Thread: strange landy ute 4 sale

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Haven't read the book and can't fully comment, however Land Rover production years are not the same as model years.

Production for the next year's specification MY starts in September so that the vehicles are available at the destination dealer before January 1st. Hence my 1985 model Range Rover classic has an Australian VIN plate specifying a 10/84 build date.

So that type of error in books on Land Rovers is more a misunderstanding on the part of the reader, than an actual error in the book.

Wont say much else about the author as I've never met him although my 1951 Land Rover which should have been bronze green according to the book was actually beige from the assembly factory. (RACQ fleet order.)

Diana

If vehicle built in 1984 is still built in 1984, if it's registered in 2001, its registered as a 2001 model, strange but true

None the less, mine is still an 84

I should explain clearer, this only happens with initial rego, I've only seen them with 2 years discrepancy, not 20

Originally Posted by rovercare

If vehicle built in 1984 is still built in 1984, if it's registered in 2001, its registered as a 2001 model, strange but true

None the less, mine is still an 84

That is true for Australian registration authorities and insurance companies but not when you buy parts, as you know.

So the reality is that manufacturers model year and Australian model year based on build date are two separate animals not to be confused.

Diana

BTW: Not being a Defender person, is the single cab Defender a 120", a 127" or a 130" and what is the actual wheelbase?

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

That is true for Australian registration authorities and insurance companies but not when you buy parts, as you know.

So the reality is that manufacturers model year and Australian model year based on build date are two separate animals not to be confused.

Diana

BTW: Not being a Defender person, is the single cab Defender a 120", a 127" or a 130" and what is the actual wheelbase?

Yes, just as I had said, different years

The vehicle in question appears to be a 120"....not defender, just 120", if it were a defender, it'd be either a 110" or a 130, the 130 haveing the 127" wheelbase

Originally Posted by abaddonxi

Now if someone can get out their magnifying glass, and it's anything like my 120" was, there should be a key lock for the bonnet/hood. The barrel is above the grille, just to the left of the Land Rover badge.

Cheers
Simon

My 1985 V8 County had a key lock on the bonnet.

It actually had 6 different keys. Bonnet, front doors, back door, fuel filler, cubby box and ignition. And most of them looked the same.

Originally Posted by Frenchie

My 1985 V8 County had a key lock on the bonnet.

It actually had 6 different keys. Bonnet, front doors, back door, fuel filler, cubby box and ignition. And most of them looked the same.

Same with mine. Only LR could treat customers with such disdain.

For example, with my son's Nissan Civilian, every lock on the bus is keyed the same - even panels that were aftermarket fittings, e.g., the access to the Subaru diesel generator in the side of the bus. The bloody mechanics who modified the bus for Australian compliance didn't realise that and stuffed three locks 'cos they didn't try the ignition key, they just broke the locks.

Originally Posted by p38arover

Same with mine. Only LR could treat customers with such disdain.
.....

Common keying came relatively late to the motor industry - originally cars had no locks. By the 1920s, ignition locks became common, although my father's 1931 Swift had no ignition lock, just a door lock.

After WW2 locks began to proliferate, and so did the keys - for example, the 1948 Austin my father had, had separate keys for the ignition, driver's door and boot. Landrover, with door locks an optional extra, often dealer fitted, did not even attempt to common key locks, and this carried over to the 90/110. By this time most manufacturers had started to common key their cars, but this took a step backward when steering locks became standard in the seventies, as the ignition/steering lock demanded a much larger key than had become standard. For example, my 1974 Citroen has one key that fits the doors and boot, but separate ones for the ignition, fuel filler and glovebox (the latter two were optional locks). Not too different from my 110, admittedly twelve years later, that has a key for the doors, a key for the rear door and bonnet, and a key for the ignition, plus a key for the padlock on the fuel filler.

Hardly accurate to say only LR could treat customers with such disdain, just that they took longer to adopt common keying, which, after all required a complete redesign of the door locks, for a start.

John

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

BTW: Not being a Defender person, is the single cab Defender a 120", a 127" or a 130" and what is the actual wheelbase?

What Matt said - it is a one-ten pick-up chassis that has been chopped, and an extra 10" added in the middle.

To be pedantic for a minute...
In Australia we incorrectly call 1984-1990 landies "countys", when they are actually a "one-ten" (county station wagon). County was just a trim/accessory specification.

County spec vehicles got a load leveller, factory PAS (at least in OZ), carpets, rear wash/wipe, colour coded flares, etc, etc.

The 120" utes were not county spec, therefore they didn't get the above (but PAS was probably an option). A small number of non county spec hardtops also came to Australia.

"Defenders" weren't built until 1989 (UK), and didn't come here until a couple of years after that. Only Tdi-on vehicles are defenders.

Has anyone been out to look at the 120? It is remotely possible that it is a 1992 model, as 1991/1992 is about when the first defender 110s arrived in Australia. They may have had a couple of left over 120's that they needed to flog off before the defenders arrived. HOWEVER - the lift-up door handles suggest it is 1988/9 or older (or a bitsa).