Autokana & The Force

The Project Has Landed...
Posted by min200 Sun, May 31, 2015 18:12:59

Well Mator got a good run put today to display at the Autokana show in Wollaton Hall Nottingham with the NLRC.

Typically when ever you have to spend the whole day standing around outside it was raining heavily. Still this was not going to stop me and I packed up the stove kettle and some food to cook jumped in the old boy and set off for the six mile drive to Wollaton hall with the fast steamed up windows that you traditionally find in your Series motor. I have learnt quickly that you have to have a rag on the dash on standby at all times for an old Land Rover so I found myself quickly wiping the inside of my windows as often as the wipers were doing the outside but I didn't care as I was soon at the show and found another member already there standing in the rain with a cup of coffee at the ready!...



The other folk soon arrived in dribs and drabs and we were soon sniggering at the great old cars that were arriving and skidding/slipping around on the hill side along with the look of sheer horror on their owners faces as the went in any direction but the right one in their pride and joy! Sounds like I am being mean but that is not my intention it was just comical to see all you needed to do was add the music from Benny Hill.

It was cold and wet most of the time but good company and a wander around helps out no end and the stand looked pretty good...



but my photo's don't do it justice edit just knicked this one off of someone else...



All seemed well but then the Empire turned up in force hankering on about something we had done but none of us were going to argue with them...













It was indeed a good day, bloody cold but a good day! If you live in or near Nottingham you should look up the Nottingham Land Rover Club because they are a great bunch of folk and there is always laughter going on somewhere with them! We are off again in a few weeks for our first caravan trip with them so that should be some fun

Just turned 40.

Looks like a good turnout, you starting to enjoy it now then?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&persist_app=1&v=DXn8-meSd8g

I am enjoying the old boy a bit more these days and couldn't get rid of him if I am honest. I do use the Discovery for off roading though and that's proper ****s and giggles

200 plus

The Project Has Landed...
Posted by min200 Thu, June 04, 2015 19:54:28

I finished work at a reasonable hour this afternoon and seeing as Wifey and the kids were off out this evening to her sisters I decided to load up Mator with my mountain bike then head out to Gunthorpe where the river Trent runs through for a ride out in the sunshine that had been looking at me through the office window all day.

Ready for the off much to my surprise Mator started right up and off we trotted heading towards the open fields of Nottinghamshire. The last time I tried to do this run the clutch stared to gave out so it wasn't until after I had passed that point on the drive I started to settle down and enjoy the run. He still brings a big grin to my face and all six of the other Land Rovers I passed were happily waving away...must have been a drive out afternoon all round.

Soon I arrived at my destination and I promise I did not look for a nice parking spot to take a couple of photo's...





I then set to going for a nice ride along the riverside. With my change in roles at work I am not getting the exercise I did before and I do miss it in fact the lack of it can make me feel quite rough so I put in six miles of off road biking trying not to get mugged by the many many cows I passed with their calves in tow, the views were outstanding...







But time flies when you are having fun and I was soon back to the old Landy and I enjoyed the view of my two toys...



As I was heading home I happened to glance down just as the trip clicked over two hundred miles since the rebuild, that was back in January, when I paid my insurance with estimated yearly mileage of four thousand....



I think I may have over estimated my usage a touch!
Still not to worry I will know better next year. The mileage should increase steadily now though as I seem to be using the old boy a bit more often but hell he drinks some petrol when I do!

www.nickysmith.me

The Final Chapter

The Project Has Landed...
Posted by Nicky Smith Sat, June 20, 2015 09:10:46

Over the last year or so I have got great enjoyment from rebuilding Mator my Series 3 FFR Land Rover. There have been tears there has been frustration he has taken his fair share of skin and demanded a regular blood sacrifice. I have fought with the DVLA to get him registered and the regular tinkering to keep him running were all part of the fun.
But I had to have a bit of a rethink when the road tax bill arrived a week or so ago telling me it was time to tax him yet again because as I glanced down to the odometer and realised I had only covered 205 miles in the six months since the rebuild.
All of my hard work was just sitting on the driveway slowly coming undone as I didn't use him in fact I regularly use Brian my Discovery instead because he's a nicer drive and far cheaper to run. It seemed crazy to go on like this.
I have had a yo yo relationship with Mator concerning driving him in fact it has been a love hate one. At times I love driving him and then I hated the way he drove. I thought do I need this many cars in my life? and the answer after a few sleepless nights was no, no I didn't.
I wanted someone else to use him and take advantage of the hard work I had put in I mean why restore him just to let him slip slowly backwards again?
I placed a few adverts out there and had the usual tools asking me questions that showed they had never driven a Series 3 Land Rover and they had unrealistic expectations of what it would be like but then one chap called who seemed to know his stuff. He knew it would be an ongoing process to maintain an old Landy that it could break down at any time even on his way home from buying it and he was keen to come and see Mator in the flesh.
A time was arranged and he was over the moon at the condition of Mator as he would become his daily drive for both his large family and to work and back.
The deal was struck after much discussion on what had been done on the rebuild the paperwork was signed and it was with a tear in my eye along with a heavy heart as I watched Mator drive away with someone else behind the steering wheel.

I did think as I watched him drive into the horizon "Have I made the right decision here?" but I have had a couple of days to digest it and yes I have. My enjoyment was in the actual rebuilding of him and I have brought an old Military Land Rover back to life when most people who would have looked at him at the start would not have thought possible. He has made me friends and turned me into and published author which I would not have ever thought possible! Lets not forget why I started on him in the first place it was to stop smoking and show what I could do with the money. He kept my hands busy when I needed to and was the physical embodiment of what I would have smoked into thin air.
He has been an experience indeed and I do not doubt that there will soon be another project on the drive because that is what I love doing!

Let's hope Mator and his new owner will have half as much fun as we did...



Just turned 40.

Onwards and upwards as they say.

When you getting the 101 delivered?

I would bloody love a 101 !!!!!

Hope you managed to get a fair price for it in the end that puts you on the way to house deposit, more Land Rovers etc.

I did thank you Brown...not quite as much as I would have liked but not to be sniffed at either

Damn it I have been recognised!
The Discovery Project...Posted by Nicky Smith Sun, October 11, 2015 12:42:54
Well I had a surprising start to the day this morning and no to the perverts among you the Wife did not wake up early and bring me tea in bed along with a gentle awakening no it was a bit more surreal than even that.

I sold on fleabay a razor bonnet I bought for the Series 3 "Mator" rebuild because I decided against changing him away from his original set up. The chap who bought it arrived nice and early as well as bang on time at 08:30, I love folk who are timely in nature there is no need to say you will be somewhere at 08:30 then turn up at 09:30 saying "oh did you actually have to be somewhere else doing something you wanted to do rather than waiting in for me?", and we walked around the back back of the house to get the part in question.
As always happens with another Landy nut the conversation was quickly turned to all things green oval and it came out why I was selling a series bonnet when there was a Discovery on the driveway there was a look of recognition on his face and the chap seemed to look me up and down with a smile and said "Oh are you THAT Nicky Smith?"

I have to admit this took me by surprise because even though I know the book has been selling a mere few copies here and there it has never really dawned on me that anyone outside of my circle of family and friends has ever really read any of it. I know that sounds stupid but you just don't do you I mean why would you? Anyway it sort of threw me a bit and I said that yes that was indeed me and it turned out this chap was reading it through The Landy newspaper that are publishing bits here and there of it.

So this was a new experience a dawning if you like in my hectic brain that out there in the real world folk really do read my drivel writings and it still surprises the hell out of me but fear not my head will not grow in size because only I have the access to see exactly how many copies of my book have been sold and I expect that this will be a once in a lifetime event!

Got me a 110.
The Discovery Project...Posted by Nicky Smith Fri, October 16, 2015 18:21:29
I sat on my coffee break at work a couple of days ago drinking a cup of brown something that the machine throws out for twenty pence whilst perusing the tinterweb on my mobile phone, that is when it wanted to let me because it likes to glitch when you least expect it, when I chanced upon an advert for a 110 ex MOD 1980 something for a price that made me look twice.
I have always wanted a Defender but thought that I would never be able to afford one and I know I know before all the history buffs jump in this isn't a Defender but a 110 but that's close enough for me. Now I had a read through the ad and a read through again checking that it only needed the work it said it needed getting rather excited about the whole prospect when reality hit that funds are more than a bit tight with us saving to buy a house because Wifey says "We need something to grow old in" putting on the kids sounds like more of a plan to me but hey ho I just do as I am told but I needed a cunning plan putting into place before I could even consider this purchase.

So I got home and tentatively approached the subject with my nearest and dearest (she reads this blog) and with no hesitation she said "buy it". All matter of fact and no messing about... I couldn't believe my luck! She then went on to say
"Buy it, pick it up with Brian and a trailer then when you get back stick Brian up for sale to put the money back into the house fund and use my car while you rebuild the 110 because we both know that a Defender is what you have been slowly working towards".

My chin hit the floor! I knew I was onto a winner marrying this woman many years ago but she really knows me inside out and backwards and is the best Wife a man could ask for. Now before I get too soppy sounding I have a time limit on this exercise to get the cash back in situ which isn't too tight but tight enough and if i were to fall short and put the house buy in any jeopardy my life would not be worth living in fact I would probably be looking for a new wife minus some of my more important appendages but lets not go there!

To cut a long story short a price has been agreed and I will be collecting my 110 a week tomorrow and upon my return poor Brian, who has just been MOT'd, will be up for sale the same evening if not before but with a proviso that I have him until next Sunday.
Do you know anyone who wants to buy an off road ready Disco that's been driven like a girl so far?...