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1973 Land Rover ½ Tonne Lightweight
Located in Tulsa, OK
FOR SALE - Price On Request |
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(click images for large view)
The most widely recognized marquee in British military vehicles has to be the Land Rover oval.
Company advertising states the Land Rover "the best 4x4 by far" and many militaries agree. The
LR ½ Tonne Airportable Lightweight can be found in use by Army, Navy and Air Force units around
the world. Its nominal capacity of 1/2 ton on a 88inch wheelbase with full time four wheel drive
makes for an ideal size, go any where vehicle. |
The 1/2 ton military vehicle was developed by ROVER in conjunction with the British Fighting
Vehicles Research and Development Establishment to meet a specific requirement for an air
portable vehicle with a half ton payload and being capable of towing light support weapons.
The British Army officially adopted the Lightweight in 1968 and continued through series IIa and
III, only to be replaced by the Defender 90 after 1985. The Lightweight can be found in many
configurations of right or left hand drive, gas or diesel 2.25liter engine, hard top or canvas,
and in many varieties such as fitted for radio (FFR). Lightweights have a rear pintle hitch for
pulling military trailer and spare tyre mounted on the bonnet (hood).
Factory Specs
Crew: 1+2 (in front)
Engine: 2.25 litre inline 4 cylinder
Transmission: manual 4 forward/ 1 reverse
Transfer: 2 speed
Top Speed: 56 mph
Weight (empty): 2,650 lbs
Notes on this Vehicle:
The story goes that this Land Rover spent most of its early life on the island of Cyprus in
the Mediterranean. Hence the wonderful condition (NO RUST), unlike many of the same age in
England. It was a FFR (fitted for radio) truck on a British Military base. So the mileage was
under 20,000 when first imported. That's right, under 20,000, not 120,000. It's a rare find!
Today it's still under 30,000 miles.
From the first moment this vehicle arrived the owner set about upgrading it from its stock
condition to use it as a true Rover was intended. Because of its stock military upgrades it
already has many beefier parts than a civilian Series Rover to begin with. The 24 volt
electrical system is far superior to the civilian 12 volt. And every addition made to it was, at
that point in time, an improvement - new parabolic springs & OME shocks, new wheels/tires,
overdrive, lockers with upgraded axles, new radiator, suspension lift, power steering, new seats,
etc., etc.
This vehicle is used for trail riding and street driving, and it turns heads wherever it goes.
It's been to Moab, utah twice, and most recently took part in a dealer event at Superlift ORV
Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Rest assured it drives like a 36 year old Series Rover truck, as any Series Rover owner knows
about, and although it is not a daily driver, it is driven on an almost daily basis. There's no
V8 under the hood, but it's been clocked at 70mph+ on the highway with the overdrive, and over
long distances out of state one drives in smooth comfort.
This is not a show truck driven only on a Sunday, although it came 2nd in a British Car Show a
few years back (got the Trophy to prove it). It's also not an 'originally restored' pristine
model. It gets driven on extreme trails, gets muddy, and then brings the family home afterwards,
and gets hosed off.
Lightweight Modifications
24 volt ex-HumVee Warn winch with
OKOR winchrope, HD aluminum Hawse fairlead, & self-locking winch hook. Hood-mounted Hi-Lift Jack
rack. Front & rear recovery points.
Replaced stock leaf springs and
original shocks with Rocky Mountain parabolic springs, Old Man Emu long-travel shocks, longer
military spring shackles, and rear bump stop extensions. The difference is awesome!
Replaced Good Year 31"
Hi-Miler tires on original rims with Dunlop Mud Rovers 33" X 12.50" on OKOR XD 15" steel wheels
with 3" backspacing - what a difference to the ride, not to mention ground clearance and traction!.
Mounted custom twin gas tank skid
plates and steering guard. Diff guards front and rear. Front pinion guard. Custom hidden rock
sliders mounted behind checker plate sills.
Detroit locker in the rear with
4.75 gears, and extreme-duty heat-treated 24 spline axle shaft upgrade. TrueTrac up front.
Installed front hi-back bucket
seats and twin hi-back racing seats with seat belts for the kids in the rear. Interior roll cage.
Checker plate in-cab door panels with sound-dampening inner padding, and custom half-doortop
armrests.
Rear-mounted spare tire carrier.
Full soft-top with rear side
windows & Summer bikini top - great with the door tops removed!
Replaced twin batteries with
Optima red tops.
Installed OKOR 24-12 volt DC-DC
converter for CB radio and off-road lights.
Replaced original mirrors with
Defender mirrors.
Old Man Emu Steering stabiliser.
Superwinch Freewheeling Hubs on
rear axles (for flat towing), and Milemarker "Selectro" hubs on the front.
K&N air filter with Defender
airbox, with freeflow Turbo muffler and wider than stock tail pipe.
Custom smoke-stack snorkel with
Turbo pre-cleaner.
Twin Viair 24 volt on-board air
compressors (under-hood) & air tank mounted on custom rear tire carrier (Great for airing up tires or running air tools).
Installed overdrive from Roverdrive.
Installed aluminum T-case cover from Wise Owl Parts, and re-sealed oil pan. Also pin-on oil
filter adapter with K&N filter. New military Rover water pump. No leaks on this Rover!
Installed full Saginaw Power
Steering Conversion w/ Astrali 15" steering wheel. This truck steers in ruts with your little
finger!
Wheelbase extended 3" to 90"
(was 87" not 88").
Extended spring perches to add 4"
of lift.
Flex-ball joints on rear spring
perches. Super articulation!
Installed 24 volt electric fan
with aluminum radiator with hood-mounted ram air hood vent.
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