Neil Marshall

Nige You're a very perceptive individual! Neil

I agree with Les - all of us who read these forums are fascinated by what our vehicles do do - or could do - but JT is a driven man....he has lived and breathed Land Rover for almost as long as he has been on the planet and deserves our respect for the amazing amount of light he has shone on every twist of Land Rover's history and his commitment to archiving the minutiae of each model's development.. Unfortunately those of us who have worked in the magazine industry know that sentiment doesn't count very much and being an editor of a magazine today means dancing to the publisher's [read the advertisers'] tune. In an over-crowded market that means walking a bloody unpleasant tightrope and, frankly, JT is too decent a bloke for the post. Don't blame the monkey for the ills of the organ grinder. Neil

That's a lot of ear rings on your gear stick...... Neil

It's a mistake to think that America is doing nothing....if you look at Hummer's website you can read all about their new hydrogen powered model. **Watch The Terminator fill up the Hummer H2H. **Hear that it's the only Hummer ever made in Laser Blue. **Read that it can go up to 60 miles between fills. Much as I adore them, this one just made me laugh. Clicky - Asta la vista, Hummer boy "This is a bold and brave experiment from a brand that - frankly - does some bold and brave things". Hey, don't we all, baby. Neil

Actually, Geoff, they don't quote it in any of their material - suspicous , that, eh? However, shhhh, between you and I it was 25 mpg. Top speed was pretty dire, though, so you might argue it was all in the gearing. Stating the bleeding obvious, my Defender delivers 30 mpg. Neil

Did anyone hear Green Peas on Radio Four yesterday,slamming Ford for producing cars like the Range Rover that 'have only half the fuel economy of a Model T'...time they should be banned? Never mind that the average Ford in Europe consumes fuel at less than half the rate the Model T did and produce only 1% of the emissions; carry more cargo; carry more people; require less maintenance/spares etc. Never mind that 4WDs are designed for a different purpose. Never mind that 4WDs do not represent a significant percentage of total automotive volumes. Etc etc etc. What sticks in my craw is that everyone knows that their argument is fallacious, yet they are always given airtime to push their distorted views. Isn't it time that someone stood up against these mis-guided, open-toed-sandalled, do-gooders? I can't think of any organisation that's fighting back effectively....Ford's too scared to make waves....there's no effective 4WD user group. And they are clever - look at the "Climate Crime File Against Ford" - Green Peas clicky So what can we do? Well, I've just signed up online for Greenpeace's anti-off-road campaign. I'll let you know what material comes through my door/inbox, but this is the beginning: Thank you for signing up to the Greenpeace clean energy campaign, committed to halting climate change. You are now part of the solution working to get governments and corporations to take positive action. Land Rovers do less miles per gallon than the Ford Model T - first made 100 years ago, and Ford, their parent company, has stood in the way of governments acting on climate change. Together we can pressure Ford to invest in improving the fuel efficiency of all their vehicles and force governments to ensure that gas-guzzlers do become a thing of the past. Let Ford know that you have identified them as a climate criminal and you will be working to make sure that they improve the fuel efficiency of all their vehicles. Tell them you won't let them scupper legislation to combat climate change and that you will be holding them accountable for their contributions to climate change. Send a fax to Ford CEO William Clay Ford, Jr . Send an ecard to your friends and family asking them to help make gas-guzzlers a thing of the past. All very clever stuff - easy for suckers to be sucked in. If anyone's bored, do like me - use the link to write a nice supportive email to William Clay Ford. Neil

Trainspotter You've been teased a little but you've also given us a great thread - well done!! Neil

Trainspotter, I'd stay away from the Forum for a couple of days to get your head straight......

Good idea to put a dab of superglue on the face of the riv-nut - just gives a bit more certainty you can tighten the bolt without the riv-nut spinning. Neil

Trainspotter - forget the autograph, just hope he didn't offer you a handshake.....

No - they sold all that stuff in the Land Rover gear tent at Bling. The neck thingy was £3, the Buff G4 headscarf £9. Looking at him, I think he's wearing underpants a size too small, hence the wierd half-pained smile and the narrow hips. Can't imagine him on a fighter line....he's probably just a local loony. Had you been drinking the night before? Neil PS I'm getting worried now....it's not Mr Scrapiron is it?

Nige Did you have any loose change in your pocket? Neil

A Transit engine, maybe? Get ready with those fingers - the Land Rover wave will have to change now we're all white van men. Two digits only......

Found this guy on Ebay - protectors look v well made and much much cheaper than from Scapiron. I missed the auction so I emailed him - he makes them up for c.£55. Land rover rear bumpers to fit defender/90 and will fit 110's without catching exhaust unlike other makes. Made from 6mm plate. protects rear body panel when departing steep slopes and reversing, also protects the rear lights. Chequer plate foot grips. Any questions please ring 07754 957 810.

I feel banged to rights....it's a fair cop, governor Bit difficult this chaps, as the information is known by most slimy little thieving gets already, as part of their extensive education, as well as on the RAVE CD from memory. However, I have now removed details from my observation.

Ils sont baiser terrible....animaux.

Is the pup house-trained yet?

On volume car X, all you had to do was XXXXXX....the ECU interpreted this as the car having crashed and the door locks opened. Favourite way to nick 'em apparently [i once sat on a Home Office Crime Working Group] [Edited after contemplating the horror of the information - NM]

Ever driven one? Too big for our roads but they don't feel any bigger than a 110 when you're behind the wheel...effortless power and great steering. Wouldn't mind driving over a few eco-warriers in one.....then reversing.....then going forward again....then reversing.....

Try 4 All Fours on 01463 798404 - they quote £49 on their website. I bought mine in Brisbane - good kit - paid £30. Neil

Do you need an electrician to help you install the power board? We have a good one in the village.

DRIVERS who park 4WDs overnight in Paris are receiving an unpleasant surprise in the morning: flat tyres. A gang of young activists are deflating the tyres of what they regard as anti-social urban tanks which fill the narrow streets of the Left Bank. Claiming kinship with Greenpeace’s war on motorised “climate criminals†in Britain, the group has immobilised dozens of Range Rovers, Mercedes, Jeeps and other upmarket quatre-quatres in the well-heeled sixth and seventh arrondissements since July. According to the group, "our action makes the owners look like wallies. We operate once a week and we try to deflate 30 per evening.†They expel the air slowly without setting off the vehicles’ alarms, fixing open bicycle pump hoses to the tyre valves and returning later to collect their equipment. They leave a leaflet explaining their action. Britain being a nation of copycats.... If you want to see their website - Clicky here. Translate via Babel Fish - click to translate

Just getting out of a Freelander is a good thing

Concur with this - experienced same problem squawk on a friends Disco 1 a couple of weeks back and gave the tensioner a judicious squirt of WD40.....silenced it for about 30 minutes, then I was horrified when it came back with avengeance and I simply couldn't silence it. Happily the Disco was due for a belt change and the tensioner was replaced as part of the kit. Will remeber the graphite trick for the next time!

Runnning on chip fat isn't just ecomically sensible - 42 pence a litre of cooking oil from ASDA against 98 pence a litre from Esso, but it reduces carbon monoxide emission by 10% and particulates by an astonishing 50%. Although carbon dioxide emissions rise by 2%, this is more than countered by the plants from which the oil came absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere when they were growing. So this is carbon recycling. Without any need to modify the engine, any Land Rover diesel could run on the mix with no discernible difference in performance. What's more, instead of diesel fumes, the exhaust gives off a rather pleasing odour - like frying time at the local chippy. Unfortunately, the boys in blue aren't likely to congratulate you for your green credentials unless you can show you've paid petrol excise duties....the silly buggers! And you might find the odd pedestrian honking up cos they're allergic to fish shop fumes. Now I'm sure I read recently that a police force in the Midlands were thinking of switching to duty paid chip fat.....so.....'evening all'..... here's the recipe..... It must be stressed that this recipe has been widley tested and has proven to work - the viscosity of the vegoil is reduced to ensure a clean burn and the glycerin appears to be burnt off as a waste product. But for the record neither I nor the Forum nor my neighbour Mad Jerry Slee can accept any responsibility whatsoever for it's use. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! You need to locate a source of decent used vegetable oil.....from local restaurants for example......heat it up to cooking temperatures and let it cool. It will need to be strained through a fine filter to remove any crispy fried fish bits! Next step is to add a solvent to bring down the viscosity. White spirit is the best, easily available product and preferably non-Kerosene based (for tax purposes). To make 1 litre of Biodiesel, add 3mls of spirit to 97mls of used vegoil and leave to stand for up to a week...that's it! Don't be too fussy about the condition or provenance of the oil with which to start the production process. Cooked or uncooked, clean or dirty sunflower, grapeseed, soya, rape and olive oils are all good. Some say that a particular Chinese plant is best, others swear by a fast-growing alga. I hate the idea that almost all Britain's estimated annual 70m litres of waste cooking oil goes to animal feed or is just chucked down the drain. Hey,whose is that 2A that smells of a large haddock and mushy peas? Neil