For Land Rover Enthusiasts

While Land Rover vehicles can take on any obstacles in the desert, it cannot be said the same of their owners. Scorching temperatures, deadly animals and sinkholes are just a few things they might encounter. And when they venture deep into it, even the most experienced drivers can quickly succumb to the harshness of the desert.

Land Rover UAE have created a survival guide, which explains the basics for staying alive in the Arabian Desert. They researched every indigenous animal and plant, people could encounter in the Arabian Desert and how they could be used to survive. They studied the topography of the region to guide people to safety and used a reflective packaging similar to army rations, which could be used to signal for help, and bound the book with a metal spiral, which could be used for cooking.

Finally, they even took an extra step so that in case of emergency, people could always EAT the book. It was made out of edible ink and paper, and it had a nutritional value close to that of a cheeseburger.

The book was sent out to 5,000 existing customers, given away as a supplement to the cars’ manual and made it freely available in local sports shops. The initial response was very positive. It will now also be included as a giveaway in a motoring magazine with a 70,000 circulation.

This news item is courtesy of Land Rover World magazine.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY: EAT THIS BOOK

For Land Rover Enthusiasts

Winter is closing in down here so this has encouraged me to stay indoors and get a fair bit done on the Land Rover now there are fun muddy tracks to try out. The firewall has been off to the panel beaters and come back with all the rust cut out and the new footwells wielded in. It was not cheap but he did a good job that should last me a few years. At the panel beaters suggestion I had the whole thing sandblasted to clean up all the remaining surface rust and paint before getting it back home.

While the firewall was off being repaired I stripped off the front doors as the bottom rails needed a fair bit of attention as well. I am not great at panel beating but due to the cost of new door lowers I gave it a go so I can get it back on the road with the idea of getting new lowers later on. Taking the door tops off was easy enough as I found only one of the four bolts on either door was still in one piece. One side almost fell off in my hands once I took the plastic trim off, it is a wonder it did not fall off while I was opening and closing the door earlier in the rebuild process. The lower part of the door was in OK condition but had the normal rot in the lower metal frame. I have done a bit of a bodge by putting in some metal and then using filler to clean up the join and it has not come up too bad although I know it will need attention in a year or two.

Once both doors were sorted I hung them up and painted them at the same time as the firewall. I only have a small compressor so the poor thing took a bit of a trashing but I got there in the end with two coats of primer and then a couple of top coat. It is not a perfect paint job, buy is good enough for now as I am planning on doing a full repaint of the car at a later date on all the outer surfaces. It will look a little strange for a while too as the new paint is the correct colour but all the rear tub is faded to a very light tan.

The door tops I am still working on and have turned into a bit of a nightmare. Since pulling them off and finding all the bolts sheared off I have found out they are full alloy frames that are apparently quite rare and expensive to replace. The bolts sheared off due to corrosion inside the frame so it has taken about 4 attempts and a lot of questions on some forums before I eventually found a way to drill out the old bolt without damaging the frame and re-tap a thread into it. I now have to source a bolt with M8 thread on one end and M10 on the other but I think that will be the easier part of the process.

With the firewall back on the car it was time to start sorting out the dash and associated wiring and I have to say this is the hardest part of the rebuild so far. It probably took 4 days all up to get the dash back in and wired in and even then there are a few bits and pieces I still need to clean up. It didn’t help that I had someone else help me pull it all out so I didn’t know where some if it all fitted plus it had a fair few bodge jobs with fasteners and wiring I had to clean up as well along the way. All I can say is if you are contemplating doing a dash or firewall rebuild make sure you put lots of labels on the wires and take lots of pictures. There is nothing worse than getting almost finished then realising you have to take it all apart again because you forgot one piece!

Once all the switchgear was sorted I had Sam come over and help with all the rear lights. These were in a sad state so I had already purchased a full set of replacements from Paddocks late last year. Again, there was a fair but of trial and error getting the wiring sorted but eventually we had all the lights doing the right thing at the right time. I also put some gas in the tank and confirmed that $60 of fuel only gets a 1/3 of a tank in a defender. It is going to be an expensive car to keep near the full mark!

With the electrics almost complete I have been spending an hour or two each night doing all the little fiddly jobs like putting the floor plates back in, attaching the handbrake back up and also bleeding the clutch and brake systems. All of these were completely dry as I had replaced almost everything so it took a litre of fuel and a fair bit of work to get all the air bubbles out. I also replaced the front seatbelts as the old ones were a bit faded and I didn’t trust they were still good after all these years. The vehicle has spent a lot of time on the beach in the past and I’m sure all that sand and salt would not have been good for the webbing

The next few weeks are going to be concentrating on all the external engine components like air filter, exhaust and putting the front panels back on. All going well the next blog ill be sending will have a video of me starting up and almost ready for the Warrant of fitness.

LANDY DOWN UNDER by ANDREW (PART 11)

For Land Rover Enthusiasts

In Part one of his memoirs of life with a Series 1, Damian Turner introduces us to the notion of Serendipity: The faculty of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident.

Words and Photos by Damian Turner

The story began a few years ago at the Northern MG owners rally at Scarsbrick Hall, near Southport and a chance look at a MG ZT revealed a piece of paper in the window that read, ‘1955 Land Rover Series 1 for sale, 37,000 miles, 2 owners from new, original registration and excellent condition, £1,500.’  Well, what else was I supposed to do?

Within ½ hour we had arrived at Joe’s house where I must admit I was taken aback, I honestly expected to see an ex trials motor with SAT’s and not a straight panel in sight.  But instead I was gawping at a very straight and original Series 1, albeit with faded and peeling paintwork that gave an overall deshabled look.  She was stripped to her waist and looked perfect for summer!  I was getting those tingly feelings as I gave her the once over, rear cross member, solid.  Chassis and bulkhead, solid.  She looked original and it sounded just right to as Joe started her up.  I was beginning to let my guard down!

TKF’s history was straight forward he explained, her first owner was a farmer who owned her for 35 years; he used it to deliver milk on a small housing estate next to his farm.  Joe had her for the last 15 years and had used her to collect wood from a nearby forest, but for the last 5 she hadn’t moved at all.  Joe said that the only reason he bought TKF all those years ago was for the registration, but once he got her MOT’d, he became hooked by her charm and decided to keep her.  Joe also mentioned that he had MOT certificates that went back to the early eighties that quoted 22,000 miles.

Well that was it, she was like a Siren hypnotising me with her brummie accent!  Just as I was about to throw my watch at him as a deposit, Karen Lee grabbed my arm and dragged me away muttering something about not making rash decisions, being sensible and sleeping on it, which if I’m being honest, I didn’t understand, never mind hear…  I wanted that little Series 1!  Karen Lee being the sensible type, she knew exactly what to do in the event of my eyes glazing over and wanting to spend our hard earned money… she took me to the nearest Italian restaurant and calmed me down!

The following day we dragged our friend Chris along to have a look at it, what he doesn’t know about Land Rovers frankly isn’t worth knowing.  I wanted to know if I was seeing her through green oval tinted glasses, or was she a real gem of a Series 1?  I had to know.

Chris spent a good half an hour of tapping, scraping, and muttering things, Karen Lee and I prepared ourselves by being ‘real’.  Then, as Chris emerged from the underside of TKF he muttered to Karen Lee, ‘If he doesn’t buy it, I will!’  So a deal was done, and I was a Land Rover owner again.

Once home at Turner Towers, I poured half a jerry can of unleaded into her fuel tank and ran her for a while whilst I made a list of things she’d require for her MOT.  There wasn’t that much if I’m honest, the near side headlamp wasn’t working, neither was the off side rear light.  Her windscreen wiper wasn’t connected and one of her rear axle straps had snapped, on top of that she needed a service as she began to splutter.  Maybe being moved after five years of standing still had disturbed muck in the fuel tank.

Then, as I switched off the engine, I could heard a faint sizzling noise.  On opening the bonnet I saw water bubbling on the manifold, a closer inspection saw that the top hose had split and was spitting out water.  As the following day was Wednesday, I would be in Tyldsley, and therefore passing Land Ranger Services, so I ordered a replacement hose and headlamp.  Whilst fitting the hose, I decided to drain, flush, and refill the water system.

After I changed the headlamp, I set about replacing the Discovery wheels for the date stamped originals that came with it, mainly because they looked better and as these had better tyres, even though they were crossplys!

Booking her in for the MOT seemed like a good idea, I was under no illusion that she would pass, but at least it would start the ball rolling.  Before I did that, I thought that I’d better inflate the tyres, so I drove my other car around the back as I could then use my Sealey Heavy Duty Compressor that I bought from the Difflock Store.

I drove Tink (her new nickname), out of my back yard and onto my back street and inflated the two off side tyres.  Then it happened, as I was in the middle of a five point turn so I could inflate the near side tyres, I heard a heart sinking metallic ping, then the steering wheel went all loose and came off in my hands!  A close inspection found that the steering box had broke in two – oh how I laughed!  Using my hi lift jack, I raised and pushed her until she was able to be reversed straight into the yard!  I found solace later that evening in a bottle of red and a huge pizza!

‘Now then,’ I pondered to myself.  ‘Where the ‘eck do I find a 1955 steering  box?’  All the usual suspects were tried without success, so I looked on the Series 1 club website and among their list of parts suppliers was Red Dragon Restorations, the only place I found to have one.  And whilst I was enjoying my spending spree, I ordered a Series 1 parts catalogue which I figured would be invaluable.

When our ‘new’ steering box arrived, I read through the instructions that the owner of Red Dragon had given me with regards to replacing the old unit.  After I’d stripped the steering surround, I had to remove the two bolts in the footwell that hold the steering box to the bulkhead, the three horizontal bolts that hold the bracket onto the chassis and another bolt that holds the bracket to the wing.  Next I had to break the ball joint and feed the whole lot through the footwell, and fitting the ‘new’ unit would be the reverse of the above!  All sounds easy, doesn’t it?  Well it wasn’t, it was a horrible job!  That said, if I was to do it again, I could do it in half an hour!  Old Land Rovers, great aren’t they?

And so with the old unit resting securely in my vice, I used Chris’s hydraulic bearing puller to remove the drop arm, and loads of WD40 to help remove the chassis bracket, then they were swapped onto the ‘new’ unit.  I then went and removed the ball joint that I had destroyed and fitted the new one onto the steering arm that goes to the relay.  By this time it was getting dark, so I donned my head torch and fitted the new steering box back onto Tink by sliding the unit up through her wheel arch and feeding it through the hole in the bulkhead.  I then fumbled my way fitting the nuts and bolts securing it to the footwell whilst wishing I had longer arms, then the securing bracket to the chassis and wing,  all that was left then was to fit the steering column bits.  Phew, I was feeling very, very pleased with myself, things were progressing nicely, all that I had to do in the morning was to connect the new ball joint to the drop arm, fill it with oil and move on to other jobs I had noted for the MOT.

The following day, after I’d given Chris his bearing puller back, I donned my ‘lying under the Land Rover’ clothes and went to fit the new ball joint to the drop arm…….. errrr no.  No matter what I tried, I couldn’t fit the ball joint into the drop arm, I then realised that what I should’ve done was to fit the drop arm last!  I went and borrowed Chris’s bearing puller again, removed the steering box again, pulled off the drop arm again, and refitted the bloody steering box….. again!  This time I fed the ball joint into the drop arm, then slotted the arm onto the steering box, tightened everything up, filled with oil, and jumped for joy, sorted!

On the subject of oil, rather than just buy any from the corner shop, I asked on ‘www.Difflock.com’ what oil would suit something this old, the suggested that their Classic 15W50 Engine Oil will serve well for all year round protection.   As far as the gearbox, axles, steering box etc, their Classic GL4 Gear Oil 80W90 would be ideal, so I ordered both.

The other jobs I had noted for her MOT were to get the windscreen wiper working, replace the snapped axle strap, and give her a thorough service.  However, the dark nights were closing in, it was raining everyday, my bad back began to flare up with the miserable weather, I had more work to do, oh and general apathy!  See, I have some very good excuses for not doing anything to Tink for the following five months!

As March arrived with lighter nights and warmer weather I began to notice that I had a Land Rover parked in my back yard and so with new enthusiasm I set about preparing her again.  I remembered that she had an issue with spluttering when the accelerator was pressed.  The engine would ‘psssst’ every time I pressed the accelerator then die for a short while.  As it was at least twenty years since I last looked at an ignition system, I invited Barny around to share in my confusion.  Nothing much looked out of order, but we did notice that all the ignition parts bar the coil were a mish mash of old and new bits.  £50 was spent new leads, new dizzy cap, new plugs, a new coil, new rotor arm and new points.  Once fitted there was a noticeable improvement straight away………. but she was still ‘pssss’ting’!

‘Okay, let’s look at the fuel supply.’  I thought confidently, forgetting for a while that I was a complete novice at this.  Although Tink had been run every fortnight or so, she hadn’t been driven for about five years, so maybe the fuel system was blocked.  The first thing I did was to clean the sediment bowl, I don’t know why, it just seemed like a good idea at the time.  I then proceeded to strip the fuel pump and fit a new diaphragm for the accelerator pump.  That didn’t solve it either!  The next move was advise given to me by an experienced Series 1 owner, ‘Take the carb off, and blow it.’  He said!  Hmmm, do I really want to be that friendly?   Anyway, after staring at the carb for a while (I must admit, it scared me), I removed it and blew into everything I could!  And do you know what?  It worked, she wasn’t pssst’ing anymore!

Okay, time to look at the windscreen wiper.  Yes, it was there, so was the motor.  What wasn’t was any kind of wire and plug to give it the energy it needed to fulfill it’s obligations.  My mate Chris told me I needed a ‘banana plug’, so another mate, Julian gave me a couple.  Once I fitted the plug and attached the bare wire to the motor, I switched on and it still didn’t work, until that is I persuaded it!  However, once it did work, it was next as useless, so a quick trip to Buckley Bro’s in Darwen for a new wiper arm, blade and little adaptor thing so it would fit onto the old motor arms.  Woohoo, another step forward, I was becoming confident!

And then I remembered that the near side axle strap was dangling in two pieces and the bolts holding them secure on the chassis had their heads snapped, great.  As I didn’t have time to start drilling the bolts out, I cut the strap and soaked the bolts on t’other side in penetrating spray before removing them.  If it ain’t there, it can’t be MOT’d!

Last minute checks meant a few things,  the battery needed to be secured, now where did I put that small ratchet strap?  I then noticed that the brake lights didn’t respond to the call of the brake pedal.  The brake light switch is in the most vulnerable of places just forward of the drivers footwell, so I removed it, cleaned out all the muck and goodness knows what else, and refitted it.  I now had two working brake lights.

So, as far as I was concerned, it was MOT time.  Although I was fairly confident of her passing, I had managed to convince myself that she wouldn’t.  The time had come, and so with with only 37,373 miles on the clock, off we trundled…. slowly.  My confidence in her grew with every mile we drove, hoping that her new steering box would last longer for me than her last one did.

And?  Well of course she passed!  I was well chuffed, my Land Rover was now legal to drive for the first time in around six years, and it felt great!  Driving home with no roof and her doortops removed, I couldn’t help grinning like a Cheshire cat as I thought to myself, ‘Let the adventures begin!’

To be continued……………..

The above content originally appeared in LRW magazine and is reproduced here with their kind permission.  Any advice or opinions are those of LRW magazine and its writers. Land Rover World magazine.

SERENDIPITY – A LOVE AFFAIR WITH A SERIES 1 (PART 1)

For Land Rover Enthusiasts

Back in January we told the story of 15 year old Ieuan Davies restoring a 1975 Series 3.

1975 SERIES 3 REBUILD BY A 15 YEAR OLD by IEUAN DAVIES PART 1

Now he’s finished the project, here’s an update from him along with images of his Landy!

——————————————————————–

Well sorry for not updating, but after five months she is now finished!

Rewired from scratch, all new light units, new radiator, every panel rubbed down, repaired primed and painted

She’s been out and about getting dirty and working hard, very very proud of her, and just to know that everything underneath is galved and stainless bolts and rebuilt, should go on for a few more years to come hopefully!

Not bad for a 16 year old’s first car i don’t think

1975 SERIES 3 REBUILD BY A 15 YEAR OLD (PART 2)

For Land Rover Enthusiasts

So what is a Winch Challenge? What does it involve? Can anyone do it? What kit do you need? Am I up to it? Is my co-driver up to it? Have I got a co-driver? What is a co-driver and what do they do? What are the different disciplines? How does the scoring work? Is my vehicle up to it? Why do the regs look so complicated? How much will it all cost?

If you are thinking about entering a challenge these are just a few of the questions that you may be asking yourself. There are no definitive answers, the sport is evolving and there are different clubs and organisations involved. All we’re aiming to do here is to introduce you to the Challenge scene at a basic level. We will also give you some pointers to help understand the requirements and get you started.

Normally the word ‘winch’ is used in the title but not always. You can assume though, that a winch is going to be a great asset. Not all are winch challenges, some follow a generic Challenge format where the markers can be reached without a winch.

What do you actually have to do?
Challenges follow a pretty much standard format. You can expect anything from 10 to 60 markers on a one day event and they are likely to be of varying difficulty/technicality. Your vehicle is given a punch card – this will typically have numbered boxes on it. The aim is to get your vehicle with the punch card attached to it, close enough to a marker punch to enable you to punch the correct numbered marker in the appropriately numbered punch card box. Then you can extract yourself (normally easier said than done) and head for the next punch.

Punches will either be shown on a map individually or grouped, illustrated as waypoints for a GPS/navigation system, plotted on a map for you to copy or hidden leaving you to hunt them out yourself.

Timelines:
How you plan your day, time wise, is normally your decision. You will have a start time and cut off time, between those its up to you. If there are special stages (SSs) involved you may be allocated a start time or it may be your choice when you go to do them. Punch wise, you must work out how you wish to split your time on punches; do you do the easy ones and leave hard ones to come back to later or do you go for technical punches which can be more satisfying. A lot will depend on the scoring system and what your aim is, is it to enter to win or to enter to have a good day out or just a training day.

Special Stages(SS):

These are normally introduced to break up the day and give competitors some variety to the standard punch counting. They can vary greatly including mind puzzles, blind fold drives, co-driver teamwork exercises and speed or navigation events. A lot will depend on the type of event you have entered as to the difficulty and type of SS. As a guide, if you have entered an introductory type challenge you may well find that the SS is more mind or team work orientated. SSs can run from several minutes through to hours. Before you start any SS make sure you understand its aim and how the point scoring system works. Do you have to complete the course for any points to count? Does that have to be within the time limit or can you go over time but still complete the course to get points? All these factors will vary depending on the club/group running the event.

Scoring:

Normally scoring is achieved in two categories, first: the Punches and second: the Special Stages. Make sure you understand the score system BEFORE you start. Are all the punches worth the same? Some clubs have harder punches worth more points. Another system is where all punches are initially worth the same but they decrease in value the more vehicles in same class that achieve them. Do punch scores count across the whole field or do they depend on class? Is there a penalty system for vehicles with more aids to traction? How might this affect your vehicle and strategy for tackling the day?

As indicated above for the special stages you also need to understand how these are scored before you do them. Do you have to do a Special Stage (SS) at all? Some clubs discount punch scores if you miss the SS, some make the SS worth so many points that you discount yourself from the leader board by not doing them. Could you achieve a higher punch score in the time it would take you to transit to and complete an SS?

Class System
Different clubs will have different criteria to distinguish between classes. Some run Road Taxed classes (needing an MOT and Tax) through to heavily modified vehicles that are just used off road. The AWDC class these as nos 1 –3, whilst 4×4 Adventures for example run them as Standard, Standard + 1 or Modified. Whatever class system is being used it is more than likely that the traction aids will be used as a class. This means anything that will help you vehicle get further, such as axle lockers and winches. Class groups will work depending on the numbers of these that you have.

Getting Into the Challenge Scene

If you are looking to get into the scene it is important that you pitch your team at the correct level. Your team is made up of three main components; driver, co-driver and vehicle. Once you have a working understanding of the combined ability of these elements you have a starting point. We would always recommend starting at the lower end and work up. There is huge potential to learn how to and not to do things by watching other teams and their different approaches on set punches. From there you can then look to enter an event you feel is suitable to your teams ability.

Scrutineering

Make sure you have read and understand the rules and regs for which ever event you intend to. You will find that rules and regs vary between organisations and events within those organisations. If in doubt contact the organiser and talk through your points of concern. To be turned away for failing scrutineering is not something that should ever occur. Make sure not only the vehicle complies but also you have all the stipulated equipment, from winch kit through to first aid or navigation systems. Safety is paramount and marshalls will not let you continue on failing a safety issue so ensure you work through the points prior to arriving at the event.

Co-driver and teamwork
Having found and prepared your vehicle, the most important element is your co-driver . In fact the co-driver is arguably more important than the vehicle. Obviously, you need all three elements to make up the team but even where a vehicle is lacking, a good co-driver should find a solution. So what is a co-driver ? The co-driver (winchman, winch-monkey or winch-bitch) should be the answer to your problems! They are responsible for getting the vehicle to where it needs to be. This may be a complex winching situation to gain a punch followed by the vehicle extraction or it may be reading tulip diagrams on a night navigation stage. A co-driver needs to be flexible, reasonably robust and fit. If you can find a co-driver who also has some driving ability and technical winching understanding this is good but not essential as you can teach them these aspects.

James Trembath and 4×4 Adventures Ltd run the very popular South West Challenge Series as well as Drive around days at various locations. Check out www.4x4adventures.co.uk for further details.

The above content originally appeared in LRW magazine and is reproduced here with their kind permission.  Any advice or opinions are those of LRW magazine and its writers. Land Rover World magazine.

IT’S A CHALLENGE! by JAMES TREMBATH

For Land Rover Enthusiasts

What could be easier than towing your challenge truck to an event, play all day, then tow it home again? As with everything else, Government regulations apply.

The more you modify your off-road vehicle, the more you push its limits and the more you risk breaking something. But it also becomes less drivable on the road and harder to pass the MOT. One of the options is to take it on a trailer. But do you have the right driving licence?

SUVs are getting bigger and heavier, with more and more pulling power. This makes it easier to tow a bigger and more comfortable caravan. But are you allowed to? Or you might have a horsebox that you used to tow with your old (and fairly light) Series III, but now you drive a Discovery 4. Well your trailer better be very light, or you may not be able to take it anywhere if you do not have the right license.

The Rules (in the UK):

The first place to check for up-to-date towing regulations is the DVLA web page: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring

But in a nutshell, the rules for people with a standard car driving license (up to 3.5t) are:

(1) if you passed your UK driving license before 1997 you can tow any trailer as long as the combined (car + trailer) maximum authorised mass (MAM) does not exceed 8,250kg.

(2) if you passed your UK test after 1997, then you are limited to the following combinations:

- Category B vehicle with a 750kg (max) trailer

- Category B vehicle with an over-750kg trailer as long as the combined MAM does not exceed 3500kg

It means that if you bought a 950kg MAM caravan when you had a vehicle with a 2.5t MAM you were OK to tow with your standard B licence. If you still have the same caravan but you now drive a Discovery with a 2.7t MAM you need the B+E licence.

With the size and weight of the current Land Rover range, the likelihood of coming into the over-3.5t category is very high with most caravans, horse-boxes or car transporter trailers.

Not having the right licence means that you will need to take an exam to pass it. But even you if you do not actually need to get a new test we would argue that doing a trailer driving course is very advisable. And we would particularly advise to steer clear of new-looking cars and caravans in the summer, it could be their first time out.

Training

When looking for trailer and towing courses, you will instantly notice that (a) there are not that many driving schools doing it, (b) it’s more expensive that normal car driving training (about twice as much in some places) and (c) a few places really take the potential customer for an idiot and instantly advise, after a five minute chat on the phone, that you’ll need at least a week of full time training before thinking of taking the test. There are a list of towing courses and instructors on the National Trailer & Towing Association website: www.ntta.co.uk

One of the downsides with not having a UK Driving Licence (I’m French) is that I don’t have the necessary B&E section on my licence. But it is a legal requirement if I want to tow my Discovery off-roader on a trailer.

After a bit of research I booked a training course with Martin Lovell (www.trailerinstructor.co.uk) because it was convenient for me in terms of location in Surrey, but mostly because he would not force me into a standard and fixed course until I had a proper assessment.

Martin was extremely thorough and straight to the point (maybe his ex-army background). He asked me why I wanted to get the license, what I’m driving (Discovery), what I will be towing (car transporter), my experience (towing a light caravan many years ago) and he asked me to do a few manoeuvers. He uses a standard hatchback car with a twin axle box trailer. This combination is just about right for the test requirements and can cater for most of his customer’s needs.

Based on the initial assessment, he decided that a long half-day training session would be sufficient. The training provided was tailored to get me through the test; theory questions, specific reversing, manoeuver, emergency stop, coupling/uncoupling and real-life driving.

The theory questions and answers can be revised at home (download the documents from the direct.gov.uk web site) The ‘S’ shape reversing is not hard to master as long as you take it slowly. Martin gave me some tips on how much to turn the steering wheel in order to get the ideal angle at different points of the exercise. The emergency stop is done by reaching the 20mph mark and stopping as quickly as possible without locking the car wheels (not really very hard with ABS). The coupling and uncoupling exercise is a matter of learning the right sequence and make sure to show to the examiner that everything you do is geared towards safety.

The real life driving was actually harder than expected, not because of the trailer, but because I passed my driving test about eighteen years ago. In that time, anyone can pick up some bad habits. That was maybe the most useful part of the whole training. It was a good reminder on how you’re supposed to drive on the road, respect ALL regulations and do things the right way.

After a few hours training, Martin declared that I was ready to pass the exam.

The B+E Test

The test is booked via the VOSA web site and costs £115. Mine was to be held at the centre in Reading.

I met Martin a couple of hours before the exam, and had a couple of practices before we drove off to the test centre. Taking time to scout around the area.

With all the paperwork done, the test starts with the theory questions, including one I wasn’t prepared for: how to check the coolant level of the vehicle. It took me a couple of embarrassed minutes to locate the header tank as it was hidden behind the front grille. (reminder: look at the engine bay before to go to the test!)

Then it was time for the reversing exercise. You start from a box area, and have to do a ‘S’ line reverse into another box area just big enough for your car and trailer and you must stop within a couple of feet from the “end of the box” board. Touch the board and you can go home. Following that was the emergency braking exercise which was a no brainer, and I thought I did it well.

After that we were off for the hour drive. Basically, I spent my time turning my head to check the mirrors, using my indicators, checking my speed, etc. During that time the examiner marks you against any mistakes.

Finally, back at the test centre, we did the uncoupling/coupling exercise.

In the end I got nine minor errors (apparently I drove twice at 33mph in town, once I did not look in the mirror when pulling out at a traffic light – there could have been a cyclist – and once I was a bit too “aggressive” when pulling out of a parking space. The rest I don’t know). Nine minor errors are not a failure (you need 18 to fail), so I passed my test and Martin was happy with the result, I was not. But apparently, for a male driver with many thousand of miles under his belt, this is not a bad score!

I can now legally and safely tow my Discovery to events on the trailer.

General towing information and tips

You should service your trailer or caravan the same way as you look after and service your Land Rover. A badly maintained trailer can be very dangerous on the road for yourself and others. We cannot stress enough to check the conditions of the tyres, brakes, electrics and even the chassis itself.

When you load a vehicle on a car transporter, the usual way to secure it is to choke the wheels. But if that vehicle is a lifted truck, the body is going to roll a lot in corners. A very useful tip is to strap down the front and rear bumpers of the vehicle to the trailer to compress the springs a little and reduce body movement.

If you want to buy a car transporter trailer, there are two types. The narrow (plant-trailer style) where the loading platform is over the wheels. It is very useful if you have to drive in very narrow lanes, but the centre of gravity is very high. The wide style where the load is between the wheels makes it more stable but you could struggle in some places due to the overall width.

Defenders and Tachographs

In recent years the rules regarding fitting and use of Tachographs have been tightened. Although this will not affect the vast majority of Land Rover owners there ARE a couple of areas where you may get caught out.

Generally as long as you are towing in a private capacity you are exempt from these regs as long as you remain within the normal weight limits.

However if you tow a trailer FOR REWARD you open yourself up to prosecution for not using a tachograph. Those two words: FOR REWARD are where it gets complicated. In general if its not part of your job you’re OK but what if you’re towing a display vehicle to a show for a friend? Or towing a box trailer full of autojumble? We have heard of people being prosecuted or getting tickets in these very same circumstances.

Just like the A-Frame debate (see details elsewhere) it seems clear but often comes down to the decision and knowledge (or lack of knowledge) of the police officer writing the ticket.

The above content originally appeared in LRW magazine and is reproduced here with their kind permission.  Any advice or opinions are those of LRW magazine and its writers. Land Rover World magazine.

GETTING HITCHED by XAVIER GOSSELIN

For Land Rover Enthusiasts

Hi all, after a bit of a break sorting out some long overdue home repairs we have finally got back onto working on the 110. To start off with you should be able to look at a video of us getting rid of all the scrap after doing the body swap. That got me a few hundred NZ dollars so it will go a long way towards paying for the rest of the build. It was quite scary how easy the chassis half crushed around the front x-member area. I think it had a little more rust in there than I thought!

To go any further on the build we need to repair the firewall as it has rust in the top corners and the foot wells like any Landrover of this age that has had any decent use. I knew things like this would be tricky because of the need to remove all the dash and associated wiring so I allowed a full day to get it done. I started at around 9am and then had a couple of friends join me an hour or two later.

Taking the windscreen off was not too difficult thankfully as the window frame is still in very good condition . I was not sure if it was attached at the top but we soon found all the 10mm bolts and then lifted it out. I am planning on doing a fair bit of possum and rabbit shooting so I may leave the hood lining out so I can fold it down quickly for farm spotlighting duty. Has anyone out there done this? Have you had any issues with re-sealing the windscreen after folding it down a few times?

The dash posed a bit more of an issue as it had obviously been apart in various stages over time so there were various burred, rusted and plain incorrect fasteners throughout. Not having removed a Landrover dash before it also took a while figuring out the order that everything has to come out in. My friends actually ended up doing most of that work while I concentrated on the larger bits like the clutch, brakes and associated mechanicals. These came out without too much trouble with the impact gun making things a lot faster and simpler throughout. I think this is still the best money I spent on tools during the upgrade as it gets all those frozen bolts and nuts out, often without snapping or stripping them.

One of the hardest things we had to do once all the interior bits were out was removing the two 13mm bolts where the firewall attaches to the sills. These were very rusted and the studs snapped off the frame and started turning, making it impossible to remove the nuts. We ended up having to use a Dremel with a fine cutting wheel to cut the nuts in half and bash them off with a cold chisel. When we re-assemble I will use stainless nuts and bolts as a replacement rather than trying to wield new bolts back in.

The bulkhead was lighter than I was expecting and once off it was nice to find only one top corner is rusted and not both as I first thought. I have dropped the firewall off to the panel beaters today along with both foot wells and the top corner repair pieces already purchased from Paddocks and I should see it back in a couple of weeks. While that is being done I plan on attaching all the electrics in the back of the vehicle and also bolting the main tub onto the chassis as it is just sitting there at the moment. I will also drop off the radiator to be re-cored and try to make a start on the exhaust while I have easy access.

Enjoy spring up there in the Northern Hemisphere, it is starting to get cold, windy and dark down here….

LANDY DOWN UNDER by ANDREW (PART 10)

For Land Rover Enthusiasts

Jaguar Land Rover is apparently taking part in talks with a number of manufacturers in Brazil to build a local assembly plant.

This would be in addition to the already announced operations in India, China and Russia as they seek to make deeper inroads into these emerging markets. The vast majority of the UK’s production is now exported with China taking the lion share now that demand is shrinking in the US and Europe.

As we previously reported, JLR has agreed to enter a joint venture in China with Chery Automobile Co. to build and develop vehicles for the world’s biggest automobile market.

“JLR is in discussions with a number of parties in Brazil regarding establishing production there,” a spokesman for Jaguar Land Rover said. He said it was too early to discuss the models that may be produced in Brazil, a growing and important market for the company.

A factory in Brazil will enable JLR to avoid the current 30% import tax for vehicles. But to take full advantage of the tax regimes a vehicle must be 65% built from local components so it could be more than just an assembly plant that is fed from the UK.

Land Rover is, of course, no stranger to Brazilian manufacturing as the 300TDi engine was built under license there for local markets and was even used in some South American spec Ford Pickups. Even after UK production switched to the TD5 the 300TDi carried on and was developed further to become a very useful 2.8 litre lump.

Indian Freelanders

In India, JLR opened a plant in May last year in the western city of Pune where it assembles the Freelander 2 SUV. “We are looking at opportunities to expand this operation,” the spokesman said. “We see India as a market with significant opportunities for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands.”

The company sold 274,000 vehicles globally in 2011, up 18%. Sales in China climbed 60% to 42,000 vehicles. In India, sales more than doubled to 2,288 vehicles from 891 vehicles.

This news item is courtesy of Land Rover World magazine.

GETTING A BRAZILIAN

For Land Rover Enthusiasts

It is looking increasingly more likely that Land Rover is going to follow the footsteps of BMW Mini and increase the range of vehicles all based on one model.

The modern Mini has spawned a multitude of variants catering for a huge range of customers and the DC100 and a rumoured ‘baby’ Evoque could be following that formula.

Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern recently confirmed to Autocar that the brand has plans for expansion into new market segments. He is quoted as saying, “Land Rover will give much greater relevance to far more people in the future.” Citing the Evoque as an example and pointing out the importance of offering products that no one else has.

The current favourite option mentioned by those in-the-know is for an entry-level model that could come with a Land Rover badge (eg a modified DC100) instead of a further development of the Range Rover Evoque.

John Edwards, head of Land Rover, is already on record as stating that he wants the Defender ‘family’ to be the best selling models in the line-up. At present the Defender sells less than 20,000 units per year worldwide, compared to over 500,000 Toyota Hilux trucks. A large part of that is due to the Defender’s narrow customer appeal and the fact that it is missing from showrooms in some key markets like the United States.

Those of us worrying that the new DC100 will not live up to the reputation of the current Defender have been assured that Land Rover is consulting with buyers in Sub-Saharan Africa about cost of ownership and ease of maintenance, which are critical factors for any utility vehicle designed for heavy-duty off-road use.

This news item is courtesy of Land Rover World magazine.

LAND ROVER GETS MINIFIED

For Land Rover Enthusiasts

As per usual we will be closed over the Easter Holiday period.  Our opening hours are as follows:

Good Friday 6th April – CLOSED

Saturday 7th April – CLOSED

Easter Sunday 8th April – CLOSED

Bank Holiday Monday 9th April – CLOSED

Tuesday 10th April – Open as usual

Hope you all have a great Easter break.

EASTER CLOSING