1972 SIII upgrades?

[darbsclt]

Hi Sarah,

I can echo much of what others have said (and you have said yourself) about the unique character of these vehicles. While many owners rely on their Series Land Rovers daily, my Gracie isn't my "daily driver." Instead, she is an errand runner... a picnic in the park... a load the dogs up for a run (or visit to the vet) vehicle. She is my "make me smile" vehicle. As such... I'd hate to let her go. Here are some suggestions to help you smile more with Shorty.

Isolation...
- You might consider joining the Birmabright Brotherhood HERE. It's free... and might help you overcome your "Landy Loneliness." I've only met one other Series owner in Charlotte... so I understand your feeling of isolation.
- You may also look for British/MG/Triumph car clubs in your area. For example: HERE, and HERE. Often times, they will adopt other orphaned marques into their fold.
- Finally, you might check out the "Guns & Rovers" forum, HERE.
It's seems to be one of the most active/helpful domestic forums for Series owners I've found.

Comfort...
- Sound/Vibration... Dynamat, SecondSkin, etc... not cheap, but relatively easy to apply and can really help dampen the noise. Areas to consider... under hood, inside doors/floor/footwell/bulkhead, seatbox/rear bulkhead, tub floor. You can mix/match/layer products... I've also used a dense Closed Cell Foam (CCF) pad on the tub floor... as well as a heat barrier on the under side of the hood.
- Driving position... I know plenty of folks who switched over to Defender seats, HERE. If you prefer keeping things original, I've been told that simply adding Seat Risers HERE, can be a BIG help (sort of like sitting on a phonebook).
- Tires... I second the "Skinny Tire" recommendation found in an earlier post. Investing in a set of 7.5 x 16 tires was the best thing I did for Gracie thus far. I love everything about them (except the cost), HERE
- Parabolics... Again, I don't have experience with THESE... but I hear they are wonderful.

Reliability...
- No brilliant words of wisdom here but a cliche from Ben Franklin seems apt "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"... learn to (or have a trusted mechanic) keep up with all the required maintenance. Like an airline pilot... I always conduct a brief "pre-flight" check before leaving home (mostly to check fluid levels and for unexpected leaks... hub seals/brakes/master-slave cylinders... I also ALWAYS check the feel of the brakes prior to pulling out of the drive.

Best of luck!

[LaneRover]

Never heard of it but I'll look! And for those of you who like to read, I happen to be a novelist and most of my books feature roadtrips in the Southwest! A new one just came out last week, look online on Amazon for Sarah Leamy!

ANd Chuckstp - I think I'll try a thinner back cushion tomorrow and see how that helps, great idea.

It was my favorite book as a child and bought one for my daughter soon after she was born :-) Right now its the only book she says the title of!

I'll give a look for your books - loved taking road trips when I lived in San Diego.

[o2batsea]

After thoroughly dynamatting and adding sound deadening mats to my truck the results are...well...not much difference.
Dynamat in roof, doors, floors. Full bonnet dynamat and hood liner. The diesel overwhelms it all.

Carry your AAA Super Triple Diamond Level 20 Executive Class Unlimited card with you.

I can't speak to making gear changes easier since you already have the full synchro gearbox. You skipped right past the whole double declutching thing...
As for steering, it's possible to add power steering, using what's more or less all Rover parts. It requires some custom fabrication but it's not that complicated a thing. It makes the truck way more livable. It does away with the kooky push-pull longitudinal arm business and the chassis mounted bell crank madness.
Heat improvement is a snap. Call up RN and ask for them to send you one of those nifty Mt Mansfield heaters. Fits right up to your vehicle no problem and can cook a whole turkey as you drive.

If you are in NewMex, you are fortunate to be in proximity to one of the best Land Rover people on the planet; Rob Dassler.
A trip to his digs should be on your bucket list to discuss all these concerns of yours. He can do all that stuff and it will be done right!

You should also pay a visit to TeriAnn Wakeman's Expedition Land Rover pages.

Lastly, you are probably a candidate for an updated version of what you are driving now. That is, a Defender. They don't have to cost 40 large. They can be had for way way less if you are willing to do your own digging around and think outside the box so to speak. Case in point, my friend found one on ebay UK for about $3000, flew over and drove it to the dock. Cost him about 1500 to get it to Baltimore. Another couple hundred to get it thru inspection and registration and now he has a beautiful well sorted 90 to drive around. You just gotta know what to look for. There are also tons of them in Costa Rica, Honduras, etc.

[sleam]

Lastly, you are probably a candidate for an updated version of what you are driving now. That is, a Defender. They don't have to cost 40 large. They can be had for way way less if you are willing to do your own digging around and think outside the box so to speak. Case in point, my friend found one on ebay UK for about $3000, flew over and drove it to the dock. Cost him about 1500 to get it to Baltimore. Another couple hundred to get it thru inspection and registration and now he has a beautiful well sorted 90 to drive around. You just gotta know what to look for. There are also tons of them in Costa Rica, Honduras, etc.

Trying to get my brother in the UK to give me his Defender but I think i have to wait a few years! Let him fix it up even more as he uses it as a daily driver, about 10 miles a day, so not too much, diesel, LWB, rack etc...I'll remind him that I turn 50 in a couple of years! A great present from a big brother, right?

[cedryck]

Love reading some of the replies here, I love series trucks because they are slow, loud, and require attention.

[sleam]

Yeah, i have to say I love all the feedback. I've checked out the local groups suggested above and should hear back from them at some point. Good idea to contact other Brit car groups,not just Rovers. (Darbsclt = thanks!)
I have skinny tires so that's good.
I took out the back cushion and am using a cushion which gave me about an extra 4" leg room so my knees aren't as bent, more relaxed. A temp solution but it works for now!
Thanks everyone - this is great!

[o2batsea]

One thing that does help is what they call in the upper crusty world of the horsey set a "stall mat". You get this at a place that caters to nags (horses) or your friendly Tractor Supply. It's more or less a 1/2 inch thick sheet of recycled rubber. Cut it to fit your rear load space, and buy a second one to make front mats with. The remainder you can use as a welcome mat that will never wear out.

In the meantime while you wait for Brother this is awfully tempting, no?
http://www.defendersource.com/forum/...ad.php?t=58960

I'd offer 17,500 and see where that got me.

[sleam]

One thing that does help is what they call in the upper crusty world of the horsey set a "stall mat". You get this at a place that caters to nags (horses) or your friendly Tractor Supply. It's more or less a 1/2 inch thick sheet of recycled rubber. Cut it to fit your rear load space, and buy a second one to make front mats with. The remainder you can use as a welcome mat that will never wear out.

In the meantime while you wait for Brother this is awfully tempting, no?
http://www.defendersource.com/forum/...ad.php?t=58960

I'd offer 17,500 and see where that got me.

Well, want to buy it for me?! In the meantime, I'll check out the stall mat at the local Tractor supply in Santa Fe. Thanks!

[Jim-ME]

Horse stall mats work very well as Bill stated. They are for less expensive than the acoustic mats that are sold for Series trucks.
Jim

[sleam]

Hey Thom, in NM, you need to start telling us your ideas too since you have a 72! There's someone in Cedar Crest with the same year and he's going to come up in Feb for the Saturday Social at the Shaft. Feb 28th. Come on, spread the wealth since you've had yours for 15 yrs or so now...thanks