sean101ryan

Yes, 201 Battery (Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Yeomanry), sent me a unit crest as well. Met several others from the unit as a result of putting them on the doors, apparantly mine was the most unreliable!

If you do a search around various book sites, not just amazon, you may find one, it went through a reprint. It gives details of contract numbers etc but not detailed production dates. Any lightweight owner should get this book! Mark let me use some of his pics of 101s for display purposes, he served in the unit my 101 belonged to had pics of it in service, sound guy.

According to "Half Ton Military Land Rover" by Mark Cook (the bible on the lightweight) the first RHD was early May 72, first LHD 9 May 72, delivery started to CVD Hilton shortly after. They were still building Rover 1s (IIA lightweight) up to March 72 despite civvy Series 3 production starting the previous year. It was sometime in 1970 that the headlights were shifted to the wings to meet lighting regs, about 1500 were built like that. This can confuse people because at first glance they look like a Series 3

You didn't go far enough with the convertible, it's still got the door tops on!! Got your cable length info, will pm you soon.

Yep, that was my understanding too, typical political interference that meant the army got a pile of crap. Remember watching a TV prog about DROPS development years ago, RB wouldn't comment at the time as another military contract was pending!! Another one I heard was that LR offered to re-engine and rebuild the 101s but was turned down due to the decision on the RB44s. That M reg Llama was built up from a chassis etc much later, I believe the owner had fun getting it SVA'd, appeared in a couple of the comics. Dunsfold have one also.

Whole page about FCs inc a bit about the 88" http://www.lr-mad.co.uk/fc.html Another in swedish (I think?) http://www.lrforum.com/articles/00119/ One of the comics did an article a while back but not much is known about them.

No. Alfred Miles built a couple of 88" FCs but they weren't developed further. That isn't one of them though, it looks like a homebrewed one.

Apparantly the headroom is just OK in the middle but not at the sides!! Just heard a rumour that motorhomes will have to be tested from later on this year.

Met a couple in Duncannon last week with an MJ and comms body. They just tried to register it as a motorhome but the VRO office has said that under Irish regs it doesn't have enough headroom! They are waiting on a final verdict from head office, otherwise they'll take the body off and register it as a truck. Advantage with motorhome here is it's cheap road tax and MOT exempt.

I'm sure Paul will come along and confirm this but he told me that it was exempt from side bars and the like as it's 4x4. Apparantly the the heavily lugged tyres don't get on with the rollers at MOT stations either!

Paul repairing said governor on arrival in Belgium on the TMs first big trip (Sorry Paul, had to be posted!)

I'll be there in the 101 with it's new gearbox fitted, going down friday pm with the MMVG. Leaving on the Sunday evening straight for the ferry!

Gearbox has a shorter bellhousing and input shaft then rangie but it is easily swapped over. My gearbox has just died, probably the tbox intermediate shaft bearings melting, so am tossing up between a recon military box from Nick Kaye (NK Recovery) or an old Rangie box that's at least 25 years old and loads of miles! An overdrive makes them more relaxing to drive but are hard to find (I have one fitted) so the high ratio gear conversion is more common. When you start adding up the costs of sorting the engine, a carbed 3.9 out of a Disco looks atractive! Some owners have fitted bigger efi's but this involves messing with the gear linkage to clear the plenum chamber. Pretty everything else on the vehicle is unique, the parts book indicates which. You can get around this with substitute or modified parts but the club has an extensive range of remanufactured parts as well.

As Norman says, radiator out and it's then same proceedure as any Rover V8. You should go for a full cam kit inc followers, sprockets etc, not that expensive. There's loads of advice on these engines out there, do a google and you shouldn't need a manual although there is a specific 101 manual and parts book. If you need some of the rare spares for a 101 you have to join the 101 club to get access to their extensive spares list.

Had a great weekend despite having to leave my 101 in a mates yard after it broke down on the M4. Scrounged a 109 and made it anyway. Enjoyed it immensely even with the odd drop of rain thrown in. Thanks to the Essex boys for organising such a good show.

Just watched BBC forecast, worst of the rain seems to be moving further north on Saturday. Having attended the first Bunker Bash, it will be positively balmy in comparison, that was the only time I've put a storm lashing on a 9x9!

Looks like I'll be beat the MMVG there despite distance travelled, they are turning up early Saturday. My son is turning up on Friday evening to meet me and stay the weekend, forgot to book his car in (Black Nova GF06TFO) Looking forward to this a lot even is weather is a bit manky, just have to shelter in the bar!

That's between you and Robin, no mention of dosh, I'm just taking an aerial back! I'll chat to you about the 109. Hoping to get one locally but they have funny ideas about value here, looked at a messed around late 70s GS that was claimed to be Irish army but blatently messed up British and they wanted 3k for it!! Yard in Belfast has several dooer uppers for £6-800. Sorry, probably should be a private conversation elsewhere but all offers of 109 FFRs for realistic prices will be discussed over a beer or two! Guy who wants it is selling his DAF YA 126 and I've covinced him he needs an FFR! He is a serious enthusiast (hobby is researching and publishing about Irish solldiers killed in WW1)

Looks like I'll have pretty crap journey on Friday inc a lumpy crossing! Should be there around 19.30. Just need to cure my oil pump leak and retune the engine in the 101 first, nothing like leaving it to the last minute. Neil, I got your night vision stuff off Robin. Ended up with a shopping list off a couple of the lads at the Curragh show as well (inc a pre 79 109 FFR if anyone has one for sale!)

Here's a Kiwi army 88" seen at MOTAT in Auckland while I was on hols in NZ

No you don't. The regs aren't retro-respective and provided the pin in your hitch is in it's impossible for the trailer to detach (assuming rear xmamber isn't rotten). Some owners have gone to the extent of fitting them by extending the brake operating mechanism, not sure how they got brake to stay on. The new Penman trailers used by the MOD have breakaway cables as the MOD seems to comply with regs these days despite them being pointless with a NATO hitch (bit of a grey area anyway, won't find hook and eye hitches mentioned in the regs)

Run even better and cheaper converted to bottle gas. The MMVG use one mounted in a Sankey all the time at shows.

Should be.

Will do Ian as as soon as possible. Need to find wireless access for my laptop, trespassing on someone elses PC on hols in New Zealand at the mo (I lead a hard life!)

Looks like I'm coming along now with demise of the Plain Invasion. I'll be in with the MMVG, do you still need a booking form from me?