Thread: Chassis suffix D

I'm trying to work out a likely build date for a SIII, chassis 91300xxxD. One web site suggests that the chassis suffix D commenced with 00001D in January 1979, and ran to 16127D in October 1979 when the VIN system was introduced. Can anyone confirm this, or have a 913xxxxxD vehicle of known date?

If correct, that would date this vehicle to early 1979.

It had been sitting in a barn for years, and the mice had decided it made a nice home. The top of the radiator support was packed with straw, so the bonnet release lever wouldn't move (straw in the way) and the bonnet couldn't be pushed down to help "unhook" the lever. Took some work with the air duster to free it up!

I've yet to do a full appraisal, but so far I've found there's some rust in the rear crossmember, though not too bad, and the cab stinks of mice - they've made inroads in to the seat foam as well. Otherwise it doesn't look too bad for a well-used vehicle. A few dents in the bodywork, but it looks like it's the original paint so the dents will probably knock out, rather than 50kg of filler and twelve coats of paint falling off!

I believe it was in daily use until the owner employed a manager for his farm and moved to town, after which it was in sporadic use until the starter failed. Since then it has sat in the barn. I've known about it for years, but the owner (my wife's uncle) is having a clean-up and asked if I wanted it.

In a few weeks when I've finished the 109" I'm working on now, I'll have a look in more detail. If it's OK, without too much work required, it might jump the queue and get done next!


Edit. I forgot, as well as the Olding PTO (which I've not seen before) it also has a removable gearbox crossmember, though no evidence of being a military vehicle so possibly a retrofit?