Classic Safari vehicles!

[fireman]

Great Land Rover! Great dog!

 

[Correus]

Great Land Rover! Great dog!

Thanks!

Guess I forgot to mention... the mut is Winston, he's our new Rover mut. He's a Pappillon and turned 6 months old the day of the car show.

 

[Zombie_61]

ROTFLMAO!!! Real men drive a stick!!! It's sad that driving a stick has become something of a lost art here in the States.

And it will only become more lost considering how many auto manufacturers of "American" cars are offering vehicles with automatic transmissions only. Sometimes I miss shifting, other times I remember how much of a pain in the posterior it often was.

 

[GHT]

Sometimes I miss shifting, other times I remember how much of a pain in the posterior it often was.

Most of my working life has been spent in freight, haulage and logistics. That's the collection, movement and delivery of goods. You can be sure that most drivers, that's those who earn a living from driving, would be loathe to return to manual gear change via the clutch pedal.

Look at the gear lever above, in the second picture you can see a rocker switch on the right of the lever and a larger switch on the front. Excluding reverse, this gives the driver 16 gears. Each gear change, up or down, involves depressing the clutch, engaging the gear, making sure that both front and side switches are in the down position. Release the clutch and the vehicle moves forward, to select the next gear up, depress the clutch, flick the rocker switch up, release the clutch. The next gear means a movement of the gear stick from the existing gear into the next one up, at the same time the rocker switch is flicked back to the down position. This palaver is repeated until the higher ratios are needed. Then it really becomes a fun time.
To go from 4th high to 5th low the driver depresses the clutch, flicks the rocker switch down, brings the gear lever from the fourth gear into neutral, flicks the front switch to engage the higher ratios, selects the fifth gear and releases the clutch. The driver then repeats all of the above until he reaches the 16th gear, or 8 high.
Nowadays, a driver has a simple switch, turn it to the left and it engages A for automatic, the onboard computer does the rest.

The company that I joined in the early 80's expected their managers to know what their staff did, along with the working pressures that went with the job. To that end I had to train to drive a semi-trailer, with the type of gear arrangement as previously described and take the prescribed test. What a fun two weeks that was. How I ever passed is still a mystery, but when I move a truck around the yard my mind will go back to those days of shifting 16 gears. Truck drivers in the UK have pretty much a bad press, some of it deserved, but knowing what their daily life is like, they always have my admiration.

 

[Zombie_61]

...You can be sure that most drivers, that's those who earn a living from driving, would be loathe to return to manual gear change via the clutch pedal...

I don't know how it works in other countries, but here in the U.S. you need a special license and "endorsements" (documented specialized training) in order to drive certain vehicles. "Class B" encompasses human transportation vehicles and single vehicles designed to carry loads heavier than 13 tons that will be driven on public highways, while "Class A" is required to drive any "combination" vehicle (i.e., a tractor/trailer vehicle) on public highways. I have some experience with both and have spoken with a number of drivers about their careers and experiences; almost every one of the less experienced drivers was/is in favor of automatic transmissions while the more experienced drivers prefer the higher level of control offered by manual transmissions. I'm in the latter group myself and, if my back problems aren't acting up, if I'm given a choice I'll take a manual transmission almost every time.

 

[MikeKardec]

if I'm given a choice I'll take a manual transmission almost every time.

I've always been torn on this one. In "the old days," basically my youth in the 1980s I loved a stick shift (though there are good ones and bad ones) because the automatics left a lot to be desired. Since then the automatics have improved so much I really appreciate them in many vehicles. I'd always take a stick in a sport car even though I'd be giving up performance, and I despise paddle shifters. Real driving is just too much fun. But for traffic, off road, or any place where you might have too much going on and don't want to have added trouble of a stick I'll take an auto. I'm not sure how I'd feel in a medium or heavy duty truck ... I've never driven one with a top of the line and up to date auto.

 

[Zombie_61]

...But for traffic, off road, or any place where you might have too much going on and don't want to have added trouble of a stick I'll take an auto...

Yeah, driving a stick shift in heavy traffic can grow tiresome quickly, but in bad weather, off road, and particularly mountain roads with steep inclines/declines I would definitely want the added control that a manual transmission provides.

...I'm not sure how I'd feel in a medium or heavy duty truck ... I've never driven one with a top of the line and up to date auto.

I was a delivery driver for a few different companies for about 5-6 years of my working life and, until recently, had only driven short and long box trucks and 12-25 foot stake beds with manual transmissions. Long story, but the last company I worked for allowed me to drive their 25-foot-stake-bed-automatic-transmission truck a couple of times ("training", they said) and it wasn't bad, but I only drove it on bright, sunny days in traffic that moved freely. It was fine under those conditions, but I'm not so sure I'd like it on a mountain road during a heavy rain where you have only the gas and brake pedals for control.

 

[MikeKardec]

in bad weather, off road, and particularly mountain roads with steep inclines/declines I would definitely want the added control that a manual transmission provides.

Interesting. Up until last year I had a 15,000 lb. off road camper based on a F-550. With an auto. I never minded it under bad conditions and always felt I had a gear that worked. However, back in the days of the old 3 speed GM Turbo 400 (a great automatic for it's day) I would never have been satisfied. A stick would have been required.

My current "recreation car" is a '73 Alfa GTV ... of course it is UNIMAGINABLE in an automatic. If you were crazy enough to want one small engine automatics were just terrible in the 1970s and '80s. On the other hand I had a Works Mini Cooper Paceman a few years ago. It had a stick. Coming from a VW I was NOT impressed. When it had a complete electrical meltdown a 4K miles I was given an original Mini in an automatic while they fixed it. THAT car was exciting ... I suddenly "got" the thing that Mini people like. The auto gave it a much torque-ier feel that got you off the line and pulled you out of a corner much better. I lemon-lawed the Paceman and got the Alfa (the sort of car they were trying to recreate with the mini) and have never looked back.

There are some many different cars, usages, transmissions, and drivers that I'm not sure the distinction of manual or automatic means much any more. It's getting pretty hard to find a car with a standard 4, 5, or 6 speed any more. BMW does it but not many others. I hope they keep them around because I HATE paddle shifters!

 

[Doctor Damage]

Here's a non-safari vehicle, but it made it from South Africa to England in 1958... a 1954 VW van! Interesting article with some great photos at the end. Worth reading.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/driving/marais-home-journey-vw-kombi-adventure/

 

[Tiki Tom]

R.I.P., Julia. She did the Cape Town to Cairo drive at age 80, in an old Toyota sedan. She’s an inspiration!

https://www.timeslive.co.za/amp/new...frica-in-an-old-toyota-conquest-dies-at-home/

 

[Fedora Lover]

I’m with you. Here’s my 1969 Series 2a 88 that was rebuilt by ECR. The elephant was photoshopped in. But I did hunt in South Africa in an 88 as well as a Land Cruiser pickup. Great trucks.

 

[Correus]

I’m with you. Here’s my 1969 Series 2a 88 that was rebuilt by ECR. The elephant was photoshopped in. But I did hunt in South Africa in an 88 as well as a Land Cruiser pickup. Great trucks.

How long have you had your rig? Looks good.

The ultimate item on my 'bucket list' is to ship Grover to Africa and spend quite awhile exploring.

 

[Cuvier]

I'm currently working on my Jeep to get it up to snuff. 1943 Willy's MB. I'm going all original as best I can. Just a long process. Here's where I'm at now considering I bought it while it was in buckets.

 

[fireman]

I'm currently working on my Jeep to get it up to snuff. 1943 Willy's MB. I'm going all original as best I can. Just a long process. Here's where I'm at now considering I bought it while it was in buckets.

Elegant simplicity

 

[Fedora Lover]

My Land Rover is a 1969-70 Series 2a 88” that was rebuilt by ECR in Maine in 1997 for the previous owner who beat it up some and then didn’t want it anymore. I bought it thru them in 2007.
The rebuild was a complete frame off with new galvanized frame, coil spring conversion, new 4 cyl. engine, new 5 speed transmission, ARB lockers front and back, Range Rover differentials, bulkhead rebuild, new warn winch and front bumper, with pickup and soft tops for it.
I have done some additional upgrades to it since including adding a full hardtop with alpine windows installed in it and rear door, new soft top, full roll bar, forward facing rear seat with full harness seat belts, hood mounted spare tire, Jerry cans mounted on back tail gate, locking steel console and rear tool box and canvas seat covers made in Kenya for it.

 

[Correus]

My Land Rover was rebuilt by ECR in Maine in 1997 for the previous owner who beat it up some and then didn’t want it anymore. I bought it thru them in 2007.

Nice.... what year? 2.25 petrol?

Here's my '63 Station Wagon, 2.25 petrol. You can see my makeshift tailgate, it normally has the full rear door; tailgate is on when the trop top is off.

 

[Tiki Tom]

ugh. What next? This has got to stop.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/jeep-ducking-rubber-ducks-bdc40e6a

 

[Correus]

ugh. What next? This has got to stop.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/jeep-ducking-rubber-ducks-bdc40e6a

I don't have a subscription, so they won't let me read it. Any chance you could copy and paste?

BTW - my Rover got ducked by a group of Jeepers a couple of months ago.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

I don't have a subscription, so they won't let me read it. Any chance you could copy and paste?

BTW - my Rover got ducked by a group of Jeepers a couple of months ago.

You were honored by the Jeepers.

 

[Correus]

You were honored by the Jeepers.

Yup. They walked around the Rover, took tons of pics, hunted me down in my friend's shop, and told me that they felt Grover deserved it.