Exmoor Beast

Glad to see its going to get a good new life. I felt strangely little emotion when my 110 left after 20 years, I thought I might panic at the last minute and keep it but I didn't even watch it go. I hope its not the end your adventures though M & M, hopefully we'll meet up again somewhere. 🙂 All the best Will

I saw that, what an underwhelming unveil for such a widely awaited car. I'd have lined the model range up outside Buckingham Palace or somewhere else iconic overnight and just waited for the media to go bonkers, better still use The Rugby World Cup to launch them. Will 🙂

Learnt to drive in: Austin Princess Renault 16TS Mini Mini Van Since I have had a license: not in order and sure I have missed several 'cause my brains been ruinned by cider. 1977 Allegro 1980 Mk 2 Escort Estate 1980 Fiesta 1100 1981 Fiesta 1100 Mini 1380 Renault 5 Gordini Mini Countryman Golf TS Fiat x1/9 Golf Gti mk1 MG Maestro Mini Van Golf Gti mk2 ( I blew the tuned engine on this resulting in me buying a Series 3 to get to work that day and the rest is history, see LRs below) Vauxhaul Cavalier MG Metro MG Metro Turbo Austin Montego Peugeot 405 estate Mini 1000 Mini 1000 Mini 1275 Mini Cooper (BMW ones from here) Mini Cooper S Countryman Mini Cooper Fiat Punto Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7 Overland with a few tuning upgrades! Series 3 derv truck cab 1979 RR V8 110 that I still have Discovery V8 x3 Series 3 SW Series 2 SW Discovery 300tdi (scrapped it because I hated it) Freelander 1.8GS P38 RR 4.0SE P38 RR DSE Right whats next 🙂 Will :😎

doesn't look critical and Turners have a good reputation from what I've seen over the years. I'd send them the pictures, hopefully they'll revisit their packaging methods and/or hand out a clip round the lug'ole for the yoof that wrapped it up. Will 🙂

Very tempted to dash up, I need a few bits and bobs for the 110 🙂 It'd be good to catch up with a few old faces too Will 🙂

I took mine in for MOT the Thursday before Good Friday. Got it back on the road today! it needed a swivel adjusting ,one bush doing and a couple of electrickery niggles. The Garage were busy and I made the mistake of saying 'no hurry'... :-o Will :-) PS: sorry to here of the domestic troubles Nige, chin up old chap...

They phoned me and changed their minds :-) Will :-)

Never using Adrian Flux again after they quoted me 'the best possible price I'd get' 'as a valued existing customer on my sons 50cc moped. I did an online comparison search after and they were the 2nd cheapest at £300 less than they quoted me over the phone. Yes I did phone them and write to them telling them what I thought about that. :-) Sureterm came up with the goods in the end, £150 so the 110 is back on the road :-) Will

Sureterm have quoted £150 with no business use. Bloody madness this insurance lark. What difference does it make if I am driving to a job or driving to the shops? Surely 5000miles a year is 5000miles a year, where I am going has no bearing on it does it? Will :-/

Eeeek, I'm running into Insurance issues! My 110 is my main vehicle, so far I've tried: Heritage - Can't Insure modified LRs as Main Vehicles anymore Admiral - Won't touch Roll Caged vehicles NFU - Haven't got back to me yet... Adrian Flux - Never using them again after they took the Pi55 over my sons moped insurance. Who else uses their Modified Defender as main vehicle and who do you use? Will :-)

Seriously Bish, forget D2s, I have seen too many fall to bits structurally, they rot from the inside too so they look fine one minute and are shot full of holes the following morning with no warning. I do love P38s, both mine have been troublesome to the point of being annoying. They are brilliant but it'll let you down far too much. My advice? find a really smart D1 V8, you'll never lose a bean on it now unless you go daft and roll it. Will :-)

Looks good Arjan, we must catch up sometime :-) Will

It used to be like that here but we seem to have allowed 'the wrong sort' to move into the village. I have a feeling they will be leaving soon though ;-) Will :-)

After some scumbag stole my £13 Chinese radio from my 110 last night I have found myself pondering door locks. Obviously the standard fayre is laughable (my key opened over 50% of the other defenders outside our local one night). I have seen a few Expedition Defenders fitted with deadlocks, has anyone done this and what did you use? Will :-)

I was hoping to but late paying clients, imminent trip to the Alps and the sea looking like its giving us an opportunity to relaunch our lovely Lugger have put pay to that. :-/ Shame because I could really do with a new radiator, intercooler and to restock on service stuff like filters. Will :-)

I went for a £14 Chinese Bluetooth radio in the end. Supposed to be 4x60w output, no idea if it is. The sound is fairly shocking to be honest and its already blown one of my front Maystar pod speakers, they have been in the 110 since just after I bought it 17years ago so I can't complain really. At least the hands free bit seems to work. Will :-)

Any excuse, you'll be sacrificing virgins to appease the God that created the 200tdi engine before long in the hope he restarts production. Anyway, back on track, I've just looked at the torque curve for my 1.5Mini Cooper....ummm, I wonder what a tuned Cooper S Works engine would sound like in my 110?... :-) Will

He came and did a talk at a place I designed a few years ago, jolly interesting tale the Darien Gap Adventure :-) I was driving a 2 door Range Rover back then and kicked myself I didn't get a photo of him in it or got him the sign the car somewhere. Will

Like most of us I haven't bought a mag for years. Reasons for not buying them now: Writers are lazy and lacking in knowledge and passion. I have no interest in 'ultimate challenge 90s' I don't give a tinkers cus about buyers guides to torque wrenches I don't give a tinkers cus about classic LR price guides I don't want to read 15 pages of Insurance Company adverts The advertisers are lazy and never change their adverts, if I was paying for 4 pages I'd use those pages to draw people into feeling they were part of my company. Overland articles rarely give an insight to the vehicle prep. Things I would like to see: More about the people, LR folks are often fascinating people. Les bling, more patina Tips and tricks that are actually useful, such as upgrading an Alternator using a Mondeo one. Will :-)

I might just flog it if everyone is so desperate for manual gearboxes ;-) Will :-)

Thanks, I hadn't come across that I'll have a look. Yep mine is a Manual so halfway there would be good. Will :-)

So now my 110 is virtually done the P38 can come off the road. Its on 190,000miles now and I'm beginning to think that its immaculate service history may be a work of fiction as it has already done its head gasket once and I think its doing it again as the water is a bit oily again. The obvious thing to do would be to scrap it and run but I'm rather fond of the old bus and its lovely HSE leather armchairs; its flown throw the last 2 MOTs with no sign of next year being any different so what the hell I reckon it deserves another chance. I have heard tales of M57 engines being fitted into P38s but I'm beggared if I can find much online about it online other than this link to a potential wiring loom to enable it to work http://www.rallyraid.co.uk/shop/proddetail.php?prod=EL_1059 I may have a couple of sources of cheap M57 engine on the horizon, anyway they seem cheap enough on ebay if you buy them still wrapped in the car they came in and flog off the bits you don't need. Couple that with the money re-couped from stripping my M51 engine of its good bits and it all seems rather easiy...ish on the wallet. So Range Rover fans, has anyone here done this conversion or know anyone who has? Can you point me towards a blog or article on doing it? Can you send the men in white coats around to cart me off? Will :-)

I've been using 255/85x16 BFG MTs since God was a boy, I have never had a puncture and the wear rate is laughable, the current ones are perishing and still have 10mm left, I fact I am the third owner of these ones! Will :-)

One bit of T-Max advice. Don't lend it to anyone ;-) Will (once owner of w T-Max compressor)

Because that is what us folk do isn't it? Will :-)