Modding a Land Rover

As always I've got it into my head to start at the deep end.

So, my current project - or next project, I suppose, since I don't
suppose I'll have the budget to start it until at least four or five
months down the road - is to fix up a Land Rover weapons carrier (the
SAS kind, with three Gimpy mounts) for reenactment, airsoft games and
so on.

Any suggestions where to start? Is it better to start with a real
weapons carrier, or start with a standard Landy and modify it?

If I decide to mod one, I was planning to start with a 110 (has to be
less than ten years old, apparently, for insurance reasons), probably
the three-door version. Then I was planning to remove the roof, doors
and probably the windscreen (unless I'm likely to be driving it in
bug-splat risk areas), repaint the whole thing an appropriate
olive-green colour, and install pintle mounts, rifle holders, and other
random accessories.

Any suggestions on where to start, where to get a halfway decent Landy
fairly cheaply, and so on?

Actually, if anyone's got any good pictures of the later weapons
carrier or SAS variants, they'd be highly appreciated.

Cheers!

In message <[email protected]>
"Torak" <[email protected]> wrote:

> As always I've got it into my head to start at the deep end.
>
> So, my current project - or next project, I suppose, since I don't
> suppose I'll have the budget to start it until at least four or five
> months down the road - is to fix up a Land Rover weapons carrier (the
> SAS kind, with three Gimpy mounts) for reenactment, airsoft games and
> so on.
>
> Any suggestions where to start? Is it better to start with a real
> weapons carrier, or start with a standard Landy and modify it?
>
> If I decide to mod one, I was planning to start with a 110 (has to be
> less than ten years old, apparently, for insurance reasons), probably
> the three-door version. Then I was planning to remove the roof, doors
> and probably the windscreen (unless I'm likely to be driving it in
> bug-splat risk areas), repaint the whole thing an appropriate
> olive-green colour, and install pintle mounts, rifle holders, and other
> random accessories.
>
> Any suggestions on where to start, where to get a halfway decent Landy
> fairly cheaply, and so on?
>
> Actually, if anyone's got any good pictures of the later weapons
> carrier or SAS variants, they'd be highly appreciated.
>
> Cheers!
>

P A Blanchard may have one in stock - they often have this sort
of thing - worth a try anyway.

Richard


--
www.beamends-lrspares.co.uk [email protected]
Running a business in a Microsoft free environment - it can be done
Powered by Risc-OS - you won't get a virus from us!!
Helping keep Land Rovers on and off the road to annoy the Lib Dems

On 30 Jun 2005 12:14:22 -0700, "Torak" <[email protected]> wrote:

>As always I've got it into my head to start at the deep end.
>
>So, my current project - or next project, I suppose, since I don't
>suppose I'll have the budget to start it until at least four or five
>months down the road - is to fix up a Land Rover weapons carrier (the
>SAS kind, with three Gimpy mounts) for reenactment, airsoft games and
>so on.
>
>Any suggestions where to start? Is it better to start with a real
>weapons carrier, or start with a standard Landy and modify it?

Id have thought it would be a lot easier to start with an ex-military
soft top one. Then you have a lot less to do and all the bits you need
already!

>If I decide to mod one, I was planning to start with a 110 (has to be
>less than ten years old, apparently, for insurance reasons), probably
>the three-door version. Then I was planning to remove the roof, doors
>and probably the windscreen (unless I'm likely to be driving it in
>bug-splat risk areas), repaint the whole thing an appropriate
>olive-green colour, and install pintle mounts, rifle holders, and other
>random accessories.

can you just fold the windscreen down on a 110 like you can on a
series? - Easier than removing it! - just fold it down when you dont
want it.
If you pick carefully when you buy an ex-mil one you can probably find
one already fitted with all the mounts and rifle holders and stuff!

>Any suggestions on where to start, where to get a halfway decent Landy
>fairly cheaply, and so on?

look through the dealers and private ads on www.milweb.net

>Actually, if anyone's got any good pictures of the later weapons
>carrier or SAS variants, they'd be highly appreciated.

See the above website for that too. bit of everything on there!

Tom Woods wrote:
> On 30 Jun 2005 12:14:22 -0700, "Torak" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >As always I've got it into my head to start at the deep end.
> >
> >So, my current project - or next project, I suppose, since I don't
> >suppose I'll have the budget to start it until at least four or five
> >months down the road - is to fix up a Land Rover weapons carrier (the
> >SAS kind, with three Gimpy mounts) for reenactment, airsoft games and
> >so on.
> >
> >Any suggestions where to start? Is it better to start with a real
> >weapons carrier, or start with a standard Landy and modify it?
>
> Id have thought it would be a lot easier to start with an ex-military
> soft top one. Then you have a lot less to do and all the bits you need
> already!

Yeah... I'm just hoping that if I get a really cheap hardtop I can flog
the doors, roof and so on for spares... and use that to fund the other
mods.

> >If I decide to mod one, I was planning to start with a 110 (has to be
> >less than ten years old, apparently, for insurance reasons), probably
> >the three-door version. Then I was planning to remove the roof, doors
> >and probably the windscreen (unless I'm likely to be driving it in
> >bug-splat risk areas), repaint the whole thing an appropriate
> >olive-green colour, and install pintle mounts, rifle holders, and other
> >random accessories.
>
> can you just fold the windscreen down on a 110 like you can on a
> series? - Easier than removing it! - just fold it down when you dont
> want it.

I think you can - certainly my 90 has a couple of bolts on the inside
of the windscreen, and it looks like it can be folded.

> If you pick carefully when you buy an ex-mil one you can probably find
> one already fitted with all the mounts and rifle holders and stuff!

Yeah - I've seen a few with the rifle racks, but I've only seen the
ones with MG mounts at Withams for twelve grand...