Dave's la(te)st buggy build...

A few parcels arrived in the last few days ...

I'd asked our friend James J999PRE to lookout for a spare front and rear propshaft for me... I want to carry at least a rear one just in case!...

And then another mate said he'd got this -



So I half-jokingly asked whether the rear prop was intact?! :laugh: Apparently it WAS ?! So I'd asked if he was breaking it to put my name on the front and rear props...

I then went to eBay and found a deal too good to miss -



Two rear props and an intermediary for £50 plus delivery, so I clicked "Buy-It-Now" on them before anyone else spotted them, and waited a week for them to arrive... meanwhile Brett (Maverick on here) had been over to buy some other parts of the wrecker above and has got the front and rear props for me, so I can pick the best of the bunch of the rear ones, and keep them as spares or sell them on if anyone is looking for one in the future... Brett's over on Sunday as we're going greenlaning locally to me with Riccy in Ulysses for the day :woohoo:

And then another parcel arrived after a weeks wait... it said on eBay that the seller was in the UK, but the parcel came from Bulgaria? But no matter, it matched up to the listing and my expectations -



The ground anchor - used to winch off when there's no (pesky) trees around. You winch on the end and the spade bit digs itself into the ground to haul you out of whatever you're stuck in... I've had a few in my time, one similar to this before, one I made myself, and a folding spade one that opened out for use... This is the smaller model that they sell, suitable for Jimnys and the like...

Well made, and nice thick steel, it'll do the job nicely...

I had a good look at the back end to find a suitable mounting point, and ended up...



On the passenger side - the waffle boards are on my side...

So to mount it I figure...



A one inch capped peg through the box section here...



And...



At the top a tube spacer with a thread on the end, through that hole, big washer, wing nut... and another padlock



The 'kink' in the arm ends up here, above the tyre but enough out of the way that it won't foul on the tyre under articulation... That loop hole is used to pull the anchor back out of the ground if it digs in too well! :laugh:



So the anchor arm sits like this ^^^

The spade bit...



Should sit neatly here between the spare wheel and the waffle boards...



Hence why I wanted the anchor now so that I can make the mounts before the final coat of paint goes on

One more parcel...



The drone that Martin advertised on this fine forum... I'll get practising with that soon, as I want it to make some greenlaning videos when I eventually get back out there...

Dave

I hadn't realised it was Christmas yet! However it does mean that it's 2021 next week so we can reset this abomination of a year!

How often do you realistically expect to need to use the anchor, i know its an insurance but it's also a noticeable weight penalty the other 364 days of the year?

Morning! It's nearly Christmas...? :laugh:

I intend to do some solo greenlaning, as well as with the group, when the buggy is finished, so yes, it is a bit of an insurance policy...

I've probably used a ground anchor three or four times in my 'laning life... but is you're not carrying one and get stuck?... the only alternative I've seen is to dig a hole and a trench and bury the spare wheel!...



A bit of work that! :ohmy:

As I'm building the buggy, I thought I might as well get any bracketry added before giving it the final lick of paint, so it seemed sensible to add it now...?


:

I'm not saying don't have it, I would probably have one too if I had a winch. Go prepared and all that.

Well... I made a fatal mistake on Thursday, but it's brought me to a point of realisation... It was quiet in the shop so I sneaked off next door to the garage to have a quick stare at the buggy, and wandered back with my dry-wipe board and leaned it on the counter behind the vape displays... I rubbed out what I'd done, and was writing in what needs to be done... and the missus looked over my shoulder and said, "and the window sills and decking need repainting"... I sulked for a bit and took the dry-wipe board back to the garage, and have spent the last few days pondering things from time to time...

There's six weeks between now and the BihJimny Meet, I'm greenlaning with Brett and Riccy tomorrow, and my Wednesday member of staff is off next week, so I'm working her shift... So that makes five weeks...

So.... the reality sinks in, I won't have the buggy ready enough to attend the BigJimny Meet, and besides, I'm happy tinkering away in the garage getting it how I want it, so I might as well do my chores while the weather is nice and spend the winter months happily pottering around with electrics and finishes touches... especially with the buggy having half doors and no back... it's a fair weather vehicle! :lol: And, who knows yet whether we'll have a second wave of Covid-19 over the winter months...

And... the money I'd squirreled away for the clutch and winscreen replacement recently got spent on the gold Labardor "Milo" after he needed a lump taken off his front leg / arm? Family comes first though!

I shall carry on chronicling my progress though, and should be ready for the spring!

Had a great day's greenlaning with Brett & Riccy on Sunday -



We met at the Whistlestop Cafe for a socially spaced breakfast (temperature checks on the way in?!) and then had a great day's greenlaning around North Wales, driving some favourite lanes, and even a NEW one for us! Can't tell you anymore, but it will all be in the blog when Brett pulishes it. Great day that left me re-vitalised and I now have a renewed spring in my step! Even more of an impetus to get the buggy finished and get back out there...

But first... I had Sunday-gone 'off' to go greenlaning, and we've got both of our staff off this week, so the wife and I are covering every shift this week (so I lose my Wednesday off in the garage! ), and we've got a socially distanced garden party on Friday evening, and then our eldest daughter goes back down to Oxford on Saturday after working from HOME through the pandemic... so I've decided to have this Sunday off too, a bit of a lie-in and then catch up with some of the jobs around the house... and then I'll get back to the buggy build...

Watch this space!

Ring in sick (temp?) and crack on with the buggy....thank me later!

Keithy wrote: Ring in sick (temp?) and crack on with the buggy....thank me later!

Hmmm, that might be a bit awkward....?



Bit of a job pulling a sickie and hiding in the garage?..... :laugh:

Apologies for the leave of absence

I've been doing some jobs on the house while the weather is "reasonable" so that I can retreat into the garage for the winter to complete the buggy... keeping the wife sweet and amassing brownie points

Meanwhile... with my health and eyesight improving, I've bought...



A nice little daily driver run-around... it's not a Jimny, but it is a Suuzki! :woohoo:

A 'New' Grand Vitara, one previous owner, full service history and only 43k miles on the clock... Personal plate going on to hide the age, and I'm good to go

Back to the Jimny Buggy soon...! This weekend I'm sanding and painting external window sills :laugh:

GV42s GV

Nice!



I've had three 3 doors and one 5 door in the past...

Two with suspension lifts and AT tyres... Hmmm... :ohmy:

My new toy arrived late Tuesday evening, I had it delivered due to the COVID pandemic...



Just got to wait a few weeks for the V5 to arrive so that I can transfer the age-hiding registration on to it (S2 NGV)

Meanwhile... just got to redecorate the kitchen this weekend, and then I’ll be crack working on the Jimny Buggy :woohoo: through the cold winter months in my nice warm garage...