Tirran

Tirran

Well-Known Member
Now that I have “completed” my Defender 90 rebuild last year, and taken it trialing with the Scottish Land Rover Owners Club, as I intended. I have decided to continue the madness with a new project.

Seduced by the sound of a rover V8 and fear of further damaging the Defender I decided to by a Tomcat, this one.
IMG_2072.jpeg
It needs some fettling, replacement windscreen, radius arm bushes, some electrical issues et Al , but will hopefully see some action next weekend with SLROC.
I am going to repaint it in a different colour and make other amendments as time goes on however, just had it out on a stubble field and what a vehicle, testiment to the original builder it turns on a sixpence, feels planted, sounds awesome and shifts unlike any Land Rover I’ve driven before.

Here’s to more workshop time😄
 
Nice!

I used to go trialling in my teens when I first got into landies. Series motors were cheap and easily available then, as were parts if you broke something. I’d like to get back into it again.
 
Knappster said:
Nice!

I used to go trialling in my teens when I first got into landies. Series motors were cheap and easily available then, as were parts if you broke something. I’d like to get back into it again.
Click to expand...
I wish they still were as cheap, still looking forward to it.
 
Wipers fitted. However, the knurled “nut” that the wiper fits on to is a d shape on a defender, this one has series wheel boxes, round spindles. Schoolboy error, to change the wheel boxes means changing the gear in the motor too, old one is 35 mm newer one 45 mm.
To change the knurled nut £14 each!
Solution drill out the new ones to fit, job done, £28 freed up for beer and more parts.
 
Gearbox crossmember fitted. I say fitted, fabricated more like.
The td5 crossmember was too wide by 3mm, the offside mount has “kissed” a large rock and needed an oxyacetylene torch to reform it. I couldn’t widen the space so, cut the x member reduced it by the required 3mm and welded together.
It’s not structural only to try and protect the gearbox whilst competing. Tomorrow will tell if it works or smashes the gearbox😱
 
Took the Tomcat to the SLROC driving day, we were competing in the Defender yesterday however, this was a play day.
The Fox Dampers had been set by the previous owner to 50psi to help with trialing, we reset them to 150 psi and completely changed the way the car worked , for the better. Most of the clunks had gone, I still have the radius arm bushes to replace, and it was more assured revisiting some of the sections used the day before.

It was sunny too.
 
Gratuitous photo, Cut 4 holes in the bonnet to release some of the heat. New 92degree thermo switch fitted to the top hose to switch on the fans in case I forget to.
New Tomcat bumper fitted, I had to replace the brackets and paint it.nThe chassis leg was 5mm too tall.
 

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Knappster said:
Nice!

I used to go trialling in my teens when I first got into landies. Series motors were cheap and easily available then, as were parts if you broke something. I’d like to get back into it again.
Click to expand...
Lots of trialling still happening with the ALRC. We are the MSUK’s biggest customer in terms of permits issued per year.

Where are you in the country? There are events to cater for all types of vehicle from showroom new models to CCV vehicles like this thread.
 
Tirran said:
I wish they still were as cheap, still looking forward to it.
Click to expand...
You can pick up a Freelander 1 or 2, Disco 3 or Range Rover Sport cheap these days. Obviously not quite the same as an old Series or 90. But with the standard traction control they can be quite competitive. Especially if you don’t setup a stick trial. Eg a Disco 3 could easily drive an obstacle that would stop a standard Ninety.
 
300bhp/ton said:
Lots of trialling still happening with the ALRC. We are the MSUK’s biggest customer in terms of permits issued per year.

Where are you in the country? There are events to cater for all types of vehicle from showroom new models to CCV vehicles like this thread.
Click to expand...
I’m in Gloucestershire. In my teens, I lived in west Somerset and trialled with a local club. I moved away after a few years to where I live now and work got in the way. I joined a local Landy club, Cheltenham and Cotswolds but again work got in the way. I’ve recently rejoined in the hope of doing some more in the next few years. I’ve got an MSA licence, which wasn’t a requirement last time I trialled, but that was in the mid 90’s! And parts and complete series landies were easily available and cheap as chips back then!

It’s good to see people trialling. Makes me more determined to get back into it. 😁😁
 
Knappster said:
I’m in Gloucestershire. In my teens, I lived in west Somerset and trialled with a local club. I moved away after a few years to where I live now and work got in the way. I joined a local Landy club, Cheltenham and Cotswolds but again work got in the way. I’ve recently rejoined in the hope of doing some more in the next few years. I’ve got an MSA licence, which wasn’t a requirement last time I trialled, but that was in the mid 90’s! And parts and complete series landies were easily available and cheap as chips back then!

It’s good to see people trialling. Makes me more determined to get back into it. 😁😁
Click to expand...
Yes sadly we all need an MSUK RS Clubman’s licence these days. Although it is currently free and just a small admin task.

Here is a list of clubs: https://alrc.co.uk/clubs/member-clubs/#Local Area Clubs


Somerset & Wilts or Wye & Welsh might hold events with min driving distance depending where you are exactly.

I’m Chiltern Vale which might be a tad too far East for you.

Every year we have a National event where all the Clubs get together for a long weekend of competitions. This year was Milton Keynes. I think next year is Stainby up the A1 a little way.
 
I was in Somerset and Wilts when I lived in Somerset. I’ve rejoined Cheltenham and Cotswolds LRC as they’re the most local and a couple of their trial sites are quite local.
 
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