The Avon Traction Mileages fitted to SEB have been showing their age ever since they were fitted, so finally the opportunity was taken to fit some more modern rubber. A set of 900R16 Michelin XS tyres was spotted on ebay and bought a few weeks ago. The tyres are not new, but still have plenty of life left in them considering the "retirement milage" SEB does these days.

Today I took them down to the local ATS (They also supply tyres to Landrover at Gaydon!!) and had them fitted.

The MOT is due in a few weeks, and after that there will be a 1-Ton Register stand at Eastnor Castle show in August. 

Some new photos

Just as proof that the oldest 1-Ton still on the road really is still on the road. As part if BFHVC's "drive it day" I went and did a few miles locally.

Today I scored myself some much-needed rivet counter points by fitting the correct turned aluminuim screen washer jets, these were NOS items from seriespartsworldwide (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/seriespartsworldwide/m.html)

All I had to do was make up some connectors using the old thicker pipe, as the pipe supplied (which is a translucent blue rather then clear) is a bit thinner. I didn't worry too much about it as I think the original pipe was supposed to be black anyway, not clear, which is possibly just a generic item. As a point of interest, my 1-ton uses a hand-operated fluid pump on the dashboard, not a fancy modern electric item!

The accouncement

The following document is, I think, the way Land-Rover announced the release of the 1-Ton to their customers. It is dated June 1969, by which time there were already a handful of 1-Tons a couple of months old. I apologise for the poor quality scan. Whats interesting is that Land-Rover claim to offer the vehicle with the 2286cc Petrol as well as the 2625cc six-cylinder petrol - we know of course that no 4-cylinders were built other than the special batch for the MOD (TACR1s)

Why are they almost always Land-Rovers?

"Back in the day" very often breakdown trucks were indeed Land-Rovers, and very often 1-Tons at that. This Land-Rover advertisment points out that fact. I have no details on the vehicle, its clearly not a UK numberplate and the company name does not bring anything up on a search. But I'm 99% certain this is a 1-Ton, possibly on its second or third lease of life by the time the photo was taken. If anyone has a larger scan I would be very interested in seeing it.

BNV745K

Superb photo of a IIA 1-Ton with East Midlands Electricity Board. Vehicle reg was BNV745K.

 

 

EMEB 1-Tons

EMEB only bought small batches of 1-Ton, I think they had six or possibly eight overall. They were apparently inspired by SEB who bought lots and lots of them! The EMEB vehicles were a mix of IIAs and Series IIIs. Unlike SEB, EMEB specified mechanical winches. IIA vehicles also had a compartment behind the cab door for a gas cylinder.

I love the 70s style colour scheme they wore.

ONV232M has survived into the present day. Other registration numbers were BRP104K, BRP105K, BNV745K, BNV746K and ONV231M.