I think I’ve brought a ringer……..

A few years ago I brought(what I thought was) a series 3 hybrid, 1975 tax free MOT Exempt historic vehicle. My circumstances have changed and I took the vehicle to a land rover specialist, he was dubious of the vehicles origin and I was surprised as I brought the vehicle in good faith off what I thought to be a friend.
There is only one chassis number I can find on the vehicle, the one under the driver side wheel arch is missing and the one on the dash has been removed.

Does anyone know how I can identify this vehicle other than number plate or chassis number?

What do you mean by "series 3 hybrid"
Usually that would mean to me someone has stuck a series 3 body on a coil sprung rangerover chassis.....

What identity you looking for...the series? or the rangerover?
Probably youd have a rangerover pretending to be a series

Also better to do a bit of secret investigation.........rather then tell the whole internet you have a bent landrover

Post a few photos
We may be able to Help.

You may not have chassis numbers in the correct/stated places

I'm curious as to where the one chassis number you have is located?

Christ he's opened a can of worms dont post any pics of the reg number ffs @LPJA

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Steel-Number-Punches/s?k=Steel+Number+Punches

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boguing said:

I'm curious as to where the one chassis number you have is located?

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Only one I could find is inside the engine bay on the left hand side.

LPJA said:

Only one I could find is inside the engine bay on the left hand side.

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On a vin plate or chassis?

Hicap phill said:

On a vin plate or chassis?

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VIN plate

What’s the suspension springs or leaves?

It’s probably a defender era with a series identity, so yep. A ringer

Springs

I think s3 will only have a chassis number stamped drivers side dumb iron, these rot out and get replaced all the time so losing the chassis number, other place is on ally plate screwed to the bulkhead, don't think there are any others.
Defender same place for chassis number on dumb iron, plus an alloy plate riveted to top of brake pedal box.

I would study some pics of the chassis itself on the internet, 90/110/defender ones are two c sections welded together top and bottom lengthwise, I think s3 went the same way later on, but early s3 chassis were made up of 4 plates welded on the corners again lengthwise.

Not sure when defender started to get dash mounted vin numbers?

Dont forget the cars identity is the chassis only, body means diddly squat, it could have a range rover body and still be classed as a series 2/3 etc.
So if it's still on leaf springs and paperwork says it's a series 3 then technically it's a series 3.

Can we have a pic of the engine bay?

Can we have a pic of looking underneath from the front, so we can see the chassis rails and suspension setup?

Same from the rear.

What is the first registration year on the log book?

Looks like a late 1990’s Defender with a series ID from the pics. I’d bet the only bit left from the series, if any, is the identification and could even be a stolen Landy under that registration number.

Have you asked your friend for any history on the vehicle and details of where he got it etc?

Your best course would be to go and see the friend. He'll probably find the money if the Police were about to be involved.

Heartbreaking as it looks like a nice thing. Hope you get this resolved…soon.

Send it back quick....

At the very least it would require a Q plate as once you swap the chassis, axles and suspension in the eyes of the law there aren't enough parts of the original vehicle to still be classed as that vehicle. Pretty sure that as a Q plate it wouldn't be tax free anymore either.

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration/radically-altered-vehicles

Registration date is June 1975.
I’ve attached the pic of the engine bay.

LPJA said:

Registration date is June 1975. I’ve attached the pic of the engine bay.

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And here's a standard Defender 300tdi from the 90's.



What you have is a Defender. As I said, you're going to have to encourage your 'friend' to do the decent thing. You can't sell it. If you're caught with it you'll lose it. Same if you report it.