Mr. Wolf picked me up at the airport in a vintage Italian sports car and headed straight for Philippe’s garage (reaching speeds of 100 mph)
The engine is in and Philippe expects everything will be wrapped up — wait for it — by the end of next week.
Since arriving I have seen exotic vehicles worth millions (?) and met some really nice and interesting people. I’ll post a proper report and more photos upon my return.
Mr. Wolf stopped by to visit the Land Rover on Friday. There was a time when we thought the truck would be done by September 2017. What is that, nine months ago? Like everything else with this project, the engine swap has been plagued with problems. There’s a chance the work could be complete by the time I arrive in San Francisco next Friday but I wouldn’t bet the farm.
I’ve confided to friends that my enthusiasm for this project has… waned. We can only hope that returns when I get the truck. But it’s a nice, first-world kind of problem. On a more positive note, Mr. Wolf took his Mercedes Benz Unimog off-roading last week (Fordyce Creek in the Tahoe National Forest) and shares this exceptional video.
This timeline includes my payments to Lucra Cars, Zombie Motors, Mr. Wolf, and — eventually — Philippe. I’ve been reticent about sharing that information. Seemed in poor taste. Or I come off looking like a chump. I’m over that. The truck will wind up costing what it costs and that is undeniably part of the story. Video runs just over 3 minutes. More info on each of these events by clicking the Land Rover link below. You can also navigate by date using the tool in the sidebar.
I gather this was only slightly more difficult than a heart-lung transplant and will cost about the same. Next comes wiring, redoing the exhaust system, and finding someplace to stick the radiator. Might be done by the end of the week. The real test will come when Mr. Wolf starts driving the truck again. Speaking of Mr. Wolf, he’s out of town the rest of this week at some kind of off-road event.
This video is pretty amazing and if off-roading is your thing, worth a watch. Mr. Wolf will be driving a Unimog.
This beauty pulled up in front of the coffee shop this morning. Had a nice chat with the owner. He’s got a garage full of vintage vehicles he promised to show me.
After a week with no news on The Big Engine Swap, I called EuroLand 4×4 and left a message: “You guys are working on my truck and I’m calling for an update.” Ten minutes later I got a call back from the mysterious Philippe (whose accent is somewhere between Pepe Le Pew and Inspector Clouseau).
The old engine is out and Philippe’s concerns about its condition were confirmed. Unfortunately, the new engine from Zombie Motors isn’t going to be the plug-and-play fit we were told. Philippe had to contact the Land Rover folks in the UK for some instructions on how to make the new engine fit. Battery will have to be moved from the engine compartment to under the driver’s seat; instead of belt driven fan we’ll be using an electric fan for cooling (which is a better way to go I’m told); and some changes to the wiring and exhaust system. Translation: expensive.
Philippe sounded confident he could make it all work and might be finished in a week. I’ll believe it when I see it. O when Mr. Wolf sees/drives it. In three short weeks I’ll wing it out to San Francisco to finally meet Mr. Wolf and — with some luck — play with the truck before it gets shipped back to Missouri.
Philippe has started putting in the new engine. No idea how long that might take but it’s great to see some progress. Any progress. This project has been plagued with problems — large and small — so I won’t celebrate until my ass in the seat.
If there’s going to be another “issue,” it’s likely to be the transmission. Will it work with the new engine? But as they say at the poker table, I’m all in.
When I got to the coffee shop Saturday mourning I found the street lined with hundreds of Mustangs. Shelbyfest is a big rally for Mustang owners and while these beauties don’t turn my crank like an old Land Rover, they are gorgeous hunks of metal. A policeman doing crowd control guessed there were 400-500 cars this year. I’ve included notes on some of the photos below.
It was one year ago today I decided to find and purchase a Land Rover. I knew absolutely nothing about them, just thought they looked cool and I wanted one. It has taken twice as long as I expected and cost — just guessing here — about 30% more.
I’ve made some new long-distance friends on this journey and watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos of people restoring and repairing Land Rovers. Some spend years working on these old trucks.
The guys down at the coffee shop have stopped asking when the truck arrives and I try not to bring it up. But one day soon I’ll come thundering down the street and park out front and maybe take the boys for a ride in a real vintage Land Rover. That will be fun.
There are probably smarter ways to get your hands on one of these but none to which I had access. And I really haven’t been all that frustrated by the delays and unanticipated costs.
I’ve sold the MINI, sort of. I’ve turned it over to a friend who will sell it. It started having electrical problems that were only going to get worse and I don’t have the skills or the patience to deal with. Which means I’m without wheels until the Land Rover arrives so I’m renting.
As this project dragged on, I created a little map to keep things straight.
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve said we’re nearing the end but I think we’re nearing the end. The new engine will be in San Francisco by the end of the week and — again, I’m just guessing here — maybe a week or two for Philippe to pull the current engine and drop the new one in. Still planning to fly out and meet the mysterious Mr. Wolf and break a bottle of bubbly on the Land Rover’s bumper. Or something. Watch this space.
