Were did you catch the "bug"

Out tooling in my topless 88'' , A car full of youngians pull along side and stared taking pics of this foreign vehicle that most had never seen before. It made me think, was I looking at the next generation of over obscessed Land Rover finatics? Was one of them someday going to be the keeper of my rig ,hopefully to pass to the next keeper .
It also reminded me of were my obsession came from.The first Rover I ever saw was at my Grandmothers ,Sunday night , after dinner ,watching Mutual of Omahas "Wild Kingdom".It set dreams in motion. First, go on safari in Africa. Second, own a series. Third, drive a rover on a self guided African Safari. Got the first two. Working on the third. Here is a great site if anybody is interested. www.safaridrive.com/
Were did you get your afliction from?

Like many, I'm sure, my first taste of Land Rovers came from "The Gods Must Be Crazy." Even though I was 6 or 7 when that movie premiered, that always stuck with me.

It wasn't until college, however, that I found some pictures of muddied up Serieses and the bug hit again. Three years after graduation, eBaymotors.com made it a reality.

Our 109 station wagon was the family vehicle at the time I was born in South Africa in the 60’s, through to my late teens. One of 7 children, naturally we fitted in perfectly. Although being the second youngest I could never sit in the middle row :( Migrating to that seat over the years was a huge status symbol. We did many a long trip and safari with roof rack loaded to the hilt.

Later came monthly LROC of SA trials events. My dad was chairman.

Then came the annual patrolling the fences in the Land Rovers at Kyalami (the local race track) in the 70s and 80s to prevent folks jumping in to watch the GPs for free. It really just cost them each about 6 beers and they got in. :gulp:

Then came mandatory military duty. Riding the huge sand dunes in Namibia outside the base just out of boredom. Getting stuck was our goal. Punishing the vehicles then giving them back to maintenance as u.s. (unserviceable) was the fun part. ‘Here, fix this!’

Then riding between smaller air force bases in the semi arid desert just south of Angola out of necessity to move supplies.

Then I came to USA and started shaking, getting a dry throat and couldn’t sleep. Over the years I recognized it as Series withdrawal symptoms, so for rehab I bought one and am now OK. Its safe to say its in my blood. Still, my wife thinks getting it was a ‘silly’ idea :confused:

Ivar

I found an old off-road tire in the shed of a house we just bought, so I put a Series underneath it. It's the only thing that looked right with it.

Bug? The doctor said it was just a rash.

Uganda.

Where i bought my first two rovers, one of which i still have.

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Originally Posted by Tim Smith

Bug? The doctor said it was just a rash.

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Yup and even the jars of Lucas Rash Ointment leak!

my friend jim leach had just got back from africa with the vintage rovers across africa. and i saw him for the first time in years at the british by the sea with my mga. couldnt hold out for a series so i got a 88 rrc that was an electrical nightmare. pawned that off and found a 67 IIa RHD 88.
didnt know much about them and turned out to be as solid as a piece of swiss cheese. and my daughter and were riding down the highway bringing it home when the rear diff locked up. So neadless to say my wife was less then impressed. sold that. and got my 73 series III 88 that sat out behind a welding shop for 20 years in wallingford, ct.
take a look at my flicker account at the bottom of the posting
its got all my pictures of. the rover.
aaron

Great job getting it back on the road. I took a look at that when it was for sale also. Another one saved!!!

now if i could hold on to enough money to get a galvy frame and a roverdrive. then id be bet for life. always something little to buy.
aaron

Like noted earlier my first exposure was Wild Kingdom. I wanted to be Jim jumping off that seat attached to the bumper tackling animals. nex in the early 80's a guy named Packy drove one to work every day. I thought it was the coolest vehicle. Next I was at a party and got into a conversation with a guy who was rebuilding one. He had a parts manual and talked about how the vehicle was bolted together. Then around 1995 I bought my first one. Been addicted to them ever since!!
I am told by a friend I have a sickness!!

About the time the Rover folks were busy stealing design ideas from the JEEP, a neighbor took my father, my brother, and me for a ride in the JEEP that he brought back from WWII. For me, that was the beginning of the end. Not long after, the arrival of the MG-TC on US shores inoculated me with the British sports car bug.

In 1969 I bought a 1944 Ford JEEP, followed by my first Land Rover, a 1965 109 12-seater, complete with Brockhouse trailer. In 1970 I bought a 1966 88, which I still have, and the fleet now includes a 200Tdi 90 and a 300Tdi 110 Hi-Cap. The addiction continues....

A neighbor was the British Naval attaché and he had a Series 1. It was my introduction to land-Rovers. I bought my one and only Rover a 1966 109 SW from Mandy Smith in 1971. I still have it today.
Jim Wolf

First, go on safari in Africa. Second, own a series. Third, drive a rover on a self guided African Safari. Got the first two. Working on the third.
Were did you get your afliction from?[/QUOTE]

I bought 5 series landys in Johannesburg over several years. Took them to some good landy mechanics, modified them the way I like it, kitted them out and went on safari up from 6 months to 1 year each time in East and Southern Africa. Each time sold them at the end of the overland trip. These trips got me a couple stints as camp manager for a photographic walking safari bush camp in remote Zambia too.

those sites have some great links.
someday i'll be crusing through the desert in my series
aaron

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Originally Posted by luangwablondes

First, go on safari in Africa. Second, own a series. Third, drive a rover on a self guided African Safari. Got the first two. Working on the third.
Were did you get your afliction from?

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I bought 5 series landys in Johannesburg over several years. Took them to some good landy mechanics, modified them the way I like it, kitted them out and went on safari up from 6 months to 1 year each time in East and Southern Africa. Each time sold them at the end of the overland trip. These trips got me a couple stints as camp manager for a photographic walking safari bush camp in remote Zambia too.[/QUOTE]

Great shot on that Luangwablondes site. Ive driven that road, it was the shake down trip after my SIII got its engine rebuilt and a few other things in Harare.

Here are a few more:

Same road, different baobab trees
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...y/2boababs.jpg

Bridge over the Chitaki, right before the ranger station.
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...itakiriver.jpg

Me and my SIII at the camp on the Chitaki
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...eatthecamp.jpg

Herd of buffalo in the river. Went to see lions but only heard them at night.
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...intheriver.jpg

Ele in Mana Pools
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...tManaPools.jpg

Another shot of me crossing the bridge over the Chitaki River.
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...verchitaki.jpg

At a stop by the turn off to Kariba.
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...yatpitstop.jpg

msggunny

Great stuff. And a swb landy too. Brilliant place to go on a shake down trip. Most people seem to think they need bucket loads of gear for these trips. Not you..... and me.

Chitake Springs is one of my all time favorite camping locations in Africa. I just arranged with some guides to offer some safaris for me. Many people got spooked about the South African- a group on their own- that got fed to the lions at Chitake Springs last year - he was careless.

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Originally Posted by luangwablondes

msggunny

Great stuff. And a swb landy too. Brilliant place to go on a shake down trip. Most people seem to think they need bucket loads of gear for these trips. Not you..... and me.

Chitake Springs is one of my all time favorite camping locations in Africa. I just arranged with some guides to offer some safaris for me. Many people got spooked about the South African- a group on their own- that got fed to the lions at Chitake Springs last year - he was careless.

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Chitake is awesome as you know, my wife and I love the place. We went with a buddy of ours, Steve Pope, and some gentlemen who were doing a survey of the impact of invasive species in the area, namely the indigo plant if i remember correctly. Steve was trying to get the Zimbabwean park service to do a controlled burn of the valley. This was back in 04.

If you dont know Steve he specializes in lion trekking in the area. He has had a few clients almost eaten/trampled because they didnt listen to him.

I am insanely jealous of you guys right now, i would love to be back there. My father in law spent New Years on the Zambezi (Zambian side) at a friends farm. Green with jealousy.......

More pictures from our trip:

My wife (girlfriend at the time) and I in the valley
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...nabushwalk.jpg

Steve and I at a rangers residence:
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u.../steveandi.jpg

Bush camp on the river:
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u...roupatcamp.jpg

Steve didn't have a website, so I threw a quick one together for him. :D

Why did you post all those pictures? Can't wait to go back.

Just found out that Steve has cancer.

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Originally Posted by luangwablondes

Just found out that Steve has cancer.

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What! Damn, thanks for the update.