The Yak

Hi Jules. The current owner is Gary who lives in the North East. I am sure he would love to talk with you about it. However, I will email him first to get his approval to pass on his contact details. Cheers, Bob.

If you were in the Australian outback hundreds of miles, and many days walk from anywhere with a diasbled vehicle, you would probably die. Roo bars are intended for one original purpose.....to save your radiator. That is exactly what this Roo Bar did. As you can see in the picture, the radiator was not touched and the Land Rover occupants were able to drive back to safety. If it were not for the Roo Bar the radiator would have been smeared over the engine and the Land Rover going nowhere. The driver and passengers could then have been in a life threatening situation...... .......which is exactly why they are so popular in Australia. Cheery Bye.

Hi Ralph. I've got 16x8's and a set of the new type Cooper Discoverer STT 285x75's to go on The Yak. You will recall I had a set of the old style Cooper STT's on the old Stage 1 V8 and I was happy with those. I have gone for the wider wheels+offset and tyres for many reasons. As usual it is a compromise, but one of the main reasons is stability. As you know it is a tall vehicle and will, when fully converted, be heavy-ish. The rear body sides hang out 6" past the edge of the current Wolf rims so there is plenty of room! When you consider it, some of the heavy items like cooker, fridge etc, will actually be sitting partly outside the wheel track! At the front I will probably have a pair of the Innovation 4x4 extended wheelarch eyebrows. Got the cooker, fridge, and air-con unit so far. The current air-con fitted in the back body is engine driven, but the new unit works off battery which will be fed by solar panels. Great when parking up for days on end. Cool environment, cold beers!......... Cheers, Bob & Cas.

That's great. You can't beat a bit of inside information! I feel more confident that I am not going to balls it up! Ta! Bob.

Hi John. Welcome! We ran a 127 Rapier for a while over here in England. It was ex military reserve and like new. It had the original petrol V8 and the full length canvas canopy. IT WAS FUN! Thoughts.... All Rapiers were built for the military and only with the petro lV8. The V8 is thirsty but will not be so costly for you with your cheaper fuel prices. There are some Rapiers now converted with the Land Rover Tdi diesel engines. Also, as you will know, petrol is less likely to freeze. I would strongly suggest you get a Rapier with a Truck Cab, then YOU won't freeze! It is a great load carrier. The chassis is stronger than a 110 and the rear has twin (coil within coil) springs. It is sometimes a bit on the large size on our roads but not in your wide open spaces, and the body offers itself for all sorts of possible conversions at a later date. Foley Specialist Vehicles have utilised the body for various camper conversions, personnal carriers and box bodies. For you, there is plenty of room for your provisions, recovery kit and survival kit. The more weight you put in the back the better the ride, as when empty the back of the Rapier is surprisingly light! The cab will be spartan and cold. As you probably know from your S111 the military did not put in mats, carpets, warm comfy seats and sound proofing, so allow for some comforts in your budget. Also, get a seperate petrol fueled cab heater as the standard Land Rover heater is not much better than your S111 and will be struggling in Alberta! Get the right heater and it can pre-heat the engine coolant as well. Try Eberspacher or Webasto. The Rapiers were all built around 1990 and never did many miles, most living on airfields, and even now there are examples with quite low mileages. So you can get a 'young' vehicle for your money. John, you should have no worries about using one for your daily driver over there in Alberta. It will be just like driving/using any Land Rover, except it will be more useful and MORE FUN! All the best, John. Regards, Bob.

Hi all.... Hmmm, something to ponder before I get heavy with the drill! Your advice is welcomed.... I have a set of the Australian heavy duty TX alloy wheels. Inside these I shall be fitting Staun inflatable bead lockers. Therefore, I need to drill an additional hole for the second air valve. I know of many people who have done this, particularly in Australia, but I don't actually know anyone here in these Septic Isles who has done it. Question 1. Is there a particular drill bit I should be using, or will an average one for drilling steel be ok, and is there any particular technique involved? (After all, it's not always what you've got but the way that you use it!) Question 2. Any thoughts on location of the second valve in relation to centrifugal balancing. Is near the orginal valve better, or go diametricaly opposed? (you know...opposite!) Well lads and lasses, one of you has probably done this.... Those of us that haven't probably have some useful thoughts to throw in the melting pot.... Cheery Bye! Bob.

Hi. Have a look at the Bearmach removable front tow hitch, part number BA3107. It simply slips over the front bumper and is secured by tightening two wing nut bolts. Cheers, Bob.

It was '4x4'. I used to buy it at the time.....that must make me an oldy then! Yes, some of the 'bodywork' displayed was not metal! I think I have a few old copies lurking on the shed for, er, reference purposes you understand! Hmm. just off down the shed...Cheery Bye!

I'm sure I've seen that roof a little closer to Gloucester!! Hey...that's my old roof.....!!!

Scary...there's a lot of weddings going on that day.....I'm going to one as well ! Sodbury will be quiet this time then! Anybody going to Ash and Karen's in Cheltenham? Another good Landy man bites the dust...oops, sorry Karen! See you there..... Cheery Bye.

Done this on our Defender with the Dixon Bate adjustable height multi hole bracket bolted in line with the chassis dumb iron. Haven't got round to fitting bracing but still manage to push and pull our 1 ton caravan and 1 ton trailer up hill on grass and gravel with the ball hitch/nato hitch below the bumper line, and with no flexing! Having this fitted to the right hand dumb iron means the driver can have a good equal view down each side of the caravan or trailer when pushing. If fitted to the left hand dumb iron, the driver will have a much clearer view to the right side of the caravan or trailer.....useful if you regularly park your caravan tight against a wall for example. The steering is also more precise than when reversing, to enable accurate positioning. Just food for thought..... Toodle Pip.... Bob.

Hi. Take a look at www.lonewolftransglobal.com It was one of these Wolves that the lovely and very brave lady Kelly Shinn had converted for her Operation Athena. Her actual Wolf was recently refurbished and offered for sale on eBay for £18,000. Very nice, too! However, for that money you can get a fully and seriously kitted and very capable Defender! Bob.

Try www.allardturbosport.co.uk. They do a Garret turbo which I believe is a variable vane job to give a bit more low down grunt...