Thread: Australias Oldest Land Rover

Originally Posted by gromit

You must have better eyes than me, I might rescan the original photo at a higher resolution and enlarge it.

What Alex is probably refering to is the profile of the windscreen hinge bracket area of the firewall. A higher resolution photo may show this shape better.

Did the old registration documents give the 'registration date' or the 'date of manufacture'. The FIL remembers 1948 on the documentation.
Speaking to him again tonight he cannot be sure that the sawmill was the first owner, he was just told it came from a sawmill.

There are some black & white photos he thinks are with another relative, we'll see if we can track them down.

Colin

More photos would be great.

Bob

Colin

I don't know if you have ever seen the brass 1948 or 1949 ID plates. The 1948 one has 1948 in raised numbers. The 1949 was the same plate but the 1948 stamped out, but in many cases the 1948 still readable, particularly as the background colour faded.

It is possible that someone read the date on a 49 and assumed it to be the incorrect MY48.

By 1950 the brass plates had been used up and the new ones were aluminium without the 1948.

Diana

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Colin

I don't know if you have ever seen the brass 1948 or 1949 ID plates. The 1948 one has 1948 in raised numbers. The 1949 was the same plate but the 1948 stamped out, but in many cases the 1948 still readable, particularly as the background colour faded.

It is possible that someone read the date on a 49 and assumed it to be the incorrect MY48.

By 1950 the brass plates had been used up and the new ones were aluminium without the 1948.

Diana

Diana,

The '1948' was on the old registration papers. I believe they used to stay with the vehicle back then but not sure whether this is build date or date of registration.

I might arrange a search of the registration database with the AOMC but it's $75 and they are search by engine number ?? Not sure if they will be able to help.


Colin

My wife phoned the AOMC and yes they can only search on engine number ! We could give them a series of possible engine numbers but it would be $75 for each search.
Apparently they have approximately 100 cabinets, each with 4 drawers full up with the old record cards. Everything has to be manually searched.
The search by engine number must have been how the filing was done at VicRoads (or were they called something different back then ?). Crazy when the engine could be replaced, but I guess you should let them know so it would always be kept up-to-date.
Michael Bishop had already done this for the Australian 48's so it probably wouldn't throw anything up.

She then contacted ULR and found that the current dealer principle took over the business in 1974. All the earlier records were passed over to him.
They haven't made any promises, but they will look into what details they have on NV 305.
If they find something, hopefully it will have the chassis number !

I'll keep you posted.

Another snippet he remembers was shackles at the front of the springs......


Colin

Originally Posted by gromit

.......
The search by engine number must have been how the filing was done at VicRoads (or were they called something different back then ?). Crazy when the engine could be replaced, but I guess you should let them know so it would always be kept up-to-date.
.......

Colin

Chassis numbers did not become universal until about the 1950s - prior to that the only unique identifier on cars was the serial number on the engine, so this is what was adopted when registration authorities set up their record keeping early in the 20th century. (Landrovers had chassis numbers from the start)

John

Originally Posted by gromit

Diana,

The '1948' was on the old registration papers. I believe they used to stay with the vehicle back then but not sure whether this is build date or date of registration.
...<snip>
Colin

Hi Colin

I understood that, but up until 1972 when compliance plates were affixed, most authorities were unable to de-code car numbers/chassis numbers so would use whatever was to hand and a clear or even a faint 1948 on the ID may be enough. If the issue with engine numbers is correct, both 1948 and 1949 had the 1948 engine number sequence.

I have to say, this is a mystery the solution is holding my attention closely.

Diana

Originally Posted by gromit

I might arrange a search of the registration database with the AOMC but it's $75 and they are search by engine number ?? Not sure if they will be able to help.


Colin

What information do they provide?

I have a 57 station wagon that I would like to any information that they have on it - I have an old rego sticker so have original engine number, chassis number and Vic rego number - original first rego would have been in NSW though.

Cheers

Garry

Originally Posted by garrycol

What information do they provide?

I have a 57 station wagon that I would like to any information that they have on it - I have an old rego sticker so have original engine number, chassis number and Vic rego number - original first rego would have been in NSW though.

Cheers
Garry

Garry

If it was first sold in NSW it should be in the Grenville books. Just need the chassis number.

Diana