LR's, how far back do you go ?

[rodp]

In the 1950s l would leave the back garden walk over the fields over the Grand union with the barges going up to the centre of Birmingham and watch the Land Rovers going round the original jungle track. I went to school opposite the factory , the factory was producing the Rover 90 , 100 saloons along with the series 1 . Later on we would see Forward Control , the gas turbine JET 1 reg, the Spider which was a mid engined Le Mans type car . I then left school and enjoyed a different life for fourteen years, and returned and joined the factory working on SD1 , P6 ( Rover Three Litre) I worked at the factory where the series three chassis were made , four long strips of steel the length of the vehicle were clamped together and welded the whole length with the out riggers added later this was completed in long tunnels in an old rope making factory by a team of welders . I was in the team that produced the first LR 110 V-8 on the production line. I had 28 years with the company travelling the world and driving the products always open to a challenge . I was in Shipley and saw a sign to Ilkley Moor and followed the sign and met a Series 1 coming over the other way who was shocked to meet a brand new Range Rover . I would change my cars each three months so the farmers would have a different Range Rover or Discovery driving the land. The classic would be the farmer would say is the top field with the damage on it you won't get up there in that so I would drive up to prove the point with the farmer say don't let the wife see you as I ve told her they are posh vehicles but won't go off road??? On another occasion the farm had a shoot on and the farmer requested me to pop in the yard at approx four o'clock which I did . Afterwards I asked the farmer why and he told me that one of the shoot members had an ancient Classic Range Rover and kept on about his RR , when I turned up with a brand new model he questioned who that was and the farmer was delighted to inform him " oh that's my pigeon shooter". Wind Up Merchant.

Nice interesting story Don't think I could have worked for them, it would have spoilt the fun of owning them.

 

Sorry to be picky, and nerdy but the three litre was surely the P5, that then went on to be the P5B with the 3.5 v8 ? The one prior to the SD1 was the P6 with the 3.5 ? And, series three chassis were a two piece pressed assembly, 2a was the last of the 4 strip chassis ? Yes, no ??

[Grandalf]

Army use for 12 years 1954 to 66 - Whatever was on issue at the time.

Then 40 years as a civie. 5 trucks. 2a to the ex MOD90 I run today.

Couldn't be without one.

[pigeon controller]

Nice interesting story Don't think I could have worked for them, it would have spoilt the fun of owning them.

 

Sorry to be picky, and nerdy but the three litre was surely the P5, that then went on to be the P5B with the 3.5 v8 ? The one prior to the SD1 was the P6 with the 3.5 ? And, series three chassis were a two piece pressed assembly, 2a was the last of the 4 strip chassis ? Yes, no ??

Yes you are right,it's a long time for me to remember I've been retired eleven years????

[rodp]

Yes you are right,it's a long time for me to remember I've been retired eleven years? ???

Noooo, it's not you've forgotten, it's me. I used to be a LR nerd, models, dates, variations etc ..................... But I'm better now thanks I stopped trialing in 2000 when I closed the works (competition and general LR repairs was one thing we did) and generally dropped out of the scene. Gave the work to AGS LR's, and he's gone now. Still have some things just spring to mind though.

 

I was around them when Roger Crathorne were just a lad :lol: ....................... (I think he's actually older than me to be honest)