Busy of late

[nightrider]

I have been that busy of late I have not even had the chance of a day out in the van, beginning to miss it, although I did give it a good wash down on sunday to get rid of that green gunge that gets into all the nooks and crannies. Am presently going through all my gear in the garage and workshop with the intention of holding a grand garage sale.

PS anyone interested in a nice landrover Discovery?

[Guest peter]

Has it got the usul ruty chassis rails? How much you fter and how old is it?

[nightrider]

peter - 2010-11-02 10:18 PM

 

Has it got the usul ruty chassis rails? How much you fter and how old is it?

1996, maroon in colour, 2 new tyres, towbar, 6 months tax and test, new seat covers, smart looking motor, clean underneath, some rust underneath but not serious, some history, looks smart and presentable, not been hammered, I would say a fair price of £1500?

[CliveH]

Sadly they all rust – the Mk1’s especially – I know I also have a 1996 Mk 1 and whilst I love it I am not immune to its faults.

 

However, as the thing is built on a very substantial twin rail box section chassis, as long as the chassis is sound (and they usually are as the chassis rails were oil injected and well painted and undersealed) repairing the rust that usually appears in the wheal arches is not a problem – more of a minor inconvenience.

 

In fact you can purchase whole new inner arches for less than £30 each so you could for c. £120 plus maybe another £100 to £150 get rid of all the rust

 

Front

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LAND-ROVER-WHEEL-ARCH-REPAIR-INNER-WING-/130444288952?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e5f15e3b8

 

Rear

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Landrover-Discovery-inner-wheel-arch-/300481240123?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item45f613dc3b

 

The damn things are so simply put together they are akin to a mechano set. But I have to say the Mk 2 is much better in this respect.

 

Mine is a 3.9 litre V8 running on LPG at 63.9 pence per litre and I have to say – I just LOVE that V8 burble and whilst 19 mpg is a bit of breathtaker these days! – on half price fuel the equivalent is c. 35 to 38 mpg. And of course – it tows like a dream.

 

And I know that there are other good tow vehicles – but in comparison a friend towed with his Ford Mondeo and knocked the suspension bushes out resulting in damage and he had to have a new rear subframe. The cost was several hundred £’s and the car was only a few years old and had only done a few tens of thousands of miles – not the starship mileage my Discovery has done with no suspension or towing related problems as all.

 

In contrast – if the bushes on a discovery (or any land rover for that matter) wear out it is a simple quick and easy repair to replace them.

Not saying what have is the only way – it just suits me. Buy one that has been owned by a farmer who never serviced it and stood it axle deep in mud and manure and I will guarantee that it will be rusty! – chassis rails and all! - Similarly with those use to launch boats in the sea.

 

But take your time and pick a good one and the low overall running costs, sheer towing ability and capability in the mud, ice and snow will impress.

Last winter I was the only person who could drive out of our lane. And I had to laugh at the neighbor who had made the usual “anti 4x4” jokes who tried but all he did was get stuck and block the road so that I had to pull him out.

 

Sometimes life is sweet.

 

[LordThornber]

When we bought our Family home from my Mother in 1995, my wife and myself vowed to keep the clutter to a minimum.

 

Why? Well the volume of stuff that Mum left behind was staggering. Ok, she's elderly, and folk accumulate, but at the time she was only 69 years young. She was moving to a bright shiny apartment and of course had neither the room or the intention of taking all her odds and ends.

 

It took us weeks to finally get rid of it all, the effort required was mind boggling, you'd have thought we'd bought Buckingham Palace rather than a pre war semi 8-)

 

Anyway our vow has paid off handsomely, we are (hopefully) on the last leg of our full time working lives and plan to sell here in the not too distant future; the thought of moving our belongings I can take in my stride.

 

Be ruthless, get shut of your junk, you know it makes sense.

 

Martyn

[nightrider]

I had a phone call at 7am from a guy asking had I still got the landy as he was interested in it.

He came down from Halifax and bought it at the asking price with no quibble, not only that he bought all the surplus gear that I had, ladders scaffolding, builders trestles, planks, and all the tools I had on offer, he is coming back tomorrow with a flatback truck to load up, so all in all today has been profitable with me ending up £2.500 richer.

[LordThornber]

Good for you Malc, I'll be around for that grand you owe me :D

 

Martyn

[nightrider]

Now I have got more room will be up at Burnley auctions in a couple of weeks to replenish stocks, am going into buying and selling used tools and equipment as a bit of a secondary business over the winter up until the gardens kick in, in the spring.

I went down to the welfare benefits to see if they could see their way clear to bunging a bit more on my pension, I didn't like their off hand reply so there is a letter of complaint on the way to that nice Mr Cameron.