Winter 2000 Rovers North News by Rovers North

Life Begins After 30 The Range Rover Classic By Jeffrey B. Aronson Age slips up to most of us, and the next thing you know, you’re a “classic.” It may be hard to believe, but the Range Rover has now delighted automotive enthusiasts since its unveiling 31 years ago. When Land Rover afficionados discuss “old Land Rovers,” they must now include Range Rovers, too. The Range Rover has been with us in much the same manner for three decades; even the “new” model in 1994 retained many of the engineering cues of the original. The original Range Rover, dubbed the “Classic,” took the Land Rover concept of “crossover vehicle” and made it more sophisticated. Whereas the Land Rover made itself into a station wagon by adding more seats to a utility vehicle, it didn’t fool passengers one bit. The Range Rover combined luxury, performance, station wagon utility, and of course, off road capability, in a car that asked little compromise from its owners. Look at a photo of the Range Rover, the twodoor of its first decade. Marvel at the high greenhouse, the castle corners of the hood line, the clever blackout of the rear pillars, the bold, rectangular creases in the flanks. Then, think back to the 70’s. If you need help, turn on a television with cable and take a gander at ’70’s programs. Remember the bad clothes? Well, those same men [yes, men back then] designed automobiles. Feast your eyes on the corpulent auto bodies and “go-faster” stripes. If you can drive one, flex your muscles on the pinky-ring power steering and listen to the wandering idle. Then accelerate to endless hesitation and soft engines.

First

Impressions American 4 x 4’s included International Harvester Scouts, square utility vehicles with seats that rusted on contact with humidity. Ford Broncos resembled telephone booths and came with 3speeds on the steering column. Their independent front suspensions gave them interesting rides but less capability off road, and inherently, they were trucks. Jeep CJ’s had become bloated caricatures of their ancestors. The CJ-5 was entertaining but had too much power for an 80” wheelbase. It could carry two in leaf-sprung comfort, and four people only under duress. The Jeep Wagoneer had room and size, but also such frightening steering and soft suspension that Land Rover’s North American head,

Vintage Rovers Across Africa

Bruce McWilliams, reported he was white-knuckled driving one. Indeed, so few Americans desiring a station wagon were captivated by the poky 109” with the 2.6 6-cylinder engine that Land Rover had pulled them from the US market in 1967. Even in a patient England, the marketing boffins at Land Rover begged for a new Land Rover station wagon. Coming on the heels of the very successful, very different Rover P6 [Rover 2000 in the US], Rover engineers had a freer rein to envision a differently designed, more car-like yet equally capable Land Rover. Imagine Land Rover’s plight at the time. It had a very loyal customer base for Continued on page 4

British Invasion 2000

Land Rovers Invade The British Invasion By Jeffrey Aronson

By Jeffrey B. Aronson

[Mike Ladden, Hampden, CT, has been a leader within the West Connecticut Land Rover Club. We had the chance to discuss his ambitious project at RoverFest 2000 and in a telephone interview -ed.] Back in 1992, Mike Ladden spent most of the year working and tour ing northern Africa. “I started in Morocco, went through West Africa and Central Africa.” He has yearned to return for the past 8 years. Beginning in February, 2001, he’ll depart

New York City and return to West Africa to lead the Vintage Rovers Across Africa expedition. “You get this ‘Africa fever,’ Ladden explained, “once you’ve been there. It’s the last great unspoiled kind of culture. Asia might be that way too, but Africa offers so many different cultures, people, and languages all on the same continent.” Mike also enthused over the incredibly varied terrain, from dry desert to rain forest mud, and humid, wet conditions. “The expedition will take two months: we leave New Continued on page 15.

It always takes place the September weekend before the peak foliage season, and it always sees 500-600 British cars and thousands of enthusiasts in attendance. In that sense, this British Invasion resembled the previous 9 editions. The growing number of Land Rovers present, and the delightful enthusiasm of their owners, have come to make Land Rovers a central part of this annual event. Continued on page 6

Miracle in New Jersey [Robert Hoyd, Pohatcong Township, NJ, remembers when “ working on cars was a necessity.” As a Human Resources manager, car maintenance is now “mostly for fun.” His wife Jean, and their two sons, spent considerable energy resurrecting their 1988 Range Rover Classic. Their story reads like a Christmas dream, and will remind Series Land Rover owners of holiday fantasies -ed.]

y father always told me that if you were going to drive something, “you’d better understand how it works and be able to repair it.” Little did I know that he’d be referring to my first-ever Land Rover, a 1988 Range Rover Classic. This first Range Rover cost me $1.00. I found this vehicle in a barn where it had been stored for three years! The previous owner had tired of making repairs, so when it would not start one day, he parked it at only 78,000 miles on the odometer. Along came a minor flood (merely axle high), squirrels, mice and mildew, weakening his desire, ability and fortitude to renew his Rover. I first met the owner in an adult continuing education program in which I was learning to restore a 1966 Plymouth for my son....and along came the offer to take the Range Rover off his hands. He had purchased the vehicle new, absolutely loved it, and had every record, as well as the original service manual (in plastic) - but he had lost heart. The only catch was that I had to agree to restore and not part out the vehicle. Continued on page 4

Land Rover polo - what a sight!

Ask Rovers North The Threaded Truth

Q. I’m new to the world of Series Land Rovers and have noticed something odd about the wheel studs and lug nuts. I cannot see any of the lug studs threads extending beyond the lug nut. Even when the lug nuts are fully tightened, the lug stud isn’t quite to the end of the lug nut. Have the wrong lug studs or nuts been installed at some point, or is this normal?

routine oil changes. If you are using 90w oil, most of this water will leave the housing when performing the oil change. However, if grease is used. . . ? Thank you. Dave Sangerhausen Ext. 229

Air on the Side of Reason

Q. I own a 1994 LWB Range Rover. As you know, this vehicle is equipped with air suspension. Although l have yet to have trouble with this system, I have been considering a coil spring conversion. Any thoughts?

A. I known the lug studs and nuts look odd but what you have described is normal for a Series Land Rover. Once tightened, there are enough mated threads between the two to ensure sufficient strength. Thank you. Dave Sangerhausen Ext. 229

Air suspension is a great system but can be expensive to repair depending on the failure. Unless you live in a remote area where an air suspension failure could be difficult to mend (the system, if flat, has to be recalibrated with Land Rover’s scan tool called Test Book), I would not convert a properly working system. However, Rovers North does offer a coil spring conversion kit (Part #RNK5105) if you are so inclined. Thank you. Dave Sangerhausen Ext. 229

Series Safari To Grease or Not to Grease

British Invasion worth the $1,500 asking price. On the other hand, if you flnd corrosion holes, major modifications, and parts that appear to be missing, it would be worth waiting for a better example to come along.

Snaps

Something I usually suggest is to look at the prices of Series Rovers on the Land Rover Exchange Website (which can be accessed via a link through RoversNorth.com) or in Hemmings Motor News. Both of these sources list Rovers for sale from across the nation and you will be able to determine the going rate for vehicles in various condition across the country.

Tanks But no Tanks

Series I from Quebec, CN

Q. I was wondering if you carry, or know where I can get an auxiliary fuel tank for my 1994 D90?

A. We do not carry D90 auxiliary fuel tanks and do not know of anyone who does. I know this is a popular subject with Defender owners but one only has to remember a few years back where a major U.S. auto and truck producer was being sued for fuel tank/side impact problems. And, if you go back a little further (mid 70’s) another U.S. manufacturer had problems with fuel tanks and rear impacts in their new economy vehicle. Therefore, it is easy to see why, even with proper research and development the manufacture and sale of fuel tanks is a risky liability issue. Another item to consider would be a 300Tdi turbo diesel engine conversion that improves the gas mileage, thus eliminating the need for additional fuel tanks. Rovers North does offer a complete conversion for this year Defender.

Defender 110 300Tdi

Q. I have read a lot about the new grease developed by Land Rover that is used in the swivel ball housings on Range Rovers. I was wondering if you sell this grease and if I can use it in the swivel balls of my Series III?

Gate Debate

“QE1” sits proudly among the Land Rovers

Greetings! I own a 1989 Range Rover that is suffering from the typical Range Rover upper tailgate corrosion problem. I know the upper tailgate is quite expensive and I wondered if anyone produced an aluminum version?

Swivel Pin Housing Components, Series IIA,III

A. We do sell the grease packs, however we do not recommend using them on Series vehicles. The swivel ball housings on the Series are different from coil-sprung vehicles in that they use a swivel pin bearing and bushing that rely on sloshing 90w oil for proper lubrication. Also, the Series front axles use a U-joint similar to those on a prop shaft, whereas the Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery use a CV joint. The CV joint can be properly lubricated by the grease, but due to the design of the Series U-joint, a thinner lubricant (again sloshing 90w) is required for proper lubrication. An additional note to ponder: Whether you own a Series or coil sprung vehicle most people will find water in their swivel pin housings during

Q. I have been a Range Rover owner for many years and have always wanted a Series IIA 88”. I have found a 1966 model for sale locally that has not been on the road for several years. In fact it is sitting behind the barn of a local farm, and the owner is asking $1,500. Since l don’t exactly know what to look for or what it’s worth, could you please provide some advice?

A. Everything boils down to completeness and cor rosion. Assuming the vehicle runs well, is complete and in somewhat original condition with only minor (no holes) corrosion in the chassis, bulkhead and footwell, the vehicle would be well

The Rover Polo action was fierce in first gear low range

A. While it is true that upper tailgate assemblies are expensive, they are actually less expensive than buying the frame alone. Aluminum-framed upper tailgates due exist, and we experimented with them a few years back. Do to the malleable properties of the aluminum we could never get them to seal or latch properly and therefore opted not to sell them. Your best bet is to purchase a new Land Rover upper tailgate and do your best to rust proof the internals prior to installation.

TECH TIPS Series Land Rover Carburetors - Which One Is Right For You? By Ed Aldrich and Dave Sangerhausen [Rovers North’s Ed Aldrich and Dave Sangerhausen have fielded many questions concerning the best carburetor for Series Land Rovers. There’s no easy answer, but the follow ing test drives should help you determine the best carb for your driving conditions -ed.] o compare the qualities of the popular carburetor options for the Series Land Rover, we chose Ed’s daily driver, a ‘60 Series II 88” with 27,000 miles on a rebuilt engine and a Rovers North NRP stainless exhaust system. Ed kept the front hubs unlocked, and his car does not have an overdrive. The “test track” was Ed’s daily route to Rovers North, a mix of road conditions that includes a 1.5 miles stretch dubbed “Equalizer Hill.” In addition to on-road testing, a few side trips were made for off-road performance evalua tion.

The ContestantsSolex While many Series I, II, and II-A’s came with Solex carburetors, alas, original parts for the Solex models have become increasingly difficult to source. In original condition, it was a reliable if thirsty carb, a bit tricky to tune. We chose not to include the Solex in this test as many owners have converted to more contemporary carb setups. as fewer daily drivers use these original carburetors, we focused the on the popular replacement models.

Zenith One-Barrel The Zenith has been the backbone of the Land Rover carburetor line-up for late II-A’s and Series III’s. When clean and properly adjusted, it pro vides sufficient power for all operations with minimal trouble. The most common complaint from this unit is a poor idle/rich mixture, caused by mis-machining of the carburetor halves on new units, or warpage on old units. Both problems can be rectified by sanding level the carb’s machined surfaces [see last issue of Rovers North

News]; if you missed the article, we can explain the details with a call to Rovers North. Another problem common to the Zenith is a “sunken” float - a float that won’t float. This is due to cracks in the float. Although we haven’t seen this much lately, it is always something to keep in mind if your Zenith experiences a rich mixture. The only cure is float replacement. The condition can be diagnosed by removing the float and shaking it; if you hear fuel sloshing around, the float has a leak and will sink if reused. In our test, the Zenith provided less sustained power on “Equalizer Hill” compared to the Weber two-barrel, but achieved 15 MPG on average. Off-road the Zenith proved to have adequate power but ran rich on steep climbs and 30 degree side slopes.

Weber One-Barrel Although a bit anemic, the Weber one-barrel is an excellent replacement carburetor. Its simple design allows for easy adjustment, field repairs, or rebuilds. There’s very little to adjust or replace, and the carb seems to run well in a variety of conditions. One problem we have experienced is its susceptibility to contamination from rusting fuel tanks or deteriorating fuel lines. The small particles that develop may clog the various passages in the carb. The short-term solution is to disassem-

ble the carb, flush it out, blow through the jets, and be on your way. This is easily accomplished with the carb on the car; you’ll need only a thin flat head screwdriver and ideally, a can of carb cleaner. A second problem that has been reported is an excessively lean mixture. By design, the carb runs a bit lean and that can be accentuated by either improper mixture adjustment or a worn throttle shaft through the carb body. A third issue is winter icing. Many owners report that they use dry gas with every tankful in the winter to prevent serious icing. The icing affects idling when cold far more than starting. On our road test, the Weber one-barrel returned an average fuel economy of 17 mpg. However, it had the most trouble on “Equalizer Hill” by developing a speed loss of 13 MPH. Offroad, the Weber one-barrel had no operational difficulties on any grade hill or the 30 degree side slope.

Weber 3236DGV Two-Barrel This carb set-up requires use of a non-genuine

Lite Breaks - Vacuum It By Jeffrey B. Aronson As a single guy, the notion of “vacuum” exists in, well... a vacuum. I know that somewhere in the world of physics, the concept of vacuum has validity, but so does fusion, and I can’t tell you much about it, either. There is a mechanical device known as a “vacuum cleaner” that gets used when girlfriends and/or relatives come to visit, but by in large, the concept of “vacuum” seemed relegated to the domestic world. However, vacuum ceases to be an abstraction in the Land Rover world; when you turn to the engine of a Land Rover, then vacuum has a major role to play in smooth running and long life. This was demonstrated when, during a routine main tenance, the engine on my Series II-A idled in a lumpy, slightly rough manner and hesitated momentarily upon acceleration. While the butt of many jokes, a well-maintained 2.25 engine should really run quite smoothly - O.K., you’re not going to balance a pencil on the hood - and rev up and down as if all four cylinders are firing in the correct sequence. When an engine does not run smoothly, the first impulse is to turn to the carburetor and adjust the idle and/or mixture. You can compen sate for some problems this way, but generally, it’s like having another drink to cure a hangover. You’re just masking the problem and likely increasing the running time of the hangover. Instead of reaching for a screwdriver to adjust the carb, first check that the points are clean and adjusted within specs [.14 - .16 in.]. It’s worth noting when you last replaced your inline fuel filter, and if your carb has one, when you last cleaned the in-carb filter [on the 1 barrel Weber, it’s under a brass 3/4” nut where the fuel line enters the carb]. Then, consider the following to determine whether a vacuum leak is causing the engine to run lean; you’d be surprised what can loosen up under the routine vibration of a Series engine. You’ll need only a 1/2” or 9/16th wrench, 1/2” socket with extension, and carb cleaner, WD-40, or similar product.

intake manifold that doesn’t bolt (sandwich) to the exhaust manifold. Therefore, during the winter months in the northern tier, the carb experi ences icing problems. At the other end of the spectrum, regardless of climate, we have found that most people (ourselves included) can never get the mixture to lean out correctly. It’s likely just too much carb for the engine. This is more than apparent on worn engines without maximum compression. Other negatives include not being able to use the original air cleaner assembly and excessive exhaust fumes. On the positive side, you may see a performance increase when installed on a fresh motor. Our test vehicle showed a daily 5-MPH speed loss (from an initial speed of 55 MPH) while traversing “Equalizer Hill” compared to 13 MPH with the Weber one-barrel and 10 MPH with the Zenith. Although performance was increased, fuel economy suffered. On average the two-barrel achieved 13 MPG. Off-road the two-barrel had no problems on 30 degree side slopes and had good performance on small hills. However, it did run extremely rich on large, steep hills. Dave Sangerhausen noted that “from the standpoint of someone who grew-up in the

1. Carb base bolts and/or nuts to intake manifold - the carburetor base bolts or nuts can loosen due to vibration and can take it air. Make certain they’re tight. 2. Intake manifold stud nuts on head these easily mask their looseness due to corrosion. Spray some penetrating oil around the bolts and studs, let it dry, and then run and warm up the engine before tightening them in sequence. You can use a socket and rachet on the outer ones, but you’ll need a 1/2” wrench for those on the top of the manifold. Don’t forget that two on the bottom are held in place with a wing flange and nut, hidden from view and require the socket and extension. Since both the dipstick and the steering mechanism will be in the way, be patient in maneuvering the rachet around the nut. While you’re exploring these, see if you can find scorch marks around the manifold studs on the side of the head. If so, then you likely have a split or torn intake manifold gasket. That requires you to remove the intake and exhaust manifolds, replace the gasket, and reinstall the manifolds. The task is not difficult in terms of tools or ability, but is slow yet worth the time. If you ignore this, you risk burning up the intake valves over the long haul. 3.Throttle shaft through carb body - spray your cleaner around the sides of the carb body while the engine is running. If the engine gains rpm while spraying, then you have a leak at that point [do not spray on hot manifold!]. Depending on your make of carburetor, you might be able to replace the shaft and bushing to eliminate the air leak. When none of these turned out to be the problem for me, a simple replacement provided the solution. 4. Vacuum hose from distributor and rub ber elbow to carb body.I followed the vacuum hose from the distributor body to a rubber elbow that plugged into a pipe near the base of my Weber carburetor. When I pulled on the elbow, I noticed a tear otherwise hidden from view. I purchased a new 1/8” by 11/64” elbow at an auto parts store, plugged it in, and a normal idle returned at once. It also eliminated the hesitation upon acceleration.

Detroit area during the muscle car era, it’s been difficult for me to get used to the lethargic tendencies of the 2.25L. Since, like Ed, he uses his II-A mainly as a commuter, I prefer to run the Weber one-barrel. Even though the Weber twobarrel does indeed provide more power, it can become extremely frustrating to tune and main tain.

Recommendations: We would recommend the Zenith for people looking for good all-around power, and the Weber one-barrel for good on-road economy and off-road performance. Rovers North does not support the Weber two-barrel, and while it makes the car more entertaining, it presents too many problems for daily driving.

Life Begins After 30, con’t. the only models it made, all based on the Series IIA. Buyers were willing to endure longish waits for their cars - Land Rover always seemed to sell every Rover it made - and the attitudes on the sales staff reflected that reality. Land Rover needed developmental funds to produce a new model, if for no other reason than models routinely changed annually at that time. Yet they did not have the money to spend on short-term, let alone long-term, develop ment. The merger with British Leyland was a mixed blessing for Land Rover; the profits Solihull made got scarfed up trying to keep marques like Austin

and Morris afloat. On the other hand, Leyland’s own financial crisis required a government bailout; one beneficiary was Land Rover, which received the goahead funding to develop the Range Rover. It could not have come at a better time for the company. At the ARC 50th Anniversary Celebration at Eastnor Castle in 1998, I had the privilege of meeting Geof Miller, a Rover engineer who helped create the Range Rover. In an interview, he reminisced about the development of the Range Rover. “From 1967-1969, I found myself assigned to

Spen King on a project that was intended to provide an interim replacement model, a stopgap, for the Land Rover station wagon. The sales force was pushing for an update of that model. When the design people put their needs together, they determined that the ideal wheelbase would be 100”. So we decided to call it the Land Rover 100” Station Wagon. We played around with all kinds of names, but it was a guy in Styling who thought up ‘Range Rover.’ Some friends were skeptical. When I was moved to Spen King’s area for this project, there were colleagues who said, ‘Poor Geof, he’s assigned

to a loser!” “The first Range Rover had Land Rover axles, a Buick V-8, even Ford Bronco suspension pieces. We proved quickly that we didn’t like the Bronco sus pension design - the car handled like a pig, so we redesigned all of it.” “David Bache [Rover’s chief designer] worked on the critical redesign and created its classic look. He put together a full size mockup. It took up to prototype #3 to get the look right; this was back in 1968. We tested prototype #6 in Algeria in 1969, convoying with a 109 V-8 for refueling purposes. The only real problem we ran into was when, in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, we developed a hole in the petrol tank. A year later, we took the car to Switzerland for winter testing. Just before the launch, we tried adding an extra rear seat to prototype #7, but it didn’t work out. In the end, we made 27 proto types and 20 press cars. The oldest one is at the British Motor Industry Heritage Museum.” “Some of the sales force, particularly in Europe, were most pessimistic. They asked how could we sell a Land Rover for the price of two P6’s? Peter Wilkes saw the problem and said, ‘let’s go do a sales tour of Europe.’ That never happened, so we created a test track instead. The sales force really appreciated the performance and the quality of the ride and handling. Then they saw the light at the end of the tunnel.” “But we still had some managers who did not believe in the car. What we would do is take them out on a road and then suddenly, at speed, veer off onto a field. When they expected the worst, the car would perform beautifully. That test really convinced our most skeptical man ager, from Germany, of the car’s value.” The Range Rover of the ‘70’s had a “country gentleman” style outside, but still had a “successful farmer” inside the car. Look at photos of the early interiors and you find carpeting that Starsky and Hutch would have died for, and a shade of “windswept dung” paint on the fascia. I could have drawn better binnacle design in study hall. Of course, if you were used to looking down near your knees to find out if you had oil pressure, and you did in a Series II-A, then the Range Rover interior seemed wondrous. Or, coming out of a Series III 109” SW into a Range Rover, you would have felt as though you sat in a glass skybox at a modern sports stadium in comparison. You sat high but not exposed, commanding a 100” wheelbase vehicle with ease, thanks to little overhang and a short hood line. The success of the Range Rover must have been a relief to the financially strapped Land Rover, which produced the same, two-door model for the next 11 years. The original Range Rover had the U.S. firmly in its sights in 1970; indeed, it was the prescient market research by Land Rover’s Graham Bannock that identified the leisure 4 x 4 vehicle class of vehicle. However, the ever-increasing safety and emission regulations, combined with a healthy world wide demand, kept the Range Rover out of the North American market. Those same regulations would end formal importation of Land Rovers in 1974. Although specialty companies leapt in first, Land Rover finally produced a 4-door model in 1982; a year later, you could finally purchase a Range Rover with an automatic transmission. Finally, there was a Range Rover that could consider tackling the bur-

geoning U.S. market. Fuel injection helped the 215 cubic inch [3.5 L] ex-Buick engine meet U.S. emission standards and in March, 1987, the Range Rover officially returned to North America. Despite linger ing doubts about corporate reliability (the Rover 3500 and Stirling follies had preceded the Range Rover), the car quickly met sales expectations. While distinctly more luxurious than its early twodoor ancestors, it still seemed a bit stark, in terms of options, compared to it American competitors. Still, the clean lines, extraordinary design and relative rarity (most dealers sold every one they could procure) made for a quick success. And Land Rover had learned a lesson about dealers from the earlier debacles; it set high standards for corralling a Land Rover franchise. Americans tended to use the car as a station wagon and highway cruiser, which brought a boredout 3.9 engine and ABS in 1989, and anti-roll bars in 1990. Interiors became ever more luxurious and feature-laden; while extremely comforting, in the hands of enthusiasts they could become just something else to go wrong over time. In 1992, the car grew to 108” with the addition of the LWB line, and American dealers could finally sell rear seat leg room to customers. With only 1,500 - 2,000 Range Rovers imported every year, Land Rover found a steady demand for Range Rovers, as long as they grew ever more luxurious annually. Leather interiors, sunroofs, special models such as the SE and Autobiography series, all enhanced the Range Rover’s image. Celebrities flocked to the car like wrestling fans today to the XFL, and the Range Rover became an icon of success - bolstered by a witty, understated advertising campaign. Everyone who has driven a Range Rover, on and off-road, attests to the perfect mating of engine, drivetrain and suspension. On one summer off-road

expedition in New Hampshire in the mid-1990’s, I remember a convoy of Series Rovers and Range Rovers on a steep, narrow gully, A Series Rover heeled over gently on its side, leaning against the wall of the gully. The most sizeable men in the convoy sat in a Range Rover Classic, chatting in air conditioned comfort while enjoying fine music. Deep in conversation and comfort, they were oblivious to our calls for avoirdupois. Once we knocked on the window, they leapt to help. The rush of cold air when they opened the door felt wonderful; I also noticed that their Rover did not get stuck all day. Comfort and capability...hmm. The 1987 [or earlier grey market model] 1994 Range Rover Classic has settled in value to Kialike levels; many sell for less than a Series Land Rover. Many Range Rovers were second or third cars, so many have low mileage. Even if significant mileage is indicated, many were highway miles - the best type for any car. High mileage scares off dealers but not enthusiasts. A well-maintained Rover V-8 is perfectly capable of over 200,000 miles before major service; in salt-free regions of the country, frames and body panels just don’t rust. Whether at 80 mph on the interstate or 2 miles an hour on a rocky trail, the Range Rover covers it all with extraordinary class. There may not be a better time to consider a Range Rover Classic - and you certainly won’t have to apologize for it to the spouse or significant other!

First Impressions, con’t. I started by draining ALL the fluids - hypoids, brake and clutch lines, pumps and engine oil - in the Rover and replacing them. With some trepidation, I did a quick compression check to see if the engine was serviceable and surprisingly, everything was within original specs. I replaced all the filters, spark plugs, and plug wires. I pulled the distributor, cleaned and tightened the pickup (which turned out to be the real reason it stopped) and replaced it. To ensure smooth running, I then cleaned the air intake and plenum, replaced fuel pump and had the fuel system and injectors cleaned with a chemical solution. The 3.5 has an aluminum block and I did not want to risk overheating. So I removed the radiator and had it checked, flushed and cleaned by a professional. As an extra measure of insurance, I replaced the thermostat, too, Turning my attention to the suspension system, I replaced the ball joints for the self leveling unit as well as the top link ball joint, bushings, and steering damper. As an extra measure, I replaced the power steering fluid reservoir. As a final treat to our comfort, I replaced the exhaust manifold gasket and installed a new muffler and tail pipe. We even sprung for new mud flaps. Stopping the car is as important as making it go and after cleaning out the brake lines and the calipers, I replaced all the disc pads. Then the real detective work began, I replaced the battery and tried to find, clean and check ALL grounds, as well as any electrical connections and contacts I could find both inside and out. There was a hole in one floorboard, which I repaired by welding a plate and adding undercoating to the bottom section. Otherwise, it seemed ready to run. I purchased a few trim pieces that were either broken or missing from a parted-out Rover. Using lots of elbow grease, we steam-cleaned and scrubbed the interior (it sat closed in a barn for three years and smelled just like you’d expect). My 15 year-old son figured out the code for the radio receiver while I replaced all the speakers. My wife Jean and I have been EMT volunteers for 20 years, so we had to add an emergency scanning radio for our service on the local rescue squad. As for the exterior, once we scrubbed and cleaned the body, we found the paint in excellent shape. We also added a recovery hitch, extra lights, a rear guard and a carrier. Since her successful trial run, we have put on about 8000 miles. Jean insists that the Range Rover is now part of the family. Although while she went to visit her brother out of state recently, my sons and I had a chance to take it out on the trail...AMAZING!!! The only problem was when my wife came home a couple hours early to find her Rover with mud EVERYWHERE...roof and all...That took some explaining! This spring, I plan to replace the headliner, add an expedition basket and replace the shocks. I have to admit it has been a fun and contagious project!! If I count the hours and days that I spent working on this car, I come up with about 4 1/2 months; they have been fun and frustrating at the same time. I’ll not forget that it took an entire can of WD-40 just to remove the wheels and that I’ve used vast quantities of lithium grease, undercoating, silicone spray and rust proofing on reviving this Rover. I still need a right side running board and have to free up the diff lock AGAIN this weekend (I need to off-road more often!). I have to thank Rovers North and all the enthusiasts on Rovers North Bulletin Board for their assistance and patience. Thanks go to Miguel, my Rover’s original owner who loved the vehicle enough to see that it was not parted out or junked!!! And finally, thanks to my son who decided to drive my Ford 4X4 instead of the Rover when it arrived. Yes, I’d like to eventually obtain a Series Land Rover to restore, but this Range Rover bug is infectious. You see, on my round-trip travels to work each day, I’ve spotted a 1987 or 1988 Range Rover that’s been sitting for some time without a license plate in a back yard...

By Mike Searfoss Back in October, 2000, Sean Lobdell, Boston, MA, presented Rovers North with an interesting challenge. He was intrigued with the Rovers North 300 Tdi conversion for his ‘97 Defender 90 but wanted to retain his NAS automatic transmission. Since that combination is unavailable in Defenders from Land Rover, this vehicle was going to become a unique project.

Mark dropped the fuel tank and carefully removed the V8 fuel pump from the draw tube assembly fitted inside the tank. The 300Tdi uses its own fuel pump located on the engine where it is easily accessible in case service is required in the future. Meanwhile, I assembled Sean’s transfer box to the new automatic transmission provided with the 300Tdi. This differs from the one fitted to the V8s in that it uses a larger torque converter and different shift points to better

transmission were installed already. At this point, the real fun of a unique conversion began as I stared at all the remaining little pieces and hardware on the workbench. At this point Dave Sangerhausen joined the team and completely rewired the vehicle as necessary for a diesel and automatic. Dave’s mission was to con vert the V8’s OBDII engine electrical system to the no-nonsense 300Tdi system. Dave successful ly integrated the new engine into the vehicles electrical system and provided Sean with a schematic to aid with future service. This task required a comfortable relationship with work shop manuals, schematic diagrams, and a great deal of imagination to make up for incomplete information or custom necessities. By Wednesday, October 4th, this unique conmatch the torque and flexibility of the turbo version had become quite the topic of conversadiesel. This special ZF auto for the tion at Rovers North. 300Tdi until now had only been Everyone would look fitted to Discovery and for an excuse to wander Range Rover Classic down to the shop and Tdi models. A mix of assess the progress. Defender and Over the next 30 hours Discovery parts would we reassembled every permit this conversion item on the workbench to be successful, and back onto the Defender. keep it all genuine. This conversion Mark and I required some special installed the 300 Tdi Rovers North Team installs the 300Tdi. modifications, such as engine onto its new the exhaust. motor mounts. We enlisted the aid Once the required parts arrived from the UK, of Rovers North staff members Brian I installed them and thought we were nearly comDurrett and Shane Westover to manpleted with the project. Thursday, October, 19th ually lift and fit the transmission to we made sure all the fluids where topped off and the engine. With the transmission bolted on, started the vehicle making sure that the radiator I installed the new crossmember. Here it was, got burped, the thermostat opened and the sysonly 12:00 noon on Day 2, and the motor and tem worked well.

Sean Lobdell believes fervently in fresh air and had left the door tops at home. In fact, he had delivered the Defender with only a full length surrey top and no sides. This is Vermont in midOctober; by our standards, we were long past surrey-top with no sides weather. As soon as we

A Defender with an Automatic Edge So one Monday morning, I left the telephone support room at Rovers North and entered the shop to help with this project. While removing the engine and transmission, I discovered that Sean had brought along much of the off-road dirt of Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire with him; the collected dirt and mud adhered to everything from the chassis to the battery box. As Mark Letorney pressure washed the engine compartment, I thought I would need a backhoe to remove it all from the shop floor. Once cleaned, we rolled the vehicle back into the shop where Mark cut off the old engine mounts and welded in the new ones. Once that was complete,

It’s All Your Fault, Rovers North! By Neil and Sue McCasland [Neil McCasland serves as a Colonel in the Air Force, stationed in California. With his wife, Susan, a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve, they have “endured” decades of ownership of an ex- MoD Series II-A 88”. They share their experiences in this article -ed.]

Reading Eric Evan’s long article in the Rovers North News [Fall 2000] motivated us to file this 15-year report, as that’s the amount of time that’s passed since Sue and I drove up to Westford, VT to take possession of our ex-MoD IIA 88. “Old Contemptible” is its name, in honor of its 20

years of service in the motor pool of the British Army of the Rhine. “Old Contemptible” has delivered 120,000 miles of adventure and fun, and seems to be in better shape 15 years into its second career than when we first drove it from Vermont to Boston in a spitting snow storm. Separately, we both had been seduced by Land Rovers. Sue took family vacations as a girl in Taylor Park, Colorado, and wished for a Land Rover. I drove a TR-6 as my only car and discovered the hard way that despite its narrow track and big tyres, it just didn’t have the clearance when heading off tarmac (I learned about bowwaves fording creeks in the TR and about driving on the tops of rocks because of its low chassis). As a then-new Captain in the US Air Force, and a one-year veteran of marriage, we found ourselves transferred to Boston and went looking for a Land Rover. Back in 1985, Rovers North imported low-mileage, ex-MoDs [sound familiar ed?] and they sounded so perfect. When we

World Class 300Tdi diesel performance now available for your NAS Defender. Double your fuel mileage, improve your off-road performance with a custom prepared kit from Rovers North. Please call or email for more information. (802) 879-0032 rovers@together.net

GENUINE PARTS

arrived in Vermont for a look, Mark threw us the keys to his military 88” and it only took us a few miles to hook us for good. I ordered up some new extras-new radial tyres, a hard top, Kodiak heater, locking front hubs and an overdrive-then we had to wait. Given our eagerness, it seemed like forever until November, 1985, but we met Old Contemptible with only 18,000 miles on its odometer. Mark said we would forget how old it was as we drove it routinely. The trip south to Boston showed only minor nuisances: the need for sealed-beam lights and a solid state voltage regulator. Through I was a moderately experienced DIY mechanic from my TR, and a TR is remarkably similar to a Rover (just lower), I quickly realized I’d need help and learned what a wonderfully friendly and helpful shop Rovers North could be to the new owner. I pestered Rovers North weekly for advice on the best way to do some inspection or to talk through a parts swap before trying it. Nothing was hard, and we quickly fell into that familiar seasonal pattern-look under the wheels every October to see which brake cylinders needed swapping before the real cold. Nothing hard except the *&%* clutch master. Sue discovered your “Sightings” and became quite prolific, eventually accumulating nearly a dozen mugs over the years from The Rovers North News. “Old Contemptible” was my daily driver down in Cambridge and I found myself gleefully smug with the prospects of heavy snow so I could mash through the minor streets with impunity while the Massachusetts highways were paralyzed. We went back to Rovers North for summer rallies and linked up with a great bunch in Maine for long camping expeditions in the summer-fording the width of the Penobscot on one-and the outrageous winter rallies with chains on all 4 tyres seeing how far into ice and snow choked the logging roads we could push. We really learned to use our then-new winch on one of those winter

headed up the driveway we could tell that the 300 Tdi with the automatic had more than enough power. This might seem obvious, but Sean chooses to run massive 36” off-road tires in his daily driver. The tires alone could rob substantial horsepower on road, but the Tdi moved us along at a smart pace. After the test drive we attended to a few minor adjustments. Before Sean came up to Vermont to pick up his Defender, I put on around 200 miles of test drives and it performed superbly. From my experience, I do not see any reason a skilled Land Rover specialist shop would not be able to perform this conversion for you, too. It will transform your Defender into a miserly fuel sipper and off-road powerhouse, all at the same time. Call Rovers North if we can provide you with additional information.

runs, extracting a disabled diesel 109” with 8 hours of tugging and towing over only 2 miles. Grand, grand fun. We drove it up regularly to Franconia Notch and North Conway to go skiing in the winter, learning that at 0 degrees F, even with a warmed engine, full power only makes 30mph until the gallons of hypoid oil warmed. Military orders came again in a few years, back to California, nearly 3000 road miles aheadthe first of several transcontinental journeys “Old Contemptible” would make for us. Back out west we found another wonderful bunch of Rover lovers and their extraordinary rallies into the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. We roamed all over Mojave, Death Valley, the Panamint and Saline Valleys. Anza Borrego and the Colorado Desert. We drove the Mojave Road and every mile of Dennis Casebier’s (Friends of the Mojave Road) East Mojave Heritage trail. We sortied out from Los Angeles to an early National Rally at Moab, where we finally chipped enough teeth in the transmission and diffs (consuming two differ entials) to motivate an ARB air locker in back. Put an end to wheel snatch and let us climb stuff we never would try before. We drove it out to Colorado for my 10th Air Force Academy class reunion, crossing the high passes in the San Juan and returning Sue to her girlhood vacation site at Taylor Park. Except this time she had a proven, trail-hardened Land Rover to go where she wanted - and we did - Taylor and Tincup Passes and others. The already faded brush-painted OD got even worse under the California sun, but so what? It was my daily driver and who wanted to fear pushing into a narrow track because the sage would scratch new paint? We camped out of it, hauled bricks in it (1800 lb in one load!), took it out of the city into the desert as often as we could. The gods of the military personnel people smiled on us yet again - next orders sent us to Denver, Colorado. Ah, Continued on page 18

British Invasion, con’t. The British Invasion is a labor of love combined with an excuse to brings several hundred lovingly restored British cars to Stowe, Vermont, that fills local motels, restaurants and camp grounds on the shoulder of foliage season and fills the valleys with the thrilling sounds of British engines. This year’s event benefitted from fine weather, a nice change from the previous year’s torrential storms. If you love the look, sound and smell of MG’s, Triumphs, Jaguars, Morgans, Aston Martins, even Singers, this year’s Invasion provided you with a feast of sensory delights. If you’re a Land Rover fan, you’re in heaven. First, you enjoyed the sight of over 100 Land Rovers, from Series I’s to the lat est Discovery Series II’s and Range Rover 4.6’s. Richard and Linda Gautier, St.

British Invasion 2000 Theodore, Quebec, drove their ‘54 Series I 107” Pickup, along with Denis Gautier’s ‘56 Series I 107” Pickup. It seemed as though much of St. Theodore accompanied them for the trip; Quebeckers always add excitement and enthusiasm to the British Invasion. Richard found his station wagon in Lac St. Jean. He turned in part of his Ski-Doo collection to purchase the station wagon. Rovers North friend Lanny Clark helped find a 2.0 liter motor for it. The faint outline of “New Work Mining Company, Toronto, Ontario,” was lettered on the door. “My top speed was 5055 mph,” he said. The Ottawa Valley Land Rover Club had its usual large contingent of Canadian and US members present. Their food trailer proved almost as popular as Dixon Kenner’s ‘64 Series II-A 109” SW; using methods later copied by Florida’s election, his 109” won the Land Rover category of the People’s Choice Award. We don’t know what the owners of the ‘34 Alvis, the ‘52 Singer, the ‘53 Sunbeam Talbot, or the ‘62 Jaguar Mk I 3.8 thought of Dixon’s victory, but organizer Chris Francis kept glancing at his own Range Rover for reassurance as he handed Dixon the plaque. Then, you had the chance to speak with hundreds of enthusiasts. It was relaxing to just hang

around the Rovers North tent and meet long-lost friends as well as new ones; well, it was easy for me as I didn’t have to work the sales area. A morning walk with Mike Loiodice, Upper Marlboro, MD, filled me in with the ever-changing scene at Land Rover North America in the midst of the switch from BMW to Ford corporate ownership. Pete and Jane Moloney, Patterson, NY, drove their Lightweight; for a long time, Pete commuted in this car from his home in New Jersey. History teacher David Kravetz, Pittsfield, NY, owns a ‘62 Series II-A diesel but opted to make this trip in his ‘94 Defender 90. Terry and Pat Allen, Kintnersville, PA, “personally restored” their ‘68 Series II-A. British Invasion participants have been treat ed to polo exhibitions and border collie trials, but they’d never seen Rover Polo before. The competition pitted teams of three Land Rovers, all of which had to be in low range, against each other. Each team had to whack a beach ball with a broom into a goal at the other end of the field. First gear low range assured that no car would go that fast, and amazingly, no Rovers were hurt in the production of this event. The Sunday morning crowd cheered long and loud for each team.

For added fun, the 4 x 4 Center, Williston, VT, set up another excellent trials course. Their staff, augmented by Rovers North staff, helped marshal the course. Once again, you could rent a ride in a Range Rover, Discovery or Defender, with an instructor, or tackle the course yourself. Scott Preston, Yarmouthport, MA, drove his ‘94 Defender 90 through the course and accompa nied me in my ‘66 Series II-A. He noted that “the cars were different in different sections. The leafer has better movement because it didn’t flex and roll. My Defender couldn’t always go slow enough. But I needed the softness of the Defender to do well on the course, even as I had to fight the body roll.” Of course, I don’t remember Scott getting cross-axled at the troubling hillock and sharp left turn section. There, I went so slow that the car had no momentum to prevent the cross-axle. Quinton Aspin, in his 80” Series I, and Paul Memont, Georgetown, MA, in his Range Rover Classic, won their classes in the trials competition. It’s easy to see from the accompanying photos how much fun everyone had at the Invasion,

but a special moment for me came when I met Peter McElroy, Reading, PA. Peter and his wife Marcia both work for US Airways, and last year, they shipped their rebuilt ‘65 Series II-A 88” SW from the US to Liverpool, England, and then drove it all the way to the Cape of Good Hope. “It took 1 and 1/2 years of planning. Herb Zipkin was the inspiration for this trip. I saw his muchtraveled 109” at a Downeast Rally, and I wanted to try an expedition like his. Lanny Clark helped me find the car; I sent the car to East Coast Rover for the rebuild and insisted that they bring it back to the way it left the factory. There were transcendent moments, such as crossing the Alps in a snowstorm, a morning walk along the Bosporus, a charge from a bull elephant. We saw the pyramids in Egypt, and for the first time, a giraffe. But the most special time came from the people we met. I can’t say enough to you about them, just a sincere thank you. Next year, we hope to travel through New Zealand and Australia.” The British Invasion is a time for daydreaming and enjoying the people who comprise the Land Rover community. Rovers North will be back next year - and so will I.

2001 Club Events Schedule April 6–8 20 – 22

20 – 21

Camp Rover East - Monteagle, TN Solaros (www.camproverusa.com) Uwharrie Safari - Uwharrie, NC Old North State Land Rover Society (www.land-rover.org) Tellico in the Spring - Tellico, NC Solaros(www.solaros.com)

May

23 – 24

July 20 – 22

2–5

19 – 20

Team Trophy Challenge - WA Pacific NW Rover Club (www.pcrc.net)

11 – 12

20 21 – 25

British Car Day - GA (www.solaros.com) Northern California Rover Club Moab, UT (www.norcalrover.com) Adventure Team Challenge Flatland Rover Society (www.flatlandroversociety.com)

17 – 20

18 – 20

29 – 31

June 9 – 10 16

Land Rover Enthusiast Billing Show Billing Aquadrome, Northhampton, UK (www.landroverenthusiast.com)

August

North Bend State Park - WV Blue Ridge Rover Club Land Rover Owner International Show NAC Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, UK (www.lromagazine.com)

4–6

OVLR Birthday Party - Ottawa, CN (www.ovlr.com)

9 – 11

Solihull Society Rally Nationals Ouray, CO (www.solihullsociety.org) Steens Mtn. Run - WA Pacific NW Coast Rover Club (www.pcrc.net) Roverfest 2001 - Killington, VT WCRC (www.landroverclub.com) 4th Annual Unofficial Tellico Rally Tellico, NC Solaros (www.solaros.com)

September 14 – 15 22 – 23

7th Annual Appalachian Expedition Solaros (www.solaros.com) British Invasion - Stowe, VT

October BSROA Off Road Weekend, NH (www.bsroa.com) Series Only Ride, GA Solaros (www.solaros.com)

5–6

Mid-Atlantic Rally - Virginia ROAV (www.roav.org)

Rovers North thanks Land Rover Clubs throughout North America for the hard work and considerable time that go to making off-road events possible. We invite you to send us notices of your clubs upcoming events to rovers@together.net .

Congratulations to the Solihull Society for another successful National Rally last August.Crested Butte, CO, saw 54 Land Rovers, from Series I’s to Range Rovers, and nearly 100 enthusiasts. For August 2001, make your plans for Ouray .

Vintage Rovers, con’t. York City on February 3 and return on March 29,” Mike reported. To motivate their return home, they’ve even book their flights back for that day. The trip will focus on West Africa, as logistically, it’s the easiest place to which to deliver their Land Rovers, which include a ‘65 Series II-A 88”, a ‘71 Series II-A 88”, a ‘73 Series III 88”, and a ‘72 101 FC. Ladden noted that “outfitting the vehicles meant we wanted them fairly stock, not too modified. Nothing we’ve done has altered the character of any Rover. For expedition use, we’ve fitted Genuine Parts in preparation, added air compressors, onboard showers, and wired the vehicles to 12 v for all appliances. We had 140 amp alternators constructed locally as wells as custom roof racks and roof top tents.” “Mechanically, we’ve just rebuilt the Rovers where needed for safety and security: we’ve rewired them, replaced all the seals and, when necessary, refurbished the engines. For ease of maintenance, we’ve used spin-on oil filters. All the vehicles have camera mounts for video, Brunton GPS and quality compasses.” Rovers North has put together five boxes of expedition maintenance and emergency repair parts for the assorted vehicles. “Hopefully, we won’t have to use many of them”, noted Mike. Once the word of the expedition’s plans became public, Ladden and Paul Shumway, Nashua, NH, received over 50 applications from 12 countries. They needed experienced off-roaders willing to upgrade their vehicles to expedition levels. “We needed people who could work together and be together constantly. Our final selections included people who were fairly local

to New England and were known to each other from other events.” While it was appealing to put together a multi-national crew, the logistical and administrative problems with multiple visas from

Land Rover Genuine Parts - Why It Matters

coil,” I asked. “I don’t know” came the reply, “It doesn’t have a label.” For those of you who may not be aware, a Land Rover Genuine coil is internally ballasted (it has a certain amount of resistance built in). Without this resistance, the vehicle will start and run, but during extended engine run times the points will become hot enough to stick together, or in this case melt. This type of coil can be used to get you out of trouble, but can’t be used as a permanent replacement. Not surprisingly, the parts store simply listed the part as compatible for a Land Rover 4-cylinder engine - without the critical technical information. To help him out, we sent an overnight package containing a Land Rover Genuine coil and new set of points arriving the next day. I didn’t hear from him again until he arrived home to confirm the solution. In another instance, a customer had pur chased an aftermarket distributor cap for his Series II-A. One morning after a heavy rainstorm, his car wouldn’t start. He removed the cap to spray the points and the inside of the cap to remove moisture. He snapped the cap back in place and it still wouldn’t start. It seemed to have no spark. Again, the aftermarket cap was a clue. I

By Dave Sangerhausen For those who may be new to the world of Land Rovers, there is a difference between Land Rover Genuine Parts and their alternatives. This situa tion might help explain the distinction. Not long ago I received a call from a Series Land Rover owner who was on a cross-country trek through the southern portion of the U.S. The Rover had stopped running for the second time on the journey and he was calling from a hotel in Texas for some technical advice. After walking him through the standard “no-start” diagnostic procedures he said he would give them a try and get back with me in a little while. After about an hour he called back to say there was no spark at the coil wire and that it appears as though the points had melted. He then proceeded to say that this was the same problem he had experienced about 250 miles earlier, and he was getting frustrated because he had installed a new coil and points at the beginning of his trip. As soon as I had heard the words “new coil” the solution to his problem came charging at me like the bulls in Pamplona. “What type of coil did you install?” I inquired. “A regular 4-cylinder coil” was the reply. “What brand of 4-cylinder

Waterbury, CT, drew Bellensky’s 101 FC. With its full truck body, it becomes the ideal camping and support vehicle. Bellensky and Jim Leach will serve as the expedition’s mechanics, and

impossible to go east- west right now: Sudan, Angola, and the Congo are just too volatile.” As this issue goes to press, the expedition will fly into Madrid, Spain to pick up their vehicles. They

With the demanding travel conditions facing these vintage Land Rovers, Genuine Parts were used extensively in the preparation of these vehicles. different countries proved too daunting. The early II-A will carry Ladden and Shumway, who works with the Monitor Group in Cambridge, MA. Shumway will serve as the expedition leader. Al Cornell, a consultant from Killingworth, CT, and Pat Macomber, a retiree

from W. Hartford, CT, will share the “deluxe seating” and synchromesh comfort of the Cornell’s Series III - which he has owned for over 20 years. Jim Leach, an applications technician from New York City, and Wilson Bullard, an investment banker from Boston, MA, will ride in Leach’s rebuilt late II-A. Leach will serve as the expedition’s chief photographer. Shane Bellensky, a “continuing college student” from Redding, CA, and Ed Messenger,

Messenger brings his professional work with GPS systems. Ladden plans to “update from the road via an email satellite system. Some will be telephone download, some will be hard copy or diskettes, and a Connecticut contact with help update the web site directly. We hope to post updates every couple of days, with photos and even video.” [The web site for the expedition is www.adventureafrica.org/vintageroversacrossafrica.] “We’re working with school systems in CT and MA to encourage students to learn from our experiences.” Karen Fonteyne, who is Mike Ladden’s wife, is handling all the North American paperwork, finances, web site updat ing and international communications. Belgian-born and multilingual, her efforts will be vital to the expedition’s success. As a spouse, she’s “concerned and alert” about the trip. Bruce Kinzer, Hampton, CT, spent two decades living and working in Kenya; his advice and counsel have been invaluable and he will coordinate any emergency transfers or shipments for the expedition. While every plan is subject to change, the group will seek to complete 140 miles a day. “It’s very difficult to plan,” Mike Ladden stated. “We’ve had to change the route four times already because of political conditions. It’s

asked him to check for the carbon button in the inside center of the cap. “There isn’t one,” he reported. The button had fallen out of the cap; without it, the rotor can’t function effectively. We sent him a distributor cap and the car started instantly. Just yesterday, a customer reported that his aftermarket gas tank on his Series II-A had sprung a leak. “It’s my second tank in three years,” he said. The tank seemed to have the right dimensions but clearly did not have the same build quality. “This time I’m buying a Land Rover gas tank,” he concluded. It’s these seemingly small, but critical, differences that make Genuine Parts a better choice for your Land Rover. Remember that distributor cap? Compare the strength of the spring on the carbon button, or the quality of the contacts for the spark plug wires between Genuine Parts and aftermarket parts. Whether the aftermarket supplier has the right information about the part, or whether the parts are truly built to the same quality levels, matters to you when you want you Land Rover to run reliably and for a long time.

will cross the Mediterranean to Morocco and drive southwest to Western Sahara, and then south through Mauritania and Senegal. Heading east, they’ll drive to Timbuktu, Mali, and then south again to Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo, before heading westward to their final destination of the Ivory Coast. While team members have their own reasons for participating, no one ever returns from Africa the same person as when they left. The Land Rover and its spirit help adventuresome people fulfill their dreams; perhaps expedition member Al Cornell said it best when he noted “I would rather go now at my age than look back 20 years and wish I had gone.”

Land Rover

Snaps

GENUINE PARTS

Jack Belden, Nantucket, MA, offers his dog as Rover of the Month. Our “Dog Of The Month Contest” is still running and we would like to see your Land Rover dog too - so keep those photos wagging.

The coveted Rovers North Sightings Mug

t’s a cruel, cruel winter’s day as I sit down to pour through the bags of Sightings that have poured into our offices. The wind howls, the snow billows outside, the wood stove’s barely etches the cold. Fortunately, I have dozens and dozens of Sightings to pour through and warm me up. With Land Rover images everywhere these days, we wanted to recognize as many of you eager Sighters as possible. Congratulations to all the new Land Rover owners who join us each issue. As always, it’s important for rookies to review the rules for Sightings - and it wouldn’t hurt if some veterans would take a look again, too.

Rule # 1 - All Sightings receive recognition and our appreciation, but not necessarily a mug. We reward only those Sightings that capture the unique qualities of Land Rovers and their owners, and display them in a unique way. Rule #2 - If your Sighting does not really surprise you, it won’t surprise us, either, and you won’t get a mug. We’re delighted, but not surprised, that Land Rovers appear in British television programmes, British publications, films with British themes, and shows and publications about Africa. You shouldn’t be surprised, either, and should consider looking for other ways to get a coffee mug. Rule #3 - At an ever-changing date before publication, we close off the Sightings. If we’ve mentioned the Sighting in an earlier issue, we won’t mention it again. If you’re new to the family of Land Rover enthusiasts, you may not have seen your Sighting in an earlier issue. Rule #4 - We’re not outfitting your kitchen. If you qualify, one mug per Sighting per issue. Rule #5 - Sightings that are Land Rover references in books go to our Literary Land Rover editor for mention, but only when space permits. Rule #6 - Psst... if we can’t read you name and address because of atrocious penmanship, we can’t recognize your Sighting nor send you a mug. Psst...Email submissions - remember we can’t send a mug by e-mail. Send us your real name and shipping address, too. Rule #7 - Grudgingly, very grudgingly, the Editor admits he might make an error. Let me know if you think you’ve been jobbed, but all decisions of the Editor are final. To start the new year, we must report that EVERYONE saw the photo of Madonna and Guy Ritchie stepping into a Range Rover on their way to their “secret” wedding. No mentions, no mugs. Also, give Kevin Thayer, Abingdon, VA, credit for reporting on the theft and recovery of that very same Range Rover. Advertisers know that Land Rovers bring prestige to their products. *Kent Welsh, West Des Moines, IA, spotted a NEMA clothing ad in Bike magazine with

SIGHTINGS an 88” Series SW and a Rovers North sticker! A Series III appears in a Napapijri clothing ad found in Continental Airline’s Blue magazine, according to *Greg Pollack, Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Once again, Greg, along with *Mike Bassett, Wilderville, OR notes that Patagonia’s latest catalogue features a green Defender 110, too. *Kevin Thayer, Abingdon, VA, spotted a Defender in a Lincoln Financial Group ad on the Discovery Channel. The ad featured a female medical resident in a remote area - “somewhere only a Rover could survive.” International Motorsport’s catalogue would seem to have a lot of vehicles to choose from, but it’s a Series II-A that actually makes it in, according to Ron Ward, Columbus, GA and John Oswald, Asheville, NC, who has returned to the fold with the recent purchase of Series II-A. No doubt shopping for the woman in his life, *Harry Edwards, Tampa, FL, spotted a handsome II-A in the Dooney and Bourke catalogue [psst- Harry, if there isn’t one in your life, buy one for *Sheila Simmon, Austin, TX. She spot ted the same ad]. Kevin Healy, Massapequa Park, NY, wrote with pride of a Sighting in the fall L. L. Bean catalogue [“not Victoria’s Secrets!,” he exclaimed], which sadly, we ran in the last issue. *Rovers returned to the J. Crew catalogue, reports Dr. David Hartzell, Mechanicsburg, PA. And *Bradkes in Niskayuna, NY, will rejoice that Daniel’s Sighting, an ad in CQ Amateur Radio magazine featuring a Discovery, will take a “replacement” mug. *Mike Coleman, Presidio, TX, spotted a Series II-A prominently featured in an ad for Red Oxx outdoor gear. Jon Cohen, Phoenixville, PA, spotted Land Rovers in two movies that we’ve mentioned in years past: Stand By Me and A Walk With Lions.” John Doub, Hixson, TN, saw Defenders in the out takes from Jurrasic Park video set. Brian Lang, Los Angeles, CA, notes that the “bad guys” in Charlie’s Angels drive a black Defender 90 soft top. Adam Pearsall, Bradford, VT, spotted a MOD Series III 109” in a Jackie Chan movie. Television programs and ads love the visual impact of Land Rovers, too. Keith Armstrong, West Des Moines, IA, spotted a Series I in a Vehix.com television ad. Greg Pollack, Atlantic Highlands, NJ, notes that Lincoln Financial uses a Defender 110 in a third world setting in one of their ads. B. J. Montgomery, Summerville, GA, spotted a Discovery Series I in an Ireland scene of “Relic Hunter.” Peter Hope, Aiea, HI, spotted a Series Rover on a CNN story about western US wildfires. In a two-part episode of JAG, Peter King, Signal Mountain, TN, spotted 101’s masquerading as Russian army trucks. Leslie Bright, Church Hill, TN, and Charles and Laura Aftosmis, Greensburg, PA, spotted the interior of a Discovery during a scene of Will and Grace. Nice to recognize them, but we’re not certain that the Land Rover made a difference in the show. Brian Lang, Los Angeles, CA, spotted a Defender 90 SW on the series The Street; he watched it for a good 5 minutes.

*Ed Mallon, Brant Rock, MA, Peter King, Signal Mountain, TN, Jon Cohen, Phoenixville, PA and Brad Crittenden, Pittsboro, NC, spotted a Series Land Rover in The Learning Channel’s Junkyard Wars. The key to this Sighting was that the junkyard vehicle, a Rover diesel, started right up and became an amphibious vehicle. Brian Lang, Los Angeles, CA, found a Defender on an old episode of Outer Limits. Clint Ragan, Fairbanks, AK, found a limestone 109” in the premier episode of Ed. * Gail Nolan, Boise, ID, spotted a Hostess commercial in which a rhino charges a Rover, mistaking the front tire on the hood for a Twinkee. *Rob Modica, Tucson, AZ, Brain Riley, Minneapolis, MN, and Jeff Bridges, Littleton, CO, spied a Series I in a cell phone ad for Qwest. Jeff also spotted Land Rover featured prominently in a Learning Channel story on the Great Train Robbery in England. In all the news that’s fit to print, * Robert Wolkschlager, Mystic, CT, age 8, found a photo in the Hartford Courant featuring a Defender 110 Palestinian police vehicle in flames. On a brighter note, the auto editor of the Courant managed to cadge a Range Rover for a road test [“Beauty of a Beast”]. He also found a Discovery Series II bringing up the rear over the London Bridge behind the world’s oldest marathoner, according to the Guinness Book of Records. None of these Sightings warrant a mug [see rule #2] but his drawings of Dad’s 109” and a Stage I were gems, and a mug is on the way. Charles Copeland, Menlo, GA, age 5, found a nice 109” Hi Cap Fire Truck in “Cutaway Fire Fighters.” His father, Scott, spotted a Range Rover in an Honda Outboard Motor catalogue; problem is that it’s a British catalogue where you’d expect to find a Range Rover for emphasis. Daniel Bradke, Niskayuna, NY, age 11, was doing his homework when he saw a Series Rover rear door in his social studies textbook. Steve Bradke, Niskayuna, NY, spotted a Range Rover Classic on the cover of the East Hampton Independent. Kevin Thayer, Abingdon, VA, found Hank Williams, Jr., posing in front of his mili tary lightweight in a Country Weekly article entitled “Life in the Slow Lane.” *Chris Nestor, Melrose, WI, joins Jon McCarthy, Lake Lucerne, NY, and his son Liam, age 2, in reporting a Discovery Series II as a top prize in the McDonald’s “Win on the Spot” game. The Riverbanks Zoo near Irmo, SC, has added a Series II to the African Plains exhibit, according to Greg Edwards, Irmo, SC. In an unusual Sighting, *David Thodal, Belgrade, MT, found an old-style trading card with a serialized story including Land Rovers from a Fortune Tea Company box. Another unusual Sighting is that of Charles Despotopulo, Clinton, MA, who found two Range Rovers used in a video arcade game called Silent Scope 2: Dark Silhouette. *Jack and Belen Hayes, Nantucket, MA, send us ads in their local newspaper, The Inquirer and Mirror, from off-island dealers, such as Land Rover Peabody, filled with Defenders, and even one by the 4 x 4 Center. What lands them a mug is a Herman

Miller furniture ad that features a Discover Series II in the background. Also intriguing is a verse from an Ellis Paul song that includes a “Range Rover.” Bill Rice, Columbus, GA, heard a lyric line on Land Rovers in the Housemartins song “I Can’t Put My Finger on It.” A Sighter named “Richie Zap,” with a Dormobile in pieces, found a poem by Richard Stoddard that actually uses “Dormobile” in the poem [how come my poems in English class that used “Land Rover” in them always got F’s? - ed]. *Alyssa Parlin, Philadelphia, PA, found an unusual locale for a Sighting - Florida Design magazine. A Series III 109” appears in an article for home theaters. *Dr. Stephen Hathcock, Little Rock, AR, found a Series III 109” in a Yahoo Photo Contest ad in his American Airlines In Flight magazine. Dale Knapp, Marshville, NC, spotted a Discovery Series II in an article on adventure racing; “the Discovery is not used in the event, but depicts the lifestyle of the participants,” wrote Dale. Anna Bradke, Niskayuna, NY, found an open topped Series Rover in a travel ad for AAdvantage. Shawn Black, Ivorytown, CT, spied a Land Rover on the cover of Patrick Taylor’s Northern Ireland book, Pray For Us Sinners. As Shawn wrote, “ it is amusing to see Land Rovers dressed up with youthful exuberance to sell bikinis and beer; the strength of this sighting is that Land Rovers have and cotinue to be used to assist in keeping people safe, whether military or civilian in nature. Cheers to the Land Rover.” *Certainly bikinis worked for Woman’s Fitness magazine, which featured a lovely, scantily clad woman in an open topped 88” with surfboard and dog.

Winners: Mike Coleman Presidio, TX

Dale Knapp Marshville, NC

Brian Riley Minneapolis, MN

Dr. Stephen Hathcock Little Rock, AR

David Hartzell, MD Mechanicsburg, PA Jeff Bridges Littleton, CO Ed Mallon Brant Rock, MA Brad Crittenden Pittsboro, NC Jon Cohen Phoenixville, PA Daniel Bradke Niskayuna, NY Gail Nolan Boise, ID Rob Modica Tucson, AZ Kevin Thayer Abingdon, VA Peter King Signal Mountain, TN Greg Coffman Coshocton, OH Christopher Nestor Melrose, WI

Alyssa Parlin Philadelphia, PA Harry Edwards Tampa, FL Sheila Simmons Austin, TX Mike Bassett Wilderville, OR Jack and Belen Hayes Nantucket, MA David Thodal Belgrade, MT Jon McCarthy Lake Lucerene, NY Robert Woklschlager Mystic, CT Ron Ward Columbus, GA Kent Welsh West Des Moines, IA Keith Armstrong West Des Moines, IA Greg Pollack Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Dear Editor, Just thought I’d give the Sightings mug a quest after receiving the Fall 2000 Rovers North News. Specifically, the submission from Surfers Journal pushed me over the edge. I actually met Randy in Barbados in 1984 at a party (but that’s another story). I got hooked on Land Rover when I worked and surfed overseas, in the early ‘80’s, in the oil patch in Scotland, Zaire, and Angola. Always wanted one. Upon my return to the States, did the Land Cruiser, Scrambler, Trooper thing but always kept my eye open for a Land Rover . Anyway, I’ve been a confirmed Rover junkie since 1995 when my wife and I sold the Trooper and bought a used 1988 Range Rover from a local dealer. ‘Twas nirvana. That one gave way to our current 1993 LWB Range Rover, a former lease car (purchased in 1996) when our son was on his way. We still wanted to travel with “toys” (surfboards, mountain bikes, boat, camping gear, etc.) and Tara, our Brittany spaniel. We loved the 1988 Range Rover and this one was even better for our family. We escaped to the UK for a week before our son was born, and the Series bug bit me again. One is never enough, so when I found a 1972 Series III last year ( to fulfill my original yearning from overseas) in the local paper, and “needing work,” my wife thought I was nuts. Anyway, I’m still married and East Coast Rover in Warren, ME, soted the frame and bulkhead, and it’s a daily driver. Hey, that was great therapy. You should charge for this! Greg Pollack, Atlantic Highlands, NJ [No need to explore “youthful indiscretions”, as mentioned by our new President. Many Land Rover Series owners add a Range Rover Classic to their automotive stable, and many Range Rover owners admire the ingenious engineering of the Series Rover . Let’s see, Lucy in “Peanuts” charges 5 cents when the psychiatrist is “in” -ed.] ________ P ________ Dear Editor, I own a 1971 Series II-A 88” Land Rover. I use this vehi cle everyday to drive 25 miles to work. On any given day I can be greeted with a thumbs up sign of approval from a driver of a Porsche, Pontiac, Ford or Fiat. Anyone with an appreciation for automotive design and function can not ignore the Land Rover. Regards, Shawn Black. Ivorytown, CT [Well stated, Shawn. It’s good to know that some Connecticut drivers acknowledge fine engineering design -ed.] ________ P ________ Sirs, Just wanted to let you know that Cooper Technica here in Chicago recently replaced my ‘64 II-A’s seat box that deteriorated in about 8 years from the dreaded local winter road salt. One could poke one’s finger right through it near the sills. Cooper also substituted the station wagon’s hard top with tropical roof for a new tailgate and soft top - all bits purchased from Rovers North. I think to soft top is great except one is aware of a lot more engine and drive train noise! He also replaced the center front seat with a lockable console that hides, among other things, the radio. Now I need to come up with a clever place to mount the speakers. We’re currently awaiting the arrival of the new seat belts (to replace the original Irvin ones). My co-pilot thinks the “Serious” Rover is enough of death trap as it is, and without seat belts, she likes it even less - unless she needs something hauled, that it. Next scheduled improvement is an electronic ignition; the current, standard one cuts out at about 3,000 rpm. Glenn Shriver, Chicago, IL [Your Rover’s enhancements sound very fetching, Glenn. A soft top arrangement can make your Rover seem like a new car; I enjoy swapping out my safari top for a soft top every summer. A standard Lucas distributor, in good condition and with points, con denser, rotor, cap and wires in similar shape, should not cut out at all. Before you make the change, check the point gap and rotor, and renew if necessary -ed.] ________ P ________ Dear Rovers North, What a surprise to receive a new Rovers North catalogue and find a Rovers North News stuck inside. Thank you. I

had not received an issue for a few years. I thought it had been discontinued. Silly me.

and the “how to” articles, no matter how basic. Richard Fenwick, Grove City, OH

David Thodal, Belsrade, MT [Since we never know who might leave the Rover world from year to year, we do review the mailing list annually. Glad to hear you’re still enjoying the Rovers North News -ed.] ________ P ________

[Dave reminds us all “there are no such things as stupid questions.” As for your Fairey overdrive, they usually give a lot of warning - such as popping out of engagement under load and great bearing noise before they give up the ghost. Your admonition is a good one; carry ing the final gear and transmis sion backing plate for 6 years paid off when my overdrive need ed replacement on the road. As for the ECU codes, you’ll see an article soon in the Rovers North News about these codes and an article on overdrive main tenance and repair. In the meantime, Rovers North does have the factory workshop manuals for the ‘87’88 Range Rovers -ed.] ________ P ________

Letters to the Editor

Hi Folks, I wish to thank you for everything and hope to visit your showroom soon in our 1994 Land Rover Discovery. Jon McCarthy, Lake Luzerne, NY [We enjoy meeting all our customers, Jon. I know you’ll have a scenic drive -ed.] ________ P ________ Dear Rovers North, I am writing this to you because I have an eight-year old boy who has been sending you Sightings and has been recognized in you newspaper. He eats and drinks and worships Land Rovers 24 hours a day. He can take apart an engine and put it back together. He has two disap pointments; one is that he’s too young to drive a Land Rover and the second one is that he hasn’t received a Land Rover mug yet. How many eight-year-olds do you know who read Land Rover manuals instead of Harry Potter books? Carol Wolkschlager, Mystic, CT [Your son is clearly on the right track for success, fame and fortune. Tell him that the Harry Potter series is quite good, even if they don’t cover Lucas ignitions - although I’m thinking of turning to them to explain my wiring gremlins. As for the mug, check the Sightings -ed.] ________ P ________ Dear Rovers North, I stopped sending in Sightings a couple of years ago out of frustration; seems there are others out there who get to the good Sightings first. As my wife will agree, a new shower curtain or throw rug at home might go unnoticed by me for 6 months, I can pick out the lower left quarter panel of a 109” in a split second commercial from 500 yards - effortlessly. I hope this is not misconstrued as some cheap flattery tactic to prompt you to send me one of those nice mugs, but of all the parts houses available, Rovers North is the best. In the 2.5 year I have owned and operated my ‘65 II-A 88”, and now the NAS Defender 110, the staff at Rovers North has come to my rescue on many occasions. I delight in calling to ask questions or just place an order. With the holidays closing in on us, I am certain you will be hearing from my wife, Melinda, about that raised air intake and bonnet mounted spare kit I have been hinting about. Ron Ward, Columbus, GA [Sightings operate under strict rules; while every Sighting doesn’t warrant a mug, every Sighting has our appreciation. It’s terrific to read of your enthusi asm for Land Rovers; I’d love to add a Defender 110 to my Series Rover! I hope Santa Claus heard from Melinda and that the Defender now sports a raised air intake and a spare tire kit -ed.] ________ P ________ Dear Rovers North, I have one issue and one question for you. I need to clear up a rather stupid phone call to Dave Sangerhausen about “pop goes the axle.” The Series stopped in the driveway, would not move, pulled axles, checked for neutral at levers, drained oil transmission and a piece of something fell out. I removed the transmission complete with the overdrive. I started to take it apart and found the overdrive main gear (with its small thin teeth) with a lot of wear. So, anyone still using the overdrive needs to carry the [original final] gear and tools to remove the overdrive and convert back to the original drive to become mobile again - or an AAA card. Also, how are owners of the 1987-88 Range Rovers supposed to get the codes short of changing the ECU to a 1990? I do like the Rovers North News improvements

Dear Rovers North, Just a quick note to thank you for such a fine product. Les Parker did an excellent job of assessing my II-A 109” roof rack needs and chose the right company for the job. As an Antique Home Restoration specialist, I can appreciate both the aesthetic and functional merits of your products. It sure gives me pleasure just to view it on the vehicle! Jonathan Detwiler, Norwell, MA [We hope that you enjoy using your II-A , with its Rovers North roof rack, for many years to come -ed.] ________ P ________ Dear Rovers North, We just wanted to thank everyone for your support of the Labour Day Rally 2000. Peter and I have enjoyed putting together this event for the past two years, and have decided to step back for a break. After thinking rally non-stop, and doing nothing by rally stuff from June on every year, we are ready for some time off. W e sincerely hope that next year’s organizers continue to make this the best event in Eastern Canada. Julie and Peter Rosvall, Wolfeboro, Nova Scotia, CANADA [Congratulations on your very successful rallies and their part on the growth of MORE (Maritimes Organization of Rover Enthusiasts). As with the Ottawa Valley Land Rovers, Toronto Area Rover Club, Club de Land-Rovers du Quebec, and others, Canadian clubs set a high standard for clubs inter nationally. For 2001, just enjoy your Rally! -ed.] ________ P ________ Dear Rovers North, I love your new Rovers North News layout. Your new graphic designer really seems to have a good feel for the subject matter. Nick Jacobs, New York, NY [That would be Thompson Smith, our California car guy, who arrived all wrapped up in Porsches and Audis. Now, he’s the proud owner of a 1994 Defender 90, #753. We’ve enjoyed the clean, exciting layouts that he’s brought to all of our publications and web site -ed.] ________ P ________ Dear Rovers North, I called in a panic on Monday because my tailpipe had just falled of my Defender 90. I’m leaving on vacation Thursday for Martha’s Vineyard. Mike [Searfoss] helped me out, got my NRP exhaust shipped out by the next day, and I just picked up the truck in time to pack. Sounds great! Phenomenal Service!!!!! Brian McNally, Clinton, MA [Can’t have you going to “the Vineyard” with a tacky-sounding Land Rover - you might not have been allowed aboard the ferry! We’re delighted that we could help and appreciate your kind comments. Let us know what you think of your NRP system, too -ed.] ________ P ________

Dear Rovers North, Just a quick not to say I really like the Rovers North News that I receive. It’s a good mix of stories, parts for sale, and useful information. Keep up the good work; I appreciate it. Mel Verhein (‘93 Range Rover County LWB) [Thank you, Mel, for your compliments. We strive to make the News a part of the complete Land Rover enthusiast experience - ed.] ________ P ________ Greetings! The people of Rovers North are phenomenal. On April 29, 2000, I was in Burlington on business, so I decided to drive to Westford in the afternoon in my ‘67 II-A for some parts (a quick tune up - plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor. I purchased the aforementioned, as well as converters for the new type windshield wiper arms and new Bosch wipers (definitely worth it). I did the tune up in the parking lot and drove off (while I was working on the Rover the shop closed for the day). Well, Lucas parts being what they are occasionally, I made it about 1/2 mile. Loss of power. BIG backfire. And then, nothing. So I started troubleshooting...had I jogged this wire or that? Was a new part faulty? They LOOKED ok...and how can you mess up a rotor? Then, since I was so close to Rovers North, I started walking back to pick their brains for a while, IF I could find anyone after hours. As I walked into the parking lot, Dave Sangerhausen, his wife and child drove up in their white Range Rover. I explained what had happened, and he very graciously (as he was off work) offered me a ride back to my Rover and to help me look it over. First, we looked at all the new parts (I had already tried switching out the distributor caps and wires) and used my voltmeter to check things...after a half hour or so, we switched out the rotors...and the Rover coughed to life! Apparently the rotor was a bit too short. Dave test drove my Rover (he also has a Series II-A) and we discussed my Rover, and then he even helped me adjust my carburetor (all while his VERY patient wife waited in the Rangie). It is because of the knowledgeable, dedicated and outstanding individuals like Dave Sangerhausen who work at Rovers North that I will continue to happily order parts from Rovers North. Thank you again, Dave! Adam Pearsall, Johnsburg, NY [We’ve shared your kind words with Dave, who in turn, shared them with his patient wife and child. Rovers North staff members are Rover owners and enthusiasts; meeting and helping customers and enthusiasts make the job fun. Good luck with your II-A and visit us again -ed.] ________ P ________ Dear Mark, Yesterday, I received the Land Rover Owner’s Guide from Rovers North. Having owned 32 cars, including three Series Land Rovers and one Range Rover 4.0, I have been “exposed” to a number of owner’s guides and parts catalogues. However, your Guide is the best one I have ever seen with respect to design, ease of explanation, and exploded part diagrams. You make owning a Land Rover a piece of cake for maintenance. Although I no longer own a Series Land Rover I look forward to your mailings if for no other reason that to reminisce. Tom La Manna [via email] [Thanks for your observations, Tom. We hope that the Owners Guide and Rovers North News can entice you to return to Land Rovers one day -ed.] ________ P ________ Dear Rovers North, Just a note to thank you for your new catalog. I own a 1973 Series III 88”. This is the best put-together catalog I have seen in a long time. Thank you! I look forward to doing business with you. Also, thank you for your 10% incentive. It’s a good way to start off the New Year. I will review my “want list” for my Series III. Stephen Homer, Santa Barbara, CA [Congratulations on your Series III, Steve, and thanks for your comments on the Rovers North Owners Guide. We’ve been very pleased with the response to our 10% Winter Incentive sale, too. Keep us informed about your life with your Land Rover ed.]

Viva, con’t. It’s All Your Fault, con’

paradise! The desert had been grand and vast, but it took 4 or 5 hours of punishment to get out of Los Angeles, and now we’d be a mere hour’s spin from some of the best tracks in the world. We fell in with the Solihull Society and were in the mountains nearly every weekend from spring to fall. The climbing induced us to set aside the “fru-fru” radial tyres and shod it with bias ply Firestone 750x16 SAT’s - bulletproof and capable of running on 5 psi of air, if any at all. Old C took us over all the great stuff: Pearl, Schofield, Black Bear passes, up to Iron Chest mine, down Red Cone and over Radical Hill. It started earning another name too - “Old Vapor Locker”. I could have changed the carb, but I had a full set of high altitude jets for the Solex and eventually figured out a higher-pressure fuel pump cured most of it. Never broke an axle, but Iron Chest probably caused the demise of the overdrive splines. Pulled out the box and did without for the rest of the days in the mountains, no worries. Solihull Society’s rallies were (and still are) the highest of adventure, whether at Ouray, Breckenridge, or Crested Butte. When the Air Force sent me away during some of them, Sue went herself. I figured out how to rig a cot inside the 88” so I could sleep without needing a tent when hunting, and hauled a quartered elk home

Viva Las Vegas By Jeffrey B. Aronson I found myself with a choice one week in January. Either indulge in the adult [?] fantasy that gorgeous women and gambling winnings awaited me inside a fake Eiffel Tower, Great Pyramid, Treasure Island or Hollywood studio, or go off-roading in real snow-covered mountains. I figured that since Elvis had left the building, better enjoy the off-roading. The business trip [honest!] that sent me to Las Vegas also placed me in the middle of the fabled Las Vegas Strip. Vast concrete lagoons housed pirate ships; elevated tramways whisked you from faux Egypt to faux Italy. The Strip also featured routine parades of Range Rovers and Discoverys - and at least one Defender 90 from hotel guests to the locals from the ever-burgeoning population. It’s not surprising that Nevada grew the most in the 2000 census, or that Las Vegas can barely house its sprawling population. Happily, I found myself amidst a wonderful group of Land Rover enthusiasts amongst the throng. The leader of the pack seemed to be Carl Volkmar, whose custom Defender 90 SW became my home during my last day in the city. As we drove westward to Sunrise Pass and Frenchman’s Mountain, Carl remembered arriving in Las Vegas from Chicago in 1962 to work as a casino dealer at the Fremont Hotel. Working as a dealer “insured that I didn’t stand at a gambling table unless someone paid me to do it,” he noted. He started a construction company and became a major commercial and residential developer in the region. “Off-roading was the only way I could get out of the city,” so he purchased an ‘89 Range Rover Classic; “I’d read about them and they appeared to be the best to me.” Until an illness struck him in 1996, “I nearly put more miles off road in that car than on the road in town.” Indeed, his Range Rover took part in numerous off road expeditions, such as the Friends of the Mojave Road Rendevous in 1990. To Carl, “the Range Rover was bulletproof. The only place it ever died was in a country club parking lot. I only sold it with 90,000 miles to buy this Defender 90 instead.” And what a Defender it is! This ‘97 Defender Station Wagon features the usual automatic transmission (“I insist upon it. The last stick shift I owned was a ‘62 Corvette.”). It also has a dual stage air compressor set to 175 psi, yet with a most unusual distributor set up. The balanced and blueprinted engine gives him 0 - 60 in 12 seconds; punching it - at Carl’s insistence -

in it once. Half way through this stint I got sent for a year’s school in Alabama, and towed an apart ment’s worth of stuff in a U-Haul behind it and then back to Colorado. Mercifully, my route stayed on generally lightly traveled roads across the rural south - I didn’t mind the glacial acceleration, but the drum brakes and 1200 lb of U-Haul gave you that locomotive feeling about stopping distance. While in Alabama I finally succumbed to vanity and scrubbed all the old paint off for a respray of bronze green for the body tub and limestone for the top. Now it really looked sharp, even winning some ribbons in British car shows. We had a few foreign officers in this school, and a Kenyan Air Force Colonel was a particularly good friend. He’d asked me to take him out driving in the country in it, said it reminded him of his ranch outside Nairobi. Back in Colorado we took possession of a new ‘95 Disco, 5 speed, no frills. But while the warranty was still valid on the Disco, the 88” is what we took on the trail. At 100,000 miles, I had the increasingly tired 7:1 head engine rebuilt. The 8:1 compression and hardened valve seats put remarkable new power and longer life back into “Old Contemptible.” Alas, the Air Force caught us loving life too much in Colorado and shipped us back to Los Angeles for the third time. I drove out for a few weeks ahead, again pulling rooms full of furni-

ture in a U-Haul behind Old C. It was July, and you’ve just not been Land Roving till you’ve climbed the grade past Cima Dome in the Mojave, 105 degrees F, 35 mph full throttle, dragging a trailer, watching the oil temp head for neverbefore-explored territory. But the water temp barely budged and the only thing overheating was my foot against the uninsulated firewall. So here we are again in Los Angeles. The Disco is way too seductive for the long haul out of L.A. now, but “Old C” remains my commuter car and gets the occasional run into the local hills and desert. We have found a Southern California Series club to keep it company. While we don’t claim to be the most over-thetop Land Rover fanatics we know, guests mention they can’t go more than a page in our photo album without encountering some trail or camp run in one or the other of our Land Rovers. And while we’ve long since quit photographing the Rover every obstacle we encounter on the trail, it does show up just continually in the record of our 15 years of adventure together. It has taken us on the very best of adventures, and been the pretext for meeting the very most interesting people. We are delighted to see how Rovers North has grown and stayed true to the spirit, because this is all your fault! Sincerely, Neil McCasland

during a test drive made those figures seem accurate. Darlene and Bernie Elvin are new owners who ARB air lockers front and rear should get him out of have longed for a Land Rover. “To us,” Darlene most situations, but if not, there’s a 10,000 lb explained, “the Land Rover is really the original 4 x 4. Superwinch hydraulic PTO driven winch and a Certainly it’s the best.” They’ve competed in team ropportable gas powered winch in the car. Running out ing and barrel racing in rodeos together; Bernie is a west, it’s smart to have a Safari Gard rock slider kit and retired helicopter officer with the Las Vegas Police skid plates to protect the undersides. He’s moved the Department; Darlene worked at the Mirage for many air intake to a telescopic snorkel on the drivers side years. They found their ‘83 Range Rover Classic in a fender, and moved the CPU into the center console. newspaper advertisement. It seems that a certain wife There’s a custom bumper, a custom spare tire carrier, told a certain husband to get “that car” out of the numerous driving lights, and even an electronic radio garage, or else. The ad lasted one day when the husantenna on the passenger’s side. If something breaks on the trial, the car has an electric welder. “I don’t enjoy working on it myself,” Carl states. “I figured out that someone else could do it quicker and better.” That someone is Wayne Agee, now a technician at Land Rover Las Vegas. The results are neat, well-laid out, and professionally completed. His wife of 33 years, Carl Volkmar poses with his very capable Defender 90 Eleanor, used to go off roading with him, but she’s declined since “we once band made one last got stuck in the desert near the California border. I was bout of resistance and following tracks and crossing ruts, when I suddenly pulled the ad. Two sank into deep mud. It took hours to get out - my wife weeks later, the ad had no idea how stuck we really were.” appeared anew and As we approached the edges of Las Vegas County, Darlene went to see the Carl pointed to a high bluff overlooking a stretch of car. “It’s a green Rover new housing. I stared at the steep, mogul-laden ascent with a perfect interior,” she said, and it will fit their - “We’re going up there,” I asked? Climb we did, and country ranch lifestyle perfectly. “We live in the mounCarl added to my pleasure by moving over to the pastains west of Las Vegas,” Darlene noted, with “horses, senger’s seat and permitting me to drive. The rocky goats, cattle, dogs, and cats. We like to cross county ski face seemed to crumble and break under the weight of and hunt.” Their dilemma right now is that the Rover the Rover; occasionally you could feel the wheels has a 1980 3.5 liter engine with a fuel injection conscrabble for grip on the soft surface. Carl knew his version. “The fuel injection came in a box, and it’s vehicle well and the Defender climbed, grabbed and been difficult to find the information we need to comstuck the barely-visible trail without incident. To my plete the car.” They’re aiming for completion by eyes, the surface looked desolate. To Carl’s experiFather’s Day in June. enced desert eyes, the slightest rain would bring bright Pure luck put me in Las Vegas the same weekend color to the otherwise camouflaged, parched flora. In as the opening of the new Land Rover Centre, Land the distance, the higher peaks stood snow covered and Rover Las Vegas. I accepted the invitation from General spectacular. The clear blue sky gave way to a glorious Manager Ray Dinardi to graze at their new center on sunset that helped this New Englander understand why the outskirts of the city. Just before the opening, the 4,000 new residents move into the valley every month. Safari Club International convention had brought thou-

sands of adventure tour leaders to the city and the dealership, and Ray listened to many safari guides insist that they would only use Land Rovers in their work. Dinardi came to the automotive world in 1980 from the airplane business, and after stints with Saturn and Honda dealerships, has found the Land Rover world “a lot more intimate. I really enjoy the close relationship with customers, our sales guides and technicians, and Land Rover North America.” Indeed, for the opening, Land Rover North America representatives Jed Tallman from Colorado and Monica Norstrand from Texas both attended the event. With the nearest Land Rover dealer hundreds of miles west in southern California, or north in Reno or Salt Lake City, Dinardi has come to know the enthusiasts in the local club, the Land Rover Club of Las Vegas, quite well. The group meets monthly and has grow rapidly. The enthusiasm affects the dealership, too. They have purchased a handsome ‘68 Series II-A 88” SW for display at the Centre; eerily, it came out of Roswell, NM. How did it get there? Where did it come from? I mean, I saw Independence Day, too! With only 51,000 miles and no salted roads to cause frame corrosion, it’s a gem that fascinated the hundreds who turned out that opening night. Equally fine was a Series III Carawagon under restoration at a nearby shop. It came from enthusiast Robert Davis, Chesapeake, VA [come to think of it, that can be eerie, too - ed.] and seemed great mechanically. The work underway would restore the fantastic crank top and camping gear inside. It was refreshing to see familiar Series vehicles at a Land Rover dealership. Sales Guides and service technicians took turns on the extra long, extra side-sloped test track, leaving many wide-eyed passengers behind on each trip. If you’ve never been in a Discovery that’s heeled over at 45 degrees, all the while listening to the Sales Guide note the slickness of the track due to near-freezing temperatures, then you’d be aghast, too. The evening provided me the chance to meet and speak with Dennis Casebier, a former US Navy government scientist who, with his wife Jo Ann, helped create and continues to promote the Friends of the Mojave Road, a non-profit organization that protects, supports, and provides education on this desert trail. It is an affiliate of the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association [www.mdhcs.org]; together, the two organizations build appreciation and awareness of the historical, geological and cultural importance of the Mojave Desert. Dennis has published two books on the trail, Guide to the East Mojave Heritage Trail, and Mojave Road Guide: An Adventure Through Time, and Jo Ann serves as Editor of the 10-issue per year Mojave Road Report. Their 4 x 4’s have never included a Rover, but Scouts and IH trucks made up the fun fleet - and they’re appreciative of Carl Volkmar’s Land Rovers. With over 800 members worldwide, they’ve undertaken the critical tasks of keeping access while protecting the heritage of this desert. “I’m into the history of the desert and cruising back roads. I learned that most 4 x 4 owners don’t damage the environment. It’s inspiring because of its effect on people. You come out of the desert with a completely different frame of mind, socially uplifted and closer to being a Republican that you were before.” Dennis has led groups along the Mojave Road for over 20 years, and will lead a limited size group this April, 2001. I spoke with other enthusiasts at the event, such as Jacob Cruze, Las Vegas, NV, an outdoorsman with a ‘98 Range Rover SE 4.0, who spoke of one outing so extreme “the seat belts locked as the bow wave broke over the windshield.” Perhaps Bob Raasveld summed it up best when he noted that, as a Merrill Lynch Financial Consultant, he knew Land Rovers were something special because clients called him to ask “how much is in my account, and how fast can I withdraw it?” Just before I left Las Vegas, Carl Volkmar handed me a piece of desert rock, full of the pinks, greys and purples that we never see in Maine granite. Along with a huge grin and lots of pleasant Land Rover memories, that’s all I took home from Las Vegas. Thinking it over, that’s probably for the best.

Behind The Steering Wheel

By Jeffrey B. Aronson If you love Land Rovers, you love England. Not all things British, but England itself. In a motel room one night, I started Bill Bryson’s Notes From a Small Island. He noted that “there are certain idiosyncratic notions you quietly come to accept when you live in England for a long time..one is that Britain is a large place.” He continues that “if you mention in a pub that you intend to drive from, say, Surrey to Cornwall, a distance that most Americans would happily drive to get a taco, your companions will puff their cheeks, look knowingly at each other, and blow out air as if to say, ‘Well, now, that’s a bit of a tall order,’ and then they’ll launch into a lively and protracted discussion of whether it’s better to take the A30 to Stockbridge and then the A303 to Ilchester, or the A361 to Glastonbury via Shepton Mallet. Within minutes the conversation will plunge off into a level of detail that leaves you, as a foreigner, swiveling your head in quiet wonderment...” I thought about my last visit to England for the ARC 50th Anniversary Celebration. The drive from London to the western Malvern Hills lasted about 3 hours, mostly on two lane roads. My British companions treated it as a cross-country expedition; I do that distance routinely for work assignments and I never get out of Maine. Californians consider that a daily commute; Texans do that to catch a good movie. I returned to Bryson. “The fact is that the British have a totally private sense of distance. This is most visibly seen in the shared pretense that Britain is a lonely island in the middle of an empty green sea. Of course, the British are all aware, in an abstract sort of way, that there is a substantial land mass called Europe nearby and it is necessary to go over there and give old Jerry a drubbing or have a holiday in the sun, but’s not nearby in any meaningful sense in the way that, say, Disney World is.” One of the pleasures of living in Northern New England is that same sense of private distance. Of course, we’re aware of a substantial land mass called The United States lies nearby, but often it seems irrelevant to daily life. When you’re a Land Rover enthusiast, you know that there are millions of car owners out there, but their idea of “car” seems irrelevant. We, too, live in a “private distance.” ________ P ________ My work puts me behind the wheel of my Land Rover throughout northern New England, and this season’s travels have required me to drive further than ever. This winter has been one of our snowiest and coldest in several years and I seem to feel the mileage more than usual. A mother and daughter from more tropical climes came to visit me in Maine and I met them at the airport in Portland in the II-A. She asked “does that thing have heat?” But of course, I replied. “Aren’t you cold in it,” she asked? This required a near-Clintonian response. I was wearing L. L. Bean boots, heavy wool socks, jeans, a cotton shirt and a wool shirt, a sweater, a Rovers North vest, an L.

L. Bean jacket, gloves and a Rovers North cap. “Cold,” I scoffed, “not at all. It all depends what you mean by ‘cold.’ “ The next thing she did was to empty her suitcase of every article of clothing and put it on; then, we began a long wintry drive. She was not a happy camper. People pass by driving real cars - or Range Rover Classics or Discoverys. They don’t look like Frosty the Snowman in the car. They have shed their outer coats; I’ve even seen them in T-shirts. It might help if all my window tracks weren’t worn away, or if I had replaced those scuttle vent seals I purchased last summer, or if I had installed all the new door seals. You can warm up a Series Land Rover, but you’ll never roast in one - until summer, of course. My weekend foray in a Discovery Series II, recounted elsewhere in this issue, and editing articles from owners of Range Rover Classics, can’t help but stimulate your thinking about these Land Rovers. The earliest Range Rovers are now the same age as many Series III’s; they’ve proven their worth as go anywhere, dependable, all-purpose vehicles. I might even have happier passengers. ________ P ________ It’s been one of those years for the QE I, my ‘66 Series II-A. Back in the fall, I took a date to dinner in the ‘66 II-A. Gallantly, I even put the soft top back up for the ride. “We’re going in THAT,” she asked incredulously? I answered her suavely that the Queen of England had several Land Rovers, “just like this one.” Well, truthfully, the Queen’s probably had less duct tape on the seats and fewer event decals on the windshield. It might carry fewer tools to rattle over every bump. Her door tops might not wave in the wind, either. However, this was a Land Rover, too. We conversed at that special decibel level reserved for Series Rover owners and jackhammer operators. I shifted into overdrive. I heard a gentle whine from the Fairey overdrive; she heard an Mettalica-level howl. When her voice gave out, we drove in silence until we reached the restaurant. Her remarks made me think that maybe, after nearly 90,000 miles, it was time to think about the overdrive unit. More convincingly, the overdrive began to pop out of gear under load from a standing start. The unit would not be engaged, but it seem to go to its “neutral” setting without jarring. When it happened on a fall trip to Rovers North, I checked with Mike Searfoss for advice. He listened to the symptoms and suggested it was time for an overhaul. Mike suggested that the excessive noise was likely to be worn bearings, and the popping could be worn teeth on gears. The Fairey overdrive unit is a mini-transmission, complete with its own shaft and selector fork. When I returned home, I removed the overdrive unit from the back of the transmission and took off the inspection plate. The gear teeth looked fine, without any chipping, but the inner teeth on the gears had clearly worn splines. As I probed deeper into the overdrive, the bearings looked as if they required a press rather than a “drift” for removal. I discussed the issue of an overhaul with Mike and Les Parker, and their solution gave me a used overdrive in excellent condition and a rebuilding of my current overdrive at Rovers North. The new-old overdrive arrived and I crawled under the car to install it at a friend’s garage. All went perfectly until the final inch or so of travel. It would not slide into place. The Fairey instructions include one of those unbelievable solutions involving hitting the starter button while the car is in gear. Sure enough, one hit of the starter and the unit slipped into place. We filled it with hypoid, checked the bolts, and I drove the car away. Later that day, I shipped the old overdrive back to Rovers North for an overhaul. It was two days later when I got to the mainland and could actually test the overdrive at speed. Oh, my, how quiet and refined compared to my previous one. This business trip would take me hundreds of miles to the Maine-New Brunswick border, and then all the way west towards Bangor - a fine rural drive - and south by highway to central Massachusetts. In southern Maine, I stopped at a Maine Turnpike rest area to get some coffee. As I pulled in

through some slush puddles, I smelled steam rising from underneath the car. I pulled up the center seat and the steel panel to peer under the car. The heat rose mightily from the overdrive. The dipstick bolt burned my fingers when I tried to unscrew it. My heart sank. I took a set of winch gloves to remove the dipstick and found the reservoir - gulp - empty. I took a pint of hypoid and filled the overdrive to its limit, and then stepped out of the car to steady myself and get that coffee. I peered under the car and watched a pool of hypoid spread itself on the ground. Carefully, I put my hand under the overdrive and that’s when I discovered the drain plug - the one had serves as a drain plug for the overdrive. Sometime during the 450 mile drive the drain plug fell out of the overdrive and emptied out the hypoid. The Fairey overdrive uses a unique thread pattern so local replacement was out of the question, but the dipstick looked to have the identical thread pattern. The dipstick for an overdrive is a bolt head with a tiny metal indicator

Series II Series By Jeffrey B. Aronson Nancy Bennett is the soon-to-be General Manager of the soon-to-be Land Rover Bedford [NH]. While training at Land Rover Scarborough in Maine, she took stock of me seated in the leather comfort of a 2000 Discovery Series II. “Think of it this way,” she said,” you’re really just going from one Series II to another.” You see, the entire situation upset me. My Series IIA had managed to unscrew the drain plug from its Fairey overdrive - all by itself - and dump its gear oil onto I- 95 in southern Maine [see accompanying article - ed]. Think “Exxon Valdez” in miniature. As I needed

stick; I cut it off and screwed it in as the drain plug. I filled it with hypoid again and drove it around slowly. The unit sounded as if it were grinding rocks. Six years ago when I first purchased an overdrive, I kept the original final gear and transmission back plate in a bag and placed them in the parts box in the rear. Lying in the snow replacing an overdrive was not my favorite winter sport, but I bundled up and had the overdrive off quickly. The slowest part was removing the odd-sized castle nut from the end of the output shaft; while it was easy to access, its shape means that you have a special socket [unique to Series Land Rovers] or you take a drift and gently hammer away at the edges for a long time. Then you remove the overdrive roller bearing, put in the final gear and lock tabs, and gently hammer the nut back in again. I felt like Geppeto creating a new Pinnochio. Still, a couple of hours later, I drove the car away, sans overdrive.

to drive to Massachusetts for an assignment, I found myself stuffed into a loaner, a Discovery Series II. During the drive south, I discovered, if you’ll pardon the pun, that when your senses are not assaulted by noise, temperature, glare, and excessive yawing, you can really hear yourself think. I spent much of the trip wondering whether the two Series model designations really differ that greatly. I’ve compared the two cars feature to feature; while they might use different technology, the Land Rover Series II and the Discovery Series II have great similarities. Surprised? To aid you in this analysis, I’ve prepared the following chart:

Feature/OptionDiscovery Series II

Original Land Rover Series II & II-A

Seating

5 standard; 7 with jump seat

Same - 3 standard [front 88”], 4 in rear on padded bench and/or jump seat.

Seat Adjustment

Electronic for height and distance to pedals/ wheels

Manual - Height: stack seat cushions for height or bring telephone book [preferably from urban areas] Distance - manually select the generous 1 1/2” adjustment on later II-A’s.

Dual Sunroofs

Optional, with sunscreen

Same - Roof vents on station wagon model. Bring your own sunscreen

Dual Zone climate controls with outside temperature gauge

Standard; driver and passengers can set desired temperature for each side of vehicle

Same - Kodiak heater with flaps directing airflow right or left. Right and left hand vents on bulkhead cowl. Outside temperature determined by airflow through worn door seals; twin thermometers taped to windscreen

Sound system

Choices - 100 or 320 watt Alpine AM-FM cassette audio system with Weather Band and 6 speakers; CD changer optional

Choices - 1.5 volt Panasonic Sport AM-FM cassette portable player with headphones; CD player

Optional Keyless Entry System

Remote locking and unlocking of doors

Same - it’s a remote concept as door locks don’t work

Automatic Inside Rear View Mirror

Dims and brighten automatically

Same - brightens automatically when headlights shine through rear window, dims as vehicle passes Land Rover

Digital Compass Display in Rear View Mirror

Standard LCD display indicates direction

Same - Optional $2.00 compass glued to rear view mirror

Cupholders

Front and rear

Same - jam cup handle between back seat cushions in front; use bungee cords for rear jump seats

Center console storage bin

Standard with cup-holders, vinyl or leather covered

Same - standard with styrofoam cover, twin cupholders on top

Tinted and Power Windows with “One-Touch” down feature

Standard

Same - “One Touch” slide feature due to worn out window tracks; works best in icy weather. Tinting from hypoid leaks

Childproof Door Locks

Standard

Same - neither kids nor adults can find interior door handle

Power Steering

Standard hydraulic power assist

Same, except you assist

Anti-Theft Device

Standard - electronic

Standard - no one can figure out the starter button on an early II-A.

Land Rover

Snaps The Rovers North Newsletter is a publication of Rovers North, Inc. • Publisher: Mark Letorney • Editor: Jeffrey B. Aronson • Art Director: Thompson Smith Jack Belden, Nantucket, MA, caught this Series III in the “boondocks” of Leyte, Philippines. The Defender 110’s are from the wilds of Nantucket Airport.

Brent Sanders, Auburn, CA, vacationed on Rarotonga, one of the Cook Islands, and spotted this interesting Series II-A with a custom flatbed. It is “the exact same color” as my ‘69 Series II-A bugeye major restoration project I just started.”

Capt. Dirk Ringgenberg, Derby Line, VT, sent us this photo of an RSOV - Ranger Special Operations Vehicle - which runs a turbocharged diesel. This example, was shown in action at Ft. Polk, LA.

David McCunn, Honeoye Falls, NY, photographed this “Roadrailer” Defender 130 at the Manchester Museum of Science in Manchester, England.

Rovers North now accepts American Express, Discover Card, Visa and MasterCard.