Station Wagon trim query

[GHOBHW]

sounds right for the rails, on my old 109 it split in half there too. a lot of things shrunk over time in land rovers, earlier door hinges were thicker, cappings were thicker plus slightly longer on the inside on the door cappings, tailgate cappings lost a lot of metal between the s2 and 2a.

these belonged to the general post office, they were very standard, compared to most of their 88" station wagons. as they were just used as buses mostly.

I'll dump some of the photos here, as I'm sure everyone will find them as interesting as I do, plus it kind of relates to station wagon discussion.

the 109 ones are nice, just reminds me how nice they look, plus where could you find another 12 seater 4x4 in the 60s

I have a ton more, but these are the most standard, rest have a lot of stuff that doesn't relate well to the 'normal' land rovers.

these pictures show the interior trim nicely too, plus help out for how they would've looked/how bits fit

[Craig T]

Very nice photos, thanks for posting them all.

I need to modify my side steps to have two supporting rails under them, not just one.
Good to see the lack of tailgate hinge brackets on the rear crossmember on both the 109" models and notice how the 12 seat version didn't get the extra station wagon badge, only the 10 seat version did.

I'm sure there are other little details I will pick out when looking closer. I love a good station wagon thread. 

Thanks again

Craig.

[2286]

So 12 seater did not get the badge?

[Mycroft]

My 88" side trim only covers the rear area. I therefore don't understand why the 109" was different, other than a choice - the side bits don't reach the front either. I think the 2-piece front trim became one-piece at some point - that's how it appears in my late IIa optional parts catalogue. Sadly I don't have any fixing brackets GHOBHW - do you have any photos or diagrams of what I'm missing? Cheers, J

I have the fixings somewhere, I'll get some photos in a few minutes - they are pretty simple, I bet you could make some up in a day.

Perfect - thanks GHO. I actually may have those somewhere, so will have to do a deep dive. If not, as you say, not too difficult to make some replacements up 

[2286]

I like the spare number plate for trailer bracketed to the drivers door card without blocking the map pocket.

Maps remember those!

[Mycroft]

On the subject of the roof lining trim above the screen.  My 1970 12 seater had a single full width item with internal sun visors fitted both sides.

The two piece as pictures I have not encountered but would be interested to know if it is date specific or only fitted in 88".

I've gone through the Service Newsletters and I can't find any date-specific reference to explain if/when the 2-piece front trim became one or whether this only applied to the 88", sadly. Nor is it clear from the Optional Equipment brochures I've got.

[GHOBHW]

So 12 seater did not get the badge?

I think it was a tax thing, if i remember right, the 12 seater got classed as a bus, so didn't get the station wagon badge for that reason.

and the number plate in the map pocket was for trailers, pretty handy if you were towing 6 different trailers each day

does anyone know what the white thing near the chassis number plate is? looks to be screwed/tacked on.
might be just another manual type of thing to say what to do or a fitting list, but I'm not sure

[GHOBHW]

100% a tax thing, look at that, cheaper buying a 12 seater than a 10 seater, by £300 on the petrol version

this is a september 66 sales brochure.

[Craig T]

It was indeed a tax thing.

In the UK the ten seat model got classed as a car so it was subject to purchase tax, kind of the forerunner to VAT I think. A 12 seat model however would be classed as a bus and therefore a tax free commercial vehicle. Land Rover took advantage of this and developed the 12 seat model to fill that loop hole. They dropped the station wagon title and badges from the 12 seater to differentiate between the two although the 12 seat one still seemed to appear in the station wagon brochures of the time.

In the UK the 10 seat model became very rare if it was ever sold. Mine is only a 10 seat model as it's really an export version that got taken off to Malta soon as it was built.

I have seen a price list somewhere of UK models around 65 - 66 and I think the tax free 12 seat version was very close in price to the 7 seat 88" version which was subject to the purchase tax.

There you go, just seen the post above and the 12 seat version is actually cheaper than the 7 seat! 

Craig.

[GHOBHW]

It was indeed a tax thing.

In the UK the ten seat model got classed as a car so it was subject to purchase tax, kind of the forerunner to VAT I think. A 12 seat model however was classed as a bus and therefore a tax free commercial vehicle. Land Rover took advantage of this and developed the 12 seat model to fill that loop hole.
In the UK the 10 seat model became very rare if it was ever sold. Mine is only a 10 seat model as it's rally an export version that got taken off to Malta soon as it was built.

I have seen a price list somewhere of UK models around 65 - 66 and I think the tax free 12 seat version was very close in price to the 7 seat 88" version which was subject to the purchase tax.

Craig.

beat you by a few minutes with the brochure and you're right, it was cheaper buying a 12 seater than an 88" station wagon, crazy. didn't even notice that

[Craig T]

Makes you realise why genuine 88" station wagons are pretty rare things too. Compared to the cost of a hard top version you really had to want one to pay the price.

Craig.

[GHOBHW]

Makes you realise why genuine 88" station wagons are pretty rare things too. Compared to the cost of a hard top version you really had to want one to pay the price.

Craig.

what I want to know is why the GPO bought about a thousand or more 88" station wagons from 2, 2A, 3. when a normal land rover would've done the job for cheaper.

my 88" former GPO station wagon came in a batch of 45 other ones. they had batches of 100, 150, sometimes. they got their moneys worth I guess cause some were still kicking til the 90s...

I imagine they must've paid out a few hundred thousand or more in taxes by the end of it. unless they had some rules or something to get by it

but as you say, they're pretty rare these days, even more so with people taking the tops off and changing them out for tilts etc over the years.

[Mycroft]

My 88" side trim only covers the rear area. I therefore don't understand why the 109" was different, other than a choice - the side bits don't reach the front either. I think the 2-piece front trim became one-piece at some point - that's how it appears in my late IIa optional parts catalogue. Sadly I don't have any fixing brackets GHOBHW - do you have any photos or diagrams of what I'm missing? Cheers, J

I have the fixings somewhere, I'll get some photos in a few minutes - they are pretty simple, I bet you could make some up in a day.

Blanchards sell the middle fixing. Do you know how it fixes on by any chance? The manual diagram seems to show it with the screw holes upwards and flange pointing down, but that doesn't feel right.

[Mycroft]

Makes you realise why genuine 88" station wagons are pretty rare things too. Compared to the cost of a hard top version you really had to want one to pay the price.

Craig.

what I want to know is why the GPO bought about a thousand or more 88" station wagons from 2, 2A, 3. when a normal land rover would've done the job for cheaper.

my 88" former GPO station wagon came in a batch of 45 other ones. they had batches of 100, 150, sometimes. they got their moneys worth I guess cause some were still kicking til the 90s...

I imagine they must've paid out a few hundred thousand or more in taxes by the end of it. unless they had some rules or something to get by it

but as you say, they're pretty rare these days, even more so with people taking the tops off and changing them out for tilts etc over the years.

As a quasi-government contract, I don't believe the GPO would have been subject to purchase tax, but am not 100% sure.

[GHOBHW]

I found some of my older pictures before I sandblasted them.

these were to remind me which way they go too...looks like downwards is right, judging from where the washers sat on the brackets. but I'm not 100% sure..

so hopefully someone else has a better memory or pictures of their rebuild