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mrtod

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Posts posted by mrtod

  1. For a while i've had a clutch thats so stiff it requires sticking your foot under it and lifting it back off the floor. At first i suspected the master cylinder as it was showing signs of corrosion. I took it off yesterday and it was still stiff, so out came the pedal box and after a lot of persuasion with a blow torch and a russian sensor, the pivot pin also came out.

    By this point i was on a mission, and didnt ever fancy doing all this again. So, inspired by recent posts of greasable hinge pins i stuck the pivot pin in the lathe, drilled it, tapped it, put in a grease nipple and cross drilled it. The final result looked like this:

    post-8970-0-46493600-1316205561_thumb.jpg

    post-8970-0-37585500-1316205809_thumb.jpg

    now shes free as a whistle :)

    Flippin eck, that's a good idea. You've just got to start selling them now. :)

  2. Hi guys,

    This is driving me crazy.

    I am attempting to fit a late (ROW) spec exhaust to my 90 300tdi. Just cant figure out how to hang the rear of the centre silencer.

    Anyone got any photos of the chassis where the exhaust hanger fits (the one at the back end of the centre silencer).

    This is the type of exhaust without the rear silencer between the chassis rails.

    Thanks :)

  3. 35th out of 35th is not exactly fantastic is it ?

    I have a feeling that Ratan Tata will not consider that acceptable.

    From reading about him, I think owning JLR is about pride as well as profit. Which I think is a good thing.

  4. If they have to drop the current Defender, surely they could fill whatever gap remains with a stripped down base model of Discovery. Vinyl seats, wind up windows, less electronics, coil springs, steel wheels etc. It's a decent size and shape and maybe along with some changes to the bumpers and trim, basic headlamps and maybe a different bonnet or something to make it look a little more utility shouldn't affect the cachet of the expensive version.

    I think that would be a pretty cool car?

    I think you have a good point. The Disco3 (before they stuck on all the range rover bling of the disco4) was a much more inspired design than the DC100 and much closer to what the new Defender should be. They could continue production of the 3-4 as a utility vehicle after the current discovery is replaced by the disco5.

  5. The Defender already has a well established customer base but it is fairly small. So if you ditch (for example) 100k existing cutomers but create 200k new customers is that not a better "business" position?

    Surely that makes the most business sense, remember they are in the market to make money...no other reason than that.

    I wouldn't think so...if they create a model that loses many existing customers, but gains lots of new ones then surely that is an argument for a new product for the range. If the DC100 was a new product aimed at a new niche, I would have no problem with it (a new small disco model maybe?).

    The Defender customer base is small because the product has been overtaken by, for example, Toyotas. Toyota seem to still be producing commercial vehicles for this niche and they are no charity, so there must be profit in it.

    If I were in charge (yea right :lol: ) I would use this as an opportunity to redefine the brands...Move Land Rover into a more of a commercial vehicle maker and keep the Range Rover Brand for the more Luxurious Vehicles - Freelander upwards. I think there is room for two or three Land Rover vehicles from a Suzuki sized Jeep with a Defender as the middle product and a larger Iveco Daily sized rival. Obviously sharing technologies, driveline development between business arms including other Tata brands.

    I don't see why the new Defender should take any design cues from Range Rover, I think Land Rovers should stand on their own - building on the image of the current Defender.

    Obviously these are only my own humble opinions as I do not claim to have any inside knowledge about the way big business works

  6. The Defender is the one that has the most DNA from the original design and so they need to be very careful how they play it. They must be able to stick a new engine in, keep the current shape (or tweak a little) and redesign for ease of manufacture just as easily as they can put that thing together...

    Like you I don't to provoke anyone into some sort of flaming session,

    but ;) I do think that LR need to further much further than tweaking the old Defender - comfort levels, safety, fuel economy, production methods etc absolutely require it.

    However as other people have said - look at the new wrangler, I presume it meets all those requirements, but still looks like a jeep. They managed a suitable update (including a military version...Why can't JLR?

    Granted the DC100 is a concept car, and an early one at that, but JLR have form for giving us concepts that look very like the final product, and if no one protests, that may well be what the next defender will look like the DC100.

    Still...If a real Land Rover is no longer available I can always go out and buy a real Jeep :D

  7. Trouble is..... everyone on here and other pro-Land Rover sites are unlikely to like the replacement, whatever it is. And at a guess only a small percentage of the people on the enthusiast forums ever buy brand new anyway. The people who really have to like the new design for it to be a success are those currently buying the bling Japanese pickups and SUVs. That is on the only way LR will get back to selling 60K units.

    Whilst there is some truth in that, I think there is a real appetite for a new model...they just have to get it right...unfortunately they have not

    I think that Jeep managed to update the wrangler in a way that kept it true to its brand and image.

    If Land Rover had done the same then I would be the first to applaud them.

    And just to prove I am not a complete luddite, I love the Evoque and will have one on order the very next time I win the Lotto Jackpot ;)

    PS dont forget that the second hand market is very important...high residuals are part of what keep premium brands premium.

  8. Could this just be a marketing ploy , as its so obviously nothing like a defender replacement will need to be , the front bumper level for a start is completely at odds with its present market use , but will make what they really intend to design/sell look the part in comparison even if its light years different to the current model , as people will be comparing with this design disaster rather than the outgoing model. This is the only way i can make any sense of that pathetic concept suggestion . :rolleyes:

    From what I've read

    John Edwards, Global Brand Director, Land Roveradded: "Loved the world over for its simple, honest and distinctive design, we are determined that the new Defender will be true to its heritage, while meeting the requirements of a changing global market. We plan to engage with existing and potential customers to help us finalise the details of the new vehicle. One thing's for sure, it's going to be an exciting journey, and we can't wait to get going."

    So I think it depends on the public's reaction!

  9. Would have liked to see some sacrificial plastic wheel arches - a little like the latest jeep or maybe the deign below.

    Can you imagine what those big metal arches will look like after they've seen a few trees?

    post-8708-0-26323600-1314780187_thumb.jpg

  10. I remember seeing the Evoque concept and loving it and wanting one...I saw the Evoque (and sat in it) for the first time at the Trafford centre this week...I sooo want one.

    This Defender concept...my first reaction is...no thanks, I'll keep my 16 year old 90.

  11. I'm no expert so this is little more than a guess but the amount of hydrogen and oxygen produced will be in exactly the right ratio to react back into water again.

    Therefore I don't see how any more diesel will burned by the addition of extra oxygen as the hydrogen will use it up.

    That is unless perhaps the reaction changes the temperature/pressure of the combustion chamber thus causing the diesel to burn more efficiently.

    If that was the case you would expect car manufacturers to use this effect themselves to increase efficiency and reduce emissions.

    Since they do not, then I will only believe this works when I see some hard evidence.

    Till then it's snake oil.

    Only my opinion though :D

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