I've lost a 11a. How the Bloody Hell did that Happen?

[Col.Coleman]

I've lost one of my Landy's. I know where I last left it, but it's gone. It's been taken, and there is no chance I am getting it back. I have 10 others, but I feel violated and am suffering a massive sense of loss. A huge void has opened up. The worst thing is, I don't fully understand how it all happened.

A few years ago, I cleaned out a farm, and picked up a nice little 88" 11a. My wife had herself a BMW convertible before we had children, and we got rid of it for the Baby Years. Having a penchant for collecting landy's, there has been a constant protest with every aquisition. Any of you that collect things at a great rate, or bring things home on the premise that forgiveness is easier to get than permission, will understand my plight. The sacrifices we have made to collect all these, to anyone else than me, "useless pieces of ****".

Don't get me wrong. Swmbo is one of the most understanding wives in the world. She has to be or she would have left years ago. I'm no easy ride. The General has always driven all my vehicles, including the Trucks, and the 130 from which she was banned She enjoys our trips and knows where I am, (working on landys), but she does let know all the things she would like to have instead. One of these things on the top of her list, is another convertible.

Quick thinking had me spruking that this 11a was her convertible. Pull the truck cab off, put on some hood sticks and viola. You could hear the protests from miles away. But now it has happened, she has taken it.

On a trip to Corowa, we happened upon the museum at Bandiana. In there are heaps of different vehicles, but one of the ones that the Ladies took a liking to was the Cerimonial Coffin Carrier. This was emphasised even more by the fact there was another pristine example poking around Corowa for the week. It was all shiny and nice. So that is what her car would look like, but a short wheel base. I should have seen the cogs turning behind those eyes.

It has all happend tonight. I am pulling the series 11 motor out of it and swapping it for a K motor with Incisor. On explaining what I had planned for the weekend came the question, "What are you doing to my car?" Uh oh.

A quick explanation followed, which lead into talking about the plans of what we are doing, and what I can do while the engine is out and so on. Then on to talking about what wheels, picking out seats, tilt type, torneau and colours from the Exmoor Trim catalogue. I got quizzed on the colour it would be painted, and I got permission to go back to Deep Bronze Green, the original colour, as long as it is full gloss. This is all moving too fast. Then my darling wife mentioned that we are selling her leather clad Subaru and it would be her daily driver. I couldn't take it, and tried to talk her out of it. Keep it as a second car said I

So it's gone. It's all hers now. It has also jumped to the top of the list.

I will be happy in time. It is probably every Landy owners dream. It is just all too sudden.

I blame you Pop058, and of course your lovely wife Nan. You know you have to get Ronnie her Convertible too now

Next thing you know, they will want their own usernames

CC

[The ho har's]

Next thing you know, they will want their own usernames

CC

well nan has got hers


NAN.057

and GEN....year of truck

Mrs hh

[Blknight.aus]

I'm no easy ride.

Fibber.

[Col.Coleman]

Well we better go back a bit and bring it up to speed where we are at.

As I mentioned, I picked this thing up off a farm up near my Mum's house in Peanut Country. Initially I didn't want it. The 2 series ones where what I was after, but I thought what the hell and paid the $400 and took it home too.



First stop was back to Mum's, then down to home a few weeks later, via a visit to Inc's place for a working Bee.









It was a pretty tidy car rust wise, but it had been used on a farm and the cross members under the g/box have copped a flogging. Plus side is minimal rust. I would say the 4" thick oil soaked crub all over it went a long way to helping that.



I gave it a look over a few weeks after getting it home and after a fair bit of fiddling around, I got him to run. The reason the farm had gotten rid of it was they couldn't get a clutch. A quick bleed and it was fine, as well as some brakes, well front ones anyway.

I held a bbq work day at my place, and Hodgo, the Ho Hars and a few others came around and we fiddled with it some more. This culminated in removing the roof and us all piling in and going for runs around the block. I beleive this is where Mrs Ho Har got her series thrill and then and there she wanted tofind a shorty for herself. The rest they say is history.

[ame]http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm299/hohar/?action=view&current=colcoleman_0001.flv[/ame]

Now the poor little thing sat around for a while, with the occasional flexi plate trip till the brakes stopped working altogether. I dragged the pressure cleaner out and hosed off alot of the paint brushed blue paint back to the original bronze green. Every now and then I would drag it out and clean some more paint off, and crud. And that is the way it was until a couple of weeks ago.

CC

[The ho har's]

History you say...I have only at this stage

Mrs hh

[Col.Coleman]

Now the roof has been on and off a couple of times. It has had hoodsticks with a hardtop on and off, been used for storage and sitting under the house. I had also raided it for some parts for my series 111. For one degreasing session I removed all the floor panels and turret to clean it all up and get the g/box numbers.

Now although it is tidy, it does have a couple of alterations. In getting the g/box numbers they are an A suffix. Now this could be early series 11a, but my thinking is it is a series 111 box, which for this application is a good thing. I know one is full and the other semi synchro, but the truth is when driving it, I never noticed, nor had any trouble. Makes me lean more towards series 111.

The other thing to be changed, apart from an alternator was the engine itself. A 1961 ser 11 motor was installed instead. In the quest for the pursuit of numbers, Inc was after a good petrol motor for Daddy, and I was after a K suffix motor. We both just happened to have what the other needed so a cunning plan was hatched. It happened on the weekend.

Old motor out



New one needing to go in.



Now before this happens a bit of work needs to be done. Plenty of painting and seeing what needs repairing and tidying up. But before that more crud removal. The front diff had an inch of build up on top of the fins and was round in appearance. That means 4+ inches in the valleys. Here is the pile from the diff.



The diff as it should be again, before pressure cleaning



More to clean



I'll see what I get done this weekend, but the Stage 1 wants some attention before Easter so we can do a day trip.

CC

[series3]

Hi CC,

I Like the 2a!

I have a late 2a SWB as well, it also has a suffix A motor. I have come to the conclusion that the engine is probably original; they may have started using the new suffix at the end of the 2a's production.

Suffix A motors with a 241 starting number come up in the VIN calculator as a 2a fitment.

If its is veeeery late, it's definitely possible it was fitted with a synchro box from the factory as well (from what I have heard).

Cheers,

Sam

[Col.Coleman]

Thanks Sam,

The actual year date is a bit of mystery to me at this stage, and is actually getting quite interesting.

I have the date of the vehicle at 1969. I have come up with this by trying to date the components on the vehicle. By using the series 11 timeline on the changes and approx time this happened this is what I have come up with. i know it is not super accurate but it is a start. It has all the changes up to '69, but not the ones to make it a '70 or '71. It's glass is 1st quarter 1969, it doesn't have captive nuts in the firewall to hang the doors and I am still searching for as many numbers I can find, but they all point to 1969. It does not, nor does it look like it vever had a complience plate fitted. although the engine has been swapped, the rest seems to be un messed with.

When I go to rego it is where it is going to get really interesting to see what it is in the system as. pappa Smurf has really thrown a spanner in the works, as his is listed as a 1971. His is Chassis# 24316400G, mine is 24316499G. My PMC Body assembly no is 13878/Ser 8813878

I really need to get as many dates and numbers from these late 11a's as possible to see where they all fit.

With your points, yes 2431 motors are 11a, but early ones. K and H suffix at the end. Ser 111 no's are different IIRC. This motor was a 1961 ser 11 motor. Form ser 1 to the end of ser 11 you could date by the no.s. you only get a date range with the 11a's G suffix = 69-71. Good theory about the gearboxes. Possible. then anything is with CKD vehicles.

If I could get as many no.s as possible from yours as well as Papa Smurfs, I may be able to work a few things out. Even more sample vehicles would be better.

CC

[series3]

My 2a's details are thus:

Chassis: 243 213 66H (11/71)
engine: 241 548 80A
gearbox: 255 059 36F (non-synchro)

Here is a thread with some pictures: http://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-2-2...t-2a-88-a.html

I can get my TC and PMC number when I get home tonight.

CalVIN spits out nonsensical information for the details above.. I guess because CKD ones got whatever was laying around?

WilE on here has a military late one with some interesting details as well, you might find interesting.

It is interesting how many wide-light 2as come up though.

Sam

[mick88]

I have a SWB 2A which I bought from the original owner last April (2010). It was purchased new on December 24th, 1971 from Regent Morors in South Melbourne.
I have a copy of the original receipt.
The selling price excluding sales tax was $3265, with a $342 discount, Sales tax was $387, freight and handling was $40, Vic rego and stamp duty was $117.25
It had a single rear door for $100.00
De Luxe Trim $44.00
Sun Visors $14.25
700 x 16 x 6 Tyres $94.20
2 Rear Seats $50.00

Total Price $3770.00
What a Christmas Present in 1971.

The purchaser could have got a GT Falcon for the same price and it would have been worth a million bucks today (as he kept this Landy in great shape).
The numbers are:
Chassis No: 2432112H
Engine No: 24151471A
Reg No: LAK 053 (Vic)

Currently I am refurbishing this vehicle.
It was still registered when I purchased it and has got approx 120,000 k's on the clock. It originally had an imperial speedo but the owner changed it to a metric speedo reading 100,000 kilometres when it had covered 62500 miles to keep it exact.
All going well it should be back on the road in a month or so.
I have gone a bit over the top with what should have been a refurbishment and spent extra $$$$'s...but I intend to keep it forever.

Cheers Mick.