1982 Land Rover Series III Lightweight
£13,950

Land Rover Series III Lightweight 2.25P

Specification:

1982 ‘Half Ton’ Air Portable model on a galvanised chassis. 2286cc 4cyl petrol engine, coupled to a 4spd manual transmission with Fairey Overdrive. 5 x matching wheels with 7.50R16 Deestone tyres. Parabolic springs and upgraded shocks. Black vinyl seats. Rear black vinyl bench seats. Front and rear rubber mats. Brand new Khaki hood. Ready to use and enjoy.

Description:

In the early 1960s the British Armed Forces required a vehicle that could be carried by air. They had taken delivery of the Westland Wessex helicopter, which could carry a 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) load slung beneath. The smallest Land Rover available at the time was a Series IIA 88” which was too heavy. In 1965, Land Rover began work on a lightweight version to fit the specifications. The result was the Land Rover Half-Ton, known widely as the Lightweight or Airportable, which had a reduced weight with the lift off bodywork removed and a 4-inch width reduction allowing it to fit side by side inside of the cargo planes at the time.

This example was built in 1982, and was dispatched to the Central Vehicle Depot in Ashchurch where we believe it went on to serve with the No. II Squadron RAF Regiment. We don’t know any other history but it was disposed of by the MoD and registered with the DVLA in February 1992.

At somepoint in its life, the vehicle was stripped down for refurbishment by a previous owner, with many parts replaced for new. The chassis was replaced with a galvanised unit, making for a very strong sturdy frame with no corrosion issues to worry about in the future. The bulkhead is believed to be original, and is still in good condition although there is the odd small ‘scab’ here and there but have been treated and painted. The body work is nice and straight but still keeping that ‘military patina’ with its sprayed/brushed NATO black and khaki camouflage scheme. A brand-new canvas tilt from All-Wheel Trim finishes it off nicely, and has additional side windows for your rear passengers to see out and help with blind spots at junctions.

The engine is a ‘two and a quatre’ petrol engine which fires into life readily with a touch of choke. On the road, it pulls nicely cruising at around 50mph happily thanks an additional overdrive unit. All the gears select fine and the low range and four-wheel drive work as they should. The brakes also work as they should, pulling the vehicle up strong and true. The parabolic springs and Pro-Comp dampers give it a slightly improved ride as well as a touch of additional ride height. We have stripped and cleaned the brakes, fitted new clutch hydraulics, along with checking all fluid levels and given it fresh engine oil and filter.

The interior is in good condition; with the correct black vinyl front seats, with the two outers fitted with 3-point static belts and the middle seat with a static lap belt. All the electricals and gauges work as they should, with a working heater to keep things a bit warmer in the colder weather. There are rubber floor mats in the front and rear, plus twin, two-man foldup bench seats are fitted in the rear so you can carry four additional passengers. An MoD-spec fire extinguisher is still fitted in the passenger footwell.

This classic army Land Rover would make a great investment whilst also being very useable thanks to their versatility, at any time of the year. Use it as a show piece, fetch logs in the snow or just the kids from school on a summer’s day with the hood off, it’s up to the job! The odometer reads 97399 at present (we cannot verify this), and the vehicle will come with a fresh MoT upon sale (it is exempt but we MoT all our sales vehicles). If you are interested, please do get in touch – we’d be happy to help!

Price: £13,950

1982 Land Rover Series III Lightweight £13,950

1982 Land Rover Series III Lightweight
£13,950