12/04/2003
THE GUYS AT OVERLAND COMPONENTS HAVE HAD MY COUSINS LANDY LIGHTWEIGHT FOR A WHILE, DOING A FEW REPAIRS. WHEN THEY CALLED TO SAY IT WAS READY FOR COLLECTION IT SEEMED TOO GOOD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MISS, BY THIS I MEAN THE CHANCE TO HAVE A PLAY ON THERE RAPIDLY GROWING "OFF ROAD COURSE". WE ARRIVED AND COLLECTED THE LANDROVER WHICH NOW SPORTS A MORE SUITABLE SET OF TYRES ( BRONCO DIRT DEVILS ) AND WITH THE FAMOUS WORDS " ITS BEEN DRY NOW , SO THE COURSE WILL BE OK " RINGING IN OUR EARS, WE HEADED OFF.
AS I SAID IN THE FIRST TRIP AFTER CHRISTMAS, THE LANDROVER WAS A PRESENT FOR MY COUSINS KIDS, THIS PHOTO SHOWS MARKS YOUNGEST BRINGING THE LANDY DOWN A FAIRLY STEEP SLOPE. ALL IN ALL A GOOD EFFORT FOR A YOUNG LAD.
I LEAD THE WAY DOWN THE HILL AND OVER THE STREAM, THERE IS A SLIGHT INCLINE THAT ROUNDS THE BOUNDARY OF THE FIELD AND AS I TURNED INTO THE BEND THE FRONT END OF THE VIT SANK INTO DEEP MUD, WHICH COVERED THE 31" BRONCOS. MARK CAME UP BEHIND IN THE LANDY AND ATTATCHED A STROP TO THE VIT AND PULLED ME OUT, I LINED UP FOR ANOTHER RUN AT IT AND GOT ABOUT A YARD FURTHER ROUND AND SANK AGAIN. ONCE AGAIN THE LANDY CAME UP BEHIND ME AND A STROP WAS ATTACHED, THIS TIME TO NO AVAIL AS THE LANDY ENTERED THE SOFT MUD IT ALSO SANK. WE TRIED IN VAIN TO FREE EACH OTHER AND EVENTUALLY SENT ONE OF THE LADS BACK TO THE FARM TO FETCH HELP. JIM MALKIN ( OWNER OF OVERLAND COMPONENTS ) ARRIVED IN THE TRACTOR AND EASILY FREED ME. THEN WENT BACK TO RETRIEVE THE LANDY.
WITH ME BEING NOW FREE AND HAVING THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO VIDEO THE LANDY BEING PULLED FREE. I SIGNALLED TO MARK IN THE LANDY THAT I WOULD TAKE THE PHOTOS TO SHOW HIM WHERE HE HAD GONE WRONG IN RESCUING ME, HERE HE IS IN THE DRIVERS SEAT SAYING THANKS...
JIM HAS ALREADY PUT OVER 3 TONNE OF HARDCORE IN THIS STRETCH TO HARDEN THE PATH .... YOU NEED MORE DOWN HERE JIM.... REALLY HEAVY GOING IN THIS MUD
THE TRACTOR WAS FACED FORWARDS ON TO THE LANDY AND THE STROPS ATTACHED
LOOKS CAN BE DECEPTIVE. THEY DON'T LOOK TOO BAD BUT THE TYRES WERE UNABLE TO PENETRATE THE GLOOP TO GET A PURCHASE ON SOLID GROUND.
THE TRACTOR TOOK UP THE TENSION ON THE STROP AND STARTED TO PULL. THE SUCTION OF THE CLAY/MUD WAS SO STRONG THAT EVEN THE TRACTOR BEGAN TO DIG IN AS IT PULLED
EVEN THE TRACTOR WITH INDEPENDENT DRIVE TO EACH WHEEL AND SUPER MUD TYRES COULD NOT GET THE PURCHASE TO PULL THE LANDY OUT.
THE STROP WAS REMOVED FROM THE TRACTOR AND IT REVERSED BACK AS FAR AS IT COULD IN ORDER TO TRY TO CLIMB OUT OF THE RUTS ONTO SOLID GROUND.
IT THEN DROVE FORWARD WITH WHEELS ON FULL LOCK AND CLIMBED OUT OF THE RUTS.
THAT BIT THERE IS WHERE THE VITARA HAD BEEN STUCK .... WE HAD NO CHANCE OF A STRAIGHT DRIVE THROUGH.
THE STROP WAS RE ATTACHED AND THE TRACTOR APPLIED THE STRAIN ONCE MORE
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS SHOT.. ONCE THE LANDY HAD CRESTED THE RIDGE OF THE RUTS, IT ACTUALLY TRIED TO GET OUT ITSELF ( NOTICE THE STROP HAS GONE SLACK )
AS THE REAR WHEELS OF THE LANDY CAME OVER THE RUTS IT STARTED TO LOOK LIKE IT WAS GOING TO ROLL SIDEWAYS INTO THE RUN. NOTICE ALSO HOW CRACKED AND DRIED OUT THE MUD ON TOP IS .... THIS IS HOW DRY WE THOUGHT IT WOULD ALL BE.
LOOK AT THE DEEP HOLE IN THE MUD WHERE THE LANDROVER HAD BEEN SITTING AND WHERE THE TRACTOR HAS CHURNED THE RUT UP. AWESOME
EXCELLENT FRONT AND REAR WHEEL ARTICULATION FROM THE LIGHTWEIGHT
FINALLY OUT. WITH ONLY A DAMAGED EXHAUST WHERE IT HAD BEEN WRENCHED APART COMING OVER THE RUT WALL. OH AND A SLIGHTLY BULGED FRONT BUMPER WHERE THE TRACTOR HAD BEEN PULLING ON THE FRONT HITCH.
A WHITE 8 SPOKE ON THE REAR OF TONKA AND A NEW RIM CALLED A MUD WALL ON THE FRONT .... HEE HEE
TONKA
THE TRACTOR DEPARTS AND WE START OFF AGAIN
. WE ONLY HAD AN HOUR OR SO ON THE COURSE , BUT A HELL OF A LOT OF FUN WAS HAD. IF YOU WISH TO HIRE THE COURSE AS A GROUP
EVENT OR JUST GO ROUND WITH A FEW OF THE LADS, THEN RING JIM MALKIN .
FOLLOW THE OVERLAND COMPONENTS LINK ON THE FRONT
PAGE OF THIS SITE OR CALL 07764 156766 (MOBILE) OR 01565 777677 (OFFICE).
THIS IS SET TO BE ONE OF THE BEST SITES WE HAVE IN THE
NORTHWEST. GOOD FUN. GET THERE AND SAMPLE IT FOR YOURSELF.