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[w3526602]

Hi Both,

Thanks for your interest, comments and concerns.

Could Barbara get in it?  Dunno! I've been trying to find a friendly looking Disco with a master who will let me measure the height of the driver's seat. In recent years it's been seats that were too low that were her problem. I offered to buy her a Smart "sports". She said she couldn't get down that low, and that was when her legs were only just starting to play up.

Personally, I'd prefer a Disco, (£££) but, no doubt, I would need all of this years ration of "leaning on her" to get her to agree.

My last Disco was written off when her last SAAB ran amok (in reverse) when she turned the key. She tried to steer round the Disco, but didn't quite succeed. Three vehicles written off, in less than 20ft, from a standing start. I wonder if I can find the photo? The assessor stopped counting when the cost of replacement panels (for the SAAB) reached £7,000.

602

Doh, no pictures on this PC.

[w3526602]

PS,

My thanks to Wittsend for letting this run.

602

[w3526602]

Hi,

I searched for Land Rover Discovery Internal Dimensions and found a drawing showing the basic outlines of both the seats and tyres.

The top of the seats appear to be below the tops of the tyres. Seems good!

So, assuming new Discos are fitted wiith 205x16 tyres, I now need the OD of that size tyre. Something in my memory suggests that 88" Series tyres are 30" OD. But I've learned to not trust memories of something I did many years ago.

I wonder if Google will tell me the OD from the tyre size.

602

[w3526602]

Hi again,

I've managed to find something that may be relevent...

Tyres, 205/80/SR16 have an OD of 736mm and a loaded radius of 332mm. Hmmm ... soggy bottom! 

I'll work on UN-loaded OD, coz it won't be loaded until SWMBO climbs in.

Using my tape measure (to compare metric with imperial, coz it's easier than doing sums) 736mm is only a smidgen less than 29", which is Barbara's inside leg measurement. Hmmm! Lo-profile tyres, shorter springs, thicker shoes, stand on an A to Z? Hang on, she will normally be standing on the kerb, a freebie four inches. Whatever, back to the drawing board ... crane hoist (£££?) ....  hydraulic suspension (££££?), ask her surgeon to add a couple of inches (£££££?) ... block of wood (£?). A "no brainer" 

Historic note ... Douglas Bader argued when his surgeon wanted to drop his height by a couple of inches, to improve his stability. Maybe I'm not comparing like with like. OK, it probably wasn't his surgeon ... more likely to have been his carpenter.

Keep brainstorming!

602

PS. Barbara rejected my suggestion of have a disabled bath ... said she would feel unsafe negotiating both a step and a gate simultaniously. And anyway, she wouldn't wear a swimsuit in the bath (like Thora Hird does)

Google "Mermaid bath hoist", which can crane lift you from a wheelchair into the bath. Or similarly, from your wheelchair into your car. I wonder if they will lift an engine?

[w3526602]

Hi,

I'll try and wind this discussion down.

My thanks to Allan.

602

PS, If I can find the photo of Barbara sitting on my our Sunbeams Talbot's bonnet, in Penang, I might post it, so you can all have a shufti of the knees being discussed. I don't suppose you have a copy on file, Alan?

[armalites]

Hi,

I searched for Land Rover Discovery Internal Dimensions and found a drawing showing the basic outlines of both the seats and tyres.

The top of the seats appear to be below the tops of the tyres. Seems good!

So, assuming new Discos are fitted wiith 205x16 tyres, I now need the OD of that size tyre. Something in my memory suggests that 88" Series tyres are 30" OD. But I've learned to not trust memories of something I did many years ago.

I wonder if Google will tell me the OD from the tyre size.

602

There hasn't been a Disco that came 205/16 for a long time, maybe and early one with.

For 200/300 with alloys then 235/70/16 is more common and the same for early Disco 2. I suspect a 205/16 will be the same circumference as a 235/70/16 as it was an option on RRC

With a D3 you can lower it to access height and also lower the seat height. I could measure mine if that is an option.

[w3526602]

Hi Armalites,

Thanks for advice.

I can't remember which of my S1s that I had at the time ... it may even have been my very first, a 1953 that had been stood in a garage for 11 years ... which means it was in the early 1970 that I owned it.

A tyre bay suggested fitting 205s ... "the same as they use on Range Rovers" (there was no mention of rim width) You are the first to disabuse me of that idea.

Luckily I found a derelict Humber Super Snipe limosine "barge" lying in a neighbour's garden, standing on 600-16s (I think). Some years later, I fitted the tyres (also 600-16) from a rotten J-type Morris van to my LWB S1 ... in those days (mid-1980s? It was the year it snowed) I didn't know there were two wheel bases ... 107" and 109". I wish I could find the photograph of that Landy.

At one point in my life, I was buying old truck tyres 750-16 (12 PR) for thirty shillings, and paying £1 to have them re-cut.  I've done "impecunious". (I'm still doing it, but at a different level)  Er ... I now believe what I was doing was illegal ... recuts are/were allowed on trucks, but not on cars.

Er, for many, many years, I have been fitting 205s on all my Series ... but always on wider 109" rims.
602

PS. The object of this exercise was to establish the height of a Disco front seat cushion, without having a car in front of me

Your comments about "ruining my life are noted".  We've been married for 54 years, and I still wake up screaming. How can I ruin it more?  

[Peter Holden]

It is time Barbara gave you a clip round the ear!!

Peter

[w3526602]

Hi Peter,

Better men than me ......

I have watched her stand in the middle lane of the M4, traffic passing (albeit slowly) both sides, with her and a police sergeant wagging fingers in each others faces. How did it end? "Get your wife out of my sight, and I'll say no more about this!"

She got pulled over on the M4. Refused to get out of her car until the officer showed some form of identification. He didn't, so they discussed the matter through the 2" gap at top of her window. How did it end? "I clocked you at 104mph. Don't let me catch you again!"

When she was Information/Press Officer at DVLA, she attended the monthly meetings with the Sec of State. First meeting was with Linda Chalker (a lovely lady) Second meeting with Tom King (Linda Chalker had taken over Hong Kong). Half an hour before the meeting, she was told she was taking the Chair.   She met the Sec of State in the lift at lunch time. "They dropped you in it there!", he commented.

There can't be many Civil Servants who "break the ice", by asking the Sec of State if their MGB has heavy steering.

A constable told her she was required to carry her licence. "I represent DVLA at the monthly meetings of Chief Constables! While they want us to carry our driving licences, it is not the law (yet)!"

Barbara once challenged a decision made by the Head of DVLA Policy Branch.    Nobody had ever done that before. Barbara's argument was accepted.

I once owned a rather unpleasant 13.2hh pony. It went to bite Barbara. It missed. She didn't ... she bit it's ear. From then on, Fury was very well behaved when Barbara was present.

To paraphrase (?) the last lines of "The Sexual Live of a Hedgehog" (sung to the tune of the Eton Boating Song) .....

"The margin of comparative safety...."
"Is enjoyed by the hedgehog 602 alone!"

Actually, Barbara is a "sweetie" ... provided you are not attacking me. That's her job.

602

PS ... and don't mess with my daughter, who is also a sweetie ... and a Bank Manager (Business) at an international bank.

PPS ... Me? I know my place.

[w3526602]

Hi,

Telephone call. Operation cancelled!

As far as I can make out (but hey, what do I know?) ... this is a NHS funded operation, taking place at a private clinic (seperate rooms).

As I understand it, they feel Barbara needs to be in a ward with a nurse in constant attendance. I could be wrong in my understanding.

We have medical insurance (Beneden), but they specifically exclude new knees (but they did pay for my hearing aids).

Back to the drawing board.

602

PS. Wilkie ... fetch Daddy's kicking boots.

PPS. I assume we have all heard the "Lourdes wheel-chair" joke? When they dragged the wheel-chair out of the pool, it had two new tyres and a back-dated MOT.

PPS. If it makes a difference, and if anybody knows about these things and what they cost, we could probably raise five figures at short notice, hands in pockets, whistling ... interest at 3%.  Even one knee would help.

Er, have I got that right? 1% of £10,000 is £100pa ... say £2 per week? So 3% is £6 per week?

Hmmm! Even thinking about it will land me in the matrimonial dog-house ... but I haven't yet used this years quota of "putting my foot down".