FridgeFreezer

Just two cylinders short then...

Unless you go outside LR (which would involve big work) the only place to go from LT77 is R380 - pretty much identical boxes though. Autos are good, easy to drive and *a lot* of people really like them off-road. Personally I don't. Now, before everyone jumps on me - I own a RR auto as well as the 109 which is manual and will still be manual when it's back on the road, I have driven manual & auto off-road too and I don't like autos as much. They are fine when you can point-and-squirt, but not every obstacle is like that. Sometimes you just want the control that manual gives you - to be able to build the revs and drop the clutch, to select the gear that's right for what's about to happen rather than what's happening right now. To be able to hit any gear, no matter how "wrong" with a flick of the wrist, from any other gear. To be able to rock the vehicle or pulse the power using clutch & revs. I would also dispute the reliability of Autos - they are reliable to a point. If you drop the fluid, you're going nowhere. Full stop, end of game. A manual will get you home with one gear and no oil in it. I like my RR auto on the road, and for what it does off-road (not much) it's fine but ultimately IMHO you still can't (quite) beat a traditional manual with a traditional auto.

I've been pondering this one too - I'll probably put the majority of the electrics in a ceiling-mounted panel but something to hold the speedo / warning lights would be worthwhile. Current best plan is just to fold up a bit of ally - that is unless I find a decent Series dash for not very many pennies.

It's b*ll*cks of the highest order, £50 for a hacked about baked bean tin.

There's a 6:30 in the morning? Got a 4.6 in the boot (thanks Nige!) and a big trailer on the back (thanks Rich!) so all "go" for a weekend of pain hard graft.

The shape would be something like this: Although I may kick the deep end back up a bit so that the low point is roughly 2/3 of the way from the rear rather than at one end. The rear X-member has a winch cradle in it now so is less tall then the original, and the intermediate x-member was so close to the back of it I chopped it out and re-did it a bit further back out of 40x40 box (with spreader plates to the chassis) so as to allow max fuel tank space. Is there any mileage in MIGing the thing together then using one of those "Bernz" brazing kits to sort of double-seal the joins? Or even using domestic solder (or are we into 02GF74 territory there?)

I realise I will have to strongly align the welding Chi and employ the leak test / patch-up method but the price of an Ali one buys a lot of fab time. Also there's a voice in my head saying if LR can stick a steel tank made of tinfoil together then I should be able to do something that will hold unleaded. For persistent pinholes there's always POR15 fuel tank sealer, if their paint is anything to go by you could line a cardboard box with it and call it "job done"

Due to (ahem) a few light mods to the 109 the rear mounted fuel tank won't fit anymore (winch cradle in the rear X-member), now in an ideal world I would ring Allisport up and get a pukka blingy one made. However, money is tight and I've gotta get the thing wired, plumbed, and through an MOT yet Under-seat tanks are not really an option - the battery box is one side, the other may end up having the stock hydro tank bolted back in for the winch. Either way I don't especially want gallons of fuel sat under my arse, and the stock SWB/90 tanks stick down too far especially for a vehicle that has a (marginally) lower breakover angle. I have a decent MIG set and would make the tank out of slightly thicker steel than the OE ones, both for strength and to crank up the volume on the welder a bit. The only reference I can find on google is this guy who seems to have lived to tell the tale, and after sorting a couple of poor welds (TBH his welding Fu seems a bit weak ) it held fuel OK too. So, if I set about welding my own fuel tank together is it going to end up like a chocolate teapot or is it not too hard to make it hold fuel with a bit of careful welding? Secondly - assuming this isn't a suicide mission - anyone got any info/links to fuel tank and baffle/pickup design?

If you can find a weighbridge (or take an educated guess) Trev's spring rate calculator is very handy for those of you who insist on running those silly coily spring thingies

Well when I got the RR it was reading 2964 miles (somehow doubt that was genuine!) and it's just hit 14,000 in less than 12 months Nothing actually broke on it but I did: Oils & filters Upgraded ignition amp MegaSquirted it

The bolts on mine were something like UNF but as far as I can remember M12's do fit OK.

The kenlowe stat is basically an industrial boiler stat, like these sold by RS: (#250-6083) Not only are they mechanical and inaccurate, but they really don't like getting wet and the capillary makes for a less than robust install, and creates a potential leak in the hose end. There are excellent wiring instructions with the X-Fan Switch, you can even read them online: X-Fan Switch fitting instructions

Argue it - he can either write you am MOT or have a visit form the nice VOSA man to explain himself...

The Fu is strong in this one... looking good Tony!

Bunny Lane this weekend (18th) has just been called off the by the landowner because of works going on onsite, to say we're a tad miffed is an understatement :angry: However, thanks to some epic last-minute brown-nosing by Joe, we have got Minstead instead, so you can still come and get covered in mud (probably more covered after this weather!) We would say that, as it's Minstead, you will need mud tyres and solid recovery points people turning up on AT's / with no recovery points will be turned away as we don't want to spend all day dragging you out of holes by your axles. So - DON'T GO TO BUNNY LANE THIS WEEKEND, COME TO MINSTEAD! And if you know anyone who's going who hasn't seen this then please tell them. We will be posting on the club site, e-mailing all members and putting a sign on the gate at Bunny Lane letting people know, hopefully people won't have a wasted trip Price is the same at £20 per vehicle, you must be a Shire member to play although you can come and watch for free (bring wellies and a camera )

Just watched it on download - would've been better done in 30 mins and keep the usual stuff in too, having said that it's still more watchable than 99% of everything else on TV - they could stretch it to two hours and it'd still rule If anyone wants it I can upload the AVI file (450Mb).

What year is it? The hazard warning was only fitted later on when it became law - same as rear fog lights and reversing lights. If it's not fitted to your vehicle (and never has been) then it's not required and you can't fail on it. My local place has a chart on the wall telling you when things became law. My Series has no hazards, reversing or fog lights and it never failed (not for those, anyway ) and the RR has no reverse lights (switch is broken) and it passed fine too as they're not actually required likewise it had no spare tyre in it 'cos the spare in there was illegal, did the same with the nissan and that passed as well.

If you don't race it you'll be fine - keep the gearbox oil changes regular.

Oh yeah - after the first mile or so pull over and re-check all your straps, a car bouncing about can put a lot more tension on them than you can and you'll usually find (unless you're very good / very lucky) that they will take a bit of extra tightening.

X-Eng fan Switch There's even a forum discount if you use the link in Si's signature. Don't bother buying a Kenlowe/Pacet, just raid the local scrapyard for something from a Citroen or Renault (you should be OK in France then!) as they have big slimline fans (made by Gate). Far cheaper than a kenlowe and from what I've heard they draw less current and are more reliable as they're OE.

That's 'cos I've been taught by Fred Dibnah

At least it won't take up much workshop space between the vapor-car, vapor-CNC-laser-cutter and vapor-tube-notcher - just as well since the mog axles are as non-vapor as you can get, I think they're made of some sort of German dark-matter.

Both mine & my dad's RR have those and both are on steel tanks. I wouldn't say it's much of a guard, may stop the tank being punctured by a sharp thing / being dragged along the ground a bit but you wouldn't want to put it to the test too often!

Don't belive it - you can buy a defender (admittedly a ratty one) for less than a Series in similar condition. I don't know why but the prices on the net and in the mags seem to say that people are willing to pay more for a bit of character (damn right too I say )

Normal leisure batteries aren't designed for cranking/winching currents, they're designed to run the reading light in a caravan - you want either a normal battery (truck batteries are robust & cheap) or a super-bling Optima-stylee one designed for deep cycle and high current. Personally I vote #1, bling is sooo last year