Eightpot

The 1986 brochure shows third row seatbelts, may have been an option but I'd hsve thought the c pillar brackets would be there - easy to spot if you pull the trim forward a bit.

I always add an extra inch on the pipe for when I've got to cut the end back off 😄

Get yourself one of these kits, makes very good flares very easily, far superior to the cheap alloy flare tools : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284152037970?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=47JKgCSCSZC&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=r3bYuZTHQoa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I sold my house a few months ago, was a constant source of amazement how much carp treasure I had dotted in every draw, under every bed, in every cupboard, loft, box, corner and unused bit of garden. Not helped by shutting my garage business down as well which only drew out more useful items in waiting which couldn't possibly be chucked out or sold. Even after three months of furious ebaying I had to hire two 40 foot containers to cram the leftovers into. And by cram I mean back to front, floor to ceiling with a rat run over the top to crawl to the back 😄 I got away with a lot of it by getting mrs eightpot an old Panda 4x4 and telling her any bits she presented me with from a drawer were for her Panda 😂

Sounds like mis-fueling to me, easy done. You can usually smell it in the tank or filter. Some engines cope with it better than others, used to manage it regularly in my old Saab 9-3 (same symptoms as yours) and topping the tank with diesel worked (luckily I rarely put more than 30 quid in). Some engines rely on the lubrication of diesel in the pumps etc, not sure on tdci - if in doubt drain your piesel out and refil.

What does the smoke smell of?

The factory filter housing for the south african bmw m52 Defenders was a Donaldson from memory, which is dealing with a similar horsepower - I think they are available from truck/agri suppliers, with decent availability of filters. Otherwise a 3.9 rangie housing would obviously work if you can find a way to mount it..

The people to speak to are dvla - they are generally very helpful at explaining the situation as long as you're polite and straight with them. It may be you've just bought a car that was misrepresented without doing relevant checks and are stuck with a lemon, it may be something that can be fixed by presenting the correct paperwork. If it shouldn't be back on the road or has no identity you will have little option but to go through the 'built up vehicles' route and take a q plate.

You can buy cb kit in France & Spain, and I've seen plenty of 4x4s driving round with them fitted.

Off-piste trek to Plage Blanche, Guelmim province. One of the most stunning beaches I've ever seen. The scale and emptyness is incredible.

Just thinking, last time I put a 3.9 in a 110 some years ago, I couldn't find the road speed sensor that connects to the speedo cable, so ran it without. From memory the point of the thing was to reduce fueling at low speed to avoid surging (which it did!) Different system from yours I know, but yes the tuning at low speeds definitely did cause an otherwise mechanically tip top 110 to buck around a bit till it had chance to stretch its legs and get some speed up.

There aren't any issues driving in to Western Sahara, there's no border at the Moroccan side as they are keen to prove the occupied territory is fully Moroccan. There are a few checkpoints to get through but they're mostly looking at vans/trucks or illegal migrants. There is sensitivity anywhere near the Algerian border or inland of the main north south road due to the ongoing issues with Polisario - checkpoints increase and so does the inspection. Army tend to be pretty chill, Gendarmes friendly but very inquisitive, police having the smallest guns seem to suffer from a little inferiority complex and give thier job largess with lots of warnings about where you can & can't go, which I've largely found inacurate, and they probably aren't even from the area. They all find the idea of wanting to drive a 200km desert piste pretty baffling and will direct you to a road. I think the convoys were from a few years ago when there was some Polisario activity, especially near the Mauritanian border and Esmarra.

I've had some pretty shonky old african import landys with wear in virtually every part of the transmission that would do this, particularly behind V8s, the only way to stop them was to dip the clutch and try again. As a first step I get them up on stands, whip the pto cover of the back of the transfer box and turn a wheel back & forth and watch what each component does - surprising how much rotation you get from a few mildly worn components and a bad A frame bush. Hopefully yours is just down to a bit of tinkering with the engine tune.

Can't do this with the new Defender 😄

The cat has undoubtedly been the star of the show! Over 18 now - since it was a kitten has been timid to the point of living inside a sofa for the first five years and petrified of strangers. Was a tough decision to bring it, but definitely the best thing we ever did. In five months not a single complaint, little accident or refusal - despite temps hitting over 40 degrees for a great deal of the time, some very hardcore off-roading, desert crossings, corrugations and hundreds of people wanting to say hello to it. She loves being in the car, and her favourite bit is wild camping in the desert with long evening walks. She has the routine down to perfection, walks to heel, comes when called, knows where she needs to be at the various times or if we're going off-road and tucks herself into a secure spot. Cant believe the change in temprement. We were going to put her into a cattery and spend winter in South Africa as we normally do, but no way we can leave this crew member behind now 😄

Had to get all vaccinations done and a European travel certificate which was checked at Folkestone, then a rabies titer test done in spain with a export permit at the ceuta border so she can return into Europe. But other than having the microchip scanned at Folkestone, customs haven't been the slightest bit interested anywhere.

Lots of old Santanas still in everyday use

Worlds longest train - Mauritanian ore train - 2.5km long - need to zoom in a bit!

We've been exploring southern Morocco, Western Sahara & Mauritania in the Range Rover ambulance for a few months, with an additional passenger on board - our 18 year old cat! A few pics for cat/Landy fans.

I have my roof panel mounted with hinges at the front - using a couple of different length props at the back I can have it flat or tilted to track the sun - makes a big difference, especially when the sun gets low.