75AM72

Tell us about any of your Land Rover related projects here.
Griff1963
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2023 10:58 am

75AM72

Post by Griff1963 » Mon Oct 23, 2023 11:19 am

Just acquired 75AM72 and plan to restore her to her former RAF spec. Any help and advice from the members would be gratefully received.
Griff

1975 RHD Series 3 Lightweight Landrover - RAF Strike Command.
1982 Sankey Narrow Track GS Supply Trailer - 51 Para Squadron RE.
1986 Sankey Communications/ABDR Trailer - Brize Norton / Lynham / 42 Signals.

Griff1963
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2023 10:58 am

Re: 75AM72

Post by Griff1963 » Mon Oct 23, 2023 3:01 pm

75AM72
Attachments
IMG-20231011-WA0009.jpg
Lightweight 1
IMG-20231011-WA0009.jpg (424.63 KiB) Viewed 3726 times
IMG-20231011-WA0010.jpg
Lightweight 2
IMG-20231011-WA0010.jpg (415.06 KiB) Viewed 3726 times
Griff

1975 RHD Series 3 Lightweight Landrover - RAF Strike Command.
1982 Sankey Narrow Track GS Supply Trailer - 51 Para Squadron RE.
1986 Sankey Communications/ABDR Trailer - Brize Norton / Lynham / 42 Signals.

diffwhine
Posts: 389
Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:28 pm

Re: 75AM72

Post by diffwhine » Mon Oct 23, 2023 6:28 pm

Welcome.
It looks like its not in bad shape. Was it originally blue then or always in olive drab / nato green?

I suggest you go through it, tell us want bits you need help on and we will add our pfennig's worth.

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Bob Fell
Cake Guru
Posts: 3044
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 7:17 am
Location: Melton Mowbray

Re: 75AM72

Post by Bob Fell » Mon Oct 23, 2023 7:55 pm

Will have had a cosseted life as a station hack hence the good condition but PO's may have worked on it well;
DIS 01/11/75
RAF Upavon 23/08/76 but probably earlier as Merlin incomplete
RAF High Wycombe SHQ 23/03/90
Cast 26/09/93
Regards
Bob
042Bobf


19HF27 Lightweight FFR ex Gurkha Field Force HQ, various Gurkha Sigs Tps and Comp Ord Depot Hong Kong 1980-1997.
42ET39 Narrow Track Sankey ex BAOR 22 & 7 Sig Regts, 16/5 Lancers, 2 RTR, 9/12 Lancers & QDG 1969-2001.

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the landy man
Cake Guru
Posts: 3080
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:00 pm
Location: BOGNOR REGIS

Re: 75AM72

Post by the landy man » Mon Oct 23, 2023 8:37 pm

Welcome to the forum,a huge wealth of knowledge available on here.
Your lightweight looks to be in good shape and not much work needed.
I have 53 AM 74,Waddington strike command,tornado squadron.Didnt have much luck tracking its history at the base,seems the RAF didn't keep many records of the vehicles role in service.
Mine was one of the first batch of series 3's and still has the original blue/grey on the tub behind the seats and under the bonnet.
IMG_20231023_41427.jpg
IMG_20231023_41427.jpg (167.29 KiB) Viewed 3705 times
IMG_20231023_40966.jpg
IMG_20231023_40966.jpg (127.4 KiB) Viewed 3705 times
..ROD..
Bognor Regis,West Sussex


1972 S3 LIGHTWEIGHT 53 AM 74,RAF GS .Waddington strike command
1979 LIGHTWEIGHT 10 GX 11,GS .Black watch 1st battalion
1964 SERIES 2A..
Sankey narrow track,29 EN 84
Sankey narrow track project.
1967 BSA b40 WD 350cc.
1957 Triumph 6T Thunderbird.

User avatar
the landy man
Cake Guru
Posts: 3080
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:00 pm
Location: BOGNOR REGIS

Re: 75AM72

Post by the landy man » Mon Oct 23, 2023 8:53 pm

This is how I started with my lightweight 18 years ago,on a 'Q'plate and needing lots of TLC.
My daily drive for 18 years and has never let me down.Not bad for £695.00
IMG_20231023_4283.jpg
IMG_20231023_4283.jpg (128.02 KiB) Viewed 3701 times
..ROD..
Bognor Regis,West Sussex


1972 S3 LIGHTWEIGHT 53 AM 74,RAF GS .Waddington strike command
1979 LIGHTWEIGHT 10 GX 11,GS .Black watch 1st battalion
1964 SERIES 2A..
Sankey narrow track,29 EN 84
Sankey narrow track project.
1967 BSA b40 WD 350cc.
1957 Triumph 6T Thunderbird.

simonm
Posts: 26
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:02 pm
Location: France

Re: 75AM72

Post by simonm » Thu Oct 26, 2023 9:22 am

Its looks in good condition, the only (slight regret) for mine was not to pull the Engine out to paint it and the engine bay.
Check the usual suspects, Chaises and Bulkhead, doors etc thay rot even when stored.

All the best

Simon
Lightweight GS series 3. 1976 - ex Saudi National Guard
Defender 90 2005
Defender 130 Pulse Ambulance 1998.
Sankey Wide Track 1985 Ex Royal Artillery

VictorLymbery
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:10 pm

Re: 75AM72

Post by VictorLymbery » Sat Oct 28, 2023 9:10 pm

Hi Griff 1963,
I am at a similar stage as you, as I bought my Lightweight on 23 Sept. I have nothing really to contribute yet to your journey in Lightweight ownership, but I hope our trials and tribulations (and achievements!), when shared on this forum, will be mutually supportive.
Mine spent its whole service life in sunny Cyprus with the British UN Forces before being retired to UK in 1985. I hope to prolong its life and am off to a good start with support from this forum!
Good Luck with yours.

Griff1963
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Oct 23, 2023 10:58 am

Re: 75AM72

Post by Griff1963 » Sun Oct 29, 2023 5:56 pm

Hi everyone for their input. Am very pleased with the purchase and looking forward to working on her her and taking her out and about (shows etc). Am taking her to have minor surgery a(a small hole in the chassis which will be removed and a new piece welded in.) Plan is in about 2 years time she'll have a new galv chassis replacement and hopefully a new paint job to revert her back to RAF Blue/Grey as she was when she was delivered to the RAF. There are still patches of the blue internally where MT squadron missed.
Attachments
IMG_20231015_205055.jpg
Courtesy of Simone de Lorenzo.
IMG_20231015_205055.jpg (156.59 KiB) Viewed 3649 times
Griff

1975 RHD Series 3 Lightweight Landrover - RAF Strike Command.
1982 Sankey Narrow Track GS Supply Trailer - 51 Para Squadron RE.
1986 Sankey Communications/ABDR Trailer - Brize Norton / Lynham / 42 Signals.

TopOfNorthumberland
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon May 23, 2022 4:21 pm

Re: 75AM72

Post by TopOfNorthumberland » Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:59 am

Hi, from wings and DZ patch on the para smock in the photo it looks like it's being used by 2 Sqn RAF Regt (also camo paint - RAF vehicles were generally green).
Can't see the tac plate but, as 2 Sqn was CVRT in the 80s & 90s, the lightweight was probably a squadron or flight HQ vehicle.
Of course I could be completely wrong and these two were just leaning on a handy LR!

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