For those of you who have read my introduction "About TyroBenz" you will have read about the first vehicle I drove, not a Benz, but a Land Rover. My passion for them, with their rugged simplicity has never ceased, and following my brief relationship with Jade, I felt the need to have a project that I could breathe new life into, rather than destroying a thing of beauty.
As you know, my technical ability is a work in progress, and I found Jade to be quite complicated, so I set my mind to thinking about what I could work on: What is the simplest vehicle you can think of? Yep, you guessed it, an early Land Rover.
I read an article on-line not so long ago which had a great piece of advice, ".... if you are going to buy a project vehicle, make sure it is not a duplication of what you have already....."
This is great advice, and as the article pointed out if you already have a classic coupe for example, and get another one, what are you going to do with it? You cannot drive both cars to the same venue, yet if your new project is something different, it will keep you passionate about it as it has a purpose onto itself.
Back when I was 18 or 19, I bought my very first Land Rover, it was a 1995 300TDI Defender 90, in British racing green, with a white roof and country spec windows. I owned her for the next 8 years, right up until I left for Australia. I loved it, and was actively involved in the Northern Ireland Land Rover Club where we drove all over the county taking on challenging off-road tracks, as well as event trials at the clubs own disused quarry. It was fantastic fun. If you have never driven a Land Rover off-road I recommend it, they can go anywhere with the right person in the driver's seat.
My 1995 Defender 90 300TDI
(For those of you reading in the UK, the number plate was a personalised one so does not refer to the age of the vehicle)
One summer I joined an expedition that saw us take the ferry from Belfast to Liverpool, drive down through England to Dover, before taking another ferry crossing to main land Europe. Over the following two weeks we drove through France, into Italy and up to Geneva before heading home. It was the trip of a life time.
The expedition was during the summer time and therefore "off season", turning the slopes of Val d'Isere from beautiful ski runs, into a muddy and exhilarating off-road centre. From here we could look across to the spectacular Mont Blanc!
I found it impossible to get the see-saw to balance but it was a lot of fun
It's time to get muddy!!
Whilst in Italy we climbed switchback tracks to a height of over 9,000ft, stopping every so often to vent our fuel tanks due to the atmospheric pressure. Some of the petrol powered Landy's didn't quite make it to the top as the air was so thin, but thankfully I was in a diesel so we kept climbing.
Switchback roads in Italy
As the track got narrower, and the drops steeper the guys in the long wheel base vehicles started wishing they were in a SWB!
Once at the top we were all warned of the risks of getting out of our vehicles and running about, we were to walk slowly and not exert ourselves but it wasn't long before we were all taking turns to see how far we could drive up the glacier. Like I said, it was amazing.
Ice, Ice Baby!
During my ownership of my Defender, my brother, a friend and I also bought a short wheel base Series 2A Land Rover which we restored over a summer, rebuilding it on a galvanised chassis as the old one had some rust issues. I can however not take credit for the way she looks today as my brother has continued the restoration to a very high standard. She is beautiful.
For the part of the restoration I was involved in, my memory is that it was far from difficult, a full size Mechano set for big boys.
Restored Series 2A shivering in the snow, December 2010
My brother still uses her on a regular basis and takes her to military shows, photographed here at Killyleagh Castle, August 2014
So, not long after Jade departed on a trailer I was back on Gumtree looking for a friend for UGU. I looked at a fantastic Series 3 Station Wagon who had been in the same family since new, but unfortunately I missed out on it, so the search continued.
Over the next weeks plenty of short wheel-base vehicles popped up for sale, but I really fancied a long wheelbase station wagon, which I think is a lot more practical given it's second row of seats and boot space.
Eventually I widened my search area and up popped a 1969 (same year as UGU) Series 2A Station Wagon in Denmark WA, some 420km from where I live. I was excited and called the owner who was really nice, and passionate about the Land Rover. Like many classic car owners the right buyer is more important than the money.
I really wanted her, but I am not much of a risk taker so after a week of painful contemplation I decided not to take the risk, I was gutted and annoyed at myself.
As the weeks rolled on and work got busier and busier I couldn't stop thinking about the Denmark Land Rover, noticing the ad was still on Gumtree. On Sunday afternoon, I once again contacted the owner to see if it was sold and if he perhaps hadn't taken the ad down, or if indeed she was still for sale. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for my wife, he still had it, so I bought it.
I am preparing for a nerve racking Christmas as I wait to see what it is that I have bought, hoping that the photographs I have seen are a true representation of her condition. As of this morning, Tuesday 23rd December, the owner has dropped her off at the local haulage company who are going to bring her to Perth next week. I am so excited!
So here she is, Leif the Landy (named after her previous owner); a 1969 Land Rover Series 2A Station Wagon.
What I know so far is that I am the fourth owner, she is an original six cylinder model but now has a Holden Blue 202 motor with a Series 3 synchromesh gearbox.
I can't wait to meet her, and hopefully you will all continue to follow my adventures with UGU and now Leif as Tyrobenz moves up a notch to "two point zero, A".
