Hello from Northumberland

Introduce yourself and your vehicles and post (or link to) photos
heightswitch
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:30 pm

Hello from Northumberland

Post by heightswitch »

Hi.
Just got myself this beauty
New to leafers so if anyone has any comments etc on its originality or knows the vehicle I would like to hear from you..
A question though is just how noisy is an LT95 supposed to be?? I suspect mine is broken.

I am up in northumberland if anyone is nearby
Neil.

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wpalmo
Posts: 53
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 9:28 am
Location: western australia

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by wpalmo »

Welcome aboard Neil.

Very tidy looking Stage One Ute. I have one that looks very similar but a lighter colour blue. It looks to be in good condition from your photo's. What year is it?

As far as the gearbox noise goes, they can be a bit noisy even when they are in reasonable condition. Is there a lot of back lash when you let the clutch out or step on and off the accelerator? This can be a problem in the long term however saying that mine had substantial back lash for at least 4-5 years before I reconditioned it. Give all the uni joints some grease and this will quieten down some of the noise. More than likely your gearbox will need an oil change and then see if this makes any difference. Taking the gearbox out and reconditioning can be an expensive job but they are worth doing. From my experience the lt95 is a tough unit and will give you another 20 years of service if done right.

Look forward to seeing some images of the interior too! Good luck with the gearbox and enjoy your Stagey!!

Regards Warrick.
1981 Stage One V8 Truck Cab
2001 HSE 4.6 Range Rover
heightswitch
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:30 pm

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by heightswitch »

Its a 1982. I suspect originally white?

Would be good to get into another stage 1 to compare noise, I will change oils, suspect EP has been used in main box. Fairey overdrive is jumping out but have been told that this could be adjustment on the linkage? It just seems very noisy and the release bearing is certainly noisy with clutch released

Some more pics.

Would welcome advice on what is missing and what is not original. Seats don't look right, some gauges missing, The dash light switch is 3 position, not sure what 3rd position supposed to do or is it just wrong switch? Also what are toggles on the dash panel next to diff lock light for?? Have much learning to do..

My Knobs are not falling off now though...

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Geoff
Posts: 599
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:21 am
Location: Leicester UK

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by Geoff »

Have you got an internal light in the cab? Because that's what the third position on that switch is for. Welcome to the forum. Nice original-looking truck - been watching it on ebay & considered buying it myself, so glad it's gone to a good home.
2 1981 Stage One 109 V8 SWs
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heightswitch
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:30 pm

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by heightswitch »

Nope. No headlining..Just a tin top with signs of bitumen on the inner surface. Gearbox much noisier than I would have liked but these things are 30 odd years old so It will be nice to sympathetically bring it back to good health. Plan is to give it a good service and oils then get it through the winter. Then we shall see what it needs over the next 12 months.

No doubt a la-salle headlining and light will be one of the jobs.
I also need to get to the bottom of the missing gauges..Some wires are still there but they will need tracing back to see what they were connected to?

Its tidy but more looks good from afar and far from nice if you know what I mean...Still its a good running project to keep me entertained. I will resist the temptation to modify it as far as I can but was wondering what my gearbox options are...LT95, LT85 or LT77 and what else would need changing!!

Waiting for the logbook so I can contact its former owner..chassis number is interesting..Appears to be a SW sequence !! I have heard however that this can happen with truck cabs??

N.
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Geoff
Posts: 599
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Location: Leicester UK

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by Geoff »

Should be an oil pressure gauge in the middle. Good luck with it!
2 1981 Stage One 109 V8 SWs
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Geoff
Posts: 599
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:21 am
Location: Leicester UK

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by Geoff »

Just looked at the handbook, which is hilariously full of misprints, but it looks like your other missing gauge was probably a battery condition gauge (aka voltmeter), although there is some variation/confusion about the exact position of these 3 gauges relative to each other in that panel.
2 1981 Stage One 109 V8 SWs
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Geoff
Posts: 599
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:21 am
Location: Leicester UK

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by Geoff »

Perusing the handbook further (well, what else to do on a Sunday afternoon? - apart from get a life) - the blanked (?) switches on your central instrument console are where your rear fog light and hazard warning light switches were originally - they seem to have been moved over slightly for some reason - what does appear to be missing is a Brake Indication Light, which looks similar to the diff lock light you've got and which would have flickered on when starting to indicate the braking system to be in working order. I've also got one of those cigarette lighter power point thingies on one of mine - lucky me! - except a PO wired it to a flasher unit :(

Can't see from your photo - are those switches blanked or toggles? - in which case, do they work the fog & hazard warning lights? - which would be good, because the original plastic light up knobs become very brittle with age. Ok, enuf rivet counting for one day :)
2 1981 Stage One 109 V8 SWs
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Geoff
Posts: 599
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:21 am
Location: Leicester UK

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by Geoff »

Correction re brake warning light - it comes on at starting to indicate it's working - it'll then illuminate when driving if there's a fault in the braking system, eg loss of hydraulic fluid or vacuum in servo unit. Sorry
2 1981 Stage One 109 V8 SWs
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heightswitch
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:30 pm

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by heightswitch »

Just got back in from the garage..learning all those old skills from 20 years ago that I thought I had forgotten, Just set the timing which has made everything a lot smoother and just a discernable pinking on road test. I will give it a good going over in the next few days to get the engine as smooth as possible, new plugs, leads, condensor etc. Not sure but the engine seems to be a range rover unit...SU carbs! will have to check engine number etc.

Its teaming with rain at the mo so will wait till the weather improves and have a full day on her. I will also drop the gearbox oils and check all the diffs, yokes etc.

The central panel has 2 toggles, I will trace everything through!

I wonder if the additional stuff missing exists on a SW but not on a utility / Truck cab which would also give rise to the theory that it was a SW at some stage previously in its life!!

N.
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Geoff
Posts: 599
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:21 am
Location: Leicester UK

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by Geoff »

Yeah, I noticed the SUs - that's quite a common 'upgrade'. Both of my SWs have only an oil pressure gauge in the centre, and no empty holes like yours where other gauges have been. Also, the handbook clearly covers the Truck Cab as well as the SW - it's true that it says 'Where applicable' in the description of each of the 3 gauges, but not with the brake warning light. I believe the SW has a slightly different chassis - the Series 3 parts book gives it a different part number (there's others on here know more about this stuff) You might be interested in this picture:

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2 1981 Stage One 109 V8 SWs
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heightswitch
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:30 pm

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by heightswitch »

The first thing that hits me with the picture is that I must have a later truck cab. The sliding window looks different on mine..More like a 90/110 defender type ? I also am on the look out for the galvy tilt fittings but don't want to spend a fortune on new ones..I will keep an eye on e-bay etc.

N.
88 stage1
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 6:50 pm
Location: co durham

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by 88 stage1 »

Hi Neil, nice looking machine you have there! I'm in Durham if there's anything you need to check or compare. I hope to have mine on the road next summer. Are you anywhere near Blanchland btw? The scenery on your photo looks familiar. Chris.
heightswitch
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:30 pm

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by heightswitch »

Hello Chris. Not far from Blanchland.

Drove it to Leeds and Back today to look at a series 3 truck cab roof for sale..It was nice but not £280 nice so I will bide my time. The Defender rear cab on mine is very rattly. Can these be removed and just glazed with a rubber and single piece of glass..I have no real need for the rear sliding windows and just see thenm as another source of noise / water ingress..

Other than that if anyone has a correct Series 3 Truck cab roof I am interested. Also interested in a 3/4 tilt frame and fittings if anyone has one.
N.
Robstal110
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 8:38 pm

Re: Hello from Northumberland

Post by Robstal110 »

Hi Neil

Ive recently bought a far from finished project to act as donor for a s1 hcpu I'm hoping to get round to recommissioning/restoring at some stage,anyway getting to the point I have a spare truck cab roof and roof lining, I was planning on using the roof on mine as it appears dent free but am open to an offer. The roof lining has already been detached if that's all you need.
Rob
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