25/05/2003

 

 

JIM MALKIN FROM "OVERLAND COMPONENTS" HAD ASKED ME IF I WOULD GO DOWN TO A NEW OFF ROAD SITE HE WAS CREATING, TO HELP WITH THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A FEW OF THE STAGES. I READILY AGREED AND THE DATE WAS SET FOR TODAY, I HAD RANG DAVE JONES WHO IS MY REGULAR LANING PARTNER AND ARRANGED TO MEET HIM JUST OFF JUNCTION 19 OF THE M6 MOTORWAY. JIM ALREADY HAS A SUPERB OFF ROAD SITE BASED ON THE FARM IN KNUTSFORD WHERE HE LIVES AND IS ALSO A WORKSHOP FOR OVERLAND COMPONENTS, BUT THIS WAS TO BE A BIT DIFFERENT. HE WANTED TO CREATE A FUN SECTION THAT COULD BE USED BY THE NOVICE AND MODIFIED VEHICLE DRIVER AND ALSO BE USED BY LARGE 4X4 DEALERSHIPS AS A DEMONSTRATION GROUND. WE ARRIVED SHORTLY BEFORE 10.00 AM AND AS WE WERE A BIT EARLY I TOOK DAVE FOR A LOOK AT THE WOODED OFF ROAD COURSE THAT THE LANERIDERS ARE GOING TO IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS (08/06/2003). WHEN WE GOT BACK TO JIMS WORKSHOP IT WAS OPEN AND A CUP OF TEA WAS ON OFFER, WE ACCEPTED AND SAT DOWN FOR A CHAT WHICH ENDED UP AS USUAL CRAWLING ROUND UNDER THE TRUCKS. JIM HAD ARRANGED FOR A 10 TONNE MECHANICAL DIGGER TO BE ONSITE WITH WHICH TO CREATE THE STAGES. WE HEADED OFF TO THE FIELD AND THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE DAY AS IT PANNED OUT .................... READ ON ......................

 

THE FIELD WAS USED AS A DUMPING GROUND FOR ALL THE SOIL THAT WAS REMOVED WHEN THE M6 MOTORWAY WAS BEING MADE. THE PLACEMENT OF THE WASTE SOIL WAS RANDOM AND PROVIDES SOME GREAT FEATURES TO DRIVE.

 

AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PREVIOUS PHOTO, DAVE HAD JUST DONE A LOW BUT STEEP DESCENT AND THIS PICTURE SHOWS THE HEIGHT OF THE MOUNDS

 

THE GAP BETWEEN THESE TWO MOUNDS REALLY LETS YOU PUSH THE SUSPENSION OF THE TRUCKS

 

SIDE VIEW OF THE SAME GAP AND IT SHOWS THE REAR WHEEL STARTING TO TUCK UP INTO THE ARCH NICELY.

 

DAVE ATTACKS ONE OF THE MANY "BOMB HOLES" ON THE COURSE

 

WITH A NICE CLIMB OUT OF THE OTHER SIDE. DAVE AND I LAID A FEW OF THE TRACKS TODAY AND THE LANERIDERS WILL ADD A FEW MORE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

 

YOU CAN SEE HOW CLOSE TO THE M6 MOTORWAY WE WERE. THE SIGN IN THE SHOT IS THE APPROACH FOR JUNCTION 19

 

DAVE GETS THE VIT BANKED OVER AS HE ROUNDS THE FENCE LINE OF THE FIELD

THIS CORNER OF THE FIELD IS VERY WET AND IS STARTING TO FILL WITH WATER BETWEEN A FEW OF THE MOUNDS. IT WILL BE REALLY BOGGY WITH REGULAR USE.

 

A VERY CLEAN LOOKING SUPAZOOKI ... I CAN PROMISE IT NEVER STAYED THAT WAY.

 

THE PILOT OF THIS VEHICLE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR FLYING WITH TONKA AIRWAYS ...... HEE HEE

 

DAVE BACK IN THE TREE LINE BY THE M6. THIS REALLY IS A NICE LITTLE RUN ALONG THE FENCE....

 

THESE VITS ARE SO CAPABLE .... BRING IT ON .!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

TO GET OUT OF THIS DIP ON THIS ANGLE YOU NEED TO ACCELERATE AND LET THE BACK END SLIDE ROUND TO STRAIGHTEN THE TRUCK OUT.

 

ONE OF THE SMALLER DROP OFFS ON THIS SITE.

 

THIS IS THE OTHER END OF THE FIELD, THE FENCE LINE HERE IS DUE TO BE MOVED FURTHER BACK TO ALLOW MORE ROOM TO PLAY ON THIS BANK.

 

"TONKA"

 

MEET JIM MALKIN, aka "OVERLAND COMPONENTS" HE WAS THE GUY WHO BUILT THE STAINLESS STEEL SNORKEL FITTED ON TO MY VIT. THE INDUCTION ROAR FROM WHICH WILL SCARE GRANNIES AND CHILDREN FROM 20 PACES ....... AND JIM LOVES IT ....

 

MORE DROP OFFS

 

THIS IS STEEPER THAN IT LOOKS FROM A DISTANCE. WE NEEDED MORE SPEED TO GET UP DUE TO THE LACK OF LOCKERS ETC .... HORRENDOUS BOUNCE AT THE TOP. !!!!

 

KING OF THE HILL

 

THIS IS A BETTER ONE !!. WHEN WE DROVE OVER THE EDGE IT WAS SO STEEP THE TRUCKS SLIPPED DOWN THE SLOPE TILL THE WHEELS TOUCHED THE BOTTOM, COMING TO REST AT A GOOD ANGLE. VEHICLES WITH PROTRUDING BUMPERS WILL NOT LIKE THIS ONE .

 

ASS IN THE AIR

 

DOWN SAFELY

 

IF YOU ARE NERVOUS ABOUT PUTTING YOUR VEHICLE DOWN A SLOPE THEN THIS IS THE BEST PLACE TO BEAT THAT FEAR. START SMALL AND INCREASE THE DROP AS YOUR CONFIDENCE GROWS.

 

WE LEFT JIM DIGGING A MUD RUN ON THE OTHER SITE AND HEADED INTO THE WOODLAND SECTION AS DAVE HAD NOT BEEN IN HERE. I HAVE BEEN IN HERE THREE TIMES AND IT IS BRILLIANT FUN, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIKE TO WINCH AND PROBLEM SOLVE. THERE ARE A FEW WATER CROSSINGS AND A FEW STEEP CLIMBS AS WELL.

 

WITH ALL THE TREES IN LEAF AND THE SUN BEATING DOWN, IN THIS WOODLAND YOU COULD BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD .... BEAUTIFUL

 

IT STARTED TO GET REALLY WET AND AS WE WENT AROUND THE NEXT CORNER THERE IS A CLIMB OUT OF THE MUD OVER A FEW ROOTS. DIFFICULT TO SAY THE LEAST. DAVE ENDED UP BACKING TO ME AND FITTING HIS WINCH ON THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK AND WINCHING UP OVER THE CLIMB.

 

AS WE GOT PAST THIS OBSTACLE, WE ENDED UP WINCHING UP A CLAY SLOPE THE OTHER SIDE. AS WE REACHED THE TOP OF THE HILL THERE WAS A TREE THAT HAD FALLEN ACROSS THE TRACK AND TAKEN ANOTHER TREE WITH IT. LUCKILY NEITHER WERE BIG AND THE WIDEST TRUNK WAS ABOUT 7 INCHES ACROSS. DAVE PRODUCED A HAND SAW AND AFTER 25 MINUTES OF CUTTING AND PUSHING BRANCHES WE WERE THROUGH. WE ROUNDED THE TOP OF THE COURSE AND DROPPED DOWN ONE OF THE HILLS, TO WHICH DAVES TRUCK PROTESTED STRONGLY ....... YES YOU GUESSED IT ... ANOTHER BUSTED AXLE.
WE ENDED UP WINCHING DAVE UP THE HILL AND WENT BACK TO JIMS WORKSHOP. AS IS STANDARD PRACTICE WITH ME THESE DAYS I CARRY A SPARE AXLE SO I KNEW WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. AS WE WERE REMOVING IT DAVE SMITH FROM "SPECIALIST VITARA BREAKERS " ARRIVED AND DISHED OUT COLD DRINKS ( DAVE YOUR A STAR ). I TOOK 20 MINUTES OUT AND DROVE DAVES CHILDREN AROUND THE NEW FIELD SITE. WHEN I ARRIVED BACK DAVE JONES HAD CLEANED UP THE VIT AND STARTED TO REINSTALL THE NEW AXLE.
IT TOOK ABOUT 40 MINUTES TO REPLACE THE AXLE BUT UNFORTUNATLEY OUR TIME WAS UP, WE THANKED JIM AND DAVE AND HEADED FOR HOME, VIA THE PETROL STATION FOR FUEL AND A PASTIE. ANOTHER GOOD DAY ...... ROLL ON THE NEXT ONE