Night Drive

It occurred to me that the Land Rover hasn't been driven at night since the basic restoration was completed. And so, this evening, took the Land Rover out in the dark, along country roads and then a second drive a while later, up the faster main road for a mile or two.

Nice to dicover that the headlights are really good, and do an excellent job, both in low and high beam. Instrument panel lights do their job equally well. A very enjoyable set of evening drives - the only worry being deer crossing the roads on the dark stretches.

Since it's first test drive on January 9 this year, the Land Rover has now done 727 kilometers. Most of those kilometers have been done since April.

Carter's Birthday

Carter being the son of Steve and Nicole. Steve being the technician/mechanic/restorer who came down last winter to ensure that I had done a good job restoring the Land Rover. The Land Rover being what took us up to Steve and Nicole's today for Carter's birthday party.

Below, about ready to go, GPS on the windshield (it's my km/h speedometer), car seat for my daughter installed, and a yellow sticky with directions. Yellow sticky plus a GPS? Yup, the yellow sticky us easier to read at a glance in the bright light outdoors.

An hour's drive later, parked at Steve's, between a Mini and Jim's Jag. A hot drive up, as even with the window vents and windows open, a lot of heat is transferred into the cabin. This not helped by having the Kodiak heater on, as it helps to bring the coolant temp down in the hot humid conditions. Although it's possible to direct the Kodiak's outflow, enough hot air escapes around the baffles in the box to keep your feet warm. Nice in cold temperatures!

Just a further view, with a Porche 911 under wraps. Yes, Steve does those, too. Steve's old workshop in the foreground, and new top-of-the-line facility in the background.

The gathering. Why there is a yellow car jack stand in the middle of the lawn, I do not know, but I'm sure there's a good reason. Thank you, Nicole and Steve, for a very enjoyable afternoon.

Getting ready to come home. Actually a very comfortable vehicle to ride in. A bit slow on faster roads, but then, I just pull over to let the traffic go by and it's not a problem. Aside from being a little warm inside, and being a little slow at times, it really is nice vehicle to drive. Next summer, however, it may be nice to take the roof off, or even perhaps try a canvas roof that can have the sides rolled up.

British Cars in the Park

Another annual Boot'n Bonnet club day, this time "British Cars in the Park" in City Park in central Kingston. Beautiful weather, and a truly great assortment of British makes and models on display, and many public visitors.

Some even found the Land Rover attractive. : )

Nice ambience.

Not the only Land Rover there - there was also a Defender, the modern version of the old design.

Steve at Classic Automotive Repair brought a display of his always excellent restoration work.

I wrote a short blurb about the history of the Land Rover, and placed it between the sliding windows of the doors. Seems to have been a good idea, lots of people took a second look around the vehicle after reading it.  In the MG on the left, you can make out a mask in the driver's seat portraying Queen Elizabeth II. : )

The blurb:

The Boot'n Bonnet club tent and registration area. Lunch was provided. We won a raffle ticket draw (small bag for carrying drinks and the like). Generally a very nice day and a good time had by all.

Series Two Club Badge

Nothing to report, really, other than it's a pretty nice grill badge. The club has two types, one of which affixes beneath the Land Rover badge, and this brass one. I opted for this.  Looks nice close up, and but is still discreet from a distance.

Blog2print Book

Having been bombarded for some time with ads for blog2print, I finally had a look at their site. And then ordered a book for this blog. The result?

The result is a really nice book. Very good quality, very nicely done. 11.25" tall, 8.75" wide. Somehow a very enjoyable thing to look through, rather than clicking and scrolling a screen, plus it's a great souvenir of the project (to the cutoff date in the book, at least). If the Land Rover is ever sold, it's also something that can be shown to prospective purchasers. Too bad they can only do smaller photos, though - would have liked them to match the width of the print.

In the meantime, have been using the vehicle for things like picnics with my daughter. She loves the Land Rover, and often asks if we can drive a little longer before coming home.

Great picnic vehicle. : )