One of the first things I noticed when I started checking fluid levels in The Truck was small amounts of brake fluid around the cap and on top of the reservoir. Mechanic George tried several things and we wound up ordering a new cap. Turns out the problem was the rim surface under the cap/seal (red line).
George files and sanded that rim smooth which allowed the cap to screw in tighter for a better seal. No leaks so far.
After listening to me talk about the mythical Land Rover for 15 months, some of boys at the coffee shop were wondering if it was real so I’ve been eager to get a parking spot out front.
That sweet Jeep belongs to one of the regulars. Did the restoration himself. Not a military model as it turns out. A civilian CJ (1947) that was made for the Corps of Engineers.
Barb and Hattie took a little nature walk this weekend.
The MINI is gone and I’m fully committed to making The Truck my daily driver. But the day will come when the Land Rover is out of commission for a few days (longer?) and Barb has made it clear I won’t be borrowing her Lexus. So I’ve been thinking about a back up ride. Something that will get me to the coffee shop and the catfish place and back. The more beat up looking the better. Would love to find something like one of these (with the exception of the last truck).
Turns out these are difficult to find because everyone wants one. And if you do find one, it ain’t cheap.
This Saturday I will have had the truck for three weeks and I still get a tingle when I see it. I’m sure there are some Series Land Rovers in the KC area and assume there are some around St. Louis but I’ve yet to see any in mid-Missouri. Would love to connect with some owners nearby.
In 50+ years of driving I’ve never kept a fire extinguisher in my vehicle. Passed a few cars that had been on fire but never needed one. In my limited experience, views on fire extinguishers for vehicles fall into two camps. The “Why Bother” guys argue that you don’t know if the thing works without trying it and even if it does it won’t be strong enough to put out a ‘real fire.’ The “Why Not” camp (me) use the NRA logic of “Better to have a fire extinguisher and not need it…”
I purchased one for my truck because I’d hate to be standing there watching my truck burn up with my pecker (Pecker is a cheap brand of Chinese extinguisher) in my hand when I might have saved it.
I went for the H3R Performance HG100C HalGuard Chrome Clean Agent Fire Extinguisher. This little rascal (1.4 pounds) fits nicely in the small cab of the truck.
It was a nice fall day (October 7) in 2011. I was in St. Louis for some reason with a little time to kill so I stopped in at the MINI Cooper dealership. Just window shopping. I was handed off to a “Motoring Advisor” (see below) and the next thing I knew I was writing a check for a new car.
I sold the MINI today to my friend George. It was a good car and fun to drive. But anything more than an oil change meant a trip to the nearest dealer…in St. Louis. And I don’t think I ever got away spending less than a thousand bucks. But the big reason is there simply isn’t room in my life for two vehicles so it was time to say goodbye to the MINI.
From the day I started thinking about an old Land Rover, people have been advising (warning?) me about fluids. “You gotta watch your fluids” and “These things leak like crazy so keep an eye on your fluids.”
In the 50+ years I’ve been driving I’ve the water level in a radiator; pulled the dip stick a few times; and unscrewed those little caps on top of the battery. But checking fluids has been something I left to the dealer’s service department. For the Land Rover there is no dealer within a hundred miles. So I’ve committed to check fluids weekly.
Oil: check; coolant: check; clutch fluid: check; wiper fluid: check; brake fluid: a little low. So Mr. Wolf, Charlie, and George Tergin gave me a little lesson in brake fluid. (It eats paint) All are on the weekly-check list but I’ll probably the brake fluid a little more often until we know what it’s low. The tire pressure was a bit low as well. Okay for off-roading but I’m mostly on paved or gravel roads so I used my little portable air compressor gizmo to take them up to 38 psi.