kd_walmsley
Observer
As requested, here is a bit from the 60th at Eastnor Castle this past weekend. I was very short on time so I did not get a chance to take full advantage of the weekend or get all the pics some may have wanted. I'll just have to go back next year 
Pics are here:
http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll151/kdwalmsley/60th/?albumview=grid
The event, overall, was stunning. The proving grounds were opened to the public and well taken advantage of judging from all the mud covered vehicles. I even saw a Range Rover with a high water/mud mark up on the windscreen. Huge family camping area with so many topless Series I's putting around, loaded down with kids and dogs. There was a large club camping area with clubs from all over Europe. Great displays by the Former Military Land Rover, G4, and Camel Trophy clubs. Very inspirational. Now I just need to find to a place to mount the anti-tank rocket on my Landy.
The autojumble was like a Toys-R-Us for grown ups. Good condition Defender bonnets for £30. Flatbeds loaded with TDI motors. Bin upon bin of every fitting you could imagine. Piles of complete dashes. Good used Zarges boxes for £25. Salisbury front axles. I need to get a few seriously big suitcases for next year to haul back more loot.
The vendor section was not huge but the big players you see in the magazines were there. Exmoor had very heavy-duty aluminium jerry can and gas bottle holders that were battle ship strong and priced as such. I was not impressed by their new "Elite" Defender seats. The stitching and rigidity seemed to be on par with what jeepers buy from Bestop but without the Exmoor £300 price tag. And that’s per seat! I did like their "Outlast" fabric. It felt very durable, but I don't have any real world experience using it. I was not impressed by the build quality or materieals from Mobile Storage Systems. About on par with Tuffy in the US, but quite a bit more expensive.
I had the pleasure of meeting Samantha Thompson of Sam's 4x4 in Birmingham, UK. She has just started her own line of Defender seats and was selling them for £100 each in a choice of weaves and vinyl’s, including runners. She had a particularly nice heavy weight, large grain vinyl. The seats seemed on par with what I have seen in OEM seats, but at a MUCH better price. I will be picking up a pair soon and snaps some pics for the forum. Sam said she would work up a shipping price to the US if anyone was interested. Very nice lady who spent a considerable amount of time answering questions for me during her busy day.
I had some great conversations with Landy folks form all over Europe about biofuels and SVO. Such a wealth of experience and a variety of tuning techniques, mixtures, pump modifications, etc... I regret not taking notes. Everyone was so friendly and enjoyed sharing about their vehicles and products. When I asked permission to just take a few pictures, the usual response was, "Absolutely, climb in!" The friendliness and warmth of the Land Rover family is alive and well in Eastnor.
Pics are here:
http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll151/kdwalmsley/60th/?albumview=grid
The event, overall, was stunning. The proving grounds were opened to the public and well taken advantage of judging from all the mud covered vehicles. I even saw a Range Rover with a high water/mud mark up on the windscreen. Huge family camping area with so many topless Series I's putting around, loaded down with kids and dogs. There was a large club camping area with clubs from all over Europe. Great displays by the Former Military Land Rover, G4, and Camel Trophy clubs. Very inspirational. Now I just need to find to a place to mount the anti-tank rocket on my Landy.
The autojumble was like a Toys-R-Us for grown ups. Good condition Defender bonnets for £30. Flatbeds loaded with TDI motors. Bin upon bin of every fitting you could imagine. Piles of complete dashes. Good used Zarges boxes for £25. Salisbury front axles. I need to get a few seriously big suitcases for next year to haul back more loot.
The vendor section was not huge but the big players you see in the magazines were there. Exmoor had very heavy-duty aluminium jerry can and gas bottle holders that were battle ship strong and priced as such. I was not impressed by their new "Elite" Defender seats. The stitching and rigidity seemed to be on par with what jeepers buy from Bestop but without the Exmoor £300 price tag. And that’s per seat! I did like their "Outlast" fabric. It felt very durable, but I don't have any real world experience using it. I was not impressed by the build quality or materieals from Mobile Storage Systems. About on par with Tuffy in the US, but quite a bit more expensive.
I had the pleasure of meeting Samantha Thompson of Sam's 4x4 in Birmingham, UK. She has just started her own line of Defender seats and was selling them for £100 each in a choice of weaves and vinyl’s, including runners. She had a particularly nice heavy weight, large grain vinyl. The seats seemed on par with what I have seen in OEM seats, but at a MUCH better price. I will be picking up a pair soon and snaps some pics for the forum. Sam said she would work up a shipping price to the US if anyone was interested. Very nice lady who spent a considerable amount of time answering questions for me during her busy day.
I had some great conversations with Landy folks form all over Europe about biofuels and SVO. Such a wealth of experience and a variety of tuning techniques, mixtures, pump modifications, etc... I regret not taking notes. Everyone was so friendly and enjoyed sharing about their vehicles and products. When I asked permission to just take a few pictures, the usual response was, "Absolutely, climb in!" The friendliness and warmth of the Land Rover family is alive and well in Eastnor.
