[Spitting Feathers with NFU Insurance]

I always hear mixed stories about NFU, but for me they've been excellent. I'm 19, currently on my 2nd 90, a 1999 td5 with an annual premium of £1100 with 2 years NCB.

It's on a 'light goods policy' as it's a pannel van, but no other insurance company would even look at me when I mentioned it was a Land Rover

NFU are very picky with postcodes to who they will insure, which fortunately I fall within a certain postcode and live in quite an agricultural area...

I did get a quote for a normal car...a 1.1 Citroen, and that had a premium of £3200! Think I'll stick with the Defender

[Corrosion...how to deal with it?]

I've just taken deliver of a 1999 90 TD5 in Metallic Woodcote Green, and unfortunately the rear door and one or two areas have a little bit of corrosion.

What's the best way to deal with it?

Am I best getting a 'pro' to do it? I want it done properly, so it lasts.

Any helps appreciated

Toby

[Paintwork Repairs to Standard (Older) Factory Finish.]

Hello

I'm a bit out of date with paint technology, so I would like to find out the modern way of doing things when doing spot repairs on older original (non-water-based) Land Rover paintwork. I would like to do the preparation myself, then get the final painting done by a proper painter.

In this case it's a 1996 Discovery in its original factory paintwork, and the repairs will be to sort out a patch of bubbling paintwork on the leading edge of the bonnet, plus a wheel arch edge and a couple of other bits in the middles of panels.

Can you do spot repairs to isolated areas on panels these days, or does the whole panel have to be re-painted? Or is it spot repair, then lacquer the whole panel?

Also, what is the best way to prepare the panel to bring it up to the painting stage? This assumes rubbing the panel back to bare aluminium, so I would like to find out about primers, and if there's anything that has to be taken into account when preparing panels for what I presume will be modern water-based base coat.

Thanks very much

If I were you, I'd be looking for a 2nd hand bonnet in the same factory finished colour.

This should work out cheaper, and any very slight differences to your other panels can be sorted yourself using a rotary/orbital polisher.

I'm pretty sure that they're steel not aluminium.

[Will a 2.5n/a alternator fit a 2.5td (19j) ?]

Exxxxxxxxxxxcellent

Cheers Fellas

[Will a 2.5n/a alternator fit a 2.5td (19j) ?]

My 90 sold a couple of days ago and the alternator has packed in.

A chap on here has one off a 2.5n/a, will it fit the 19j engine?

Cheers!

Toby

[Defender being exported to Hungary.....]

He won't need a V5 in Hungary

Ahh yes I suppose. Cheers guys!

[Defender being exported to Hungary.....]

Hi All

I've recently just sold my 90 to a chap from Hungary for a decent price.

My question is...what do I need to do? He's organised collection and shipping, but what do I do with the V5?

I spoke to the DVLA and they said all I need to do is fill out section 11 (Notifiction of Permanent Export) and send a covering letter to them and just leave the V5 with the new owner or in the car for him.

This just seems a little odd as his address or signature won't be on the V5, is it down to him to fill out the V5 and send it back to the DVLA with his Hungarian address when he receives the car?

Any help is appreciated!

Toby

[Mach 5 alternative]

On ebay LINKY - not seen these before.

I have always wanted a set of Mach 5's, actually got ripped of trying to buy a second hand set from a bloke in N Wales - another story, but I'm not keen on these although they are similar.

They look disgusting

and expensive.....

[Where's best to get fan belts?]

There's an old saying: 'Buy cheap, buy twice!'

I've always gone on the theory of 'if it's safety critical, or will cause a huge bill if it fails, go geniune'

Most of the big suppliers - Craddocks, Paddocks, Land Rover Parts, Rimmer Bros etc will supply a cheapy part, a middle of the road part like Lockheed and Genuine Land Rover.

Most of the prices are quite similar when you take postage into account too, but it's always worth a quick check.

HTH

Incidentally, is there any noticable reason why it snapped? any tearing or feathering around the edges?

The belt didnt go with a bang...so it's on the road still somewhere....I just noticed when my temp gauge suddendly shot up from normal to mega hot, and my heater went freezing!

[Where's best to get fan belts?]

I fitted a new fan belt the other day on my 2.5td (19j engine), but for some reason it snapped whilst driving, and it wasn't even that tight.

I've had britpart ones in the past and they've never been the right length.

Where's best to get on for the 19j engine?

Cheers

Toby

[Which Petrol Defender]

I'm doing this then

Sorry all... brain has turned to mush with frustration over insurance companies!!

acceptable excuse

[Which Petrol Defender]

is that 2.5t as in the diesel that wasnt a LR one? (cant remember what its called)... or am I having a brain f*rt?

2.5tonnes

[Wing Mirror Modification]

Finally got round to trying it, and I'm quite pleased. Much better view for reversing. I used some 20thou thick 'plasticard' to neaten up the outside, and just drilled and bolted to the existimg 2mm steel.

IMAG0036 by MrKev, on Flickr

And it was quite easy getting a cable through for the heated mirrors too:

5482078256_ef73bdfec5_o by MrKev, on Flickr

Kev

Bang tidy!

[jonny joints]

lrs off road

http://www.lrsoffroad.co.uk/content/johnny-joint-25x-1-jam-nut

this is the only place i have seen them in the uk. not sure if there's anywhere else?

[Trailing arms....]

10% forum discount

son of a...

wish i would of know that before ordering my x-fan etc etc.

gwyn it is then! been happy with all of his products i've bought and the service so far, so don't mind going back there at all. i may get my disco front arms cranked by him too.

[Trailing arms....]

I've currently got Tarantula trailing arms fitted to the 90 and the Disco, and I seem to keep coming across the same thread about the integrity of them...

What alternatives are there?

I'd love some Gigglepin ones, but I don't have the cash to splash at the moment

They've both only got a 2 inch lift. Is it worth changing them? Or should I just stick it out? The last thing i want is a trailing arm snapping off!

Cheers!

Toby

[Bolt that holds panhard rod etc....]

The bolt needs to be at least grade 8.8. I may well have the ones that came out of mine originally if you'd like one of them.

Nick.

Cheers Nick, if I can't get hold of one today I'll let you know

you must be getting some amount of judder through your steering without that bolt

Surprisingly no judder...but the car does have a mind of its own sometime, but I put that down to the tires

[Bolt that holds panhard rod etc....]

Smashing! Cheers guys!

[Bolt that holds panhard rod etc....]

Whilst fitting a new fan belt yesterday, I notice the bolt that holds the bracket on for the panhard rod etc was missing. Does anyone know the exact size of the bolt? Apparently it's an imeperial thread?

Any help is appreciated!

Toby

[money's worth.]

I came across this the other day on another fella's car....

[RDS ENGINEERING BE WARNED]

Looks good

[3.9 Spark Map]

Nige, could you also send me over the same map?

a9040288@my.shu.ac.uk

cheers.

[megajolt lpg map]

Quagmire, just changing steering box on the truck at the moment, give me a couple of days and I'll get some readings for you. Had only just started tuning with the wideband when the box went.

[megajolt lpg map]

Only hiccup I've had with it is that it got blocked with a small plastic threaded part which stopped coolant circulation through it. No idea where this came from and as far as I, and an LPG specialist can see, nothing to do with the vap itself.

Apart from that its been great, rebuild kits are easy to get, I think they're still made and many say good things about them.

Mines are 10 years old I think.

[Insulation....]

fit a V8 and a auto. so much quieter, apart from the gorgeous V8 rumble

Ha if only it was that easy....