Here's a very happy Twit (left) and Dale (right) speculating over whether Twit's wife Jo will approve the scheming that is taking place to try and get Twit behind the wheel of a Land Rover again!
The scheme starts big, "Hey look at this!" they say. "This Forward Control Land Rover used to be an ambulance, look at all the room in the back, it'd make an excellent camper". Jo is not convinced, but that doesn't stop the lads from continuing their scheming.
"Look love" says Twit. "It's really comfy up here, you can see lots in front of you, and if you're in a hurry we've still got the siren and blue flashing lights fitted!". Jo still refuses to be swayed. Twit goes home from the show Land Roverily Challenged, however the lads scheming continues on for nearly a year before Jo finally agrees to the purchase of Wumbat the 1956 Series I Land Rover.
Despite Twit's lack of vehicles from Solihull, Dale and Rosey try to make up for this fact by purchasing a month before the show another Land Rover product. The latest addition is a 1971 Range Rover known as "Benson". Full of confidence as to the mechanical status of Benson, Dale decides to not bring his toolkit along with him (just in case)
Bad idea, Benson's fuel pump packs up outside Billing but thanks to a friendly Range Rover Register member, Benson gets towed back into the campsite for repairs. Two problems, no tools, and Benson has an early mechanical fuel pump (no spares to be had at the show) After a quick inspection underneath we discover that Benson had at one point an electric fuel pump fitted, probably due to a previous mechanical pump failure. However this pump had also failed, so with an idea in mind the gang head off into the show to find a new electric fuel pump.
Armed with a new electric fuel pump, an assortment of fuel hose, in line fuel filters (to act as couplers), fuel hose clips, an adjustable spanner, and Dale's trusty Gerber multi tool, the surgery begins.
Here you can see a dirty, oily Dale and Twit doing the happy dance as Benson fires back into life after successfully fitting the patented "bodge-it and legg-it" fuel pump conversion kit.
Dale, Twit, and Rosey with their tools! We'd like to thank Gerber for making such a quality multi tool, and Dakar cars for being so helpful in our efforts to McGyver Benson's fuel system into something that actually worked! Benson was able to limp gently up the road from Billing to Rosey's parents in Kettering, where a more permanent bodge was installed allowing Benson to make the Journey back home.
The off road course also had its share of breakdowns. Here you can see the owner of a stricken Range Rover climbing out the sun roof in order to attach a rope to the tow hitch for recovery. I think they ended up taking a swim anyway!
