Good 'Landy's through the ages' book?

Hi All,

Working on the basis that we will probably get a Landy sometime
(probably not a lightweight .. tried to get in my mates yesterday and
it would probably be ok if I had 18" cut off my legs and my eyes
lowered by 6" (so I don't have to look through the roof) .. or do tall
folk just scrunch up / develop a 'Landy stoop'?).

Any good (but not too expensive) books that are good for showing the
models through the ages with 'basic' notes re each (I'm not ready for
*another* anorak yet) please?

Or if anyone has a spare of such they want to sell .. etc ..?

All the best ..

T i m

On or around Wed, 29 Sep 2004 07:32:55 GMT, T i m <[email protected]>
enlightened us thusly:

>Hi All,
>
>Working on the basis that we will probably get a Landy sometime
>(probably not a lightweight .. tried to get in my mates yesterday and
>it would probably be ok if I had 18" cut off my legs and my eyes
>lowered by 6" (so I don't have to look through the roof) .. or do tall
>folk just scrunch up / develop a 'Landy stoop'?).
>
>Any good (but not too expensive) books that are good for showing the
>models through the ages with 'basic' notes re each (I'm not ready for
>*another* anorak yet) please?

very basic info in LROI magazine in their buyer's guide.

the definitive history of LRs is probably James Taylor's, but that may be a
bit too anorak for you right now.

since you look like you're after a fun play vehicle for the most part, you
have, essentially, 2 choices, really, if you plan on doing it cheaply:

1. Old series vehicle which is tax-exempt. This will be a SII, SIIa, or
very early SIII. Leaf sprung, limited comfort or heaters or suchlike, very
basic and an absolute hoot off-road, if you get a SWB and put big (7.50 or
so) tyres on it. I recently spent some time at sister's BF's place driving
his completely shagged SIII around the farm - the brakes take 2 pumps to
operate, the whole thing is rattly and it's still loads of fun. major grin
factor. Best fun-factor of the lot is a soft-top, fit a rollcage if you're
planning serious off-roading, remove anything that might hurt from being
damp, make sure the seats are waterproof, and enjoy it. On rare days when
it's sunny there's nothing to beat it with the canvas taken off completely.
You can have huge amounts of fun with not much outlay, provided you're
capable of fettling the mechanics and welding up the chassis etc. yerself.

2. RRC or early disco, bought cheap 'cos it's rusty and/or a thirsty V8.
Coil sprung for more comfort, comfy seats, heaters, even aircon if yer
lucky. Technically, you can get a tax-exempt RRC, but they're getting rare
and therefore more expensive - people are starting to restore the early ones
to tidy condition. Not quite so capable off-road "out of the box", but you
can do suspension lifts, bobtails, and the like if you really want an
offroad toy. V8s make a lovely noise, and it's a sweet engine to work on.
same comments apply about fun/cost/fettling and welding.

There's not much point in buying a later-than-1972 Series, you don't gain
anything noticeable in the comfort, performance etc. stakes and you have to
pay road tax.

You can of course if endowed with slightly more money go for a 90, but they,
being newer and more practical, hold their value and are more pricey to buy
- the engine-of-choice is the TDi, and they're newer and pricier still to
buy. Supremely capable off-road, 'specially if you lift it and fit bigger
tyres etc. as for the disco/RR etc.

HTH...

Austin Shackles wrote:

>
> 1. Old series vehicle which is tax-exempt. This will be a SII, SIIa, or
> very early SIII. Leaf sprung, limited comfort or heaters or suchlike, very
> basic and an absolute hoot off-road, if you get a SWB and put big (7.50 or
> so) tyres on it. I recently spent some time at sister's BF's place driving
> his completely shagged SIII around the farm - the brakes take 2 pumps to
> operate, the whole thing is rattly and it's still loads of fun. major grin
> factor. Best fun-factor of the lot is a soft-top, fit a rollcage if you're
> planning serious off-roading, remove anything that might hurt from being
> damp, make sure the seats are waterproof, and enjoy it. On rare days when
> it's sunny there's nothing to beat it with the canvas taken off completely.
> You can have huge amounts of fun with not much outlay, provided you're
> capable of fettling the mechanics and welding up the chassis etc. yerself.

Like my one for instance, that has now got a full top on it, and will be
topless for summer once the weather improves. Good fun offroad, looks
sort of "different" with the late front, tax exempt, cheap to insure,
reliable (thus far), and *cheap* (about 800 quid with our equivalent of
an MOT).

http://www.ballantine.co.nz/landy1.jpg

--
EMB
change two to the number to reply

In article <[email protected]>, Austin Shackles wrote:
>
> the definitive history of LRs is probably James Taylor's, but that may be a
> bit too anorak for you right now.
>

Ah, that answers a question I was going to ask.

What with crimbo only three months away, I'm gonna start getting asked what I
want for pressies. I can't normally think of anything other than tools, parts
or beer. A book detailing Land Rovers history would be ideal I think.

Amazon list several books by him, which one were you thinking of Austin?

--
simon at sbarr dot demon dot co dot uk
Simon Barr.
'97 110 300Tdi.

On or around 29 Sep 2004 16:20:36 GMT, Simon Barr <[email protected]>
enlightened us thusly:

>In article <[email protected]>, Austin Shackles wrote:
>>
>> the definitive history of LRs is probably James Taylor's, but that may be a
>> bit too anorak for you right now.
>>
>
>Ah, that answers a question I was going to ask.
>
>What with crimbo only three months away, I'm gonna start getting asked what I
>want for pressies. I can't normally think of anything other than tools, parts
>or beer. A book detailing Land Rovers history would be ideal I think.
>
>Amazon list several books by him, which one were you thinking of Austin?

summat like "the Land Rover Story", or somesuch. I dunno. ask fer 'em all

Would we not all (well maybe not) like an 80 inch to play with. I would
anyway.


--
Larry
Series 3 rust and holes

"T i m" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi All,
>
> Working on the basis that we will probably get a Landy sometime
> (probably not a lightweight .. tried to get in my mates yesterday and
> it would probably be ok if I had 18" cut off my legs and my eyes
> lowered by 6" (so I don't have to look through the roof) .. or do tall
> folk just scrunch up / develop a 'Landy stoop'?).
>
> Any good (but not too expensive) books that are good for showing the
> models through the ages with 'basic' notes re each (I'm not ready for
> *another* anorak yet) please?
>
> Or if anyone has a spare of such they want to sell .. etc ..?
>
> All the best ..
>
> T i m

On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 07:32:55 GMT, T i m <[email protected]> wrote:

>tried to get in my mates yesterday and
>it would probably be ok if I had 18" cut off my legs and my eyes
>lowered by 6" (so I don't have to look through the roof) .. or do tall
>folk just scrunch up / develop a 'Landy stoop'?).

I've never sat in a lightweight, but i was under the impression that
they were the same as other series landies (as far as seats and
seatboxes go)..
I'm fairly tall and sit confortably in series 2's and 3's (and 101s
. Has your mate replaced the seats in his with some that are
taller?. You should try one with the original seats or decently
chopped/low replacements.

On or around Wed, 29 Sep 2004 22:57:40 +0100, "Larry" <[email protected]>
enlightened us thusly:

>Would we not all (well maybe not) like an 80 inch to play with. I would
>anyway.

I had an 86" for a while, but that was rather cheating as it'd had a 2.4 Jag
engine shoehorned under the bonnet. Wonder where it is now... JTX267 ISTR.

On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 01:13:16 +0100, Tom Woods <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 07:32:55 GMT, T i m <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>tried to get in my mates yesterday and
>>it would probably be ok if I had 18" cut off my legs and my eyes
>>lowered by 6" (so I don't have to look through the roof) .. or do tall
>>folk just scrunch up / develop a 'Landy stoop'?).
>
>I've never sat in a lightweight, but i was under the impression that
>they were the same as other series landies (as far as seats and
>seatboxes go)..

Hi Tom, yes, that's what my mate suggested ..?

>I'm fairly tall and sit confortably in series 2's and 3's (and 101s
>.

It seems that at 6'2" I seem to me long in the leg AND have a long
torso? I have trouble with headroom in many std cars also. When we
built the kit-car I carefully fabricated a sub frame for the Recaro
style seats that would accomodate me at 6'2" (seat right back and not
too high) and the 5'4" missus (seat long way forward and not too low).

Has your mate replaced the seats in his with some that are
>taller?

Now you come to mention it I think he said they were Defender seats,
The squab and back were pretty thin and seemed to be sitting pretty
low (he had to lift the drivers squab up to get to the diesel tank?) ?

.. You should try one with the original seats or decently
>chopped/low replacements.

Ah, ok. The height issue mat not be a problem but it looks like the
rear bulkhead is the stumbling block for moving the seat back much
(gibbon arms)? Is there a 'common' solution to this please?

(Ok, I *could* drive it but it's like sitting in a kids go-cart for me
,,<sigh>)

There's more (arm / leg) room in my Messerschmitt KR200 bubble car!

All the best ..

T i m

The message <[email protected]>
from T i m <[email protected]> contains these words:


> It seems that at 6'2" I seem to me long in the leg AND have a long
> torso? I have trouble with headroom in many std cars also. When we
> built the kit-car I carefully fabricated a sub frame for the Recaro
> style seats that would accomodate me at 6'2" (seat right back and not
> too high) and the 5'4" missus (seat long way forward and not too low).

> Has your mate replaced the seats in his with some that are
> >taller?

> Now you come to mention it I think he said they were Defender seats,
> The squab and back were pretty thin and seemed to be sitting pretty
> low (he had to lift the drivers squab up to get to the diesel tank?) ?

Well I'm 6ft 4 inches (and 128 Kilos*) and youngest son is 6ft 5 inches,
and the only problem we get is on a series III as the handbrake gets in
your way of your leg, my standard driver is a swb sIIa truck cab,
absolutly no probs loads of room, course you do get idjiots who fit
totally unsuitable seats, best to sling them and get genuine seats. I
seem to remember the rear bulkhead is further back in a lwb, if thats
any help, whilst a station wagon has only this metal bar.
* I never weigh myself but the Doc seems to like doing it on a regular
basis, bit like an MOT really and they tell me this figure in a pained
voice just before having a winge and asking if I want to speak to their
dietician, Do I buggery I tell them in very polite language which I
honestly can't remember once I make it off the premises. I have no idea
what this is in real weight about 22 stone I think somebody told me
once.

Anyway anybody as small as you having problems must be a bloody funny
shape, and the only way I can see for you to have long legs and a long
torso is if your head is sunk right into the latter. as for standard
cars there are many I cant get into and many more I cant drive but then
I got long legs in proportion to my height, torso is same length as my
father and he was only 6 ft.
come to think of it there is a bloke I know shorter than me who winges
about my truck cab not having enough room, so perhaps it's only blokes
of exactly 6ft 2 inches or thereabouts who have trouble, perhaps if you
could grow a bit, wear hi-lift shoes or something it would be O.K.

--
If you received this through the miracle of modern technology then all
is well; if not then situation normal.
Chris father of ( also at [email protected] )
www.users.zetnet.co.uk/barnes_firsnorton

On Sat, 2 Oct 2004 22:37:26 +0100, Warwick Barnes
<[email protected]> wrote:

>The message <[email protected]>
>from T i m <[email protected]> contains these words:
>
>
>> It seems that at 6'2" I seem to me long in the leg AND have a long
>> torso? I have trouble with headroom in many std cars also. When we
>> built the kit-car I carefully fabricated a sub frame for the Recaro
>> style seats that would accomodate me at 6'2" (seat right back and not
>> too high) and the 5'4" missus (seat long way forward and not too low).
>

>Well I'm 6ft 4 inches (and 128 Kilos*) and youngest son is 6ft 5 inches,
>and the only problem we get is on a series III as the handbrake gets in
>your way of your leg, my standard driver is a swb sIIa truck cab,
>absolutly no probs loads of room,

Hi Warwick ..

We are talking about Land Rovers here aren't we (not a MKII/III Volvo
truck?) ;-)

Whenever I mention getting series Landrover to other Landy folk they
often look at my height and say 'hmm, you might have trouble getting
in one...'?

course you do get idjiots who fit
>totally unsuitable seats, best to sling them and get genuine seats. I
>seem to remember the rear bulkhead is further back in a lwb, if thats
>any help, whilst a station wagon has only this metal bar.

Well, when my mate finishes this 109 Stationwagon I can test that out
;-)

>Anyway anybody as small as you having problems must be a bloody funny
>shape, and the only way I can see for you to have long legs and a long
>torso is if your head is sunk right into the latter.

18 1/2" collar size?

as for standard
>cars there are many I cant get into and many more I cant drive but then
>I got long legs in proportion to my height, torso is same length as my
>father and he was only 6 ft.

My standard proceedure when trying to drive most cars ..

1) Get in (often a struggle because of all the 'vertically challenged'
folk out there <Tim ducks>.

2) Slide the seat back to the stops.

3) Recline the seat slightly till my head stops hitting the sunroof
rim ..

When in 83 I was looking to get a new Company car to replace my MKV
Cortina Estate, they had just stopped the Cortina and started the
Sierra and I resented Ford for doing that so I discounted the Sierra
on principal. I took the Co's 8k into the Renault dealer and said
"what's the biggest thing you do?'. They tried to sit me in a R 21 and
when I couldn't (too low) that was Renaults out of the question
...<sigh>. This continued with most of the other makes except for an
SDi Rover (my boss wouldn't let me have one) so reluctantly ended up
with the Sierra Estate (and have still got it <g>).


>come to think of it there is a bloke I know shorter than me who winges
>about my truck cab not having enough room, so perhaps it's only blokes
>of exactly 6ft 2 inches or thereabouts who have trouble, perhaps if you
>could grow a bit, wear hi-lift shoes or something it would be O.K.

Maybe sort of an inverse logic thing then .. ;-)

My tall mate who is doing up the lightweight said to drive this you
first need to open the window to give yer right arm somewhere to go
(and remove the fixed internal door handle before you smash yer elbow
on it). Or best just try to steer with yer left arm ... ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

I have to say, when I read the following, I understood Kerry's claim
that he was debating George Orwell:

In the middle of an answer, during his lip-sinc debate, Bush said,
"now let me finish" as if someone was interrupting him- yet nobody
did- he was talking to the person in his earpiece.

To quote Bush directly, he said "I-I-I -let me finish" and then,
George Bush managed to complete this sentence; "The intelligence I
looked at was the same intelligence my opponent looked at." Needless
to say, his earpiece was intelligent enough to complete a sentence
-isn't wireless wonderful?

The irony of course, is that according to media-spin, John Kerry was
supposed to debate himself, not some slick Republican, behind George
Bush's earpiece.

Isn't it time to stop pretending that George Bush is taller than he
really is?


http://www.geocities.com/julieearmstrong/fox.htm

The message <[email protected]>
from T i m <[email protected]> contains these words:


> We are talking about Land Rovers here aren't we (not a MKII/III Volvo
> truck?) ;-)

I had a volvo once needles to say I managed to trade it in for a
landrover within a month or so even made a slight profit, absolutly
horrible vehicle UGGGH!

> Whenever I mention getting series Landrover to other Landy folk they
> often look at my height and say 'hmm, you might have trouble getting
> in one...'?

I have no trouble even with a hat on, we must have a completely
different version out here in the wilds of East Norfolk. Or are we in
the realms of big dog small ***** land!


> My standard proceedure when trying to drive most cars ..

> 1) Get in (often a struggle because of all the 'vertically challenged'
> folk out there <Tim ducks>.

> 2) Slide the seat back to the stops.

> 3) Recline the seat slightly till my head stops hitting the sunroof
> rim ..

How about the bit where you can't actually move your legs at all, even a
little bit!

> When in 83 I was looking to get a new Company car to replace my MKV
> Cortina Estate, they had just stopped the Cortina and started the
> Sierra and I resented Ford for doing that so I discounted the Sierra
> on principal. I took the Co's 8k into the Renault dealer and said
> "what's the biggest thing you do?'. They tried to sit me in a R 21 and

I had a Renault 18 loads of room, plenty of head room and I could wear a
hat in that one, also went like **** off a shovel, when I parted with it
the local copper bought it said it was fastest thing he ever drove mind
he trashed the gearbox in a couple of months! I seem to remember the 21
was a lot smaller. There was a big bulge of dash occupying the same
space as required by my knees.
The 3.5 Rover SDi was brilliant until it magically turned into brown
powder, only car I ever owned where the carpets were an integral
strengthening component part of the body shell.

Fiat Tipo was another car with a reasonable amount of room.

Mark 2 Jaguar was a joy but some of the later ones are impossible to
drive with size elevens; especially with work boots on.

And the Vauxal Viva HA had masses of legroom but only in white or so I
have been reliably informed.

--
If you received this through the miracle of modern technology then all
is well; if not then situation normal.
Chris father of ( also at [email protected] )
www.users.zetnet.co.uk/barnes_firsnorton

On Mon, 4 Oct 2004 00:07:57 +0100, Warwick Barnes
<[email protected]> wrote:

>The message <[email protected]>
>from T i m <[email protected]> contains these words:
>
>
>> We are talking about Land Rovers here aren't we (not a MKII/III Volvo
>> truck?) ;-)
>
>I had a volvo once needles to say I managed to trade it in for a
>landrover within a month or so even made a slight profit, absolutly
>horrible vehicle UGGGH!

Especially so if you are a motorcyclist!
>
>> Whenever I mention getting series Landrover to other Landy folk they
>> often look at my height and say 'hmm, you might have trouble getting
>> in one...'?
>
>I have no trouble even with a hat on, we must have a completely
>different version out here in the wilds of East Norfolk. Or are we in
>the realms of big dog small ***** land!

Ah, that explains it .. from Norfolk! I believe (and this is fact)
that many generations of being stooped over cutting reeds makes you
the perfect shape to fit in a series Landy .. whereas us Lundners have
had to evolve stood upright to try to breathe over the smog .. ;-(
>
>
>> My standard proceedure when trying to drive most cars ..
>
>> 1) Get in (often a struggle because of all the 'vertically challenged'
>> folk out there <Tim ducks>.
>
>> 2) Slide the seat back to the stops.
>
>> 3) Recline the seat slightly till my head stops hitting the sunroof
>> rim ..
>
>How about the bit where you can't actually move your legs at all, even a
>little bit!

Well that was sorta supposed to be step 1) .. My missus is 5'4"
(reasonably average height for a lady in GB) yet when I try to get
into one of the cars after she has been in there my legs just jammed
inbetween the seat and the dash / pedals ..
>
>> When in 83 I was looking to get a new Company car to replace my MKV
>> Cortina Estate, they had just stopped the Cortina and started the
>> Sierra and I resented Ford for doing that so I discounted the Sierra
>> on principal. I took the Co's 8k into the Renault dealer and said
>> "what's the biggest thing you do?'. They tried to sit me in a R 21 and
>
>I had a Renault 18 loads of room, plenty of head room and I could wear a
>hat in that one, also went like **** off a shovel, when I parted with it
>the local copper bought it said it was fastest thing he ever drove mind
>he trashed the gearbox in a couple of months! I seem to remember the 21
>was a lot smaller.

Ah, that explains it .. I would of thought the 'bigger' cars (up the
range) would have been ... em ... bigger inside? (obviously not!) ;-)

There was a big bulge of dash occupying the same
>space as required by my knees.

Been there, dented that ;-)

>The 3.5 Rover SDi was brilliant until it magically turned into brown
>powder, only car I ever owned where the carpets were an integral
>strengthening component part of the body shell.

Ooops .. Mind you it sounds like this 109 my mate is doing up ..
every time I go round there the holes seem to have got bigger. One day
there's some old tatty patches and the next a 1' length of chassis
missing it's bottom or side!
>
>Fiat Tipo was another car with a reasonable amount of room.

Funnily enough, I seem to remember I could fit in a Fiat Panda !?
>
>Mark 2 Jaguar was a joy but some of the later ones are impossible to
>drive with size elevens; especially with work boots on.

Nowt as strange as cars eh .. ;-)
>
>And the Vauxal Viva HA had masses of legroom but only in white or so I
>have been reliably informed.

The grey one I sorted for my sister was quite roomy (considering) ..
;-)

All the best fella ..

T i m