Another New Arrival 1982 Green 2-Door Range Rover Classic/ Happy New Year Y'all!

    2014,  right around the corner.     Oh how I DREAD New Year's Eve!    Ever since about 1985,  when I began to have really crippling crushes on girls,  I seemed to always find myself alone on New Year's, listening to some gloomy British music and contemplating slashing my wrists.     It seems that tradition held strong until about 2011.    Now,   I am with the Special Lady I have a not-quite-crippling crush on,  and not thinking about ending it all.    Or, at least, not as often. 

    Not suicidal??!?   Well,  this pending arrival has a lot to do with that :   A 1982 Range Rover 2-Door left-hand-drive, manual transmission, manual seats and windows,   in Lincoln Green, coming straight outta' Holland!  How could I possibly feel depressed despite the current state of world affairs?   I don't.   Because I'll be working the shifter in this thing and feeling good, admiring my reflection passing in the blank windows of Main Street soon.

  Note to readers:    I usually get a little manic this time of year.   It does not mean I do not love you,  nor does it mean I am not taking care of business.     I just get anxious about when the tree comes down and I have five months of cold wet gray to dread, and one is expected to keep spirits high and remain productive.     I think this Winter at least myself and the immediate Family Unit is going to get to fly someplace warm where we can put our collective feet up and not have to think about import duties for a few days.     Start of February.    Clear a path.   Team Mosieur is coming to town.

    So, anyway,  the Range Rover -  My favorite green,  exactly like the one I had earlier this year,   the one which proved to me that Right Hand Drive is a grievance too sinister to bear...    This truck is a 1982 and is in good corrosion-free condition,  paint looks nice,   V8 engine runs great  (But I have a 200tdi/ 5 speed ready to plop in) and it will be a nice personal truck for me.  Still has opening front quarter/ wing windows!   Still has cool silver Rostyle wheels! Sliding rear windows!  A clutch pedal!   Just what I wanted.   So,  feel free to bring on 2014.    I can do this.

     A few images for you to admire for the time being can be found at the end of this broadcast.

    Back to you guys out there:   Please have a Happy New Year, and be safe.    Drinking and Driving is not smart.    Neither is drinking and eBaying,  or drinking and forum-posting.    You Sillies.    Now get out there and do something AMUSING!

    -Signing off for 2013,  Zak

  

  

    

1989 UMM Alter II diesel - Coming soon!

   It is finally almost 2014,  a time I have been waiting sort-of-patiently for,  when my 1989 UMM Alter 2 becomes eligible to import to the USA.     I found this last year in the UK while I was visiting and on an engine buying trip,   and a friend offered it to me there,  and it was so strange... and cool,  and interesting that it did not take much twisting of my arm to agree to buy it.

    I like to think I have seen, and am aware of,  most all vehicles in the world.     I have personally owned hundreds of cars and trucks, and like to find the oddball here and there,  but I have never seen, much less ever heard of an UMM.       It looks low and wide,  sort of like a mini-Hummer.     This thing is Portugese,  and this particular one is powered by a 2.5L Peugeot diesel 4-cylinder engine.    It is in very good condition and runs great -   Has some American Jeep running gear like its solid axles.   Has very thick sheet metal body,  would be difficult to dent.  Leaf-sprung and a sort-of-long wheelbase make for a lot of room inside.    It would be considered a utility vehicle,   probably not so much a sport-utility.    Not very fast (although there is a turbo version of this with a lot more get-up and go... maybe I'll shop for a turbo for it?)  but will be a nice truck to use around town as my 'shop truck -   and the top comes off for the summer time,   I may look for a soft top for it.    More weather-proof than a soft-top Land Rover Defender,  and more creature comforts as well as a sturdier build.    I am sure it will attract a lot of attention, even if it were not right hand drive. 

   In its own country it is more common,   and comes in many varieties;   Long wheelbase people-mover,  short wheelbase Jeep,  2-seat pick-up truck,  Ambulance, Police car, Fire tender  -    Do a Google image search and there are a lot, and even a lot of youtube videos showing them in off-road action.        There is an owners club for parts and support,  and the drive train components are not that difficult to come by with the Peugeot/Jeep provenance.       Check it out!  There is even 'Umm World' : http://www.umm-world.com/

       So -   I am going to get this thing on its way here in the next week or two now that it is 25 years old on January First.   Not sure if I can wait for it to go in the next container, or if I will have it sent 'loose'  -    I Was thinking maybe to the Eat Coast and I'll drive it back for a mini-adventure?     Weather will not be the best in January for a road-trip, I suppose.      However I get it here,   it will be making its way in the next two weeks! 

    Here are a few pictures of mine.    Pretty cool, huh?

    

2001 Discovery II 300tdi turbo diesel / R380 5-speed conversion

     Hi all -  This got wrapped up enough to be a driver a couple of weeks ago and I am lovin' it!   Actually enjoying most of the fancy luxuries that this top of the line Disco 2 offers,  I did not even know what I was missing before.     Although all the electronic do-dads and digital heater controls make me nervous (I am used to a mechanical knob or lever)  everything as far as creature comforts are concerned are working great. 

   I threw out the automatic transmission and thirsty/ problematic V8 engine and dropped in a very low-mileage 300tdi and R380 5-speed gearbox.  This thing has been starting perfectly on the first touch of the key lately, even way below freezing!    Runs super-strong,  actually feels 'fast' and getting great mileage.

    It is true that the actual conversion to diesel is not-that-difficult for me anymore,   and the small details are what really drag me down and become a time-suck -    So on this truck for example, the tachometer and temperature gauges do not work,  and many warning lights are lit up despite there being no troubles with the truck.     I had to de-activate/ remove the ACE active cornering system as there was nowhere easy to mount the required engine-driven pump for it.     For now the AC and cruise control are not hooked up either.   Descent control will never work with this engine,  but then again...  I am not fond of all those computer-aided gimmicks anyway and would never have enjoyed them,  I think.


    Stereo sounds amazing,   heater works,  as do door locks and wireless remote locking, so I am happy.     Interior is very nice, seats windows and sunroof all work perfectly.     Has the cool little fold-out seats in the back with seat belts for true 7-passenger seating.     Body looks very nice on this truck, paint is great with the exception of a scratch or two.   No accident damage or rust.  Engine conversion looks factory-correct.     A lot of fun to drive and it has been great lately in the ice and snow we have had,  but I would honestly like a new set of tires.     Since I am on the fence about keeping the truck right now,  not sure I want to invest the 6-700 dollars for nice winter tires. 

    About the only other problems with the truck are that the windshield has a few cracks and chips,  and the windshield squirters are not working.  Yet.    I am very busy wrapping up a couple of other trucks right now and do not have any time at all to look into the small fixes like AC/  Cruise at this time, and that does not bother me at all... I am happy driving this truck now as-is!

      We also finished a Td5 conversion into a Discovery 2 recently,   that turned out great.      A lot more effort and money,   but the end result feels very modern and smooth,  not necessarily much more powerful though.    All those ECUs make me nervous too like I said...   but for those of you who may want one, we can help you out.

    

2 New Range Rover Classic LWB trucks to 300tdi turbo diesel for sale ?

   I have picked up two new (to me) 1994 Range Rover Classic LWB trucks in the last month or two -    Can I just say right now I LOVE THESE TRUCKS! ? -     The RRC is my favorite, with its high-class looks,  capable off road abilities,  and I personally am very impressed with its pedigree and history -  Many people in the USA are not aware of it but the Range Rover was first available in 1970, looking mostly the same until 1995!    That is a long model-run.      The interiors may not be as fancy in 1994 as a Landcruiser or Mercedes G-wagon of the same era,    but they do look great and are packed with luxurious accessories. 

   So - Both of the trucks pictured here are unusual colors -  The Montpellier Red truck is actually a dark maroon/ purple, and the Brooklands Green truck is a sort of dark-turquoise color.   Both look great, and both have suffered from clear coat fade on their hood and roofs,  the Montpellier truck having been painted flat black on the hood and roof.       If I were to keep either of these trucks (and I may) , I would have the hoods and roof re-sprayed to original to match the rest of the trucks,  which are in fine condition with no rust or accident damage anywhere.

    Interiors are both in very good condition - The purple truck has a very dark leather interior with dark door panels, very unusual -    and the green truck is in the normal tan leather/ door panels.


  Both truck have had their air suspensions replaced with conventional coil springs, so there is one less thing to have to worry about.

   It seems that people prefer the 300tdi / R380 5 speed in these to anything else,   so that is what I have here now to go in these.   I could also do a 300 tdi / automatic if you wanted the ease of auto box (It is actually very nice -  my preference these days)   or a 200tdi/ 5 speed or auto.     I also have a VM / 5-speed kit here,  but no one seems to want this.

   Completed price for either of these trucks will be about $11.5K ,  and any paint/ body work would be extra.       I have about 8 of you guys out there that have asked me to send you pictures and details of the upcoming trucks I will be building -    A reasonable deposit on either of these would put your name on it,  and I could have you driving home in either one inside of a month after receipt of deposit. 

     Thank you, and send me a message at zombiemotors@earthlink.net if you have any questions or want to know more about either truck  -   Thank you and Happy Holidays !