| I Brought a Landie |
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| Written by Him with Sideburns | ||||
| Wednesday, 07 July 2004 | ||||
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Here is "Fluffle-Valve-Express" at the start of having a few repairs done.
Fluffle-Valve-Express was Taxed and MOT'ed when I first got her, albeit only a couple of months of each. Charlie was the one that saw Fluffle-Valve-Express advertised in the local paper for £750. For years I had always wanted an old Landie and this one looked like it would fit my budget. Off we went to have a look. First impressions weren’t so good. The Landie looked like it had been well used, allot. There was barely a straight panel in sight. We knocked at the door and were greeted nicely by the owner who offered to get the keys and start her up. She started first turn of the key and a quick look at the exhaust showed us a cloud of smoke.  This is Fluffle-Valve-Express having parts removed from her inards. The cloud soon disappeared as the oil was burnt away and the Landie settled down to a nice and steady tick-over. Charlie and I had a good look around and found that it has had a lot of welding on the chassis, but overall condition wasn't too bad for the year. (1972). While I was lying under the Landie I also notice that there were a few oil leaks here and there and looked on the ground to see how much had been leaking. The owner said that he had owned the vehicle for the last two years and hadn't done a thing to it. I asked if this was where it was always parked up at night and with his response of "yes", I then thought that the leaks can't be too bad as there wasn't a lot of oil on the ground under the Landie and could always be fixed at a later date. In fact, the more I looked underneath, the more little jobs I was finding, like loose brake pipes and things. The vehicle was original and hadn't been messed about with extensive modifications. However, it has "Free-wheeling hubs" fitted, which I think is a good thing.
Free-Wheeling Hubs One thing I did take a good look at was the Bulkhead. Not because I knew it was a major thing to change or repair. I didn't know what a big job it was to do at the time. Being a bit green with Landies (Knowing bugger all about them more like) I had a real good look all over and especially at what needed welding. I’m a competent welder and have done a lot of welding on other projects over the years, so I know what’s going to be a bit of a git to get at or not. The bulkhead was being one of them. So this did have an extra looking at, as I wasn’t planning on a major rebuild. The Tyres had plenty of tread, but the tyre walls were a bit cracked, not too deeply but still cracked anyway. Looking at them, I was thinking, will they go through an MOT? AAAAHH well, if they fail, it will mean I'll have to buy new boots.  Cracks? What Cracks? I see no Cracks! The springs also looked as though they were wanting to Part Company with each other. Although they were all there, they were spreading apart a bit. They were probably the originals and have been holding this old wagon up since 1972. This was another thing I was hoping would go through an MOT.  I can see clearly now the springs have parted. Time it was then to go for a test drive. I let the owner get the vehicle off the drive and out onto the open road. I was a bit anxious as he struggled with the steering as he manoeuvred it off the drive. He seemed to be having a wrestling match with the steering. Then I remembered that this thing hasn’t got power steering and I had noticed before I got in it that the pressures were low on both front tyres. This seemed to dispel any ideas that came to mind that the steering might be knackered. Still, off we went merrily away down the road and into the countryside. The gearbox made a noise that I can only compare it to a cat having its nuts cut off without any anaesthetic. The noise stopped (sort of) once it was in top gear, but the thrust bearing was noisy and sounded like a cat having only one nut cut off. Halfway up a distant lane the owner stopped and asked if I would like to have a go at driving it. I think he only offered because I had told him I was a HGV driver and could drive anything, including the wife up the wall. I struggled as he did with the steering and I dared not go too fast for fear of putting it in the ditch. He told me that he had taken it to 60mph at one time on the motorway, “my god, your bloody brave” I thought. However, I was convinced that it was only the tyre pressure that was causing all the wandering.
Hold onto that wheel and keep her steady now! Back at the owner’s house and it was convince him time that this vehicle wasn’t worth the asking price of £750. I had showed him every fault that I had found and told him all along that this needed doing and that needed doing. Of course this was going to reflect on the price of the vehicle and I offered him £400. Looking shocked he said he was only going to go down to £600 and would not take my offer of £400. I offered £500 and also told him that was my last offer and that he could keep it if he was still looking for more money. He took the £500, we did all the paperwork and I added another couple of miles to the 91000 on the Speedo and drove it home the next day after making a phone call to my insurance company. This is it; I was thinking as I drove it home, I've brought myself a real "One Life, Live It" Series 3 109" 2.25 Petrol Land Rover.
More Pictures to come as you follow the rebuild.  Click next to follow the rebuild. |
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 18 October 2009 ) | ||||
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