restoration New project - Mk 1 Knocker 6x6

These arrived today!! A bit bigger and definitely a LOT heavier than expected.

These arrived today!! A bit bigger and definitely a LOT heavier than expected.

Wow they are big, I was going to message you to ask what was happening with these, I'm definitely in the market for one.

PT

Wow they are big, I was going to message you to ask what was happening with these, I'm definitely in the market for one.

 

PT

Funnily enough - I do have just one left. 2 have been sold already and are being collected Sunday. If you are interested PM me for the price and we can sort something out.

Regards,

Neil.

Another day done yesterday - bit of a painful one too in more ways than one.

For starters the front edge of the roof had some nasty bubbles appearing under the paint. So I took a sanding disk to it and cleaned it back to bare metal then gave the whole section a coat of Jenolite. The bits I thought were bad turned out to be just pitting. Alas this was not the case in the corner on the drivers side which has a large hole!! Really the cab roof needs splitting off and removing as Rob has done with the Tankers - but facilities and available funds kind of block that idea. I begin to think the 9x9 canvas draped over the roof has been a two edged sword. Kept the rain from getting in - but encouraged condensation and thus enhanced corrosion.

Once this was done I had intended rebuilding the doors - but a large aerial inspection platform has been dropped beside the passenger door preventing access that side so rather than do only one I thought I would get the oil can and jerry can holders off and take them home to de-rust during the week and give a coat of paint to them so they are ready for refitting. Oil can one came off easy enough - but the two countersunk screws holding the jerry can one to the mudguard supports refused to undo so I had to undo the bolts securing the bracing straps to the mudguard. Just as I released the last one I remembered I forgot to tie the holder back to the chassis - about a millisecond before it dropped on my head. Note - this f*&%ing hurts!!!

In between rain showers today I stripped the support struts and bracket from from the jerry can carrier, went over them with a coarse sanding disc and then a gave them a good dunking in Jenolite.

The oil can carrier was not so bad - just a bit of surface corrosion in places so that too was cleaned back to bare metal and then given the Jenolite treatment.

The Jerry can carrier itself was given a quick brush over with Jenolite as time stopped me getting the sanding disc on it - that will come tomorrow.

All currently sitting in the Landrover as the OH refused point blank to have them in the house

Those parts already treated will get a coat of Bonda Primer tomorrow whilst I clean up the jerry can carrier. This will then also get a coat of Bonda Primer and when dried all parts will get two coats of Deep Bronze Green before being refitted.

I have to persuade my windows up too, that vice is very smart 👍🏻

I have to persuade my windows up too, that vice is very smart 👍🏻

Thanks for the kind words sir. The vice has actually darkened down nicely in the weeks since it was done - looking more like the Army version of DBG now.

Spent all of today prepping the jerry can carrier - used sanding discs to get most of the paint off then tried using paint stripper. I have no idea what paint was used but it totally ignores Nitromors which usually works quite well. Despite two thick applications I wound up using more traditional scraping techniques which is why it took all day.

Still - the support struts and their bracket have now been given a coat of Bonda Primer so they are ready for the Deep Bronze Green treatment. Tomorrow morning the carrier will get a final once over in Jenolite to catch anything I missed prior to stripping and then once that has dried off that too will get a coat of Bonda Primer so that all is ready to have the top coat applied. Saturday I will clean up the area the carriers were fitted to on the chassis and mudguards and give those a coat of Jenolite and then Bonda Primer so in 2 maybe 3 weeks time these carriers can go back on.

I also need to get a fuel line replaced - the one that runs along from the filter behind the tank to the union just in front of the greasing/oiling points on the drivers side of the chassis

We get there slowly - very slowly.

So - progress again.....

The jerry can and oil can carriers plus brackets and support struts are all now finished with two coats of Deep Bronze Green and are ready to go back on.  Couldn't do anything last weekend as I was replacing the head gasket on the Landie - again!.  However this week  saw the structure where the carriers mount and the read mudguard cleaned off and given a coat of primer ready for a coat of Deep Bronze Green next week.  Week after they will get the second coat and then the carriers can go back on and I have the joy of getting the tool box off the other side to do the same job on

Lastly the spare wheel carrier was freed off and the spare wound down to check it.  Tyre was as flat as a pancake so I need to get an airline made up with a PCL fitting one end and a clip on valve fitting the other so the tyres can be inflated single handed.

Another day - good news - and not so good news.

Good news is we had a lovely bright day so the top coat was applied to the front bumper (1 coat so far)

the faces of the door inner panels

and the affected areas at the rear to allow the carriers to be re-attached.  Two coats in each area so by the time a week has passed that should be nicely hardened ready to take the carriers

The not so good news is as of now I have no idea when I am going to be able to get back over there Heading home on the Sat evening I had an idiot in a Audi decide he wasn't waiting for a Range Rover and tried overtaking me then cutting in front to take hi exit.  And misjudged it.  End result being the drivers side of the bumper was ripped off, wing f*cked and possibly the steering.  Spoke to my insurers and they wrote it off without even looking at it.  From what I know of insurance practices the payout will be the bare minimum of what the market price range is - and then the insurers are taking £400 off that for the excess.  If I'm lucky I might end up with around £500 for a car I could have sold privately for about £2,000 - and I have NO idea when they will payout so I am grounded until I can find something to replace it.

Buy it back and fix it.. all the parts you need are on ebay just get the steering looked at . loads of front bumpers available from 75 quid.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Range-Rover-P38-Standard-Front-Bumper-in-Black-/263265435280?fits=Plat_Gen%3AMK+II&hash=item3d4bd7be90:g:lfkAAOSwX0NZu58K

or hard core

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/P38-Winch-Bumper-/202065723462?epid=831754267&hash=item2f0c0e4046:g:HLUAAOSwSzxZylCu

You should see what done underneath as regards the supporting bracketry.  Insurers are picking it up tomorrow.

Very sorry to hear of your misfortune.  I hope it is resolved quickly - using the Uaz as the daily driver all through the winter isn't everyone's cup of tea!

Best of luck

10 68

Sorry to hear that Neil, I know its not in the same league but my neighbor is selling his sons KA for £300 if that helps to get you mobile?

Neil,

Unless you have agreed with the insurance company's valuation already, you can negotiate for a higher value if you can't buy a similar aged and condition Range Rover for the money they are giving you.

From your post, it wasn't your fault, so your insurance company should claim back your excess from the other driver's insurance.

These 2 links give more information:-

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/insurance/insurance/types-of-insurance/vehicle-insurance/vehicle-insurance-if-the-accident-wasn-t-your-fault/

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-1722555/How-challenge-car-valuation-write-off.html

Well - all work on the Militant is now on indefinite hold as I have no way of getting there with all the tools etc.

Insurers want to go 50/50 on blame and I am refusing, sticking to my guns that in no way was I to blame.  Other party is now claiming for injuries - which hopefully means he's shot himself in the foot as I positively heard him tell the police on the phone immediately after the event that no one was hurt.   Now got to sit back and wait until the insurers and lawyers finish fighting.

Appreciate the offer on the Ka sir - but what I lug up to the Militant every week would fill a Ka with some left over.   I have specific needs, capacity wise at least, for a vehicle which includes being able to get either a Soviet tent or a 9x9 in the back together with all necessary kit for Living History.

On 25/10/2017 at 10:15 PM, ArtistsRifles said:

................. Insurers want to go 50/50 on blame and I am refusing, sticking to my guns that in no way was I to blame.  .............

I feel for you.

I've played this game and it is hard work. It should not be.

To the individual(s) dealing with the case 50/50 is the easy / least work option and overall corporately the lowest cost. It is wrong but almost inevitably you will not get a payout to buy like-for-like privately let alone from the trade.

Did you have legal expenses protection? If so through that you should be able to claim your excess.

Beware of two other potential factors -

First once your car is written off if you had cover to drive other vehicles that is lost as the policy becomes suspended until you transfer it to a replacement vehicle.

Second if not settled with no blame to you it will affect both your no claims discount and the base price of your policy come renewal date.

On ‎25‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 10:15 PM, ArtistsRifles said:

 

'Appreciate the offer on the Ka sir - but what I lug up to the Militant every week would fill a Ka with some left over.   I have specific needs, capacity wise at least, for a vehicle which includes being able to get either a Soviet tent or a 9x9 in the back together with all necessary kit for Living History.'

Neil, Had you thought of a trailer perhaps?....;)

On 30/10/2017 at 6:53 AM, ferretfixer said:

 

Yep - Sankey on the back of a Ka is a non starter :-)

Seriously though - used to work for the blue oval and vehicles in the Ka (Sub-B) class do not mix well with tow bars.  We do have a standard car trailer here but a lot of stuff gets left in the boot of the car - left in a trailer it would be gone within 24 hours.  Only yesterday I walked a pair of Est European types out of the drive at the point of a Nagant + bayonet because they were trying to nick the remains of a Landrover 2.25 lump sat beside the garage.  And yes - we are actively now looking at moving out of the London zone.

On 29/10/2017 at 9:55 PM, david1212 said:

I feel for you.

I've played this game and it is hard work. It should not be.

To the individual(s) dealing with the case 50/50 is the easy / least work option and overall corporately the lowest cost. It is wrong but almost inevitably you will not get a payout to buy like-for-like privately let alone from the trade.

Did you have legal expenses protection? If so through that you should be able to claim your excess.

Beware of two other potential factors -

First once your car is written off if you had cover to drive other vehicles that is lost as the policy becomes suspended until you transfer it to a replacement vehicle.

Second if not settled with no blame to you it will affect both your no claims discount and the base price of your policy come renewal date.

Got legal protection on the policy so that's covered.  Insurers have said they "most likely" will go 50/50 on the blame as there were no witnesses and its his word vs. mine.  My reply to that was if they do then they both render the Highway Code not worth the paper its printed on but also the laws of physics as the front of my car is manifestly ripped off.  if I had hit the other driver as he is claiming then the front of my vehicle would be crushed in - so would the side of his vehicle and its unlikely his front seat passenger would have escaped without serious and life changing injuries.  I was doing maybe 20 mph at the time and he overtook me before trying to cut across in front of me to get to his exit so he had to be doing in excess of 30 mph and either was too stupid to work out he couldn't do it or too arrogant.  Take your pick.  I also distinctly heard one of his passengers complaining the other one would miss his train so the reason for the speed and the stupidity is pretty obvious.  

Just got to sit back and wait now.  sent the form back the other day  together with the signed statement that I am full prepared to stand up in court and recite the same series of events.  I will just be glad when all this shit is sorted and I can get back to talking about how the Militant is getting on.

My insurance tried to fob me off by stating that a similar case had been settled 50/50. I wasn't falling for that. To tell you how they will settle the case is simply wrong.

To a point I understand their position of not knowing what really happened just from the reports by those involved when no witnesses but they should also be able to draw on analyzing the damage and the location.

My case was clearer in that I was on the road approaching a traffic light controlled junction in the outer lane that was clear up when the other vehicle emerged through a gap in the queuing inner lane. As I said to the copper ' I was so close I don't know if he hit me or I hit the brake pedal first ' .

As to the car value I had bought 4 tyres just weeks earlier and had a full tank of petrol. Out of ' good will ' they added less than half of the cost to their offer. On a car worth, and of course insured for, around £3000 I was easily £250 out of pocket.

Eventually when I would not give in the solicitors representing me through the legal expenses put a summons to court. The other party insurers then gave in paying out to my insurers, I had received the payment for my car less the excess from my insurers within a month if not sooner, paying the excess to me and an award for expenses. The latter at least covered the difference between what I received for my car and what it was worth.

My insurers then re-instated my no claims in full. It was protected I recall 2 claims in 5 years so no actual policy increase. In between my renewal was due and effectively I could not change company since at that point the claim showed as 50/50.

Ultimately the winners of course were the two solicitors. Had the other insurers accepted their customer was to blame and paid out in full right away solicitors need not have been involved at all.  

I know we are waaay off-topic here - but....  latest status is they offered £2130 for the Range Rover based on current available prices for a '98 HSE.  The fact the interior had been upgraded to a Vogue spec was not relevant - or allowed to be relevant - so after they dock the £400 excess I am left with £1730.  I need transport so  had to accept the offer - I found an '07 Saab 9-5 Aero estate with a similar size load carrying capacity and put a deposit on it.  Another story involved there for another time - but one thus far in my favour. .    I've had Saab's in the past and they are extremely reliable so as soon as they issue the settlement payment I will at least be able to get back over the Militant and get on with the work.  Good news is they have told me they are pressing for 100% responsibility from the other party based on the statement, sketches of the incident scene and photographs provided.  Once that settles, hopefully in my favour I get the £400 excess back.

It is hard to keep going when you are in the right and not just go with the flow. Really pleased you are getting transport sorted.

I'm pleased to read you have found a suitable replacement within the budget.

However reading that the fact your Range Rover had a Vogue interior but that this was not allowed to be relevant is 100% wrong.  They know they have you ' over a barrel '  because you need transport. You should be able to receive an interim payment and still be able to negotiate on the value of the vehicle written off.

Alas the deal is now done - although I am STILL waiting for the cheque!!   Think I will be changing insurers as soon as this mess is sorted out.  

Can't do a thing until they send it as things to date have wiped me financially.   And although they say they are pressing for 100% libility from the other party I do not think that will be a quick resolution.  The other moron is saying I drove onto the roundabout without topping and straight into him and even though the photographic evidence of the damage plus my route home proves him a liar we all know what lawyers are like for wrangling over details.

Beginning to think I am jinxed right now.  Couple of days after picking up the replacement the "check engine" light came on the dash.  Plugging a code reader in comes back with a P1260 error which on a Saab is the throttle body.  So now I have to fix that - which is about £300.........

Got the jerry can carriers here all ready to go back on and need to get the tool box on the other side off for the same treatment.  Also need to get air in the drivers side front tyre.  But until this issue is sorted I ain't going anywhere.  Can't even use the FFR or UAZ as nether of them are running either.

Only consolation is the weather has been too crappy to work outdoors.....