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…
One of the current projects at the forge involves hand crafting knives from Land Rover leaf springs––a tool for adventure made from a vehicle for adventure! Series spring steel has…
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…
Time flies
Summer is about halfway over, the light is beginning to shift. Enjoy the still and calm moments as they come––moments like years pass by never to return again. Hug the ones who are near you, we never know what tomorrow may bring.
Article: Classic Land Rover magazine
Forged Through Fire Classic Land Rover Magazine, August 2024 Words by Jan Hyrman with Dave Friesen, photos by Dave Friesen I think most if not all of this magazine’s readers will agree that metal can be shaped to create things that are by essence utilitarian but are beautiful to look at. Some, in our eyes…
Forging rovers
Rover steel knives are being crafted in conjunction with the artist-in-residence program at the museum this year––a tool for adventure made from a vehicle for adventure! Series spring steel has not changed spec since the first in 1948 and replacements today are even made with the same composition. The works in progress below are made…
Waterfront crew
Always enjoyable to roll down to the waterfront and enjoy the sunset as the season allows. Loading up the rover with friends and neighbours from near and far to share a moment together. The beach is quiet and cool at this time of year but spring may be around the corner.
Craig’s Auto Camp
The late morning sun streams through into a clearing in the forest. The sound of the sea is in the distance and the flowers are blooming. For more than four decades starting in the 1930s for $1 per night road-weary overlanders could stay at Craig’s Auto Camp on the sea near Parksville. Today the last…
Northern rover
A chance meeting along a dark shore, good reminders of times long past, and encouragement for the future. A rare sighting of spectacular aurora on Vancouver Island. Not only visible, but under perfectly clear skies, dancing directly overhead, filling the skies, and including pink and red colours that are rarely seen this far south. See…
Article: Classic Land Rover magazine
Forged Through Fire Classic Land Rover Magazine, August 2024 Words by Jan Hyrman with Dave Friesen, photos by Dave Friesen I think most if not all of this magazine’s readers will agree that metal can be shaped to create things that are by essence utilitarian but are beautiful to look at. Some, in our eyes…
Belting it out
A rattling noise that occurs at higher rpms near the top of each gear and may at first seem to be a dying mainshaft bearing or oil throwing wheel gone bad may in fact have a much simpler fix. Opening the bonnet whilst attempting to duplicate the behaviour reveals that the screeching sound seems to…
Blacksmith style jumpers
A simply-made d.i.y. set of heavy-duty jumper cables assembled from welding ground cables and clamps. Sturdy construction, highly flexible and wear-resistant, plenty of copper and a very strong bite for good connections. The negative clamps are differentiated by a coat of traditional tree-source urushi lacquer, normally used for Japanese sword scabbards. The two cables are…
Adjusting the bonnet catch
It is always nice to come across a piece of equipment that was designed with future adjustability in mind. Perhaps a little known fact is that the bonnet (hood) catch on a series rover can be adjusted to compensate for wear and change over the years. There is a nut above the spring that locks…
Canvas Bonnet Strip
Series rovers originally had braided canvas cord filler strips along the front of the bonnet to cushion the closing or contact point and prevent unnecessary airflow or dust entry. At some point long ago this one had been replaced with a self-adhesive foam strip, which had subsequently degraded. Replacements in the original style are now…
Removing the grille
Up to late 2a, series rovers had metal wire grilles in front of the radiator. A legendary use for these grilles was as an actual cooking surface in an emergency situation in a remote location. They may also need to be removed occasionally for cleaning, access to the bonnet catch, or steering mechanism. One way…
Searchlight
A quick project to clean up an old tractor work light that was in one of the rear toolboxes. The inside was quite rusty and the ground poor but with a bit of work it functions again. There are some pin holes rusted through the body that need to be addressed at some point and…
Window seals
The original rear window seals had largely perished, hardening, cracking, and shrinking to leave significant gaps at the bottom of the windows, the largest opening being about an inch long. The two part system in comprised of a sealing strip and a centre filler strip. Judging by the current condition and surface textures the factory…
Tool making
There is a specialized windscreen fillet tool in the Rover manual for installing the filler strip for the window seals, however they do not seem to be around anymore and even the vaguely similar replacements are very hard to locate. With a little blacksmithing a reasonable facsimile is possible to make. The main material in…
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.