I am in the process of trying to buy a 300Tdi Station Wagon and having provisionally agreed a few things I have just HPI checked it and a strange thing has shown up - I can assure you that what is there is a standard manual box, yet acording to the people at HPI the vehicle has a 7 speed automatic box? Would a 300Tdi 110 have had a 7 speed box at new and it's been converted or should this be telling me somethings sus. or just that even HPI can make mistakes?

If its dodgy, its very good at it - long (if patchy) service history and MOT certs going back to when they looked like MOT certs not something a kid printed off in his bedroom!

VIN and Reg tie up etc.

Sounds like an HPI mistake to me.

Only a V8 defender has been sold with auto , and that was a 4 speed ZF so looks like clumsy fingers again

yeah defenders didnt have 7 speed gearboxes, sounds like a mistake to me. you can check what it was originally built with using the vin and contacting landrover or using this, it will say whether it was auto or manual when it left the factory

http://www.clifton.nl/index.html?calvin.html

Pics (not taken by me) of the new motor as requested (although I can't recall which thread I was asked on, sorry)