Hi Everyone! Due to a variety of excuses, this newsletter is a combined April and May one, although only delivered in June. So that takes us from autumn into the heart of winter! According to those with good connections, we may experience a wet winter season this year! So get out the ice pick, the silicone sealer, the rivet gun and assorted shapes and sizes of aluminium and sheet steel as well as the different lengths of 2x4 pine pieces! Yes!!! It is weather sealing time! Oh, I am of course talking to the older REALLand Rover owners brigade. A real Land Rover is defined as one that has a bone shattering ride due to the leaf springs and SAG cross-ply tyres, requires arm wrestling strength biceps due to lack of power steering, requires a weight lifting strengthened set of upper thigh muscles to be able to stand on and depress the clutch pedal, has virtually non-existing brakes (there was a rumour that brakes were initially sold as an optional extra …) and of course no air conditioning or heater. During summer the holes would let enough airflow through to ensure a fresh supply of air for a semblance of coolness, while during winter time the heat generated by the gearbox and exhaust underneath the floorboards would ensure a close to comfortable ride, if you huddled close enough to said equipment. The pine 2x4’s are used to keep the windows shut … Next on the list is a quick glance through the various incomplete sets and makes of tyres available on the heap – is there anything better than what is currently on the vehicle? OK, has the choke cable been reconnected to ensure that the painful starting sequence perfected last winter does not have to be repeated everytime the Landy has to be started up? Is the battery still there? OK, couple the dead one up for a 3-5 day resuscitation on the heart and lung machine (battery charger). Fit at least the right hand side wiper motor and scrounge a wiperblade from the best of the rest pile. You should now be just about ready to tackle the winter roads. Well, you might get out of the driveway … Although tongue in cheek, the above sketches some of the checks that all of us should in theory perform regularly, but at least do them now before the roads become wet and slippery! On a more sombre note, end of March also saw us bidding a final farewell to one of the long standing members of the club and to my children known affectionately as the CLRC “Grannie Annie”. Yes Annie Hogg passed away on 29 March and her irrepressible spirit will be sorely missed! She will live on in our fond memories of her antics and unique way of doing things! Call for contributions: Please, all reports/submissions are most welcome. Remember this is our magazine. Note that the deadline is the 20th of each month. If anyone has any relevant photographs, please forward for inclusion in the newsletter. |