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LJ70 Build Thread!

Although later in life than you (which really was a disadvantage) I set up home in a foreign country with a foreign language, with no family and not even any friends, totally alone. It's all about attitude and approach to the difficulties (which are inevitable) that you'll encounter.

Unless you do something really stupid, you'll be just fine, trust me!

Like you Clive I started later in life doing 'silly things' :oops: or so my wife tells me, mind you it was all her fault really. When I turned 50 she said you must have a special present and she bought me a gliding course (fixed wing, not para), then for the next 10 years she hardly saw me, I was always up at the airfield.

Then about 10-15 years ago I got into 4x4ing, the usual pay & play stuff but in 2008 I went to Croatia for the first time and got the overlanding bug, since then I've been to Morocco once and Croatia a further three times.

I wanted to do a parachute jump recently but my doctor wouldn't sign the medical fitness form because of previous medical history. a stroke five years ago.

I'm 70 now and so wish I had started when I was a lot younger, it looks now though as if my wandering days may be over :sad-teareye:

as I still can't get the other 80 insured and I'm not getting any younger. :character-oldtimer:
 
Thanks guys. :thumbup:

Only 7 days left at work now, then 6 weeks off, then I fly to OZ! :violin:

Been working outside all day today and its barely got above 0 degrees all day. :thumbdown:

Chas you say you cant insure the other 80. Is it a case of you not being able to get insurance? or is it that they want more than your willing to pay?

If its the second then I think I'd be tempted to just do it! Might cost you more than youd like to pay but at least you can get out in it and have some fun! :dance:

Regarding the parachute jump...........................

I always wanted to do one, but looking back now I wish I hadnt! :?

Being pushed out of a plane at 14,000ft was bloody terrifying! :shock:

Not an enjoyable experience for me. :thumbdown:
 
Thanks guys. :thumbup:

Only 7 days left at work now, then 6 weeks off, then I fly to OZ! :violin:

Been working outside all day today and its barely got above 0 degrees all day. :thumbdown:

Chas you say you cant insure the other 80. Is it a case of you not being able to get insurance? or is it that they want more than your willing to pay?

If its the second then I think I'd be tempted to just do it! Might cost you more than youd like to pay but at least you can get out in it and have some fun! :dance:

Regarding the parachute jump...........................

I always wanted to do one, but looking back now I wish I hadnt! :?

Being pushed out of a plane at 14,000ft was bloody terrifying! :shock:

Not an enjoyable experience for me. :thumbdown:
Just can't get a quote, it's got to the stage where I'd pay whatever they asked. :think: Even our friendly in-house ins company didn't come back to me with a quote which they had said they would do.
 
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Hi Ben,

A little off topic, but some what related to your parachute jump.
Have you done bungy jumping?

Gra.
 
Well thats shit Chas. :thumbdown:

Thanks Leopard. :thumbup:

Hi Ben,

A little off topic, but some what related to your parachute jump.
Have you done bungy jumping?

Gra.

No Gra, never like the idea of being attached to the end of a piece of rubber. :eusa-naughty:

have you?

I'd have thought people would get whiplash from it? :think:
 
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Bruised eyelids, from the eyeballs hitting the inside of the eyelids... or detached retina.

I'm not in a rush to leave a perfectly good plane either...
 
You don't even feel the change of direction at the bottom. You only know you have stopped falling and started going back up again because the wind noise gets quieter for a second or two.
 
Well Chas,

I started mountain biking and water skiing at 45, snow skiing at 50, got into downhill mountain biking at 53, and into 4 x 4 at 55! I'm 59 now and old enough to know better. I have no regrets, a wife that encourages me to do whatever I want, a 4 year old daughter who loves doing anything stupid especially off road, so I have the perfect life!

We have a beautiful house half way up in the mountains and I have a good job in the city. Apart from never enough spare time, life couldn't be better!

The 80 is a car that can't be beaten in my book, it's comfortable, safe, fun to drive and as tough as a tank. It takes us all over the mountain through knee deep mud and over huge rocks. Gradients are never a problem and its stable on the slopes. My wife and I can take our 4 year old and her grandfather who's 92 to all sorts of places that we wouldn't see with a car, and too far to walk.

We tour Romania visiting family close to the Hungarian border, and we venture south to Bulgaria on occasions. I'd like to overland to Greece, Turkey and Croatia when I can free up some time. They're all within a stone's throw from where we live.

Had I stayed in the UK, I can't imagine that I would have had half the experiences that I've had.

I've followed Ben's stories on his posts old and present, and I can see myself in his life and the way things are panning out for him. I have no regrets, if there was only one, it would be that I didn't do what I'm doing now earlier in life. Ben will be totally absorbed in his new life. It may be tough for him at the beginning, but he's prepared for that.

I envy him in some ways but at the same time I'm very content with my lot. The things I can't do, I watch others do with awe. The proximity BASE jumping, skydiving, extreme windsurfing, extreme skiing and snowboarding are all sports that I watch on movies all the time. Access to these on the Internet is so easy these days, we get to see things that as a boy, either they weren't done or you'd never get to know about them let alone see it from a helmet-cam or other such "as if you we're there" perspective.

Life is good, live it to the full. Ben, you've got a lot of living to get into your life. Our lives are short, waste no time boy, get out there and do it! Good luck to you!




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What's all that gobbledygook at the end of my post? And who's Jim? Tapatalk, I ask you!



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Thanks Clive. :icon-biggrin:

I'm super excited about OZ now, cant wait to get back over there! :dance:

You don't even feel the change of direction at the bottom. You only know you have stopped falling and started going back up again because the wind noise gets quieter for a second or two.

Did you enjoy it?

I dont think I will be doing one, not after the skydive. :think:

Liking the Trip Tales link in your signature. :icon-wink:

I'm envious of you having a whole year touring round with your well set up cruiser and camper trailer! :drool:

I must post my blog up here from the few months I spent travelling round OZ. I visited some amazing places! :icon-cool:
 
Well thats shit Chas. :thumbdown:

Thanks Leopard. :thumbup:



No Gra, never like the idea of being attached to the end of a piece of rubber. :eusa-naughty:

have you?

I'd have thought people would get whiplash from it? :think:
.
Hi Ben,

I jumped the biggest one in the world.
Bloukrans, South Africa.

216 meters.
Bloukranse (24).jpg

Gra.
 
Did you enjoy it?

I dont think I will be doing one, not after the skydive. :think:

Liking the Trip Tales link in your signature. :icon-wink:

I'm envious of you having a whole year touring round with your well set up cruiser and camper trailer! :drool:

I must post my blog up here from the few months I spent travelling round OZ. I visited some amazing places! :icon-cool:

I wouldn't exactly say that I enjoyed the bungee jump, well not the bit right up until I was back on the bridge afterwards, then it was pretty good. I swore high and low that I wouldn't do it, but then when we got to the bridge I wanted to see if I could make myself do it. I found skydiving easier than the bungee jump, probably because I couldn't see the rocks down below that I was about to be splattered all over...

We are really looking forward to our trip now! And earlier this week I found out that my brother (in Brisbane), who has a kitted out Patrol, has also bought a camper trailer and may be joining us for part of the trip :)
 
I wouldn't exactly say that I enjoyed the bungee jump, well not the bit right up until I was back on the bridge afterwards, then it was pretty good. I swore high and low that I wouldn't do it, but then when we got to the bridge I wanted to see if I could make myself do it. I found skydiving easier than the bungee jump, probably because I couldn't see the rocks down below that I was about to be splattered all over...

:)
.
Which jump was that,
where was it ?
How high ?

Gra.
 
Ben if you did not enjoy the skydive then I would not recommend bungee jumping. When skydiving the only point of reference is the plane and that soon disappears but when bungee jumping you can actually see the ground coming towards you. Much bigger rush but its over far quicker.
 
Ramps!

Seems like ages since we had an update. :|

Now I've got my import approval I can start getting her ready to export. :dance:

First job this morning was to measure how much room I will have in the 20ft container with the truck inside.

So I reversed up to the garage door and had a quick measure.

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So that leaves me just under 6ft which should be plenty for all the retail boxes I'm using. :icon-biggrin:

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When the shipping container comes, it stays on the lorry. So the next job was building a ramp to load the truck into the container which will be roughly 4ft off the ground.

This fine trailer started life as a caravan in 2004. A few years later it was flipped on a motorway and so my mate bought it for £50 to use as a trailer. :icon-cool:

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With the trailer back at mine we could start jacking it up and seeing if it will work.

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In low range and with the rear locker engaged I crawled up the ramp.

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Trailer could have done with being a little wider, but with careful driving its usable.

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The front A frame will be unbolted from the trailer when the container comes. The ramp will then be ratchet strapped/chained to the back of the lorry.

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Safely back on the ground.

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After taking the trailer back we drove to my my old works yard.

I didnt realise we have had so much rain. Never seen this bridge underwater before.:icon-surprised:

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2 blue Toyota's! :icon-biggrin:

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I was curious as to how tight my truck will be in a container.

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With the import rules being so stringent on imports entering OZ with regards to no mud/organic material allowed to enter, my truck needs to be spotless.

This is the beast that I thought would be best for cleaning her.
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Me with my best clothes on. :lol:

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Next I went and got the huge ramps that the farm use for the tractors. This pic was taken from the cockpit just before I went down a slight gradient and the bobcat tipped forward. :icon-surprised:

No harm done, and I soon had it back on all 4 wheels. :icon-biggrin:

The ramps were just too big and heavy to carry 2 at a time.

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Shame I wont be able to use these when I dinitrol the underneath. :thumbdown:

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I then spent the next hour underneath the truck steam cleaning everything. not a particularly pleasant job but it needed to be done.



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The recovery in Wales when my truck had a lie down bent one of my 12mm thick recovery points. :shock:

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Turned the truck round.

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Loads of Lincomb sand came out from between the fuel tank and guard.

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Engine bay came up a bit cleaner.

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Done. :icon-biggrin:

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Took one of the ramps back and when I got back Mitch was seeing how his new disco flexes.

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Drove back very slowly to avoid too much mud being splattered on the now clean cruiser.

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Still couldnt get over how high the river is. Its usually 3-4ft below this bridge. Years ago we boated under it when we did about 10miles of boating along the river.

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The truck is now parked up round the back ready for all the work to begin.

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Next job will be giving it another wash. I will then let the truck dry out for a few weeks before the rust killing and dinitroling can begin. :icon-biggrin:
 
Thanks Paul, got it on the list. :icon-wink:

Got so much to do I'm just hoping 6 weeks is enough time. :pray:

Got a big list of bits to do on the truck.

During the last 10+ years I've been a bit of a hoarder. :oops:

So I've now got a double garage, workshop, 2 x lofts, and 3 sheds to clear out. :?

Need to stick tons of stuff on ebay.

Then I've got loads of scrap metal to weigh in, old electrical items to weigh in, and a pile 6ft tall of old clothes to weigh in. :sleeping-sleep:

Will bring in a load more money so cant complain really. :icon-biggrin:
 
YYY
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