Emma Scully
Member Since: 31 Aug 2017
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 93
 
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| Auntie Emma's story of the day! | |
Hi Will,
my apologies, it's on my ta-doo list!
I keep promising that I will get it all written up and post it here.
Following the breakdown and recovery back here, (France), I replaced the a/c pump and serpentine belt. I noticed that the engineer had loosened the power steering pump pipe and it now has a small leak... I confess that with all the travel restrictions and now cost of, 'go faster juice' I haven't done much mileage., so it's a job that needs doing. I did try to just retighten but it didn't do much, it is the connector that sits on top of the steering pump itself so I guess I will need to replace it.
I still have the complete, brand new, engine and a brand-new gearbox. They are still in their shipping cases. The engine also includes the cylinder head and timing gear.
Last year I purchased a new 4.5 tonne two post lift but it isn't yet fitted in as I can't decide whether to put it in the barn or in, what was a stable. The advantage of the stable is that it already has a concrete floor, but it will need modification to the roof and removal of a wall. The barn has the height but doesn't have a concrete floor and I may have other uses for that space. The two-post lift would restrict access so it's likely that I will use the stable. We presently use it as a store for scaffolding and the various drums of oils for the plant.
At the moment we're working on the main house, it started off as... 'decorating' but then turned into ripping out the old ceiling and putting modern insulation between the dry-board and stone walls.
My next FreeDeux improvement will be to put in a 13.6 tesla style media system. I have a sneaking suspicion that either the transfer box or Haldex is needing some work. Three years ago, but only 1000 miles or so I went up to York to have the Haldex serviced. They serviced it and said it was good. and the rumbling and vibration that I had around 50- 60 mph disappeared. It has now returned; I have been towing an Ifor Williams TT105 tipping trailer. The wheels and tyres are all matched as were the original ones but of course I have no history beyond my ownership. The car arrived with five wheels rather than a space saver. The brakes and discs were all replaced not long after I purchased her. The only journeys I do are the long ones but invariably with a loaded twin or triaxle trailer and then the speed is almost never more than 90kmh or 60 mph.
Maybe a more immediate task would be to replace the rubber seals around the ball joints as this was picked up on an advisory in last year's MOT.
On a wider subject, I can't really get my head around electric cars and the changes needed to go all electric. I get the benefit for commuting and short journeys and we have had a Toyota Prius spirit for six years and have a Toyota Auris hybrid both bought new and properly serviced. They can continue on longer journeys without the need to go hunting round for a charging point.
I look up at the sky above our home and on many days, the only clouds in that sky are made by high flying aircraft and feel frustrated that the, 'fossil fuelled car', is rather maligned. I see industry kicking out millions of tonnes of toxic waste, volcanoes creating huge swathes of noxious areas and of course belligerents throughout the world firing off millions of explosives and burning buildings, factories and homes. I then think of my FreeDeux, with its catalytic converter, sane driver and wonder why cars are such a target so, and as mentioned before, my lovely FreeDeux is a keeper.
For many years we tended to have the latest model and look with something like envy when an update was released... I guess this was ok when doing lots of driving or commuting and of course many of the vehicles were on the company ticket. But something changed and it became more about getting things that seemed right rather than whizzy! The first time this happened was with the motorbikes. I had three Honda Super-Blackbirds in succession. Each one more modern and updated, from the carbs to fuel injection, from analogue to digital and then I realised that every-time I went out I risked either my life or licence. I guess having a young 20-year-old, in his father's XR3i, pull out in front of me and almost killing me, gave me a hint... So, after a further 8 spinal procedures and a truck load of medication, I realised that although I still wanted to enjoy the, 'open road' I, and my choice of steed had to change. the first was a commuter cycle, A Yamaha Majesty 400, single cylinder, automatic and very comfortable, I still have it but it wasn't the same. It's when the Epiphany happened and I got hold of a Moto Guzzi 850 T3 California and then after a couple of trips stripped it back down to nuts and bolts. More than a decade on and it still isn't finished but all the parts are either shiny, powder-coated or new, (NOS). I had two Jaguar XF's which were lovely and superb for French roads and long motorways. Unfortunately, not very dog friendly. A land Rover is, (within my budget) a bit agricultural, especially for long journeys and frankly a bit of a waste of all that four by four by far stuff  . It had to be JLR though, don't ask me why because I don't know just that it was. A Range Rover has always been above my paygrade, which kind of left the Disco and honestly that was where I was looking. of course, all the doom and gloom merchants in various forums going on about how unreliable they were, the phrase, ‘Get a Life’, really should apply to all those naysayers... That's when I really started to study what was being said or written and sort it out from the people who had problems but were resolving them. I guess I would still like a disco but no more modern than the last chunky 4 rather than the newer ones. I'm not sure why I discounted the first version of the Freelander, it certainly wasn't reliability, maybe it more a design thing but the Freelander / LR2 seemed to hit the sweet spot. I was searching in eBay and came along my FreeDeux, the 3.2 i6. A bit different, in the UK at least and it had already been sold but the buyer pulled out so it was back up. I contacted the seller and found out more information, I also found out that he had tried to get an IVA and it had failed but studying this I realised that it had been misrepresented. It was a dilemma moment... On the one hand, realising that someone was trying to make a quick profit on something and by lying about the vehicle, (one example was its age and another it's specification. I put in an offer and this was accepted. After contacting HM Customs and Excise, going through the proper paperwork FreeDeux passed the IVA with flying colours. There was nothing remotely magic involved just going through the process. I'm getting the same with wanting to import her into France, phrases like, 'scrap it and sell it for parts', show appalling knowledge and have no regard for what is actually possible. As she was exported new to UAE there is no EU Certificate of Conformity, (hence the IVA in the UK) France doesn't do IVA's in the way that the UK does so there are challenges, but at the end of the day she was built in the UK, made with the same parts that almost every other Freelander has so the part numbers and EU markings on the glass are all there. The lights are EU marked too and that will be my next challenge. After that maybe learn some woodworking skills and make my own little micro camper.
Here's to a lovely weekend,
Auntie Emma xx 2009 Jaguar XF 3.0
2011 Jaguar XF 3.0
2007 LR2 i6 3.2 HSE
1980 Moto Guzzi 850 T3 California
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25th Jun 2022 12:13 pm
Regards
I agree that this group is excellent, honestly, I would have been really stuck without it and the help that people give so.... freeely 
