jpk

I picked up a pair from Sodbury a few years ago, out of a Rover 200 turbo I believe. Some or other Rover turbo anyway. Half leather, very supportive, miles more comfy than the originals. Pretty much a straight swap as I recall. JP

HSBC basically said to my other half that seeing as they held her mortgage they had no problem with arranging the bond for a ratty old Land Rover! They actually have a department that deals exclusively with sort of thing. Problem is, very few people seem to know that this department exists or how to get hold of them. If anyone is interested I'll get Helen to try and find the contact details. Obviously this does not help you if you're not a home owner or don't bank with HSBC but may be worth checking if your own bank has something similar. The carnet proved to be a lot easier to organise than rumours suggested and the RAC were very helpful. JP

It is the right striker, I checked and rechecked. I've got one of them working well, the other is proving to be a bit more fiddly. Getting better though. Aah, the fun and games. . .

Thanks guys, I've pretty much been trying all that. Thing is, even before fitting them, the striker wouldn't fit the lock properly. No worries, back to car for some more fiddling. Thank you again. JP

Hello everyone I'm in the process of fitting new anti-burst locks. The problem I'm having is that the fit between the lock and the striker plate seems to be incredibly tight. The striker plate has a rubber bumper at the top. One of the doors will only close properly with a HUGE slam, the other won't even close fully. Any one else had this problem? Is it just a bit of help with a file that's needed or does anyone have a miracle cure. Thanks in advance JP

I've had mine for about 3 years now. Regular commuting, occasional off-roading, 10 000 miles in Africa on a 4 month trip last year. No problems so far, touch wood. I was a bit worried about the sidewalls being vulnerable as they are only (I think) 2-ply, but even running them soft in the Botswana sands we didn't even have a single puncture. I'll be getting a new set when these are done. JP

We managed on £50 a day for 4 months in SA, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia. This covered accommodation (which included a fair few hotels), fuel, food(ate out quite a bit), national parks, mechanical problems - basically all our in country costs. Of course it helped that Helen is a little Rottwieler when it comes to the purse strings! Not sure how driving to Singapore would compare. JP

As another option, I used some of the stuff they use to to make advertising billboards (at least, it came from a signwriting type place). It's about 5mm thick plastic sandwiched between two thin layers of ali. Very flexible but if there is enough support from the rack then it weighs virtually nothing. I've also put anti-slip tape on otherwise it gets interesting when it's wet. Sorry, can't remember the cost. Exact Fabrications got it from the unit next door to them when they were making my rack. JP

Hi there To echo the general sentiment here, go for it. After years of wishing, dreaming,planning etc I spent 4 months in Southern Africa last year. My only regret is not spending more time there and also not doing the whole north to south thing. Oh well, something to look forward to. You'll find the links posted by Diff very useful. This forum is also extremely helpful, I'll certainly be happy to help out with any advice and lessons learnt. Enjoy! JP

No worries. Just make sure you get the mapsource (Garmins map management program) stuff as well for your pc. T4A works on this. I'm not sure if T4A would work on something like the new Nuvi etc We had a 60cx which was great. Just check whatever you get will be compatible. I don't actually know enough about this stuff, but I did have an older Garmin V which could use T4A. That was pretty cheap on the bay. JP

Once you have a receiver sorted out, you could try having a look at www.tracks4africa.com. We used it earlier this year on a 4 month trip round Southern Africa and found it very useful. You have the choice of buying only the country you need and i thought it was very reasonable pricewise. JP

Hi Mark Mine is on it's way to South Africa at the moment but when it's back (probably November ) I'll definately be up for some fun and games. I'm down in Walton-on-Thames though. JP

Oh don't worry, I plan to keep you informed for maximum jealousy factor. I still have a few things to do on the car once we get to SA( by which I mean lots to do), then up the east coast via Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya. Then back down to Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and back to SA. Meeting up with my brother and sister and their families in Namibia to travel together for a couple of weeks. My brother has a new Toyota so there won't be any rivalry there then! I'll post up some pics soon. JP

I have just got back from putting my 110 in a container on it's way to Cape Town to start 4 months of driving around Africa. This forum has been a continuous source of inspiration and knowledge and has helped me with a so much. You can all look forward to my frantic pleading for advice when something goes pop once we're out there! Thanks guys, go on, pat yourselves on the back. You deserve it. Much appreciated. JP

Payment sent. I think the forum has more than earned it and really I should have done it earlier. Keep up the good work.

Thank you one and all. Does'nt sound too bad then. . . he says.

Evening all. My front door hinges have a fair amount of play in them. How much of a mission is it to change these. I've done a search and found nothing about it. I'm just wondering how the captive bolts go into the bulkhead. And I'm guessing the bolts are not exactly going to undo with a few deft wrist movements. If you know what I mean. As always, any advice gratefully received. Thanks JP

http://www.sealsplusdirect.co.uk Good for all types of rubbery stuff. JP

Hi Mine cost me £300ish to have both corners done. That was by Keith Gott in Alton, if that helps. JP

Oh ha ha. You're all mean The Corsa is not mine, it's just there for me to rest my coffee on while I'm working on the car. JP

That hurts!

At least if we get lost in the desert next year they should find us without too much difficulty.

Thanks guys. A lot of what you say confirms what I thought and some of it has made me think about what I had planned to do. Ta very much for everyones contributions. Muchos Gracias JP

Thank you one and all for your ideas and opinions. I think the big thing here is that what is useless to one person is essential to another. I am not fussed about where I sleep but the bosslady is scared of creepy-crawlys so a roof tent it is. As for a cage, I agree it is by no means essential, but having worked as an overland tour guide in Southern Africa I have seen enough flattened 110's to think it's a damn good idea. Chris at Exact Fabrication is doing the cage so of course I'll discuss final design with him. I quite like the idea of the tent on the front with the ladder on the winch bumper if for no other reason than it allows a quick getaway if undesirables come knocking. Fuel and water will all be down low. It will basically just be tent and light goodies up top. The car is currently being painted so once its all done I'll post some piccies. Should look spiffy. All the planning and preparation is fun but really all I want to do is get out there and bumble around the desert and the bush for a while. Thank you again and keep it coming. JP

Evening all. So the 110 is due to go for a full external cage next week. We're planning a trip across Africa next year and I want to incorparate as many useful features into the design of the cage as possible. I want the cage for safety reasons and it will double up as the roofrack. So, what do you think? Spotlight mounts? Brush wires mounts? Somewhere to put the waffle boards? Plywood on the roof or wire mesh? There will be a roof tent on the roof as well, so front or back? Anything you may have seen somewhere and thought it was a good idea. Any ideas gratefully received as always. Thanks JP