Poppy is a 1966 series 2a 109″ Land Rover that was made for the Canadian market and has been in British Columbia since new. It spent about twenty years traversing the mountain back roads…
In the 1950s and 60s there was only one vehicle which could reliably access many areas of the African continent. In that era and in that area Land Rovers were necessary to travel most…
The first Land Rover, released in 1948, was made from surplus aluminum and painted in the various greens of airplane paint. It had four wheel drive and power take-off for farm…
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Vanishing like a mist
A lovely late autumn scene just after golden hour. As the light fades a mist rises from the ground, and within a few moments it fades away, carried by the currents of air. The dark forest forms a gateway, opening to a new adventure slowly being revealed as details become clearer.
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Dark forest at evening
A moment just as the last of the light was leaving the sky and the forest was turning to black. An opening in the forest allowed just enough light for some photos. The bright orange needles stand out against the deep green trees and beyond the first few trees everything fades to black.
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Stormy seaside views
What a difference a day can make! In contrast to the sunny but cold seaside adventure this day was much warmer but the seas and sky more brooding. Two stops and a walk around the point to explore the beach and stand in awe of the waves rolling in over sand and rock.
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Overlooking the estuary
A quick stop on a relatively warm afternoon whilst passing by a conservation area at the estuary nearby. The turning of alder leaves against the dark evergreen trees, the contrast of the blue sky and moody clouds, the reflections in the water, and the shadowy mountains in the distance.
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Sunny seaside views
The sun broke through the clouds and provided some lovely light as we stopped by a rocky beach strewn with driftwood logs and lashed with foamy waves. Small outings, even for only and hour or two can be had nearby and fit into almost any schedule. It was lovely to have the feeling of an…
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Misty mountain morning
With most of the deciduous leaves fallen the morning sun can reach farther now. A look at the interior with the sunlight streaming through the windows and melting the overnight frost. Most of the winter preparation is complete with just a few door seals to install yet. Quite a bit more clean–and almost cozy–in here…
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Mud flaps for winter
With the wet and snowy season on the way and all the door seals installed, it was time for mud flaps. There once was special brackets available for the 109″ station wagon variant, but all the rest install directly to the front edge of the rear cross-member which keeps them well back of the tires.…
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Rear door & tailgate seals
In order to survive the wet season out-of-doors, all of the perished rubber door seals were replaced. The rear “cat-flap” door is similar to the front in that the seals have a metal strip down the centre and holes through every few inches, but must be drilled elsewhere to align accurately with the existing holes…
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Door seals
In order to survive the wet season out-of-doors, all of the perished rubber door seals were replaced. The seals have a metal strip down the centre and holes through every few inches, but mostly must be drilled elsewhere to align accurately with the existing holes in the body. Closed-ended blind pop rivets are used to…
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Preparing for winter
A brief but early slushy snowfall brought on an urgency to prepare for the coming rain and snowy season. With nowhere indoors to park or work it is important to get everything put back together and sealed up as best as possible. The sides and details of the rear tub were reinstalled, the spare tire…
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130 and counting
The rivets to repair the front corners of the galvanized roof rail/gutter are still on their way so that task is on hold for now. However, the rains are coming so we tightened as many of the remaining good ones as possible out of the 168 total around the roof. In the absence of a…
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Windscreen seals
A partial restoration of the windscreen seals to the original configuration. Removing the screws and aluminum retaining strips around the inside of each pane, scraping and cleaning out the inner layer of butyl seal tape, and cleaning the glass, galvanized frame, and aluminum. Then reinstalling the aluminum strips with the proper replacement rubber strips behind…
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Tailgate party
Upon closer inspection it appears that the tailgate has been replaced at some point. The traces of red paint remaining on the interior appear to be original 1960’s “Poppy red” rover paint with no Limestone paint underneath as on the rest of the interior and exterior. The tailgate was removed and stripped of all galvanized…
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Doors off
In order to remove the last of the perished rubber door seals the doors had to be removed. The seals are riveted through a metal strip into their channels. Unlike the rest of the Series 2a rover body the bulkhead is made from steel and was not galvanized originally. The perished rubber seals along the…
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Breaking the seals
A closer inspection of the door seals brings quite a revelation into why there is so much water leaking into the cab. They have all perished quite literally in the original sense of the word–become completely useless for the original intended purpose–mainly due to decades of exposure. The rubber encases thin metal strips that are…
Prepare for adventure.
“If you don’t slow down once in awhile, life can pass you by.” Adventures can be far or near, large or small, and each one has a lesson–and a story.