Category Archives: Cars & Trucks

Brakes adjusted

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The Land Rover brakes have been feeling a little spongy so today Mechanic George put it up on jacks to take a look and he let me watch.

You can adjust brakes without removing the wheels but for this first look George wanted to pull the wheels and drums.

He made some minor adjustments to the shoes and bled some air from the brake lines. Noticeable improvement.

In the photo above George is adjusting the emergency bake. Land Rovers of my vintage have a transmission brake. Works like drum brakes by keeping power from getting to the rear prop shaft.

Yes, I did pay extra to watch.

Land Rover reunion

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“An 87-year-old woman received the reunion of a lifetime when she got to spend time in an original Land Rover she worked with 70 years ago.

Dorothy Peters told her story to Land Rover, which in turn granted her time with the car she kept pictures of for decades to come. According to the woman, she and her mother went to the Land Rover factory (then called Rover) as she looked for employment opportunities in July of 1946. She was 15 when the automaker hired her as part of the service department at the Lode Lane factory working alongside the first series Land Rovers to be built at the site.” Motor Authority 

More Land Rovers

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I found what must be the largest collection of vintage Land Rovers in mid-Missouri. (The owner prefers to remain anonymous) His shop(s) is filled with Land Rovers waiting to be restored and while he identified the model and year of each truck, I was so mesmerized I didn’t take notes. In addition to Land Rovers he had a 1970-something Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. I hope he invites me back (when it’s warmer) so I can get a bit more info on these beauties. [middleton]

Pickup is home

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My first gardening run. Hattie is digging up the yard looking for moles. My job is to fill in with top soil. No long have to use Barb’s Lexus for this chore.

Update: January 5, 2019 – Plumbers cut up the old acrylic shower-tub in one of our bathrooms to make room for a walk-in shower. Contractor hauled off most of the old shower but didn’t have room for some.

So I tossed it in the bed of Minty Fresh (along with some other junk) and hauled it away. Pre-pickup, that would involve paying someone or borrowing a truck. How did I ever get along without a pickup?

On your radio dial

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I have not listened to a radio station in years. Some of that is attributable to the iPod and the iPhone and some to the decline of local radio. But as a teenager in the 60s, radio was a huge part of my life. Great memories of WLS in Chicago and, later, WWL in New Orleans.

How familiar that radio dial with its five pre-set buttons. If your station wasn’t good enough to get one of the buttons, well, that car wasn’t listening.

The video clip above is from the pickup I recently purchased. Hadn’t bothered to turn the radio on and wondered if it worked. Don’t imagine I’ll do much listening in the truck but I kind of like having it there. For old time’s sake.

Preparing a home for the pickup

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Once I decided against keeping the pickup in a storage unit across town, it was time to think about where to park her. I still need to cut some grooves and seat the logs. After that, spread some gravel and throw a tarp over her.

For some reason, the photos I take of this spot do not convey how steep the grade is. I’m guessing it’s 20 degrees which you can certainly feel carrying logs.

Max defrost

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Everybody jokes about the heaters in old Land Rovers. Mr. Wolf told me to expect the amount of warmth one feels holding a hand over a toaster. It was cold and rainy today but once the the motor got warmed up I had just enough warm air to give me a little visibility. Don’t know how this is gonna work come January and February.

40 years of crud

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We pulled the bench seat out of the pickup today and hosed out forty years of nastiness. There are some rust spots but no more than you’d expect from a truck of this vintage. I’m having new upholstery put on the seat (as well as some new foam) and it should be ready in a few weeks. I might put down a couple of floor mats but I like the idea of being able to turn a hose on the cab when it gets dirty.

As if the fuel tank (right side of the photo) wasn’t large enough, there’s a second one. Still trying figure out how that works.

Why the Land Rover Defender is so expensive in the US

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“Used examples of the North American Spec (NAS) Defender can cost between $70,000 and $150,000 while the same car in Europe can be had for as little as $10,000.”  (CARSCOOPS)

When I started lusting for a Land Rover it was the Defender the turned my crank. I was completely unaware of the Series Rovers but SO glad I got nudged in that direction.