Bought a 1997 Tdi today

Thank you Damien for his link and Dr D for his experiences.

My Disco was dropped off today and I have started prepping for the safety certificate. I've found, through a friend of a friend, a mobile Roadworthiness chap who's not too fussy so I hope to be able to get my certificate and go for rego tomorrow afternoon.

I'm told that he's not going to be fussed about the chip in the windscreen and, as long as I have managed to put four good tyres on the thing by lunchtime I'll be good to get a safety certificate and will be able to pop along to TMR for rego late afternoon.

I managed to obtain a decent deal on four highway tyres at Bob Jane's for $145 each including fitting. First time ever I've found a decent deal at BJ's so I'm pretty pleased/amazed. When all is said and done, most of the next year or two with the Disco is going to be on the road and I will be on the lookout for some spare rims so that I can get some more aggressive tyres for off-roading.

Headlining-wise, I read in an article that Damien linked to (or I found on the forum - getting old, can't remember) that someone went to Archerfield Uphostery a few years ago. They're still in business AAU Brisbane car, truck, marine upholsterers 07 3274 5310 Archerfield Auto Upholstery Servicing Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast and they're nearby. If I remove the head lining from the car, clean it up a bit and drop it off to them they will re-line it for $150 which is awfully tempting, even for a tight-arsed do-it-yourselfer like myself. If I just drop the car off with them and they do the lot it would be $250. Pretty good deal but I fancy removing it myself so that I can clean up all the bits and bobs.

Other than that - it's been a very quiet day....

My Discovery flew through the Roadworthy today, mainly because (I believe) that the chap may have been blind. Now, he couldn't have missed that there were only two wheels on it as I had dropped the other two off to have new tyres fitted. If not blind, he was certainly colour blind as he asked me what colour the car was. It isn't just blue, it's BLUE in bold at 144 font.

Nevertheless, he was a super bloke who is of the opinion that a twenty year old vehicle's never going to be perfect. What a top banana!

Got four new tyres now and a brand spanking new number plate. Ironically, the plate starts in 626 and our other car is a 1996 Mazda 626. I had a fleeting thought that we should swap the plates over until I realised that putting peronalised plates on a 96 Mazda 626 would be like putting a tiara on a turd.

Anyway, Sallyanne had a drive of the car for the first time and her feet don't touch the ground. Is there a mod that would allow me to lower the front of the driver seat or should Sal wear platforms?

Relatively serious question.

I think the original teeny cramped cabs were originally designed for post war food starved anorexic Britons, but later on Mr Tata seems to have increased the leg room for anorexic long legged Indian types.

I'm short with even shorter arms n legs, so I've looked into this ... the options seem to be surgical leg extensions (cheapest and easiest), move the seat forward so the wheel presses against your chest (most dangerous, and you go through heaps of chest lube), or toss the original and mortgage the house for a custom (which probably won't fit in the teeny little space anyway).

But on further reflection, if Sallyanne's a daughter, she shouldn't be allowed near your Landy anyway. If she's a wife/partner/significant other/next of kin/person with whom you share your life/other, then you should seriously think about trading her in for one with longer legs ... cheaper than a Recaro, and you could get one to fit any future Landy's too ... unless of course she's good at rebuilding ZF's, Tdi300's etc etc ...

My goodness, I see your predicament old boy ...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DrDeath

I think the original teeny cramped cabs were originally designed for post war food starved anorexic Britons, but later on Mr Tata seems to have increased the leg room for anorexic long legged Indian types.

I'm short with even shorter arms n legs, so I've looked into this ... the options seem to be surgical leg extensions (cheapest and easiest), move the seat forward so the wheel presses against your chest (most dangerous, and you go through heaps of chest lube), or toss the original and mortgage the house for a custom (which probably won't fit in the teeny little space anyway).

But on further reflection, if Sallyanne's a daughter, she shouldn't be allowed near your Landy anyway. If she's a wife/partner/significant other/next of kin/person with whom you share your life/other, then you should seriously think about trading her in for one with longer legs ... cheaper than a Recaro, and you could get one to fit any future Landy's too ... unless of course she's good at rebuilding ZF's, Tdi300's etc etc ...

My goodness, I see your predicament old boy ...

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Sallyanne is my wife and is asleep next to me. I will show her this post when she wakes up and it is likely that she will not be impressed. Tamworth is not awfully far from here and, even though she may not be tall, she will track you down. Be afraid. Be very afraid!

Nevertheless, we're off on a road trip down to Kyogle today and Sal is keen on mastering driving the Disco down the Lions Road with her little legs dangling down on the pedals. She's driven it round town a bit in this fashion and it is getting easier.

In search of a replacement headliner, I found an awesome auto upholsterer in Archerfield, Qld. We just took our Ford Territory in and he did a fantastic job for $200 cash with no receipt (cos he hates paperwork) It would have been $250 by credit card.

Anyway, he's going to do the headlining on my Disco for $150 once I have removed it. He will have to use some sort of felt because it has been repaired with glue so many times that he says it will look awful otherwise. I'll be able to line the roof with foil and run some wires as suggested on here.

The chap says that he can do the seats as well as he has some material laying around so I'm going to see if there's any way of making the seat cushion removable and then have him make a thinner one for Sal. You never know, it might work.

I can't see how you could make the seat base removable (and legal). I've had these apart reupholstering them myself (another how-to somewhere).

The ES seats have 3-axis adjustment including base tilt, and this is probably what you want. Not easy to find though...

Damien