The essence of enthusiasm
Long, trouble-free drives are the reward for hours on the spanners with our Land Rovers. That fun is even greater when shared, says Alisdair
IT was March 29, 2021, when virus-induced restrictions lifted, allowing free movement from the house for the first time in months. Mid-morning, my 88in coughed into life, and out I rolled in it, revelling in the sheer joy of roaring the tyres again and fortuitously dry weather. It was the perfect Land Rover for that moment. From then on in 2021, when the chance came for a brief pick-me-up, I turned to the Series I.
There have been a few small fettling jobs this year, but principally, apart from an oil change – removing the sump in the process to clean – and a check of the tappets, the little Landy has been faultless. With the forthcoming introduction of E10 fuel, I swapped the rubber fuel hoses to metal, making them from Cunifer. There’s just a single, easy to check rubber hose now, between the fuel pump and carb. Aside from that, the car has simply been spot-on and I jumped in the Series whenever I had the chance. It became normal for me to be out in it. So much so, my usual runs around the local countryside weren’t enough. I needed more.
The UK has some brilliant driving roads, and I’m lucky to have taken many of them in. For my own fun, I’ve found myself returning to the Derbyshire Peak District. There’s some superb driving around there where you can tootle at your own pace, threading through quiet villages, historic landmarks, and gorgeous scenery. Wanting to extend my driving in the little Land Rover, off I roared with one of my sons, to the first area to be called a National Park.
The Peak District’s biker roads are well known, but with a little knowledge it isn’t hard to devise a circuitous route taking in some of the more interesting, quiet corners of the park. My lad and I took in some classic weaving back roads and quirky White Peak scenery, including the old tunnel in the Manifold Valley.
Chatting to colleague Steve Miller about that day lead to a loose plan for us to meet up there one day, to show him my Series I and a few choice bits of the Peaks. That one day came in August, and evolved to include Steve and partner Louise in their 90, and Ed in his Range Rover Sport.
It might not sound much to say we drove around and had fun, but all of us later agreed it was one of the most enjoyable days we’ve had in our cars. No racing, no boasting – no needing to get words, pictures, or sell ads – just a group of friends in their cars relishing time together and the differing characters of our cars. We didn’t even go off-road. Why would we, we were having too much fun as it was…
My legendary stove was roaring all day as we drank tea, ate cake and generally all stank of Series 1 exhaust fumes. Ed enjoyed another drive in my Series through a long ford, we walked up a once-popular, but now closed greenlane, fed trout in the River Wye and walked some of the Monsal Trail. None of the cars missed a beat, and despite looking like a bunch of Land Rover misfits, I think we each were pleased to be in a convoy of such varied Lode Lane products. Ed’s Sport definitely had the easiest time, but we all agreed my 88in looked at home in the landscape. It was the perfect place to share our cars’ characters, and our common interest in the vehicles. Authentic, was how Steve described the day.
I arrived back home knowing I wanted to do that again. So, I’m told, did Ed and Steve, for we only scratched the surface of what is on offer. There were murmurings about Ed taking his V8 90 next time and, who knows, it might prompt Steve to finish his project 90. Or one of them.
We shouldn’t be surprised we had a great time, for Land Rovers are at their best when enjoyed in the company of fellow enthusiasts. That is when the cars become more than just a machine. The hours spent fettling, tweaking and honing aren’t wasted, they allow such trips to happen.
I’ve total confidence in my Series 1 now. It is simply one happy little car. There’s always a wearing push to reach a driving location, but once you’re there, everything settles into its own pace. No rushing, just the entertainment of pedalling a classic Land Rover along great roads, in scenery where the car belongs.
Now salt is on the roads and my cars are laid up. But I’m totally content with that. Roll on spring 2022, when I know where I’ll be heading off to again. In the Range Rover Classic, next time.