[tonguewink]Quote:
Originally Posted by Tins
I was going to point that out casually to Chivalry's initial post, but decided that it would only fan the fire.
I'm no "purist" - if I was, I would not have purchased the vehicle. I have a very specific task in mind for this RRC, and it has already a proven track record of accomplishing same task previously, multiple times, with 100% reliability.
I forewarned everyone that I wasn't going to comply with their ideas of what constituted or they considered an appropriate successor.
Living up here is a very different thing to being a tourist or a 'visitor' doing a lap, or a convoy headed to the cape or across the top.
Even getting out of my driveway in less than ideal conditions mandates some rather significant changes to a standard vehicle. No way would an LSE in standard form be able to outperform what I already have in the RRC, so the purists argument is buried, period. They can go elsewhere and complain and point fingers about how that decal isn't correctly aligned or that bolt shouldn't be there or that thread should be BSW and not metric...
Be buggered I say and keep that diatribe for their own vehicles.
Indeed I could have spent the same amount of money and then some on the RRC and not bothered with purchasing the LSE at the outset..., but the facts again, support the decision to acquire the LSE in this exact configuration, in order to complete the tasks I require of it.
So I have no intention of 'restoring' it.
As I stated initially after having acquired it - it just needs tidying up. That's mostly interior cosmetics - which have suffered 30+ years of harsh top-end summers. Nothing will prevent UV damage, short of keeping it locked in a dark sealed humidity controlled space... where it can't be used as intended...
The Spring rate which I mentioned, is simply appropriate for the previous owners use, and doesn't suit mine. He towed a quite heavy offroad camper trailer, and I do not have any intention of ever towing a camper trailer with this vehicle. It's literally going to continue on where the RRC left off. Most of the 'accessory' stuff is readily transferrable - I made all my modifications on the RRC to be reversible - so it will work out fine.
My only real bugbear is like all old vehicles with multiple previous owners, (one or more of them may be or have been members here *cough*) the degree of electrical and cosmetic butchery that goes on, with no real consideration given to the electrical safety, the actual usefulness or finite lifespan of those modifications - or (more to the point) where the electrical modifications are performed to a level that allow the vehicle to remain roadworthy, and not a potential fire hazard.
Back in 2015 when I purchased the RRC, I understood that the previous owner had looked after it in a manner befitting. The maintenance records were immaculate and exceptional. so I knew that it was well cared for for at least those 11 years of it's life. Having said that, imagine how I felt when I pulled back the steering column kickpanel to discover the horrors of butchery - and clearly not those performed by he previous owner, but a multitude of previous sinners, be those alleged professionals or previous owners...
Well the LSE is really no different. Just worse in some ways and not as bad in others.
You have to expect that when you'rte purchasing a used vehicle - I'm certainly not afraid of tackling it again, but in this case, I can see that the cosmetics are possibly too far gone to be considered as repairable or useful as donor parts for future restoration - time will only tell upon disassembly of those components, how many break, how many survive etc... It's all rudimentary.
and Yesterday's little sojourn to town revealed the potential D2 'donor' as being possibly a little too nice to dismantle. Indeed it's not perfect, not registered and not all there.... but it is local, it does have a good match colour wise for the interior and the soft dash is a bonus. It might be worthwhile - I need to think about it for a few days
