ISUZU 3.9 IN U.K

[Yobbityabbitt]

New Forum member with an Aussie import CSW.
Hi, I'm interested to know the number of factory Isuzu engined stage 1s In the UK?
Mine has been long term off the road and had a suspected ( though not confirmed) gearbox fault before being parked up.
I've heard a lot of horror stories on the vibes and noise etc but I'm an ex bus driver so it won't bother me that much!

[Yobbityabbitt]

I'm also interested in accurately dating the vehicle.
When I first got it years back from Craddocks I had a game getting a V5 ( they pulled a fast one on me- BEWARE)
On talking to the Heritage museum I was told there was no records due to it being a CKD kit. I managed to get it properly registered on correct chassis number eventually.
Has anyone got an idea of accurately dating a chassis number? As its getting near to tax exempt status.

[map1275]

If it's an Australian car (a Land Rover 3.9D) then it came with a Compliance Plate and Leyland Australia documents. There is no way in hell it can be a County.

[Yobbityabbitt]

Hi.
Sorry you lost me there a bit.
When I say CSW I'm referring to 10/12 seater with belts and headlining etc.
I don't know what Aussie docs it had as I never imported it.
Any idea of more of this model in the UK presently?

[map1275]

CSW - County Station Wagon
There is no County version offered.

Have you counted the seat belt anchorages to work out how many it's intended to seat?
Apart from the isuzu engine and the seller's story, what proof is there that it's a factory fit?

Compliance Plate affixed to bulkhead.

DVLA search

[Yobbityabbitt]

I'll have to wait for the spring in case ive got to take my shoes off.
Are you surprised that one got through the Net- I heard it almost got turned back at the border cos of the Ham sandwich in the Tool Box!
It looks like a pretty good forgery, it's even got the Leyland Australia Vin plate and Chassis number on the bulkhead.
What'd be the difference between CSW and County then?
If anyone has got one in the UK I'd be interested to hear from ya.
Cheers

[map1275]

So if it's got a Compliance Plate it has a date from the manufacturer stamped into it!
It's not a date of manufacture but it's close.

[Yobbityabbitt]

Yeah- how close are those dates normally and have you got a Heritage database over there that can give details specific to a Chassis number?
Cheers!

[map1275]

Date of compliance is not date of manufacture, though it can be close. State transport authorities usually accept this date.
No, there isn't a database. My own will only narrow the gap. The only local Heritage Certificate available will only parrot what's on the plate, plus a bit of fill such as assembled at PMC Enfield (the only plant that remained for light vehicles at the time). The number of the constant 4wd instruction placard identifies the actual production details.
This website is supposed to have a register but despite promises, it never went anywhere.
REMLR did acquire some incomplete production data for a few hundred late Series III which include a handful of 3.9D and 3.5.

[disco2hse]

You ask about "the number of factory Isuzu engined stage 1s". These were a local variant in Australia. While there are those that were assembled there with those engines as an option, they cannot be considered "factory" in the sense that they were built in the UK, knocked down, and reassembled prior to delivery. It is only after that date that they are then registered for the first time. They may have been originally assembled quite some time before that.

The date on the compliance plate will refer to the first registration date, not the first assembly date in the UK. The authorities over on this part of the world are interested in the former, not the latter.

Try entering your VIN into CalVIN https://www.clifton.nl/index.html?calvin.html. It will give you the model date at least.

[Yobbityabbitt]

Thanks- I'll have a look into that.
Im particularly interested to know how many have been imported to Blighty. I know it wasn't offered officially in the UK but I've been told they're a good towing rig and would have a better fuel consumption than the V8 so I'm assuming they would have been a popular choice - in the Outback at least!
When I say Factory I am specifically referring to the plant where they were put together in Oz.
I've been led to believe that my vehicle was originally an Australian Government purchase and it also has a Vanuatu Tax disc from the early 90's; Would anyone know of any ways to verify this claim?
Cheers.

[disco2hse]

Cheers. I am guessing your only option will be to enquire with Vanuatu, but good luck with that. The state infrastructure is at times quite inefficient and ineffective.

It will be impossible to know how many were imported to the UK because they would have been private deals. Official export records will be impossible to track.