August

I have fitted all of the headlining, the door strikers, roof rack (with heavy duty load bars and ladder) and the front number plate.

An attempt at testing the fuel system integrity found one big leak very quickly – the front right fuel tank must have a sizeable hole in it somewhere, or at least 2″ of split seam to drop fuel at the rate it did. I have bough a new replacement – I just need the time to fi it. Time hasn’t permitted much more other than the organisation of a much better insurance policy.

The headlining is almost complete. It just needs the alpine light surrounds fixing more securely (the left end of each has a slightly wider curvature than the roof panel, forcing the two apart) and the fitting of some fillet strips (cut from the section removed for the sunroof) to fill the joints between each of the main sections better.

The roof rack is suprisingly heavy, and though it could be cariied without to much difficulty by two of us, it took four men to lift into position!. The twelve feet claps are secured as normal, but being the heavy duty version, it also has a strengthening bar at each corner. These allow some of the load weight to be transfered directly to the tub cappings or bulkhead, permitting loads over the standard 250kg Land Rover limit. The ladder is part of the set, and is attached top and bottom. Access is really easy using the rear twin step and rear corner protector to get onto the ladder. The rooof rack also has Camel Trophy replica lighting units with paired driving lights, secured with stainless bolts to rivnuts in the rack frame.

The plan is to finish that damned paint polishing, then fit the Mantec snorkel and to replace the leaking front right fuel tamk before fitting thee seat base.