Paul Humphries

Any links to the legal specifications for "mobility buggies" ? I have a left leg problem which means I can stand but when walking my knee easily dislocates so it limits what I can do. I don't want a normal buggy but something that I can use for canal towpaths, the moorland only a few hundred yards for me etc. Limited funds (ie 110% broke) means I've also been thinking of building my own. I have found details about max speed and lights but that is it - nothing about weight, brakes, or even the min number of wheels. I'm thinking along the lines, for myself, of a "step though" 2 wheeler with detachable stablisers that their width is easilly & quickly adjustable depending on terrain. Paul Humphries.

I used to have a J**p CJ5. I wanted a Dana 300 transfer box and bought one off a chap who was breaking a Sherpa 4x4. Seems they used Dana / Jeep axles front & rear with Dana transfer box with an adapter that allowed connection of the orignal gearbox via a prop shaft approx 12" long. Paul Humphries

You can get special drill bits that do such a job. Unfortunatley I cann't think fo their name at present nor can find a link Basically they are used to drill a second hole when you want to have an allen screw etc below the surface in thick materials. You drill the first hole for the bolt etc and then the special drill has a plain section that located in the hole so it then only drills the second, larger dia. Probably a little OTT for what you need. Personally I'd look at cheap and cheerful flat wood drill bits. If slow enough speed then they should chip the ridges off the chequerplate around the mounting hole area. You might need to regrind the wood bit to give flat areas but is a good starting point for making your own tool. Paul Humphries

My old SD1 V8 sounded like that after a mate borrowed it and ripped the rear part of the exhaust system off on a speed hump ! If you want a decent exhaust sound listen to a Merlin engine - a real Rolls Royce version and not the Packard copy preferably in a Spitfire doing a low level fly over. Paul Humphries

Definatley. I still don't know what happened exactly. I was jacking under the towbar of my Range Rover onto a tyre to try and break the bead. One split second it was up in the air and another it was fully lowered with me hopping aorund swearing and holding onto my hand. Yes - it "operator error" but I was being careful and knew they can be tempermental but didn't realise they can bite back so easilly without warning. I'd recommend any novice has someone experienced with a Jackall or Hi Lift demonstrate them fully rather then assuming they can work it out themselves. Paul Humphires

I've got an old gas bottle for converting and found, at the local builders merchants, a 12" drain grid that is almost a perfect fit for inside. Exactly the same as domestic - but bigger. Just needs a little (1/4 - 1/2") grinding off the corners to fit and being cast iron should last. I'm going to source some secondhand cast iron guttering downpipe as a flue. Paul Humphries.

This is what I made out of old gas bottle. http://community.webshots.com/user/paulhumphries100 Paul Humphries

My B&Q have DeWalt angle grinders for £31.99. Personally, after spending £96 on a Bosch one only to have it break from DIY use just after 12 month guarantee expired, I now only buy £9.99 ones from supermarkets are they still have 12 months guarantee ! Paul Humphries

I'll sell you a mil recon 2.25, five bearing petrol engine that has only done approx 5000 miles for £100. That's complete as I personally removed from a running vehicle a couple of weeks ago. I've now decided to rebuild my original diesel instead hence selling. New Weber carb, distributor, manifolds, starter etc all included. Still in one big lump. Remove old unit, fit this, reconnect everything and drive away Paul Humphries, Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent

When I found the boot floor was rusty on my old Disco I was amazed to find a pair genuine panels for the sides was cheaper than one pattern side from Paddocks. BTW My old 2 door Range Rover donated an alloy centre section for the floor that was perfect after being shortened. Paul Humphries

I've had this before with a mate who used a British registered van in France. (i) UK MOT required. (ii) UK road tax still payable. Using a UK registered vehicle in Europe without UK road tax is an offence the same as if in UK. OK less chance of being caught than here but information is now exchanged between member countries of the EU. My mate now has a brand new Belgian registered van. Recently he was caught on a UK speed camera. The Police contacted him abroad If you let UK MOT & tax expire then be prepared for a fine when bringing back to UK as the automatic no. plate recognition cameras will catch you when you get off the ferry. I couldn't find any way my friend could LEGALLY bring the old (M reg) van back to the UK for an MOT after it had expired other then on a trailer so he ended up scrapping it over there despite it being in good condition. I don't know the answer to your question but suspect comming back to UK once a year to MOT / tax is going to be the easiest way. Paul Humphries

I remember seeing a program on TV about the off road / ice drivers in Iceland. They run huge tyres at very low pressure so sometimes they can break the bead and instantly deflate. What they did, on the program, was squirt lighter gas into the tyre and then chuck in a match The explosion reseals the tyre and inflates at the same time. Not sure I'd want to try it myself though. Paul Humphries

The only thing I'd worry about is making them too strong. In the event of a good shove you want them to bend and absorb some of the shock / impact rather than bending the chassis. Better to change a bumper than having to straighten a chassis ? Paul Humphries

I reckon you will need to have them professionally done if used on the road. First off I don't know how happy an insurance company would be if you told them you had DIY modified the wheels. Second if even a very small amount out of true then you are going to need some serious balancing and then might not be able to counteract any distortion. Third any slight distortion ie if not 100% welded correctly then it's probably going to be an MOT failure in the future (I've had a car fail on distorted rim). "At the end of the day" it's probably going to be cheaper to just buy the proper wheels than pay someone to modify the ones he's got to insurance standard. If it's a pure off roader then forget everything I've wrote above Paul Humphries.

A high percentage of the £1800 will be labour costs. Price up the individual parts to see exactly how much. I bought a complete kit, of new parts, (for a VW) of everything needed for less than £400. I converted a 240 Volvo (2.0 injection) for less than £100 using a secondhand tank (which was a couple years old so still with valid date stamp). If you can change brake pipes then you can plumb in a LPG system. The wiring is no worse than fitting an aftermarket stereo. Check it out yourself and see what savings can be made by fitting a DIY system. My insurers didn't require any certificate even though I told them I'd fitted it myself. The local parts suplier would have inspected and issued an insurance certificate if properly installed for £25 + vat. I intend converting my SIII when I finish a rebuild on a new chassis. Paul Humphries

For some reason I can't post in the classified section. Anyway I've just returned from collecting a (£15 / eBay) hardtop for my SIII rebuild so the orginal truck cab is now surplus and in the way. As normal the roof is tatty with dents and holes. Back section isn't too bad but no glass and perspex screwed on instead. No fillet strip to bridge the gap between back and tub bulkhead. No use to me and a little too tatty to bother trying to sell so if any use then take it away for free (asap) otherwise it's off to tip with it. Paul Humphries, Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent.

I wouldn't buy a set but rather "cherry pick" just the sizes you need. A full set will have loads that you will never, ever, use so why waste money. It might be worth investing in a thread gauge to determine what you need. Personally I am interested in hobby engineering and taps / dies are cheap from shows / mail order. Obviously not 100% best industrial quality but certainly no worse than you would get in a set and more than adequate for DIY use. Have a look here - http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/ http://www.tracytools.com/ I also find a thread file useful for tidying slightly damaged threads- http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/core/media/me...e7afa6c9b14fbe6 Paul Humphries

After loosing a large chunk off the end of my finger when a hilift (Jackall) decided it didn't want to lower properly there is no way I can recommend them. For my SIII (still in bits as being rechassised) I have a proper Series screw bottle jack. Paul Humphries.

Someone who bought a CPC kit gave me the details off the ram. It's an "off the shelf" item used for all sorts of applications. All TI Consol / CPC do is cherry pick the parts and put them together with the appropriate brackets, hoses etc. I contacted the local supplier and the actual ram was still around £200 + vat so this kit is a bargain. Paul Humphries.

I wanted an outside workbench so made one out of KeeKlamp fittings (http://www.keeklamp.co.uk) and scaffolding poles - luckilly I have both "in stock". Heavy and easy to dismantle / alter with just an Allen key. Paul Humphries