My 1963 Volvo L3314N

[erikofnorway]

I imported this puppy from Norway earlier this year. It is a 1963 Volvo L3314N from the Norwegian Army, restored as a vehicle that served with NORBATT UNIFIL in Lebanon from 1978 to 1983. The Lebanon War was the only armed conflict these vehicles participated in. I have also included a photo of the vehicle in Lebanon 1979.

[kdiqq]

That's awesome, it literally looks like an exact mix of Pinzgauer and C303. Is the driveline similar to a C303? What are your plans for it?

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[erikofnorway]

I am taking it to military car shows in the CT, RI and MA area, which is why I am retaining the original military configuration. I would also like to do some moderate 4x4 off-road driving with it, but it is hard to find suitable trails here. I am not familiar with the other Volvo's. The engine is a standard Volvo B18A, the transmission is a Volvo M40 and has 4 forward gears and 1 reverse, plus a ZF VG50 transfer case for high and low gears. Axels are Salisbury 4A. A fun vehicle to drive around in, and turns a lot of heads. Living in the northeast it is also a bonus that it has a heater (actually 2 of them), which is an upgrade from my Ford GPW jeep which has none.

[mopar]

Nice Valp!!! You'd be more than welcome at our Mass Mog runs. Trails usually aren't that bad

[VinceAtReal4x4s]

Very cool and rare in good condition.

They are just like Land Rover's underneath. No lockers or portals.

[kdiqq]

Very awesome to see. Looks to be in killer shape!

So t-case, front diff, and rear diff are just normal open diffs?

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[erikofnorway]

Very awesome to see. Looks to be in killer shape!

So t-case, front diff, and rear diff are just normal open diffs?

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I assume so? This is 1950's technology. Very similar to my 1943 Ford GPW.

Would be fun to join you guys in MA, as long as I don't have to go too far. I cannot take it on I95 in Rhode Island because of the minimum speed of 55 mph. If I take it on I-95 I will typically go at 45 mph.

Here are some youtube videos from Norway showing the capabilities of the L3314N "in the field". It's off-road capabilities is superior to anything else they say, provided you have the correct types of tires. I just put on 900-16 tubed tires from STA to replace the original Norwegian made 8.9-16 tires. The closest available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZxbGxh20bI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlSnMeHDF2s (this one is filmed while the vehicle was still in military service in Norway)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLnvOiyHiDc (This is a 25 min show from a local TV station on a Volvo meet in Norway)

Enjoy

Erik

[erikofnorway]

In Scandinavia a "Valp" (Puppy) refers to the Swedish made model L3314.
The Norwegian assembled L3314N is referred to as "Feltvogn" or "Felt" for short which means "Fieldwagon". This was the official Norwegian military designation.
"Laplander" is to my understanding an overall term for all Volvo's of this type assigned by Volvo. (Correct me if I am wrong).

The main differences made by Norway for the L3314N from the Swedish L3314 are:
- Fold-down windshield
- 24 Volt system (NATO compliant)
- 24 Volt NATO plug inside on console between front seats.
- Instrument panel has different gauges and layout.
- Canvas cover is different.
- The Norwegian Hard Top version came with insulated fiberglass top as opposed to aluminum top on Swedish versions.

Manuals for these Volvo's can be downloaded from this site:

http://database.laplander.nu/

A nice Volvo L3314N in original condition and without any major issues can be obtained in Norway for around $3000-4000. Low price is mainly due to favorable exchange rate at the moment.

Parts are easily accessible, but for the most part will need to be imported from Norway, although B18A parts can be obtained in the US.

The L3314N soft top fits perfectly into a US garage with a height of 205 cm (207 cm with 900-16 tires). A standard US garage opening is 210 cm tall. The hard top is taller and will NOT fit into a standard US garage.

Erik

[undysworld]

Great photos! Mange tak!!