Jack Dobson
Dobbo Dow n Under
THIS MONTH I got my hands on a very swish HSE Velar. I have been eyeing these up since I saw one in the metal for the first time last year in Sydney.
I know lots of people say the current JLR line-up all look the same but for me the styling of the Velar really sets it apart. It definitely felt very car-like to drive too, and this is not a criticism, hardcore off-roading is not what this vehicle is about. During the loan ( yes, sadly I did not get to keep it) I managed to put it through various duties including collecting a bonnet for my Series IIA (FYI for any Velar owners reading this – it fitted perfectly in the back) – a trip to a miserable shopping centre (our Defender is too high for the car park (I take that as another positive to owning a Defender) and a trip to the snow where I actually found an excuse to engage snow mode.
It handled all these scenarios perfectly and I am inclined to say that if I was incredibly wealthy (the model I had sells for around $150k here in Australia) I would be tempted to buy a one. I wonder how many readers of LRM have a new-generation Velar? I would be genuinely interested to hear.
It has not all been about swanning around in a fancy car, my feet have been kept firmly grounded working on my ageing fleet. My column, of course, would feel incomplete without sharing some of the latest on my rebuild of Grandma. And it has been a huge leap forward in terms of progress this month. Just a few of days ago she had her roadworthy test. In typical Land Rover fashion her speedometer failed on the way to the testing station but I decided to press on with the test anyway. It is always very hard to gauge what things you might be picked up on and I often find the things I am most concerned about pass with no issues, only for something entirely unexpected to present itself.
In this instance the stars must have been aligned because she passed with no advisories (perhaps you do not need a speedometer in Australia?). The examiner even said what a great job I had done, which was music to my ears having spent so much time working on her these last eight months. In the run up to the test I really pulled out all the stops to get her ready. All those annoying little things that I had put off, such as windscreen wipers, washers, door seals and horn. It turns out getting the correct-style wiper arms and blades is incredibly difficult here in Australia. The first set I ordered were Series III items, so were too long. In the end I found a hot rod specialist and was able to get a set made up at vast expense. Of course, immediately after her roadworthy test I discovered her alternator was not charging and she stalled on her way back home in a very awkward spot. Thankfully, I managed to get her to restart and we made it back home. Investigation found that some numpty had not wired in the alternator correctly ( yes, that would be me). It turns out you need a voltage regulator and it is critical that the alternator is connected to a charge warning light.
I have certainly learnt a great deal during this restoration, mostly about wiring. I think if I were crazy enough to attempt another rebuild of this magnitude (the postman just alerted me to a derelict Series IIA nearby) I would employ the services of an auto electrician. Some jobs really are best left to the experts. The rewiring of Grandma took me at least four days.
At the time of writing, unfortunately Grandma is off the road again. There is a slight misfire when the engine is under load which I think can be attributed to a worn-out distributor. There is also a slight coolant weep from the water pump and, according to the local V8 guru, it sounds like the rockers are worn. An order has been placed and I am hoping these issues can be addressed over a weekend (although I am not looking forward to the distributor swap).
Once Grandma has been sorted, perhaps then I can give Old Girl some much-warranted attention. Top of the list will be brakes, closely followed by windscreen wipers, a significant oil leak from the transfer case and some general tidying up. There is no denying it, she has been somewhat neglected over the last few months. With three Land Rovers, I wonder, will there ever be an occasion when all three function as they should?
In other news, the six-monthly inspection of our rental property is coming up and I have been dousing the driveway down with various chemical agents and using a wire brush attached to the angle grinder to remove POR15 chassis paint and oil stains. Do you have any top tips? Someone suggested Coca Cola, so I may give that a go under the cover of darkness so my neighbours do not think I am even more of a lunatic than they already clearly do.
When Brit Jack Dobson emigrated to Australia in 2010 he brought his passion for Land Rovers along with him.
“The stars must have been aligned because she passed with no advisories (perhaps you don’t need a speedometer in Australia?)”