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#Post#: 46791--------------------------------------------------
Fuckwit's List of Sensible Improvements Anyone Could do to a
Leafer.
DIR By: fuckwit
Date: January 1, 2013, 3:31 pm
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Sensible improvements anyone could do to a Leafer.
It occurred to me recently n adding my twopenneth to a thread on
heaters and another on electronic sparks, that there are one or
two really rather successful improvements that can be quickly
and easily made to any series. and a few, which may not be so
quick, yet are worthwhile nonetheless. So, with this in mind,
I'm going to put my own in, and ask, which are the universally
sensible mods anyone should do to a leafer?
Let us not get carried away here, above almost any other vehicle
I can think of, save perhaps for Minis & Beetles, Land rovers
generally suffer from a surfeit of modification wankerdom. It's
a phenomena best celebrated in Icey's fantastic 'wrongness'
thread. OK, they're not quite as amusing, but in my mind, there
are 'sensible' things that can be done too.
I like many of you have spent untold time and effort on all
sorts of tidbits to make my leafer the way I want it. In
truth,most come under the law of diminishing returns, dubious
fripperies, the need for which would not stand up to even 10
secs of mild scrutiny. You know the kind of thing, PTOs, fairey
winches, deep rims, RM door tops, my own grandiose plans to fit
a MegaJolt & a BLOS, the list goes on, yet , in the process I've
come across a few that with hindsight, were pretty simple and
cheap and should have been fitted ex-factory. In fact, on later
models, some of them have been. It's a handful of mods that in
my mind have universal appeal. So I'm going to list my findings,
more in the hope that others might chime in with theirs.. the
rule being that they must have universal appeal to anyone
putting a leafer to daily-driver use, and have real payback in
terms of either safety, economy or undisputed plain usefulness.
By this I mean usefulness put against the cost and effort
involved to do them. So, in this way , we can exclude anything
that requires even one 'kin sand-ladder, jerry-can, farm-jack or
the usual "Seen 'Crocodile Dundee/ Raiders of the Lost.../
Madmax' once too often" stuff.
I'm going to list those I think fit the bill, and when others
list theirs, I'm hoping I might learn something. I will restrict
it to the cheap and easy to do , or those with immediate or
nearly immediate payback the moment you do them.
By this I don't mean the more esoteric "I did it because I can"
adornments and fripperies, I mean those things few would dispute
are required for real-world use by anyone that uses their leafer
rain or shine... everyday. Essentials that make a leafer safer,
or livable for the drive to work, shopping and the boring
hum-drum stuff we all do. Thus the improvements you'd need for a
half-hour school-run or commute to the next large town on a cold
february morning, finishing up typically in some god-forsaken
multi-storey/supermarket/company car-park - rather than a
'laning' trip.
Here's mine and some aren't strictly mods, but have been listed
in the order you'll be wanting them on 'said' frosty/snowy
February morning:
1. Heated windscreen x 2. When it gets cold this one gets a lot
of mentions, and rightly so. A very simple improvement that
works so well it demists better than any heater. I am going to
be very draconian about this one. Heated screens should be a be
a legal requirement for any series in winter use. People will
bang on about their Tdi/Prima blah conversion, but on a frosty
morn, the same people will resist the temptation to actually see
where they're going. Please, get yours, they really work.
2. If you run petrol, electronic sparks is a must. I fought
against it for ages - but electronic sparks is a no-brainer
improvement, yes, a new set of points and condenser are as good
as electronic sparks, sometimes for as much as, well, as much
500 miles... sorry few will argue for points. I have a SimonBBC
conversion on mine, worth every penny of the £90.00 it cost me.
Especially with a half-daed battery on a cold morning. If you
run gas in any flavour LPG or CNG don't even think about points,
and whilst you're on, forget those snake-oil Brisk LPG plugs.
Cheap plugs cahnged often is the way.
3. A warm coat will do , but a proper heater is better Don't do
this mod before you've fitted heated screens, and you may find
you don't really need a better heater, (such is he efectiveness
of heated-screens) but a decent heater is nice. Icey's
frankenheater looks good, or do as I did, fit a debender heater
box, the late TDi straight pipe is the one you want. You can
make it use the existing inlet with some faffing. Or if you've
moeny to burn, a Kodiak.
4. A radio, For me anyway, is a must - however, the fitment of
a radio assumes you have...
5. Soundproofing: You might argue against this one, I say it's
an essential, but then that might be me, I'd go as far as to
say, without it I might not actually get rid of my 109 but I'd
hardly ever drive it. My 109 without SP has my ears ringing
which is not wise, and a definite sign of permanent damage being
done to hearing. I like to have a conversaion with my passenger,
usually my boy, without shouting too. All told sound-proofing
can get quite expensive, but Wright-Off-Road matting,
Noisekiller, along with 10mm rubber stable matting, and a
Lasalle headlining to hide shedloads of noisekiller, and to park
you radio into, is the way to go. As i said, that little lot is
not cheap, so failing that, pink-fluffy ear-muffs. I say
essentail, if your ears are ringing, worry, a life spent not
always being able to hear what your loved ones say to you is not
funny. Ask me how I know...
6. A reversing light. I've found to my cost that in crowded
car-parks my reverse gear without a matching reversing-light,
can be nulled, in fact often, reverse is made unusable. This is
becasue drivers today will drive into your rearwards as you
attempt to reverse into parking spaces. If you see this logic,
effectivley, no reverse lamp means no reverse gear, certainly in
heavy traffic doing a three-point, and car-parks.. More so in a
109 with its ridiculaous turing-circle. With a 109 a three-point
becomes a 5-6 point, when others expect you to do it three, Its
often not obvious to all from where you will be positioned of
your turning intent. People expect to see yor reverse light, so
will take the very parking slot you've lined-up to. If you
suffer from wheelbase deficit disorder, and are whhelbase
challenged things willl be easier, but a 109 is pig to park in
crowded places, no reverselight can make it impossible. The city
and the commute is not the natural home of a 109, so OK, this
one is not strictly essentail but a real pain without.
7. A Halogen headlight conversion. To have stock lights when
this can be done for £30.00 is madness. Put a relay into the
circuit for anotehr tenner whilst you're on.
8. Gay mirrors. Debender mirrors much as I hate to admit it, are
a must. It really isn't clever to stick to the originality of
stock mirrors as against the clear safety improvement of being
able to see around you. The argumetn for mirrors on your
wing-tip was lost years ago. Large proper mirrors are a must at
todasy traffic speeds and traffic conditions You or your
passenger can wipe the ice or condensation off gay mirrors, all
from your seat too. Few can sensibly argue against them. Makes
parking lots easier, and cheap to do, a clear winner, mince
away, but fit them. I have them on S3 hinges, but I think with a
bit of faffing, They can be made to fit the nicer S2 type as
well, I think the easiest way is to put a n S3 hinge at the top,
never done it, so it could be my arse talking.
9. A fuel economy measure: If we assume the natioanl average of
12000 miles pa, the stock 2.25 petrol or Diesel will cost you
just over £4300.00 a year to run. To see your milage numbers go
to:
HTML http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-1633430/Petrol-diesel-tax-costs-calculator.html
Few of us can afford 17-19mpg for long, so an economy measure of
whichever flavour has to be done. Either go for the instant
gratification approach of a TDi or a more cerebral gas LPG or
CNG conversion, whichever way, this becomes an essential if you
actaully intend to drive a series anywhere. On average mileage,
assuming you fit a conversion yourself, a gas or TDi conversion
costs under £1000.00 and pays for itself inside 9-10 months or
5000ish miles.
10. If you're a petrol man, get a 2.5 petrol and gas it. A
vastly underrated engine, with all the advantages of the 2.25
and a they go for pennies on the 'bay. The herd wants Tdi, so
those things go for far more, The 2.5 is the final version of
the 2.25 with more grunt, it gives you an unleaded head into the
bargain and pretty much, save for not too much extra spannering,
flops straight in. A TDi can be lashed in over a weekend,but to
do it properly is far more involved.
11. Spot on brakes - Not a mod exactly, but for every well
set-up 'as the factory intended,' series with drum-brakes that
work, I'll show you 2 or 3 that don't. To get them right, and
keep that way, series brakes are maintenance intensive things
and have to be watched. Ask yourself, do yours pull up straight
at all speeds, with a light touch? They should. Get very
familiar with their care and do them right. Disc conversions
done properly 'as a system' are better (and I emphasise 'as a
system') - more importantly, they 'stay' better, but drums done
well and maintained with zeal and vigilanace are good too.
Brakes get much neglected by most owners, I too have been guilty
of spending more time on frou-frou, and making my leafer 'go'
over making it 'stop'. This is an easy trap to fall into, and of
immense stupidity. Learn to 'do' your brakes. If not already
done, bring yours up to at least late S3 factory spec with the
larger drums and servo etc. Brakes are a vastly complex subject,
that outwardly look very simple, but is not for fools. If you do
go for the full gay discs conversion, you'll need bigger servo,
and a different MC, don't attempt to half-arse it , do it
properly, or stick with drums.
12. Spot on steering - With most series being at least thirty
years old, steering seems to suffer much the same fate as
brakes. Steering is a real weak point, and I too was guilty of
only recently getting it truly 'right'. If you have more than 1"
of play at the rim outer, that in my book says you have very
iffy steering, even if you did get it through its last MOT. Here
again, I have spent far more time getting my 109 to 'go' than I
have ever spent getting it to 'steer'. Real stupidity and
proper, proper cuntdom on my part. Don't fall into the same
trap. I suspect many of you have poor steering, so sort it. I
understand it now, I used a dial-guage, which is proabably
overkill but it worked. Mr Ross is the man that put me right,
and likely your man to ask on this one.
13. A rear wash-wipe and heated rear screen. I put on a complete
debender rear door, along with anti-burst locks, (not necessary,
but I have kids) but to drive 5000+ miles year with no demist &
wipe at the rear is not good. Not nearly as important as the
front windscreen heaters, but a real safety point. Suggest you
get a debender door and fit the whole shebang.
So, to my mind those are teh principal improvements few could
dispute, however, rather than turn this into a thread about how
you do any of these or others, lets be having you, what do you
think are the instant payback improvements? As I see it, most of
the above, if the sereis LandzRover was still in production,
would be factory-fit today, but what have I missed?
#Post#: 46793--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fuckwit's List of Sensible Improvements Anyone Could do to a
Leafer.
DIR By: harryhedgehog
Date: January 1, 2013, 3:39 pm
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interesting Mr Fuckwit
HHH
#Post#: 46794--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fuckwit's List of Sensible Improvements Anyone Could do to a
Leafer.
DIR By: hippydave
Date: January 1, 2013, 3:42 pm
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some good points
#Post#: 46797--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fuckwit's List of Sensible Improvements Anyone Could do to a
Leafer.
DIR By: Cornish Cowboy
Date: January 1, 2013, 3:51 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Some very good points.
I would add a "dipping" interior mirror especially with all
these idiots running round with front fog lights on
#Post#: 46798--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fuckwit's List of Sensible Improvements Anyone Could do to a
Leafer.
DIR By: prof-pat-pending
Date: January 1, 2013, 4:12 pm
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have to agree on most of your ideas - mine is a daily driver and
i agree with your logic - why suffer just for the sake of it
#Post#: 46799--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fuckwit's List of Sensible Improvements Anyone Could do to a
Leafer.
DIR By: Albert Ross
Date: January 1, 2013, 4:18 pm
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--- Quote from: Cornish Cowboy link ---
>
> Some very good points.
> I would add a "dipping" interior mirror especially with all
these idiots running round with front fog lights on
>
--- End Quote ---
That's what reat mounted work/reverse lamps are for.
#Post#: 46801--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fuckwit's List of Sensible Improvements Anyone Could do to a
Leafer.
DIR By: brianthesnail96
Date: January 1, 2013, 4:27 pm
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New (original, deluxe, or whatever takes your fancy so long as
it looks right) seats. Knackered original ones are a pain in the
arse- and the back.
Interesting- and good- thread.
Definitely agree with the electronic ignition- replaced the
Marina's dying points with a replacement "Simon BBC" dizzy and
I've not had to touch it since, whereas before it required
fiddling with every few weeks. Admittedly that's not a fair
comparison as the original dizzy was a tad worn, but I'd still
recommend it.
Same for the Halogen conversion- and it's much easier to find a
replacement H4 bulb than a sealed beam unit when you lose a
headlight at half 6 on a grotty winter Sunday.
Hadn't even considered the reversing light- very sensible idea.
#Post#: 46802--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fuckwit's List of Sensible Improvements Anyone Could do to a
Leafer.
DIR By: Cornish Cowboy
Date: January 1, 2013, 4:34 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Albert Ross link ---
>
> [quote author=Cornish Cowboy link=topic=4233.msg46797#msg46797
date=1357077094]
> Some very good points.
> I would add a "dipping" interior mirror especially with all
these idiots running round with front fog lights on
>
--- End Quote ---
That's what reat mounted work/reverse lamps are for.
[/quote]
Yes done that, also on a 109 I had a good few years ago had a
little button on the dash to trigger the break lights, keeps the
tail gaters at bay
#Post#: 46807--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fuckwit's List of Sensible Improvements Anyone Could do to a
Leafer.
DIR By: fuckwit
Date: January 1, 2013, 4:49 pm
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Deluxe seats is one I forgot about. A very good suggestion,
without, you'll not have to worry about a trifle whiplash
injury, no head-restraint will take your very neck with it.
Nasty.... Fit anything, wahtever floats your boat, but fit a
head-restraint.
#Post#: 46817--------------------------------------------------
Re: Fuckwit's List of Sensible Improvements Anyone Could do to a
Leafer.
DIR By: NUGGETT
Date: January 1, 2013, 5:32 pm
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I tell what would really float my boat, fitting one of these:
>mgun>
with lots of these down the side fuckwit
....or, go and buy a land rover with all of the list above
fitted but fuck off the fuel economy and get 8 cylinders to put
a smile on your face or just sell your leafer and get a nice
little run about , though you might not be able to fit deep dish
rims to that........................
you forgot heated seats ffs :smilewide:
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