a fourby four is born

[dirkthe1]

now im not sure if im stirring up a hornets nest but i'll do it anyway

i got given a dvd of the same title of the discovery channel programme that was on a while ago. i watched almost all of it but got in from work and found it on tv.

i like it as a programme as its actually quite interesting-like the trip to ashcrofts, etc, but i was just wondering what other peoples thoughts are on it, and wether for mr average with a highly limited budget, how feasible is it as a concept-time, money, space etc. not critisising the programme, just wondered what people thought of it!!

[white90]

It was ok but a bias towards its main sponsor (scorpion)

plus some amateur mistakes with swivel preload setting.

The rest off it showed what someone with a good tool kit superb garage and some help can produce.

If you can cope with the presenter the rest of his shows weren't that bad really.

All just my opinion.

[dirkthe1]

It was ok but a bias towards its main sponsor (scorpion)

plus some amateur mistakes with swivel preload setting.

The rest off it showed what someone with a good tool kit superb garage and some help can produce.

If you can cope with the presenter the rest of his shows weren't that bad really.

All just my opinion.

it did have a very orange tinge to it didnt it.

[FridgeFreezer]

Best treated as entertainment rather than useful IMHO.

[ste clark]

i sat in one sunday afternoon and watched this....

like you say it is amazing what you can do with what appears to be no budget and technical assistance from plenty of people and a workshop with all the gear in it!!

i have a full time job, mend them on my drive in the cold on my own with a big hammer and a screwdriver thats broken...

dont think i will order the £££££ pipe bender to start making cages for projects yet!!!!!!

[Rich_P]

Sounds like some people are comparing it to joe blog in the street, which is not what it's about! I'm guessing you would be complaining about the same things when he did the E-Type like "I haven't 90 grand to spend on that, why cant he pick a normal thing blah blah blah".

It's a program that's not trying to be too in depth or boring, while at the same time being different to your typical vehicle show. That's why it sells, and should remain like this I say!

If you want ultra realistic things, then I suggest you just start watching Wrecks to Riches (also interesting, but seems a bit silly at times). Otherwise stick to the comics.

[landmannnn]

If you get some inspiration from it - fine.

Don't copy him though, the vehicle must have cost £20k. For that money you could get a newish 90 and bolt on enough goodies to make a better vehicle.

[FridgeFreezer]

the vehicle must have cost £20k.

I heard about 4x that and even more for the e-type :blink:

[white90]

John

80k...

A bit [orange]Extreme[/orange] don't you think

if you add the cost of buying all the tools used and ramp etc and wages then perhaps but the majority of the tooling would be reused on future projects.

I enjoyed the helicopter one myself.

[T1G UP]

Not having raised a spanner to a LR before i found it interesting.

Still my goal to own a sorted 100" but now i've learn a little a can see the "orange" glow!

I've watched a few others and have often thought what a great job to have.

[Rich_P]

Best bit is that it isn't his main job. He's head vet of the RSPCA!

[T1G UP]

Best bit is that it isn't his main job. He's head vet of the RSPCA!

Cool.

[ThreeSheds]

Best bit is that it isn't his main job. He's head vet of the RSPCA!

And he works bl@@dy hard too! I heard that he will happily pull an all-nighter if the filming schedule gets behind - and it always seems to be freezing in his workshop (still miles better than lying in the mud like me though!).

Good entertainment I reckon - I love watching them and actually bought the DVDs - however I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a load of 'extras' on them. I think they missed a trick here with the possibility of some more in-depth stuff than would be shown on TV.

[Anderzander]

I've never heard of it before - never knew I had discovery turbo either!

So I've set it to record two episodes tonight at 7pm and 7:30pm.

[Holyzeus]

Have the dvd, enjoyed it.

It can be useful as a tool to give me a bit of a kick when enthusiasm wanes....

personally i like the man (awful jokes aside...) yeah its bolt on Scorpion stuff but he wont of known any better ( as neither did many of us when starting out)

[Dunc]

My missus bought it for me, about 300 years ago, when it came out because i asked her to.

I think it's great, a relatively amateur build by a bloke who actively describes himself as an enthusiastic amateur and even confesses to his cock-ups.

I know everyone says (moans) about his nice workshop and the orange tint to some of the products on it, but if the programme had been made in a sh1tty old hut in the garden the filming would be pants because they couldn't pan properly and when it was made there wasn't the active anti-scorpion movement that there is now.

He looks cold a lot of the time because he is. He's in a barn on a farm in Ledbury, not some central heated palace! I met him at Eastnor and he's as sound as a sound thing.

My Dad's opinion of all of Mark Evans' builds was that "he's an idiot" and when i inquired as to the grounds for this Einstein-like assessment it was apparently because he "didn't take things seriously enough". I informed Dad that he should now understand how i feel when trying to instruct him with his computer, because that's how he seems.

It's telly, not a Haynes manual (oops forgot, we're not allowed to mention those either are we) so should be judged as what it is.

Watch it and enjoy it. I did, still do and even though i've got the dvd i watch it everytime it's on Discovery.

[Rich_P]

yeah its bolt on Scorpion stuff but he wont of known any better ( as neither did many of us when starting out)

I heard that at one of the shows he openly admitted to finding that a lot of the parts he fitted were not fit for use.

[mike4444244]

I like them, he obviously has many advantages over the average builder, budget etc but his enthusiasm is quite infectious!

Probably the most useful thing he has is the ability to use the leverage of the tv company to make sure parts turn up on time! If I added up the amount of time I'd spent waiting on suppliers or ####### couriers

Mike

[Ruuman]

My missus bought it for me, about 300 years ago, when it came out because i asked her to.

I think it's great, a relatively amateur build by a bloke who actively describes himself as an enthusiastic amateur and even confesses to his cock-ups.

I know everyone says (moans) about his nice workshop and the orange tint to some of the products on it, but if the programme had been made in a sh1tty old hut in the garden the filming would be pants because they couldn't pan properly and when it was made there wasn't the active anti-scorpion movement that there is now.

He looks cold a lot of the time because he is. He's in a barn on a farm in Ledbury, not some central heated palace! I met him at Eastnor and he's as sound as a sound thing.

My Dad's opinion of all of Mark Evans' builds was that "he's an idiot" and when i inquired as to the grounds for this Einstein-like assessment it was apparently because he "didn't take things seriously enough". I informed Dad that he should now understand how i feel when trying to instruct him with his computer, because that's how he seems.

It's telly, not a Haynes manual (oops forgot, we're not allowed to mention those either are we) so should be judged as what it is.

Watch it and enjoy it. I did, still do and even though i've got the dvd i watch it everytime it's on Discovery.

couldn't agree more with this, TV is made under a strictly controlled budget and plan. All the different takes, setting up shots and lighting all takes a long time. Especially if you put it together wrong and have to re-shoot

I think in all honesty this program wasn't made for people who already break and rebuild landys. I know I didn't find it as interesting as the helicopter or plane one, they aren't in depth but they made me think to myself "I'll build a plane one day". To me that's good TV.

[dirkthe1]

first usful thread ive made.

i must admit it does make me want to go and do somethin, but a gravel drive and massive puddle soon changes that.

dont anyone get me wrong, i know its not real life! he does seem like a nice bloke and i did learn a little-i never new what a pabhard rod was for before this (i just thought it steered!)

and it is a good laugh, and as i said, i liked the tour of ashcrofts, and it does make you go "i wish i had a limitless budget" , etc, etc, but i guess thats one of the things about this hobby as a whole-if there werent things like this to make you go "i could do it better with half the stuff" then alot of people would never get anything done!

i just wish i had the time and space to break my to peices!

i didnt think he was head rspca vet anymore? i heard he was just an advisor now

[FridgeFreezer]

John

80k...

A bit [orange]Extreme[/orange] don't you think

Only going on what I've been told by more than one person, including people in the business. Met Mark Adams at the London To Brighton when he was parked on the scrapiron stand and he was a thoroughly nice chap, he did say at the time that he did not get paid for the show, he kept the LR as full payment and he also said the E-Type cost them over 80k to build and was sold for a lot less than that afterwards .

Nothing against him or the program whatsoever, just pointing out that it's a TV show not a build manual and that some of the stuff they did was not exactly the way one would go about it in real life.

[Dunc]

I think in all honesty this program wasn't made for people who already break and rebuild landys. I know I didn't find it as interesting as the helicopter or plane one, they aren't in depth but they made me think to myself "I'll build a plane one day". To me that's good TV.

I think you're right on the button.

There are folks who can't even service their own car who would have watched it and it would've been like the first time cavemen made fire. They would've been mesmorised and i bet a lot of them learned about the history of Land Rover when they thought they were a new company building Chelsea tractors too!

For those of us who regularly take things apart there weren't many revelations, but i'll watch it anyday over a soap opera!

I've never built a Helicopter and i found that one enthralling.

I want Mark Evans (that's 'Evans' Fridge ) to build a boat next or a steam engine. Be glued to that too!

Ooh, as a post script; do you reckon we could get Mark Evans to do "A 4x4 is born - 2" where we get him to help him with spec?

I'd like OME springs, Rancho shocks, 300 Tdi, auto 'box, 35" Mickey Thomsons (because i love the 'sidebiters') all built on a modified Disco chassis with a 5-door CSW style body (like the original Swiss army 100").

Mmm. B)

[dollythelw]

I think it was "info-tainment" in the same vein as luvvy and hair blokes long way round, (btw if you want to see the ripped off originals track down Mondo Enduro or Terra Circa - which are waaaaaay more entertaining and interesting ).

[jules]

I think it was "info-tainment" in the same vein as luvvy and hair blokes long way round, (btw if you want to see the ripped off originals track down Mondo Enduro or Terra Circa - which are waaaaaay more entertaining and interesting ).

Wouldn't you if you had a mate with more money than God

[dollythelw]

nope

if you get a chance to see those DVDs Jules do it - it'll make sense then I know its horses for courses but personally I think Austin Vinces boys pulled off the perfect long haul trip and still managed to film it with humour and reality, no Kamaz's for the tricky bits, no vacuum packed luxo rations, no luvvy speaches about "the humanity of shooting a bear", no money, no tents, very little hope and most importantly no giving up - grab beers sit and watch em, they're boss films