Stage One - 109s make it around the world.
by Annette Flottwell
Many Stage Ones are based in ther UK, some may never have left the British Isles. Others went much further, they were assembled in Indonesia like this marvel or in Australia like Alex Dodd's Hardtop LBCAV1AF542852 or they traveled there with their owner...
Roberto Carranca writes:
I'm
from Chile, in Southamerica and I have a pretty Land Rover Stage 1 V8,
year 1981. Maybe the only one Stage of Chile, really a marvel.
Write me
Rob, Chassis n: SALLBCMV2AA-141540
Motor n: 10 GO 3987
Is it the only one in Chile? your feedback would be as interesting for Roberto and me!
Martin R. Leipzig writes:
There
is a very active Land Rover club here in Oman (particularly in the company
where I work (Petroleum Development Oman or just plain ol' PDO)); in
fact, here's the link to our website: They sponsor several different
overland jaunts each year, with the biggie being the annual Whaibias Dune
Challenge.
It's a relatively grueling event that I'm taking a big pass on this year,
until I can make sure that my Rover is up to specs. As it stands, I'm
awaiting the delivery (via slow boat, evidently) from my old haunts in
Texas, of a 10-ton electric winch. I think that little bit of overkill
ought to mark me as an obvious "nothing succeeds like excess"
American. I'm also awaiting info on my vehicle's particulars so I can
obtain the proper manuals before I tackle the job of rewiring the beast
for my cameras (I'm also a bit of a shutterbug and the various flash units,
etc., are always power hungry), GSP, shortwave, CD-player, aforementioned
winch, dual-battery setup, fog/sand lights, beer cooler and other electrical
necessities. 
I am enclosing a very much "before" picture of my Rover, as
it stood when I purchased it about 4 months ago. The picture, by the way,
is set against the backdrop of the coastal Oman mountains, about 5 km
from both my place of work and residence. Take a gander at that topography
and you can see why I chose the Rover over the other 4WD posers running
loose around these parts.
One other modification will be a camera platform/luggage rack which is
currently under DIY construction. Also in the works are 2 4-ton Handyman
jacks, sand ladders and some other bits and pieces I can manage with my
new arc welder.
Just FYI, evidently this vehicle has quite a history here in Oman. I'm
told that I'm the 6th or 7th exp. owner of this vehicle (easily understandable
if you look at the stratigraphy of the paintjobs on this beauty). Funny
thing is that the last 5 owners (as best we can follow the spotty records)
have all been geologists (as am I), so the Rover should well know its
way around the crags and valleys of coastal Oman.
The Truck cab with the lowest chassis number was assembled in Australia
I just looked at the updated stage 1 site and read about the info lost
in those 4 months so I thought i would resend the info on my stage 1.
I got the landy by swapping a falcon ute (Ford pickup truck
A.) that i had with a friend.
The landy has had some money spent on it but not on body work as there
is not a single pannel without dents. The engine has been fitted with
a edelbrock intake manifold and holley 350 cfm carb.(wow)
It also has parabolic springs and procomp shocks. The inside has a overhead
console fitted with cd player plus 27meg and uhf cb radios.The seats are
out of some sort of Jap ute but are no better than standard series 3 ones.
The body is a tray back fitted with removeable sides.
The
chassis number is 100317 the number on the A.D.R.( Australian design rule)
plate is LBCAV1AF100317, compliance date is october 1980
Here is a new riddle: How many of these CKD were sold in Australia and
Indonesia? Did they have a separate range of chassis numbers or how much
time went by between shipping and assembly?
If anyone has an idea, tell me. And send more Australian Stage Ones of course.
Takeo
owned his ragtop Yellow Tomcat for 22 years. It was the first one imported
into Belgium before he sold it now to Valerie and Arnaud, who will have
some fun with the French homologation. Fortunately, we can be sure it
came into good hands after a hard life and trips to.. well click
here and read more about Vladivostock and trials.
We
know that the Ragtop with chassis number LBCAV2AA129545 will be looked
after by some real V8 addicts who already got to Range Rovers and a 90.
To be continued with your help!!
Annette
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