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Utilities/services vehicle mystery


discomikey

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Hi All. 

I'm sure one of you lot on here will have had experience with utilities/services vehicles. 

I currently have one in the workshop, a 2008 90, for a full rebuild. It will be an as-standard rebuild. 

 

The 90 was used for some form of utilties/services workhorse in the past. Although it is of no consequence to the rebuild I would like to know what it did/was out of interest. Here are the details I know:

 

It's a Fuji White 90

It was stickered up with some form of signwriting, there are references, presumably for re-ordering and repairing the livery. See photos, is the RAF in the reference number coincidental?  

IMG_20190314_193738.thumb.jpg.19937a059db392b201e39d8e69bf4ac0.jpg

There was an auxiliary wiring harness that had been professionally fitted to the vehicle. Disconnected now but integrated into the handbrake switch wiring, the fusebox and moving through to the battery box it split out to the front of the vehicle, with breakouts to each front wing at the light area. Heavy battery cables to behind the cubby box along with a multiplug. Too heavy to be a fuel burning heater and there is no evidence of a fuel supply ever having been fitted. 

IMG_20190315_151455.thumb.jpg.9695cb74f4056b91abd7a309c8474a58.jpg

There is a ducting that has been fitted to the front crossmember just behind the grill, it's an odd design for just an intake, as it's a slot cut into the side of a hard plastic tube. Ducting ran backwards under the front crossmember but has been cut off at the crossmember so I can't trace it back to any general areas. 

IMG_20190315_151510.thumb.jpg.97c989af88843d96d8affb15134281d5.jpg

Any ideas would be appreciated. 

There are no extra holes or lights in the bodywork, no blanking plates or grommets. No extra wiring to the very rear of the vehicle so I doubt it's warning or blue strobes. 

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It could be RAF - outside of the large scale military contracts, there was a large 'white fleet' of pretty much standard Defenders, used for normal admin and run around work.

I've got a ex RAF white fleet 110, airfield security, was based on Acension island. just had security stickers on it.  Had a regular green RAF 110 before that, all standard and used in Afghanistan - for going to the shops I guess - had some shrapnel in it though!

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2008 for a full rebuild? -  10 years seems too soon....

Have you looked at the Graphics company website? Some interesting stuff on there: http://bluelite.co.uk/gallery/?gclid=CjwKCAjwstfkBRBoEiwADTmnEHdsYzS9kePB6AfMIhFUGtXfKG3nH6wOdI9xTw1GrWfkndmFlWI2FhoCVMMQAvD_BwE

Worth dropping them a question on their reference number 😊

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That tube under the intercooler - is the corrugated tube hollow and where does it lead? If it is hollow the end with the elongated hole looks very much like a slim, remote, siren speaker outlet. I have one outside I can photograph if you like? If it leads up into the engine bay and terminates in a rubber end with a jubilee clip or threaded section I'd put money on that's what it is. The additional wiring would suggest ex police / MoD police / ambulance or other emergency services.

An email to Gaydon and perhaps payment of a small fee will get you the build specs. DVLA will provide previous owner info on a similar basis - as long as you have good reason to request it.

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Yep, siren/speaker outlet behind the grill. Pipes the nee naw to the front from a remote speaker.

Service police or possibly an airport bird scarer, though if the latter it should be yellow not white. We had a couple imported here through the dealership years ago with that sort of setup, and also a squawker that made injured bird noises. Unfortunately the sound of an English pigeon/crow being tortured proved somewhat unfamiliar to Falklands birdlife, so I think they resorted to just shooting stuff which is a common language....

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On 3/23/2019 at 11:33 AM, western said:

They really stifle the amplifier output, much better to have a full size remote speaker horn, there is plenty of room for one behind a Defender grille.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, 

It definitely looks like a remote siren outlet, Unfortunately the conduit has been cut off just behind the crossmember so I'll never know exactly where it went to. 

 

I rang the graphics company and they could tell me it was definitely ex RAF, but no more than that. 

 

Cheers,

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On 3/23/2019 at 7:45 AM, Anderzander said:

2008 for a full rebuild? -  10 years seems too soon....

It was crashed. Otherwise a very tidy car. only 28k miles on the clock. The owner will be selling it when the rebuild is complete I believe

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