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Question about Possible Military Stage One

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 6:53 pm
by firemanshort
I have come across a Stage One for sale here in the United States. It is what appears to be a factory LHD 5 door model. It is from 1979 according to the VIN. It is currently in boxes (well, some parts are in boxes the others are spread out all around the garage floor and tucked away in corners). It shows signs of several paint jobs but the base layer appears to be limestone or white (hard to tell). The current seller purchased the truck from British Columbia, Canada but no idea where it was before that - but the owner thinks it might have come from Switzerland.

The seat box has what appears to be a little document pouch or other storage space fixed to the side of the seat box.
seatbox.jpg
seatbox.jpg (47.42 KiB) Viewed 7421 times
Has anyone ever seen this before? Does it tell anything about the original use of the Rover?

The Rover comes with military bumper over riders in one of the boxes - so I think the truck may have been military (but the over riders are an easy aftermarket purchase - so I am not really sure).

There is no foreign registration plate on the truck to help.

Thanks for any insight. If I buy this, it will be need a complete nut and bolt repair - just need to determine if I have the stomach for it. (and cash.....)

Re: Question about Possible Military Stage One

Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2020 11:51 am
by map1275
Have you decoded the VIN?

Re: Question about Possible Military Stage One

Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2020 3:11 pm
by firemanshort
LB - Series III Land Rover
C - 109 chassis
M - Station wagon
V - 3.5l V8
2 - LHD with 4 speed gearbox
A - 88 or 109
A - assembled in Solihull
Rest is serial number

Re: Question about Possible Military Stage One

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2020 8:41 pm
by firemanshort
So I bought this.

Then I found out that this Stage One is the one referred to in this Expedition Portal post from 2011.

https://expeditionportal.com/forum/thre ... ide.55265/

All of "Zebriod" paint is gone but it is supposed to have the Swiss badges and Zebriod badge in one of the boxes of parts.

Re: Question about Possible Military Stage One

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2020 12:48 am
by Geoff
Interesting purchase. Have fun putting it back together! (Any chance of re-posting the pics from that link here, as you have to sign in to that forum to see them properly?)

Re: Question about Possible Military Stage One

Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:46 pm
by disco2hse
Looks like it is going to be a fun project. That pocket is a custom addition.

Re: Question about Possible Military Stage One

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 3:12 pm
by firemanshort
I went back and looked at the pocket again. It was made of plastic. It was old. It was brittle. Yes... it broke as soon as I touched it. So it will probably not make it back on the truck during the rebuild process. (sigh)

Re: Question about Possible Military Stage One

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 7:13 pm
by disco2hse
You could always make one out of aluminium sheet.

Re: Question about Possible Military Stage One

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:21 pm
by Geoff
Make it a little wider - it would be a good place to keep a gun :)