Military Lightweight Forum

We’ve all been there - hard not to feel like a chump when you’ve checked literally everything else but as you say at least you’ll know what to check first next time.

Best of luck with the MOT - your workmanship is superb so I can’t imagine you’ll have any serious issues. There, I’ve only gone and jinxed you

Promise I’ll make time to post the bracket tomorrow.

Andy

Morning all,

I've done that with the 6 way switch - got to the end of the drive and wondered why the indicators aren't working!

Good luck with the MOT.

Cheers,

Chris

Haven't been called forward for an MoT, yet, but, if I were, then the Volvo is going to have to take precedence as that runs out this month as well and, once the MoT stations are up and running again there will be a huge backlog.

Other things? Well, I wanted a box to keep things in out of sight and was rather taken with the idea of an under-bonnet toolbox. But, I can't afford to buy one. So, I discovered I had an old biscuit tin in the garage which, once fitted with a piano hinge and a claps and staple, will serve well enough to keep odds and sods in - though it won't be strong enough to hold the jack rattling around in it. But, the size is about right and it doesn't look out of place under the bonnet. Just need to sort a simple method of holding it in place now - probably a single bolt through the bottom will do.

One other small project I've done and that is to sort out mats for the footwells. I made up some of my own using bits of car carpet but they were pretty hopeless and curled up all the time. Then I saw an advert for these - they're actually for standard Series Land Rovers, so I had to trim them to fit - largely just cutting off the ridges round the sides - easily done with a penknife. Anyway, they seem to do the job. I'm quite pleased. (And, at the moment, the engine is running fine. A couple of leaks (of course) but, otherwise, I am quietly optimistic that, once it's registered, it'll actually be able to potter about with a degree of reliability!

Fred wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 07, 2020 1:42 pm

One other small project I've done and that is to sort out mats for the footwells. I made up some of my own using bits of car carpet but they were pretty hopeless and curled up all the time. Then I saw an advert for these - they're actually for standard Series Land Rovers, so I had to trim them to fit - largely just cutting off the ridges round the sides - easily done with a penknife. Anyway, they seem to do the job. I'm quite pleased. (And, at the moment, the engine is running fine. A couple of leaks (of course) but, otherwise, I am quietly optimistic that, once it's registered, it'll actually be able to potter about with a degree of reliability!

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Well that biscuit tin looks lot me like it could have been an in-service mod, and as you say it’s not far from the genuine article - I think most would have to look twice to spot it.

The mats look a good fit - and is that a certain familiar looking extinguisher bracket I spy?

andrewjsimpson1977 wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 07, 2020 1:57 pm

is that a certain familiar looking extinguisher bracket I spy?

Not yet! I have been fiddling with the bracket this week, but I don't have any DBG paint, so it's still in undercoat - I'm waiting for the top coat to arrive this week and then you shall see it in all its glory!

Fred wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 07, 2020 2:54 pm

andrewjsimpson1977 wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 07, 2020 1:57 pm

is that a certain familiar looking extinguisher bracket I spy?

Not yet! I have been fiddling with the bracket this week, but I don't have any DBG paint, so it's still in undercoat - I'm waiting for the top coat to arrive this week and then you shall see it in all its glory!

I should have known better - ever the perfectionist Ian

Hiya Fred! ,

Nice biscuit tin mod. In a true, Army, that will do, style, you should have left it unpainted. Because you didn't really want to do the job, your heart wasn't in it, the paint store was closed, you couldn't find a brush, and who cares because you can't see it when the bonnet is shut anyway.

Regards,

I've been looking at my Britpart rear seats and... they offend the eye. OK, they work, but they're the wrong design, they're the wrong colour and the backs show when the tilt is off making it immediately apparent that they aren't original.

So... finally, today, I decided to do something about it. I had one original old seat frame and back rest which came with the vehicle when I bought it, but it was very manky and covered with paint. This afternoon, I dug it out and have started to strip the paint off and do my best to clean up the vinyl of the back rest itself. I will then fit it and use the seat cushion from one of the Britpart ones until I can find a better original. I'm not sure that's going to be very easy, as I well know that the seat cushions from Land Rover tubs got a hell of a kicking during their service. Still, it'll give me something to look out for in the future. I shall remove both Britpart seats in the meantime (I don't need them anyway) and eventually they'll find their way onto eBay.

Incidentally, am I correct in thinking that the painted rear of the original backrests were a mid-grey gloss? Photos to follow tomorrow, all being well.

Other news? Well, today it was taxed for the first time as a vehicle of historic interest... So, I can drive it again! (And I've already sent off for a pair of black and silver number plates!)

Hooray! It’s back on the road!

I have one original seat base I can photograph in the morning for a colour guide. My seat backs are from Ridgy’s old rear seats and unfortunately they are therefore the later black ones. They are reusable though so maybe I’ll vinyl paint them.