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Date: Sun, 22 Jan 1995 09:34:42 -0600 (MDT)
From: Mike Slade <SLCN3@cc.usu.edu>
Subject: My First Landy!

Well group, 
 
As a long time lurker on this newsgroup (6 months), and being to shamed to say
anything because I didnUt own yet the vehicle of my dreams, today is the day I
break down and submit a little ditty  and a few questions to the group at
large.
 
I purchased a 66 (?) 88 IIA station wagon two days ago and thought that IUd
gotten a pretty good deal at only 4500US dollars.  My wife had driven it before
with a friend of hers who is a (cough) Land-Cruiser freak who wanted to get a
Rover.  Well, I finally got to see it and since I had cash, any quirks in
performance were somewhat overlooked.  I bought it and started to head for the
freeway when I started to lose power in 3rd gear.  Limping home on the frontage
road rather than the highway I was seriously reconsidering ever wanting one of
these aluminum beasts in the first place.  Funny thing is, the dang thing ran
best when I didnUt use the gas pedal at all, and just let it idle with the
choke wide open.  Speeds of 35 mph were all that I could get.  If I tried to
use the pedal, it would flood and die.  
 
Getting home 4 hours later from what should have been an hour and a half round
trip, my wife could tell from the look in my face that I was not very thrilled
with what limped into the driveway.
 
I called Bill Davis from Great Basin Rovers in Salt Lake City the next morning. 
I had met Bill on the LRNA rocky mountain trip to Moab in August, and had kept
his number handy,  (BTW, Hi Tom Mills, IUve got a great photo of you wearing a
groovy turban).
 
Bill was great and said to take it on down to the shop and theyUd see what they
could do.
 
Karrie Oldham is the other fellow who runs the shop and he was the one who
ended up taking 3 hours of his day to help me get my car back up to snuff.
 
Well, after a new set of plugs, plug wires, rotor, points, and adjusting the
tappets, my Rover ran like a whole new beast.  I was thrilled, so thrilled in
fact that I just had to buy a Land-Rover cap to wear with pride when I couldnUt
drive my car grinning from ear to ear.  (Thanks Karrie and Bill!)
 
Look them up whenever youUre in Salt Lake!
 
Arriving home from what was one of the greatest driving experiences of my life,
and remembering what a different beast it was just the night before, I felt
confident in my new purchase.  My wife just laughed when I walked in the door
because as she put it, she had seen the polar extremes in mood regarding that
vehicle.   IUm lucky, because sheUs hooked on Landies too!  (I hooked her when
I took her on that Moab trip and she drive a REALLY nice green Range Rover over
a 15 foot drop off and didnUt even flinch).
 
A few questions:
 
Overdrive-  Is it best to use it as a half-gear between 3rd and 4th when
driving an incline, or not.  A few OD pointers would be appreciated.
 
Clutch-  Master cylinder drips fluid down the pedal and onto the floormats and
my boot.  ItUs eating away the rubber on the mat and the sole of my boot, and
IUm trying to figure out a way to divert the flow of fluid away from the
pedal/left foot until I can either re-build or replace it.  Any suggestions?
 
Driving-  Has anyone found a way to soften up the seats on a long drive?  I
donUt want to complain, but my rear end was just getting a little numb on the
end of an hour and a half drive home.
 
Well, thatUs it.  Now I can wave at Rover owners as they drive by and not feel
stupid (like I did when I drove my Trooper).
 
Thanks for all the info IUve gleaned from everyone on the list, I hope IUm not
tedious with such a long post but I was just thrilled and had to tell somebody

 
Graciously,
 
Michael Slade
SLCN3@CC.USU.EDU

------------------------------

Date:         Sun, 22 Jan 95 11:37:15 LCL
From: Joseph Broach <PC7170@UTKVM1.UTK.EDU>
Subject:      Ignition system woes, continued

     Well, Sid's been off the road for three weeks know with his latest
ailment. A short recap: It started and drove fine the day before;however,
every once in a while it just wouldn't idl or run in the morning (always
started fine though). Possible related problems were a miss uphill and
carbon fouled plugs which could not be compensated for by carb adjustments.
Since it wouldn't even start and I dislike black boxes in the event of a
problem (Allison elec. ignition by PO), I proceeded to strip out the elec.
ignition and revert back to points. I didn't know whether or not to yank the
ballast resistor though, so I left it (could it be a problem??). After the
points, etc were in, I got it started after 5-6 tries (by holding choke
open, hmmm.) and it idled for about 5 minutes, then I was going to try to
move it, but it died as soon as I gave it gas, it hasn't started since.
So...plugs,cap,wires,points,condenser,rotor,whew! are new. Coil is Allison
3-4 yrs old. Timing is set to 6 BTDC, don't understand the thumbscrew timing
device (where should this be set??). Any ideas?? Its supposed to SNOW! tomorrow
for heaven's sake.

                           -rgds,
                            Joseph (Factory Manuals Still on Backorder) Broach
                                                      '67 IIa 88

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 22 Jan 1995 14:25:14 -0800
From: mcdpw@pacific.pacific.net (Granville Pool)
Subject: RE: Steyr-Daimler-Puch and Daimler-Benz

Steve,

Regarding your comments about the relationship between S-D-P and D-B:

[schnipdt]
>even seen someone eating at Kaefer's who arrived in Defender 100 V8, and
[schnipdt]

Defender 100 V8... This is, what, like, some sort of prototype? 8^O

>My experience with them classes them firmly as an over-priced competitor to
>the Defender (without the load space). The diesel is horribly slow, well
>just horrible and the petrol engine may push the G-wagen to a higher top
>speed, but takes a long time getting there. Defenders with non-standard
>diff ratios are faster and more capable off-road.

I, too have felt that the only thing about the G-Wagen that puts in in 
comparison with the Range Rover is price.  I agree with you and others who 
have said that a more appropriate comparison is with the Defender, which 
makes the price comparison pretty ugly.  And that the only advantage 
off-road of the G-W is its axle-diff locks.  Regarding that putative 
advantage:  I have always had difficulty understanding why L-R has chosen 
not to make diff-locks available as an option.  Even with excellent axle 
articulation, there certainly are times that diff-lock come in handy.  
Witness the fact that the M-B Unimog, with axle articulation beyond even 
that of most modified trials Land-Rovers, has front and rear diff locks, not 
to mention portal axles...

>ISTR that the G-Wagen is built by Steyr-Daimler-Puch who make the Fiat
>Panda 4x4, is this correct. And is there any involvement with the Austrian
>Hafflinger? Again I remember that both the G-Wagen and the Hafflinger
>started as military vehicles, but I also thought that the companies were
>linked. Probably wrong, I usually am!

I think, for once, at least, that you are right in this.  It is my 
understanding that the diminutive Hafflinger and the more robust Pinzgauer 
are strictly S-D-P products that were originally designed to the 
specifications of the Swiss Army.  [=Swiss Army knives on wheels...]  The 
Gelandewagen was designed (I think) by D-B to be built be S-D-P.  

Your posting was the first that I have ever heard that the awd version of 
the Fiat Panda was breathed on by S-D-P.  Surprising in that Fiat is so huge 
and has fully the capabilities to produce all such in-house.  Has had its 
own military 4x4 for many years in the form of the rather jeepish-looking 
Campagnola.  Saw one "in the metal" many years ago in Ensenada, Mexico, 
(about 1973, I think).

And regarding your earlier comments on the magazine that gave the Geep Grand 
Tricky the nod over the Disco:  Understandable, considering that this is an 
American mag, that the JGC is a little less pricey, a little more of a road 
car (for purchasers who mostly only use their vehicles as such), and the 
inherent bias for MORE POWER...  They obviously don't weigh heavily 
reliability, let alone durability.  Far more bizarre, IMNSHO, is the 
latestonthenewsstand that gives the nod to the Chevy Blazer over the Disco!  
That truly blows my harried mind.  Hard to figure what's weighed there, 
except that it certainly isn't appearance.  I thought the old S-10 Blazer 
tolerably good-looking but the new one (likewise the old vs new Explorer) 
really hurts my eyes!  A fellow at work has one (new Blazer) which has the 
added disadvantage (for me) of being white.  Fortunately, he tend to park 
far enough away that I don't usually notice it... The Jeep, I like O.K.  If 
(and only if) the Disco were not available and given that I couln't afford 
even a low-mileage used RR, I wouldn't turn up my nose at the JGC.  At least 
I like its looks...

------------------------------

From: Sanna@aol.com
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 1995 19:28:54 -0500
Subject: ABS - Kenrick

My '89 RR never had ABS & stops just fine.  My Rover mechanic tells me that
the first ABS units where very problematic and that I was lucky not to have
ABS on mine.  If the brakes work OK, I'd just live with it (you might want to
pull the warning light).  An '89 has a resale value of under $20k, so your
brake repair could be close to 10% of the entire value of the car.

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 22 Jan 1995 17:17:41 -0800
From: Roger Sinasohn <sinasohn@crl.com>
Subject: RoverDay

Well, today seems like RoverDay.  Went out for lunch at Chevy's in Stonestown 
(local mall), and saw, not 1, not 2, but 3, count 'em, 3 Disco's in the 
parking lot.   2 in green, and 1 in red.  The red one had no plate but was 
from San Jose British Car.  Then, on 280 south towards the SF Airport, we saw 
a red Defender 90 pulling a largish utility trailer, with the plate 
"94DFNDR".  On the way home (280N, just south of the SF border) we saw a 
white (or off-white) 88" hard top, with what looked like purple curtains 
going the other way.  And the day's not even over yet!

On the down side, I'm having trouble with my mail reader, so I can't download 
messages.  (They're getting to my mail box, I just can download them to my 
PC.)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uncle Roger                         "There is pleasure pure in being mad
sinasohn@crl.com                                that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California                               

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 22 Jan 1995 20:57:11 -0500 (EST)
From: Ferraiolo - Marcia <marciaf@umd5.umd.edu>
Subject: ABS ECM

It's extremely unlikely that it's the ECM. The most common problem is the 
ABS sensors back out. That is easily fixed by pushing in each of the four 
sensors. Also, check the ECU-to -harness connector for any sign of 
moisture or terminal corrosion. In any case, there is a self-diagnostic 
capability that should pinpoint the problem for you.
Let me know if you need more information or if you find moisture in the 
connector.

Paul Ferraiolo
 marciaf@umd5.umd.edu

------------------------------

Date:         Sun, 22 Jan 95 21:30:33 LCL
From: Joseph Broach <PC7170@UTKVM1.UTK.EDU>
Subject:      Ignition woes (add. info)

     For those of you who plodded through my original post, thanks. I think
that I now have something to help you help me. I reset the timing today,
bypassed the ballast resistor (ignition now straight to coil), and regapped
the points and plugs. It cranked up first rotation, after a quick carb adjust
I took it down the road...ran great. So I decide to take it around the block
and fill the tank, big mistake. About 500 yards later, a big miss and then
nothing. Turns over strong but no spark. So I call Dad and he tows it back
to the driveway with his '74 Mercedes 240 diesel (64hp). It drove better
than usual actually while it ran. So what do you think?

                         -Rgds,
                          Joseph

------------------------------

Date: 23 Jan 95 00:22:04 EST
From: Matt Snyder/NV/MO <71450.2606@compuserve.com>
Subject: Used RR caveats?

A posting some time ago asked for caveats.  Having recently purchased a used
'88 RR, I recommend checking the power steering pump for leaks.

-Matt

------------------------------

Date: 23 Jan 95 00:22:13 EST
From: Matt Snyder/NV/MO <71450.2606@compuserve.com>
Subject: RR aux. driving lights

>From their placement and the fact that they're wired to operate only when the
high beams are on, I assume their purpose is to increase the visibility of the
terrain directly in front of the vehicle when driving off road.  I find it
extrememly useful to use the auxilliary lights in place of the headlights when
driving in heavy fog and snow, as the auxilliary lights minimize glare off the
weather, but to do this I had to first rewire the relay that turns them on. 
Can anyone comment why they're originally wired to work only with high beams?

-Matt
'88 RR

------------------------------

Date: 23 Jan 95 00:22:18 EST
From: Matt Snyder/NV/MO <71450.2606@compuserve.com>
Subject: RR frame drain holes

I've seen advice to remove drain plugs from the frames of various Land Rovers
to minimize frame rust.  Does the same apply to Range Rovers?  I've found it
necessary not only to remove drain plugs but to use a siphon to remove water
from the doors.

-Matt
'88 RR

------------------------------

From: LANDROVER@delphi.com
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 01:01:00 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: My First Landy!

Mike Slade has a new toy.. er.. Land Rover to play with...

> I purchased a 66 (?) 88 IIA station wagon two days ago and thought that
> I'd
> gotten a pretty good deal at only 4500US dollars.  My wife had driven it
> before
> with a friend of hers who is a (cough) Land-Cruiser freak who wanted to

Well.. congrats on the IIa.. Why the question on the year? Post the chassis
serial number.. someone will know what year it is.

> A few questions:
> Overdrive-  Is it best to use it as a half-gear between 3rd and 4th when
> driving an incline, or not.  A few OD pointers would be appreciated.
> before
> with a friend of hers who is a (cough) Land-Cruiser freak who wanted to
What sort of incline? The OD is mechanically between the transmission and
transfer case - but you knew that. I would be wary of shifting in and out of
OD if you were under on a steep incline or under heavy load as you might be
if you were off road in 4WD. As to highway driving, go ahead and use it.
It's fun, really.. Makes you feel like you're driving a big rig with too
many shift levers.  :)

> Clutch-  Master cylinder drips fluid down the pedal and onto the floormats
> and 
	 [ truncated by lro-digester (was 7 lines)]
> pedal/left foot until I can either re-build or replace it.  Any
> suggestions?

Re-build it or replace it ASAP! Ditto for the slave cylinder. What's the
fluid look like in the resevoir? Dirty grey fluid is an indication that the
rubber componants in the hydraulics have deteriorated. Hopefully, your
brakes are in better shape. Keep in mind that in 1966, dual brake hydraulics
were not used. If you loose one wheel cylinder you loose all your brakes!
Fun, eh? Finally, use only CASTROL GT-LMA brake fluid when you fix the
hydraulics. 

> Driving-  Has anyone found a way to soften up the seats on a long drive?
> I don't want to complain, but my rear end was just getting a little numb
> on the end of an hour and a half drive home.
> and
> I'm trying to figure out a way to divert the flow of fluid away from the
Har, har, har.... Be a man about it! Grin a lot.. Actually, it called
driving "by the seat of your pants"!! Think to yourself "This sure beats
walking."

Good luck and have fun!
Cheers
  Michael Loiodice       E-MAIL   landrover@delphi.com              
  166 W.Fulton St.       VOICE    (518) 773-2697                    
  Gloversville                                                      
  NY, 12078              1972 Ser III 88 Petrol (Fern) R.I.P.      
              7          1971 Ser IIa 88 Petrol
           #:-}>         1965 Ser IIa 88 Petrol

------------------------------

From: "T.F. Mills" <tomills@du.edu>
Subject: Re: sheep & newsletters
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 1995 23:36:27 -0700 (MST)

Missed the sheepdog program, but that's OK.  I have one of my own.  
Smartest dogs on earth, only mine is brain damaged.  They go well with 
Land Rovers, especially mine even if his name isn't Lucas.  (He's just as 
dim.)

Baloney writes:
< I just got Todd Mills new edition of the Solihull Society newsletter.  
<snip snip>
< There was an interesting cartoon on the back with some fairly 
< accurate representations of a 109 wagon, but how about a translation, Todd?

For the majority of you who don't get the newsletter, the back cover was 
a strip from "Tintin et les Picaros" by Herge (1976).  It is readily 
available in English in bookstores; it's just that I only have it in 
French and the words aren't important.  In the strip, a fictional Central 
American military escorts Tintin and his pal Captain Haddock to an old 
Mayan site on the Ruta Maya.  They ride in a 109".  And this was almost 
20 years before the Disco did La Ruta Maya.  (Tintin beat Neil Armstrong 
to the moon too -- by ten years.)  The American English editions of 
Tintin are published by Atlantic Little Brown.  The British ed. by Methuen.

... and thanks for the kind words about the newsletter!

T. F. Mills                                              tomills@du.edu
University of Denver Library  2150 E. Evans Ave.  Denver  CO 80208  USA

------------------------------

From: LANDROVER@delphi.com
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 01:41:59 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Ignition woes (add. info)

Joseph...

Hopefully this will be of some help...

You *did* say that you replaced the points and condenser, right? Any chance
that you might have a short in the points where the wire is connected?
Tricky bit there, with the plastic washers and all. 

Next, check the LT wire from the contact points to the coil. It *might* be
broken inside the insulation. Slim chance, but it does happen. Moving the
wire around causes it to make contact for a bit.

Next, check the coil itself. The ballast resistor is needed if you have a
six volt coil. You can test the coil by disconnecting the HT wire at the
distributer and laying it on top the rocker cover with the brass end of the
wire about 1/4 inch from the rocker cover. Turn on the ignigtion, pull off
the distributer cap and use a screwdriver to push the points open. The idea
is to make and break the 12 volt circuit like the points do when the engie
runs. When the points open, you should see a spark from the HT wire to the
rocker cover. 

There is always a chance that the condensor is bad - even if it is new.
Disconnect it and see how things work...    

Cheers
  Michael Loiodice       E-MAIL   landrover@delphi.com              
  166 W.Fulton St.       VOICE    (518) 773-2697                    
  Gloversville                                                      
  NY, 12078              1972 Ser III 88 Petrol (Fern) R.I.P.      
              7          1971 Ser IIa 88 Petrol
           #:-}>         1965 Ser IIa 88 Petrol

------------------------------

From: LANDROVER@delphi.com
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 01:42:12 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: RR aux. driving lights

Matt needs some illumination... or enlightenment...
 
> From their placement and the fact that they're wired to operate only when
> the
> high beams are on, I assume their purpose is to increase the visibility of
> the 
> terrain directly in front of the vehicle when driving off road.  I find it
----snip----
> Can anyone comment why they're originally wired to work only with high
> beams?

Guess #1 - So you don't blind oncoming traffic.
Guess #2 - Might be due to vehicle safety regulations.

Guess #2 is a government response to guess #1. We aren't smart enough to
turn off our aux lights when we dim our headlamps.

That's the best I can do!

Cheers
  Michael Loiodice       E-MAIL   landrover@delphi.com              
  166 W.Fulton St.       VOICE    (518) 773-2697                    
  Gloversville                                                      
  NY, 12078              1972 Ser III 88 Petrol (Fern) R.I.P.      
              7          1971 Ser IIa 88 Petrol
           #:-}>         1965 Ser IIa 88 Petrol

------------------------------

From: "T.F. Mills" <tomills@du.edu>
Subject: Re: My First Landy!
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 1995 23:58:20 -0700 (MST)

Mike Slade drools over his new status symbol, and proclaims:

< I had met Bill on the LRNA rocky mountain trip to Moab in August, and had kept
< his number handy,  (BTW, Hi Tom Mills, IUve got a great photo of you wearing a
< groovy turban).

Keffiyeh actually...  Todd actually...  but you have the advantage of me! 
I remember a Salt Lake City Tribune photographer; was that you?  Did the
paper publish anything on the national rally? 

Congrats on the new acquisition!  1966 was a good year -- same as my 
109.  It's always refreshing to hear from someone for whom the excitement 
is fresh.  (I wonder if anybody has been cured of the LR bug?  I suspect 
not -- seems to be a terminal disease.)

T. F. Mills                                              tomills@du.edu
University of Denver Library  2150 E. Evans Ave.  Denver  CO 80208  USA

------------------------------

From: "T.F. Mills" <tomills@du.edu>
Subject: Swiss Land Rovers?
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 00:15:02 -0700 (MST)

A trivia question:

When I was a child in Switzerland, the PTT (Poste Telegraphe Telephone) 
drove yellow VW bugs with black fenders.  Very distinctive, and I was 
quite fond of them.  When I visited home a few years ago, bugs were gone, 
and instead I saw Ser III Land Rovers.  PTT is still yellow, perhaps the 
same yellow as AA, but black wings would look funny on a Land Rover, so 
that part of the distinctive colour scheme is gone.

So, on to the question...  Does anybody know any more of the story of 
Swiss PTT Rovers?  Did LR get a contract to replace the whole PTT fleet 
with LRs?  Is the contract ongoing?  When did it first happen?  How many 
LRs does the PTT have?  etc.?  etc?

In a toy store I found a non-LR PTT pick-up, so they may have a mixed 
fleet now.

 
T. F. Mills                                              tomills@du.edu
University of Denver Library  2150 E. Evans Ave.  Denver  CO 80208  USA

------------------------------

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