Paul McCleary

The exhaust system is nice and mellow and not as loud as you would think. Most of the noise is from the supercharger due to it running a K+N filter rather than the standard acoustic chambered inlet pipe and airbox. I spent most of the day in it today whilst green laning in North Wales with Pete. That supercharger whine is addictive, possibly not as nice as the sound of a big turbo spooling, but makes your hair stand on end when the loud pedal hits the bulkhead. Paul.

Sorry for BTT'ing the thread, but yes, it's been done. Check out next Months TOR for the full spec. Petes Disco makes an easy 500bhp on the engine dyno making it very nice to drive. It definately needs the 350x32mm AP 6 pot brake we fitted! Enjoy the Vid. Paul.

Do you need to cut it up to transport it? If you have enough room by your scrap, have a skip delivered. Most scrap companies will deliver and collect the skip for free if there is enough weight in it. Might be worth making couple of calls to find out. One of our local companies is charging £40 to collect if the skip has less than a ton in it. Still cheaper than a load of cutting discs. Paul.

What a great site. Very steep and really slippery after the rain. As it was my first time as a wench, I got half way through the first punch and wanted to die as I was breathing so heavy! Dafydd was wetting himself laughing at me.... I have a new found respect for co-drivers now as I now have parts of me hurting I didn't know I had! Big thank you to everyone who helped organize the event and everyone for being so friendly. It was great to put a few faces to names and see a few old friends. B) Paul (off to join a gym) McCleary.

If you could design a challenge winch from scratch, what would be the perfect spec?? Fire away. Paul.

With a degree of luck, I shold be entering next years Ladoga trophy. I will need a tough Boook PC for the comp car for navigation. Can I get away with normal laptops for the Support trucks or even tablet PC's? The used toughbook prices usually run at a premium compared to normal laptops, often far more than a reasonable spec new branded laptop. I'd rather have a new computer than a manky used one, but I don't want to spend thousands as I need one for each vehicle. Three in total. I've never used PC's whilst mobile before, so would appreciate any advice on what generally works and what doesn't. The Support trucks are Volvo C303's and will be used off road in the UK, but not at competition level and I'm not sure if a normal laptop is up to the job. Thanks in advance. Paul.

Both lovely cars. B) I'd love the Elise, but simply cannot get in and out of one easily. I tried the VX as we have a Dealer next door to work who will do stunning deals, but couldn't fit in that either. The showroom staff did have a laugh at my expense. I ended up buying an Evo 6 RS2 and still have it 5 years later. Paul.

You have E-mail to your work account. Paul. B)

You have PM. The Creepys were on that Blue C303 6x6 Command Cab that I seemed to follow for hundreds of miles. The tyre on the left in the pic is a 305x70x16 (33x12) Mickey Thompson Baja Claw Radial used as a tread comparrison. You also have PM. Paul. B)

If anyone is interested, I have supplied and fitted loads of Mudzillas and Creepy Crawlers. I saw both tyres being used at Ladoga and made sure I could get my hands on them. The feedback I'm getting is that the Mudzillas work really well at 15 to 20 PSI andthey are awesome at 4 PSI. B) I've yet to hear a report on the Creepy Crawlers in deep mud, but I'm told they are awesome at the quarry style events. I've put a set of 37x12.50x16 on my C303 to be used as a tow motor and support truck for the comp car. Inflated the 35x13.50x15 Mudzillas measure 34 1/4" x 13". The 37x12.50x16 Creepy Crawlers measure 36 1/4" x 12" Piccies.

It needs a full cage really. I've been playing at extreme parking again. I'll have to triangulate it through the cab to the chassis or it will just be a fancy spot light mounting. Cheers, thats the sort of inspiration I was after. I have cut out the rear crossmember to get a rear winch fitted. I'll be making a bumper suitable to mount the rear of the cage to. I'll post up some pics when I get something worth pointing the camera at. Keep the cage pictures coming. Paul.

As the title. I'm going to cage the Bobtail this week and I'm after a little inspiration. Having laid the Bob on its side recently, I'd like the cage to be fully external to help protect what remains of the bodywork. All suggestions welcome as I have been scratching my head about how to mount he cage to the sliders and the sliders to the chassis and how to triangulate it through the cab and keep the rear seats usefull. I'm not in love with any of my ideas so far, so please help me make up my mind. Pic below so that you can see what I'm working with. Paul.

Jez, where would I find a Sisu? I've been looking for ages, but so far had no luck. In answer to the original question. I found the RB to be under powered, under braked and the steering on the few I have driven was quite vauge and wouldn't be nice over a distance. I'd go with a Volvo 303 4x4 or 6x6 if you can get away with the 3.5t GVW. Paul.

After James mentioned it was a Zuk chassis, I shook my camera at Roope, got the nod and stuck my head under to have a bit of a 'Technical Spy'. It is definatley a Suzuki Samurai LWB Chassis. I have a LWB undergoing surgery in the workshop at the moment. If anyone wants any pictures of the chassis, just let me know. Paul.

Just collecting them would be a problem for most people. Your not exactly going to get them in the back of a 90 now are you! Even your average SWB panel van could only squeeze a couple of them in comfortably. Paul.

PMSL Funny, I had the same reaction! Paul.

I have a project that they would fit...Shame I haven't got the money. I asked if he had a buy it now last night...Answer was £1800. They cost him over 4 grand apparently! Paul.

I've run 265-75-16 Insa Special Tracks on the Daihatpoo and found them to be very grippy for the pennies. I also run 235-85-16 Fedima Scirrocos on the Bobtail and 31x10.5x15 on the Daihatpoo. They are also very good, but have a much stiffer sidewall than the Insas. They are better on road than the Insas but don't wrap quite as well when aired down off road. As the Insas have a soft sidewall people have found they are more likely to get the wall punctured than with the Fedimas. Hope this helps. Paul.

I know what you mean about having a back to basics off roader that can actually seat more than 2 people. I've recently spent far too many hours building vehicles destined only for competition use. I got a little fed up and decided to have a go at putting the Bobtail back on the road. I swapped it ages ago for an old project car that I had owned for about 12 years, so it owes me next to nothing. I got it sorted and MOT'd and took it out for a play this weekend...Yes it got stuck and needed winching on sections that we can usually drive, but it was great fun. As it was a 4 seater (with wipe clean leather ) I had friends jumping in and out of the back for passenger rides, when usually they would have just spectated. I ended up mullering the N/S Front wing, both N/S Doors, the C post and broke the windsecreen. But to fix it will only be a couple of hours work. I have a complete car for spares that only cost a couple of hundred quid so it will be a cheap fix. Paul.

Well what a top event. I am totally hooked. I was invited to just tag along to see what the event was all about. I offered to assist in a mechanical manor where possible as I wanted to get stuck in. I ended up building a Land Rover 90 in a car park in St Petersburg in 4 days, fending off muggers at our appartment, avoiding lumps of brick thrown by the local youth into the compound we were working in, Witnessing fatal car accidents, rescueing Russian Tourists from the Lake, avoided drowning in the Proto Bogs, swatted Mozzies the size of dinner plates away from my taters whilst hovering , hung off the back of various TR3 cars whilst hitching to view the stages, nearly rolled the Iveco Service barge I was driving several times, bounced along in the same iveco like some sort of low rider as the front shocks had boiled due to the corugations in the roads, howld along the road hiding from the DPC on the back of a truck trying to get ourselves back to camp, got chased by the Police, ate some strange things, and so on and so on! Crazy, crazy Russia. We spent a couple of days back in St Petes sight seeing including the Tropy House off road club bar(Very Cool). We then took a train from St petes to Riga in Latvia where we stayed the night in a 4* Hotel. We flew out the following moning into Liverpool where I had an emotional re-union with my Sara and my boys. Top marks to Team Jez. Cracking bunch and very, very dedicated. Jez and Kim deserved better than 4th in my opinion. I have no doubt in my mind that they will be bringing a Trophy home with them next year. If I only end up a 10th as good as them I will be more than happy. For those that don't know, James doesn't make cocktails in his bar........apparently. I learnt so, so much about what seems to work, what to avoid and all the must haves for next year, so thanks to everyone who was so freindly and offered hard earned advice as it can only make my attempt next year easier. I'll be lobbing some pics up in the next couple of days. Paul. B)

As mentioned earlier, myself and Andy B will be flying out on the 29th in the general direction of all this Russian Muddy Madness. My job is to help keep 3 vehicles in Raid class nailed together till the end of the event. Andy's job is to stand around looking pretty and beat off the local talent! (He seems to be some sort of strumpet magnet) The vehicles we will be looking after are a Volvo C303, a Toyota Landcruiser VX80 and a trick little Defender. I'll be sending words and pictures from the event (if and when possible) to my wife Sara back in the UK so she can add them to my website. Macsport4x4.com I'm using this years event to recce it all out so that I don't look a complete muppet when I enter my own vehicles next year. I'm getting all giddy now. The thought of swatting mozzys the size of bats, corrupt police, neck deep mud, things that shouldn't break getting destroyed, no sleep, little food, and the obvious language barrier won't even begin to spoil it for me. B) Paul.

And there was I hoping to get a quick buzz out of some gratuitious outrigger shots! Never mind, I'll have to use my imagination. Anyone got some close up shots of the wonky rear cross member, pnarrrrrr! Paul.

I'm currently running vehicles with both the Insa Special Tracks and Fedima Sciroccos. I find the Insas to have softer sidewall than the Fedimas. The insa is great when its aired down, but needs to run a higher pressure on road to compensate for the soft sidewall. This makes them a bit noiser on road, and they are already louder then the Fedimas. The Fedimas sidewall is very stiff and makes them very good on road. I run them at 20psi on road (RRC) with no problems. The Insas need to be nearer 32psi to give a similar feel, but the fedimas still have the edge. You can feel the Insas squirming more, probably because their slip angle is greater to start with. The tread on both tyres looks similar, but the Insa has thinner lugs, meaning the gaps in between are bigger, hence the noise. Off road, both tyres shift similar amounts of mud, but the Insas have the edge when the pressure is dropped as they flex better. I prefer the Fedimas, but the Insas are still a very good tyre. Paul.

Thanks for the replies. I'll get one of those on order ASAP. Ref the original prop. I'm stunned it has lasted as long as it has. Apparently it was modded by the original builder of the Bob a few years ago and has claimed the lives of 2 front diffs in the hands of the previous bodge merchant, and still refused to fail. It won't be claiming any more victims, as it's now thrown in the scrap skip where it belongs. Paul.

I've got my hands on what I think in a Stage 1 V8 Double Cardon Prop. I'd like to fit it to the front of Dodgy Bob, but the output flange from the transfer box is too small. I know the gearbox in an LT77 but I am unsure what transfer box is fitted. I suspect it is from a Defender, but I stand to be corrected. It would be nice to know as I need to order a couple of oil seals. (pictures below) My question is, can I change the output flange from the transfer box to one that would suit the DC Prop and if so, has anyone got a part number or know what model it came from that might fit? I need to change the front prop on the Bob asap as the previous owner has had the grinder and hot spanner out. I'll let the pictures tell the story. Thanks in advance. Paul.