Curtains for the Land Rover

Well, in my attempt to take my 109 to the Overland Expo in May I had a need for some curtains. I wound up getting swimsuit material because it is stretchy and opaque. My color choice turned out to be camo. Because my sewing skills are not up to stretchy material I sourced out the actual construction to a local sewing place.
    To make a long story short he didn't have them done on time and the one that was done was wrong. Eventually they were made correctly but the 109 didn't make it to Arizona.
   My design was to just have bungee sewn inside the hem of the curtain and I could just stretch them over the side windows, much like a shower cap, I can even have the window open to get some air in.

Here's the inside of a finished side window curtain;

From the inside it looks like this on the window;

From the outside the side window looks like;

The front and back curtains are of different construction, they needed to have a pass through hem so I could then run a bungee in it and hook it to the inner raingutter. The front one is wider to reach full from side to side whist the rear only needs to cover the window in the door.
     I had a duece of a time trying to figure out how to clamp the bungee to the raingutter. At first I tried making plain 90deg hooks and attaching them to the bungee. I couldn't get the hooks to stay on the gutter, but I did learn that I could ziptie the bungee to the hook when tying it didn't work. Next I made a more complicated hook which with a "W" shape it actually held onto the gutter but wasn't quite "right" for me. Then I hit on the idea of using a binder clamp and ziptying the bungee to one of the handles. Brilliant!
    So with a bit of time and cutting and zipping I am satisfied, the curtain is taut, simples, and easy.

Here's the front from outside;

And from the inside;

The rear from the outside;

With the door open;

From the inside;

How the bungee's are attached;

Kite surfers

Last week my friend Brett G. and I drove my 109 up to Half Moon Bay to see our friend Brian H. We drove up Hwy 1 from Santa Cruz, and stopped at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse where I took a couple of pics.

After the visit on the way back we stopped at Waddell Beach and watched the kite and wind surfers, there was also a few hang gliders in the air too. The kites and such don't show up in the pics too well, but there was about 30 of them. In the last pic the point of land going out into the Pacific is Ano Neuevo, once home to a lighthouse and now an Elephant Seal preserve. The chalk cliff to the right of the 109 is called Big Slide, In the late 1800's, early 1900's a railroad was put thru here and at low tide you can somtimes see the old pilings sticking up thru the sand. The railroad effort was in the end fruitless because Big Slide kept doing it's thing and wiping out the tracks.

So it inspired me and I wrote this poem;

A burning sun slips into a golden molten pool on the far side of a wild, blue, Pacific sea.
As the skittish evening Northwest breeze pushes a silent wall of gray fog closer, ever closer to me.
A wall which hems in and frames the multitude of colourful kites sailing to and fro.
Like swarming insects above the poikilothermous creatures below.

To fly, be free, upon the water these graceful peoples be.
With taut lines the sails pull black suited humans quickly.
Carving out of Natures realm a space of temporary ecstasy.
Forgetting life's struggles of money, love and drudgery.

Quickly cooling sand once warmed by the sun entreats the oceans breakers to rest from their long journey.
Tall redwood trees beckon to the fog, one can almost hear them in voices raised by the wind.
"Come, Come water me"
Taller still the brown shale cliffs rise turning to gold in the light of days end.

Compliments

     Tuesday I was leaving a parking lot in Santa Cruz in my 109, as I sat waiting for a car in front to turn, this younger guy(late 20's-30's?) in a good looking old Scout 2 or a Blazer, pulled next to me and said "That's one seriously nice rig!" I said "Thanks".
     It really feels nice to get the smiles and thumbs up most of the time I go out. I know 95% of it is the paint job my friend Brian laid down, but the other 5% was my vision and hard work!

 Before;

After;

The Master taking a break;

Now if I can just get the motor sorted...... I think I am on the trail of a rebuilt 200tdi.

Land Rover fan 7 blade

I haven't tried the stock fan with this motor because with the Series radiator and the fan clutch there was not enough distance to fit it all. At first I just wanted to bolt the 7 blade plastic fan right to the pulley but of course the bolt holes are different spacing.... So that's why the 4 blade fan was used. I am still not sure if it is the fan or timing but one thing at a time, right. Last Friday I took a long hill on my way home from a bike ride. At first the temp needle climbed when the tstat opened but for once it didn't go straight to the red, instead it went about 3/4 of the way and stayed there for maybe a 1/4 mile and then slowly went to the red. Once at the top it cooled down as forward motion was kept up. This gave me the impetus to try the plastic fan. Maybe, just maybe not enough air is passing thru the radiator..... I made a steel adapter figuring I could just bolt the spacer on the fan and then to the pulley but the fan bolts were in the way of butting the adapter up to the pulley. So I made a spacer out of plywood to make it work. Yesterday I unbolted the 4 blade and put on the spacer and the 7 blade then started it up. I didn't like/trust the wood spacer but the system did work. So I took it off thinking I'd get an aluminum one made up, but while endevoring to do this the realization hit me that I could possibly just weld the adapter to the plastic fan as it has a steel center. So with careful measuring and using my abacus(calculator) I was able to center the adapter main hole in the plastic fans main hole. Then using the bolts I held it in place whist I tacked it together.

Then the back side.

Then I welded it up using water to keep the temp down so the plastic would not melt.

Once cool I prepped it for paint with rust converter and heat resistant paint.

That dried over night and today I put the 7 blade plastic fan on. It was close on hitting a hose clamp on the lower radiator/waterpump connection hose, but it's OK. I did drive it about 30 miles so far just to check it out but not up any long hills which may tax the cooling system. I will update that soon. Here's a pic of the 7 blade fan installed.

EDIT; I drove the 109 on the same hill as I did a couple of days prior to switching the fan. It was a slghtly hotter day and the temp guage stayed out of the red for about a mile but was buried in it by the time I reached the top. Then stayed near the red as I continued to climb at not so steep a slope. On the downhill it dropped back to normal. So I think the larger fan helps but hasn't "fixed" the issue. :^(

10,000 page views!

It just hit it today at 1600h daylight savings time Aug 11, 2014 Thank you all! even those scammers trying to sell me something.

The Ride, a bicycle adventure

The ride The dry yellowed leaf, once a verdant green, detatched itself from the overhanging graying branch as the gentle northeast breeze carressed its way thru the forested canyon. Gentlly surrendering to gravity's pull while it spun down to the duff covered trail to join it's bretheren as the man on the mountainbike pedaled slowly up the sloping verdant path. Knowing that this was only one of many yet to be undertaken challenges on todays ride, his first in many years, the mountainbiker kept his head and manouvered his way to the top and down the other side rolling along the dry dusty flat besides the truck farm where berries and who knows what else were being tended by peoples wearing large brown straw hats. The hot summer sun is beating down as he crosses the old wooden bridge careful to not catch a tyre in the gap between the dirt laden boards and enters into a tunnel of trees and bushes, the dark green leaves covered with a fine bull dust raised by passing travelers. Winding into the coastal mountains along an old logging road following the nearby creek awash in sunlight one moment and deep in shade from the towering trees and shore hugging bushes on the next, this rider breathes in the relief of being again in the bosom of nature.. Man and machine roll along crossing the creek once again over a narrow steel and wood bridge before the up to now fairly flat trail profile changes to become the days taskmaster. A wide trail is replaced by sinuous hardpacked trail, trod by thousands of day and overnight hikers along with the massive weight of many equestrian trail users and the rolling press of the bicycling throngs, following ever closer to the brim of the creeks crusty channel. Once here the trail goes ever upward, elevation gained in short lumps of effort overcoming the benches of millions of year old seashores. Laboriously he pedaled, for labor was the word of the day, breathing in great gasps, the tyres under his blue steed kept turning, turning, turning while the summit of the incline was inching ever so nearer. Little black flies buzzed his eyes and flirted with death by the intense vacuum of his mouth, drawn by the sweat dripping from his straight Saxon nose. In his mind he knew this was a test of not only his fitness, which he knew was not as of old, and his previously injured hip, but, also of his determination, yea his very will to ride as much of the formerly easy route as he could. The top was succeeded with nary a hint of victory, for to stop now would only lessen the desire to keep in motion. Forward up the forested road lined with redwood trees not much over 100 years old mingled with oaks and manzanita and lined with the tell tale red of the turning poison oak plant. Now a short respite along the crest of the incline followed by a too short and quick descent the brisk coastal air drying some of the persperation in a sadistic preparation for the next of several more dusty climbs along the track. The earthen enemy was conquered, one struggling effort after another until crossing the last footbridge leading to a twisty slow traverse of a granite rock imbeded singletrack along the picturesque creek, filled with boulders and fallen trees and showing hidden pools, concluded with a short flat roll along a red duff covered area. Here a postponement of work awaits and some raisins and an energy bar eagerly consumed with a huge draft of water from the bladder astride his back nestled in the custom gray and blue back pack. The soft burbling of the water moving among the rocks on a slow descent to finally tumble and slide into the mighty Pacific Ocean blends with the soft breeze flowing in the canyon rustling the oak leaves. Gone are the pestering black flies giving a restful time for today's turnaround point. At an elevation of some 300 feet above sea level means the trail back to the yellow Land Rover would be mostly an enjoyable coasting downhill bereft the arduous long inclines encountered on the way into the peaceful narrow canyon. Passing the blurring browns and greens of brush and trees focused on the hidden rocks and roots the rider skillfully descended the rockgarden and crossed the footbridge and using his tired legs surmounted the short rough hill. A deep breath and then rapidly down the other side full suspension working furiously, soaking up the unevenly eroded surface and a huge smile on his face carries him up the next short gradient followed quickly by a detour around a washout, thru a well marked singletrack amongst small redwoods and back onto the main trail. Once again a test for his already used up legs, the incline slowly overcome to the reward of the longest downhill in a darkened tunnel of fast, face splitting grin, motion. Hence rolling out along the south side of the creek until the arching steel and wood bridge comes into view and knowing that fully half the 7 miles back to the car are done, once more negotiating the trees in the drop to the old logging road. With the going not so tough anymore the miles pass quickly, back over the old wood bridge and past the truck farm, until the last formidable climb of the day. A slow crawl commenced at the bottom of the 40 foot elevation change in the dry dust and the hot sunshine continued with one pedal revolution after another the rider enforcing his will upon his flesh as the top of the grade crept into sight and was realized! Here he knew victory, blessed victory could be claimed as it truly was all downhill from here, in fewer than 5 minutes the rider pulled his bike up behind his motor vehicle, a 14 mile ride in just under and hour and a half including the break at the quiet turnaround spot. But best of all his hip was not hurting even though his legs felt like rubber :^)

Land Rover bonnets

I took the time to fix up a couple of bonnets that I have hoping to sell them. To that end solid rivets and a rivet set were obtained from Jay-Cee Sales and Rivets,Inc www.rivetsinstock.com I bought the 3/16'x 5/16" aluminum round head rivets. These proved adequate for the frame but seem a trifle short for the tyre mounting plate. First I did the deluxe bonnet by wire wheeling the dirt/paint and corrosion from the underside of the skin.

Then a couple of coats of self etching primer applied. This being one of the hottest days of the year did not take long to dry between coats.

I then slid the galvanized frame into place and with the help of some pop rivets and nail sets, the holes were aligned and the solid rivets installed. So hot the sweat dripped from my brow on to my glasses and the work. At one point my 30 year old pop rivet tool gave up the ghost. I had to stop and change clothes and ride 15 miles to get a new one so I could finish the job. It was 95F! The air hammer made putting in the solid rivet sooo much easier than when I did my 109 bonnet with a hammer! I might have to redo it sometime...

Then I installed the bonnet catch and put the deluxe bonnet away.

I started on the Series 3 knife edge even though it was so hot mainly cause I was dripping with sweat and I had the tools out. Once again the bottom side was wire wheeled and sprayed with primer. Of course I emptied the can I had, and had to once again go and get some more, this time though it was only 5 miles away....

I left it at that for the night and early the next day I started on the rivet job. A simpler design made lining up the holes easier and putting in the pop rivets centered things up nicely. Adding the pie plate complicated it a little bit as one has to figure out which rivets to install under the plate first before securing the plate. Once again the air tool was a pleasure to use and made quick work.

You might be asking why I did not paint the tops. Mainly because some who might purchase like the "patina look" while others might want to respray in different colours.