lo-fi

Motor vehicles being a thing of passion is a phase that's behind me entirely now. They were good machines for learning a great many engineering skills, but now a vehicle is a tool as far as I'm concerned. There's now sadly no space for joy in driving on the roads either and I've done the racing thing too. I have to admit that it's working on Land Rovers thats led to me loathing them. The deeper I've delved, them more disillusioned I've become. I recall being in a truly foul mood doing the 88 bulkhead. What kept me going was pure hatred for whichever feckless muppet put it together and the desire to have it done and not be doing it anymore. That's not right in a hobby! I'll maybe keep and mothball the 88 and possibly the 109 if I can do so without costing a fortune. Twenty years time they'll be worth a good few pennies, I should imagine.

Ah, thanks chaps! Workshop got tidied, @HoSS... Moved from a double garage with upper floor to a 12 x 8ft shed and single garage for storage. Even more reason to ditch the remaining kwality LR parts junk I think @Snagger nailed it: It's supposed to be fun. My enthusiasm for even working on mates LR projects has waned. When it's not fun when you're not even paying the bills or having the headaches, it's probably time to quit. Agreed on the motivation disappearing with age, I get that totally. Though lately the enforced lethargy from lockdown has hit me more than anything else and has a lot to answer for more broadly. Tinkering on your own is only so much fun even when you're enjoying the work. I'll keep the thread updated on where Stevie ends up.

Apparently Imgur image links no longer work. Here's a link to the album: EDIT: Or maybe not so much. This used to work. I give up!

Almost a year on! I'm done with Green Oval, it's pretty safe to say. Had a flurry of activity on the 88 but only to get it in one piece due a to a house move. It's currently languishing at a very kind mates garage. The 109 SW would have been moved on were it not for government incompetence managing the pandemic here, but it's found a good home when it can actually be moved. The 109 got some use during the move, but my mates Ford Ranger provd far more useful. So I bought one. Haven't used the poor 109 V8 since. Some pics of Stevie the blind Land Rover (he doesn't have the correct front panel): [url=https://imgur.com/pVAWaTy][img]http://i.imgur.com/pVAWaTym.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/gK7Sly0][img]http://i.imgur.com/gK7Sly0m.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/JTIlSFd][img]http://i.imgur.com/JTIlSFdm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/Z2dMnS0][img]http://i.imgur.com/Z2dMnS0m.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/9XaerLl][img]http://i.imgur.com/9XaerLlm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/clZ35qR][img]http://i.imgur.com/clZ35qRm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/2SVlm5a][img]http://i.imgur.com/2SVlm5am.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/APboES1][img]http://i.imgur.com/APboES1m.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/0IyHGfQ][img]http://i.imgur.com/0IyHGfQm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/IJcSgoj][img]http://i.imgur.com/IJcSgojm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/E2KfOn5][img]http://i.imgur.com/E2KfOn5m.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/lxsSen7][img]http://i.imgur.com/lxsSen7m.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/OXbXdus][img]http://i.imgur.com/OXbXdusm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/REU2kFF][img]http://i.imgur.com/REU2kFFm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/Ktxm2XB][img]http://i.imgur.com/Ktxm2XBm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/KRP9Raf][img]http://i.imgur.com/KRP9Rafm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/R8jk0xO][img]http://i.imgur.com/R8jk0xOm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/SFap5yS][img]http://i.imgur.com/SFap5ySm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/68G3qbx][img]http://i.imgur.com/68G3qbxm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/qzIYAYB][img]http://i.imgur.com/qzIYAYBm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/ld86NGn][img]http://i.imgur.com/ld86NGnm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/geKXvOM][img]http://i.imgur.com/geKXvOMm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/cFPfI9I][img]http://i.imgur.com/cFPfI9Im.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/DfzpwY0][img]http://i.imgur.com/DfzpwY0m.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/7dzjolH][img]http://i.imgur.com/7dzjolHm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/24QIQzk][img]http://i.imgur.com/24QIQzkm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/hQD11MK][img]http://i.imgur.com/hQD11MKm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/ZjKjmnO][img]http://i.imgur.com/ZjKjmnOm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/yCBbmGH][img]http://i.imgur.com/yCBbmGHm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/bCkHeeV][img]http://i.imgur.com/bCkHeeVm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/3tM3TQL][img]http://i.imgur.com/3tM3TQLm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/spAsKSQ][img]http://i.imgur.com/spAsKSQm.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/aVwF0Wa][img]http://i.imgur.com/aVwF0Wam.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://imgur.com/ZZyr9Tl][img]http://i.imgur.com/ZZyr9Tlm.jpg[/img][/url] Not really sure what to do with it. Might sit on it until it's worth stupid money and flog it, but that's contingent on storage. Time will tell, but there's an update anyway!

Sorry @landroversforever, I've not logged in in a while! Until the pandemic hit, I'd been leading a resto team for Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton. Hoping to get back to it some point next year when this bleeping bleep show is over.

Both my sankeys have breakaway cables that pull the hand brake on just like any other trailer. It's a very easy retro fit - I don't understand why more people don't do it. Details if anyone wants them.

Before looking too hard at shocks, what parabolic are you running and how many leafs on the rear? Regardless - and particularly if you've ended up with the firmer springs with more leafs - they ride much, much better loaded, so might be worth throwing a bit of weight in right at the back. Just takes bite out of it.

No, that would be pointless. If they look outboard, there's an optical illusion going on - have a look over the drawings again. I don't think this one is tractable, there is literally no way to do it that'll provide a satisfactory result in terms of steering geometry or without resorting to nasty bodges like chopping the arms and welding. Interesting discussion, but the Haystee conversion kit is probably the best way to go.

I have to apologise, for some reason I thought the coiler swivels had bolt on arms like the series. Ignore my idea about swapping left to right, it won't help.

It's simple: robots are better at all of it. More consistent, don't go on strike, don't take holiday and don't have awkward union reps. There's a break point in volume where automating all of it doesn't make sense, and that's probably the point the G Wagon falls into. Plus it gives the marketing department something to shout about. If you genuinely hand build something in the traditional sense, you'd better be charging a lot of money for it. Otherwise you end up with a Land Rover. As far as people who are only good at manual labour go and their future employment prospects: Universal Basic Income. There's won't be jobs for everyone in the future, but there's growing evidence to suggest that the majority of people - when given a livable income and time on their hands - find something to do that's of value to society and entirely justifies paying their living. AI is going to take the office jobs soon too, so don't feel its just the hands on guys who are in this boat! So long as we can free ourselves of the victorian workhouse ethos we've held onto far too long, it'll all be fine.

For me, welding steering components is a red line never to cross. You have no idea what metal they are, and then have no way to guarantee a good joint that won't fail at a bad moment. "it looked like a good weld, your honour" is absolutely not good enough here. I won't even weld tubes, let alone cast arms. And that's before even considering the legal aspect.

What I was pondering about - without having messed with the boingy setup myself - was swapping the left arm to the right and vice versa, giving TRE spacing outboard as on the series for the correct Ackerman setup with track rod in front. Or something close, at least. Clearance issue not withstanding, and hypothetical as a point of discussion.

That's it. In theory that should give steering geometry that isn't a disaster and the Steve Parker kit neatly solves the steering link. Assuming it's mechanical possible to do the switcheroo, it may be a contender. I've never messed with coiler axles - hopefully someone else can fill in that detail.

For sure. My measurements are approximate, but hit the geometry right where it was expected to be, give or take. Now... Purely as a point of discussion: is it possible to mount the defender arms facing forwards, but swapped left to right and use the longer series track rod? I know it's possible on a Series, not that you'd want to ordinarily. Arrangements for the drop arm from the steering box would need to be looked at. Possible clearance issues again - I'm just throwing the idea up.

Intelligent, informed discussion is what makes this forum so good