Words – Debbie Forster
Pictures – Ian M. Garner & Lee Cromwell
Above – A small selection of the vehicles that attended our last minute impromptu visit to the Motorist!
It seems a fitting place to end the show year, considering this is where we began. Once again, the Land Rover Life team headed to The Motorist for their 4×4 take over, only this time, we had a stand!
What a stand it was too. There was a great turnout from group members, considering that it was all done very last minute. What started as a quick ‘You fancy going to this?’ between a couple of the admins, quickly turned into a fifteen car club stand, all within the space of three days. It’s great to know that there are plenty of group members out there who are willing to join in these events.
As always, there was plenty of drama to go around. Admin Ian had managed to secure a bank loan, allowing him to bring Eeyore to the show. That V8 engine is certainly not a cheap one to run after all. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Land Rover event without some drama, and Eeyore stepped up with a faulty fuel line. Thankfully, with some donated spare pipe, some jubilee clips and a few prayers, the only outcome was Ian wearing some expensive petrol perfume.
Above Left & Right – Two of the outstanding vehicles on display, and early 3 Door Range Rover and a recently restored V8 Defender. Both looked immaculate!
There were a great range of vehicles on show too – not just on our stand, and not just Land Rovers either. The overland machines were exceptionally impressive, though came with a hefty price tag too. There were several Jimny’s, several Toyota’s and the odd Ford too. I think the best non-Land Rover that made its presence known was the Dodge Ram. Not only was it huge, it was loud. When the owner revved it, nearly every car alarm was set off. The vibrations were insane!
Below – The V8 in this Dodge Ram was so loud, not only did it set off car alarms, it almost made a small child cry!
Of course, these events would be terrible if not for the people who attended them. It was a great chance to catch up with old friends and a good chance to make some new ones. I got to enthuse over a very stunning Discovery 1, owned by a young lad. His grandparents were long time Land Rover owners and were more than happy to share stories about their adventures. I also got to show off Larry’s engine (TD5) to more than a few people. Discussing moderation’s and how it runs is always something I am willing to do. I’m proud of how well that engine runs and I’m happy to help others improve theirs too.
It was a lovely end to the show season, and by midafternoon, we’d all made our way home. Hopefully, we can all meet up again next year after the worst of the weather has passed.