introduction 10 fm 68

[10FM68]

Thank you, Jack, for the warm welcome. I have followed the site for quite a while, but haven't got round to signing on before now. My main interest is British soft-skinned vehicles, I am rebuilding a 1979 Series III 12V GS airportable at the moment (slowly as it is cold and damp in the garage), but I find a great deal more on the site than that. In fact, the forum is a shocking time-waster - I dip in to read "today's posts" and two hours later I have expanded my knowledge on an unusual helmet liner worn by the Spanish Foreign Legion for a three-week period in the summer of 1927! But, the forum is a treasure trove of knowledge - and great reading.

Thanks

 

10 68

[stronghold]

Hello there and welcome aboard. Great vehicles the airportables so are you doing full stripdown and rebuild ?

 

Regards

 

Michael

[DFC1943Fl.Lt.]

Hi and welcome to this forum which will be a great help to you in your restoration and a hindrance to it as well. lol. I only popped on my laptop to check my emails, 1 and 1/2 hours later I'm still looking at threads on this site.

[ruxy]

Hi , and welcome 10FM68 , did you drive 10FM68 in service or did you own it / still own it ?

 

According to the MJC book is seems to have been a FFR Lightweight . From the same Contract ( WV11140 ) I have owned 19FM65 for almost 36 years , a 12 volt GS , wife's car for 20 years then laid up , she did over 100,000 miles with it - so can't sell it - still a lovelly truck just needs time for a engine rebuild / or change , main gearbox rebuild , bit of work on bulkhead & vent panel , then another cellulose DBG glam job.

 

The 1979 Series III 12V GS airportable , it should be more or less the same , what I call the "hybrid" axles did not start until Sep. 1980 , leading on to the rationalized axles that I am no great fan of but the 11" drums up front can stop you better..

[10FM68]

Hi , and welcome 10FM68 , did you drive 10FM68 in service or did you own it / still own it ?

 

According to the MJC book is seems to have been a FFR Lightweight . From the same Contract ( WV11140 ) I have owned 19FM65 for almost 36 years , a 12 volt GS , wife's car for 20 years then laid up , she did over 100,000 miles with it - so can't sell it - still a lovelly truck just needs time for a engine rebuild / or change , main gearbox rebuild , bit of work on bulkhead & vent panel , then another cellulose DBG glam job.

 

The 1979 Series III 12V GS airportable , it should be more or less the same , what I call the "hybrid" axles did not start until Sep. 1980 , leading on to the rationalized axles that I am no great fan of but the 11" drums up front can stop you better..

 

 

No, sadly, I doubt if 10 68 still exists - she was mine for a while in 77/78 - as you say, an FFR with a C42 and a B47 and it had a VPK for a while during that period. My current 1/2 ton is from the large 1979 batch of 300 12V RHD GSs. It is being rebuilt onto a galvanised chassis, but slowly, as it has been so wet and cold for so long, it's difficult to get a lot done.

 

 

Your ownership of a lightweight must be something of a record - you have certainly owned one longer than the Queen ever owned any of hers!

 

It seems to me that the average Series Land Rover lasted in service for about 9 years, though there will be many exceptions. Modern ones are having to last a lot longer, of course. Mine lasted 19 years, but it served with just two TA regiments, both London-based. So it had a relatively peaceful start to its life. Since then, unfortunately, I fear a PO used it for deep-sea diving as there is a lot of rust and corrosion underneath!

 

It is interesting looking at the detail as it comes apart - the bonnet is probably original - same tac sign as on the tub and both on the original factory semi-matt NATO green. (10 68 was DBG, of course). But the tailgate is almost certainly not, though that is not surprising as tailgates always got a hammering in service.

 

But, everything is there which should be there and generally the panels are straight, if in need of some welding, so I have good bones. Hopefully, it will be ready for the road again by next autumn or spring '17.

 

Regards

 

10 68

[ruxy]

 

Sorry , can't get Photobucket to rotate right or left for me just now.

 

300 build FVE22A/87 Item 3. RHD , 12 volt GS , built between March and June 1979 . I have 23HF86 . DIS July 1978 , I obtained 21/3/1989 , so it did only 10 years in service.

 

Yes, I am quite confident I have the record for the Lightweight longest in private ownership LoL

 

23HF86 was purchased at a time when few L'wt. were being demobbed , prices were high , it cost me the most I ever paid at auction £3392.50 , that included for some strange reason £442.50 VAT (normally only FFR's were vatable as commercial they said). It was exceptional and still is at 46,169 miles , got it home , had a bit fiddle and blocked and sheeted over - you will not believe this but I have not had a peep at it since.

 

I started a notebook , little in it , never done a history search , this is all I know :-

 

Label affixed to bulkhead

 

Ex-Lionheart

Enquiries for this should be made

H.Q. REME TA

Borden

Tel. Borden mil 34

Borden 3611 EXT.

 

Only marking ORD stencilled inside of drivers door

Union flag @ rear N/side

 

(It is painted NATO/black DP)

 

Gearbox marked with felt-tip pen

Gearbox - 26 DIST - WKSP.

 

- is "S" marked (I think meaning service exchange) & I made a note it was a "D" suffix box.

 

---

 

I have a note that front springs appear recent fitted and are 7 leaf (that were originally only fitted on FFR's)

 

Also a note that the cylinder head casting was a HRC 1303 , and I identified it as a ERC5266 , I would have to check that one - I think that would make it a fully metricated head that would not be fitted new to a 3mb built 1978

 

That is about it - all I know and I don't have a photograph of it that I can recall - would need a long search in a few shoe boxes for that LoL

Edited February 16, 2016 by ruxy
spelin

[10FM68]

 

Sorry , can't get Photobucket to rotate right or left for me just now.

 

300 build FVE22A/87 Item 3. RHD , 12 volt GS , built between March and June 1979 . I have 23HF86 . DIS July 1978 , I obtained 21/3/1989 , so it did only 10 years in service.

 

Yes, I am quite confident I have the record for the Lightweight longest in private ownership LoL

 

23HF86 was purchased at a time when few L'wt. were being demobbed , prices were high , it cost me the most I ever paid at auction £3392.50 , that included for some strange reason £442.50 VAT (normally only FFR's were vatable as commercial they said). It was exceptional and still is at 46,169 miles , got it home , had a bit fiddle and blocked and sheeted over - you will not believe this but I have not had a peep at it since.

 

I started a notebook , little in it , never done a history search , this is all I know :-

 

Label affixed to bulkhead

 

Ex-Lionheart

Enquiries for this should be made

H.Q. REME TA

Borden

Tel. Borden mil 34

Borden 3611 EXT.

 

Only marking ORD stencilled inside of drivers door

Union flag @ rear N/side

 

(It is painted NATO/black DP)

 

Gearbox marked with felt-tip pen

Gearbox - 26 DIST - WKSP.

 

- is "S" marked (I think meaning service exchange) & I made a note it was a "D" suffix box.

 

---

 

I have a note that front springs appear recent fitted and are 7 leaf (that were originally only fitted on FFR's)

 

Also a note that the cylinder head casting was a HRC 1303 , and I identified it as a ERC5266 , I would have to check that one - I think that would make it a fully metricated head that would not be fitted new to a 3mb built 1978

 

That is about it - all I know and I don't have a photograph of it that I can recall - would need a long search in a few shoe boxes for that LoL

 

 

Hmm! Some interesting things there. Mine's 23 14 and I know 23 81 exists as well and, probably, the most photographed of that batch will be 23 82 as that was one of the HAC 25pdr tractors in London. At some point, it sees yours found its way to Stirling for a new gearbox - that's where 26 Command (District) Workshop was before it became part of the ABRO organisation. And, it seems it also found its way to Germany for Ex LIONHEART in '84, perhaps that's when it got its union flag on the rear - in those days, they tended only to be stuck on vehicles based abroad.

 

But you are very fortunate to have one which has spent so little time in the hands of fiddlers - the 7-leaf springs, while not the most comfortable, are better than my parabolics which spoil the originality. They may get replaced in the fullness of time, if I can justify the money. It is interesting to see just how few miles in service Land Rovers seemed to do before getting new engines or gearboxes. Odd, really, because there was plenty of supervision of their proper maintenance and most didn't lead that hard a life - certainly not in comparison to, say, an upland sheep farmer! Clutches, perhaps, - they often towed laden trailers, but why main assemblies, I don't know. Mine has a replacement engine, which, fortunately, is sweet - as is the steering - best I've encountered in any Land Rover, I shall be sorry to have to strip it down to transfer it to the new chassis - I bet I don't get it as good when I've finished as it is now! My gearbox is dodgy in top though, for some reason. I have it on blocks so can run it though all the gears - all fine except 4th which is graunching a bit. So, that will require a bit of looking at before I put it in the new chassis.

 

 

This is a shocking forum to post on - everything I write gets eaten at least once - I'm learning though, I save a copy before pressing "send" so I can paste it back in again on the next go!

 

Regards

 

10 68

[Richard Farrant]

At some point, it sees yours found its way to Stirling for a new gearbox - that's where 26 Command (District) Workshop was before it became part of the ABRO organisation.

 

 

 

 

Hi 10 68,

Probably did not get the reconditioned gearbox at Stirling. 26 Dist Wksp had a long term programme of Land Rover gearbox rebuilds, while we at 44 Dist Wksp rebuilt the engines. The gearboxes (or engines) were sent back to Central Ordnance Depot and then sent out when a demand came in for one. The old assembly would return to COD and when the stock levels demanded they sent back out to who ever was rebuilding, and so the circle went on.

[ruxy]

This is the only Forum where I would sort of fess up to having a collection / private museum of Lightweights only because others have similar multiple collections of same basic type(s) armour tracked or heavy haul , only lack of £$ stops me. So there will be a few who understand - architect / builder of my own lunatic asylum. I have several up to HF , for some strange reason HG was a good financial year BUT the oddities start. Just the odd KA when I must have decided 5mb engines and rationalized axles were best (and a few minta were available at MVS) - so I seem to have concentrated on KB & KC , as yet I don't have a KD 24 volt (non FFR) , I know of a good one , always a possibility if ever I find the time LoL

 

1980 , lots of good Lightweights and 88" CL were demob early 1980 , this was because of frustrated export Contracts for the middle-east that ended up as extra L'wt placed with the British Army , these were the HG's. I was reliably informed by somebody at Solihull that this was the reason of changes to seat base , cushion retainers and loose locker lid over fuel tanks. Iran would not accept alloy lids screwed to the cushion , then the new idea became standardised on future Contracts.

[10FM68]

Hi 10 68,

Probably did not get the reconditioned gearbox at Stirling. 26 Dist Wksp had a long term programme of Land Rover gearbox rebuilds, while we at 44 Dist Wksp rebuilt the engines. The gearboxes (or engines) were sent back to Central Ordnance Depot and then sent out when a demand came in for one. The old assembly would return to COD and when the stock levels demanded they sent back out to who ever was rebuilding, and so the circle went on.

 

Ah! Yes, that sounds a lot more like it. I spent a night in 26 District Wksp in 1980 helping to swap an engine over from an 88" CL. Well, actually, as I remember it, I was No1 on the tea pot!

 

I sometimes wonder where our hobby would be were it not for the collective memory and wisdom of former REME people. A poorer place, that is for certain!

 

Regards

 

10 68