Station Wagon trim query

[Mycroft]

Intuiting how it holds together, maybe the central piece connects the 2 separate trim pieces, with the flange holding the connected parts in the drain channel?

[Mycroft]

This pic answers my question.

[GHOBHW]

Intuiting how it holds together, maybe the central piece connects the 2 separate trim pieces, with the flange holding the connected parts in the drain channel?

yes the longer one holds the middles together, not a lot holding it up there when you think about it, but it works

[Mycroft]

Intuiting how it holds together, maybe the central piece connects the 2 separate trim pieces, with the flange holding the connected parts in the drain channel?

yes the longer one holds the middles together, not a lot holding it up there when you think about it, but it works

Thanks. If I can't find the brackets, I may see if I can get away with buying/fabricating just the central one as the ends seem to lodge in place nicely either side.

[Mycroft]

Yay! I somehow managed to find the right unmarked cardboard box in the shed. Happy days! Not sure whether the spacers are part of the same structure, but the holes match up anyhoo

[GHOBHW]

Yay! I somehow managed to find the right unmarked cardboard box in the shed. Happy days! Not sure whether the spacers are part of the same structure, but the holes match up anyhoo

those spacers are for the door strikers, front and rear door

[Mycroft]

Thanks - I know the part you mean. Weird they ended up in this particular box.

Another query then - it turns out I have a spare (later) set of the front trim pieces. On one side, on the top part near the centre is quite a strong circular magnet. Any idea what this might have been for or is this likely a user customisation?

[Exile]

So 12 seater did not get the badge?

Whilst the 12 seater did not get the badge, it did gain 4 fold-up side steps as standard.

If you look at GHOBHW's photos of the 109" Station Wagons, the earlier (10 seater) vehicle has only a rear step.
The 12 seater has a full set of half-moon steps.

Before these became standard, a rectangular side step was an optional extra (and I daresay relatively expensive due to its construction).

This is why they are rare now.

[GHOBHW]

Thanks - I know the part you mean. Weird they ended up in this particular box.

Another query then - it turns out I have a spare (later) set of the front trim pieces. On one side, on the top part near the centre is quite a strong circular magnet. Any idea what this might have been for or is this likely a user customisation?

very likely a user mod, maybe you could have it behind your trim and keep a trolley coin stuck to it on the other side

[Mycroft]

That's a good idea. Seems way too strong for sunglasses and the like and is welded on, so I'd love to know.

Thanks for all the help folks - love learning more about this stuff and this has been really helpful.

[2286]

So 12 seater did not get the badge?

Whilst the 12 seater did not get the badge, it did gain 4 fold-up side steps as standard.

If you look at GHOBHW's photos of the 109" Station Wagons, the earlier (10 seater) vehicle has only a rear step.
The 12 seater has a full set of half-moon steps.

Before these became standard, a rectangular side step was an optional extra (and I daresay relatively expensive due to its construction).

This is why they are rare now.

Is there any part of the vin that distinguishes a 10 seat from a 12 seat?

I am correct in that the seat configuration were 3,3,4 in the ten seat and 3,3,6 in the 12.

The one piece rear seat was or could be fitted to either 10 or 12 say that is not a way of telling them apart?

[Craig T]

The ten seat is indeed 3,3,4 layout. The centre row seat was a single piece, folding seat that folded forward into the centre footwell. The sideways facing rear bench seats were the same as used in the 88" models and could hold two people each side.

The chassis number only tells you that the vehicle was a 109" 5 door model and it states what engine it had, if it was a home market, export, RHD, or LHD.

For the twelve seat versions they moved the centre row seating forward a bit and made 3 person sideways bench seats in the back. Possibly because of the tax implications, the seat base couldn't be folding up and they were bolted in a downwards position and the locker in the rear wheel arch, left side had a cover riveted over it. The ten seat one got the folding seats and a very useful locker in the back.

The twelve seat version centre row seat brackets are quite different to the ten seat so it is possible to tell what the vehicle originally had even if someone has stripped the interior out. The twelve seat one will have a lot more holes for seat brackets and no hinged lid locker in the back.

Craig.

[2286]

Are there any statistics to show how many of each 10 and 12 were built in total or each year, or as you mention will it simply be recorded as 5 door 109.

My 12 seat had the has the three person side seats but they must at some stage have been liberated because the bases did fold up.

Centre seat was three not single, I did not realise the legroom that was snug resulted from the middles being pushed forward to gain the extra 2 in the rear.

[Craig T]

Not sure if the series vehicles were the same but I seem to remember our 12 seat 110 station wagon in 1988 came with fixed rear benches but it was only a single bolt at the front and back that held them down. They had the hinges there waiting so with two bolts removed they became folding.

You can kind of see the front face of the middle seat in my 10 seat is more or less level with the step in the floor. In the side image of the 12 seat it looks a good 6" or so in front of the step reducing leg room but increasing it for the longer benches in the back. It is also noticeable how flat the centre seat bases are in the 12 seat version. My single piece centre seat which is a huge, heavy, metal sprung, horsehair and canvas construction, sits at quite an angle sloping back, much the same as the front seats do. It is really quite comfortable in the middle of a ten seat one but the one piece seat must have been a pain if you want to carry a load and passengers.

It would be interesting (to me anyway) to get mine and a 12 seat next to each other and do some measurements.

I don't think records would exist of how many were made in each type. I have the heritage certificate for my one and no mention on there of seating arrangements.

Craig.

[autorover1]

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

ve the GPO would have been subject to purchase tax, but am not 100% sure.

I believe the  GPO vehicles were crown vehicles and no tax was charged as it was just one government department transferring money to another  , it all came from the Treasury