$9,500.00
1966 Land Rover Defender Military Ambulance
Posted Feb 19, 2025 | Hits: 19
Make:
Land Rover
Model:
109 Series 2A
Country:
USA
State:
ID
City:
Nampa
Zip:
83651
Body Style:
SUV
Year:
1966
Mileage:
33000
Miles
Transmission:
Manual
Engine:
2286cc
Fuel:
Gasoline
Doors:
2
Color:
NATO Light Stone
Condition:
Used
1966 Land Rover 109 series 2A British military ambulance - 33,000 original miles
2.25 liter gas engine (Turner unleaded head), 4 speed transmission with Fairey overdrive
Background
I have owned this Land Rover for a little over 11 years. I purchased this ambulance directly from military service as I wanted an original unmodified truck. It took some time to find a factory left hand drive truck, this was a must-have requirement for me. I purchased the truck with 21,000 documented original miles and a comprehensive history file from the British military. This is a numbers matching truck, engine and transmission are those it was built with.
History
The truck was built as a chassis in June 1966 and delivered to Marshalls of Cambridge for bodying as an ambulance. It served from 1968 until 1975. It had a very short tour in Northern Ireland then spent the remainder of its time in the north of England until going into store at Hilton for 10 years, 1988-1998. In 1998 it was struck off as an operational vehicle and became a static training aid with 34 Field Hospital until disposal. Afterwards I purchased it.
Differences between civilian and military series Land Rovers
The British military demanded a more durable and upgraded specification for their vehicles, this 109 differs from a civilian vehicle as follows:
Engine oil cooler (can be seen in the photos behind the front grille)
Twin fan belts, if one breaks you have a back up
8 bladed fan for additional cooling
Heavy duty 5 core radiator with reinforced top tank to resist damage from soldiers standing on it(!)
Twin fuel tanks, total 24 US gallons capacity
Door mounted mirrors
Extended spring hangers, this was to allow the flexibility to run `34 inch tyres (900x16), a standard 109 runs 31 inch tyres (750x16)
Reinforced front bumper with bumperettes
Before the trip to the US
I wanted to make sure the truck would be reliable before shipping, with the superior parts availability in the UK it made sense to do what needed doing there first. Mechanically everything worked, however I did make some sensible upgrades.
Turner Engineering 8:1 CR stage one unleaded cylinder head (original was 7:1 CR leaded)
Electronic distributor (no points and condenser to go wrong)
Fairey overdrive to lower engine revs for freeway cruising
6.5J genuine ANR1534 one ton/130 steel wheel rims - if you know series trucks you'll know these rims are sought after, 1' wider than standard yet look standard and allow the safe fitment of wider tires. Try and find a set of 5 now for less than $1000.
235/85R16 Cooper Discoverer STT tires, spare is a Michelin LTX the same size
Brake flexible hoses replaced and steel brake pipes replaced with copper
Brake master cylinder replaced
Seat belt mounting brackets sourced from a later ambulance and seatbelts fitted
New seat backs, bases and door cards from Exmoor Trim in denim twill vinyl
Replace firewall Hardura covering with new
Heater matrix re-cored as unique to the ambulance, purely precautionary
Bare metal re-spray to NATO Light Stone (British military desert color). Any dents and defects deliberately not filled with bondo, I thought to do so detracted from the originality and history of the truck
After arrival in the US
As to be expected for a vehicle that has just turned 50 years old there are always jobs here and there to do, plus nice to have upgrades as well. Since arriving in the US I have done the following:
Alternator fitted in place of dynamo (generator) and regulator set up
Butler red cross lamp sourced and fitted, these were removed by the British military in the 1970s when UK law made it illegal to show a red lamp on the front of a vehicle
All brake wheel cylinders and brake shoes replaced, Lockheed Delphi wheel cylinders and Mintex brake shoes ' precautionary move due to the age of components
Cobra CB radio fitted, antenna is magnetic and uses existing hole for power feed to Butler red cross lamp ' no holes drilled
Original dual gauge panel sourced and fitted with a voltmeter and oil pressure gauge
Triple 12V accessory sockets and USB charger fitted, again ' no holes drilled
Cork seal in dual fuel tank changeover tap replaced
HUCO (marketed by Weber) electric fuel pump fitted in place of mechanical pump. This was to allow the fuel system to prime before cranking the engine
Hi-torque starter motor from British Starters fitted to improve cranking speed
Apply 3M sound deadening material under the hood and various other places to reduce some noise in the cab
2.25 liter gas engine (Turner unleaded head), 4 speed transmission with Fairey overdrive
Background
I have owned this Land Rover for a little over 11 years. I purchased this ambulance directly from military service as I wanted an original unmodified truck. It took some time to find a factory left hand drive truck, this was a must-have requirement for me. I purchased the truck with 21,000 documented original miles and a comprehensive history file from the British military. This is a numbers matching truck, engine and transmission are those it was built with.
History
The truck was built as a chassis in June 1966 and delivered to Marshalls of Cambridge for bodying as an ambulance. It served from 1968 until 1975. It had a very short tour in Northern Ireland then spent the remainder of its time in the north of England until going into store at Hilton for 10 years, 1988-1998. In 1998 it was struck off as an operational vehicle and became a static training aid with 34 Field Hospital until disposal. Afterwards I purchased it.
Differences between civilian and military series Land Rovers
The British military demanded a more durable and upgraded specification for their vehicles, this 109 differs from a civilian vehicle as follows:
Engine oil cooler (can be seen in the photos behind the front grille)
Twin fan belts, if one breaks you have a back up
8 bladed fan for additional cooling
Heavy duty 5 core radiator with reinforced top tank to resist damage from soldiers standing on it(!)
Twin fuel tanks, total 24 US gallons capacity
Door mounted mirrors
Extended spring hangers, this was to allow the flexibility to run `34 inch tyres (900x16), a standard 109 runs 31 inch tyres (750x16)
Reinforced front bumper with bumperettes
Before the trip to the US
I wanted to make sure the truck would be reliable before shipping, with the superior parts availability in the UK it made sense to do what needed doing there first. Mechanically everything worked, however I did make some sensible upgrades.
Turner Engineering 8:1 CR stage one unleaded cylinder head (original was 7:1 CR leaded)
Electronic distributor (no points and condenser to go wrong)
Fairey overdrive to lower engine revs for freeway cruising
6.5J genuine ANR1534 one ton/130 steel wheel rims - if you know series trucks you'll know these rims are sought after, 1' wider than standard yet look standard and allow the safe fitment of wider tires. Try and find a set of 5 now for less than $1000.
235/85R16 Cooper Discoverer STT tires, spare is a Michelin LTX the same size
Brake flexible hoses replaced and steel brake pipes replaced with copper
Brake master cylinder replaced
Seat belt mounting brackets sourced from a later ambulance and seatbelts fitted
New seat backs, bases and door cards from Exmoor Trim in denim twill vinyl
Replace firewall Hardura covering with new
Heater matrix re-cored as unique to the ambulance, purely precautionary
Bare metal re-spray to NATO Light Stone (British military desert color). Any dents and defects deliberately not filled with bondo, I thought to do so detracted from the originality and history of the truck
After arrival in the US
As to be expected for a vehicle that has just turned 50 years old there are always jobs here and there to do, plus nice to have upgrades as well. Since arriving in the US I have done the following:
Alternator fitted in place of dynamo (generator) and regulator set up
Butler red cross lamp sourced and fitted, these were removed by the British military in the 1970s when UK law made it illegal to show a red lamp on the front of a vehicle
All brake wheel cylinders and brake shoes replaced, Lockheed Delphi wheel cylinders and Mintex brake shoes ' precautionary move due to the age of components
Cobra CB radio fitted, antenna is magnetic and uses existing hole for power feed to Butler red cross lamp ' no holes drilled
Original dual gauge panel sourced and fitted with a voltmeter and oil pressure gauge
Triple 12V accessory sockets and USB charger fitted, again ' no holes drilled
Cork seal in dual fuel tank changeover tap replaced
HUCO (marketed by Weber) electric fuel pump fitted in place of mechanical pump. This was to allow the fuel system to prime before cranking the engine
Hi-torque starter motor from British Starters fitted to improve cranking speed
Apply 3M sound deadening material under the hood and various other places to reduce some noise in the cab
Vehicle Features
4-Wheel Drive
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