question 1990 ex RAF 110

[MiniZebra]

I bought a 110 ex RAF defender - station wagon with bench seats in the back about a week ago. So checked it over today having had it delivered yesterday. I hadn't actually seen it before today as some friends looked it over for me and then drove it down after purchase!

 

So it is here, looks in pretty good nick, a couple of things to sort out with the interior, mainly a couple of panels need replacing and some new floor upholstery stuff, oh and the interior roofing stuff has come away, but pretty easy fix. Then new tyres and a couple of window rubbers need replacing.

 

The floodlights/roof lights and rear wiper controls aren't working but my OH is into cars and is an electronics engineer so said he'd take a look Lots of fun to be had - it will be going to our fab local Landy man who will give it a good once over, but V8 engine looks great, as does body apart from the odd bit of rust.

 

Heritage cert says it went off to MOD Liverpool, so no idea if anyone knows where it might have lived?

 

So having never owned an older car or done any restoration work - even the piddling amount required by my new 110 - I have a couple of questions. From looking over it it looks as though some of the doors and the bonnet were RAF blue, but the heritage cert says it left the factory in green, and is currently green - looks as though it was resprayed a long time ago - assuming here, it has had replacement bits on it from old landys but just want to check it is supposed to be MOD green!

 

Also any good recommendations for new tyres - I do some off roading with my job, and deal with some terrible "roads" as well as using good roads and motorway regularly, so thinking some 50/50 tyres but any recs welcomed

 

The arches could do with some more gunking to protect the metal, and there are rust spots on doors, but looking at them not sure whether to source new doors or try and buff them back and then fix them up - it looks like some of the doors are replacements anyway? But again, I have no idea really! Found a couple of test stickers about which is nice (one from 93 on the boot door) and some of the locks need oiling up.

 

Is there anything I should be looking for in particular on a vehicle like this - I know it isn't super old, but it is perfect for what I want, even if I will have to work out how to drive with a choke! Also anywhere I might be able to get more history about it?

 

I will try and get some pictures up once I have given it a bit of a clean, inside and out!

TIA

MiniZebra

[lowfat]

Hi

I was in the Royal Air Force from 1985 to 1999 and I never saw any RAF Blue defenders or 110s they were Green , Green with a yellow strip around them, green and black camo or Yellow all with military number plates.

The civyfleet with civilian number plates could be any colour but I personally didn't see any civy fleet landrovers.

Oh and we "enjoyed" the V8 rovers immensely

 

John

[MiniZebra]

Thanks! I just had a look at the heritage cert I found in the paperwork and it says it left the factory in "Eastnor Green" so will have to find some of that somewhere when I need to get it touched up/resprayed!

 

I turned it on earlier and it sounded incredible! I think I am going to enjoy driving it around too!

 

Having a closer look it seems that one door is black under the green and one door and the bonnet are blue under the green - assuming replacement parts from a different landy! Although I quite like the idea of green with yellow strip!

 

No idea how I would find the military plates or where to look?

 

Right, so pictures:

As you can see the interior needs some work

[Degsy]

I think this has been one of the 'civi' fleet, Eastnor Green was a colour commonly seen on them.

[MiniZebra]

Think I just found the military reg no too on a plate drivers side. Did the civvies have military plates? I know it has civ plates now as it is now a road vehicle. It's 2 numbers, then 2 letters, then 2 more numbers - I think that is a military plate? I have a pic of it if that would help?

 

Not up with MVs just the neighbours Jawetts, really old MGs and Bentleys!

 

The heritage cert and previous owner is all the info I have at the moment - cert says destination was MOD Liverpool, and I know it was in use on an RAF base prior to previous owner buying it.

[Degsy]

Sounds like that is it's military no, from that it is possible to obtain the vehicles history.

[MiniZebra]

from that it is possible to obtain the vehicles history.

 

Thanks, any ideas where to get the info from?

 

I have attached picture of the plate I found drivers side it does say Reg no. rather than just the military no? Have seen that number/letter/number arrangement on old MVs?

 

[mash]

Reg no will be the military number plate, I can't make it out from my iPad but it looks like ?? KJ 78 Which is correct for your Landy.

[robin craig]

Dear Miniwhotsit,

 

do you have a real name?

 

First of all understand the plain fact that if you thought buying a civvy vehicle might have some mysteries about them then an ex MOD vehicle has the potential for many more.

 

Plus if it came out through Withams there adds another layer of possibles.

 

If you look at the blue which you say is RAF does it look like the blue on this Land Rover below? If so its a colour used on vehicles doing adventure training where they want to tone things down a bit.

 

Honestly there are so many variables with any military vehicle and I am getting old enough to learn "never say never" as someone will post a picture and prove me wrong. As a general rule is what I prefer to say now.

 

Please continue to post more images and let us help you.

 

Regards

 

Robin

Edited September 28, 2014 by robin craig

[MiniZebra]

Thanks guys

 

I do indeed have a "real name" - Rebecca and I apologise for over using smileys beforehand .

 

I'll try and get some pics of the underneath colours on some of the bodywork. The fixy up bits are no problem, but my usual researching prowess is failing me - probably because I haven't a clue where to look for any information! You guys have been fabulous already any other bits to photo that might be helpful?

About 5 of my closest neighbours are classic car enthusiasts but they specialise in old Jags MGs, Bentleys, Jawetts and I think one of them has a really old Porshe in storage - so classic but not Landys! They'll probably be handy with finding good engine checkers for me though

 

I love a good old bit of researching, so I'm just hoping to stumble across one of the right places.

 

Thanks for the pic Robin nice to have something to look for

 

Oh and the number/letter reg is 11-KJ-78 if that helps with anything - feeling rather excited and incompetent at the moment!

 

Done a bit more vehicle checking over and looks like it used to have a front tow bar - only the pin is left now, and a rear tow bar that has been removed and I will be replacing once I have decided what sort of tow bar I want/need or if there is a certain one it is supposed to have. Oh and I need a new washer pump - it is rather dying a lengthy death! And the lights cages and floodlight brackets all need removing, blasting and re-powder coating, and a couple of bits need resealing.

Edited September 29, 2014 by MiniZebra

[lowfat]

I hope the forum doesnt mind but have a look here as well

 

http://www.emlra.org/

[MiniZebra]

Thanks for that lowfat! I'm just awaiting admin approval I think for that site now

 

Have been thinking and have decided to try and do a restore on the 110. I have a nice list of stuff that needs doing, and a couple of things I'm not sure about, like whether it should have the aluminium strips below the doors (I don't think it should, but have no idea), and what sort of interior it should have - at the moment it seems to be Exmoor Trim, but the front seats are a different colour (light grey) to the middle ones (dark grey/black), and I can't work out colour/style! Will try and research it up, but not really sure where at the moment.

 

Still I thought it would be nice for a first restore, as nothing too major needs doing, and what does need doing I should hopefully be able to do myself so any tips, hints, thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

[lowfat]

When it was "working" the colour of the seats became academic so long as it had seats, which could explain the mix and match. Later land rovers went through overhauls which I think had exemoor seats .

Only an abuser of rovers I'm afraid not an aficionado.

 

John

[sirhc]

Hi Rebecca and congratulations on your military Land Rover. Before you start bolting guns and antennas on to it you should find out what you actually have.

 

I believe you don't have a true military land rover but more a civilian model purchased by the mod and possibly fitted with military towing equipment. What makes me say this is the 5 door station wagon and emerald green colour. It is currently NATO green and not emerald green, which is a civilian colour, but one the MOD chooses when they buy land rovers which are not destined for use on the battlefield. 99.9% of military land rovers are only very basic 3 door vehicles. Have a look at http://www.mod-sales.com to get an idea.

 

If you look on Google for a Land Rover vin checker website you can decode the vin number and see what body type it had. You can also get the MERLIN database report from the MOD using a freedom of information request. Try the search box on here and you should get the email address. Once you have the report we can tell you where it's been and who had it.

 

Chris

[ted angus]

My personal Landie in the Falklands in 95 was a 3 door 110 with a V8 then when I returned to UK I found the RAF Police on my station were operating the next vehicle in reg sequence- I found out they were a batch taken up from LR from a cancelled export order- Now moving to the 5 door station wagon the RAF Mountain Rescue Service operated these with a V8 The V8 was required for long distance blue light runs which diesels at the time couldn't cope with. In MR service we normally removed the very rear inward facing seats to accomadate secure cabinets for medical drugs and pyro such as flares; So here is another possibility; If you look on various websites you will see LRs were accepted in many colours for non tactical use- in the Falklands we had civillian glossy green, blue white to name a few; In the UK many in the gossy green. You need to get the vehicle record card and all will be revealed !

 

TED

PS I have just found a picture of 11KJ 75 in MR service at RAF Leeming and at my last station RAF Leuchars there was 11KJ 89 & 90 with the MR service . so I am confident MR service was the origin of yours ! They were all delivered in a glossy green to BS 381c tint 241. The RAF uses this colour or should I say used this colour for non tactical vehicles.

Edited September 30, 2014 by ted angus

[MiniZebra]

Ooooh, thanks for that! Just gone out to have a look at the rather shoddy respray (it's all over the window rubbers and uneven in colour!) and it doesn't look like the eastnor green I found pics of online (glossy green?) which is what it said on the heritgae cert it left the factory in. Although assuming the RAF could have and probably did repaint them/add livery to them as and when really.

 

Spent a half hour last night googling the MR landies and they look amazing! Also found another picture of an 11 KJ 95 which is a mountain rescue and then what looks like a corgi toy of one which is 12 KJ 09 so hopefully when the MERLIN report stuff comes back it will say MR! Then I can get on with fixing it up and making it look amazing. Also need to source the steps that seem to have been removed from it! I think I will have fun fixing it up (even if there isn't too much to do) especially if it does turn out to be MR!

 

It has this car to rival on the drive and in the local area so a MR landy would definitely do that!

 

[MiniZebra]

I got the MERLIN report back today, on my phone so can't post a shot of the report but it was assigned to 45 SQN - 1 AMW, then Brize Norton LYN BSW (closed), back to 45 SQN - 1 AMW, and then to Witham (specialist vehicles) ltd. It also has a Y in the comments box but no attached comments

 

I will post the report when I have access to a computer but from those little details anyone have any ideas?

[sirhc]

From Wikipedia:

 

1 Air Mobility Wing - The 1 AMW is a specialist unit of the RAF trained in the loading and unloading of transport aircraft. This unit operates in conjunction with the Hercules detachment.