And So It Begins...

Height & Heat

The Discovery Project...
Posted by Nicky Smith Sun, June 07, 2015 19:04:18

Well the day has finally arrived to put Brian a big step toward being a grown up off roader, it was time to fit the 2" lift kit and bigger wheels to him.
I popped into Sainsburys on the way to pick up a snacky lunch and a few cans of pop for those good folk that had volunteered their tome today to help me out then set off down the road to start pulling Brian apart.

A quick hello from Wayne who was helping me today and he passed me straight off to another fella called Matt because he was just shooting off to drop off another motor he had helped someone out with but not before giving Matt and I our instructions on getting Brian's ass off of the floor on axle stands, removing his wheels and old springs and shocks. Shouldn't be a problem that but for one issue we had from the out which was we could not find the axle stands. We were told they were in the shed but even after we emptied it we could not find the buggers and it was not until Wayne got back and asked if we had looked up at the shelf high in the air , we hadn't, at the two bright red axle stands that were just waiting to be used. So with that problem solved we set to stripping off the rear wheels shocks springs and anti-roll bars. I had soaked the nuts and bolts last night and this morning with WD40 so they came off ok with the minimal of grunting on my part and with some guidance soon had the new ones in place.
We fitted the new wheels and Brian was soon taking shape...



We freed off the front shocks jacked it high and then put in the new shocks and springs...





Right then I need to point out something about the springs here and it will save you some time and grief... The thicker longer lift springs go on the REAR AXLE and the lower slightly thinner springs go on the FRONT AXLE. Now there was a chap helping out today that struggled for many hours not so long ago to fit hos new shocks and springs only to find when he was done the Disco pointed down to the ground because the springs were on the wrong axles, he then had to start all over again. Now I would not be so mean as to name Matt on this blog that is read by many people because that would be cruel!

As well as helping me out these good folk soon cracked open a BBQ to cook burgers and sausages so none of us were going to be going hungry in the hot sunshine today! Why does it seem whenever I am off out doing some work to a Landy with other folk that the suns shines high and hot in the sky? I am not complaining about the good weather there's nothing worse than working in the rain but the sunburn on my neck is a little raw as I write this

I have to admit here that Wayne really took over on the front springs and shocks because "it would be quicker" and I just became his bitch running tools and gear for him but I am not going to complain about that because he still showed me every step of the way on changing them over.
It soon looked like this...



Talk about the Mutts nuts!!!!!! Brian is starting to look like a grown up now and I am pleased as punch with him. I was worried about what the rims would look like and considered painting them black before they were fitted but I am glad I didn't as I think the green looks good.
Now you would think these chaps had given up enough of their time by now but oh no Wayne jumped in under the bonnet and ripped the EGR valve out and fitted the blanket kit that has been sat in my boot for a few weeks! Yet another job ticked off of the never ending list!



I drove home as happy as a kid in a sweet shop with Brian handling better than he ever has since I have owned him so the old shocks must have been pretty worn out. I pulled up on the drive next to my Series 3 Mator and could not believe how much higher Brian now sits...



He is slightly higher than Mator so should now be much more fun off road!

I would just like to say a massive thank you again to both Wayne and Matt for all of their help today. It never ceases to amaze me how Land Rover folk all chip in together helping out and passing on knowledge to each other and I am now proud to say I am part of that group, I only hope I can pass on as much as everyone else seems to do!

Just turned 40.

Bars & Blinkers

The Discovery Project...
Posted by Nicky Smith Fri, June 12, 2015 21:25:53

I have just had to read back through my own blog to see what the last post was about because it has been that sort of crazy busy week with work and life which has left me a tad more confused than normal.
So with that bit of revision done I now know where to carry on with our Brian's modifications and there have been a couple this week in between the chaos of working stupid long hours but the long lighter nights have given me time which is nice!

I picked up a light bar at the weekend and at eight thirty one evening this week I decided out of the blue that there was more than enough light to work by and that seeing as we live on the main ring road four holes being drilled wouldn't be too much noise so I set to work getting it on...



Looks good enough to me So I then pestered a friend who's an auto electrician at the Landy club meet to instruct me on how to wire it up. Bless him he was so patient as I stood looking confused then went to get a pen and paper drawing out a dumbass's description of what to do with a relay when I piped up "I have one of those that came with the Disco" and promptly ran out and got it to proudly show him I understood what he was saying. He grinned at me and confirmed that was the one so all I need to do this weekend is pick up an inline fuse and see if I can fry my cars electrics.
On top of this I ordered myself some new clear indicator lenses which arrived today and I decided to fit after my dinner.
Of course it then started to rain while I was eating my dinner but no dear reader I am no fair weather fixer so I donned my dog walking fleece, much to the dogs excitement then disappointment when it became clear I hadn't picked up a lead and no walk was in the offering, and braved the warm rain to fit my shiny new lenses...



Now I am sorry if my excitement seems a bit much over a pair of lights seems a bit much but I love the way they look! It changes the whole front end of Brian's face and even Wifey and my daughters pretended they thought they were great so I cannot be wrong or alone here in my thinking!
The weekends job is to see if I can adjust the front wheels to stop the new wheels rubbing on full lock but for now it's back to my pint of Hobgoblin...

Just turned 40.

Steering & Lights

The Discovery Project...
Posted by Nicky Smith Sun, June 14, 2015 19:18:58

The weather has been crap. Not just a bit pants on a weekend day but pouring down get sodden within minutes when you go out in it sort of fun. So Saturday was a complete wash out from the moment I got up to the minute I went to bed much to my frustration!
I did nip over to see some new friends who were then going off laning but I cried off with every intention of fitting the wheel spacers I had just acquired of of them when I got back but it rained and rained and quite frankly I thought "Bugger that".
Imagine my surprise this morning when I got up and the sun was out! My first thought was to jump on with Brian's new mods but the more sensible part of my brain told me to get my backside out walking in Derbyshire with Wifey which we promptly did. A steady walk of only four or so miles in the stunning green countryside around the Matlock/Cromford area set us up for a nice lunch at the canal side and just as we were done the heavens opened once again!

By the time we got home it had eased away so I jumped onto Brian with the help of my youngest daughter who was really happy to have her picture taken without brushing her hair and all that other stuff young women do because they think they need to...



First wheel off and the spacer in place because the new tyres rub badly on full lock and the adjusters have a) no thread left to wind out much b) the nearside bolt is seized solid...



It didn't take too long to get all four fitted but I must have twisted a bit oddly at some point because as I write this my back is aching enough to warn me of both my stupidity and warning me that I have done enough for one day!...








The wheels sit a nice 30mm further out than they did before and now I can use full lock without skinning the inside of my tyres off!
I then jumped onto wiring in the light bar with the idiot proof instructions another friend had given me. Amazingly I managed to do it without burning out any wiring systems on the motor but only two of the lights on the bar will work at the moment.
At this point the heavens opened again so I jumped into Brian and called the friend who gave the idiot instructions who suspects there may be a wiring fault or bad earth in the light bar itself.
I will check that theory out during the week when it is a bit dryer so for now I have tidied up the tools, locked up Brian's doors and come indoors for a nice roast dinner and maybe a cheeky beer to go with it.

Just turned 40.

Cutting up & CB's

The Discovery Project...
Posted by Nicky Smith Wed, June 24, 2015 19:42:27

It's been a funny old week in the life of Brian. A lot done but it looks like bugger all as usual but hey I know what's been sorted!
Where to start? Well I will go with trimming back my rear wheel arches because my new 235 85 16's were rubbing when you went up anything kerb sized or bigger! I took advice on what to do and set to marking up and getting the grinder out trimming from the arch side careful to leave attached the lip that sits inside the wheel arch and followed a line down two inches in from the base of the arch. I then "slid" the cut back along teh rear wing and riveted it into place...

This gives me the clearance I need to stop the wheel catching leaving some support on the rear wing.
It was now the turn of wiring the CB in so I ran a live straight off of the battery and fed it along with the ariel wiring through the bulkhead. I set an earth to the body work and wired in the radio itself which promptly set to blowing every fuse that I put in the in-line holder regardless of what I did...so after some research and advice from those in the know it turned out the radio unit itself was shorting out inside, time to source a cheap replacement. I found one and for the princely sum of £20 I now have a fully installed and working CB in Brian for off roading and green lane days...



Did I tell you all that I had fitted the wheels spacers? I cannot recall and cannot be bothered to read back through so lets just say I fitted some wheel spacers to stop the front wheels from rubbing because the clearance adjusters had seized. Well it turns out that was a bit of a mistake because when I drove it at the weekend the bodywork where it has been welded before started to sing like nothing I have heard before! So the spacers were removed and now I just seem to have a bloody annoying squeeking going on from the drivers side rear suspension like rubber on metal...not annoying at all when driving!
I will live with it for now until either I get used to it or something falls off.
I decided it might be time to fit something in the back to cover the bare metal floor and the only thing I had to hand was some old lino so that'll do for now until I get the right carpet...



I still need to sort the light bar out properly but little steps at a time....

Just turned 40.

Hot Air!

The Discovery Project...
Posted by Nicky Smith Fri, June 26, 2015 21:57:44

Finally there is hot air in Brian! I don't need any now of course because it is bloody muggy as hell but when the winter comes I will indeed be a happy fellow with warm and toasty fingers and toes it might even take the edge off of queuing in the rush hour traffic instead of weaving through it on my motorbike but I am sick of winter riding so warm really does sound good.
So when I bought Brian I knew his heater blowers didn't work, all he had was one of those little plug in heaters that are about much use as a fart in a thunderstorm so the issue did really need to be attacked head on, a little searching on the tinterweb and I came up with a replacement blower unit and I excitedly saw it had arrived when I got home from work today.
After a quick nosh up I headed outside and happily changed the units over switched the blowers to full expecting a tornado of air to hit me in the face and....nothing.

Hmm. There was a clicking noise but nothing else so I started to chase the wiring. All the plugs were in place, I found some extra wiring from Brian's sea cadet days that is no longer needed and I figured out how to take out the glove box without breaking it but none of this solved the problem in hand. I set to turning the switches on and off and trying to find where the click was coming from.
Turned out to be a broken wire inside a plug toward the top of the main unit so I stripped it back then refitted it and went back to those switches that have sat dormant for so long.

A quick flick and the blowers jumped into life for the first time in my ownership! I checked that it worked in all directions then sat back with a smile in my face. Then I realised that I ad been playing with lights and electrics all week and I hadn't started Brian in all that time with a battery that is a bit crap anyway. I turned the ignition on again and he only just started with a slow turn of the motor. Just then my eldest daughter turned up so we hopped in and set to for a quick drive to stick some magic juice back into the battery while catching up on the week.

Another job ticked off of the list of what needs to be done..I fitted a jate ring as well and that was an awful job to do and I stopped at one but that's another story. Luckily I have a friend who needs a blower unit so that will save chucking it back on Ebay...

New Rubber & Rust

The Discovery Project...
Posted by Nicky Smith Sat, July 18, 2015 19:49:32

The day started early with me jumping onto the motorbike to take it to get some new boots because the ones it had on were a nightmare for commuting on being the more off road knobbly type. I opted for the Michelin pilot 4's as a few friends along with all of the reviews I have read say they are really good all year round and in all weathers.
I have only had the steady run home on them so far so riding like a girl will continue for a while yet until they bed in nicely.

I'm off to some friends engagement do shortly when Wifey gets back in from having her hair done, god I am glad I am a bloke a quick shave of the head and face and I am good to go!, so I had to look around wondering what to do with myself for a few hours.

Brian the Discovery caught my eye and I remembered I needed to remove his outer plastic sills to make sure they were ok before welding on a set of tree sliders. I set to with teh task but didn't get very far at all because as soon as I removed the rear end of the drivers side it was obvious there was going to be some work to do due to the fact the rust dropped out like flour from a bag. The same thing was at the front drivers side with a photocopy on the passenger side.
So new welding wire has been ordered as the last of mine is now rust covered and I am going to have to get some more practice in welding once again as it has been a while since I last practised. I was looking for a new project...looks like I already have one sat on my driveway!

Welded Box...
The Discovery Project...Posted by Nicky Smith Sun, August 02, 2015 13:31:06
This weekend marks the start of a well earned week off of work and seeing as I had a few hours to myself this morning I thought I would start it off by welding up the end of the box section I plane to use to replace the sills on Brian with.
Now I have not done any welding for quite some time and I have never used gasless wire before but the job had to be done so I cut some sheet metal to size and had a stab using my dusty welder.

It didn't start well with the stuttering through from the welder then when it did start to run through it was blowing holes but with some tinkering on the welder feed speed it all came together well enough...





Not too bad for a first go in a long time it has penetrated the metal perfectly so it's just my technique that needs some looking at (Ooo err Mrs). I don't have the time to start to actually cut the old sills off of Brian today and weld him up that will have to be a job later in the week but at least everything is now sat ready to go. I have a feeling though I will be opening a can of worms when I start to take the old sills off though...

A Change of Plan...
The Discovery Project...Posted by Nicky Smith Thu, August 06, 2015 16:22:01
It has been a great week off so far with us seeing old friends and then popping off over to the Cromer area for a few days just doing as we pleased eating far too much junk food but why not we are on our holidays. We arrived home early evening yesterday and soon settled in having a "proper tasting" cup of tea, isn't funny how tea and the water tastes different in other places but once we move there it quickly becomes the "normal" taste, and Wifey told me her plans for today were going to be shopping shopping and more shopping.
My heart sank because just for a fleeting moment I thought I was going to be "invited" (in the way which us husbands are most often just told) to come along with her to enjoy the day being together but no she wanted to have the day to herself!!!

Hurrah I thought I can play with my welder on the Disco sorting out Brian's sills. So it was a bright and early 09:37 not long after breakfast when I donned my crappy clothes and set to removing the plastic sill covers from Brian to see the true extent of the rot. Turns out the couple of places I had a look before were the worst of the rusty bits because when the covers were off I was presented with this...

'

In the grand scheme of things this amount of rust is bugger all and the backs of the sills were as solid as the day they left the factory so I had a choice to make, I could cut the whole lot off and fit the box section I have bought ready or I could just pop a couple of patches on for now and fit the box section when and if I do any damage off roading or in the more likely case when the sills rot through again in a different place.
Well I am on holiday so the easier patch it up for now option won me over and if I have to admit it my welding skills are a little rusty so rather than bugger it up big style I thought it would be a confidence booster to do a few smaller patches onto old metal getting back into the swing of it again. There was also the added bonus of if I cocked it right up I could just grind the lot off and fit the box section anyway!

First I removed the battery (learnt that lesson the hard way before) and I got to grinding and cutting up my sheet metal that seems to have been with me for years and years just giving me a patch at a time and regrowing itself when stored in the shed and it all started to go together well enough with nothing catching fire apart from my arms on a regular basis...


Once I ground down the welds that resembled the Pyrenees I set to under sealing the lot covering myself in the sticky bloody stuff in the process that is of course mandatory whenever the tin is opened...




I then screwed the plastic covers back into place along with refitting the carpet trims then stood back with a feeling of accomplishment because it feels like forever since I have last done any sort of rebuilding of a motor and I do miss it.
So yes this was the easier option but I got to get some welding practice in again which for me was needed and Brian is once again in one whole piece with no holes growing where they shouldn't be. I have to admit that I did have a good look around to see what he needs doing next but at the moment it would appear that list is non existent...it's a Land Rover so that will not last very long.

Thats starting to look smart. Where were the pic's next to the river taken ?

Thanks Owl The pics nest to the river were taken just down the Trent a couple of miles from Gunthorpe in Notts.

min200 said:

Thanks Owl The pics nest to the river were taken just down the Trent a couple of miles from Gunthorpe in Notts.

Click to expand...

Oh it just looked familar, I used to mountain bike along the Trent from Breaston where I live but only as far as Queens drive.

It's the other side of the city from there chap. I love the area it's very relaxing!

Brian got to tow the old caravan we bought a couple of months back for the first time this weekend. I have to say he did better than I expected with the two inch lift kit and bigger wheels fitted.
The old caravan does sit a bit high so I will be buying a drop plate tow bar for him (if anyone is selling one please get in touch!) and there were a few times when we were going over speed humps and especially when we were bouncing down the pot holed rough track to the camp site that I thought the back end of the caravan was going to come a cropper leaving our kit strewn behind us but no with some careful pants filling driving I managed to steer us in the right direction over Rutland Waters version of the Alps without damage...both ways!

I needed to fit a new pair of rear shocks to Brian that arrived last week because his old ones were getting more than a little sloppy but after working on the caravan all day Friday I just could not be bothered to do it, this was a mistake. When cornering at speed with a shed being dragged behind me the pitch and yaw were dramatic at times how i wished I had not been such a lazy git! Keeping it all at or around 50mph worked well enough though and I fitted the shocks as soon as we got back yesterday basically closing the stable door....

Still back to the weekend we arrived mid morning in blazing sunshine and temperatures that the Algarve would have been jealous of which was a bit of a surprise seeing as Nottingham had been grey wet and miserable when we left it so we dressed accordingly. Our friends were already there from the night before all settled in and I have to say how bloody easy is it with a caravan? Our friends were camping so you have all that putting up the tent blowing up beds building a kitchen trying to keep food cool thing going on. We just pulled up dropped the van opened up got the chairs out and put the kettle on. I kid you not this took five minutes maximum in fact it took longer to put the bed together that evening (smacking myself in the face in the process) than it did to pitch up.
This was a tester weekend away at Rutland Water in a camp site called Lyndon Top, give this place a go it's really nice and at £7 a night you can't go wrong, to see what else we would need to set up our little home away from home and there were a few things on the list but only simple stuff like extra pots, were to store stuff, a lighter that doesn't burn your fingers when you put the kettle on etc...



An Awning looks like it will be a must if I am honest or at the very least a gazebo just for some shade or somewhere to take off muddy boots etc but the van itself was great fun! It will be wanting something doing with the outside but what yet we have not figured out it just needs sprucing up a bit but we can see weekends coming up where we are out and about walking and riding bikes in the countryside which appeals no end. There are of course the weekends away with the Notts Land Rover Club as well so it will now get some use in fact it's getting more use over the next few weekends than in the last couple of months that we have owned it!

I mean we woke up to a magnificent view of Rutland...



Apart from the old buggers that turned up the day before and decided that out of all of the five fields you could use and out of all of the space in each field that was at their disposal they should park right in the middle of ours in front of us then spend most of the weekend sitting INSIDE their motor home watching TV. Well that's what it seemed like they were doing but they had a dog with them that we all only saw once the whole time so god knows what happened to that poor bugger.

When it came to time to leave it took all of five minutes again to close up shop and head off. There was an interesting metal on metal rattle coming from the front of Brian at times but when we got home and I had a look the only thing I could find was the big recovery U bolt on the Jate ring was resting on the steering guard so hopefully that's the end of that problem. I shall LID (let it develop) it for now and see what becomes more apparent.
The police seemed to take an interest in us as well as we passed through Melton Mowbray. As we were trundling along they were coming from the other direction when the driver looked me square in the eye promptly spun his panda car around then followed me for about seven miles. It was a mile into this rather slow pursuit that Brian's speedo decided to give up the ghost of course and I was judging my speed using the power of the force but I must have got something right because the rozzers soon got bored and turned off of the main road leaving us in peace. Maybe they didn't like Brian or the caravan or more than likely the look of me but hey why worry it gave them something to do. I think they were watching the back of the caravan seeing if it would bounce off of the road giving them a reason to pull me over and earn some extra income for the governments pot.

"Dolly" the caravan is now sat on my drive rather storage as it will be an early start next Saturday going to Avalanche off roading as well as sorting a few more bits out on it. Our first trip out was a success and we are looking forward to the next one...this shed dragging lark might be fun after all.

Pictures don't seem to be working. Sounds like a good couple of days out. Yes, here in the Midlands it really warmed up on Saturday afternoon after a cool damp start, and must have hit the mid 20s. I'm glad you're getting some decent outings in after all that work. If you like Rutland water, try and hit the Lake District or even a few Scottish lochs.

Sorry about the pics folks but that should be sorted now

Yep we love the Lakes and there will now be more out and about stuff doing but if I am honest there are at least a couple more weekends in at Rutland for Cycling and hiking yet as well!

That's better!

Just Four Bolts...
The Discovery Project...Posted by Nicky Smith Fri, September 04, 2015 20:32:50
After playing off road with Brian last weekend a few things have come up that need looking at including a rear Diff replacement bypassing the sediment filter two track rod ends and fitting the winch bumper that I bought a couple of weeks ago.

The bumper did need looking at though, it had a couple of huge spot lights that are not my thing but the old brackets had been welded on so out came the grinder to put short play to those. The bumper ends were a bit rough with dents and sharp lips along with copious amounts of mud inside so I cleaned them out ground them with my trusty grinder and welded new end caps into place some how managing to kill my welder in the process!


All that done it was time to crack open an old very small tin of Hammerite that surely must hold enough paint in the bottom of it to give a new lease of life to my old bumper...


With that looking better I let it dry overnight and when I got home today the sky was clear and it was only four thirty so I thought I would quickly change the bumpers only because it is only four bolts after all so it shouldn't take too long...my arse didn't it.

Four sodding bolts to remove the old one which in all fairness came off easily enough lulling me into a false sense of security...


Not only was I feeling a tad smug that all was going so well but I was happy to see a distinct lack of rust on the chassis which was reassuring. I jogged to get the new bumper from the greenhouse I had painted it in and managed to smack one end of it into a pane of glass that sang and wobbled for a few seconds but somehow amazingly didn't smash! With another good omen on my side all looked good for this easy change over.
I managed to line up the bumper on the ends of the chassis no problem were with the help of a jack it sat until I started tapping it into place proper with my trusty old lump hammer that lasted two good whacks then disintegrated in a shower of rotten splinters with the head flying off of the metal bumper straight back past my face so close I felt the wind as it passed and the jogger who was just passing behind me literally shot himself as it bounced next to his left foot then up again between his legs past his most sensitive area and past his right thigh. All this of course happened in slow mo and thankfully the head then rolled to a stop next to the gutter of the dual carriageway without clocking any of the passing cars.
I was going to give the jogger my apologies but he just seemed to start running away from me faster and faster as I stood up off of my knees?? Can't imagine why.

Once I had retrieved the lump hammer head I dug out my metal handled hammer and carried on jacking whacking and kicking the bloody bumper into place because when I got one hole lined up the other three were miles out. Not to worry I just bolted one hole at a time and kicked three bells out of it until another hole lined up eventually.

This went on for nearly two hours.

But good old fashioned violence and severely bad language the master of all and everything that fixes it in the end by hook or by crook and low and behold the bloody bumper was in place! It looked just about as bad as before I had painted it from the continued abuse it had taken so I set to seeing if I could drag another coat of paint out of the tin that I had already thrown in the bin thinking there was no way I could get much more from it and I stood back to admire my work. It took me a few moments of confusion to figure out what looked wrong with it when I realised I should really put the number plate back on or plod might have something to say about it...


Looks better than I thought it would! In fact Brian looks like he could do some serious business now...the only problem there is me of course but I am getting a bit braver with the off roading thing honest! I even drove over a hill last weekend that I had no idea of what was on the other side admittedly my friend who was sat next to me did know but that's not the point!
So I will go and pick a few bits up in the morning and keep getting Brian just right and running true. The winch itself is the next big thing to do but I want to do a strip down and refurb on it before on it before it gets fitted so I know all is right.
And to think I thought I needed another project on the drive when I had barely started on this one...

That's looking really good now, especially the last picture. Much better than the old bumper.

Were there headlamp washers on the old one? Those lumps on the bumper in front of the lights? If so, what's happened to them now?

Yep they were headlamp washers and I just capped off the end of the pipe. Why do you need them?

My goodness me - headlamp washers on a Discovery of that vintage. Must have been the very height of luxury in its day.