Registry of Ex Military Land Rovers
Vehicle Research => Forward Control Research => Topic started by: Mike C on November 16, 2014, 01:41:43 PM
-
I've read James Taylor's article in CMV about the FC 101's purchased for the Rapier battery, and also checked the entries in REMLR re the chassis numbers, and so on. The general consensus is that 50 entered service in the Australian Army.
Both James' article and the REMLR site state that the two trials vehicles (ARNs 29170 & 29171) were returned to the UK.
The registrations listed are:
29170 to 29171: qty 2
29405 to 29426: qty 22
30238 to 30263: qty 26
Total is 50, but two were returned to the UK, leaving 48.
So here is my confusion: ARNs 29170 & 29171, are shown as having been purchased by the Aust Govt under CD 48610121, same as all the other 101s, yet these were the two that were reportedly the trials vehs that were returned to the UK. They are also shown as having been delivered/taken on charge at 41 Supply Battalion, South Australia, on 14 November 1977, when the ARNs were allocated. The other two groups arrived at 41 Supply Battalion on 5/12/1977 and 20/2/1978, respectively. 14 November 1977 seems like a very late date to be starting trials, and anyway, I should think the trials would have been held in Victoria, at T&PW Monegeeta, anyway - so why were they delivered and taken on charge in South Australia, rather than at 31 Supply Battalion or 3BOD in Victoria??
Richard, help me here: how do we know that 29170 and 29171 were the trials vehicles? Do we have anything definitive as to when and where the trials were held?
Is it possible that the two 'missing' chassis numbers are actually 29170 and 29171, the ARNs re-assigned to Aust contract vehicles after the trials vehs were sent back to the UK??
I've not looked in any depth at the FC101 in the Aust Army (other than the very sorry one I have an image of after a head-on prang), but there were some statements in James' article that sparked my curiosity because they just didn't seem to fit the timeline.
Mike
-
Mike,
I know one of those trials vehicles quite well. It is here in Victoria.
29-171
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w406/mick_marsh_AULRO/REMLR/AJs101.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/mick_marsh_AULRO/media/REMLR/AJs101.jpg.html)
And 29-170
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w406/mick_marsh_AULRO/Corowa%202013/DSC_1842.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/mick_marsh_AULRO/media/Corowa%202013/DSC_1842.jpg.html)
Oh, could you please send me the image of the one involved in the head on?
Mick.Marsh@hotmail.com
-
Missguided 1 and Missguided 11 were the trials vehicles and both reside in Australia. I nearly bought Missguided 1 in 2007 when it was for sale in Boonie Doon. I have pics as it existed at the time and I believe the pic Mick has posted above is how it looks now.
Missguided 11 was owned by the previous owner of my Haflinger and then sold to Steve who had it the Cooma 60th in 2008. It was subsequently sold to Iain in Sydney and is well known in Landrover circles in Sydney and is now fitted with a 4.6 engine. My 101 and Iain's have been on a few trips together so I know this vehicle well. There are pics of this vehicle doing brake tests during the trials period.
These two vehicles are different to the rest of the Australian Army 101 fleet in a number of subtle ways which reflects their earlier build. The most obvious is that these vehicles are not fitted with burst proof door locks and the same locks as LR series 2 vehicles. All other Aust 101s have LR Series 3 anti-burst locks. Certainly Missguided 11 still had its original locks when I last saw it.
These two vehicles may very well gone back to the UK - I don't know, but if they did, they certainly came back to form part of the Aussie Fleet.
On 101 attritions I don't have any real evidence - however I have to spoken to ex 101 operators who said one went into a hole and got written off and another had a head on smash. I understand that another one got burnt. My drivers door still has "Badly Charred" painted on it but another 101 has "Badly Charred" painted on the body on the passenger side just below the passenger door. So whether the burned vehicle was mine or the other one or neither is unknown possibly undamaged panels were shared around so the name ended up on different vehicles.
Cheers
Garry
-
Sorry to disappoint, Garry, but Misguided 1 was not a trials vehicle.
It's ARN was 30-252 if it was the one for sale in Bonnie Doon
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w406/mick_marsh_AULRO/Lake%20Goldsmith%20April%202011/DSCF1362.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/mick_marsh_AULRO/media/Lake%20Goldsmith%20April%202011/DSCF1362.jpg.html)
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w406/mick_marsh_AULRO/Corowa%202013/DSC_1846.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/mick_marsh_AULRO/media/Corowa%202013/DSC_1846.jpg.html)
Note, 29-171 is in the background and, last time I looked, it (29-171) had the S2 door latches.
-
It is hard to read but I'm pretty sure this is the chassis number for misguided II, Iain had the logbooks for the vehicle and it was one of the first two trials vehicles.
(http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m2/Auntikinus/Forward%20Control/101/PICT1953.jpg)
What is more interesting is that there is a record of it being Auctioned off in the UK while it was still here in Oz.
Misguided II is the one with the REMLR Tac
(http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m2/Auntikinus/Forward%20Control/101/AMVCS-W-R-2009015.jpg)
Re the later engine, when Iain got the vehicle it already had a discovery engine, so was not original at the time of upgrade,
-
Well, a quick question, after a PM from Muppet, it got me thinking.
Army losses:
1 Burnt when a cigarette was thrown in to a vehicle with a fuel leak.
1 Written off in a head on bus crash
1 Lost in a sinkhole on the nullabour (can't recall the location). Left in the hole, unrecoverable?
Do we know the ARN's of these three?
-
Sorry to disappoint, Garry, but Misguided 1 was not a trials vehicle.
Not disappointed at all - really couldn't care less - just information I was told.
Unfortunately with respect to Aussie 101s we are are told information by various people in good faith that may or may not be correct. i have been told by people that 101s were used by the Navy and were in Navy colours, even spoke to one person who swears he saw them - of course they did not exist.
Hopefully this thread will flush out evidence to support various stories floating around - eg I did not realise there images of the pranged 101 and would also like to see them.
Oh on the second trials vehicle - if it is the one that AJ has why is it painted British dark green rather than olive drab. When the 101s were sold off I could understand the mew owners wanting to pint them other colours but the British Dark Green is not one of them - maybe this did go back to the UK.
-
Because AJ liked the DBG/NATO Green and removed the Oz Camo Green to reveal the original paint beneath.
-
Oh on the second trials vehicle - if it is the one that AJ has why is it painted British dark green rather than olive drab. When the 101s were sold off I could understand the mew owners wanting to pint them other colours but the British Dark Green is not one of them - maybe this did go back to the UK.
It looks very olive drab to me.
29-171
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w406/mick_marsh_AULRO/REMLR/AJs101.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/mick_marsh_AULRO/media/REMLR/AJs101.jpg.html)
I was around his place the day he painted it. That was way back in the early '90's
I would doubt it ever went back to the UK unless it was whilst it was still "in service".
-
Oh on the second trials vehicle - if it is the one that AJ has why is it painted British dark green rather than olive drab. When the 101s were sold off I could understand the mew owners wanting to pint them other colours but the British Dark Green is not one of them - maybe this did go back to the UK.
It looks very olive drab to me.
29-171
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w406/mick_marsh_AULRO/REMLR/AJs101.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/mick_marsh_AULRO/media/REMLR/AJs101.jpg.html)
I was around his place the day he painted it. That was way back in the early '90's
I would doubt it ever went back to the UK unless it was whilst it was still "in service".
Looks very NATO green to me now (Corowa 2013)
(http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m2/Auntikinus/Forward%20Control/101/DSCN0644-1.jpg)
We (Cookey and I) camped at the Showground Saturday night with AJ, lots of 101 stories (and red wine) that night. 8)
-
Oh on the second trials vehicle - if it is the one that AJ has why is it painted British dark green rather than olive drab. When the 101s were sold off I could understand the mew owners wanting to pint them other colours but the British Dark Green is not one of them - maybe this did go back to the UK.
It looks very olive drab to me.
29-171
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w406/mick_marsh_AULRO/REMLR/AJs101.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/mick_marsh_AULRO/media/REMLR/AJs101.jpg.html)
I was around his place the day he painted it. That was way back in the early '90's
I would doubt it ever went back to the UK unless it was whilst it was still "in service".
Looks very NATO green to me now (Corowa 2013)
(http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m2/Auntikinus/Forward%20Control/101/DSCN0644-1.jpg)
We (Cookey and I) camped at the Showground Saturday night with AJ, lots of 101 stories (and red wine) that night. 8)
Yep, it looks NATO green. As I said, I was there when he painted it.
I also drove it before then back when it was olive drab.
-
OK, so there is positive ID in Aust for both vehs, but Taylor obviously has evidence that they were RTUK - he provides their Brit service registrations in the article. See why I'm having trouble making sense of this?
Does anyone know the actual dates of the 101 trials, and where they were conducted, please? I don't have a copy of the trials report, but knowing the where and when might shed some light on the seemingly late arrival (11/1977) of these two - there doesn't seem to be enough time between then and the arrival of the first batch in 12/77 to conduct any sort of meaningful trials. Hell, the next 'batch' would have to have been on the water by that time anyway, in order to arrive in Dec 1977.
Mike
-
OK, so there is positive ID in Aust for both vehs, but Taylor obviously has evidence that they were RTUK - he provides their Brit service registrations in the article. See why I'm having trouble making sense of this?
Again - I was told - maybe incorrectly - that the two trials vehicles were not new for the trials and were already in Brit service so would already have Brit service registrations before the Aussie trials and maybe the these are the numbers that Taylor is quoting.
I am with you - given that the Aussie 101s started to be were delivered in the second half of 1977 and knowing how slow the Defence system worked I would have thought the trials would have been conducted well in advance of this.
Garry
-
I have asked Richard if there is anything regards trails dates ETC in the offline info :)
-
Mmmmm......
Very interesting.
29-170:
96100050 Army VRM 68FL57 delivered to Ashchurch
Built 22/03/1976
Entered Service 1/1/76
Factory colour Bronze Green BSC224
Winch fitted in Service
Became ARN 29-170 & Served in Australia As SAGW
Struck Off CMA Leeds 25/1/95
Ash 16/2/76
S/O BAC Stev 14/4/77
Veh Recovered W/A 13/5/79
Ash 14/5/79
16 AD Regt 30/6/80
12 AD Regt 1/5/81
16 AD Regt 7/1/85
22 AD Regt 25/11/92
22-171:
96100048 Army VRM 68FL55 delivered to Ashchurch
Built 22/03/1976
Entered Service 1/1/76
Factory colour Bronze Green BSC224
Winch fitted in Service 1/1/76
Became ARN 29-171 & Served in Australia As SAGW
Struck Off BRISTOL & WEST 11/6/85
Ash 29/3/76
S/O BAC Stev 14/4/77
Veh Recovered WA 18/5/79
Ash 14/5/79
16 AD Regt 30/6/80
12 AD Regt 1/5/8
Ash 14/11/83
16 AD Regt 7/1/85
Ash 14/11/85
I'm tipping the author of the article is mistaking the paper trail as shipping.
-
OK, so there is positive ID in Aust for both vehs, but Taylor obviously has evidence that they were RTUK - he provides their Brit service registrations in the article. See why I'm having trouble making sense of this?
Does anyone know the actual dates of the 101 trials, and where they were conducted, please? I don't have a copy of the trials report, but knowing the where and when might shed some light on the seemingly late arrival (11/1977) of these two - there doesn't seem to be enough time between then and the arrival of the first batch in 12/77 to conduct any sort of meaningful trials. Hell, the next 'batch' would have to have been on the water by that time anyway, in order to arrive in Dec 1977.
Mike
The confounding problem for James Taylor and the EMLRA people is the disposal records from the MoD which suggest they were disposed of in the UK when they were in fact still in Oz. It was only when we sent them the image of the chassis number that any of them were convinced.
I have sent a text to Iain asking what is in the logbook of his vehicle Misguided II.
(http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m2/Auntikinus/Forward%20Control/101/1ebba5be-3e74-4d71-a6a2-2c7a182f3ee0.jpg)
(http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m2/Auntikinus/Forward%20Control/101/c485b0ac-e3e4-4d28-bfc3-0b9c1e529d2c.jpg)
-
Mmmmm......
Very interesting.
29-170:
96100050 Army VRM 68FL57 delivered to Ashchurch
Built 22/03/1976
Entered Service 1/1/76
Factory colour Bronze Green BSC224
Winch fitted in Service
Became ARN 29-170 & Served in Australia As SAGW
Struck Off CMA Leeds 25/1/95
Ash 16/2/76
S/O BAC Stev 14/4/77
Veh Recovered W/A 13/5/79
Ash 14/5/79
16 AD Regt 30/6/80
12 AD Regt 1/5/81
16 AD Regt 7/1/85
22 AD Regt 25/11/92
22-171:
96100048 Army VRM 68FL55 delivered to Ashchurch
Built 22/03/1976
Entered Service 1/1/76
Factory colour Bronze Green BSC224
Winch fitted in Service 1/1/76
Became ARN 29-171 & Served in Australia As SAGW
Struck Off BRISTOL & WEST 11/6/85
Ash 29/3/76
S/O BAC Stev 14/4/77
Veh Recovered WA 18/5/79
Ash 14/5/79
16 AD Regt 30/6/80
12 AD Regt 1/5/8
Ash 14/11/83
16 AD Regt 7/1/85
Ash 14/11/85
I'm tipping the author of the article is mistaking the paper trail as shipping.
Particularly the entries when they were supposedly returned to Ashchurch (Ash) between allocations and sale. The first Ash being original delivery.
More interesting is that one was delivered to Ashchurch before it was built, both entered service almost 3 months before being built and arriving at Ashchurch and one had the winch fitted "in-service" also almost 3 months before it was built, a clear indication of them being paper trails. The entered service possibly being something like the contract date or order date when the MoD allocated the MOD tag number.
-
There certainly is a bit of mystery as to a few of the Australian 101's. Sorry about my late arrival at the party here.
Attrition I have only heard stories of, I have no documented proof of any, but the crash, sinkhole and fire I have heard of all of the above. Mike, if possible, does the crash photo show any registration number? any chance of getting a copy for our archives?
Ok, the 101 ARN's and known information are here http://www.remlr.com/ARN/ARNs_101.php . There is 2 chassis no's which didn't fit so to speak. The 2 trials vehicles were 961 prefixed, not 962 as the production batch. However in the batch from 96200035A to 96200064A and 96200073A to 96200092A missing form the sequence is 96200090A, 96200078A. Certainly 96100048A and 96100050A were thought to have been returned to the UK by british researchers, but as you pointed out mike, they were purchased, and at least one is well known in Australia still. 73 and 92 are a bit of a mystery as to why a batch would have just 2 missing chassis numbers, and I do wonder if they were a "swap"for not returning the trials vehicles rather than returning them to the UK, and sending 2 more here, at least that is my theory as they are both in the 2nd batch, and hte first 2 would have been well in unit use by then.
I believe the blackbitch markings were put on by a unit, not at trials, as I have 2 different vehicles with blackbitch markings, one on a door, one on a body, and doors can be removed easily.
I do not have a copy of the trials report for the 101, all we have is the spectacular braking test photos x2
(http://www.remlr.com/photos/pics13/101b.jpg)
Admittedly REMLR is a little thin on on information on the main part of the website. I do need to rectify that. I have also not seen James Taylor's article, does anybody have a copy?
If I have missed anything from my response, let me know, but unfortunately the 101, one of my favourite vehicles, is fairly thin on for Australian information and photos.
-
Ok, 101 names, from the REMLR DB
29-170 Misguided II
29-414 Can Do
29-416 Black Bitch II
30-250 Badly Charred (on door frame below door in Auction Photo)
30-252 Black Bitch or Misguided 1? (Black Bitch in front of door in auction photo) (Missguided on door top in another photo post army)
Oh, and I do have 2 photos of a 101 that has had a crash on the drivers side front, but I wouldn't have thought it was a write off, and no rego plates fitted in the photos.
-
Well,Richard, if you don't know, who does?? Your theory about the swap seems a pretty reasonable one, and would account for why the two were purchased as a single pair (and not part of the group buys), and 'arrived' in store earlier than their counterparts. That would mean that the two mystery/can't find em chassis numbers are possibly in the UK still? Certainly the Brit info via Mick (Thanks, Mick) indicates their return to the UK, but we know that is not the case based on the purchase data and the existence of one in Oz. Quite a mystery!
I can send you the article from the latest edition of CMV: I'm surprised you don't have it, as James Taylor makes good mention of REMLR and your assistance in particular. Not to worry: email me, as I'm having some trouble getting the system to throw up your email address... I'm at mike (at) krystiimelaine.com
The bent 101 was given to the RACT Museum at Pucka many years ago, and that's where I took the image. I think it was the front left side that was bent. In any event, it must have been written off for it to go to the RACT Museum. I'll have to locate and scan it (it is on print film, many moons ago!). In theory, it should have gone to Bandiana when the RACT Museum was moved there, to become part of the AMB: maybe they still have it stuck away in a shed? Might be worth asking.
As I think I said at the outset, this is not a vehicle I've spent much time on, and I don't have the trials report or the dates which makes joining the dots a bit difficult , but James' article made me curious as there were some things that didn't quite 'gel' with the limited info I do have. Between us all, we might get to a reasonable conclusion.
Mike
-
Ok, 101 names, from the REMLR DB
30-250 Badly Charred (on door frame below door in Auction Photo)
29 - 419 also has Badly Charred on the drivers door.
-
78 went into the factory on 6/4/78 and came out 31/7/78 was painted Olive Drab - so was earmarked for us - other than going to British Aerospace I have no other record of it.
90 went into the factory on 5/4/78 and came out 31/7/78 - was also Olive Drab and went to British Aero space.
As with others - while the intention was to send the trials vehicles back (and I assume the paperwork started) they stayed here and later as an offset 78 and 90 stayed in the UK and never came here.
I doubt that Bandiana has a second 101 - I worked a bit with the conservators of their 101 which has just gone on display and had a good look around their workshops and storage - at the time they were scrounging for parts and if they had a second it would have been cannibalised for the display.
Can you post up your pic of this damaged 101 - we would all like a look.
Garry
-
Thanks for that Garry. I will add to the list.
Mike, I'm no expert (actually I suppose technically I am if an expert has done over 100 hours of work/research on a topic) but I don't have it all, I keep getting new information all the time. I would dearly love the trial report, like many trial reports to be honest. Many are being digitised in the archives, but it's a matter of finding them etc. (email sent by the way).
I have photos of the one at bandiana that I took before they started work( it is currently finished I believe) but it did not carry the same damage in the photo that I have (attached for reference)
We will get there in the end with pooled knowledge , resources and documents.
-
bandiana 101 before they started work attached.
Pucka may have had one as the school for learning how to use the rapiers (part of school of artillery last time I did a tour of the school they had an AD section). but it would have been sold along the way I suspect if there was a 2nd one.
-
Thanks for the crashed 101 pic - what was its ARN? Was it repaired? It looks an easy repair as it seems the damage is clear of the main chassis - front outrigger is history.
I have a few pics of the bandiana 101 taken in 2011 when it was being rebuilt.
Garry
-
Don't know where that image was taken, Richard - I don't recognise the background - but it is the same vehicle as I photographed at (1) disposals yard, Bandiana, in the distance with a line up of Series 3's for disposal, circa 1989 (it was when I was assisting with Centurion movements off-base) and (2) at the RACT Museum, Puckapunyal in Sept 1991. The Tac sign is the RAEME Training Centre (925, blue over yellow over red), which was at Bandiana, so at least we know where it served.
The ARN is indistinct on image (1) due to distance and lens quality, but appears to be 30259. The plate had been removed by the time it appeared at the RACT Museum, arriving there before Sept 91. ARN 30259 equates to 962000083A (per REMLR database). Does anyone know the chassis no. of the one now on display at AMB?
I have all three deliveries (29170-71 (2); 29405-426 (22); 30238-263 (26)) purchased under the same contract demand CD48610121, and all being taken on charge or at least assigned ARNs at 41 Supply Battalion. Group 1 on 14/11/1977; group 2 on 5/12/1977; group 3 on 20/2/1978.
Mike
-
Well,Richard, if you don't know, who does?? Your theory about the swap seems a pretty reasonable one, and would account for why the two were purchased as a single pair (and not part of the group buys), and 'arrived' in store earlier than their counterparts. That would mean that the two mystery/can't find em chassis numbers are possibly in the UK still? Certainly the Brit info via Mick (Thanks, Mick) indicates their return to the UK, but we know that is not the case based on the purchase data and the existence of one in Oz. the existence of both in Oz. <snip>
Mike
(http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m2/Auntikinus/Forward%20Control/101/1ebba5be-3e74-4d71-a6a2-2c7a182f3ee0.jpg)
Image taken at Corowa Swim-In 2013
(http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m2/Auntikinus/Forward%20Control/101/c485b0ac-e3e4-4d28-bfc3-0b9c1e529d2c.jpg)
Image taken at NRMA Motorfest 2010
Both remained in Oz. The return to the UK must have been only a paper trail as mentioned above.
-
30-242 is the bandiana unit as per http://www.remlr.com/bandi-generalrover.html
-
I've always thought that the trials vehicles were pre-production and were fitted with ENV diffs and had different fuel tanks to the production 101s. There was an article in a national magazine on the trials vehicles after they had been disposed of by the Army. They were then owned by ULR and had the driven trailers with them which also had ENV diffs. I am not certain but I think these vehicles didn't have permanent 4WD. There is a faint chance I may still have the magazine concerned. I ended up buying one of the fuel tanks and installed it on my own series 2B about 1982. I think that the 101 the tank came from was the one that had the bus body installed on it when Capt Mark Phillips came to Oz for a Horse event. I think it's still around, it was a few years back that it was offered for sale. Hope this hasn't muddied the water too much... John
-
You might be talking pre-production.
A previous owner of one of my 101's owns a pre-production 101 with a powered trailer.
-
You are talking prototypes - these were a different to pre production and production 101s - they looked different and proved the original idea for the 101 did not work and as a result everything was resigned from suspension, drive, engines and body. It was about this stage that the powered trailer idea was disgarded though an early pre production 101 did have it fitted with the same result as the prototypes, that is why no production 101s had the trailer.
The 101 was already in service with the UK before we did trials on the 101 here.
Garry
-
I've always thought that the trials vehicles were pre-production and were fitted with ENV diffs and had different fuel tanks to the production 101s. There was an article in a national magazine on the trials vehicles after they had been disposed of by the Army. They were then owned by ULR and had the driven trailers with them which also had ENV diffs. I am not certain but I think these vehicles didn't have permanent 4WD. There is a faint chance I may still have the magazine concerned. I ended up buying one of the fuel tanks and installed it on my own series 2B about 1982. I think that the 101 the tank came from was the one that had the bus body installed on it when Capt Mark Phillips came to Oz for a Horse event. I think it's still around, it was a few years back that it was offered for sale. Hope this hasn't muddied the water too much... John
John
If the tank came off the bus one you must have bought it in the last 5 years. The bus one with the ENV driven trailer was in Cairns as recently as Feb 2009.
(http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/101-forward-controls-variations/13304d1233485256-101-trailer-cairns-abandoned-img_1423-1024x768-.jpg)
-
just watched the longest beach and there are two production 101s with trailers crossing the sahara desert, one of them is now in port Lincoln to be restored.
-
I thought they were normal trailers rather than the powered trailers but am not sure. That trip was done very early in the 101 production timeframe.
Edit - just looked at the short clip on Youtube and the trailers do seem to be the powered versions. The Sahara trip was done in 1975 and used very early production vehicles and I had thought that the powered trailer was dropped a few years earlier. However the early sales brochures for the 101 certainly did have the powered trailer included.
Cheers
Garry
-
I've always thought that the trials vehicles were pre-production and were fitted with ENV diffs and had different fuel tanks to the production 101s. There was an article in a national magazine on the trials vehicles after they had been disposed of by the Army. They were then owned by ULR and had the driven trailers with them which also had ENV diffs. I am not certain but I think these vehicles didn't have permanent 4WD. There is a faint chance I may still have the magazine concerned. I ended up buying one of the fuel tanks and installed it on my own series 2B about 1982. I think that the 101 the tank came from was the one that had the bus body installed on it when Capt Mark Phillips came to Oz for a Horse event. I think it's still around, it was a few years back that it was offered for sale. Hope this hasn't muddied the water too much... John
John
Dianna the tank was removed when the vehicle was stripped prior to the body being fitted. At that time the two 101s resided in Dandenong. The tank is VERY different to any thing else fitted to Land Rovers, that I have seen. It is close to a cube but its length is larger than either width or depth.....John
If the tank came off the bus one you must have bought it in the last 5 years. The bus one with the ENV driven trailer was in Cairns as recently as Feb 2009.
(http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/101-forward-controls-variations/13304d1233485256-101-trailer-cairns-abandoned-img_1423-1024x768-.jpg)