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Equipping the Overland Vehicle Vehicle accessories - Making your home away from home comfortable, safe and reliable.
Photo by Zoe Seymour, The main road south, DRC

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Zoe Seymour,
The main road south, DRC



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  #1  
Old 16 Jun 2004
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2-WD Landies
Can anybody tell me about a TWO-wheel drive model ex-army Landrover, please.

I got a lift in 1969 from the UK as far as Istanbul with the owner, Margaret Ramsden, an archaeologist and a lecturer at Manchester University who usually drove by herself every summer to a dig in Iran (Persia.) Quite a lady, obviously. Anyway, she said it had been specially modified by the (British) army in the interests of better fuel efficiency. Can't really imagine the army bothering, myself. As it turned out, it still only managed 17 mpg, we cruised at about 55mph where possible, loaded to the gunnls. It was very low geared (well, a low axle ratio, I suppose), and screamed all the way, flat out, or so it seemed. It had the fuel tank (petrol) under the passenger seat. The back was canvas, but after having stuff pinched on one of her trips she had had a cage built over the back. It was a short wheel base model. The ventilation flaps under the windscreen were very much appreciated the further east we got. If I remember correctly, we could roll the cab roof back, too as that was canvas as well. (Aircon? 1969??!) A useful bit of tackle.
John

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Old 16 Jun 2004
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they where build for the belgian army and border police.
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Old 17 Jun 2004
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Ah, that's interesting. This one was definitely right hand drive, perhaps the British Army had a couple to try out, perhaps?
Thanks for that
John

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Old 17 Jun 2004
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Hi John

The 4 x 2's were ordered by the Ministry of Supply and then distributed to the army, RAF and other Gov depts. They resulted from civil service bods noticing that lots of Gov owned Land Rovers never actually went off road enough to use the 4 wheel drive. If they don't need it, then we won't order it was their logic. The result was the Land Rover you went in. The daft bit is they actually cost more that the standard Land Rover and nobody wanted them. Most stayed in reserve for a long time before do runway duties etc. If you want more info, contact the Techinical Officer at the Series 2 Club www.series2club.co.uk e-mail technical@series2club.co.uk he will be able to help because he has one and has been researching them.

Hope this helps

Cheers Mick
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