Thread: Need help identifying a Series 3

Photo's and full chassis number would help.
Are you sure it was ex military? Might be some strange civilian variant. A one ton for example.
It could also be a bitsa.

It may have had a mil chassis stuck under it. The actual number on the chassis would tell us that. IIRC, ex-mil S3s should have a 943 prefix.

Originally Posted by pop058

It may have had a mil chassis stuck under it. The actual number on the chassis would tell us that. IIRC, ex-mil S3s should have a 943 prefix.

I suspect if it is a Military chassis it would be an English Military chassis. The 943 prefix is for Australian Military chassis.

I've just checked and the chassis number as stamped on the front spring hanger is the same as the number on the plate in the cab, i.e. 911xxx

I'm not sure how photo's would help, it has been repainted, denuded of all hooks etc. and repainted several times, but I'll try and get some if required. Is there any particular portion of the vehicle or angle of view that will show anything especially useful? The vehicle currently has a ute cab, but I am told that it previously (during it's supposed "Olympic" period) had a custom fibreglass top and was (is) registered as a small bus.

The 911 prefix is 109" basic petrol, yet further research shows the 1050kg maximum front axle weight was specified for the 109" diesel. However the diesel had the overall weight increased to 2760kg (1050+1710) whereas this vehicle has a plate (seemingly original) that specifies 1050kg (diesel) front and 1710kg (diesel and petrol) rear, but with a total of 2680kg (petrol). And 1050+1710 does not equal 2680!!!

Apparently a bunch of RAF TACR-1 SIII vehicles (custom aluminium fire-fighting bodies) were built on 911 prefix chassis numbers, configured in military / 1 ton form but mostly with Rover front and Salisbury rear axles. I'm fairly sure this isn't one of them, but could be British military?

Sounds likely to me that it is British military - and has has significant modifications in civilian life.
Be interesting to know how it came to be here.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Be interesting to know how it came to be here.

The story I have been told is that is one of a group of 12 (?) similar vehicles that were acquired by the US Olympic Team from the U.N. in Africa. Each was then renovated, fitted with rear seats and a fibreglass roof, registered in Australia as a small bus and equipped with a custom fibreglass equipment trailer. They were then used by the US Team for the duration of the Sydney Olympics, after which they were abandoned (sold en masse, presumably). Apparently this vehicle was covered with sponsors stickers, and the external fittings were removed for "OH&S" reasons - to avoid people getting snagged on them! Certainly the current waist-down colour was applied after the were removed, which fits the story, as does the evidence of stickers being removed (top coat torn off in places!). The fibreglass station wagon shell that was supposedly fitted at that time, together with the rear seats have been removed and a ute cab fitted in their place.

But.... I cannot find any mention of such vehicles on the web, either relating to the Olympics, nor (because it occurred to me to look) for the subsequent Paralympics. So who knows?!

But if anyone remembers seeing any silver Series III's involved in the 2000 Olympics, I'd love to know!

Originally Posted by Warb

The story I have been told is that is one of a group of 12 (?) similar vehicles that were acquired by the US Olympic Team from the U.N. in Africa.

That would be consistent with it being a home market military spec vehicle. (It may even have gone from UK military to the UN) And the significant modification in civilian life.

Certainly the position of the chassis number, overriders on bumper, and lack of other features points to it not being Australian manufactured, and the chassis number agrees with this.

Does it have an Australian compliance plate or equivalent? If not, is it registered? And if so, how did it get registered? By that date of manufacture it should have had one, although it was near the start of the scheme (1972 I think) so may have slipped through.

John

No, it doesn't have an Australian compliance plate that I have yet found. Yes, it is registered........ However it is registered as having been made in 1980. It has two engineering reports noted on the registration, but I don't know what they relate to.

Lack of a compliance plate is not really important. Even a vehicle that once had one (they can't be re-issued, apparently), can be registered on the basis that it was previously registered in Australia. And imported road vehicles built before 1989 don't need one anyway. I know Australia likes to have different rules in each state, but for Tasmania (excerpt from Tas Light Vehicle Inspection Manual, the first one my Google search found!):

"Vehicles approved for importation as road vehicles with a date of manufacture prior to 1 January 1989 do not require a compliance plate, however they do require a Vehicle Identity inspection by the Departments Transport Inspectors prior to be passed for registration if the vehicle has not previously been registered in Australia."

I haven't searched for the rules in other states, but I'd assume they're similar.