6 wheel Defender

There's been quite a lot of 6x6 and 6x4 conversions over the years, mostly not done by LR - some good, some bad.

Richard

Do an internet search on "Perentie" JD

I was about to mention the same thing.

the perentie JD refers to is an Aussie made 6x6 defender/110. it has a turbocharged 3.9 litre isuzu truck engine and is about a foot wider than a standard landy. However, strictly speaking this is not a conversion. the vehicle was designed from ground up as a 6x6 and is almost exclusively an army vehicle. they same base-vehilce i believe was sold in a civvie version but not for long due to extremely low numbers.

But back to the point, there is very little chance you'll see one of these babies cruising the streets of the UK.

Cheers.

Sam.

The civilian version was very different from the army version - while it shared the basic army mechanicals, it retained the standard chassis, body and axle width, and unlike the army version I don't think the chassis was galvanised.

Both civilian and military versions of the 6x6 use the Isuzu 4BD1T, which is the turbocharged version of the 3.9l 4BD1 fitted to Australian Stage 1 Series 3 diesels and to 110s from their introduction to 1990. Both were rated at a load capacity of two tonnes, for an all up weight of around double that of the standard 110. To handle this weight the diff ratios were

4.7, with a consequent limit on maximum speed to around 100kph. This may have been a significant reason for the poor sales on the civilian market, and another one may have been that the introduction of the 127 probably took a lot of it - nearly as much load, and a lot cheaper. The civilian version was sold only as a cab/chassis. Through the years I have seen very few civilian ones, but the army ones can be seen in most army convoys - although rarer than the 110, they are apparently widely used, both as the general purpose truck and the ambulance. On the other hand, the long range patrol version is quite rare - I have never seen one except at military displays (and on television in Iraq). JD

Preferably including the words "Land Rover" (vbg) But yes, lots of interesting info turned up. I shall have to keep my eyes open for this beast again and stop and accost the driver.

I though all defenders had six wheels, four to drive, one spare, and one to steer :)

They were made in Moorbank near sydnney they also made a bus version

Adam

That's Moorebank, a suburb of Sydney. JD

and that is Sydney Australia if you didnt know is that right JD

My friend actually owns one of the bus versions and takes tourists on trips throughout Australia

Adam

Yes, Sydney, NSW, Australia. The bus version was, as far as I know, not factory built. The civilian version was sold only as a cab/chassis, presumably had the bus body built on it by a body builder - quite a lot of that sort of thing goes on. JD

Maybe that is it all i know for sure that is not an ex army one but sold new to a previous owner

Almost certainly would not be ex-army - they have not sold any except possibly one or tow that have been written off in accidents. Not many of the 6x6s were sold to civilians, probably mainly because of cost and relatively low top speed. JD