An interesting (I think) Series II

[bezclez]

Hello to everyone over here in II and IIa land. I normally hang out in the Defender forum, but yesterday I made a purchase that has brought me here.
The vehicle is a 1959 Series II 88"
It has a number of curious features that I'm hoping somebody here can identify.
The advert stated that the vehicle was once a Governor General's car.
I will say at this point that that wasn't the reason I bought the car, but it would be pretty cool if it actually is a GG's car.
I decided to dive in because it looks like an extremely original car and is worth getting sorted out, regoed and enjoyed.
It starts and runs very nicely and managed to drive up onto and back off the car trailer under it's own power.
It will need some pretty serious work done to the bulk head due to reasonably advanced rust.

So yeah, I'm sure that someone here will have an idea about this possibly unique series 2.

[bezclez]

Some more pics...

[incisor]

definitely an ex military command reconnaissance by the looks of it..

whats the chassis number?

the little alloy plate on the passenger firewall under the bonnet should have the date it was demobbed.

love em :p

[bezclez]

Chassis# 143901443
Engine# 151914210

The little alloy plate has 2/9/59 and then EG18 stamped into it.

[bezclez]

Ok, so a little digging around has revealed that my Series II was indeed a command reconnaissance vehicle. Well spotted by Incisor!
It also appears to be numbers matching. Happy times.
I'm still, however intrigued by the aluminium strips, sills, stainless emblem on the dash in-front of the passenger seat, stainless number plate holder, stainless plate where a winch would be mounted, stainless nuts, bolts, screws etc all over the exterior
It also has a Smiths heater and Ferris AM radio with two period looking speakers installed
They all look to have been fitted a long time ago, and very professionally.
I'd like to know if all this gear is standard stuff for a Command Reconnaissance vehicle, or a private owner fitted it all, or if it was re-purposed after it's Recon role had expired??

[Dinty]

Most definately fitted by the previous owner, cheers Dennis:angel:

[incisor]

Ok, so a little digging around has revealed that my Series II was indeed a command reconnaissance vehicle. Well spotted by Incisor!
It also appears to be numbers matching. Happy times.

excellent pick up....

[JDNSW]

Looks very nice!

John

[zulu Delta 534]

I would be tempted to do a little more detective work re its post issue date (2/9/59) as that is a reasonably late contract date.
There is every chance that the vehicle may have been purchased by the Commonwealth Government through the Army procurement programme, specced to military specs, but not necessarily delivered to the Army as a "green" vehicle.
A number of military spec vehicles were procured via the contracts and then allocated to other branches, Dept of Supply,and Dept of Survey, Dept of Civil Aviation, to name just a few.
At the moment rest assured that it is actually a vehicle procured through the Command Reconnaissance contract of September '59 (a vast number of CR's came into service under the '58 contract) and then have fun chasing up registration records and any other leads you can find and try and trace its history.
Is there a hole in the centre front of the bonnet that may have originally been the home of a pennant staff? That would be a giveaway.
Nice vehicle all the same, the side strips are a bit of a mystery, the sills are normal, and the fact that the stainless screws are slotted rather than phillips seems to date them somewhat.
Enjoy the vehicle
Regards
Glen

[bezclez]

There isn't any kind of hole in the bonnet.
So as for the post issue date (2/9/59) I assume that was the date that it was procured, right?
According to the Army database it was disposed of in 1970.
I guess now I'll do the regular checks with the chassis number and maybe try to contact someone connected with historic vehicle procurement.
Thanks for the extra info!

[incisor]

i have always been told by numerous sources that the little alloy plate was when they were on their way out of the military.

so me thinks glen is onto something to chase up, as it it then going for ceremonial duties or similar ????

[buckscreek]

Well done, you beat me by about 30minutes!

[bezclez]

Sorry about that mate. Quick and the dead as they say.
I'm sorry to say I haven't made much progress on the history of the car.
I have however had the 8 hole water pump rebuilt, the radiator is away getting sorted, the brakes are pulled down awaiting a rebuild kit and I'm in the throes of working out if it is still in positive earth mode.

The positive earth thing is a bit of a head scratcher actually. I took the generator to an auto-electrician and he assures me that it is. But the battery was wired up to negative earth and the fuel/amp/oil gauges all work??

Any thoughts on identifying for sure if it'd positive or negative ground?

[chazza]

The positive earth thing is a bit of a head scratcher actually. I took the generator to an auto-electrician and he assures me that it is. But the battery was wired up to negative earth and the fuel/amp/oil gauges all work??

Any thoughts on identifying for sure if it'd positive or negative ground?

If the ammeter is pointing to the positive side of the gauge when you rev the engine, then someone before you has converted it to negative earth,

Cheers Charlie

[d@rk51d3]

So, with the ign on but not running it should drop to the neg side?

Just want to check mine too.

[isuzutoo-eh]

So, with the ign on but not running it should drop to the neg side?

Just want to check mine too.

Yep! And when the time comes, rev it and it'll move positive :)

[bezclez]

Ok, time for an update.

It's been two months since my last post and I've got a 5 month old boy (our first) so getting time with the old girl has been challenging.

Anyway, I mentioned at the start that the bulkhead was rusty and needed to be removed. Well, today it was liberated from the car.

At this point I'm guessing that this has been the easy part, (pulling apart) and that reassembly will be much more challenging. The whole process thus far has been pretty painless. The only real issue I've had so far has been the captive nuts that hold the guards to the A posts being not so captive anymore. But perseverance and some creative use of a pair of vice grips saw the guards removed.

All the horror stories I've heard about the long 13/16th bolts that hold the bulkhead to the chassis outriggers being immobile after 55 years proved unfounded. My constant spraying with Inox over the last few weeks paid off. They came out easy as pie.

Anyway, here's the mandatory pics.

[bezclez]

Some more pics

[bezclez]

More pics. Including one of my shiny new reconditioned rare as hen's teeth 8 hole water pump.
The Dimensions are there so my old man could draw it in Autocad and print it making a perfect template for a gasket.

[digger]

definitely an ex military command reconnaissance by the looks of it..

whats the chassis number?

the little alloy plate on the passenger firewall under the bonnet should have the date it was demobbed.

love em :p

actually the plate on the firewall has the date brought INTO service and condition etc.. and I believe sometimes when reconditioned etc by the army, Info about all this is on REMLR also so I wont redo it..

The strips are very unusual, I doubt they'd be fitted to a GG car, I actually doubt that the GG would have an ex mil 88", the side skirts are later fitted
as are the stereo and speakers but I reckon its a great looking car, someone has definately loved it!, well done!

[UncleHo]

I would agree with Digger here as to the plate being into service or recondition plate fitted by base workshop,the date 2/9/59 the location E C (Eastern Command) 1B (condition reconditioned to) new vehicles were plated as "E C 1A" so that could well have been a fleet vehicle pulled and converted to Gov.Generals use,hence the 1B, normally they would have a Nomenclature plate in the position where you have the small dash plate,(might even have 4 small holes where the plate was screwed) that would have had stamped the Vehicle Description, Chassis No.,Census No. (type),Chassis No.,Manufacturer,Contract No.Date of Contract.

I would guess that yours would have part of the second contract which would put it in the 110-*** series vehicles.

cheers

[incisor]

I would agree with Digger here as to the plate being into service or recondition plate fitted by base workshop,the date 2/9/59 the location E C (Eastern Command) 1B (condition reconditioned to) new vehicles were plated as "E C 1A" so that could well have been a fleet vehicle pulled and converted to Gov.Generals use,hence the 1B, normally they would have a Nomenclature plate in the position where you have the small dash plate,(might even have 4 small holes where the plate was screwed) that would have had stamped the Vehicle Description, Chassis No.,Census No. (type),Chassis No.,Manufacturer,Contract No.Date of Contract.

I would guess that yours would have part of the second contract which would put it in the 110-*** series vehicles.

cheers

gold...

your the one of the ones that told me it was the out date..

might go read mine and find out what it really says then...

shakes head...

[bezclez]

Interesting new info from Digger and UncleHo.

I should probably stop being slack and send REMLR an email with some pics attached.

As far as I can tell, the Nomenclature plate is missing though. So I don't think I have the Census No.

Would Engine and Chassis provide enough leads for the REMLR guys?

[pop058]

Interesting new info from Digger and UncleHo.

I should probably stop being slack and send REMLR an email with some pics attached.

As far as I can tell, the Nomenclature plate is missing though. So I don't think I have the Census No.

Would Engine and Chassis provide enough leads for the REMLR guys?

Chassis number should answer most questions

[chazza]

Would Engine and Chassis provide enough leads for the REMLR guys?

You can search through the REMLR archives for free here The Registry of Ex Military Land Rovers. Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. (http://www.remlr.com/)

Cheers Charlie