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Shorland


Sean N

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Thanks Sean, yes indeed I have. It has advertised a month or so ago when it was priced. I can't remember what the price was but remember thinking it would have been a good buy. So obviously no takers so far.

To see what it should look like in GNR service have a look here:

https://www.shorlandsite.com/Shorland3apcGNR_Lemos.htm

I wouldn't call it complete, as it is devoid of the Trakmark & foam lining, but has been painted white internally. This lining is not a luxury extra, it was to help absorb bullet spall, reduce the heat inside & to reduce condensation.

It can get extremely hot inside, recently I was relining my Shorland & found in the Sunshine with an outside temperature of 25c within an hour the temperature of the armour had risen to over 60c.

The chances are that the chassis may be reasonable, given the temperatures in Portugal & they did not have the disastrous undersealing that UDR Mk 3 Shorland had.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Winston you will have seen my remarks above & no doubt compared your pictures with those on the Shorland Site. The liberal use of white paint being used to side step the lack of the Dunlop 'Trakmark' lining.

That aside, it looks in very good condition. I do hope you are successful & being LHD for you & no doubt its age will allow it to be imported.

The GNR Shorlands were originally fitted with two radio systems.

VHF - Storno CQM 632

HF - Racal Syncal TRA-921 this was a manpack radio but boosted with a 100 watt linear amplifier for AM/SSB with a manually operated aerial tuning unit Racal MA-942

There was also an intercom amplifier integrated with the radios using Larkspur accessories with a RSB2 control harness box & a type C junction box. Your Shorland appears to have Clansman units to perform this task, whether that was a genuine upgrade I don't know. Given that the Trakmark lining was stripped away or had deteriorated so badly it is unlikely that these were the original units. But anyway that is only a minor issue.

The GNR used the 7.62 GPMG & fired either CS or smoke from the dischargers.

If you do get it I beg of you to keep it as original as you can. To be marked up in GNR livery would be quite a head turner. I know an owner can do just what they like with their own vehicle & why should they listen to anyone else poking their nose in? But I have seen so many Shorlands ruined by the owner turning it into a fantasy vehicle. It's sad enough to see a Land Rover or Jeep turned into something strange, but there are enough of those around for it not to be the end of the world.

But there are very few Shorlands to play around with. The thing is any owner may not keep a vehicle for the rest of their life. The novelty may wear off or something more fascinating may come along that needs to be funded. Selling a vehicle that is pretty much original will command a far higher price than one that has been turned into something of the owner's fancy. The owner may well feel proud of their embellishments but a buyer may just cringe & walk away or it only realises part of the value it would have as an authentic vehicle.

Sorry I have gone on a bit there & don't mean to insult your motives.

Good luck

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Clive,

Your knowledge on Shorlands is second to none and I hear you about keeping it original. From what I understand this unit my have been used until the early 90’s... 
I agree Having her in the GNR livery would be a sight to see, I am quite a fan of it in fact. I am curious as it’s been in a government museum for quite sometime, why it is the color it is, I am assuming that it’s the factory Olive Drab and that the Portuguese never painted it... 
actually you struck the nail on the head, I am torn when it comes to this unit as it looks in fair to good condition, but it is currently not running or driving, seller states all hoses and lines will need replacing, IE a complete mechanical overhaul. Invariably I will have to make some sort of comprise between authentic and modern replacement. The interior for instance right away will be an issue, as you have documented on your sight, Trakmark is no longer available in any form. I will have to use some type of heat and sound barrier followed by some sort of interior panelling using a modern material.

 I wish to show and drive her so, things commonly done to Series 3 Land Rover would make sense (Gearing, brakes engine mods).
My thought was to fall somewhere between museum quality and resto~mod. Externally period correct but mechanically, modestly modernized.    
 

sorry I got a bit long in the tooth,

I have a very rare, now 1 of 1 boat built in the 50’s and I have the exact same struggle with. I want to be faithful to unique history but I also wish to enjoy and use and enjoy my collection.

thanks

Winston

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Winston, I believe this Shorland was the one that resided in the GNR museum, that held an annual open day when it was brought out for display. Unfortunately it seemed to end up as a gate guardian & mechanically went down hill being left out as water easily flows in from the turret.

Wherever it has been someone has tried to sex it up by painting it green & putting SHORLAND on the side & covering the inside with white paint. The turret fixtures look rather silly, the hand spot-lamp is wrong, it was a spotlight linked to the GPMG & its sighting periscope. The tubes depicting smoke dischargers don't make the grade I'm afraid as you can see from the real thing below. But they can easily be changed.

677772444_GNRTurret.jpg.b245ed993670ce1bff415cde0c26cc4d.jpg

Shorts would have supplied it ready painted to the customer's requirement, so this gloss bluey-grey is the correct colour. Bear in mind this was not an army vehicle where green is expected but for a gendarmerie who would have internal security duties particularly in an urban setting grey would be best although they could make themselves seen with the blue light & heard with the siren under the bonnet.

Note this is in complete contrast to the RUC Shorlands that were green & never grey as they were for IS duties in rural areas not a riot control vehicle.

Yes compromises have to be made if it means it prolongs the active life of the vehicle. I'm ashamed to confess that the rear steel floor of the boot (trunk) of mine was secured by countersunk Whitworth screws. They were all rusted in & required much ingenuity & effort to remove, I have replaced them with flat headed metric screws into Rivnuts. This means one person can easily remove the floor & gain access to awkward areas of the chassis & cabling. Although not original I justify it on the grounds that it increases the chance of the vehicle being properly maintained. No Rivnut counters have yet spotted this apparent travesty! 

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Clive,

your thoughts sent me on a deep dive of internet photos. I noted the differences in the the unit for sale from the two main units of the GNR found in photos. B-53 aka the gate guardian is fitted with a blue light, early mirrors and and the siren was mounted to the rounded plate in front of the grill. B- 43 on your sight is found in the court yard of the museum and like the others has the early mirrors, blue light and correct spot light. While digging I came across this image:

E4286E91-BB0E-44A9-9244-44A305A47BD0.jpeg.ea2b3da4e7685c6efa771c4e50de5bf5.jpeg

You’ll note the color, the window stickers, the lettering, the red light, square mirrors, the rear antenna and a similar incorrect spotlight with handle atop. You can also see the incorrect smoke tubes. This doesn’t look like a museum in Lisbon. Frankly it looks like a LR meet in the UK or Europe or by the state of the Range Rover and Disco 1 it might be a yard of a private owner...

28EE5669-9B14-402A-AEC4-0CC246467253.jpeg

1C61CE55-D500-47F2-8B58-4B0D7F9DBDEF.jpeg

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  • 1 month later...
On 7/11/2020 at 5:49 PM, HMVyank said:

I am in negotiations to purchase this one. Here are some photos, love to hear your thoughts...

 

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNGpIkNZIvxwobdN4Kt-KQ8P_n2VSpDo9scANilF653DAFwEq-tDWCwcx6K32o4Hg?key=bHBCUUlQNjdHNTlpMW0tS1c0TnVaMEF4VEoydDNn

 

thx 

Winston

Winston did you decide not to buy it?

I see that it is on Milweb again https://www.milweb.net/webvert/a4652/98326

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It would depend on the mark, the originality that includes all the fittings & internal lining & all the automotive requirements being spot with a good chassis I think it would be in the order of £25k-35K. But I don't you'll easily find one that ticks all the boxes.

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