Lightweights

[juddy]

Are there any lightweight landrovers in australia????

[Outlaw]

a few around... do a quick search on remlr.com and it should have some exact figures :D

Would love one personally... but the yard and bank balance only allow so many landies ;)

[juddy]

where did they come from??

[Phoenix]

Do you meanthe series 2a and 3 1/2 ton lightweights of british decent. If so, there are a few about, but not many.

[Phoenix]

They came from personal imports, and some from a sea country whose name escapes me.

[juddy]

you mean grotty UK..

Would thry be a market over here for ex MOD Land Rovers, there so cheap in the Uk, add in shipping, i reckon you could make a nice little profit..

[Phoenix]

It's been suggested before. However with toyota dominance in the 4wd market, I reakon you'd have a hard sell to anything other than enthusiasts. Especially as the motors in the early 110's are quite uncommon over here (2.5 diesel is what they have isn't it?)

[Dinty]

G'day All, Some of the lightweights came from the Sultan of Brunie (sic) a small state in Borneo, I can't remember exactly how many came in but I can account for 2 of them, all up vehicles that came in to Oz back in 2000 from that location was approx 100 vehicles not all L/rovers though, cheers Dennis:wasntme:

[Outlaw]

Okay so what are we talking about here... i thought he meant the military lightweights but there are other types?

[stirlsilver]

This is the first I have heard about "light weights" anyone care to explain what it is all about??

[mcrover]

I dont know of any others other than the Air transportable Military(Light weight) Landies which were from series 2a but went unchanged into the 80's (I think as I have a book which makes reference to them still being built and the book was printed in the 80's).

I dont know of any other Lightweight (so to speak) vehicals from LR.

They were originally designed to be airtransportable and be parachute dropped from aircraft and able to be lifted by Helicopters.

[Outlaw]

talking these
http://remlr.com/pics2/ph88lw_4.jpg
http://remlr.com/pics2/ph88lw_1.jpg

[UncleHo]

G'day Folks :)

There seems to be some confusion about what constitutes a "Lightweight" their correct name (Nomenclature) is Truck Landrover 1/2 88"wheelbase, built in both series 2a 1968-1971 (2989 RHD & LHD) and Series 3 1972-1984 (10422 RHD & LHD) vehicles give or take the odd vehicle that includes the diesels built for the Dutch and Belgian military, the later vehicles that the British MOD have are the coil sprung 90s which have the normally aspirated Diesels in 2.5 liter form, pre 200/300 tdi, the old diesel version of the 5 main bearing motor (which was not available in Australia)
there was a quantity of Lightweights & 101's as well as MK/MJ Bedford 4 tonners imported from Brunei in about 1998/9 they arrived at Darwin in filthy condition, and were impounded by AQIS ther were spiders in the trucks and other vermin, they were fumigated and cleaned, the bill was handed to the importer whom promptly left the country, they were eventually Auctioned off to recover moneys owed to the Govt. some were seen in a car sales in Dili but being petrol did not attract much interest in 2000/2001.

Hope that helps

cheers

[Disco Pom]

Drove lots of series 3 lightweights when I was in the RAF ...they used to be airlifted underneath Chinooks and did see one kicked out the back out of a Hercules and float down on a parachute !

I remember the panels came off very easily and any big bump and something usually fell off :p.. or the clansman radio set in the back would come loose and hit you on the back of the head :D...

I was on a Rapier squadron and had lots of fun with the various Landies available...most fun was had in the Forward Control's towing the launchers :twisted:..

cheers,
Richard

[back_in]

Yes
you should have been at Cooma
would have seen them
a friend wife drives a Series 3 84
cheers
Ian

[UncleHo]

G'day Back_in :)

Which one as you wifes,as I took several pics of Lightweights while I was there, but there was one nice one that had a lady owner:) she informed me that it was hers, and her husband did the maintainance;) Mrs Val Carter the sign said.

BTW Welcome to the site.

cheers

[juddy]

Yes thats the ones, wonder where they all went....

[UncleHo]

G'day Juddy :)

I believe that a lot were bought by somebody in SA and were then sold off, but there should still be a few about, have not got a figure on the number that went to Timor, but I know there were several 101's in that lot, the aim was to sell them to the UN but they were only interested in Diesel Disco's or Toyota's :( and all those vehicles were petrol.

I have a friend that has imported an Ex-RAF lightweight hardtop an 81 model from memory, nice truck last of the 3 bearing motors.

cheers

[streaky]

I had one from the Saudi Arabian National Guard.
This was a pet project of mine for quite a few years. Out came the 2 1/4 straight four and in went a 3.9Efi with a Borg Warner 3 speed automatic. 3:5.4 diffs, roll cage, winch etc etc.

The down side though was trying to stop from 160kph on drum brakes!

Great fun car and I really miss it.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

very nice streaky:cool:

[HangOver]

I've always quite liked the idea of owning a lightweight one day, (seen loads in the UK) I didn't realise they are so rare in Australia.
Does anyone know what sort of price they go /went for?

[Tango51]

Streaky, great looking specimen!!
If you start shipping them to Oz let me know!

[Mick-Kelly]

Guess i should chime in, Elsa cost me $3500 in just driveable condition plus shipping her up here. Lightweights are reasonably rare in Australia. I would guesstimate less than 50 all up. Ive wanted one for as long as i can remember and i jumped at the chance to own one. Elsa is slowly making her way back onto the roads after a lot of work. Good examples sell for phone book prices.

[streaky]

The Saudi National Guard had thousands of them. When they sold them off there were some real bargains to be had.
I know of a number of guys who bought mint condition lightweights for around USD$1000 with less than 500km on the clock. Most or probably all were 24volt FFR...all had been sitting in the sun for far too long and needed every bit of rubber replaced.

JP...John Pitman.Ozzie. Does he come on here? He had a beauty.
FB. Fat B*****d. Scotish. Had the lowest mileage one with 435km on the clock when he bought it.
Paul Rice.Kiwi. Had another very low mileage one....that floated away down the Al Hair river! Honest! Kevo the Irish storeman drove it back from Saudi to Ireland in just 14 days...the journey was 100% trouble free...untill the alternator light came on just 2km from his house in Ireland!
JW. John Wright. Brit. Took his back to the Uk and now runs a 3.5Efi with mega squirt and a three speed auto box.
Stevo. Brit. Imaculate vehicle with less than 1000km on teh clock when purchased Took his back to the Uk and trialled it for a number of years before slling it.
Mine. Slightly higher mileage but well kitted out.

All were left hand drive vehicles but very easy to convert.

200 of the extra special gun ship variants were made for OPMSANG. They have a double/split windsheild , no doors and carried a massive shooter of some sort that sat between the two wind screens. They come up at auctions here and there and are very sought after these days. If I'd have known what they were worth at the time I would have picked a few up...they were the cheapest on the forecourt in Saudi because no one wanted a desert weekend car with no doors and a split windsheild.

I've seen a few in the UAE but I think they are all Saudi imports. If any of you guys have mates working in Riyadh, KSA, then tell them to get down the car sales yard at Al Hair. They still have some for sale at bargain prices. All are very dusty but mechaniclly sound. They would all need new tyres and anything made of rubber would be perished.

S.

[Reads90]

my brother had a Lightweight which he blow the engine up on the day he bought it . So he replaced it with a 11A V8 engine :lol2: and rangie diffs mmmm that made it go. Then he left it at a mates house who is a sign writer and got it back looking like this

http://www.reads4x4.com/juliaqn%20old%20cars/lightweight.jpg

http://www.reads4x4.com/L1.JPG


http://www.reads4x4.com/L3.JPG

Anyone got a shoe horn :angel::angel:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/04/448.jpg

[juddy]

poor paint job??

[juddy]

another ex raf one

[Reads90]

poor paint job??

poor paint job more like sh*t paint job :):)

[juddy]

was trying to be diplomatic!!!

[isuzurover]

This is the first I have heard about "light weights" anyone care to explain what it is all about??

These:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/04/399.jpg
Not actauuly any lighter than a normal 88" as pictured, but can be stripped down and stacked 2 high for easier air transportation

[Lotz-A-Landies]

These:
Not actually any lighter than a normal 88" as pictured, but can be stripped down and stacked 2 high for easier air transportation
Ben

The regular series 2's and 3's can be stacked 2 high, the reason for the Lightweight's design was in fact something unique to the Brits.

In the 1950's the RAF carried series 1 Land Rovers side by side in one of their freight aircraft (Bristol 170 Freighter I believe), when the series 2 came out the extra couple of inches in width on the new Land Rovers prevented them fitting the 2 rows inside the aircraft. The solution was to develop a series 2 variant with the same body width as the series 1.

http://www.adf-serials.com/nz-serials/gallery/albums/Freighter/RF_NZ5906a.jpg

Diana

Addit:The aircraft may have been the Blackburn B101 Beverley (a version of the General Aircraft GAL.60 built in the UK)

http://www.beverley-association.org.uk/stories/vandervold-r/XB261-e.jpg

P.S. the aircraft type may be wrong but the reason correct.

[Phoenix]

That's a bristol Freighter ;)

The lightweight officially was built for helicopter transport. Early helicopters had very low lifting weights, and the lower weight was needed. They ended up being a little lighter than a normal 88, but a bit more when they are stripped down.