Nemesis To Go - Double-declutching for fun and profit

Nemesis To Go - Double-declutching for fun and profit

The mewlings and pukings of Uncle Nemesis

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Double-declutching for fun and profit	[Jul. 6th, 2009\|09:35 am]
I recall, when I last addressed the nation via the medium of ~~modern darnce~~ LiveJournal, I mentioned that I was buying a car - a process which required me to make assorted trips to the wilds of Yorkshire. Buying a car is not an unusual activity in this modern world, of course, and I believe trips to Yorkshire are quite common these days, too. But this is me we're talking about. I don't buy normal cars. I don't even have normal trips to Yorkshire. Getting my hands on this motor turned out to be a rather lengthy saga, and incorporated a certain amount of angst in the York Novotel, a random visit to Manchester, and a frankly scary few hours in Doncaster. It involved a petrol crisis somewhere above Deepcar, and getting hopelessly lost on unmarked farm tracks in the Dales (that's the last time I buy a road atlas from the pound shop, I can tell you). But I finally got my (relatively) shiny new vehicle back to London. Here's a cryptic photo. Can you tell what it is yet? I suspect hirez is now slapping his forehead and saying, 'Oh, no, don't say he's gone and bought one of those!' If you didn't recognise the vehicle by its fine collection of knobs, here's what it looks like from the outside... Now, I just bet you're saying to yourself, gosh, isn't that a 1967 Land Rover Series IIa 88 inch truck cab two-and-a-quarter petrol? And you'd be right to say that. That's what it is. And that's what it looks like from the other end. Non-standard flush-panel tailgate fitted by previous owner; non-standard REALLY BIG reflectors fitted by me. There's a hood for the rear, but at present this is in the back garden providing camping facilities for the cats. On my travels around west London the other day I found a younger relation. The Land Rover on the right in the pic above is a 1986 Defender 110 hi-capacity pick-up (I include this info in case you wish to make a note in your I-Spy Land Rover Spotter Book). It's interesting to note that while most people would regard a 1986 vehicle as fairly ancient, in Land Rover terms it's a mere youth. Buying a Land Rover is a bit like joining a mysterious cult. I have discovered that Land Rover drivers tend to give each other knowing nods and waves out on the road: the etiquette seems to be that the junior Land Rover waves to the senior Land Rover. As my Land Rover is senior to most others out there, this means I get to sit tight until the other chap acknowledges me with a respectful salute. Whereupon I give a restrained but affable hand-off-the-steering-wheel wave back - and then wrestle, panic-stricken, with the wheel as the damn thing takes this opportunity to steer itself into the ditch. If you've driven a non-servo Land Rover on skinny crossply off-road tyres you'll know how interesting the handling can get... Sometimes, I find myself waving at the other Land Rover first. I've developed my own etiquette here. Series Land Rovers (like mine) get the full-on salutation: Defenders (the modern, softie version) get a slightly more restrained acknowledgement. I am prepared, under most circumstances, to greet old-skool Range Rovers in a matey fashion. A Series One Discovery might get a terse nod. Freelanders can fuck right off. Anyway. There it is. It has a year's MOT, and a fighting chance of passing the next one. Most things work; it doesn't make more than the usual selection of alarming something-is-going-to-go-wrong-any-minute noises. Certain things need attention, but nothing is actually in any danger of falling off. This is not some sort of pose-mobile for me (although the pose value is, undeniably, pretty high). The general idea is that I'll have work for this machine to do in the near future. Meanwhile, if you see this looming up in your rear view mirror... ...remember that in a Land Rover, your crumple zone is the other car!
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Comments:

From:

naturalbornkaos
2009-07-06 09:59 am (UTC)

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Dude, that's a sweet ride.

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From:

spangle_kitten
2009-07-06 09:59 am (UTC)

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I thought it looked a bit Landrover-ish. My dad has an old Defender and the industrial utilitarian inside seems to be a brand standard, at least in the older models. The newer models are far too cushy...and actually have a vanity mirror on the passenger sun shade!

You're right, Freelanders can fuck off, and the Range Rover sport version...gets an accidental sideswipe ;p

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From:

nemesis_to_go
2009-07-06 10:06 am (UTC)

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Vanity mirrors? In a Land Rover? Has it come to this?! That's the decline of the British motor industry in a nutshell!

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From:

hirez
2009-07-06 10:04 am (UTC)

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Is it very sad that I squinted at the first photo and went 'Oh. Series II.'?

Freelanders can fuck right off.

Well said.

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From:

nemesis_to_go
2009-07-06 10:11 am (UTC)

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I knew you'd recognise it from the knobs alone!

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From:

flooks
2009-07-06 11:09 pm (UTC)

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I guessed IIa from the sneak preview too. :-) Used to have a LWB version.

That's a very tidy looking Landie, is it restored or just looked after?

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From:

nemesis_to_go
2009-07-07 07:58 am (UTC)

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It's what you might call a 'nearly finished project'. It's been basically rebuilt (with allen-head bolts all over the place, for some reason) to a good 'everyday' condition, but it wouldn't win a concours.

I took it on knowing I'd have a few jobs to do - the interior seems to have been abandoned half-done, the rear tub is a bit wonky on its mountings, and something's going clonk underneath (chief suspect: a universal joint). None of these are fatal errors, though. I feel like I've got to complete another kid's Meccano model!

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From:

liz_lowlife
2009-07-06 10:09 am (UTC)

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Are you going to off road it and thing?

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From:

nemesis_to_go
2009-07-06 10:15 am (UTC)

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It probably will go off road in the course of its daily life, but I'm not going to go churning up the green lanes of olde England for fun or anything. It will tow up to 2.5 tons, which will be rather handy for moving the inert mass of my Rover P4 out of my mum's garage (and probably shoving it straight back in again when I realise how much rust there is to deal with!)

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From:

liz_lowlife
2009-07-06 10:24 am (UTC)

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Ah. It's a mighty, throbbing beast though! :o)

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From:

sallypointzero
2009-07-06 10:14 am (UTC)

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that's why i got a built-in tow-bar-- deflect deflect ; p

i really thought it was one of those old steam-rollers till i scrolled down.
Its GORGEOUS : D

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From:

glamgothruthy
2009-07-06 10:23 am (UTC)

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sadly i recognised straight away one of my boyfriends had one of about the same era, he spent more time with it than me - though it fun driving it when he unbolted the roof and took it off, the foot plate used to get really hot though ...

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From:

nemesis_to_go
2009-07-06 10:29 am (UTC)

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I've been tempted to take the top off since it's been so sunny lately. But I have an irrational fear that I might not be able to get it back on again...

It does get mighty hot in there. No insulation, and the exhaust pipe right underneath the seats, with only a thin bit of aluminium in the way....still, it should be nice and warm in the winter. Just as well, really, since it came with two heaters, neither of which work!

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From:

girfan
2009-07-06 10:54 am (UTC)

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I knew my husband would know from the first photo!
He can tell what series/model from a glimpse (like in old films and television).

Actually, it's a sign I've been with him a long time-I knew what it was when I saw the first photo (old Landie just not which model)!

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From:

nemesis_to_go
2009-07-06 01:14 pm (UTC)

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I knew he'd be able to identify it from my cryptic pic of the knobs.

Talking of ancient Land Rovers, here's the current list of older models at the place I got mine from. I bought the second-cheapest one they had in stock (the only cheaper one was a 'project' vehicle with no MOT, and I've got too many of those as it is).

I must say I'd be tempted by that Series One they have for sale now. Mileage looks a bit too low to be genuine, mind. Mine's only got about 20,000 on the clock but I'm sure it's been around at least once before.

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From:

hirez
2009-07-06 02:04 pm (UTC)

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You rotter, sir.

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From:

pinkwitch2000
2009-07-06 01:23 pm (UTC)

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Oooooh! Spare parts for my P4!!
I will give you till november before you realise the creature comforts like a serious heater are a necessity!

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From:

nemesis_to_go
2009-07-06 03:21 pm (UTC)

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I didn't realise you had a Rover 80!

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From:

pinkwitch2000
2009-07-06 05:16 pm (UTC)

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I have a 110 but I can deduct 40 cos of my age ;-)
This now makes no sense whatsoever!

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From:

ravennaleigh
2009-07-06 07:08 pm (UTC)

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Ah, so that's what it is. And yes, LR drivers do tend to wave to each other here also. Although that's probably because one is Farmer Mew and the other Farmer Blow and they've known each other for years.
I'm sure there's loads of old ones stashed in barns here.
I also note that yours has a G in the middle - which I believe denotes it was first registered in Greater London. My old Mini was also an F reg - although a P for Surrey.

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From:

darkstones
2009-07-07 11:54 am (UTC)

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Last year, my neighbour and I pulled one of those out of a field where it had been sitting for nearly 15 years. It took 15 minutes to get it running! I have a pdf of the original haynes manual which I can email to you if you would like.

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From:

nemesis_to_go
2009-07-08 04:30 pm (UTC)

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Thanks for the offer - but I've got the Haynes manual...and also the Land Rover Restoration manual by Lindsay Porter. Not that it needs restoration, but you never know. One day I might have the urge to take the entire thing to bits...

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