Billing impressions

I felt a little like that and still do each time I go, Seeing all those Immaculate conversions some have which have had twice as much money spent on them than the vehicle is worth by people who will never use them but just pose. I suppose I'm being a little envious of them then coming home to compile another bodge. I am however certain that my bodges give me more satisfaction than the posers swiping there plastic through some specialists till. Indeed this is the very reason I got my first Landie to get away from all that "plug in" maintainance.

Still I sat here reading the post , refected on your comments and agree but still wish I'd have been able to get there again even if I came away feeling the same and managed to keep my hands in my pockets all the way round.

As one of the guys at work who has some strange views on life said, "Religion isn't about going to Church, It's about doing something religiously, through the good and the bad, Landrovers are your religion"....H'mmm and he didn't even try to sell me a Bible or get me to attend any meetings...

Amen!

Lee D

I had the pleasure of meeting Pantelis at the Camel Trophy stand just after he arrived. Three hours later I met him wandering round the trade stands looking shell shocked. He's quite right, though, the first time I went to Billing I couldn't believe that there was a land rover anywhere else in the World - they were all there!

I agree with Lee though, there are some very smart vehicles about at the shows, but I often wonder if their owners actually know one end of a spanner from the other. I can't help thinking that the recent Top Gear accolade, while it should keep resale values up, will attract a whole new breed of 'Land Rover Yuppies', who won't bother to learn how to drive a big 4x4 will end up rolling them and push everyone's insurance up a notch! Cheers, John

Is someone a lesser enthusiast because they are not a time-served mechanic? I'm pretty hopeless with a spanner (and generally spend more cash sorting out my messes than I would just going to a garage), but I don't feel any less of a Land Rover enthusiast for it. I'm fortunate to be able to afford (albeit only just) to have someone else do the mechanicals for me.

I guess everyone gets something different out of their passion - for me I enjoy owning and driving, for others it's more about the project itself. I doubt very many people went through more grief than I did to get to Billing (finally arriving 16 hours after I set off on a 2 hour drive because I refused to accept the bleeding obvious - the 101 wasn't up to it).

A 'proper' enthusiast might have been able to fix it, probably at the roadside on route - I couldn't, but that could just be because I'm a database engineer. Incidentally, I'm quite good at databases, but they don't interest me very much.

I generally come away from shows feeling enthused and with a new impetus to enjoy my Land Rovers. Actually, the biggest relief recently has been finding a top class guy to do my mechanical work, 'cos I don't have the time or skills. As a result 2 of my 3 Land Rovers are now road-worthy, and the third will be sorted just as soon as funds allow. I think the shows have a good balance of the high-cost show cars and the really honest project vehicles with great innovation. I took away some cracking ideas from Billing - most of all the 101 on the RPI stand with the fantastic rear door / dining table / spare wheel carrier / rear step arrangement.

OTOH, Billing is just too big to be a real 'community' event. The camping is way too cramped and I found Saturday just too busy to be really fun. Friday and Sunday were much better. Eastnor Castle and Peterborough seem a bit less commercial to my eye.

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 '77 101FC Ambulance '95 Discovery V8i

I think Landy enthusiasts fall into three categories

Owner-drivers - Those that like to own and drive landrovers, usually seen in good to reasonable specimins, and use other people to service them. They enjoy using them, but thier desire to get dirty is muted.

Spanner Nuts - People who like to work on thier own vehicles, in the rain, at the roadside with only half the necessary tools. Usually recognisable by the fact they drive a battered old landrover which has a tendancy to pack up at the most inoppoturne moment. Good paintwork is usually a luxury for these types, as there are far more important things to be fixed.

SpendSpendSpend - People for whom only a fully restored, shining, or seriously modified vehicle will do. Do most jobs themselves, but have the money to farm out difficult jobs to the professionals. Willing to spend up to 3 times what the vehicle is worth, to get it "just so"

Alex

Bugger! I find myself uncatagorised! All the ones with pants paint work, the one with good paint is having a bad fuel day. H'mmmm guess it's time to buy a Audi ....Pantelis any suggestions?

:-)

Lee

I generally come away from shows feeling enthused and with a new

I usually come away feeling skint.

Steve. Suffolk. remove 'knujon' to e-mail

In article , AN6530 writes

I didn't even go, instead spent the weekend 'working' on my 109 (poking holes in the bulkhead with a screwdriver), I certainly walked away from it feeling skint.

I think there is another category spend spendspendspend and "don't bring it back till it's perfect"

I know a bloke who bought a Jaguar, a right pile of s**t it was, he sent it away to be done, it came back like it had just come of the production line, if not better. It now stands in his garage, he won't drive it, if he shows it (rarely) it goes on a trailer. I personally cannot see what enjoyment he get out of it other than to say he owns one. He may as well buy a model Most people on here might not be time a served mechanics but most have at least lost one lump of skin for their "enthusiasm" "hobby" "religion" call it what you will At some events you look round at the immaculate vehicles and wonder how much of that vehicle is "theirs"?

On a lighter note: Tim how about a 'community' event up Barnsley way find a field, I'm sure a few would pop up with tents and beers

Andy

Ooh, yer bugger! Not a bad idea - but if I knew a good field I'd be filling it with Land Rovers myself!

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 '77 101FC Ambulance '95 Discovery V8i

We can afford someone to do the mechanics, its just that now Bruce has had a go himself, found it far easier than he ever first imagined. His theory is if he starts it and is just too much, we can tow it to the non franchise Land Rover garage up the road, who have been rather helpfull since we started to use them.

A glutton for punishment.

Still worth every penny of the AA membership. The extent of any roadside repairs that Bruce has ever managed to do has been when the Mercededs van had its fan belt go and he tore the elastic from out of a pair of Danielle's leggings. Got us all the way to Newarke and back.

Peterborough is probably the best as there is enough space to move about. Although we have never camped at Billing we have been various times as the Band Bruce used to play in was very often playing at the main club house, sometimes for events. Can't say I fancy camping there, even more so since we have kids, one of which has a love of water and riding his bike everywhere. It wasn't that long ago that that little boy drowned when he fell off his bike in to the water there. Isaac scares me enough as it is.

The amazing thing was that I had to spend ages trying to tell them where I was ("Southbound A1, 200 yards short of Junction x" wasn't enough apparently)!

So I read the GPS reading to them, and the woman couldn't make any use of that either. Apparently my position to the nearest 25 feet wasn't accurate enough!

That said, their call handling is very very good, including check-ups to ensure that you have been seen and are happy with the service.

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 '77 101FC Ambulance '95 Discovery V8i

Andy> I think there is another category Andy> spend spendspendspend and "don't bring it back till it's Andy> perfect"

I'm something of an armchair mechanic. The resemblance of the driving seat of my rangie to an armchair has been noted in this context. I can do some basic stuff. I know a fair bit about the car, so I don't get shafted by a garage. But I don't have the time or experience to do all the work myself, so I let the garage oblige most of the time.

--

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Andy Cunningham aka AndyC the WB | andy -at- cunningham.me.uk | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | - Everything you wanted to know || about the P38A Range Rover but were afraid to ask. |+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+"The world has gone crazy: The best rapper is a white guy, the bestgolfer is a black guy, France is accusing the US of arrogance, andGermany doesn't want to go to war." -- Anon

. H'mmmm guess it's time to buy

Lee Hi,

If you are serious about an AUDI and wish to spend some money on one I can recommend the RS2 with all my heart. I own one since March 1998. It was bought secondhand, being a 1995 model year vehicle with 45.000 Km on the clock. Eight years later the clock shows 111.000 Km and the only thing this car has asked for was a set (5) of spark plugs, two air filters (now fitted a recleanable K&N), an engine temperature sensor, a set of spark plug pipes and an A/C air mixing servomotor. The only thing that actually costs a bit more than other ordinary similar parts are the spark plugs but then again they have a 60.000 Km life.

I have found out that while the LANDIES are my lovers (fruits of passion and money pits) the AUDI is the trusted and loyal wife (always there when in need and always dependable)

Take care Pantelis

You can get ointment for that, y'know.

I have broken down only twice where I couldn't get the car started again or was undriveable. Both times due to a condenser. Once I was on my own and the other time, Danielle was a couple of months old. Both times when I have phoned(thank god for mobile phones) I have had a Police car arrive within minutes and wait until the AA arrive. Can't say that I had that response the one and only time I broke down with the RAC.