miketomcat

Here's hoping you make a full recovery, well you have to because we neeeeeeeeeeeeeed to see that lightweight finished. Mike

With Christmas done and my brother-in-law staying for a couple of weeks, I might as well put him to good use. Yesterday between showers we got the dry storage roof frame up. Today we got the membrane and roof panels on the back half. Hopefully tomorrow I can cut a bit of the existing roof and squeeze the next truss and panels up. Mike

I must finish the workshop, I must finish the workshop......then get it set up and useable. Mike

Sliding window are great and hideous for the same reasons. They rattle and don't shut on the seals very well (even if they do they pull away at about 50mph). They leak when parked at certain angle's. Are a pain at drive thru/ ticket booths. However the front window just cracked open demists the screen better than the heater and the air flow you can create in the summer is sublime. I love them but I'm nuttier than most. Mike

Imported cars do have to go through an IVA but it's different to kit cars and radically altered. Generally speaking the registration date will tell you if it was done after SVA/IVA because it will be different to the registration number date. For instance mine is a Q plate but was registered in 2018, if it had an age related plate it would of been a D but still would of been registered in 2018. Mike

Series door catch is more like a household doors. Where as early 110 are anti burst as below. Mike

Personally I don't like those recovery eyes. In my opinion the best options are jate rings, a decent bumper with recovery eyes (bolted on to more than just the four bolts on the dumb irons) or a steering guard with recovery eyes (bolted through both in front and behind the front cross member). Jate rings are best used with a bridle, it's all about spreading the load through the chassis. Mike

I've towed just about everything you can from dump trailers, caravans to boat trailers/ maffi cradles, from 50kg to 6ton. Dump trailers are hidious to reverse, caravans if loaded badly are unstable, boat trailers react so slowly they can catch you out cutting corners and the maffi is so heavy it can drag you back down the slightest slope. I've never had any training apart from what I saw and my dad taught me. I've been in tow vehicle's where things have gone wrong both as driver and passenger. I guess my point is what makes me any different to someone getting their license today or to someone that has taken the trailer test. I've read supposedly professional advice that would be dangerous if applied to a different trailer. As per the driving test you learn more in the first year of driving than whilst learning with an instructor. Some people can tow without training, some with training and some people it doesn't matter what you tell/train them they will still be dangerous. End of incoherent rambling. Mike

I genuinely believe the change in towing laws will make absolutely no difference to the number or type of accidents related to trailers. This because a half wit with a small trailer is just as likely to crash as the same half wit with a big trailer. Mike

The doors on our 110 are original and sliding window type. They are in surprisingly good shape for 38 year old doors. So yes I'd say the the 110 alloy door tops do help. The alloy door tops drain through 5he frame and out between the door and top so that should make things worse however they have galvanized cappings which reduces rot provided the seals are in good order. Mike

Only early 110's (all body types) had sliding windows 1983 and 1984. With the introduction of the 90/127 (1985) came doors with wind up windows and lift up handles, on all wheelbases and body types. Somewhere around 1986 came push button handles. I suspect you could spec sliding windows (through the forerunner to special vehicles) as the British military did right through to the end. Over the years many vehicles have had their doors changed due to rust, so the chances of any vehicle having its original doors are slim. Mike

I'm interested to see the Munro installation as it's basically defender underneath. So whatever they do could go into a defender with a few tweaks. Mike

And even then the sliding windows are series type not early 110/military. Mike

It's definitely down to driven wheels and taking up tolerances. I've had several mini based cars all the front wheel drive were toe out, the rear wheel drive was toe out at the back (front subframe in the back) and toe in at the front. Mike

As far as I know the holes in the door are the same. I'm not sure about the bulkhead side. Mike

I don't I'm afraid, but I vaguely remember a company doing some. Whether there still in business/Ali I don't know. Mike

The civilian 90 never had sliding windows. The military 90, 110 and 127 had sliding window right up until now bar one or two civilian spec models. The military/110 sliding window frames are different to the series version, they are aluminium instead of steel and the glass is a different shape. Series lower doors are also different but predominantly on the inside. However all doors from series 2 through to defender will fit the hole but the catches and hinges differ. Mike

Thanks for the offer ed but I'm happy with how mine is working out. The roof will be going on over Xmas and if I get really carried away I might be able to do the front. All in this will be around 27m² with an additional 7m² of dry storage on one side. Mike

That would be my assumption. If you were to convert to permanent 4wd I would change it to toe out. Mike

Your quite right. It's to do with the component slack being taken up so you end up near enough parallel under load. Nothing to do with spring type but this the reason for bumpsteer on some suspension types Mike

I've seen several pictures and two short videos but not fifth gear. I'd be interested to see what they said. Mike

Did the piston get out and walk. Mike

And then I'd be dangerously close to normal, that ain't never gonna happen! I must admit it would make a nice cheap daily.......... Mike

I don't own any sensible cars, the only one close is her's and that's a 38 year old 110. Mike

Surely if it was a factory special edition it would have a special vehicles plate. That said it could be part of a special vehicles order and the seller thinks that's a special edition. Mike