Mechanically-minded

A funny thing's happened since I started working on Olivia nearly a year ago. I've started to think I'm omnipotent. Well, mechanically omnipotent that is (stop laughing, Favourite Man...).

A year ago I trembled at the thought of what was in that engine, and had never weilded an angle grinder nor half the amount of spanners that have been through my hands since. And it's given me a bit of confidence that I could actually develop this interest into something more comprehensive.

See this post over at ...seekingserenity, for example. Madness, the idea of building a supercar yourself (especially for a chick who doesn't have a garage at home but does have neighbours who don't appreciate mechanical bits in the front yard). Then again, equally mad is taking your truck apart with Favourite Man and putting it back together again, better than ever, within 4 months.

But here's the thing. I've always had an interest in mechanical tinkering. I love knowing how things work, and that I can fix whatever breaks or improve on what's already there. I have aspirations of getting my truck running so smoothly, so fuel-efficiently, that the world will stand in awe (OK, perhaps not the world - just one or two folk if I'm lucky - just me, if I'm not). I'm feeling mechanically omnipotent - if I can learn how my truck functions, I can learn how all sorts of things function, and I could.actually.make.things! Lots of things. I could modify stuff and pimp stuff and fix stuff and restore stuff, and perhaps even work on a few of my hare-brained ideas that seem impossible or just plain stupid to the casual bystander.

There are days where I'd much rather be greasily petrol-flavoured, struggling along with something metal or engine-like in a workshop than typing at a desk. Many days, in fact. If I could clone myself I'd be taking both a carb and a distributor apart right now. I'd be sorting out an oil cooler. Fiddling with the welder. But it's a bit hard to do in an airconditioned formal environment and good clothes.

A little knowledge is dangerous I guess, as it leads to a hunger for more, a desire to push further with skills and knowledge, to fly in the face of convention and just go DO all that you've dreamt, even if you're a chick. Fortunately for those around me I have to bring home the (mostly vegetarian) bacon - so simply can't spend my days covered in EP90 nor upping the electricity bill and irritating the neighbours.

But hey - it doesn't stop me from feeling omnipotent.

Did you know...

... that Olivia's roofrack comes with a camera tripod mount? Brilliant stuff - and I'm getting over my fear of heights / rocking.rolling too! :-)

Tenting tonight

Yup, got the tent up! It was the first thing to be removed when I started this whole renovation process many months ago. It hasn't been opened since - but now it's re-mounted. Repositioned, with new support bars, completely sorted.

And the kid got first go at spending a night in it (with some strong-arming persuasion and bribery). My turn's coming....

The list

Sitting looking at Olivia recently, Favourite Man and I started to list the things we've sorted/fixed/added/taken away on Olivia. And it's absolutely incredible what we've achieved in 4 or so months!

I'm going to try list the things completed thus far here, though trawling my Picasa albums (here and here) might give a better indication of jobs we've done. Starting at the front:

• Bumper modifications: cut down, sandblasted & galvanized, fog lights and fog light guards, tow hitch receiver and pin, vise securing point, new spotlight bar & spotlights (used the square ones originally on the roofrack), Moz triangle & reflective tape, re-inforcing inside
• Lights: headlight grilles galvanized, new running light covers & bulbs, wiring sorted, light protectors secured with rivnuts, emergency flasher wiring connected to indicators
• Grille area: grille repainted, ciggie lighter socket on exterior, new air horns, DIN plug just inside bonnet & cutoff switch for Anderson (Brad Harrison) plug in engine bay
• Wings: holes closed with grommets, interior of wings painted black / protected, air intake for fan/heater painted and rivnutted in
  
• Wheels/Tyres: all tyres & tubes checked & rotated, rims sandblasted and epoxy coated - including spares and one extra rim
• Bonnet: spare carrier sandblasted and galvanized (and repaired), new support rubbers for spare, new sealing rubbers around bonnet, latch fixed, new rubbers for hinges
  
• Windscreen: new windscreen acquired, sandblasted, epoxy-coated and inserted (with one new pane), new left windscreen wiper, new wiper blades, wiper washers work, air vents below windscreen got new rubber seals all round
  
• Engine bay: Anderson (Brad Harrison) plug installed, new vacuum advance rubber, new oil hose/seal, carb sorted/cleaned, thicker wiring from alternator - upgraded alternator!, new wiring looms, assorted relays and a fuse box, new solenoid, heater/fan unit fixed & replaced, new washer pump, washer jets and tubes sorted out, wiring run in protective tubing, more wiring wrapped with insulation tape, clutch cylinder looked at (still to be sorted out), entire engine cleaned (by hand), oil changed (twice), radiator flushed, thermostat fixed/modified, new choke switch, choke secured
  
• Axle/Hub level: everything cleaned, front leafsprings reconditioned, spring hanger bushes replaced (*shudder*), new steering damper, brakes adjusted, axle & diff oils replaced, axles & diffs painted/protected, back hub oil seal replaced, back axles checked, new back hub gaskets inserted
• Underside: cleaned, painted/protected, petrol tanks sorted (main and spare removed and cleaned), sender units for tanks checked and/or replaced, tank gaskets on, spare tank modified and fabricated to be refit, wiring run all over the place in protective tubing
• Back crossmember: modified to take new fog light, emergency flashers, re-aligned tow plug, brand new tow hitch (custom-made), extra strengthening inside, wiring redone and secured
• Back door area: new door seals, back door interior floor strip galvanized, window guard removed, lock fixed, door height and lock adjusted to close properly, back side windows removed and replaced with chequerplate, new spare cover, numberplate light, reverse light, new light guard (custom-made), all light guards galvanized, high-level emergency flasher lights, old reflective tape removed, hi-lift jack back in its place, new stickers for "80", "ZA" and new call VHF sign "Z117", numberplate properly secured, exterior ciggie lighter socket on back side
  
• Roofrack: removed, cut down, sandblasted, galvanized, ladder & attachments all round galvanized, wiring run inside back to front for lights etc., tripod mounts added, new support struts welded in, aerial supports welded in, back work light support plate and light attached, exterior ciggie lighter plug and switch on work light, supports for axe & spade crafted, axe & spade modified and pimped & securely attached, awning back on & checked, awning locked to roofrack, front spots (x4), front LEDs (custom-made! x4), aerials (VHF, 29MHz, 2x cellphone, GPS), numberplate moved to roofrack on galvanized plate & properly secured
• Roof: new bolts for safari roof, old reflective tape removed, perished gutter mastic removed and replaced with silicone
  
• Windows: all chequerplate removed, back right window glass removed & replaced with chequerplate, rivet holes sealed, stickers on side back window (overland.co.za, tracks4africa, LROC membership, ORRA membership), window locking mechanism on driver's side fixed
• Doors: new rubber seals all round, new door bolts where necessary, new shims, all doors aligned as best possible, inside of doors painted black to match interior, handles etc painted silver with cold galv, mirrors tightened up and checked
  
• Interior: roof lining removed & cleaned, interior roof painted with protectacoat & checked for leaks, all old storage removed along with aluminium runners and gutter-level shelving, stainless steel water tank removed & hole plugged, all old wiring removed (especially that to the second battery...). Second battery relocated into back wheel-arch along with fuse box (x2), inverter, Anderson (Brad Harrison) plug, interior ciggie lighter socket, switch for exterior ciggie lighter, relays and wiring points from the front. New back interior light and fixed above-seats light, new wiring to two points behind the C-pillar (one for inverter-fed 3-point plug, switch and indicator light, other for 3-point ciggie light socket). Everything including and forward of the back footwells protectacoated black. Seats reupholstered, under-seat panels sandblasted and painted black, panel above transfer box removed, new inertia-reel seatbelts and seatbelt stalks. Secure box made to fit over transfer box sunk into seat box (safe & cubby still being made), extra wiring run for future use inside box, temporary top made. All levers & pedal stalks repainted, new tops for red/yellow, reverse light switch wired in to gear lever, spring for clutch pedal. New centre dashboard made, wired up (with LOTS of stuff! see pic), new switches on main dash for washer units, fan/heater, all switches checked, a couple of bits replaced (sender unit), speedo cable removed & greased & works!, brights indicator light replaced, new oil pressure & temp guages, new dashboard plumbing for heating/cooling, dash top re-upholstered, GPS mount secured, new indicator stalk, steering wheel reconditioned & painted, connection point for laptop/GPS, LifeHammer attached to bulkhead, VIN plates re-attached, new cut-off switch on bulkhead for second-battery starting, torch mounts re-attached to bulkhead. Shelf above windscreen painted, strengthened, wiring run to front, 29Mhz radio with new speaker, map light on shelf bottom, rear-view mirror re-attached, wiring for cellphones and GPS run, WorldSpace radio wiring run & bracket secured.
  
• Various: all locks checked and "smoothed" to operate properly, every bolt & nut that can be is galvanized, spares sorted - old stuff chucked and new stuff categorized, new toolbox (yay! :-) ), essential items in ammo boxes in Olivia for daily travel.

A lot of these seem like minor items - but typing out something like "wiring run for hazards" doesn't begin to cover the time and money spent, the hassles behind the job, the do and re-do that crops up or the "yet another problem" uncovered along the way. To have done all this in a mere few months is a Very Big Thing, and the fact that Favourite Man has done it basically single-handedly while I trudge off to the office each day is absolutely enormous!

The project's not done yet. There's rocksliders being manufactured as I type this, there's the cubby box to organize, there's storage and layout to sort still. There are issues with the engine (will have to replace it sooner rather than later) and tyres (new ones urgently required), there is a horrific fuel consumption to fix, and the main petrol tank remains in the back yard awaiting its turn at re-insertion. There are a few other goodies that will be added - a high-level brake light is required, the roofrack needs chequerplate flooring - and there's always something that needs fixing.

But that's the list off the top of my head. And what a list it is.

Photoblog: Lights

This amazing pic courtesy Favourite Man, who definitely has an eye for the perfect shot

Wow

The Land Rover Monthly magazine, January 2008 edition is out. Olivia has a 2-page spread around p 160...!

Wow. She's famous!

Ride Baby!

This is the vehicle I'm driving today. A UK-registered 300TDi that's seen some hard adventure action.





Nope, I haven't traded in the O-beast. She's sitting at home, carb-less thanks to an experiment in reconditioning by the owner of the above vehicle last night, which left her unable to go anywhere until certain things are fixed.... So today I'm driving his truck while he's overnighting in Cape Town.

The truck was shipped out by a 70-ish-old couple from the UK for their third 6-month trip in it, arriving and leaving from Namibia. It's dusty, it's dirty, it's got things that are threatening to part company with each other and the truck, it's fully overland kitted, it's been-there-done-that. It's a serious Landy, a REAL Landy.

It's my first shot at Defender driving, and my first experience with the 300TDi engine. I'm impressed with the power it has - even loaded down that much it tackled hills that both Olivia and Favourite Man's Discovery 2 TD5 can't handle well. The 5-speed gearbox and close gear changes took some getting used to, but it moves excellently. And needless to say it's the coolest thing on in traffic today :-)

Never-ending Story

Nope not the movie(s). The ongoing saga of fixing up Olivia. We signed off the big jobs last week and have had to redefine what to do with our spare time ever since! Well, sorta...

You see - this is a Land Rover. An old Land Rover - and something is always falling apart, failing, unexpectedly giving up or springing a leak. Leaks were the Big Thing this week - namely the discovery that the Safari roof is leaking at the join with the body in the gutter. All the old waterproofing putty stuff is either missing, cracked or peeling off. So it's been hauled out with a few impliments of torture and silicone inserted all-round.

Or it would be if the rain hadn't decided to unseasonally cause local flooding, close highways, and generally dump half the ocean on us. So now we wait for the seam to dry out, hoping it doesn't rain any more. The good news is that the little bit we did works well - but we'd really like to get this thing behind us!

Meantime there's electrics to sort out. There's random unexplained issues that keep cropping up. And there's still a rear fuel tank in the back yard.

One never runs out of things to do when one owns a Landy...

Tip Jar

There's a new button to the right of this blog - a MoneyBookers "tip jar". Planning Olivia's adventures is turning into an expensive business and I've realized I can't do it alone. If you'd like to contribute to keeping the adventures coming, leave her a tip! The more tips, the more adventures - and the more you'll have to read right here... :-) You can send your tip in any currency, from anywhere in the world.

Olivia thanks you - see you off the beaten track!

::update::
So.. what's in it for you? Well, for a donation of 10GBP/USD or more, I'll send you something by Real Snail Mail from the adventure you helped to fund. It could be a postcard, it could be an item found along the way, it could be anything! Go on - when last did you get snail mail? :-)

On the road again

Yes, it's true - Olivia is back on the road! We completed the final big jobs last night, took her for a celebratory test drive to a rather wind-swept beach, checked the spotlight focus, and this morning I drove her to work.

She's heavier, she's WAY cooler, she's pimped out properly, and she starts immediately. She's a very different truck. There are still a few small jobs awaiting attention, but she's no longer standing forlonely around in pieces. She's smartly footing it down the roads, daring any BMW driver to cut in front of her (beware the lights, the "fog horn" hooter, the really strong bumper...).

Favourite Man has done awesome things on that truck. He's put blood, sweat and tears into her. She's a ride worthy of admiration from all! And I'm grinning again.


I'm also starting to plan some adventures, dream again. There's some very good stuff in store.

Coming together

Olivia's coming together very quickly! Last night the renewed roofrack went on. Every day we're another step closer to being back on the road... and making one helluva impression in the process.

Missed

August 29. That's the last time I drove Olivia (doorless / to work). Nearly 2 months.

I've nearly forgotten what it's like to drive her - how she feels, how she responds, the instinctive turning circle calculations required on entering or exiting a parking space. I've nearly forgotten the noise, the heat radiating through the firewall, the feel of every bump in the road, the sensation of being overtaken by all except the slowest trucks. I've nearly forgotten the rush, the pleasure, the absolute joy of driving my very cool Landy.

I miss her.... but it's not long now. At least I hope so.

Letting Go

I'm feeling a little bit nostalgic today.

Last week Olivia's old windscreen went to the scrap metal recylcers. It was so shot full of rust that there was no chance of rescuing it or reselling it. The new windscreen doesn't have a unusually thick middle bit, nor does it flap down. It's not army green inside and blue outside, it doesn't leak. There are no handles at odd places to move things, nor screws and bolts to control the flap. Just an expanse of glass that's pretty panoramic by comparison!

I'm all nostalgic over that windscreen, although I do like the new one muchly.

Today the hooter went to a new owner - it's been replaced with the loudest air horns you'll ever hear, which we keep setting off by accident when leaning across to do things on the dash. That's Olivia's old voice gone - to a very good home, and another Olivia, but still. I won't forget the first time I found out it worked. Also by mistake :-)

I'm all nostalgic over that hooter, although I do like the thought of emptying the bowels via soundwaves of any BMW driver that cuts me off in future.

Olvia's looking the business - she's going to be absolutely awesome when she's done. I know letting go of some of her old bits is part of the process, but it's still sometimes hard to do.

My Next Land Rover...

...will be bog-basic, old and battered, a short-wheel-base beast that I've rescued from neglect and taken home to love. It will look like it's about to fall apart, but the engine will be completely sorted and ticking over beautifully. It will probably have a dashboard filled with water bottles, bits of string, an odd bolt or two and tree-rings of dust from the places I've been lately. I might deign to take a hosepipe to it once a year to find out what colour the paint is. It may have enough seats for passengers, or you may just need to hold on tight wherever you find a place for your butt. I'll think nothing of throwing a surfboard, a load of compost, a few dogs or some rescued wood in the back - the paintwork won't matter, nor will sand, dirt or dog-slobber. It may not have a roof. It may only just conform to roadworthy standards. It will definitely be a working vehicle that won't be afraid to go play in the mud. I'll love driving it, in spite of the need to keep a dry change of clothes and a towel handy in winter, simply because it's a Landy.

OR

...will be a Defender 90, smart as a button, perhaps in black or gunmetal grey. No leaks, no major rattles, and the luxury of hearing a radio over engine noise. It will probably have carpets and properly upholstered seats. It may be pimped (just a little - OK, enough to make a statement). It will be capable of going offroad whenever it wants to - but will generally serve as a comfortable daily ride. My son and his friends will fit in on proper seats with working seatbelts, and not get their clothes dirty during the ride or be unable to hold a conversation. It will handle hills in style and make a statement in traffic. It will not break down regularly, and I will not get into it with an adrenalin-induced fear of the unkown before every trip. I will be able to go out in it wearing evening dress or working clothes. It may have a dog-guard (and carpet protectors). It might even have aircon and central locking. It may or may not have flames down the side :-) I'll love driving it, simply because it's a Landy.

And Olivia? Olivia's part of the family. She stays, regardless.

Progress

Hey, at least she has a windscreen now! :-)

Girl-power

Since I posted the thing below, I've been mulling the whole "I'm A Girl" attitude. It runs a lot deeper than merely not being able to turn a wheel nut.

But here's the thing. I didn't start this project to give up simply because I'm a girl. I've battled through challenges in the past, and I aim to do so again. I'm not your average chick.

Yes, it will take longer as I have to figure things out and learn them for myself. Yes, I may make mistakes that will perhaps cost time or money. Yes, it will take more effort - but hey, my muscles were created to work. Yes, I may get frustrated or be frustrating to others as things don't happen quickly enough or in the prescribed manner. There's more than one right way to do things sometimes and I have to find what works for me.

But this chick ain't done yet. And she's not going to lie down and play dead either. Once this project's done, there will be another one waiting in the wings, which I look forward to with relish (in fact it's already in the quietly-planning stage).

So be it.

Girl

I've been a single mom for nearly 15 years. During that time I've learnt that there is generally no-one else around to:

a) open jars
b) lift heavy things
c) change light bulbs
etc.

So I've ended up learning how to do it all myself or it doesn't get done at all - and taking pride in the fact that I can. I like feeling the muscles working, surprising the general public with what I can accomplish, and giving a good few guys a run for their money in their own domain.

Same thing when it comes to sorting out Olivia. I've wrestled some pretty heavy stuff off of her (one of which recently got someone very p'd off 'cos they reckoned I shouldn't attempt it without help). I've fixed things, I've adjusted things, I've boldly gone where some refuse to. And even if it takes me a bit longer to both figure out and achieve, I've done it.

But now and then I get very frustrated at being a Girl. At NOT being able to do things.

Case in point - Monday night. It was leaf-spring removal time, as the front springs were due to be reconditioned the next day. We started late, and it was a very difficult, dangerous job. I spent much of the time just holding a worklight, fetching tools, making mistakes when I misheard instructions, and hoping the truck wouldn't crush the boyfriend. It took a lot of willpower not to get under there and help (I'm used to doing it myself, remember, and not used to being an assistant) - but it would have been more of a hinderance than anything else.

I did, however, get given one job to do. Take off the wheels. And that's where it got really frustrating. I simply didn't have the ability to undo those wheel nuts - especially when the tyre kept turning around up in the air, balanced on the axle stands. I had neither the power and height to keep it still nor the muscle to loosen those nuts at the same time. And it made me really really angry.

Yes, that sounds silly. Yes, it was even sillier for me to want to burst into tears when the nuts wouldn't turn and the wheel did. And the ultimate in silliness that I got p'd off when the boyfriend accomplished that task so easily it made me look like a complete and utter idiot.

But these things happen. The truth is that I am a girl. And not a tall one either. Sometimes there are things I can't do, no matter how much I try. I'm not superwoman, I'm not the do-anything chick. I just have to learn to deal with that fact and not try to get everything right all of the time.

Then move on to focus on the stuff I am good at. Stuff that only girls do well.

Photographic Evidence

There's been a lot of work going on with Olivia lately! But I haven't had a chance to blog it - instead I've taken all the photos I've posted to one forum, detailing her re-do, and stuck them here. Descriptions to be added eventually.

Even more stripped...

Just when I thought she couldn't get any more stripped, here's what Olivia currently looks like.


The new windscreen goes in soon, but until then she's not going anywhere. We were considering just taking out the remaining door at the back, then hitting the highway to see what speed is required to make her fly! :-)

Natural Aircon

If I thought Olivia was stripped before, I was wrong. Here's how I drove to work today, VERY securely strapped in...!


My 5-door model is currently a 1-door :-)