History

Right so trying to find the history of our series 2. We didn't get any paper work with it at all. We have contacted the DVA and they have it on record as a blue 1964. This is the problem. I know it's an s2 and not s2a as the lights are on the rad panel and not the wing. It is exMOD. Is there any chance when it left the MOD that it then was give its first registration date rather than its true manufacture date? Has anyone else ever had to deal with this?

de-code the vin number, that'll tell you

you should also beable to contact the historic vehicle society they usually do alot of digging for you

How do you decide the vin? What's the breaks in it?

pm sent

Also most 2a s had lights in rad panel - only changed in about 1968

Yeah have now found that out. So it seems I have a 2a and not a 2. Can't really see any massive differences in the specs mind.

afaik first reg date is often when they were demobbed for ex mod vehicles.

my 55 s1 was down as a 62 on an a reg but the previous owner got it changed to 55 and on an age related number.

if you still have the military plate on the bulkhead that usually has the mod registration number on it which might help on the history front

I don't have the plate as it has had a new bulkhead fitted. I have been given the number for a previous owner who might have some paper work and plates for it.

Aidso said:

Right so trying to find the history of our series 2. We didn't get any paper work with it at all. We have contacted the DVA and they have it on record as a blue 1964. This is the problem. I know it's an s2 and not s2a as the lights are on the rad panel and not the wing. It is exMOD. Is there any chance when it left the MOD that it then was give its first registration date rather than its true manufacture date? Has anyone else ever had to deal with this?

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ok i see you've already been corrected on the lights issue but may i suggest the Series 2 forum to assist you in finding out what you own, being as you've lost the contract plate i doubt the military records can be found but the lads on the S2 forum will be pretty hot on pointing you in the correct direction

The Series 2 Club Forum - Index

hope this helps

As NiteMare said, there are people on the Series 2 Club forum who'll be able to tell you date of manufacture from the VIN. Bar a couple of minor updates to the petrol engine, and a new diesel engine, there was virtually no difference between the 2 and early 2a. The lights were moved in 68 for exported vehicles and 69 for UK ones - this was to comply with US law originally. It may have been registered in 1964 after MOD release, but won't be older than 1961 as that's when 2 became 2a.
You'll find me on the S2 club forum as well. It's worth joining the Club itself too, there are discounts to be had!

Working from memory between my II and IIA - some of the differences are:

S.2 engine had smaller con-rod bearings - this changed in the IIA. Cylinder head was a different casting - changes because of the cracking that the IIs were notorious for. Changees to the front cover as well - they moved the water pump up and that accounts for the profile change on the thermostst mount on the front.

S.2 engines had different cam followers in the engine - those were holed through instead of being dimpled.

Body had a bunch of small changes. The wing mounting nuts were threaded inserts rather than being the spring-clip types that the IIA used in open holes. The ventilator open/close on a II were screw knobs - IIA changed them to the lever types. Early IIAs used a vacuum-delay wiper lever rather than a column mount with a return wheel.

I'm sure I'll remember more later...

aj"Yes, i am an anorak"r

Thank you for the info. Unfortunately pretty much everything you have mentioned has been changed in mine. The engine is a 2.5td out of a 110 and the bulkhead is a series 3.

would you like to put a photo up of the rear axle checkstrap mounts ??

Ok I can do next time I'm out. Forgive my ignorance. What are check strap mounts?

Any good?

if that is your chassis then it is a 2/2a

if it had been a W shaped piece of steel welded on rather than those two plates with bolt holes in them then we'd be looking at a S3 chassis

folks get caught out and buy a 2/2a with supposed bulkhead swaps occaisionally (unscrupulous sellers) if they're not familiar with the differences around the Series motors

i've even seen one Series that was supposed to be a 2a that actually was a cobbled together assembly of parts, it was still on leaf springs but the chassis was from two different models cut and cobbled together (military rear half, civilian front half and a foot or so of homemade box section joining the two bits together in each chassis rail), it had the front crossmember cut out and moved forward to allow fitting of powersteering, a pair of disco axles under it, a 200tdi motor, 90" bonnet and grill, S3 bulkhead, S3 tub....

that motor was sold to a mate as a 2a by a well known dealer in secondhand landrovers without full disclosure of what was being offered

then to cap it all off, being as the chassis had been cobbled together it crabbed really badly

i dread to think what would have happened if he'd been in a serious prang with it

Lol that's a bit like mine. We know its a 2 something. We were led to believe that it was a 2. Don't mind if its a 2a but would like it to be a 2 for MOT reasons.

well you need to know it was built prior to 1st January 1960 if you're hoping to be excused the mot test

this could be tricky because as far as i know the Series 2 Club is the only recognised organisation to date 2/2a's and they certainly will not rubber stamp anything that's dodgy/iffy and they'll go over quite a bit of it to determine it's age, being as the bulkhead has been changed i'll guess it's also lost quite a few other parts that will help to date it correctly

you may be able to get a build date report from the Heritage Center at Gaydon but whether that will be accepted by the DVLA i can't tell you

to be honest for the odd 30-40 quid it costs to have an mot test and a second pair of eyes cast over it it's worth it to know that your vehicle is safe to be on the road

i've a genuine late 2a ex-New Zealand CKD 88" that i originally thought was just another S3 (at first glance across the field) with no documents, i've got to get round to having it verified and registered sometime but i'm 100% sure i have the vehicle i claim it to be due to the research i've done and the amount of original parts that are still on it, so i don't forsee any problems with registering it

axles have serial numbers, so does the gearbox, certain electrical components, i think the steering box does, diffs are stamped, obviously being as your engine has been changed then that is a chunk of identity lost

yours on the other hand, could be tricky

oh and a little p.s.
the S2 Club log every vehicle they inspect officially so if you are in any doubt at all as to it's identity i wouldn't get them involved and just take it for the mot each year

hope that helps

Rang dva today and spoke to a lovely woman. Year of manufacture is 1964 and date of first reg is 1/1/1978. So it was with the MOD between 64 and 78. So that means it is a s2a.