Thread: Well... My Story, My Replacement. Introducing my Landy

Gday

Well Im not sure where to start I wasnt sure whether to put this in the Rant section, or the Buildup section or the Introduction. So I put it in General Chat

My story for this year has been an interesting one very up and down.
To shorten it, it started out well. I play rugby and was up to peak fitness all set for the season. I got my licence first go. And dad leant me his Defender while he went New Zealand for three months. Which I ended up buying off him.

Then nasty things started happening. I had a reocurring back injury, so i went to the specialist and found out I had a bulged disc in my back. No more rugby this season. Wouldve been my 7th year playing and 5th year playing for Tasmania.

So time went on. I bought dads Defender.

Then while working on a large sheep property down the midlands I was putting the bucket on the front end loader of a 90 HP tractor. Its a long story but it landed on my toes, breaking the big toe, dislocating the second, and snapping the tip off the fourth. I was in hospital for 3 days with risk of infection. And came out with 3 pins in my toes. For 6 weeks.


This is what dropped on my toes. I think about 250-300 KG

I was only talking to my physio the other day. (Shes trying to get some movement back in them for me, and requested a letter from the doctor who put them back together). Anyway the letter read at the end that I was about this far > < from having them amputated.

So got them all fixed and I can walk again.

Then the rear main seal went in the Defender. Had it fixed and was told Im up for a rebuild. So I took it down to Justin Cooper. Who told me the head was cracked, something solid had gone through the turbo, the crank was seriously flogged out and I was up for a new radiator. We had only had the car for probably 5000 ks so Im pretty sure the previous owner forgot to mention the minor mechanical faults

After lots of money I picked it up a week later. (Turned out cheaper to put a new motor in). Drove it home, loving every minute of it.

The next day I rolled it and wrote it off was an accident. (My dad told me even an experienced driver wouldnt have been able to save it). He looked at the skid marks. Noone was injured.





Luckily it was insured and the company paid out. I ended up buying it back off them.

It may not look bad but almost every panel from the doors back has a crease or dent.

It tore me apart. It was still drivable but luckily it landed on the steering arm so had a bit of a toe in. I broke down when dad arrived to offer assistance. First time I cried in probably 5 years. My car was my identity really all my mates knew me as the bloke with the Defender. And many a day I spent in, under or on top of it working away making it just that little bit better.

That was almost a month ago.

It took me bout 5 days before I even smiled again. And I actually lost sleep over it. And still do. It replays through my mind.

So after 3 weeks of thinking I made a decision. Well mum did. She was sick of seeing me depressed. I went down today and picked up my new Landy.

Its the same as my old one. Just a year younger. A different colour and has 200000 less Ks.



This thread will be my bulid up. Showing you all the improvements I intend to carry out. Hopefully this Defender will last me for many years to come.

My plans are:
Switch over the BF Goodrich M/T if they are ok
Switch over the Air Compressor and Rear Locker and the rear Maxi Drives
Switch over the TJM Bullbar and Sidesteps
Have a new alloy roofrack made up
Full alloy checker plate kit
Tweak the fuel pump
Maybe suspension upgrade

Hopefully be finished by the end of next year. Ill be working all holidays non stop.

So thats my story

Thanks for reading

I had to get it off my chest

Hope you have more luck in the future.Nice looking 110