Thursday 21 May

Oh boy. This isn't much fun any more - rushing to meet a deadline and bodging things as I go. Wheels are on now and the vent panel and almost the windscreen. As I've said before: I'll have it done but it will go alll the way to the wire.

Sunday 17 May

Long day today. Quite a bit done though I'm going to need more time, possibly in the form of a midweek day off. Rear wheels are on but not finally fixed just in case I get time to paint them before we go. Motors are in and the basic controller circuitry. I remade the panel that goes between the bulkhead and windscreen and routed the lines to represent the vents on it. I'm quite pleased with it if not 100% chuffed. Some of the body capping is on and the tailgate is nearly there. It's going to be a close-run thing but I reckon I can still do it by Friday. Proper Land Rover however is very ill indeed; unable to achieve more than 15mph and even that only lasts 100 yards before it has to stop for a breather. Desperately need that fixed this week. Fingers crossed that AllDrive can come through on that one.

A week to go

Blimey this is slow going. I got the bumper, headlights and indicators on. Not really a big achievement but it's a big win in terms of how the thing looks. I've still so much to do and only 7 days in which to do them.

The motors can't be installed as the chain is too slack. In order to take up the slack I need to raise the motors by 6mm or so. Doing this might mess up other things though.

So, a brief list of outstanding tasks

• Make dashboard


• Make vent panel beneath windscreen


• Make throttle housing and accelerator pedal


• Make backs for dummy door handles


• Paint all of the above


• Make windscreen


• Fit all of the above


• Do all wiring


• Mount wheels


• Mount motors


• Fit tailgate


• Fit seat


• Fit body capping
• Fit radiator grille
• Road test

Easy really. Might need a day off next week at this rate.

T minus eleven

Eleven days before it needs to be finished. Errrr. Put the brakes on yesterday. Hopefully they should just about stop the vehicle but I had to a bit of a bodge to get them to line up correctly. Still have to fit the brake pedal and handbrake lever. Motors to go in Tuesday night hopefully.

Last weekend

Phew - the painting is over. Having incurred vast expense, been sent a pillar drill in place of a compressor, having finally received a compressor minus any connections or hose I've finally got the thing looking green. 1 litre of vile and dangerous thinners later plus a similar amount of Land Rover Deep Bronze Green paint and we are a single 1200 grit rubdown from a finished body.

I also remade the apron that fits at the bottom of the front panel and made the motor closing panel. Next job is brakes.

In a cruel twist of ironic fate my pillar drill broke at the weekend meaning I'm in for some tricky operations when it comes to drilling the axles and motor spindles.

Friday 8 May

I’ve taken the plunge and fitted the swing axle to the body tub. It seems that the steering wheel will be very direct – i.e. that you won’t even get a full turn lock to lock but that is by design it appears.

Also I finally caved in and bought a compressor and spray gun so I’m hoping to get some paint down on the body tub this weekend. After that it’s fitting the electrics.

Bank Holiday Weekend

Progress is edging ahead rather than surging at the moment.
I’ve learned the following over the weekend:
1) Make sure your router bit is securely held in the chuck else you’ll end up ruining something and having to make it again
2) You can’t paint cellulose paint on with a brush as it dries too quickly
3) Inhalation of cellulose thinners can really take it out of you

From this one should infer that I’ve not been as productive as I would hope over the three day break. I made the tailgate frame. You can see it as the unpainted part on the back of the vehicle. It doesn’t look much but it took the best part of an hour and a half. I got rear axle on and have temporarily mounted the wheels. The steering column is in and all the metal parts are now painted in Smoothrite. I also routed out the radiator grille area and backed it with 6mm board.

Having concluded that I am not prepared to ruin the look of something on which I have spent so long I bought a little noddy compressor and spraygun from Machine Mart on Monday. Sadly the paint gun hisses air whether the trigger is pulled or not so that will have to go back for replacement. :-(

Update on that: Machine Mart didn't have a replacement unit available so I got all the money back and I'm going to simply buy some different paint that is more amenable to being brushed on and use that. Another setback - this is like Chop Shop.