minn200 Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 Good luck with the MOT, not that you'll need it.... it has been a pleasure to read this blog through all your ups and downs. Regards Nic Thank you Nic I ma glad you have been enjoying the read There will be a few more posts yet I am sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 [h=2]Booked in...[/h]MainPosted by min200 Wed, January 07, 2015 22:25:18 There's no stopping me now I have realised that I think the Landy is ready for it's first bash at a ticket. The insurance has been bought with a 60 day leave of absence to get the registration sorted and the MOT is booked for this Friday at 10am. I have to be honest I must have missed something here there WILL be something it fails on if not several some things so I am treating Friday as a "Oi knobhead don't you think you should fix this first before it goes on the road?" sort of appointment that will give me a list of niggly bits to sort out by next weekend when I will take it back for a retest should it fail. So why do I feel a little bit nervous then? Why are there butterflies in my stomach when I think about driving it to the test centre and waiting while some other bloke has a poke around with my project? Am I jealous that another man is going to get intimate with it and am I just excited to be driving it finally or terrified that it wont make the 2 mile drive each way? I have even sorted out a recovery plan in case it goes wrong in the form of a mate with another 4x4 and a rope to get me home so there every eventuality has been covered really so this should in theory make me more settled but it doesn't. 9 months hard work is in the firing line here and I think the biggest issue is I don't want someone else telling me it's crap even though I know it isnt! So time to suck it up take it in and see what happens the report will be online by Friday evening but it may be a little tear stained... Here's secretly hoping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Before you take it for the mot have a quick search on Google for the list of what they check and go through it yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Quickie list as I'm no expert but may help: * Chassis from from rust/perforations? * Brakes working, no pull to one side, handbrake holds? * Exhaust not blowing? * Emissions levels OK? * All lights working ? * Tyres OK - tread levels good, no cracks or cuts? * Seat belts if fitted OK, no cuts/damage to the webbing ? * Shock absorbers OK? * Steering OK - no excess play in linkages etc? Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 All of the above ok as far as I could tell....we shall see what happens today eh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Well it went for MOT... Main Posted by min200 Fri, January 09, 2015 16:07:51 Why do I worry myself sick over things I cannot control with motors? I don't do it with motorbikes if they break I fix them and go on again then the ludicrous thing is if a car breaks I fix and drive away again but for some strange reason cars worry me. They worry me in the way that I think they are always "about to" break and after thousands of faultless miles they eventually do and I think to myself "see there it's broken it's let me down!" without thinking about all the trouble free motoring it's done. So with that in mind can you imagine what I was like this morning before setting off in the Landy? I have NEVER driven it further than six feet forwards or backwards in a straight line so I was worrying about whether the steering would fall off when I went around a corner? (I know stupid right) would the engine run ok under load? (even though I have revved the nuts off of it on a regular basis on the driveway) would the gearbox collapse? (why would it?) are the propshafts straight? Oh my God is the tracking ok enough or will it pull me up the neighbours driveway as soon as I leave? (I am working myself up into a frenzy now) it was at this point my body said to my head "time out now you are going to stop pacing and sit down for a bit". I didn't faint or pass out but as I sat on the toilet in a smell that quite frankly made me feel sick even though it was my own I attempted to take some deep breathes quickly put that down to a bad idea due to the stench and got my mind back under control. Test time had arrived so with a new found stoicism I jumped into the drivers seat prayed it would start which of course it did and set to taking the project for it's first proper drive in 16 years. It drove as it should in a nice straight line with soup bowl gear changes rattling away nicely and being generally very very loud. After the first two corners and a roundabout I had forearms like Popeye (if you don't know who Popeye is Google it then be thankful you are still very young) the brakes needed a second pump to grip really well as they settled in and the temp gauge sat at normal. Two miles and a stomach churning 5 minute drive later we arrived at the test centre to the owners remark of "I thought you had rebuilt mate" Funny bugger... I should point out at this point if you are registering a motor after it's MOT like me take all the paperwork you have to the testing station with you because it makes these guys a lot easier when entering the details. The most essential info was the proof of date of build letter I had that info was like gold when setting up the test itself. Time to go into grown up bloke mode and not show the panic in my eyes as they took it inside the doors. I stood pacing up and down like an expectant Father in fact I don't recall being that worried when the kids were being born but I suppose I was really doing the work then eh I had already done my bit! It was now over a pit.... They left the engine running longer than it has ever run before and much to my surprise it didn't dump it's coolant everywhere at any point! They were extremely thorough though in fact I thought they were far more thorough than I had ever been on my driveway during the rebuild but that was just doubt talking. These guys were knowledgeable as well they knew that it was not a "handbrake" but a transmission brake and to test them off they set with the tester thing (forgot to ask what it was called so forgive me but I was far too busy worrying to remember everything!) you put in the passenger floor well when driving to make sure the brakes are good enough. Off they went with MY Landy for a spin and were gone for hours and hours...ok they were gone less than five minutes but by the time they returned I had developed a pair of new stomach ulcers and they had very straight faces. They got out and walked over to that little room that all MOT stations have and disappeared inside. One walked out empty handed followed quite some time later by the other who had a bit of white paper in hos hand. I liked the old MOT's because you could see the different colour and knew you had passed but these bloody new ones are white the same as the fail sheet so I stood there trying to look cool calm and unconcerned of the outcome from this hour and five minute grilling of a test they had put my project and I through when the chap burst into a big grin and told me IT HAD ONLY BLOODY PASSED!!! The relief was overwhelming along with the beaming grin I now donned like a kid after he just got the best present ever! There were three advisories and he run me through these and even pointed out where on the Landy they were and what best to do with them which not many places take the time to do these days and it was much appreciated. So at this point I am going to say thanks to the guys at Nottingham Car Care Ltd and say to anyone who has a classic these guys are well worth a visit because they are a rare breed of folk who understand how they work... The Advisories? Ok then they were as follows:- 1. Offside lower leaf spring bush has slight wear. 2. Evidence of offside front tyre fouling. 3. Slight fluid weep from offside swivel joint. Nothing there too bad considering the rebuild that has been done so far and these bits can be sorted while I await a registration number. It was a much more enjoyable drive home as I took a bit more notice of the Landy and got to know it a bit noting the bangs groans and clanks he made as he drove on. It was pointed out to me the Landy is running very lean so I need to sort that as it did feel a little underpowered even for a heavy old lump. Soon enough we were back on the driveway and with some reluctance I switched off the engine because I know it will be at least a few weeks before I get to drive it again but now I have all of the paperwork needed for the DVLA well apart from the tax man but DVLA who I spoke to today told me to send it all in now anyway because as I have said before in an earlier post they might not check for import duty and even if they do it's with the Tax man directly so a crossover should happen in paperwork. Hell who am I to argue I will send them the forms and see what happens! So the worst is done. I bought an old wreck and now I have my first Land Rover complete with an MOT. It is elating to look at it and think "I did that" There are a few more bits to do but those bits are now at my leisure and more in the way to personalise and make it mine. There will be more updates this is not the end and I am already considering the next project in the back of my mind but without further ado folks I would like to introduce you all to "Mator" my Land Rover... http://www.justturned40.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mash Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 (edited) Well done! It's has been a great read, look forward to the next build and hope to see mator in the flesh one day :laugh: Edited January 10, 2015 by mash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Jackson Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Fantastic!!!!! Told you it would be OK.:thumbsup::thumbsup: Once again one of the best blogs I have ever read. Regards Nic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 Thanks folks I have enjoyed the rebuild and writing about it but there will be a few more posts yet as I get the old man exactly as I want him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Brilliant! Well done! Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Great, well done. Something for you to consider - if there was some catastrophic fault with it, which you hadn't detected, would you rather the competent friendly MOT chap found it, or you did, at midnight on a cold wet Sunday in crowded traffic mies from home? There is always value in getting another pair of eyes to give your toy a once over, and just think, soon if there is snow and ice you can go to work on four wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 I know what you mean chap and FOUR wheels in the snow would be nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 [h=2]Mail and Money[/h]MainPosted by min200 Sat, January 10, 2015 19:56:32 Now the initial elation of getting Mator's MOT has passed I looked into the final steps of the registration forms and total costs of the project. I sat last night going over the DVLA forms making sure all the correct boxes were ticked that the paperwork they require was copied and in order then that the cheque had been written for the correct amount and made out to them along with the precious MOT certificate all was put into an envelope which was duly taped shut just to make sure it all stayed in there until it arrived in Swansea. This precious cargo was then posted this morning at 8am so it would catch the Saturday post and arrive hopefully at the mercy of those registration gods that will grant me a magic number to allow me to start playing on and off road in my painstakingly rebuilt motor. Wifey has already asked what I am going to build next because "you will finish the last bits off quick then start moping around annoying me because you have nothing else to distract you"...ain't love grand eh! She is right though I will have to source something else and I have a couple of ideas in the pipeline so watch this space. Now onto the final figures of the build. I have scratched my head and looked at a couple of receipts so I am pretty sure everything I have spent is included. The final price is what it cost not only to rebuild the Land Rover but what it cost to get it onto the road legally including insurance for the year and six months tax which are a big chunk of change. Landy Project Costs Land Rover £375 Sanding Discs £11.70 Ignition Barrel £20 Heritage letter £21.75 2x Batteries and rear 1/4 light £35 Pair Battery Terminal Clamps £3.99 Floor pan nuts & bolts £6.50 Grinding disc £2.25 Under Seal £8.99 Complete set of lights £85 5 Litres Primer £24.99 4 Discovery Wheels £10.20 Rear Door £21.00 Front Door £20.00 Handbrake spring £1.50 2 Discovery wheels Two seatbelts Wing Mirror 2 Headlight surrounds 2 headlight frames £60 2 Front Doors £60 Nato Green Paint £36 Rear Window Seal and insert £9.99 Wiring connectors £3.00 2 tins of silver metal paint £7.00 Fuses & Sandpaper £4.50 5x tins black spray £5.00 5x more tins black spray £5.00 Clutch fluid Exhaust putty WD40 £8.49 Car Boot Bits £13 Front & rear shocks £59.45 Front & rear brake rebuild kits £81.62 Fuel tank & filler £40 Wheels complete with tyres £250 Fuel pump Fuel hose Indicator stalk Bonnet strap Brake switch Fuel pump gasket Fuel line clips £67.74 24v Wiper motor 24v flasher relay 24v heater 24v front loom oil cooler Door tops x2 Rear bench seat £67.50 Roof rack £100 Wheel nuts £8 Brake pipe kit £39 Wheels & Tyres £250 Exhaust System & Flexi hose pipes £66 Number plate light £5 Seat set £90 Fuel tank and service parts £136 Seat belts £61 Rear seat brackets £10 Spark plugs £30 Brake switch £17 MOT £30 CREDIT FOR BITS SOLD OFF OF PROJECT £502 TOTAL REBUILD COST £1708.16 Insurance £150 6 Months Tax £126.50 DVLA Registration fee £55 TOTAL ON THE ROAD PRICE...... £2039.66 So the total "Rebuild" cost was £1708.16 and the "On the Road" price worked out as a whopping £2039.66! Now folks that is seriously not a bad price for a "rebuilt" Land Rover that is now worth a bit more than that if you wanted to buy it finished off of the shelf. OK I admit it doesn't include all of the what probably would work out at a 100 hours plus that I have put into it but as a home grown rebuild project that has kept me off of the cigs and using the cash I would have spent on those cigs instead of smoking it it really is a good price! The bill will now increase a little as it is personalised by me but that's by the by because the aim at the start of the rebuild if you can remember that far back was to see if I could make something half decent on a tight budget and well even if I say so myself whilst blowing my own trumpet a bit I have done exactly that! I didn't start with a pile of cash in the bank or bottom drawer I used my "Pocket money" that I used to spend on cigs each month and quite often ran short of money and had to wait to buy bits. The project itself gave back in the form of military bits removed and sold on to enthusiasts that want to keep certain models "original" and good luck to them but this project was mine and I have made it unique to me in small but important to me ways. I have heard folk say that the Land Rover prices are rising especially on Defenders and Series models and I have to admit I have seen these jump in the nine months of this build. BUT there are still bargains to be had if you are lucky to stumble across one as I did so if you want one keep looking because they are snapped up pretty damned quick! So in short folks I have succeeded in getting a knackered old Landy rebuilt and back on the road for about two grand. This is no mean feet as I didn't have the cash when I started and I didn't know what I was doing really as I had never had a Land Rover before! If a plank like me can do it and if you are sat reading this thinking I couldn't do that just buy a book, join the forums so you can get valuable advice and jump right in. There will be times you doubt yourself then times when you hurt yourself you will want to cry you will laugh out loudly but you will end up feeling good about yourself when you look upon that little job that you thought was beyond your remit but it sits there in front of you fixed anyway! Upon reflection I have loved every high and low of this rebuild I have loved the comments on the forums of encouragement and the micky taking when I have assumed or written something wrong. Thanks folks for coming along on this journey with me you have kept me focused on the right road and kept me writing. All the best Nick. http://www.justturned40.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Quick fix. Main Posted by min200 Sun, January 11, 2015 15:46:19 Now the MOT is done I popped on the light protectors... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 She looks great, a real credit to you Nick and I loved the blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Thanks Charlie I am feeling good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 [h=2]Feedback & Shameless Plugs[/h]MainPosted by min200 Sun, January 11, 2015 21:46:29 I received today THE best feedback I have ever had about the drivel on my blog. Now where is this feedback I hear you ask I can't see any comments here on the main original blog well quite frankly you wont because I have been lucky enough to share my blog across a few different forums and Facewipe so there are lots of comments in different places giving me a great balance of the true depths of my stupidity. First things first here is the feedback I got today from "Dan"... "How I hadn't seen this thread before I do not know, but I did on Friday night and since then I have been reading it post by post between getting nagged at to do house related chores and getting a sneaky bit of time in the shed on my own projects. It has been amazing to see the transformation and how it has been written in such an entertaining style! I felt like I was riding the emotional roller coaster with you on the build up to and during the MOT then I actually got goose bumps as I read the part where the tester declared it had passed! Hope you get the rest of the paperwork tied up and you finally get to enjoy the results of your hard work!" Superb chap and thanks again. And now here are the links to the different places the blog has been posted so feel free to have a look at the good and the bad feedback I have got along with my personal favourites which are the posts pointing out I am wrong about something http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f16/project-has-landed-255123.html http://landrover-owners-club.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=698 http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?44267-Land-Rover-Series-3-Restoration https://www.facebook.com/groups/396056643881797/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddy Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 So are you saying that our praise is not good enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 :D Nah just saying it's great to have an expansive feedback group to tell me how stupid I have been at times! And because everyone has been so good you are all getting free plugs in each others houses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike65 Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Excellent news on the MOT and congrats on all the hard work paying off. looking forward to seeing your personalisation progress, that will probably be the expensive bit. I find the satisfaction you get from actually doing something yourself to be one of the best things about our slightly insane hobby. Good to see you shared it around aswell. Mine is only on here and EMLRA (http://www.emlra.org) Mike PS If only I could get through mine as quick, maybe I should stop driving it:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 Stop driving it...nah lol where would the fun be in that!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 [h=2]Forms and Frustration[/h]Land Rover RebuildPosted by min200 Wed, January 14, 2015 20:32:22 When I say "Forms and Frustration" as the title of this entry (there's a good word it always makes me think of the old paper diaries we all said we didn't write as kids) it's really me just being an impatient bugger. I see the weather forecasters are predicting doom and gloom with high winds more snow than on the set of game of thrones and then the inevitable flooding when it all melts away again and what would the ideal motor for this be I hear you ask? Well a newly rebuilt Land Rover should do the job nicely I would think! Listen to me moaning I do apologise folks it's not like I would even take it out if the registration turned up in the morning there are a couple of bits I want to sort first including changing over the gearbox mounts as they are past there best and after all this time and effort I have put into the old boy a little more wont hurt. The steering wheel needs to be set straight instead of 90 degrees out as it will drive me insane each time I touch it! Oh I need to sort out a 24v to 12v dropper for the CB and there is a Land Rover badge on the way too...bloody hell it's turning into a shopping list on here now! So each evening when I return from work and look with hope at my coffee table where the post gets dumped I feel a little disappointed there's no registration for me but I know it's too soon the DVLA have probably only just opened the letter from me if I am lucky so expecting to see what wont be there is daft...or maybe it's just a little bit of hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 NO GO ON REGISTRATION Land Rover Rebuild Posted by min200 Thu, January 15, 2015 20:17:13 Bugger. Just bugger. I arrived home this evening to find two brown envelopes waiting for me one form the tax man and one from the DVLA so I got a little excited that was until I opened them... The tax man wants more information and will I call them about the application for a NOVA number which I will do in the morning. Well that could swing either way I guess form good to bad but the letter form the DVLA is the real problem. The DVLA want me to send them either MOD papers MOD654 / MOD654B or a Certificate of Origin from the MOD. I don't have any of these forms as I explained when I first called them before I started out on this project and was told not to worry! Well now I am getting worried... I have had a dig around the tinterweb and can find no information on how I could obtain this sort of paperwork 17 years after the vehicle has been released from the MOD so if any of you good folk have experienced this and know the way forward it would be much appreciated. Everywhere is closed now so I cant talk directly to anyone until the morning so I suppose it will be a long night... http://www.justturned40.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Nick, What dating evidence do you have? Have you got the Merlin Report from the MOD? Verification letter from the MVT? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn200 Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 I have a dating letter from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (Gaydon). It's the basic letter just stating VIN date of build and palce of build. The DVLA are stating that it's an ex MOD vehicle I have to have the info from them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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