FLR100

I personaly don't see why any class or car needs to be handicaped for the simple reason is if you handicap a vehicle that has had alot of time, money and effort spent on it then what was the point in the person building that car, you might as well kept your money in your pocket and spent time pursuing other hobbies and stuck with a class 3 car! to me it seems that the person who has spent the time and money in building there truck to a higher spec and then learnt how to use it to it's full advantage should be entitled to an outright win be it a class 3,2 or 1 car. i think most people would agree that there is no such thing as a perfect challenge car that is perfect for all situations, a big 44" shod truck will be perfect in bogs but beaten through a 6ft gap by a susuki, so with that in mind should the susuki be handicapped on the points when there are punches in tight spot's because you can't have it both ways! i personaly believe the class system how it is at the moment is a pefect comprimise

What you mean "all the gear but no idea"

helping out will be no problem, let me know as and when

Cracking idea bow, i think the main limitation to the vehicle should be the winch, ie only 1 motor and no super fast hydraulics, it is the winches nowadays that seem to dictate how well a car can do a challenge, by keeping a limit on winch power dictates the the evercreasing cost of the game, hence keeps it novice and keeps it all on a levelish playing field, would a expererienced team be allowed to compete in a standard vehicle or is it novice only, if not providing the dates are ok i wouldn't mind marshalling if you need any help, all the best with it, chris

If someone had cashed my cheque for an event then i personaly would be taking it as booked regardles of what the limit on numbers are, they would just have to squeeze one more in!

You forgot to add very muddy! you would like this site alot tim and there's nothing scary for a first time event

Hi matt, from the ones i have seen this year i think you have laid on some good events and it has been purley bad timming and luck from my point of view that i have been unable to enter as many as i would liked to have, for me personaly i think a 2 day event is best purely because of travelling as it can make for a long day when you have to drive 2-3 hours each way, i don't think it makes a alot of difference if you have a punch on one side or both so long as you are able to fill your day with tough and very tough punches, i allways like an event where every punch has a entry and exit (even if it is the same start and finish) as i find nothing worse than driving arround trying to spot a punch hanging on a tree in the middle of anywhere as it tends to be a comp for who has the best eyesight and not the ability of vehicle and crew. i personaly would hate a gps/road book type event i think manby style tough timmed sections for one day and punch on the second would make for a very good format and with regards to 1 car or 2, why not let people decide on the day so still 2 sets of results but all cars doing the same which would probally work ok? i'm sure my ideals are totaly differnt to others so i'll shut up now

vince has reponded to me via email through his protrax website so you should be able to email him that way

Hi matt s, if my "facts" are so incorect then where is your evidence to proof otherwise? it's a bit of a shame that most of the people replying to my posts just say shut up and go away you don't know what your talking about instead of getting some good photo's and vids to proof otherwise, maybe the truth hurts? never mind i will go away and leave you all in your make-believe world with no sense of hummor

In my opinion that vid was not a good advert for a freelanders offroad capabilty, serious amounts of wheel spining that should not of been needed for what was a very gentle off road course! your point has been taken about the freelander being an suv but so are suzuki's and rav4's and both of them would of pi*s~d round that course In all seriousness the freelander was desighned and built under BMW ownership and thier latest advert about sums up the freelander "it's not what we build it's how we make you feel when your driving it" and that means they have designed a poorley built car, stuck a 4wd system on it as an after thought which has given them the oportunity to wack a land rover badge on so some people really believe they are driving a proper 4wd and can go on adventure's far and beyond! what ever floats your boat i suppose

Sorry you are quite right so i have taken a photo to share with you all, it's a pretty good job my daughters quad was available or else i don't know how i would of got up the hill!

Sorry to pee on your bonfire but i currently own 5 freelanders and have attempted to drive them off road but unfortunatley after they keep getting stuck on the simplest of terrain i simply don't bother, i rekon i can drive a ford escort to the same place i can a freelander! now shall we take a look at the faults of the freelander? 1.8 petrol (headgasket failure) and there is probally very few that have not needed a replacement viscous couplings sieze up transfer box's go bang! rear diff's whine like a dog! window cable mechanism snap and fail dashboard clocks rarley show all the digits sunroofs hardley ever work map reading lights stop working i'm getting bored now as i can't be botherd to type anymore but do any of them sound familiar? personaly i think freelanders are excellent if your off-roading adventures are parking on a grass field at a car boot sale!

i can see why you have had to drop the amount of rounds next year as that would probally cover the cost of one of those red label helmets! it's a bit of pain in the rear as i have not long forked out for a pair of blue label helmets so best i keep with a solid roof

Chill out a bit! i'm only playing with you so no need to take it so seriously it's not like you design'd and built the freelander so no need to take it so personaly! i have owned and driven just about most of the LR range and it has been on road and off road driving and sorry to say this particular model is the least performing LR in durability and off road performance, not just my opinion but a fact

i'll try to talk matt who has my old 90 into giving it ago with you, i'll let you know how it goes

Just because that's all you can do in your freelander!!

i was all set to do the northen but have now got a place on the pheonix so unfortunatley neither funds or the missus allows

Nice photo's, shame there all fake because there's no way a freelander could get to the posistions they were at without being towed there by a propper 4wd !

I have used most ropes on the market and there seems to only be 2 that are any good and that is bow or plasma, don't get me wrong i love the the stuff but can't help feeling mugged everytime i buy it, for the money it is costing it should be way more superior and longer lasting than it is, the claim that it is stronger than steel i personaly believe is a bit miss-leading as i don't doubt that when it is brand new it might just out perform but once it has been subjected to the conditions it is suposed to be made for it quickly looses it's strength and is way more inferior, trouble is we have all come to the way of thinking it is acceptable for it to just let go as and when it feels like it and blame it on ourselves for "not looking after it properly"

This is a great thread soi thought i would just add my two penny's worth! In what ever kind of motor sport you compete in it will allways evolve just like tecnology, there are some comps that will go with it and others that will try to hold it back, the morc are some of the few that try to hold it back and fairplay to them, the only problem is they could get left behind on the general scene with deminishing entry numbers. As for the hydro steer question, there is not realy that much advantage other than lighter steering for larger tyres so there is no real reason to discriminate against it, it seems strange that organisers pick up sometimes marginal things that make a bit of difference but nothing has ever been raised about winches, it is fairley obvious that someone running with a standard britpart winch stands no chance against someone with a hydro/gigglepin winch so should the type of winch you run put you in a different class or comp? it's interesting reading the opinions about rear steer/portal/44" tyres type trucks, i myself have built a similar spec truck and it is not down to being super rich and in a different league, my truck has cost a lot less than alot of tricked up defenders out there, it is just i have spent my time and cash in differnt areas of the build to allow for the extras which i think make the biggest advantage so why should it be excluded from certain events when the time and thought has been invested?

when i put a rear rad on my truck the first thing that came to my mind was the fact that myself or passenger could get a soaking of very hot water, i cured the problem by welding some tabs arround the hoop and cut some 4mm thick perspex to fill in, you are not looking at getting somthing totaly water tight just something to shield you from the initial blast,

I think it would be nice to hear some reassuring words that it won't end up like the ultimate and cancelled with virtually no notice, cancelling events happens i know, but reasonable notice helps you plan arround it,

I'll be coming to this one, might bring a new face to do the northern with otherwise just do the clubman if he don't fancy it

when i fitted full hydro to my truck i asked my regular mot guy if he was legitamtley allowed to pass it and he basically said so long as everything was attached securely and no excesive play in joints ect like he would test a conventional system then he would have no problem putting his name on an mot certificate, i never botherd presenting it for a mot in the end as i really could not be botherd to sort lights out ect on another thought the steering must be pretty scary on the road as when i have got upto any speed on a good flat surface the steering does not self centre meaning you are constantly correcting it, or is it just my truck?