kdgipsy Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 Hi all I am currently (slowly) sourcing parts and restoring an Austin gipsy. It is one of only 20 that were supplied to the army. There is various pictures and information of ones before this batch but I belive these were just demo ones. This batch of 20 consisted of 15 swb and 5 lwb. Mine is one of the latter. So far there is only mine and 1 more lwb known to survive. I'm keen to see if any one has any information on these vehicles or can assist in pointing me in the right direction? I do have some information and happy to share with others. They were designated SP numberplate initially then moved to ER ones. I've added pictures the one with the body is a donor I have to work with. The chassis pic is all I got from the origanal vehicle although I previously got the engine and a few other bits and pieces. The last pic is I belive an earlier demo vehicle as there were changes from that to the "production" ones 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxy Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 I would have expecte these Gipsy to have had a mention in Pat Ware's book QUARTER TON - but no. Can't think of anything substantial in 4x4 &/or military books or magazines. Interesting your photograph of No. 20 was dressed with tub candlesticks and Larkspur ATU (aerial tuning units) of the front wings and of course the yellow bridge plate. I wonder if they went to the trouble of rigging a wiring harness for FFW/FFR . Tyres are Dunlop Trackgrip - circa. common on MOD Land Rovers. Hood has radio details - so probably Dexion was incorporated to mount radio ? The NATO pintle on front bumper - normally only fitted by Royal Marines. I have known scrap front bumper blades to be repurposed as bumperettes on Land Rovers - copy-cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdgipsy Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 3 hours ago, wally dugan said: Thank you Wally, you may remember my father Alan Dunderdale from transport museum days. He sends his regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 I only have seen one Gipsy in reality in the 1960's on the way to school. I thought what a strange land-rover.. 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdgipsy Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 18 minutes ago, Citroman said: I only have seen one Gipsy in reality in the 1960's on the way to school. I thought what a strange land-rover.. 😉 We have 6 in total 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 Wow, they are not easy to find i think? They are interesting vehicles, there was one for sale in the Netherland some 2 years ago.. A AFS model with pump trailer in perfect condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdgipsy Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 22 hours ago, ruxy said: I would have expecte these Gipsy to have had a mention in Pat Ware's book QUARTER TON - but no. Can't think of anything substantial in 4x4 &/or military books or magazines. Interesting your photograph of No. 20 was dressed with tub candlesticks and Larkspur ATU (aerial tuning units) of the front wings and of course the yellow bridge plate. I wonder if they went to the trouble of rigging a wiring harness for FFW/FFR . Tyres are Dunlop Trackgrip - circa. common on MOD Land Rovers. Hood has radio details - so probably Dexion was incorporated to mount radio ? The NATO pintle on front bumper - normally only fitted by Royal Marines. I have known scrap front bumper blades to be repurposed as bumperettes on Land Rovers - copy-cat. The FFR one shown in my pic I belive was for demo purposes it has the early lower rear arch and the long range fuel tank hunging under drivers foot well. It is believed that Austin made several changes each time to the vehicles to addear to army requirements. This particular one is I presume 24v but no record of any of the 20 service ones been 24v. All service ones had the later style high arches to make changing wheels easier. This was adopted for the rest of the gipsy production from 66 onwards. Also the service gipsys were fitted with 2 mirror image fuel tanks smaller than the production vehicles tank with an external filler on each side. This was never an option on civvi gipsys The bumperetts were on front and back of the army versions and a complearly different mounting was used. Along with several modifications to the chassis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdgipsy Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Citroman said: Wow, they are not easy to find i think? They are interesting vehicles, there was one for sale in the Netherland some 2 years ago.. A AFS model with pump trailer in perfect condition. Gipsies come up a fair amount especially the AFS as they are probably the best preserved and leased used Edited June 19, 2023 by kdgipsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 4 hours ago, Citroman said: I only have seen one Gipsy in reality in the 1960's on the way to school. I thought what a strange land-rover.. 😉 You've mentioned the LR word, now you have to wash your mouth out 😉😄 KD I think I may have shared on article I penned a few years ago for CMV (with some help from Mike G and Steve A) about Army Gipsy's on the Facebook page. I'll have to dig it out again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 52 minutes ago, Smithy said: You've mentioned the LR word, now you have to wash your mouth out 😉😄 KD I think I may have shared on article I penned a few years ago for CMV (with some help from Mike G and Steve A) about Army Gipsy's on the Facebook page. I'll have to dig it out again. Hi Smithy, Just received MVT Windscreen magazine and there is an article on Army Austin Gipsys in there! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 Sorry for the LR...🤭 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XS650 Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 I remember the world being awash with ex civil defence Gypsys in the 1970s. My father almost bought a delivery mileage ' Police Column' one. This was a blue lwb with side windows. Instead he bought a diesel Land Rover lwb Station Wagon which was a disaster as a caravan tug. Hardly had enough power to pull itself around and he was distinctly unimpressed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxy Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 Now 40 years old - the best write up I have seen was by Somon Frazier who seemed to run the Austin Gipsy 1958 Register 1968 - four pages with photographs + his illustrations , inc. a photograph of his which was probably Ex-Civil Defence (althouh I don't think they were relesed by then. B&W photo but must be black or a very dark blue ? , described as Series 4 long wheelbase with fbreglass hardtop. This 1967 model is one of the last and belongs to the author of this article. (the GRP top has a side long window with a half-length one to rear). Mention of the diesel engine that was also used in black cabs (this would be the FX4 of time-line) , I suppose when the bodies had rusted away most of these engines would re-power Land Rovers (Milner Conversions kit) or re-power FX4 for another 3,000,000 miles. BIG move from Flexitor to semi-elliptic leaf springs. Interesting with the petrol engine is a change of main jet that gave much more power (extra 10 hp) with no loss of m.p.g. (Zenith 42VN with larger manifold). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted December 10, 2023 Share Posted December 10, 2023 As l have mentioned else were on the forum l am getting rid of documents that l have more than one of while going through the boxes l came a cross a file on the AUSTIN GIPSY it's one l had long forgotten about its from the trials at FVRDE in it is alist of GIPSY's and it shows twenty three were used not as some would believe just twenty attach a copy its to large for A4 with some not shown 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FV1604A Posted December 10, 2023 Share Posted December 10, 2023 Hi kd, Just a bit of info regarding the Army Gipsy numbers. Quite a few were sold off at Ruddington still carrying their Special Project numbers. 01 SP 21/22 /24 /25/26/28/30/31/34/35/37/39/40 were at auction in the June 1969 and June 1970 sales. A lot of the DRE 1xx C Civil Defence LWB models were also available in June 1970 too. Good luck on the restoration. I ran one of the SWB ‘ALF’ registrations for a period in 1984 and loved it. Really underestimated truck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdgipsy Posted December 18, 2023 Author Share Posted December 18, 2023 On 12/10/2023 at 3:36 PM, FV1604A said: Hi kd, Just a bit of info regarding the Army Gipsy numbers. Quite a few were sold off at Ruddington still carrying their Special Project numbers. 01 SP 21/22 /24 /25/26/28/30/31/34/35/37/39/40 were at auction in the June 1969 and June 1970 sales. A lot of the DRE 1xx C Civil Defence LWB models were also available in June 1970 too. Good luck on the restoration. I ran one of the SWB ‘ALF’ registrations for a period in 1984 and loved it. Really underestimated truck. Thank you I'm trying along with a couple of others to piece together any information possible to build up a bit of a story on these vehicles Kind Reguards Keith Dunderdale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Laucht Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 I have an 1964 ALF registration Gipsy, presently in restoration. Not possible to determine the original factory colour, but would like to paint it in blue or white. What are the Austin Colour References for these two colours, and were they used on ALF vintaged Gipsys ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdgipsy Posted January 25 Author Share Posted January 25 20 hours ago, R Laucht said: I have an 1964 ALF registration Gipsy, presently in restoration. Not possible to determine the original factory colour, but would like to paint it in blue or white. What are the Austin Colour References for these two colours, and were they used on ALF vintaged Gipsys ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdgipsy Posted January 25 Author Share Posted January 25 Are you in the Austin gipsy group on Facebook? If you send me the spec code from the glovebox I may be able to tell you origanal colour from factory. I do have a gipsy g4 colour card at home I can send you a pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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