Matt2000
Member
- Posts
- 36
- Location
- Leics/Northants border
Hi All,
I joined and made an introduction post in 2006 but I didn't have a Land Rover back then. A huge amount has happened since. Not sure why I haven't come back until now, I used to frequent the LRO forums until they were shut down and the Northants4x4 forums.
Anyway when I first joined I was a couple of years from getting a Land Rover, in 2008 I finally got a 1977 Series III. I used it a lot off road, swapped the solid hard top side panels for those with windows and got some old Deestone tyres for playing in the mud. I got this picture into the 2011 Britpart calendar.
Wanting to travel further meant that was replaced with a 300Tdi Disco 1 in 2011, which was modified for off road use. I put in an Ashcroft air locker and fitted some Gwyn Lewis suspension parts. I used it for play days and local punch challenges but I could never get away from the fact that it was a big beast and often got panel damage. I fitted DII headlights and built my own Saudi-style grille from a DII grille and the correct mesh, I still have the mesh and have been meaning to 3D print some parts to maybe offer a kit to convert a DII grille. Any interest let me know.
The search for even more comfort led me to a 2001 DII V8 in 2015. A mere 70K miles when I bought it, a wonderful waft-mobile without the complication of a P38A. Spewed its guts at the Nurburgring later in 2015 due to a cheap pattern part fitted by the dealer, returned to lap the track in 2016 with no isues. I fitted a Design & Development Engineering Ltd. upgraded ACE valve block in early 2020 to fix the ACE leaks forever, then it was ultimately sold to pay some of the deposit on a Tesla Model 3. I miss the rumble but not the fuel bills.
The 300Tdi was scrapped in 2017 (long story) and was replaced with the caged bobtail D1 I have now. Built by a Northants4x4 member, I had watched it develop for years from a rotten 3-door 200tdi to a tough semi-challenge truck. When it came up for sale in early 2017 I had to get it. It has been fantastic, the bobbed back end and external cage mean I don't have issues denting the bodywork and it's overall a better truck than my 300Tdi would ever be. I swapped over the R380 from the 300Tdi as the LT77 was worn out, the 200Tdi is now showing its age but keeps on going. Originally painted with matt black military paint, I repainted it with black Raptor last year to smarten it up a bit.
In Feb this year I wanted something as a winter runabout so got my 2002 Td4 Freelander. For years I disliked the Freelander 1 design and felt like it wasn't a 'proper Land Rover', but as we both got older I appreciated the hippo more. My dad got a Freelander 2 a few years ago and I've fancied a F1 since, I found a cheap 3-door with the bargaining chip of a missing rear propshaft. It's no show winner but fits nicely as a runaroud between the bobtail (which has very little load space and isn't exactly a cruiser) and my nicer car, which is no longer a Tesla but is an MX-5.
Planning to stay around this time, I'm already learning more about Freelanders.
I joined and made an introduction post in 2006 but I didn't have a Land Rover back then. A huge amount has happened since. Not sure why I haven't come back until now, I used to frequent the LRO forums until they were shut down and the Northants4x4 forums.
Anyway when I first joined I was a couple of years from getting a Land Rover, in 2008 I finally got a 1977 Series III. I used it a lot off road, swapped the solid hard top side panels for those with windows and got some old Deestone tyres for playing in the mud. I got this picture into the 2011 Britpart calendar.
Wanting to travel further meant that was replaced with a 300Tdi Disco 1 in 2011, which was modified for off road use. I put in an Ashcroft air locker and fitted some Gwyn Lewis suspension parts. I used it for play days and local punch challenges but I could never get away from the fact that it was a big beast and often got panel damage. I fitted DII headlights and built my own Saudi-style grille from a DII grille and the correct mesh, I still have the mesh and have been meaning to 3D print some parts to maybe offer a kit to convert a DII grille. Any interest let me know.
The search for even more comfort led me to a 2001 DII V8 in 2015. A mere 70K miles when I bought it, a wonderful waft-mobile without the complication of a P38A. Spewed its guts at the Nurburgring later in 2015 due to a cheap pattern part fitted by the dealer, returned to lap the track in 2016 with no isues. I fitted a Design & Development Engineering Ltd. upgraded ACE valve block in early 2020 to fix the ACE leaks forever, then it was ultimately sold to pay some of the deposit on a Tesla Model 3. I miss the rumble but not the fuel bills.
The 300Tdi was scrapped in 2017 (long story) and was replaced with the caged bobtail D1 I have now. Built by a Northants4x4 member, I had watched it develop for years from a rotten 3-door 200tdi to a tough semi-challenge truck. When it came up for sale in early 2017 I had to get it. It has been fantastic, the bobbed back end and external cage mean I don't have issues denting the bodywork and it's overall a better truck than my 300Tdi would ever be. I swapped over the R380 from the 300Tdi as the LT77 was worn out, the 200Tdi is now showing its age but keeps on going. Originally painted with matt black military paint, I repainted it with black Raptor last year to smarten it up a bit.
In Feb this year I wanted something as a winter runabout so got my 2002 Td4 Freelander. For years I disliked the Freelander 1 design and felt like it wasn't a 'proper Land Rover', but as we both got older I appreciated the hippo more. My dad got a Freelander 2 a few years ago and I've fancied a F1 since, I found a cheap 3-door with the bargaining chip of a missing rear propshaft. It's no show winner but fits nicely as a runaroud between the bobtail (which has very little load space and isn't exactly a cruiser) and my nicer car, which is no longer a Tesla but is an MX-5.
Planning to stay around this time, I'm already learning more about Freelanders.
