Back on the boat!

[Gringo]

Ha ha...good point.

Well, not technically from NJ.. La Gringa lived there for fifteen years. I lived there with her for two years. Before that I lived in Woods Hole, on Cape Cod.

But she's originally SoCal, and I will always be Texian.

[Robja]

Originally Posted by clt_capt

Glad yo hear that you are back on the water, and It's about time you started posing again

Thanks for sharing...

He was posing Fred, Didn't you notice the nice pedicure LaGringa gave him on those TOES.

[La Gringa]

Originally Posted by Robja

He was posing Fred, Didn't you notice the nice pedicure LaGringa gave him on those TOES.

Um, I think you are obssessing...!!!!

Actually, this is a rough place on feet!!!! I think Gringo has all of his toenails at the moment which could well be a first...!!!

[La Gringa]

Originally Posted by Gringo

Well, not technically from NJ.. La Gringa lived there for fifteen years.

lived there? i was sentenced...!!! LOL

[Gringo]

Kinda like I felt sentenced to 20-life in Massachusetts. I had the damndest time getting away from that place, and I strongly disliked it after the first six months I was there.

Finally..almost thirty years later, I escaped.

NJ and MA don't have extradition treaties with the TCI do they?

[gottaflylee]

It's so great seeing you both back here, feeling like I'm there with yall...

[Gringo]

Well, thanks. We are really, really glad people get some small amusement out of the photos. Really makes a 'hobby' a lot of fun for us when other people get a smile out of the results.

We were out cruising yesterday, camera in pocket, but all we saw of any interest were some pink flamingos standing in the salina. I did a soft flip-flop sneak up on them and took some photos.



Shoulda spooked them, I guess. They are lots more interesting looking when they are flying.

They look like friggen lawn ornaments just standing there...




still, it's something I didn't see too much of up on Cape Cod. Not counting the plastic ones, I mean.

[Charl]

Hi There Gringo

Sorry for changing the subject,

Land Rover or Landy’s like we call the I South Africa is almost a part of our Culture, especially if you a boating Guy or Fishermen. I’ve been reading your post and are admired by your style and storys. Thanks.
I have had some related issue’s with my old Truck as well and the same run inn’s with the pommy’s and must concur they are not very helpful.

Having said that I started looking for Suppliers closer to home and was surprised at the stock of original and copied ( Pirate) parts that are kept in South Africa. a Couple of people has secured good deals with manufactures in the UK and are replenishing there stock rather often. You could find just about any thing your looking for. With the amount of Landy’s running around in RSA there are a huge supply of secondhand parts as well, but buying these over the net could be tricky. The other problem I have faced is that unfortunately some of these dealers are not up to scraps with the modern world and still work with Cash, after all this is Africa man.

My old Landy a 1986 110 Defender V8 Pick-up has had a fare deal of pains over the pased couple of years. Bought it from a farmer after hearing about it being parked in his Farm shed for 3 year. Phoned the guy and had to beg him to sell it to me. After getting there I only realized in what a state of disrepair this old truck was. Man this thing had no breaks, clutch or electrical functions. The exhaust was rusted off just behind the manifold. The radiator was not much more than a water container, cooling fins in the core has been long gone for a very long time you could look at the motor’s front end from out side the motor compartment.

Never the less, I took my usual bag of tricks and oils with and got the one front break to work. Used a old jerry can on the back and fuel her up. Managed to get a battery from the guy and cranked her over. Man I tell you when that V8 sprung to life with no Exhaust, she barked like an old by-plane motor all flames an peaces of what no’s what. Clutch working, one front break working and a flaming exhaust. I greet the old guy and head off to the Hi-Way with a rather noisy and a hole new level of stress.
Next hurdle “Hi way Coppers” I will have to run the gauntlet 50miles of it, with eye burning and a screaming motor. a Pretty easy target for those elusive hole hiding Copper’s . Well what can you do, 50miles of madness come your way buddy, I say softly to my self. Approaching the first Toll gate to pay my dew I slow down about a mile out and touch the break pedal lightly, hanging on to the steer incase she decides to head for the banks. No, no worry’s she’s not all that bad . With some convenience I pay the toll and get out before some guy gets wise on me.

I got home parked the truck in the back yard got a stool and sat in front of it with note pad a cold Coke and watering eye’s from the exhaust. By this time Ive had 50 miles to think the process trough a couple of times and spotted a proper list of problems that need sorting out. Radiator, Exhaust, breaks, clutch, wiring probably the top and most important issues.

Now knowing that this is my Fishing truck and not a show truck I’m certainly not in the mood to go and spend big money on it but she needs to be safe and reliant. As a youngster, during my school holidays I worked on landy’s in a Guy’s shop and learned a great deal from him but this was 20year back and there has certainly been lots of changes sins then. I’m thinking how hard could it be.
Get the new parts after a couple of learning curbs with the local dealers and a rude awakening from the useless pommy’s . New radiator, Exhaust, Break disc’s, calipers, drums, wheel cylinders or plungers, Lights, switches, 4 new rim’s and tyres, front coil springs, Hydraulic Shocks, Oil, spark plugs, spark-plug leads, distributor cap, V belts, 4 universal joints and 4 side shaft end flanges. Man I’ve got a heap of spares laying in the shed. All of it brand spanking new for $2500.

I was lucky to get it all fitted a week later and had my Fishing truck going like she was new. All working like a dream. I use my landy in and about town down to the slip and in to the jungle up the cost thru the scrub to go fishing and diving. These landy are tuff man and the best of all when your back from a day out you could wash it down inside and outside with no worry’s that she’s gonna develop some type of electrical problem.

I found that spraying my landy’s under carriage with an grease like oil that the Hi voltage guy’s use to insolate the power lines and transformers works very good to keep the salt away. This stuff takes a couple of days to drip and dry to almost a sticky paint, never dry’s completely. The only down fall of it is, it’s a messy business to apply it and working on that truck afterwards is a filthy game.

Check out the Google.co.za subject: landrover spares. You mite find what your looking for and probably very cheep.

O yea my girls 9 and 11 has found it compulsory to change the paint job or shall I say appearance of our truck by adding a good amount of stickers. I often get an instruction from them to take them out in to the nearby Jungle so that they could just check on all the gears and Stuff “like they say” are working. This is the time that the girls each have there turn at driving the truck and believe me they take up any obstacle they find and driver over or up it, great fun for them and some time rather hard breaking for me to know that these special times with my small girls will be short lived. They grow up so fast and I suppose in a bilk this would only be a memory.

Well Gringo I hope your Landy does not give you to much troubles and gives you Years of enjoyment as mine is.

[Gringo]

That's a great Land Rover story. I always wanted a Land Rover, since I watched Wild Kingdom as a kid. I have been through a lot of 4x4's over the years. They stopped importing the Defenders in the US in 96. So we were pretty happy when we moved here and found out we could buy new ones. We bought the D-90 first, two years ago. We didn't realize that the climate here would totally eat the soft top. I don't know why we got a soft top, we never take it down. We don't try to get any sun. In fact, we try to avoid it, but we still get plenty. Year round suntans.

We imported a Ford Expedition when we moved here, and the local roads were destroying it. We sold it to a mechanic, and he's happy with that big V-8. Hauls his 30 foot boat with it.

The Land Rovers are so easy to work on. Not always the greatest engineering, but they are simple, and every component can be unbolted and replaced. You can even buy a complete frame for one. In a country where good mechanics are basically a rumor, this is important.

They are simple, rugged, great tow vehicles, etc. We do appreciate them. It's interesting to see how many hard-core LR fanatics there are out there. I am a member of two forums in the UK, and those guys are a great source of help and info when I am working on these things.

Getting 30 mpg with diesel is also a big plus, of course, where fuel costs almost $ 4 a gallon.

[OCtuna]

sweet pics