JACK DOBSON

HOW far would you travel to buy either a Land Rover or spare part? I was pondering this as I set off at the crack of dawn to collect a replacement axle for my current project. Is a four-hour round trip excessive? I think when I lived in the UK I certainly would have thought so. But in Australia you really cannot afford to be quite so fussy. A four-hour trip is nothing, even when driving a Series Landy with no roof and a rather nasty tendency to jump out of fourth gear. I was frozen by the time I arrived, but it was still fun and in addition to the axle I ended up coming home with an engine, gearbox and one of the best Series II bulkheads I have seen. At $500, I feel pretty damn pleased with myself (plus the size of the haul further cements my belief that a 109” is the perfect Land Rover – you could not have fitted all that stuff in a puny 88”). Do I need another bulkhead, engine and gearbox? Well probably not (though maybe the gearbox I do).

You definitely meet some rather strange folk when chasing Land Rover parts (they probably say the same about me). In this instance the seller was a youngish guy, perhaps 18 or 19 years old whilst his mum and dad also seemed to be around the same age. I am still trying to figure that out.

Have we all seen that Jlr-supplied image of the new Defender Hard Top being loaded with a box atop a pallet? Do we think that pallet is regular size and how does the five-door configuration work? Regardless, I like the look of it. My understanding is that Land Rover Australia is currently ‘evaluating the sale potential of both Defender 90 and 110 Hard Top’ so who knows if it will actually go on sale here. If the price is similarly aligned to the UK, it would cost around $65,000 which would make it well pitched against the likes of the Toyota Hilux and Nissan Navara, which are both very popular here. Come on Land Rover, make it a reality over here! Why do I always get the distinct impression the Australian market is way down their list of priorities. I think I mentioned that last month but I really think Australia could offer a superb stage for the Defender. Don’t forget about us down under.

In other news from Australia, Melbournebased company Jaunt has just about finished its electric conversion (jauntmotors.com). The base vehicle is a late-model Series IIA and it looks like they’ve done a fantastic job blending new technology with the old. Can you imagine a quiet Land Rover?! I guess last month, ‘Old Girl’ (my 109), gave me a bit of an insight when she rolled down the hill and into the tree. It was very quiet until impact.

I think the electric vehicle technology is really interesting and I do not consider it sacrilege on a classic Land Rover (neither of mine have original engines anyway). Certainly, the performance figures from electric motors are impressive – even the

Nissan LEAF has better torque than my Rover V8. One thing that does puzzle me slightly, it seems that much of our electricity is still generated by coal-powered stations so is an electric vehicle really that beneficial to the environment? With the wealth of tidal, solar and wind resources I still wonder why Australia is so dependent on coal.

Going back to that axle I picked up… it was late Friday afternoon when I realised my project needed a replacement (one of the worse farmyard repairs I had seen) and by Sunday morning I had one. How good is that for a 1960s vehicle?! I have only ever really worked on old Land Rovers but I suspect we are incredibly lucky when it comes to sourcing parts. There are very few bits you cannot buy brand-new and for those you can’t, there seems to be a plentiful supply of good, used spares. For me, tracking down parts is a big part of the fun when you own an old Land Rover. With Facebook, Gumtree, ebay and all the various forums we have a wealth of places to search. Just a few days ago I picked up a brand-new tailgate for a Series IIA. It is a genuine Land Rover part and was still in its original packaging.

Unfortunately, this was not to be a bargain purchase and I paid a heavy price, but was it worth it? There is no tow hitch dent – I know, unheard of! He has five more, all boxed and in immaculate condition, but could not be persuaded to part with them. I will keep trying! Do I need six tailgates? Could I be accused of panic buying tailgates? I guess there are worse things to be accused of.

Well it is time to get back into the workshop and start cleaning up that ‘new’ axle. A word of caution here: make sure you wear appropriate PPE when tackling the clean-up. Old brake shoes were asbestos. Can you still get PPE in the UK? (yes, along with renewable energy, too – Louise).

“I think electric vehicle technology is interesting and I do not consider it a sacrilege on a classic Land Rover (neither of mine have original engines anyway)”

When Brit Jack Dobson emigrated to Australia in 2010 he took his passion for Land Rovers along with him.