2B paint colour

[Hazbean]

I own an ex Telecom 2B, it seems it was built by Land Rover for British Telecom as it has traces of yellow paint in places, a flat floor with no transmission tunnel and a cherry picker on the rear. It is painted in sort of light blue/ grey colour. When I rub the paint back it is not blue but as I say a blue/grey colour. Is this a Land Rover colour or Telecom colour?
I would like to keep it original.

[autorover1]

I am wondering if indeed it was built for British Telecom by Land Rover or whether the contract was with the firm who supplied the cherry picker , possibly Simon |Engineering or Western engineering . Alternatively it could have been supplied by Land Rover to British Telecom who then contracted the manufacturer of the cherry picker to fit it. Does the vehicle have the interior Bench seat across the engine cover that was as far as I know unique to BT vehicles
I say this as in the former the colour would possibly be a standard LR one, in the latter , BT would have enough clout to specify a bespoke colour if wanted
You cannot view this attachment.
Extract LR publication 779 - April 1970

[GHOBHW]

it is most likely telecom, the light blue/grey could be the later colour from the late 80s when they changed to the piper logo and grey colour
or the base colour if ordered early, as they did go through a phase of changing colours of vehicles.

as far as I know, noone else used yellow 2Bs with cherry pickers.


if you have the reg, I can ask on the post office vehicle club, as I also own a GPO/Telecom land rover. so can ask them for you.

[Hazbean]

There is a double seat mounted high up on the passenger side which also covers the engine.
The paint as far as I can tell is original and not re sprayed as I've rubbed it back to ally through the pale yellow primer.
The registration number is SYF 99F.

[Hazbean]

Mine is the actual vehicle in your photos!

[GHOBHW]

Mine is the actual vehicle in your photos!

well there you go....

i have a few more photos of the same vehicle, i'll post them now

[GHOBHW]

taken: 23 July 1968

title of the images: Hydraulic elevating platform No. 3 mounted on Landrover 110 - contract 509873

[GHOBHW]

also just from the date of these photos, they changed to the yellow colour in 68. so maybe say they ordered it in the grey, knowing they were changing from green to yellow at some stage, then painted yellow when they took order of it?

the GPO/BT paint shops were very good, usually...so painting a whole vehicle wouldn't phase them

usually land rover just painted it whatever coloured they wanted, since they were buying so many land rovers

[Birdsnest55]

The one I used to drive was Yellow, not sure of the Reg number, it had the same writing on the side, but said Coventry.

Paul

[Hazbean]

So are we assuming it's Telecom Grey?

Mine has a slightly different cherry Picker on it now but very similar.
The cherry picker is yellow under the grey paint and powered from a PTO pump.

[diffwhine]

Looks the part. I bet that was a bit hairy to use though. No stabilisers - I bet you had to be really careful who went up in the box and how unstable it made the vehicle. I used to have 200tdi 110 fitted with a cherry picker with just two central stabilisers - that gave me some hairy moments!

[Hazbean]

The stabilisation was provided by an axle lock to limit spring movement, this made it reasonable stable with a bit of common sense.

[Birdsnest55]

I was young and stupid, I was 16 when the guys let me drive it. They also volunteered me to go up in it on my own as 2 people made it wobbly.
I drove it down a very steep bank to save driving round as it was a couple of miles.
We had an extra Tea break to celebrate me not killing anyone.
Paul

[2286]

Interesting that the hydraulic output is courtesy of the engine in the back (not sure on make, tank made me think honda?) and not pto.

Is that so you dont have to clamber into the cab, or because it uses less fuel?

[Hazbean]

When I bought it several years ago it was powered by a pto pump from the gearbox, operated from the cab.
It now has a remote pump from a petrol engine