Thread: How rare is ...

Found a crank handle in the rear of my 73 when I bought it . When i took it off the brackets the rear crossmember nearly collapsed !
Garfy

They are rare in good nic as they tend to stretch easily making them useless, one of the extendable handle 1/2 " drive bars with a 27mm socket is much better. One way of making it work is to weld a steel ring on the outside of the hex so it doesnt crack or stretch. When they fitted a/c to early rangies the common method was to move the guages from the lower plastic dash piece into the dash top just above the join.

The wheel brace seems to be in real good nick as it is a tight fit on the wheel nuts and is straight, but the paint is coming off and there is a bit of surface rust.

I might clean it up, re paint it and keep it for display in my shed.

I found two crank handles in the one truck, one was just laying on the back floor and the other one was in the clips on the right hand side.

The moveing of the guages makes sense as the one with the guages in the upper part has a dial switch with what looks like a snow flake on it. The truck doesn't have a/c fitted anymore but it obviously came out with it.

Thanks for your reply


Another question

When did Land rover stop putting glove boxes in the rangies. The one without a/c has one but the other doesn't.

Neale

Originally Posted by Corgie Carrier

an original crank handle and a folding wheel brace?

I just found both in a 77 model rangie I bought.

Both the rangies I have are 77 models but the interior is different, placement of guages in dash. Is this normal?

Neale

The folding wheel braces were still supplied when I bought my 10/84 build 1985 model, however I recently acquired another 85 build 1985 model and it has the 1 piece wheelbrace. Don't know whether this is the original on this vehicle as someone else has owned it.

My 1985 had the hydraulic jack so can't help on that one.

Regarding the instruments, in 1977 the aircon unit was an after market fitting (or at least not fitted in Solihull) so the repositioning of the gauges will depend on who did it.

Originally Posted by Corgie Carrier

....Another question

When did Land rover stop putting glove boxes in the rangies. The one without a/c has one but the other doesn't.

Neale

Have just added this bit with the previous post. The airconditioning became a Solihull fitting with the 4 door models or at least with the change in the rear lamp cluster. MK IV underdash air cond was an option for export markets from the early years, and it was only about 1976 or 77 when they added the duct to take the air towards the driver. Prior to this you only lost the glove box, when they added the air con, when they added the duct, the instruments were moved and you lost the centre dash vent. Most of the Australian built CKD's had the air conditioning duct.

Having one of the glove boxes and dash vents is very rare these days.

Hope this helps.

Diana

Got the crank handle with my 76 Rangie. Actually found it really useful when I was doing the gearbox. Bloody good idea.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

The folding wheel braces were still supplied when I bought my 10/84 build 1985 model, however I recently acquired another 85 build 1985 model and it has the 1 piece wheelbrace. Don't know whether this is the original on this vehicle as someone else has owned it.

My 1985 had the hydraulic jack so can't help on that one.

Regarding the instruments, in 1977 the aircon unit was an after market fitting (or at least not fitted in Solihull) so the repositioning of the gauges will depend on who did it.



Have just added this bit with the previous post. The airconditioning became a Solihull fitting with the 4 door models or at least with the change in the rear lamp cluster. MK IV underdash air cond was an option for export markets from the early years, and it was only about 1976 or 77 when they added the duct to take the air towards the driver. Prior to this you only lost the glove box, when they added the air con, when they added the duct, the instruments were moved and you lost the centre dash vent. Most of the Australian built CKD's had the air conditioning duct.

Having one of the glove boxes and dash vents is very rare these days.

Hope this helps.

Diana

Ah - it all makes sense now!

I couldn't work out why my '81 centre vent dash was different to every other Rangie I saw inside. Apparently it didn't come standard with A/c. However, it would appear someone's tried to put it in at some point afterwards. It would be nice to try to get it working again with these 35 degree days...... or swap over all I need unit from my spares....

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

The folding wheel braces were still supplied when I bought my 10/84 build 1985 model, however I recently acquired another 85 build 1985 model and it has the 1 piece wheelbrace.

Diana

My 10/87 build has a folding wheel brace. (I know this is a very old thread).

All I can say is wrap them up in oil cloth and store them well oft of flood reach.
Then in 30 years or so, when Range Rovers become REALLY collectable, there will be some trainspotter who will pay good money for them, as he will just have to have one to complete the authenticity of his restoration.
It happened with Series1 taillights, why not Range Rover crankhandles.

But watch out , because if the demand becomes big enough someone will make exact reproductions or someone will find out that Austin A40 ones are the same and the market will collapse.
Regards Philip A
EG my mate building the D Type has found FE Holden generators and regulators are the same as D Type ones and has bought them for a fraction of the UK restoration specialist price.