Hullo, NE England checking in.

Introduce yourself and your vehicles and post (or link to) photos
Post Reply
Orbitalpear
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:50 pm
Location: NE England
Contact:

Hullo, NE England checking in.

Post by Orbitalpear »

Hello folks, long time lurker, first time poster. My name is Keith, Im located in the north east of England. Ive been looking for a Stage1 for a good long while now. Anyway, a few of weeks ago, I saw an advert for a Stagey on Ebay.  It was also advertised on the sales section of this forum amongst other places. Ive copied this post in from other places and tried to clean ot up of anyhting that may offend, so please forgive me if I have left anything in that may not suit the tone of this forum.

Image

I liked the look of it, it was cheap enough so I went for it.

Did a deal off Ebay to secure it, paid a deposit and set about trying to work out how to get it home.  Which was logistically tricky.  Oh, did I mention it was in Norfolk? As mentioned, I live near Durham City in the grim wastes of the north.

It looked tidy enough in the pics.  OK so its a not very nice shade of blue.  It was built as pageant blue and thats where its going again once I get enough time to repaint it.    Doors and bulkhead are all solid, there are a few patches on the chassis, the engine runs OK, theres a gas kit mostly fitted and its on four good tyres.  Well, two of them are good, the other two are Avon Rangemasters or some other ancient tread, and have actively tried to kill me several times already.  Its a lot of truck for not a lot of money.  Came with the back full of random spares and tat, including the makings of a snorkel, the right air intake, loads of clocks and dials, and a hi-lift.  Amongst other stuff.

So anyway, I borrowed a beavertail with just enough capacity and set off down to go get it from Norfolk.  I dropped a chassis off for some loverly folks on the way.  

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

A transit beavertail does not go very fast with a ton and a half of Stage 1 on the back.

I got it back to my workshop late that night, went home and got drunk.

Image

I awoke the next morning to go and play and found that there were a few teething issues.  Like none of the brakes working.  Neither diff being oiled or assembled correctly, the props having siezed and a few other issues.

The biggest annoyance being that the monstrous LT95 gearbox was dead.  Not just noisy, but utterly unusable. Sounded like the end of the world when you engaged a gear.  Which wasn't good.  

Particularly when the bloke I bought it off just didn't bother to tell me it was unusable, even though he asked questions about it on this forum, amongst other places. Still, its nice to be nice, I guess. He hasnt answered any emails since he got my cash.

Luckily, I had a 'spare' box in a 'spare' range rover I was given a few years back, so I whipped that out, swapped the bits over and slapped it in.  
Image
Image
Image

Some stripping back of silly additions:
Image
Image
To get this.
Image


The brakes and gearbox, coupled with all the other stuff going on meant that is wasn't until the morning before I wanted the truck to take myself my wife and my trailer on holiday that I managed to get it in for an MOT.  

Image

Which it promptly failed.  

And then passed once I'd ground the lumps out of the Britpart front shoes I was forced to use and both front wheels turned freely.  Anyone got an idea on where stagey/6-pot front shoes can be had?  Only one advisory, and thats the handbrake which is a pass, but not as strong as the tester thinks it should be.  I hate MOT's, I really do.

I then rushed out to put tax on it.  Also to put more petrol in it.  It may need a tune up and a decent service, Ive been too rushed getting it all ready for todays test to bother with such niceties.

Image


Thanks for reading.  More pictures, questions and other stuff to follow...

Oh yeah, nearly forgot...

Its absolutely brilliant.  Definite keeper.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

It made it to Stoneleigh LRMax show and back with no major problems, a round trip of 500 miles or so. Altogether a good old Rover, now its been recommissioned and put back out where it belongs.

Image

Cheers, and thanks for reading, Keith.
User avatar
firemanshort
Posts: 378
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:42 pm
Location: Loudoun County, VA - near Wash DC

Post by firemanshort »

We have to watch out for this character ... he comes from the land of ORRP (wink).

Welcome to the Stage One virtual campfire.

... and do not let your "friends" from that other forum get you down about the power of a 3.5. I run a 3.5 (with a crower cam) and the RR gear set like you just installed and I do quite well. I just pulled a long trip a few weekends ago and I was getting 17mpg / US Gallons (..or 21mpg / Imperial Gallons) on the highway. That is almost as good as my modern Honda SUV.

... and those fancy pants bouncy-Defenders with thier fuel injection and coil springs never left me anywhere.
-----------------------------------
Firemanshort
Image
Virginia, USA
Mrs Bingham
Posts: 230
Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2009 12:39 pm
Location: Essex, UK

Post by Mrs Bingham »

Welcome,

What a story – at least you were able to bond with the old girl.

I was at Stoneleigh with mine so it was a shame we didn’t bump in to each other. So there were three Stage1’s there – you, me and a very nice fire truck?
1983 Stage 1 V8 Hardtop (Mrs Bingham)
Matt Braddish
Posts: 55
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2008 6:55 pm
Location: Milton Keynes

Post by Matt Braddish »

There's nothing wrong with lurking, I see it has featured on the LLOR forum as well. Despite the gearbox problems, it looks like you got a good buy there, When I bought mine, the gearbox was very noisy and like you, I changed it for a RR one. Its now like having an overdrive in 4th and cruises much better. I admire your first trip out, 500 miles is a good tester for it, great work getting it back on the road so quickly as well!
Matt B
88 stage1
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 6:50 pm
Location: co durham

Post by 88 stage1 »

Looking good Kieth, i really need to get ma finger out and get mine sorted, Im just up the road from you, i might need to take a look at yours 1 day to see how it all goes back together :) Chris
Orbitalpear
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:50 pm
Location: NE England
Contact:

Post by Orbitalpear »

Thanks folks.

On the run home from stoneleigh, it pulled somewhere around 15mpg, not as scary as I thought it was going to be. It'll be better when it gets running on gas.

Mrs Bingham, other than the fire engine, I saw one other stage one all weekend and that was a tidy blue one I saw while I was doing gate duty (on Friday, I think?. If you saw a harassed looking 'chunky' bloke with a ponytail on your way in, that would have been me. You wouldnt have seen the truck as ot was tucked away on the ORRP campsite, which was seperate and behind the main camping fields.

Matt, it was a good buy and the gearbox wasnt a huge problem, I just wish the PO mentioned it. It was a horrible surprise that I didnt really need from something sold as a running and driving. The gearbox is still noisy, but 4th is an excellent gear. I may look out for an actual OD, but thats for the future.

Chris, Im near where the A690 meets the A19 and you're welcome to pop over for a looksee if you need it.

For a first trip out, it pulled really well, held 55mph most of the way with plenty spare when needed.

Overall really happy with the big old beast. Neeeds a lot of tidying, but that can all be put to rights in time and on an as and when basis. Its out on the road and its excellent.
Mrs Bingham
Posts: 230
Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2009 12:39 pm
Location: Essex, UK

Post by Mrs Bingham »

It was probably you that greeted me at the gate on Friday then because the chap if you, mentioned that “I’ve got one of these”. Yes, mine was the blue one and I was camped not far from the off road course. I managed around 18mpg with the family, two sheep dogs and ton of camping gear on board. I don’t have gas or o/d but was quite happy with that return.
1983 Stage 1 V8 Hardtop (Mrs Bingham)
88 stage1
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 6:50 pm
Location: co durham

Post by 88 stage1 »

Cheers Kieth i'll pop over at some point no doubt. I'm just a couple of miles out of Chester le Street. chris
Orbitalpear
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:50 pm
Location: NE England
Contact:

Post by Orbitalpear »

Excellent, if you're popping over, give me a shout and we'll swap contacty details and all that stuff.
Post Reply