Photo credit: Land Rover
Tag Archives: series
Memories
I cleaned out the entire back of The Rover. Time to re-plan the layout and rebuild parts cubbies and living quarters. While doing so, I found little tempered reminders of Chanhassen.
I knew then that I would be finding glass pieces for years.
Alaska’s Grizzly Plate Returns
Alaska’s original 1976 grizzly license plate
The State of Alaska has brought back the grizzly license plate, which was originally introduced in 1976 for the U.S. Bicentennial.
The 2015 version of the grizzly plate
The Grizzly has been updated in the new version, and some say it looks less like a curious groundhog than the original, but I think they look the same. With the tabs due on the Beetle, I think the griz plate would be perfect. I thought about getting them for The Rover, but if someone was willing to steal the front Chilkoot plate off of it in Montana, they are bound to make off with both grizzly plates the next time we’re in the Low 48.
The Celebration Line
Land Rover has recreated the 1948 production line used to manufacture its first four wheel drive vehicle, The Series I. The “Defender Celebration Line” details the history of the Wilks Bros., who were the founders of the Land Rover. The exhibition is located in one of the original buildings at the Solihull factory.
Replica models are showcased at various stages of production, each one built using original parts and in the original method of production, which usually meant hand tools. Land Rover turned to the curator of the Dunsfold Collection, Phil Bashall, to oversee the creation of the “new” Series I’s. Dunsfold is home to the world’s largest collection of rare and unique Land Rovers and parts.
Working alongside Bashall was Roger Crathorne, who is otherwise known as “Mr Land Rover”. Crathorne was born in Solihull, and started working as an apprentice at the Land Rover factory in 1963. He retired from Land Rover in 2013 after 50 years of service to the company.
Is that Oxford?!
Despite the 8000 original Land Rover parts that Bashall had in his collection, it still took a period of months to collect the parts needed to recreate the assembly line. Then another 5 weeks for Bashall and Crathorne to assemble the five vehicles that appear in the “Celebration Line”.
Tours are open to the public for 45 pounds. The display lasts through 2015, which is the Defender’s last year of production at Solihull. I am overdue for a visit to the UK.
All photos are courtesy of Land Rover
Spongy Clutch
With it being another nice day in the far north, I was back in the Rover Hut today to pick up where I left off in Rover Refurbishment. A spongy clutch had me concerned that the clutch slave cylinder needed to be replaced. Several years ago, I chose to replace the seals and rebuilt the slave cylinder instead of replacing it. After removing the transmission tunnel, which I really didn’t want to do again, and pumping the clutch, I quickly saw that it was the hose from the slave that was seeping fluid.
Removing the old hose went easily, one of the perks of previous oil leakage. The bracket holding the hose to the firewall had a broken set of rivets, so even with drilling the old ones out and riveting the bracket back in place, the hose replacement took less than 30 mins.
Both the hose and bleeder are on the top of the slave. I took the bleeder out for ease of getting at the hose in the back. Note to Land Rover: A swivel fitting on the slave end of the hose would have been a really nice design feature.
Anyone who has tried to bleed a Series system knows that it’s best to have a supply of Scotch nearby on the day the bleed is attempted. It’s one of those nasty activities that one needs to mentally psych up for, before even opening the can of DOT 4. I hate to say it went well, but it turned out to be only a beer night and not a Scotch night.
I am not quite ready to put the floor panels and tunnel back in, however. It’ll be a challenge with last night’s fresh snow, but I’ll just lay the floor boards in and get it on the road first before I tighten everything down. Past experience tells me that I have a few bubbles to shake loose first.
Ras-ta-ra-tion: Part 2
Bob Marley’s Land Rover before restoration.
Bob Marley’s 1973 Series III Land Rover has been undergoing a complete restoration by Sandals Resorts International and their affiliate ATL Automotive in Jamaica.
The Series III after restoration.
ATL really did quite the job. There is a video that I will also post. It’s just over 10 minutes long, but they go into the restoration fairly well for a clip. When you look at the condition the truck was in prior to ATL getting their hands on it, you really get a feel for how much work they put into it.
Land Rover Lightweight
Back in the early 1960’s, the Royal Marines and British Army commissioned Land Rover to develop a lighter vehicle than the Series 88, that could be carried by helicopter. The Land Rover Half-Ton was the result. Known as the Lightweight or Airportable, it was 4 inches narrower than the standard 88, which allowed it to sit on a pallet. With removable body panels, and windscreen, the new Lightweight could be easily airlifted when harnessed in a sling. Once the body panels were refitted, however, the Lightweight actually weighed more than the standard 88.
The Half Ton Airportable was produced between 1968 and 1984.
The 1972 Lightweight pictured is for sale out of Chapel Hill on craigslist, with an asking price of $8000. It looks to be in decent shape, and has been through a restoration by the previous owner.
This vehicle comes courtesy of bringatrailer.com
30 Degrees!
It finally warmed up enough to get the new radiator in The Rover.
Leakage source
The missile launched was a direct hit on the not so old radiator. Damn trucks running mudders.
The new, matte black radiator in place
It wasn’t a bad swap, but this time the holes on the shroud did not match up with those on the new radiator’s framing, which was a bit of a surprise, since last time it was perfect. I bought a new radiator hose pick that really worked slick. Well worth the purchase. I replaced all the hoses, but the old ones will go in the tool box as emergency spares, since they really were not very old.
I installed my cold front today as well. Not to increase my heater output, but to protect the new radiator from incoming missiles.
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