Masochistic Early Midlife Crisis - Old Land Rover Content

Have a modification in the pipeline. Well actually, it’s more of a turn it back to what it should be.

None of my current modifications will be being removed.

I’ve also been onto the trimmers while I’m at it. This isn’t acceptable either! I’ve only done 20k since it was rebuilt! Substandard vinyl IMO.

New in January 2016 and fitted April 2016. £800 for the pair built to order on new frames from Exmoor Trim. They’ve emailed me back apologising for them and they are passing photos to their production director for a solution.

The Landy is going to the specialist tomorrow and he is going to phone Dave Ashcroft of Ashcroft Transmissions and take it from there. They usually repair FOC and supply replacement parts at cost for premature failure out of warranty (quick google) which is OK, but doesn’t take into account my specialist’s labour though. 

I’m a bit upset about it TBH. 

Is your Mum’s car the same shape as mine?

Nope, it's the previous shape V70, the last year with the side indicator repeaters in the front wing rubbing strip rather than in the door mirror housings

Trawling the internet, seems there was a "batch" of substandard material used for flywheels resulting in a load of failures. Trouble is that most came to light many years ago. Due to the low mileage of mum's car it has taken a very long time for hers to show up with this defect/issue. The car had also been a very poor starer requiring much churning of the starter motor to get it to spring into life, which no doubt also contributed to excessive wear of the ring gear.

The new starter that was fitted when the battery was changed late last year has made a dramatic improvement; I Just hope that mum will get back her confidence and drive again, because it is running fantastically at the moment, even the guy at the specialists who did the work commented on how well it runs.

Transfer box has been examined and on initial inspection, the input shaft and PTO bearings all look OK. There is an awful lot of metal filings inside, so something has gone catastrophically wrong. It is going to have to be sent off to Ashcroft for them to strip down and rebuild - hopefully with a load of goodwill chucked in. The main gearbox, thankfully, seems fine.

Dave Ashcroft reckons it’s the intermediate shaft that has failed.  

Usual Landie build quality:

New chassis required alongwith new body panels.... oh, and new doors, and a new engine...... new wheels and tyres


It'll be like Trigger's Broom (a few new handles and new bristles) at the end of the restoration

Yes, most of that will be saved.

I popped into the garage this afternoon on the way home and they haven't heard anything. It could be a couple of weeks at least.

Well, I’ve gone full redneck. Photos in the morning. The figure I paid started with a 2. Front end is a bit grumbly with the hubs engaged but fine without and it is otherwise in good nick for its age. Lower than average mileage too. MOT until May.

2004 04 plate 2.5 D4D 134k miles. Tidy bodywork and paint other than needing a polish and the interior could do with a good deep clean.

Had all brake pipes done for last MOT. If I tidy it up and put a year test on it I should get more than I paid for it.

It’s a lovely shade of dog cock pink at the moment, but nothing some G3 won’t sort out. Most of the rust on the bumper is staining from the stone chips and will polish with some Autosol.

I need to go to the factors tomorrow for a tow bar socket as the wiring is u/s. I plugged my trailer in and got a disco along with an ABS fault. The fault cleared on restart.

The tyres are Maxxis Bighorn. Yeeha indeed! 😁