Getting excited. My babys nearly home.

June 2008. That was the last time that my Disco was working as it should. Seems like such a long time ago now, and I suppose it was.

Since then there have been issues with a split header tank, (my third in less than six months). The vehicle was out of action for around three months then as I was waiting for a new one to be fabricated and shipped over from China.

Just a couple of days after getting back on the road came head gasket failure brought on by it overheating from the header tank split / coolent loss. Out of action for a couple of weeks that time.

I then did just one Pay & Play day at Frickley during which the Disco sunk like a submarine. Upon trying to dry off the carpet and underlay I soon realised that my car had more holes in it than a cullinder. So since October / November of last year it has been out of action having new sills, bottoms of the 'A' & 'B' pillers, inner front wings, inner rear arches, (all of these on both sides), most of the floorpan, new boot floor and sections of the roof cut out and new metal welded in place.

All the carpet and underlay has now been junked, electrics tidied up, new throttle cable, bonnet release cable, door seals and several other bits and bobs done to it.

So after what seems like an eternity, finally, today, I could see light at the end of the tunnel. Just need to finish off a couple of small jobs on Tuesday and Wednesday before it goes in to be waxoiled on Thursday. The urge to go laning on Sunday is strong, but I reckon I had best leave it untill the week after, just to let the waxoil cure and harden properly.

it's nearly a year since I got the Chimeara back after an extensive amout of work, and you know what, I'm just as excited about getting the Land Rover back as i was the TVR. In fact, more so I would say as there were always nagging doubts about whether the TVr had terminal engine problems or it was a faulty gauge, (it ended up being a dropped bore liner ). Fingers crossed for no such dissapointments this time.

I know it might sound kinda stupid, but I feel a bit like an expectant Father, waiting for his baby to come home.

I know that many of you reading this, (if you have managed to get this far without falling asleep), will be wondering why I didn't just buy another Disco, but my point of view was that even if I had bought one a couple of years newer, chances are that that too would have needed extensive surgary sooner or later. Plus another Disco wouldn't have been 'my' Discovery, it would have been someone elses.

It has been a long road to getting moneypit number 2 back in fine order, and it certainly hasn't been cheap, but as I sit here writing this, unable to sleep because of the excitment, i cant help but feel that it has all been worth it, and the price will be forgotten long before the enjoyment stops.