1961 Land Rover adventure...'cause Rovering is always an adventure

[Factoid]

Until...?

 

[blauvelt]

Until I decide to do something epically dumb...we all have our dreams. Picked the Rover up from my compatriot, except it wasn't running (not his fault), end diagnosis: pertronix failed. Installed new unit and cool. Drove from SF to Placerville, damn that OD is loud. Avg. a tad over 18mpg at 55. Got some good trail running in, very wet and soupy. Got to where I am staying and dagnabit if it would barely run. Bit of diagnosis help and it turns out the float stuck in the carb. Right as rain. Time for some night wheeling...ooooh need light and windshield wiper. Thank goodness for rainex and fogex. It may be slow and not have tons of power and the suspension is stiff, but darn it is fun.

 

[Kgh]

Blau, very nice rig! And very nice to see it posted on ExPo. It is good you are keeping it originalish.

Slow and not tons of power conquered the world back in the day. I will never get V8 swaps in Series, Defenders, or even Jeeps for that matter.

A lot of the UK guys are using Roamerdrive out of Vancouver when their Fairey's give up the ghost. Better oiling and much quieter.

My new to me 130 has the 2.5NA in it. Will be very slow, but will do for now. A Defender 200Tdi swap is planned once it reaches US shores legally.

 

[blauvelt]

I had the fun time of heading to the west coast for a bit of rain, rovering, and work. My friend with the CJ5 hosts an annual winter wheeling trip for period 4x4's. My trip started out with the pertronix failing. Then the float in the carb jammed a few times, but other than that it was smoother sailing. There were a few interloopers, but they had to ride in the back. It was a great turn out, with almost 20 vintage trucks showing up. Everything from a "Burma Jeep" and multiple GPW's, CJ2's, CJ5's, an early FC150 jeep, FJ's, a Unimog, couple of Power Wagons, and of course a Land Rover. The drive up was very very wet. Massive rains Thursday night caused the drive to the cabin to wash out. Which led to Friday being 8 hours of shovels, chainsaws and high-lift jacks to get the road passable. Saturday started out bright and early with run up from Somerset over the top of Grizzly Peak then onto Mormon Immigrant Gap until the snow was so deep we could go no further. Had a blast. Sunday was a drive back to the bay with a way lay into Sonoma for a quick bibe. Monday I took a pleasant mosey out to Inverness. There are something's about California I do miss.

In no particular order...

Getting up the driveway

Heading up grizzly peak

more grizzly...

Inverness

 

[Factoid]

That's a beaut!

 

[blauvelt]

Thanks!!

We got a bit of a write up on BAT...

http://bringatrailer.com/2017/02/19...d-times-great-weather-old-trucks-new-friends/

That's a beaut!

 

[Factoid]

Nice write up!

Come over for a Shiner anytime!

 

[blauvelt]

How time does fly. The Rover has been sitting in the shop in the Bay. After some gentle prodding...an email every 30 days, they finally got going. The current completed are: upgraded tie rods, all new wheel bearings (already has new brakes), all new clutch bits (can't upload photos from work, but imagine a buttery smooth clutch disk), new windshields, new gas tank, and new exhaust manifold...no more cracked noise annoyance. All should be buttoned up by the 15th then it is off to the spring shop. The Rover was originally set up for a snow plow and an auger on the rear, to say that it is stiffly sprung is an understatement. 17 leafs in the front and 21 leafs in the rear. The shop it is going to makes custom springs for everything, mainly PG&E boom trucks, so going to have a nice comfy set built for me. Thinking about spec'ing 500 pounds of passenger and 1,000 pounds of gear and gas. Booked my tickets to fly to the Bay in Feb to pick the Rover up then spend 5 days moseying around the Bay Area, Sonoma/Dry Creek, Tomales Bay and then up to the Sierra foothills for 4 days of trail running and snow wheeling. Then I will find a semi and bring the Rover to Houston where the top will come off...probably never to go back on. Oh, we had our first kid in August. Time travel is possible, have a child...BAM...5 months gone. Like time travel!

 

[blauvelt]

Finally, on the eastbound and down express.

Some random images from the last year and change.

Soon to home safe in Texas.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[the deputy]

Nice looking ride!

Brian.