May 2007 Update

The interior side panels still need to be made up and fitted, and rattles from the left foot well (I think it’s the mudshield or snorkel ducting) and roof rack spots (their cage rattles against the rack, even though the screws are tight) need eliminating, but otherwise it’s going well.  It draws a lot of attention, and every visitor to the hose, including all the tradesmen for the house alterations, have passed comment.
I had a scare the other night half way home from work – everything had been normal, but all of a sudden the water and oil temperatures shot up to just below the red arc within seconds. I pulled over at the first reasonable opportunity and the temperatures dropped a little almost instantly, and I could find nothing amiss under the bonnet, but the temperatures rose the instant that I pulled away.

I managed to limp home, and spent the entire time worrying about failed water pumps, blocked rads, blown head gaskets and worse, but tests the next morning suggested it might just be a failed thermostat. A 10 mile run with a new 82 degree thermostat proved successful, and it looks like there has been no engine damage of any sort – it still starts instantly from hort or cold – so it looks like a lucky escape.

I sold the overdrive to put a little cash towards a Rocky Mountain Roverdrive, which will tollerate the 19J far better when that goes in. The Fairey was fine, but it just didn’t get enough use to warrant the weekly oil checks, and it seemed better to sell it while in good condition than to try and sell it when the 19J had eaten it.

I made a small electrical alteration the other day. The stereo had both its operational and memory feeds connected to the auxilliary battery bus, but this was draining the auxilliary battery as the operational feed was permanently live and drawing a small current even when switched off. The operational feed is now connected to the ignition accessory circuits, as is normal, so that the stereo operation feed is physically disconnected from both batteries with the ignition switch off. The memory feed is still connected to the auxilliary battery so that it can’t drain the main battery. It was more important than you realise – I was finding it hard to face the drive to work at 0400 on the colder mornings with no power to the heated seats – it’s amazing how quickly you get used to such luxuries!

The Range Rover Classic had been developing vague steering, and was getting really worrying in the ruts on the motorways, lurching from one rut to another. New suspension bushes late last year helped, but it started getting worse again. It looks like it was just the drop arm coming loose – the securing nut turned a full 180 degress to tighten up properly. A short drive suggests the problem has been cured, though we haven’t been on the motorway yet. My guess is that the fitter didn’t remove the paint from the output shaft when he fitted the new PAS box, and the paint on the splines has broken down and come out, leaving the drop arm loose on the shaft. I’m glad to have it fixed before the family go on holiday to North Yorkshire this summer.

I’m still snowed under with work on the house. I’ve finished the study, have done 90% of the kitchen and nearly completed the dining room. Once we get back from York, the builders will be starting the loft conversion, but the work after that should mostly be decorating, so I might be able to get some more work done on the vehicles as winter approaches.