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[w3526602]

but I was clever. I wrote the SORN number down at the time.

Hi,

That reminds me of a "ploy" that I have not used for many years.

I would write the important information (that i didn't want to lose, such as an MOT number) in small but clear text, somewhere on the original document , where it wouldn't cause a clerical obstruction (such as in one of the vertical margins).

The idea being that DVLC would microfilm the document, and keep a permanent record.

If push came to shove, I could demand a microfilm copy of ther document.

Did the idea work? Dunno ... I never had cause to find out. Probably been superceded by official technology, anyway.

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[w3526602]

Hi,

Doh!  Brain on gimbals ... probably my age ... I apologise.

I was confusing "avoiding an IVA", and retaining "MOT exemption".  I have already written off MOT Exemption, as I regard it as little more than an annual nuisance, costing about half a weeks pension.  It's the IVA exemption that has  a one point penalty for changing the engine (unless they've changed that too?)

However, MOT exemption is worth having, so I looked at the rules again ... CHANGES OF A TYPE WHICH CAN BE DEMONSTRATED TO HAVE BEEN MADE WHEN VEHICLES OF THIS TYPE WERE IN PRODUCTION, OR WITHIN 10 YEARS OF THE END OF PRODUCTION  I asked Barbara to dig her DVLA POLICY VEHICLES hat out of the bottom of her wardrobe, and comment on the above. She took a quick shufti, said she wanted to see the whole document. I'll print her off a copy  tomorrow later this morning. She says her knowledge is thirty years out date, anyway.

The Club appear to regard the above as meaning any leaf sprung Land Rover, from the introduction of the 80" until
the end of production of the S3. PLUS 10 years.   When did LR cease making the Series?

I have a photograph of "Babs", sitting on a trailer, on Pendine beach, behind a Rover V8 powered LR 80" Series 1. Standing along-side is my disinterested son, sucking his thumb. I assume this visit is well documented. (Babs' first return to Pendine). Probably at about the same time, the Series One club mentioned an S1 campaigning, off-road, and fitted with an MGB engine. That engine was also fitted into the Marina 1.8TC.  I'm guessing there are/were plenty of OZ Landies converted to Holden engines. Vauxhall? I understand there is a S1 in the Dunsfold Collection fitted with a Rover 2000 P6 engine. I assume this is the same car that was road-tested in an obscure non-glossy magazine, in the 1980s ("Off Road and 4-wheel Driver" ) It performed OK on 600 tyres, but ran out of grunt at 50mph on 750s. Over-geared? That shouldn't be a problem on my Dinky-wheeled Urban Special .. buying a P6 engine might be.

Witsend (I think it was) mentioned Ford Transit engines. I've owned two Transits ... a V4 SWB van, and my LWB, V6 engined (diesel fronted) "hay wain". It "burned rubber" too easily when unladen. I did wonder about fitting a V4 into a Series .. but only for a few seconds.

Did Ford make a straight-4 2000cc PETROL Transit, and if so, were any fitted into Land Rovers?

I understand that S1s competed off-road using the softer springs from Ford Transits,  which may be worth investigating.  SIs used at least two width spring leaves, but I'm ignorant about the details.

Nearly time to go back to bed.

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[Safari John]

Hi John,

warped minds think alike!

That is how I record information too. SORN is in pencil on front page of the V5. To hand if I ever need it.

Nowadays everything is scanned and stored as a digital document, so storage and retrieval is a lot quicker. Well that is the theory.

I have never had an issue with DVLA before, either. Then again, there have massive changes in the last decade. I can't see things improving, so anything we can do to help ourselves can't be bad.

[Genem]

However, MOT exemption is worth having, so I looked at the rules again ... CHANGES OF A TYPE WHICH CAN BE DEMONSTRATED TO HAVE BEEN MADE WHEN VEHICLES OF THIS TYPE WERE IN PRODUCTION, OR WITHIN 10 YEARS OF THE END OF PRODUCTION  I asked Barbara to dig her DVLA POLICY VEHICLES hat out of the bottom of her wardrobe, and comment on the above. She took a quick shufti, said she wanted to see the whole document. I'll print her off a copy  tomorrow later this morning. She says her knowledge is thirty years out date, anyway.

The Club appear to regard the above as meaning any leaf sprung Land Rover, from the introduction of the 80" until
the end of production of the S3. PLUS 10 years.   When did LR cease making the Series?

602

Correct John, that is how we'd interpret it. Its a phrase that seems to have been very deliberately left open to wide interpretation on a number of fronts. "Changes of a type" rather than specific changes at a specific point in time being a prime example. You don't need to show that the actual change happened within that date range, just that people were doing that sort of change.... and so on. The chancer, John, might even want to challenge the "10 years" in the case of Landrovers because many were in regular working use long after other vehicles of the same age had been scrapped.

"Vehicles of this Type" - Yes, we are including S3 in that because the change between S2, S2A and S3 are minor, cosmetic, marketing, gradual evolution etc.  Same goes for engines, the Tdi 4 cylinder diesels  being evolution of the original, sharing a number of components etc.  The attempt is to stay within the spirit of the regulation, we think that we have a pragmatic and workable solution. Two years on and we have had no issues with DVLA on the subject.   

Edited to say, Remember that DVLA were trying to write "guidance" aimed at the whole classic/vintage vehicle world, hundreds of Marques, thousands of models. By default the guidance needs to be general. We here are lucky they did not adopt the alternative German TuV suggestion for "historic" status which was to be absolutely strict, no modifications, all components made by the original manufacturer to the original specification... Good luck finding new tyres under that regime, let alone other consumables. 

[w3526602]

Hi,

At one stage of my life, I was presenting my "projects" for MOT-ing about once a month They were mainly S2s. My favourite test station was very popular, probably because of their "NO PASS. NO FEE" policy.

I arrived a bit late, one day (about 08.30hrs). I was eigth in the queue.    The Tester wandered out of the workshop, scanned the candidates, and wandered back indoors again.

His "hench-man/side-kick" told me later, that the Test-Master had forecast that, out of the visible candidates, my Land Rover would be the only one to pass. And so it came to pass! Yes, he failed me from time to time, but it was rarely that the"perp-mobile" didn't pass at breakfast time the following morning. Only a moth-eaten rear axle strenthening "thingy" between the spring and back-plate took me longer than 24 hours.

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[w3526602]

Hi Gene,

I'm still  waiting, with everything "bated", hopefully for the one that has "been agreed", but  date of delivery is  not yet "Writ in stone" (for reasons that are  "Entirely beyond our control, unforeseeable, and  too numerous to mention here".)

I think most of our readers are aware that I was born shortly before the outbreak of WW2 ( I can remember shooting down V1s (Pilotless flying bombs, aka "Doodlebugs") with my wooden Tommy gun. I can even remember Dad calling me out of the Anderson shelter, to watch a Doodlebug fall out the sky, barrage balloons were to hold the steel cable up, for the enemy planes to fly into. Searchlights! The "crump" of Ack-Ack guns!  Blokes in brown suits wandering the streets ... sometimes they'd let me hold their guns. Happy daze.

(Get me a bucket of sand ... and I'll sing you the "Desert Song", too! )

To recount ... the plan is to start with a sad S2, drop it onto a galv chassis. Either find a 4x2 front axle, or rip out the front diff and drive shafts. Parabolic springs. New heavy duty steering rods (they look more convincing), new upholstery. Fit a set of 14" wheels, in respect of Barbara's knees. (I wonder if 13" wheels will fit over 11" brake drums?

Engine? I've been thinking Morris Marina 1800, but until I get a load of metal to look at, I can't make that decision. Maybe a 1300cc would be adequate for my needs. (Power is a drug ... it doesn't matter how much you've got, at the end of the week, it's not enough. My Scimitar GTE pulled 30mph per 1000rpm, red-lined at 6000rpm.  I once had Barbara's CRX indicating 1000mph in 3rd gear. ( Please don't tell her). In 1959, I traveled at 550 knots (at 41,000ft) but that was in an RAF Comet.  The trouble is, at my age, I know they are out to get me.

Gearbox? I doubt that I will ever actually again need 4WD, but that's where they hide the hand brake. Not insurmountable, but all agro. On the other hand, not using a Landy gearbox would allow an automatic. What exactly are the rules? I know you cant have a hydraulic hand-brake ... but but how is that worded ..,EXACTLY?
Er ... hydraulic secondary braking system, operated by the now defunct clutch pedal, and use P in the auto box for parking?  Probably best if I stop "taking the tablets", and research "carden "disc" hand. brakes.

I will try to resist thinking about having disc brakes all round, with the hand brake incorporated in the caliper. Similarly banishing thoughts of having two calipers on each of the rear discs, both hydraiulic, one foot operated, as normal, the other pumped up by the hand brake lever (or even the defunct clutch pedal.) Actually, a disc "foot+hand" brake, might be the easiest solution. I will ponder.

602

[w3526602]

Doh!

Somebody beat me to it!

I was Googling CARDEN HAND BRAKE CONVERSION, when I found ....

Google ADAPTER FOR EXTRA CALIPERS BMW E36 DRIFT

It appears to be a kit to fit extra calipers (hydraulically operated) to the back axle of your BMW, so you can do "hand brake turns" (not the same thing as "drifting", but hey, what do I know?)

Back to the drawing board!

602