Series 1 Land Rover like kit car?

[stuvy]

Austin ant?

I hope you’ve been sat outside all day like the trainspotters with cameras ready

https://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/csc-features/austin-ant-ant-hill-mob

 

[Gareth0123]

That is very, very close.... the South African Oosthuizen ANT is a 3/4 scale series 2. So I could be off on the actual scale, but the one I saw definitely had the series one front end and grill.

Paint finish was a very shiny Land Rover Bronze Green and it had a full canvas tilt on it with a roll up clear plastic window in the sides and rear.

I've had a ring around my local mates and they're all keeping an eye out for it now.

I like the looks of the Austin Ant.

 

[tom2207]

Depends if it’s based on a Sierra or escort axle on its width

not the original light weight mil spec land rover ,,

 

[eddie49]

I like the looks of the Austin Ant.

Talking of Ants, Reliant made a 3-wheeled Tipper called the Ant. Not a lot of people know that.
I recently bought an Eland 130 MIG from a guy who is restoring an Ant. After the vehicle was delivered to him, he found the welder in the back.

A bit similar to a Scammell Scarab.

 

[Gareth0123]

The one and only Reliant Ant I ever saw was in the yard of Wyard Scott ltd at Great Green, Cockfield in Suffolk in 2002/3.

At the time I worked cash in hand on the steam traction engines and vintage tractor side of the business for the then owner Adrian Taber. I didn't really get involved with the old Triumph's or Reliants, but I did gas weld up a couple of mini mokes.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Wasn't the Moke BMC's attempt to flog the army a parachutable transport? Started with the SAS and Jeeps (in the Vosges I think) in WW2, then the Landie, but to be fair opening out the wheelarches on a Landie does not make it 'lightweight'

In Gaydon museum they have a Twini - twin engined Moke

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Talking of Ants, Reliant made a 3-wheeled Tipper called the Ant. Not a lot of people know that.
I recently bought an Eland 130 MIG from a guy who is restoring an Ant. After the vehicle was delivered to him, he found the welder in the back.
View attachment 233092
A bit similar to a Scammell Scarab.

I've always fancied them so begged a sit in one last year. Very tight is an understatment. Steering wheel is close to door /seat so difficult to get in and then only enough room for one foot at a time in the footwell !

 

[CompoSimmonite]

That is very, very close.... the South African Oosthuizen ANT is a 3/4 scale series 2. So I could be off on the actual scale, but the one I saw definitely had the series one front end and grill.

Paint finish was a very shiny Land Rover Bronze Green and it had a full canvas tilt on it with a roll up clear plastic window in the sides and rear.

I've had a ring around my local mates and they're all keeping an eye out for it now.

I like the looks of the Austin Ant.

One of those in Gaydon museum as well

 

[stuvy]

There has been a 5 wheel reliant ant at a few hot rod shows over the years the cab is a horrible shade of dog poo brown

 

[stuvy]

not the original light weight mil spec land rover ,,

I was on about the duttons the S3 lightweight is marginally slimmer than a standard S3

 

[colnerov]

As Westfield-builder say 'lightweight' is a misnomer and air portable is better. The brief was that it should fit in and be below a certain weight for an aircraft, can't remember which one now. There are lots of small differences like the bulkhead outrigger is shorter and the flatter sides make it narrower enough and different half shafts without the pressed steel nut cover. The air portable weight was gained by a number of panels being easy to remove and re-fit in the field namely roof, doors and windscreen frame and wiper assy. By the time they came into service they were using a different aircraft and the criteria wasn't as critical.

Colin

 

[OJCar]

As Westfield-builder say 'lightweight' is a misnomer and air portable is better. The brief was that it should fit in and be below a certain weight for an aircraft, can't remember which one now. There are lots of small differences like the bulkhead outrigger is shorter and the flatter sides make it narrower enough and different half shafts without the pressed steel nut cover. The air portable weight was gained by a number of panels being easy to remove and re-fit in the field namely roof, doors and windscreen frame and wiper assy. By the time they came into service they were using a different aircraft and the criteria wasn't as critical.

Colin

The aircraft was the Armstrong Whitworth Argosy.

HTH

 

[RWD3M]

The aircraft was the Armstrong Whitworth Argosy.

HTH

Ah yes, the whistling tit!

Did engine runs on one during my apprenticeship!

I doubt whether the Argosy was the reason for needing a lightweight Landy though. I know it didn't have the greatest freight carrying capacity but 3 or 4 land rovers of a ton and a half each wouldn't have troubled it. Reasonable sized cargo bay too.

More likely reason was the load carrying capability of the helicopters of the day like the Whirlwind or the Wessex perhaps?

 

[RWD3M]

Ah yes, the whistling tit!

Did engine runs on one during my apprenticeship!

I doubt whether the Argosy was the reason for needing a lightweight Landy though. I know it didn't have the greatest freight carrying capacity but 3 or 4 land rovers of a ton and a half each wouldn't have troubled it. Reasonable sized cargo bay too.

More likely reason was the load carrying capability of the helicopters of the day like the Whirlwind or the Wessex perhaps?

Oh hang on, do you mean the new aircraft? Oh no, can't be because the Argosy went out of servive in '68 when the C130 arrived.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, ISTR it was a helicopter (still an aircraft) but wasn't sure which one.

Colin

 

[stuvy]

Chinook?

I know a captain that said in NI they used to take a Land Rover and trailer and drop one then the other he said they would regularly be over weight in those days

 

[RWD3M]

Chinook?

I know a captain that said in NI they used to take a Land Rover and trailer and drop one then the other he said they would regularly be over weight in those days

A Chinny can lift over 20 odd thousand pounds so again lifing Landy's are easy peasy, but they didn't come into RAF service until the late 70's.

I think it's time for a Google!

 

[tom2207]

Chinook?

I know a captain that said in NI they used to take a Land Rover and trailer and drop one then the other he said they would regularly be over weight in those days

lol ,, I could tell you lots of stories about that sort of thing ... boats were another favourite ,, and containers .

 

[RWD3M]

A Chinny can lift over 20 odd thousand pounds so again lifing Landy's are easy peasy, but they didn't come into RAF service until the late 70's.

I think it's time for a Google!

Well that didn't take long, found a Wiki page all about the 'Land Rover 1/2 ton Lightweight'! I suspect the 1/2 ton refers to carrying capacity 'cos it sure don't weigh half a ton!

Seems like it came about so that the newly acquired Wessex could carry it as an underslung load (the Wessex being able to lift 2500lbs).

Every day's a school day!

 

[RWD3M]

lol ,, I could tell you lots of stories about that sort of thing ... boats were another favourite ,, and containers .

Ha ha, why don't I doubt that one bit!