By the time our Patrol was back on the road, summer had well and truly arrived. But I needed to test it properly, and that meant heading down to Liwa with friends from ME4x4, our local off-road club. Mike, Ruba, Alan and I headed south for a weekend’s shakedown in the deep desert. It was a tough weekend in 45°c temperatures, and the engine was running slightly hot – but it ran sweet as a nut. I was able to test different tyre pressures on our block-tread Dunlops and was agreeably surprised to find how well they performed at low pressure. I found I could out-climb Mike’s powerhouse V8 Land Cruiser!
A few days after my return, I planned to take the car over to Ivan’s garage for a preliminary unofficial scrutineering check. I knew the roll cage no longer met the 2008 standards, and I needed his advice on how it could be modified. However, long before I got that far, an overwhelming smell of petrol pervaded the cockpit and I had to stop and investigate. The rear end was literally awash with petrol! One of the reinforced fuel lines had split, and fuel was pouring out under 30psi pressure from the fuel pump. Miraculously, it had survived Liwa without a problem, but failed after sitting in my driveway for a week.
After Carwise had replaced all the fuel lines and fitted two heavy duty fans on the radiator, I took it over to Ivan. He didn’t know the answer about the roll cage but promised to confer with the FIA and let me know. He also pointed out a couple of other minor issues which needed attention, but nothing major.
The next weekend we erected our new shed, destined to be the repository for all rally-related stuff – axles, wheels and tyres currently cluttering up the garage. Previously owned by Mark Powell, we sweated extensively to install it on a concrete base. With the floor painted, it just needs some electrics and a gateway in the front wall to give access to the garage.
A few days after my return, I planned to take the car over to Ivan’s garage for a preliminary unofficial scrutineering check. I knew the roll cage no longer met the 2008 standards, and I needed his advice on how it could be modified. However, long before I got that far, an overwhelming smell of petrol pervaded the cockpit and I had to stop and investigate. The rear end was literally awash with petrol! One of the reinforced fuel lines had split, and fuel was pouring out under 30psi pressure from the fuel pump. Miraculously, it had survived Liwa without a problem, but failed after sitting in my driveway for a week.
After Carwise had replaced all the fuel lines and fitted two heavy duty fans on the radiator, I took it over to Ivan. He didn’t know the answer about the roll cage but promised to confer with the FIA and let me know. He also pointed out a couple of other minor issues which needed attention, but nothing major.
The next weekend we erected our new shed, destined to be the repository for all rally-related stuff – axles, wheels and tyres currently cluttering up the garage. Previously owned by Mark Powell, we sweated extensively to install it on a concrete base. With the floor painted, it just needs some electrics and a gateway in the front wall to give access to the garage.
