Land Rover Stories
new: Monty's Corner:

Tom Jacobs tells how he found Mounty and why it had to be a Land Rover.

Jacob’s Ladder or: How it all started







 
Private, corporal, seargent.
Bronce, silver, gold.
Fish’n chips, steak, caviar.
Typewriter, microsoft, linnux.
Defender, Series III, Series IIA.
Series II, series I, God.
 
So I’m right in the middle of my personal reincarnation: I was a corporal in the German airborne, I don’t mind steaks at all, I Am sTill wQrking with Mi_rosoft, Monty is a series III, and I believe in God. (Let’s just skip sports, o.k.?).
 
Two years ago I got rid of my pickup truck due to (it’s) age. I’ve been sort of sneaking around land rovers for quite some time and fancied one of these riveted aluminium wonders that to me looked so much what a car is supposed to look like. The funny thing was that various friends (with “normal” cars) suggested me to get a defender next. And this is what I did. But it was along way with a lot of axiety (for it’s reliability), doubt (about it’s suitibility for a regular everyday’s life) and consideration (for fuel and maintenance costs).
 
I ended up buying a four year old 90 TDI from a middle aged couple, real dinks (double income, no kids). The car had run about 55.000 km and was neither used off road, nor for ever pulling a trailer. I figure they only used it for driving to the golf course. But: they just loved it, took good care of it and – after all – couldn’t really tell me just why they wanted to sell it (well, it didn’t fit into any parking deck in town and grandma had a rather hard time to board the thing; life is so damn tough at times, isn’t it?). All of a sudden I owned a wonderful car in excellent shape, something I’ve been dreaming of and I swore that I would never, ever sell it.
 
Well, how long did your first landy-high last? Mine about three months … Although I loved my defender until I finally sold it, after three months I already told my wife (in a joking way, of course) that my next land rover (mind you I didn’t even bother to say “my next car”) would be a series III. Haha, just kidding …
Then came Monty. When I bought him about three hundred kilometers away from where I live, the seller freaked when he saw we didn’t bring a trailer. “You want to drive him back 300 kilometers?” “Relax, man! I can’t see any wings, otherwise I would fly him home ...” I promised the seller that I would call him at night after we made it home. I did and he was surprised (and relieved for some reason) that we actually made it home in one piece - without any serious problems, by the way.
 
My wife was as understanding as always when she first saw Monty, but remarked that “the difference between men and boys are the price of their toys”. Oh well, what can you say …?! When she sat in it for the first time she grinned and agreed that, after all, this was what I always wanted.
 
When I sold my defender the buyer was (obviously a normal behaviour in that stage) full of axiety (for it’s reliability), doubt (about it’s suitibility for a regular everyday’s life) and consideration (for fuel and maintenance costs). He was at the exact same point where I was two years before.
 
When he drove off at night (he had about 250 kilometers ahead of him), I was a bit nervous and would have liked him to give me a quick call the next day. But I couldn’t bring myself to ask him for not making a fool out of myself. He never called. I guess they must have made it in one piece … hopefully without any serious problems.
 
I’ll talk to you later. Always remember: Some people go fast – We go anywhere in a defender or a series.
 
Tom & Monty
 
 
Petrol discrimination!
 
In most of Europe the price for fuels is about to reach the point of pure madness. In Germany diesel fuel is about 25 % cheaper than petrol, depending on the octane grade. As you can imagine a lot of people are buying cars with diesel engines although the tax is higher than for a car with a petrol engine (Smart, eh?! Isn’t it nice to know that you get nailed by your gouvernment one way or the other?). It basically bleeds down to the total driving distance you cover per year. I think if you drive more than 25.000 km a year the diesel vehicle starts to pay off. Anyway, disregarding that fact, a lot of people even with less annual km’s drive a diesel for another reason. It is regarded as environmetally friendlier (!) than a petrol engine.
 
Long story; but here’s what I wanted to get to: people out freak on regular basis when I tell them what car I drive (LR 88’ SIII with a 2.25 l petrol engine that gurgles back about 15 to 18 liters per 100 km of the good high grade stuff). It’s the old “oh-my-god-how-can-you-do-that-to-the-environment”-story. Yeah right guys! I’m such a pig for not driving a diesel. But get a load of this you green peacenics: along with Monty I bought two tickes. A parking ticket for parking Monty at the train station and a monthly train ticket which takes me back and forth to work. How do you diesel guys get to work? Rollerblading? …
 
I’ll talk to you later. Remember: Some people go fast – who cares? We go anywhere; even with a 2.25 l petrol engine.
 
Tom & Monty

To be continued!
 
Annette's remark: Rather convert a Series One to LPG than drive a Diesel.