85KA17 - due south

[gunner59]

Latitude: -45.978410

85KA17 safely disembarked in South Island, New Zealand and none the worse for several weeks at sea. Started with minimal choke on first turn of the key, putting to shame several brand new Japanese SUVs which had to be pushed out of the way in the bonded warehouse as they refused to start. Now just the low volume assessment and entry certification to get through.

[chipbury]

Wow that's some voyage!

I spent a bit of time in NZ ports in the late 90's. A couple of things that stuck in my mind were the great pies we bought 100's of in Tauranga to stock up the ships supplies and the Kiwi burger available in mcdonalds that had beetroot/fried egg on it (if my memory is working properly).

Anyway great place.

Cheers,

Chris

[gunner59]

Kiwi burger is still going strong, it's even in Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwiburger

And as for the pies:

https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/178231-t ... ccess.html

[gunner59]

Regret to report that 85KA17 has failed the New Zealand low volume assessment (the equivalent of the UK's individual vehicle assessment) on the basis of "historic welds and patching". So a call to those nice people at Richards Chassis is probably in order I suspect. It had been at the back of my mind to get around to it one day just not quite this soon. Good job the new double garage and workshop is nearly ready for use and that we're starting to head into spring/summer. Photos to follow - inevitably.

[gunner59]

Well I deliberately waited until the clock had clicked over to 27 July down here in South Island New Zealand to confirm my order for the replacement chassis with Richards, as it seemed a fitting date to do so.




Happy 50th Lightweights everywhere

[gunner59]

So Day 1 of the strip down and re-build of 85KA17, a fairly leisurely day given that there's approx. 7 weeks until the chassis will be ready and then about the same amount again for it to get here. So 37 years of owning and maintaining Series Landies and for the first time ever a. it's not my day to day vehicle and therefore b. time isn't (so much of) an issue and c. all the work will be done inside under a proper roof. So no more lying on the drive while the rain runs inside my collar and the dog tries to hump my leg

I would appear to be the 10th owner since demob in November 1991 and despite the addition (and subsequent removal) of such things as extra driving lights, fog lights, a Kenlowe fan and a cigarette lighter, the dashboard is relatively unscathed. That said the 6 way switch, IR switch and inhibitor and correct hazard warning switch are all missing. But I already have them "in stock".

For some reason there are two LR badges on the rear which leads me to suppose that the tailgate is from a different and probably earlier vehicle.

Strangely there are no obvious holes or fixings for the fire extinguisher bracket but. have power drill will drill! But holes for small arms clips are very much in evidence.

The engine is a civvie reconditioned 5 MB so a tin of BS381 C 101 is on the to buy list. Unfortunately in a vain attempt to squeeze more out it by a PO the oil bath air cleaner has been ditched in favour of a large conical K&N paper filter.

In terms of full restoration vs re-build this one is going the way of re-build as in order to fully restore I'd need to ditch the all round Zeus disc brake conversion just in order to be able to fit standard Series 3 wheels and tyres and that's just for starters. And I haven't even mentioned the parabolic springs the Wolf wheels and the Deestone 7.50s.

However, 6 hours in and the hood sticks & windscreen capping are off, rear mudshields (after stout resistance) are off, rear electrics labelled up and separated from the loom, most of the bolts holding the rear tub to chassis are undone or soaking in WD40 overnight and the drivers door is off. The passenger side is still proving "resistant" so again after soaking in WD40 overnight tomorrow I will deploy the bottle jack as a "persuader".

Then I have to draw breath whilst the sparky finishes off his bit in the new garage/workshpp and we can have power, lights and alarm. Given that in seasonal terms it's the first week in a European February down here in Middle Earth it's actually been pretty good

[gunner59]

Visibly not much change to be seen, however the pile of removed nuts and bolts has nearly doubled in size. The bolts securing the vertical webs which connect the inertia seat belt reels to the chassis (through the rear tub) are proving "reluctant" to come undone but I'd like to get the webs out of the way for the lifting and removal of the rear tub.

The list of small parts needed is slowly growing as things come to light (or not as the case may be). Such things as: 4x spare wheel rubber buffers, correct cold start control, name tag for same, wiper blades, tailgate and door seals., 2x inertia seat belts

The paint side of things appears to be sorted including a very passable match to the Sky/Duck Egg Blue using Resene Tradewind as the colour match, a decorating paint described as "a definite greened blue, busy and prosperous"!

And I've already found other areas of "concern" on the chassis front which wouldn't have been picked up were it not for the fact that the various mud shields have now been removed. Some of which were held in place with tiny little rivets which weren't immediately obvious to the eye.

I've also finally taken to the time to review all my Clansman paraphernalia which I've collected over the years and I appear to be only three cables and a pressel switch short of the full clip in set up.

Now all I've got to do is finish off the service trench for the electric feed to the garage and then the sparky can do his bit and the rear tub can be lifted off and the rest of the strip down continue apace.

[hibbo]

Good start now all you have to do is keep the enthusiasm going through the build

[gunner59]

Se definite progress in the last few days now that the sparky has finished is work setting up the new garage/workshop and the council inspection has taken place. Can finally start filling it up with LWT bits. Although that said the sleepout already has its share of parts including the canvas and hoops, doors, tailgate, sills etc. And the spare room (completely incorrectly called) has all the clansman kit, plus military switches, small arms clips & brackets, bolt sets, check straps etc, in addition to all my re-enactment gear.

But rear tub is now off and being worked on, seems to have only a very sketchy coast of underseal. In fact in the wheel arches a cloth with some turps and a couple of minutes graft gets you back to paintwork. Certainly not the underseal that I remember from Cold War days. White powdery substance in one corner turned out to be plastic padding masking a hole in the floor pan where it bolts to the chassis. And the moths have been at that very thin bit of plate at the front where it fits around the rear of the fuel tanks. But no major dramas, some simple fabricating and riveting and all will be well.

Managed to acquire a replacemement oil bath air cleaner and realised that the original metal elbow is still in situ just almost completely obscured by the large conical paper filter.

And major decision on suspension taken (wallet squeals in pain) am ditching the parabolic/diabolic springs in favour of 7 leaf conventional. Have a front set on order from Jones of Wednesbury and a rear set on their way from Blanchards. Having reviewed the angle that the prop shafts were working at, plus the "issues" with the steering and the fact that it just didn't look right I figured there was only ever one way to go.

[gunner59]

More pics