairndene · Nov 23, 2009

Cheers will check that out. checked out the link slob put in but was still didn't really help as so much is series III on it.

Davec · Nov 23, 2009

Where have you got the chassis number from?
If I were buying it I would be very suspicious that it was a dodgy logbook tax free jobby, i.e. the log book giving tax free status had no relationship to the vehicle.

Deetd4 · Nov 23, 2009

Thats what I was thinking also. I know of a lot of S111 Landy's running around with 1971-1972 log books. I know for a fact these vehicles are a lot younger than this. I know of one vehicle that started life as a Defender and is now running about on 1971 S111 plates and all S111 body panels. Only difference is it is still on Defender coils. All in order to qualify the vehicle for free road tax.

I have a 1982 S111 ex military truck, although there are a lot of people on here a lot better qualified to answer your questions if you have anything you want to ask you can contact me anytime.

carpy · Nov 23, 2009

if you pm me a chassis number i will get you some info on it. question is where are you getting the number from? the v5, the VIN plate, or actually from the chassis itself?

Help not sure what I've got!

Cairndene

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