the newsletter of the

Discovery Owners Club Disclaimer Notice

Pre-amble For the purposes of this disclaimer notice “Discovery Owners Club” and “Club” are interchangeable and assumed to mean the same thing. Advice Given Any and all advice given in this publication or elsewhere is done so in good faith. Whilst every effort is taken to ensure that any and all advice is accurate and correct the Discovery Owners Club and those acting on it’s behalf cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of advice given and anyone acting on such advice does so at their own risk. Club Events Any activities, in particular (but not exclusively) off-roading and green laning, are undertaken purely at the participants own risk. All vehicles are to be suitably insured and prepared for the activity undertaken. Participation in any club organised event is on the understanding that safety is the responsibility of the individual concerned. Public Liability Insurance The Club carries no insurance and therefore cannot protect its members or their families and friends from any claim as a result of an accident. Members are strongly recommended to take out suitable public liability insurance.

“Discourse” contact details: Please forward any articles, advertisements, comments and suggestions for the newsletter to Steve Goodfellow using the contact details on Page 5.

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Inside This Issue Topic Page Editors Comments 2

Chairman’s Welcome 3

Founder Members • Names, Postal Addresses, Contact Numbers, Email Addresses, Pen

pictures

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Articles • How to save money and create a sleeping space • Camel Trophy • A small addition for more space where it’s needed • The Discovery timeline • Camel Trophy 1991 • Rights of way • Impressions Of The Pirelli Scorpion AT • Improvised engine immobiliser • Membership survey results

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Club Diary • What’s on, where and when - not much to show (yet)

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The Tail Gate • Club e-Groups list • Club Internet web site • Membership list • Next issue

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We’re a bit short on content for this issue, as you might expect. By the time we get to Issue 2, however, that will be remedied (I hope) and we’ll be able to include commercial advertising, members’ ads and details on discounts with insurance companies, dealers and parts suppliers. If you’ve got something taking up space in the garage or garden then drop me a line with the details and I’ll include it for free until it’s sold. Watch this space!

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Editors Comments In the beginning ... I’ve always wanted to begin something with those few words and the start of the first newsletter of the Discovery Owners Club looks like the best chance I’m ever going to get. Guess that’s another ambition out of the way. So, here we are then, about eight weeks since I first contacted John to see if he was serious about the Discovery Owners Club and to offer my help and we are over the one hundred members mark and growing daily. As the newsletter editor I’m going to try to bring you plenty of interesting things to read and see but as with all club newsletters I’m gonna need your help too – unless you want to read my ramblings page after page. We’re starting off this issue with contributions from Andy Smith (another of the founder members) and Holger Gringmuth (our man in Germany). Hopefully by the time the next issue goes to press I’ll be inundated with articles from you all and won’t have to think about too much myself. When the Discovery was first launched in 1989 it heralded a new era for Land Rover and opened up a whole new experience for many people. Although the Range Rover had been around for a good many years by that time it still wasn’t selling in large quantities and the likes of Mitsubishi, Toyota, Nissan and Jeep were getting to Land Rover’s traditional buyers all over the world. In many ways the arrival of the Discovery created the catalyst that turned an ailing business into the vibrant, successful motor company that Land Rover is today. This good work was helped along by the launch of the Freelander a few years back and the marque now has the line-up it needs to continue to grow. BMW’s decision to sell Rover came as no big surprise to many people in the car industry. They were too small to stand the losses being made (reported to have been £2million per day) so divesting itself of the UK operation made sound business sense. The fact that Land Rover was also for sale came as a shock to most commentators, especially after all the investment that had been made at Lode Lane. Ford’s recent acquisition of the business heralds yet another era for the company and we can but hope for a period of stability and growth from the new lords and masters. By the next issue we’ll try to get an interview with some senior management at Solihull to get the official perspective on this. Okay, enough of my ramblings ... on with the show! Just before I do get out of the way, I hope you approve of the name selected for the newsletter – “Discourse”. This was suggested by Jonathan Richardson (member #50) and as a reward I’ll come up with a prize for him – not sure what it’ll be yet, but it will be related to the Discovery in some way. Thanks to everyone who took the time to send in their suggestions. Steve Goodfellow Editor discoveryoc@imjin.demon.co.uk

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Chairman’s Welcome Hello, I thought that I might be able to take the liberty of a few words in this first Newsletter for our newly formed club. So far I have only been in touch with the vast majority of you only by e-mail or letter, meeting about 10 in person, but already three things are becoming very clear to me. Firstly it’s the need that there is out there for this club. Many people have been genuinely charmed by the all round practicality of the Discovery as a near perfect mix of everyday car and superb off-road and towing vehicle. However until now some tell me that they have had to put up with the stigma of not owning a ‘real’ Land Rover, we’re changing that from now on! Secondly, it’s the diversity of our membership, from seasoned off-roaders and caravanners who have been part of the Land Rover scene for years to owners (and potential owners) completely new to any type of 4x4. Finally, and most importantly, what has really bowled me over is your enthusiasm. This club probably possesses more enthusiasm amongst you; it’s first 100 members, than many bigger clubs have ever had. We now have a club that has the potential to be not only the best club on the Land Rover scene, but maybe one of the biggest as well. Go for it! Remember:

A Discovery is for life, not just the school run. John Capewell (john.capewell@tesco.net)

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Founder Members The following people are largely responsible for making this club a reality and currently form the club committee: John Capewell Seasons, Porth-y-Green Close, Llanblethian, Vale of Glamorgan, CF71 7JR Contact details: Work Tel.: 01446 752400 Mobile Tel.: 07850 405389 Email: John.Capewell@tesco.net My wife and I share our life with 4 cats, 3 Land Rovers, 2 children and 1 dog. Strictly speaking I don’t own a Discovery, it’s hers, but she lets me borrow it from time to time. My passion has been a succession of series 2’s over the last 20 years, never a series 1 or 3, always SWB and rag top. This has been joined by a soft spot for two door Range Rovers, which has culminated in owning pre-production chassis no 8, YVB 160H. We went shopping about 18 months ago for a LWB Suzuki Vitara to replace our Fait Uno, which was very dead. After viewing a slightly tatty Suzy we spotted G486 WAC, a black, V8, 3 door Discovery. Since this is one of the press launch fleet (out of the 86 vehicles used, the whereabouts of precious few are currently known) it had to come home and we’ve never thought about a Vitara again! In my spare time I work for a cement company in South Wales. Mike Duncalf Beetham Cottage, Over Kellet, Carnforth, Lancs., LA6 1BS Contact Details: Home Tel.: 01524 732128 (and fax) Email: mikeduncalf@beethamcottage.freeserve.co.uk I’m married with three sons. I was an engineer on the power stations until privatisation caused large staff reductions; so I took my pension early and left. My wife is a schoolteacher (so I’m not always available during school holidays). I’ve run my own cars since I was 18 and done all the maintenance on them, including making any specialist tools needed. In 39 years of this I have owned 63 cars, none of them special in any way. They follow a pattern of choosing a suitable model and owning several of them until they are no longer economic to run, e.g. 3 Morris 8s, 4 Austin A40 Devons, 4 Rover P4s, 4 Austin Cambridges, 12 Land crabs (BMC 1800s), one ex-army SWB Land Rover series 2A, 5 Rover SD1 and currently 4 Range Rovers. The next model will be a Discovery 200 Tdi. Why? – because it has to tow my caravan off muddy fields; pull it up steep hills when we get lost; do at least 30 mpg solo and cost less than £5000. Last year I took on the secretaries job for the Range Rover Register and dealt with the enquiry from John about setting up a Discovery section of the Register. The Register committee declined to do this because of their existing work load and so I offered to help John set up an independent Discovery club.

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Andy Smith 31 Stanley Street, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, HD6 1SX Contact details: Home Tel.: 01484 384883 Mobile Tel.: 07970 506215 Email: andy@cameltrophy.org.uk My job is working in NHS Mental Health Services and my main car is a Camel Trophy Discovery ~ Team Holland ~ H807 LON . My L-R Interests include the Discovery, a 1976 101 Vampire and 1972 109. I’ve just got rid of a 1979 Lightweight which “her indoors” took an instant dislike to after driving it in a monsoon and finding out it leaked a little. Mind you we did need rain coats & wellies. On the 4x4 activities side of things I do have a strong interest in the endurance side of things (hence a small trip to Russia with a second CT Discovery). I do give my Discovery quite a hard life off road, unfortunately the gearboxes, bits of engine and bearing always give up before I do. After a couple of days ripping the ground up its fix it, wash it and use it for work again. Steve Goodfellow 87 Gloucester Road, Patchway, Bristol, BS34 5JQ Contact Details: Home Tel.: 0117 904 2526 (and fax) Mobile Tel.: 07788 148024 Email: discoveryoc@imjin.demon.co.uk I'm 45 years old, married with three children and two grand-children. My occupation is Area Sales Manager for a company and I cover the south west of England and South Wales, although for many years I worked all over the world. As an ex-soldier I've had a long association with Land Rovers but never much liked the cramped space and spartan comfort of the Series and Defender models. I clearly remember the launch of the Discovery in 1989 and was wowed by the vehicle, promising myself I would own one ... one day! It wasn't until May 1998 that I was able to make good on that promise and purchase my first Discovery; a 1991 200Tdi. In September 1998 I traded that for my present vehicle (a 1995 300Tdi) because of the high mileage I was doing at that time as a consequence of using the vehicle for business purposes. I am a member of North Somerset LR Club, with whom I enjoy non-damaging off-road driving and attending shows and carnivals. The Discovery is my vehicle of choice for all family outings and the seven seats are extremely useful when the grand-children are with us – in fact you have to drag the grandchildren kicking and screaming into the company car.

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How To Save Money And Create A Sleeping Space To avoid any misunderstandings I have to say right at the start, that I had the conversion done in the first place to enable me to benefit from reduced road tax and car insurance for mobile homes and cars with a weight over 2.8 tons that exist in Germany. The whole conversion has been done in accordance with German regulations for a change of purpose from a private car to a mobile home, while keeping the seating capacity of five. Therefore it is not permitted to undo or take out the built-ins or you lose the registration and with it the cheaper insurance of the car. Under normal circumstances a 4x4 in the 2.5 ton class will cost up to £ 1000 a year for road tax and insurance combined. But after the changes I now save about £ 650 a year.

Having read about this conversion in an advert in an Off Road Magazine and went to the Land Rover dealer in Celle, a town 300 km away from my home in Berlin. The conversion kit cost about £ 700 which includes all the modifications to the car, the paperwork for changing the registration, one day of time and a 600 km drive through ice and snow – fortunately in the car best equipped to deal with the conditions! The cars nett weight rose by about 100 kg, but this has not had any notable effect on performance or driving stability. The 8 - 16 mm plywood box construction (in Germany it’s

called "Multiplex" because it is made of many very thin layers crossglued to each other making it very stable and low in weight) is self supporting and self stabilising. Most of the construction seems to be glued together, fixed with dowels and a few screws. The upper boards are fixed with hinge bands (piano hinges - Ed) so they can easily be opened from the top and are still able to support the weight of up to three sleeping persons. It is screwed to the floor panel of the car (screws can be seen in foreground of the picture of the left box). With a specially designed support the middle section can be lifted up to form a table (take a look at the pictures), but it’s impossible to sit at it. The leg and foot space underneath is too small to use by even shorter people than we are. To use the full seat capacity of 5 while driving part of the bed can be taken off, folded and stored behind the backrest of the rear seats (look at the pictures showing the phases of the build and the table).

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The whole thing looks very simple and should be easy to copy. The cost will depend on the prices of the chosen panel materials. I don't have any design drawings but the principals are easy to see and it should not be a problem to come up with a usable design. I've kept the wood untreated, wanting to allow it to breath. The glue is water

resistant and I thought about a water repelling prime coat too but gave up on the idea after reading about the unhealthy odours and chose to use the original load space mat on top of the platform as a practical protection against fluids, dirt, bruises and scars. I don’t think it is suitable for heavy duty use, but is perfectly adequate for use as a sleeping facility

instead of a (roof) tent. So far we have not had any problems going off road with it, so I think it will be okay when greenlaning. Because of its wooden construction, sleeping space can easily be cut back so as to leave the front seats in the normal driving position, maintaining the ability to drive off whenever you want to and, maybe, leave your partner in bed. With the front seats (in a 3 door) folded forwards there is enough room to sleep even for three tall people but it might get a little cramped if tall means big too (you wouldn’t want to share with me then – Ed). Sleeping conditions rely on other circumstances too. Parking in the sunshine means getting pretty hot - even in the morning. You can keep it down for a while with the air conditioning running, but this means running the engine too and this is most unlikely at a caravan site. In cold weather it can be heated like a caravan, using the engine heat (when its hot) or an additional heater but with the same noise problems as with the air conditioning. I think it'll need a lot of heat in the winter without the insulation of a

true mobile home. Comfortable sleeping means having to keep moisture (created by normal breathing) at a low level through air circulation. This can be done by opening the windows, but then you'll need some protection against rain and insects (my wife well remembers the voracity of German mosquitoes – Ed).

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So far I have only achieved rain protection by installing "ClimAir" deflectors in the front windows - I got them for half price at the auction the Simmonite Sisters held two years ago at Billing. They are doing well so far, but after one year the windows started making scraping noises because of the dust and gravel trapped in between the deflectors and the window glass. I clean them from time to time but scratches cannot, obviously. be completely avoided. The next thing we have to built are easy to put up and to remove insect screens and sun reflecting curtains. It'll improve sleeping comfort and make staying in the car the whole year round a possibility. We like the opportunity to use it as an overnight stay under certain circumstances, even though my wife and I have only tested the sleeping abilities once in two years. The sleeping space used with "Therm-a-Rest" mattresses and sleeping bags proved good, being comfortable even for people with XXL size (now we’re talking – Ed) like me. We certainly will use it again in the future. Maybe in a lonely site in the Alps or near a seashore. But if asked to choose, we still prefer the comfort of our caravan or the warm hearted hospitality of so many beautiful bed & breakfast sites while travelling through the countries of Europe. Another good idea I saw with another German conversion owner was an aluminium panel in the backdoor with a flap down shelf (made from the same material) with spaces for a sink and a cooker. It looked very neat and practical in use when he showed it to me at Billing in 1998. Take care everybody ! Holger (holger.gringmuth@berlin.de) Camel Trophy After 19 years, 24 countries explored and 536 competitors, Camel Trophy has continued to push the boundaries of adventure. Camel Trophy has progressively grown in size and success but for all the developments one element has remained unchanged - the event's essential spirit of international adventure. For the international adventurers who have taken part, Camel Trophy has been a step into the unknown. Not only have the teams encountered unimagined terrain and extraordinary cultures, they have explored their inner resources - both mental and physical. Whilst competition has always been important, it is the vivid memories and shared experiences that last.

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The Philosophy Say Camel Trophy and what comes to mind - dense jungle, barren deserts, towering glaciers and exotic cities? Or do you think of young adventurers from all corners of the globe coming together for the time of their lives? You might think about snowboarding down a volcano at the end of the world, or riding some of the fastest rapids on the planet. Or you might think about the adventures you can have on your doorstep. The truth is, you'd be right on all counts. Camel Trophy is more than the world's last great adventure. It's about living your life as an adventure; defining your own limits, setting your own goals and doing your own thing. With a wide range of careers, interests, skills and beliefs, the people who take part in Camel Trophy have one thing in common - a thirst for adventure and a One Life ~ Live It! philosophy. The Event The event is an international adventure competition combining mental and physical challenges with teamwork and friendship. Every year, Camel Trophy sets new challenges for a group of adventurers with a common desire to explore distant countries and cultures. Teams plan their own strategies using a competition directory which lists all the potential adventure locations. Each location has a different point value according to the degree of difficulty in reaching it. A combination of sporting equipment allows the teams to reach the locations and compete for the coveted trophy. But Camel Trophy is not just about competition. With meeting points along the route, group activities and the Team Spirit Award, Camel Trophy is as much about making new friends as it is about winning. The Future With Land Rover removing it’s support from Camel Trophy the style of the event is bound to change. No other off-road vehicle supplier in the world can provide the vehicles needed to compete in and support the competition in it’s traditional format. Indeed the next Camel Trophy will see a change in emphasis towards water borne activities and, for the purist, that will be the end of the event. Over the years Camel Trophy has provided Land Rover with an internationally renowned and respected shop window in which to display it’s products. Although it was a costly exercise there can be little doubt that the sight of Solihull made vehicles conquering some of the last, vast wildernesses of the world can only have boosted the marque's reputation as the go anywhere vehicle. So what next? Land Rover North America may have the answer in their TreK, but it’ll have to get tougher and become international before it can replace Camel trophy as the premier challenge for mind, body and vehicle. Andy Smith (andy@cameltrophy.org.uk)

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A Small Addition For More Space Where Its Needed Discovery driver; did you know that there is an important advantage to the manual version that an automatic doesn't have ? Look at the ashtray in the dashboard in front of you. Did you realise that it will fit on either side of the air and heating control panel ? If not, try it. Remove the blank for the missing buttons for the cruise control (which you don't have in a manual Discovery) by pulling it gently towards you. Then take out the tray where it usually fits and push it in the new space just like you would do in its original place. Look how fine it works. Now you know what will follow ! Buying a genuine ashtray in an aftersales market, like I did at Billings (costing £ 3) - this will start a new era of peace in the front seats of your car. No more fighting for the use of the "one and only". One little drawer for every seat is now required to be politically correct ☺ Take care and have fun everybody ! Holger (holger.gringmuth@berlin.de) The Discovery Timeline Most Discovery (indeed most Land Rover) owners can tell you that the vehicle was launched in 1989 but few can lay out the chronology of the changes that have happened in the intervening years. Let’s see if we can outline the major milestones in this remarkable vehicles history – 1989 Launched at the Geneva motor show. Available to the public with 2.5 ltr 200Tdi and 3.5ltr V8 carburettor

engines in 3 door format 1990 5 door format and 3.5ltr V8i engine introduced 1993 2.0ltr Mpi engine introduced (withdrawn in 1997) 1994 “Facelift” model launched with 2.5ltr 300Tdi diesel and 3.5ltr V8i petrol

engines 1998 Series II launched with 2.5ltr Td5 diesel and 3.9ltr V8i petrol engines There have been many more dates in the history of the Discovery with special editions, commercial vans and the like being introduced and hopefully we’ll have more detail on some of these in future issues. If there’s something you’d particularly like to see covered, or feel able to write about yourself then please feel free to do so. Steve Goodfellow (discoveryoc@imjin.demon.co.uk)

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Camel Trophy 1991, Tanzania to Burundi For 1991, Camel Trophy returned to the African continent for the first time since the 1983 event, and only for the second occasion in the event's twelve year history. Camel Trophy ~ Tanzania-Burundi '91 was significant not only because it crossed the

border between the two countries, but also for its record entry of seventeen nations with newcomers to the event, amongst them Poland. The route retraced the trail of the famous Scottish explorer David Livingstone, who led a successful quest to discover the source of the Nile in the l9th Century. The convoy route of 1,600km traversed some of the most dramatic and spectacular scenery, teeming with precious and endangered wildlife, as it made its way from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Bujumbura in

Burundi. With the belated advent of the rainy season, many of Tanzanian tracks, particularly those through the areas of "black cotton soils", became treacherous quagmires. Progress was slowed dramatically and the incessant whine of winch motors even drowned out the sounds of the African bush. At the end of this Camel Trophy, during which sleep was a particularly rare commodity, the Austrians won the "Special Task Award", while the Turkish team consisting of Menderes Utku and Bulent Ozler won the "Team Spirit Award" as well as the overall Camel Trophy.

H 807 LON was used by Team Holland Vehicle Modifications For use on the event the vehicle was modified in the following way: -

Front bumper mounted winch Extra recovery tow points Under-body protection plates Stiffer springs Second vehicle battery fitted under the bonnet Snorkel and high axle breathing pipes Full internal roll cage Heavy duty roof rack which bolts through the

roof to the roll cage Rally computer Recovery tools Hand tools strapped to the roof rack And other smaller modification

Andy Smith (andy@cameltrophy.org.uk)

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Rights Of Way In July of last year the Government issued a consultation paper entitled “Improving Rights Of Way in England and Wales”. This document detailed the Government’s proposals for the future of the nations’ rights of way network with the stated intention to “strengthen and develop the rights of way network to enable it to respond to the changing requirements of recreational use and the needs of land managers”. A lofty and complex set of aims; some might even say they are at odds with themselves. The consultation paper invited comments from individuals and organisations on twenty proposals highlighted for legislation, with the claimed intention to use the responses in deciding how to take the legislation forward. The DETR has published a summary analysis of the responses. There were a total of 1934 responses to the consultation document. The DETR have combined each response into twenty categories of respondent; including cyclists, horse riders, walkers and motor vehicle drivers. By far the largest category was defined as Recreational User – Motorised Vehicle, which accounted for 530 responses (or 27% of the total). The next largest group was horse riders (18%), followed by local authorities (12%) and walkers (11%). Of the twenty major proposals contained in the consultation document it was No. 2 – the reclassification of all RUPP’s as Bridleways – which was of most concern to off-road drivers. This proposal also elicited the most responses – some 1504 – with more than one third being from vehicle drivers. 77% of the responses to this proposal were against its proposition. 495 respondents provided alternative proposals of which 402 supported the idea of upgrading RUPP’s to BOAT’s instead. It will be interesting to see if the Government takes any notice of the weight of opposition against this proposal. Proposal No. 13 concerned giving local authorities the power to close rights of way in order to prevent persistent criminal activity. This proposal was seen by many as being potentially open to abuse with 67% of the 704 respondents firmly against. Rather surprisingly (I think) was the opposition to this proposal from walkers and local authorities themselves. Providing local authorities with the power to close specifically vehicular rights of way was also the subject of Proposal No. 16, and here we have a potential get-out clause for the government. Of the 588 respondents to this proposal some 49% were in agreement – the largest two dissenter categories being horse riders and vehicle drivers. A full copy of the report, entitled “Improving Rights Of Way In England And Wales – Summary Analysis Of Response To Consultation Paper March 2000” can be obtained free of charge by calling the DETR free literature department on 0870 1226 236. The front cover of the report is a montage of countryside users in picturesque settings; walkers, horse riders, cyclists ~ but not one motorised vehicle ~ and that despite providing more than one quarter of the responses! Make of that what you will. Steve Goodfellow (discoveryoc@imjin.demon.co.uk)

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Impressions Of The Pirelli Scorpion AT At long last the 100% road tyres that have adorned my Discovery since I purchased it in September 1998 have finally worn out. Whilst they (General Ameri550 AS) were excellent on the road they were “of dubious benefit” off it. Their demise was finally sealed during a trip to the South of France in November last when a combination of deep flood water (in and around Perpignan) and deep snow (in the Pyrennes) in just a few days showed their limitations to the full. So, with a spring in my step and my flexible friend in my wallet, I set out to find some nice new tyres. Initially I tried to locate some BF Goodrich All-Terrain TA KO ~ the new version they’ve been advertising since September 1999 ~ but no-one in the tyre trade had even heard of them. A couple of ‘phone calls to Goodrich’s importers revealed that they weren’t expecting to have any in the UK until February 2000. At every tyre emporium I visited they recommended something different ~ Goodyear Wranglers, Goodrich Track Edge and Mud Terrain being the most popular recommendations. Call me cynical if you like, but these also happen to be the most expensive tyres ~ coincidence? I think not! Fed up with listening to so-called experts tell me what I wanted for a vehicle which all of them admitted to never having driven, inspired me to use my favourite research tool to find the right tyre. Logging onto the Internet I found several hundred sites concerned with tyres for off-road vehicles and so began the lengthy process of downloading data sheets and price lists. Finally, I had my choice down to two major contenders ~ the existing BF Goodrich All-Terrain TA and Pirelli Scorpion AT ~ chosen to suite my needs for both on and off-road use. So began a marathon telephone session to find the best price and delivery resulting in my local Tyre-Mart (500m away from home) getting my business. £94 each, including fitting and balancing with next day delivery. Oh yes, they’d order five tyres for me and if I didn’t like the look of them then I didn’t have to have them either ~ now that’s what I call service ☺ Since having them fitted just before Christmas I have driven several thousands of miles on them. Most of this has been on the road, with a high proportion of non-motorway work and some off-roading ~ but nothing too strenuous. So far they have behaved impeccably, with excellent road manners in all conditions (dry, damp, wet, snow and ice), reduced road noise at motorway cruising speeds and with noticeably more traction and control off-road. One criticism I do have is that the side walls are a bit soft and running them at the recommended pressures gives indifferent handling. Increasing the pressures by about 5psi makes a huge difference. My first impressions of these tyres are excellent and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a good 50/50 combination tyre. Steve Goodfellow (discoveryoc@imjin.demon.co.uk)

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Improvised Engine Immobiliser During a recent discussion about car crime the subject of simple vehicle immobilisers was brought up and this might be of interest to some of us. No matter what security system you have fitted, the sound of a car alarm goes unheeded in most cases meaning that the thief can either steal items from inside the vehicle or the vehicle itself completely unhindered by the general public. Stopping someone from stealing items from inside the vehicle is best achieved by hiding valuables out of site, either in the boot or the glove box. Rather more difficult, however, to hide a vehicle the size of a Discovery so you have to think about ways to prevent the thief from making off with your pride and joy. Steering locks have limited effect and a professional thief will deal with one in seconds, likewise the (normally) yellow coloured devices designed to clamp to the steering wheel or gear/hand brake lever. For some vehicles there are devices which link all three pedals together making it impossible to drive the car away and these appear to be quite effective but I’ve not seen them advertised for the Discovery. Diesel engines with a fuel distribution pump, however, can be fitted with a simple, improvised, immobiliser which should defeat even the most experienced thief. Those of us with Tdi engines will, at some time or another, experience apparently inexplicable losses of power or the refusal of the engine to start. Talk to an experienced Land Rover mechanic and he will immediately point you to the fuel cut-off solenoid wire. This is a single white wire that connects to the solenoid via a spade connector which, over time, corrodes and wears until the connection is broken and the valve shuts. Sometimes this happens for just a few seconds before vibration re-connects the circuit but in really bad cases it can take many minutes to sort itself out. This simple circuit gives us an ideal place to insert an immobiliser. One suggestion, which has been implemented and proven to work, is to break into the wire going to the solenoid and feed it through a redundant switch on the dashboard (say an unused fog lamp switch) so that when the switch is in the (what would appear to be) off position the circuit is broken. A thief getting into the vehicle is then presented with a dash board on which all the switches are off but the engine won’t start. The thief is likely to start looking for hidden switches but is unlikely to start pressing dash board buttons for fear of attracting attention to himself. I’m sure a variation on this theme could be used for other diesel and petrol engines too. If anyone has ideas for immobilising petrol engined or Td5 Discovery’s then perhaps you’d get in contact and we can include another article in the next newsletter. Steve Goodfellow (discoveryoc@imjin.demon.co.uk)

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Membership Survey Results You will remember that when you received your membership application form there was a survey with it. Those of you who generously completed and returned it may be interested in the results ... so here they are. Our statistical genius took the various responses and multiplied them using a grading of 0 to 3, so 75 in the “Mad Keen” column for green laning trips means that 25 members ticked that column on the survey form. Simple ~ yes I know I am. Thanks go to Andy’s better half, Ros Palmer, for here time and effort in compiling the results.

ACTIVITY (0) TOTALLY IRRELAVENT

(1) TAKE IT OR LEAVE

IT

(2) YES PLEASE

(3) MAD KEEN

TOTAL SCORE

Discount schemes (parts/services/insurance) 1 66 78 145

Newsletter 2 80 54 136 Technical 'how to' articles/information 4 74 51 129

Green lane trips 14 28 75 117

Buying & selling opportunities 19 64 30 113

Mutual assistance (from tea & sympathy to tow off a motorway?)

9 76 27 112

Non damaging driving competitions 12 36 63 111 Organised off-road (pay & play) 13 40 57 110 Camping/caravanning weekends 14 48 39 101

Family Orientated activities 12 62 24 98 Special vehicles/more show than go! 33 30 12 75

Serious off-road activities 24 26 15 65 Club meetings local & at shows 18 9 27

Drinking/Eating/Dancing/Prize giving 8 6 14 Foreign Expeditions 8 3 11

Walking 9 9 Fun Days (clay pigeon/quads/trips) 6 6

Photography 4 4 Mountain Biking/Cycling 4 4

CB Channel 2 2 Dealer feedback 2 2

Golf 2 2 Email query 'ask all a ?' 2 2

Special tool hire scheme 2 2 Visiting places of interest 2 2

Factory visits 2 2 Land Rover Experience 2 2

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Anyway, being the supremely clever people that we are we’ve also converted the data into a chart, because I find that easier to understand.

Ros Palmer and Andy Smith (andy@cameltrophy.org.uk) Diary Of Events As you might expect this is a little bit light on events at the moment. If anyone has anything to add for later in the year then please let me know. TYRO Trial July 9th at Abbots Bromley (Staffs) Courtesy of the Staffs & Shrops Land Rover Club members are invited to attend and take part in a TYRO trial. For the uninitiated, a TYRO is intended for standard road vehicles and is, therefore, completely undamaging. This particular course has been set out by Allan Dawson (member #64) using his Discovery. Those wanting more details can contact Allan at Rover’s Land, Ladydale Close, Leek, Staffs, ST13 5SE. Land Rover International Show July 21st – 23rd at the Billing Aquadrome (Northants) We have a 30’ x 30’ pitch in the clubs area. Mike will be pitching his caravan and awning on the stand and we’ll have Andy’s CT Discovery on display too (maybe more if space permits). There will be a bar-b-que on Saturday evening so bring your barbie and bangers (partner’s, beer, dogs and children are optional). If you’re thinking of going give James Law (member #13) a call on 01788 810186.

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All Rover Weekend August 26th – 28th at The Town & Country Festival (Stoneleigh, Warwickshire) If anyone wants to come and visit us then feel free. It promises to be a fantastic weekend. Peak District Treasure Hunt 10th September. Meet up in the Tesco Superstore car park just off Jct. 29 of the M1. 30 – 40 miles of navigating and generally having a good time and finishing up at a public house. Bring the family and friends. Contact Ian Rice (member #15), the organiser, on 01909 721665 or email him at Iain_Rice@Lineone.Net to signal your intention to take part. There will be a small entrance fee of £5 per vehicle to cover the cost of prizes (unless anyone can manage to prise some out the hands of their local dealers). Suggestions for other events would be welcome. Club e-Groups List Andy Smith has set up an e-Groups list for club members. This is an Internet chat room area where members can ask questions, raise topics and generally communicate with each other. As this club has been established almost entirely over the Internet and so many members have email addresses the setting up of the chat room should prove to be one of our better ideas. If you want to be registered as a member of the chat room then please email Andy on andy@cameltrophy.org.uk and he’ll sort it out for you. Club Internet Web Site Andy Smith and Robin Davies (member #18) are working on our web site, which they hope to have operational shortly. The URL is http://www.discoveryownersclub.com and those of you with Internet access are asked to keep an eye on it and pass on suggestions, comments and details of any technical problems to them once it’s up and running. Membership List It has been suggested that we publish a list of members in each copy of the newsletter. The information included would be your name, town or city where you live, contact telephone number and whether you can provide assistance to other members (e.g. towing off local motorway, tea and sympathy, etc.). In addition to maybe providing a service to other members it would give everyone an idea of which other members live locally and might encourage local meetings or get togethers. An example of the information that would be included is:

Steve Goodfellow Bristol 0117 904 2526 breakdown assistance, tea & sympathy

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If you object to this information being given about yourself then please contact me before the end of September so that I can take your name off the list. If I don’t hear from you I’ll assume it’s okay to include you in the list. You can telephone, fax, write or email (see page 5 for contact details). The Next Issue of Discourse Okay, that’s all for number one ~ sure to become a collectors item and gain me fame and fortune. I don’t think! The next issue will be hitting your door mats at the end of September so the closing date for items to be included has to be Sunday 17th September. If you have something then please (pretty please) let me have it before then. Space Filler Sorry, but I just had to fill this space. Here’s a picture of my Discovery getting it’s wheels muddy on Salisbury Plain. Sorry about the quality of the picture, but it was

extracted from the middle of a 6x4 which had other vehicles in it. The Discovery below belongs to Alan Morris

(member #80) who came on one of the Salisbury Plain trips I organised for some Land Rover friends ~ sorry Alan I just couldn’t resist

this, and it is one of my favourite photo’s. Now there’s a good idea! Send me a photograph of your pride and joy (or your Discovery) and I’ll print them in the newsletter.