Classic pictures Updated 20/04/2024

[essexpete]

The TK mounted back hoe is unusual. Looks possibly JCB?

The Bedford is an MJ as it's a late 4x4, probably one of the last made for civilian use too as the plant closed in '87

Yes of course, the truck is 4wd.

[FOWLER MAN]

The TK mounted back hoe is unusual. Looks possibly JCB?

Hi,
Another unusual mounted backhoe here.

[Jeremy Rowland]

Thanks Fred I have seen that Land Rover setup before; strange thing is that vehicle mounted backhoes were never really a success here in the UK but in Europe and America they seemed to be much more popular, perhaps in light of the distance a vehicle may have to travel to a site?

Jeremy

[Slooby]

That is one very late Series IIA

[essexpete]

That is one very late Series IIA

Indeed with the outside headlights an skinny sill panels!

[FOWLER MAN]

Hello again,
Just for the record just 10 of the Land Rover / Harrier diggers were built 1970/71 By a company called "Air Drive."
They were built on a strengthened chassis with an improved 8 blade cooling fan and fitted with 2 hydraulic pumps. One to drive the McConnell PA44 Power Arm digger and the other to drive the Montabert hand held hammer.
Apparently two of them still exist. The restored one in this picture and one in an un-restored state.

[Slooby]

Just looked it up on the DVLA MoT check site to see what engine it was running, and it's a 2 1/4 diesel, 1st registered on 31st December 1970.

Was it a 'One Ton' chassis they used, normally only found on the 6 pot engined 109's, or did Air Drive strengthen the chassis themselves do you know?

[essexpete]

Just looked it up on the DVLA MoT check site to see what engine it was running, and it's a 2 1/4 diesel, 1st registered on 31st December 1970.

Was it a 'One Ton' chassis they used, normally only found on the 6 pot engined 109's, or did Air Drive strengthen the chassis themselves do you know?

That would have been a total dog to drive. Our first Landrover (well Dad's) was a 68 SWB diesel. It had been looked after and was tidy at about 8 years old. I can remember thinking how slow and noisy it was on the way home to Essex from Hants (through Lundarn of course). The poxy thing shat it's self on the way to Newbury with a horse trailer. I can't for the life of me remember how the dog was recovered with the trailer. It was repaired and got shot of to be replace by a late K reg series 2 petrol and that pulled well but by heck it was basic. That was replaced by a deluxe series 3 SWB petrol and was the vehicle I first drove on the road. The chassis on that one rotted and need extensive work by the end of the 80s. I also was probably responsible for breaking the crown wheel towing heavy loads of hay. I replaced the whole diff with a second hand unit. Our last Landrover was a late series 3 it was quite tidy but still not really any better than the other petrol ones Dad had owned. Several years later we bought a 9 year old 80 series Landcruiser with a 4.2 diesel. That was the first time I had overtaken HGVs towing.

[FOWLER MAN]

Just looked it up on the DVLA MoT check site to see what engine it was running, and it's a 2 1/4 diesel, 1st registered on 31st December 1970.

Was it a 'One Ton' chassis they used, normally only found on the 6 pot engined 109's, or did Air Drive strengthen the chassis themselves do you know?

Hi Tim,
My information is that it was built on a standard Series 2a 109 in. chassis reinforced by "Air Drive" for the job. It was also fitted with an oil cooler as well as the eight blade fan.

[XS650]

There was a detailed article on it in Classic Land Rover pre Covid.
Remember when they came out and appeared in the plant section of Dads 'Carpenter and Builder ' magazine!
In 1971 very much up against the Mk1 Spade

I was Land Rover mad as a kid and actually managed to persuade my dad to buy a S11A 109in diesel Station Wagon in early 70s.
He was unimpressed 'would not pull the skin off a rice pudding' was his verdict as it was bought to tow a 17ft caravan but the 52bhp diesel was hard pressed pulling its own considerable weight around !

Craig