72rover

Well, it's not a military vehicle, but John Rhys-Davies has been on, in and around my '72 88" Land-Rover quite a few times. It was used as a prop for the "Archaeology" TV programme in the US, produced by the Discovery Channel (it may have aired as "Time Travelers" or somesuch in the UK), with John Rhys narrating the opening an closing sequences, leaning against the Rover. The Rover appeared in two dozen, 1/2 hour episodes over three years. (I appeared as an extra in four or five shows, but only the Rover was paid a performance fee!) He's a hell of a nice guy - and owns (or owned) 5 Land-Rovers, including a 130" Luten-bodied workshop vehicle which I believe 'lives' on his estate on the Isle of Man. Another 109" lives in Kenya. He's not at all keen on "modern" coil-sprung Rovers with all that electrickery.... Cheers

The legendary D-Day piper Bill Millin has died. . The Germans apparently did not shoot at him because they thought he was mad playing the pipes during the first wave of landings on Sword Beach as men dropped all around him. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11019795 As portrayed in the film The Longest Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrUs5AfrNjc along with a very young Sean Connery. Pegasus Bridge referred to in the clip was the first engagement of D-Day when captured in a glider born assault, a vital primary objective and crucial to the success of the landings. ...sorry for the duplicate post...didn't scroll down far enough....

Several years ago, I was flying across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay to take some aerial photos of a site on the Eastern Shore I was appraising. Half way across, we saw two LCACs just sitting there. Now LCACs are a common sight, but two of 'em just sitting is unusual, so the pilot did a couple of circles. First thing that seemed *really* unusual was that it appeared someone had thrown a couple of gallons of red paint through one of the propulsion fans. Then we saw tarps covering something at opposite ends of the cargo deck. Whatever took place happened just a few minutes earlier. They didn't seem too happy to have us hanging around, so we left - without taking any photos. It wasn't until the nightly news that evening that I learned what happened. The two LCACs were practicing a towing exercise. One simulated engine failure and the other tows it. With a 2" steel cable. Which broke. Which cut some poor chap clean in two. Now I've done a lot of winching with both Rovers I've seen several lines break, even broken a winch line myself. (A 1954 AeroParts capstan winch on the '72, and with a capstan, I've got to be right in the 'kill zone' to run it. It was ultra-low stretch dacron polyester, so it just dropped when it parted, it didn't 'store' energy the way steel can....) I treat any rope/cable under tension with utmost respect and usually drape another rope, a floor mat or tarp over the line to act as a drag on what can easily be a lethal weapon. 'Spectators' are kept well away....

Indeed. My all-time top speed in my Rover - which is still going strong after almost 4 decades of ownership - was 77 mph, even with the OD. That was coming down off the continental divide in Colorado. In neutral. Engine off. With a tail wind.... I don't see how terminal velocity, if rolled out the back of a transport or off a cliff, would be much more. 90 or more is downright scary fast...You do mean mph, right? The venerable 2.25 lump has a nasty habit of grenading at about 5,200 RPM. Prior to that, you usually get 'valve float' and start losing power. But I do like driving fast in the Rover, preferably in the snow.... That was it's original mission 38 years ago: to get to the ski slopes when no one else could.... Cheers

Well, if it's 'originality' you want, you could always use 'original' LR paint colors - like bronze green, pastel green and limestone. 'Sand' would work, too.... My '96 Discovery has worked up a nice camo scheme all by itself. That's because the factory-applied clear coat on "willow" paint failed so dramatically. "That's not a bug. That's a feature." - Bill Gates Cheers

...or what 'implement' to paint with. I think my Sankey was painted with a mop.... Cheers

Well, I found the data plate - only because of the corner rivits. I'll have to carefully excavate the undercoating in that area. Seems ironic that the stuff fell off in great patches elsewhere, but that which is covering the data plate is the most securely-bonded on the whole thing.... :mad: As side-note - for any folks on this side of the pond anyway - I bought some real nice military-style, bar-tread tyres from Specialty Tire of America for not much coin. Check 'em out if you need new meats for your ride.... The Sankey's tyres were well and truly 'aligatored' to the point I was surprised they still held air. Cheers

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/PDFs/New%20Jun%202003/Uk%20Military%203-4%20ton%20trailer.pdf

Thanks for the photos...I know where that 'location' is, so maybe I can excavate further in that area. The frame had many layers of 'rust-proofing' but unfortunately on the tub, all that did was provide a safe and secure hiding place for the rust-worm. In places, the under coating came off in great sheets - revealing shiny bronze green paint on the frame underneath. :laugh: Other places on the tub, no so good.... :undecided: I've patched up all the holes on the tub with West System epoxy (left over from my wooden boat days) while the inside of the tub has been protected with Herculiner - that liquid-bed-liner-in-a-can stuff. The frame has since been Waxoyl-ed. I thought it was a 1/2 tonner, as the only similar photo I found on the internet was a 3/4 shot taken from the stern - not showing the draw bar area. Yes, it has three legs an no wheel. From what y'all have posted, I'm pretty sure it is a '66-67 3/4 tonner. Cheers

The more I learn about Sankeys, the less I seem to know....:undecided: It's not the "wide track" variant, and it doesn't have the drop-down tailgate - it's the 'floatable' one with the drainage scuppers. I've downloaded a .pdf copy of the 'shop manual' (just like those for Land-Rover's - but only 20 or so pages long) and it looks just like the model on the cover of this publication. A-frame front, hand-brake lever, etc. Now the only data plate - besides one that reads "24 volts" - was the "assembly number" that was hidden under several layers of camo paint. There is a 20-digit, bar-coded MoD sticker, though. Even loaded to the gunwales with camping kit, the thing tows effortlessly behind the Disco. Just want to get it legal to avoid getting pulled over by the constabulary.... Cheers

Well, that one I recognize - I've been there. I was in the Peace Corps in Tunisia (renovating Roman water wells) during the last Arab-Israeli war...even had a Land-Rover to drive! That's the amphitheater at El Djem. Built circa 50 AD. Seated about 40,000 and replaced an earlier one that had been dug out of a nearby hilltop. Notice the use of poured concrete in the arches that would have supported the seats. The place was in use up until the 1870's or so when the locals decided to rebel from the Ottomans and figured this would make a dandy fort. Apparently, they forgot that the Turks had artillery.... Nice pics...thanks....

Thanks for the reply - I guessed it was circa 1968 - if only from the number of squaddie-applied coats of camo paint. Kind of like dating a tree by counting the rings.... When was the last time desert camo was needed? Gulf War I? (I figure it sat out the most recent action, since it has one or two layers of green camo over the desert yellow....) Cheers

Hello from across the pond - As you may have guessed from my screen name, I'm the original owner of '72 88" and one of the founders of the Rover Owners' Assoc. of Virginia, the oldest LR marque club in the Americas. My other vehicle is the '96 prototype for the North American-spec Discovery. Several years ago, I purchased a Sankey 1/2 ton trailer, one that I am trying to get "street legal." The state's DoT form asks for a date of manufacture, and "I dunno" apparently isn't an acceptable answer....:undecided: This site has more 'hits' for "Sankey" than anywhere else on the web, so I figure that one of you fine folks can find (or know) the answer. The Sankey's assembly number is FV392970, with 26ET84 for a registration plate. I know that 'civvy' plates can translated into year of issue, but I haven't found a scheme for dating military plates. TIA Cheers