Burbling through the Winter

I know I call this blog "Living with Leyland", but arguably I shouldn't, because I'm not really using the Marina while I ponder its future - and my Rover was built in 1963, 4 years before Leyland subsumed the Rover Motor Co.

But why would I change the title now - when so many devotees of my blog have become comfortable with it?  (This is known as self-deprecating dead-pan humour, just in case the slightly derisory tone and raised eyebrow do not translate too well to text)

Well - I knew Rover started as a bicycle manufacturer in the late 1800's, but here's something I did not know, (courtesy of Wikepedia):

Starley's Rover (bicycle) is usually described by historians as the first recognisably modern bicycle. The words for "bicycle" in Polish (Rower) and Belarusian (Rovar, Ро́вар) are derived from the name of this company.

For no reason at all - that makes me feel obscurely proud.  Must be hard to market a luxury car in Poland that is called 'Bicycle' though.  Perhaps that is why the marque is effectively dormant now...

So anyway, as an avid reader of my blog since its inception, you will be aware that I bought the Rover in late February 2009 (6 months ago) with less than 45,000 mikes on the clock (44,667 to be precise).  I have driven over 5,000 miles in it since (8,000 km) and it has almost got to 50,000 miles.  Basically, this means it has probably traveled more miles in the last 6 months than it did in the previous 10 (possibly 20) years.

I have carried out a number of bits of 'renovation' work - and improvements to the state of engine tune (some conventional, others not) have meant that it now runs beautifully smoothly - and surprisingly economically for such a big, heavy car.  I had thought I was getting 23 mpg - but i think this might have been due to a calculation error.  Over the last 3 tanks, I have consistently managed 19.5 mpg (which is about 14.5 l/100km) on premium unleaded.

The old automatic gearbox (a Borg Warner DG) still leaks about a litre of fluid every 600 miles and the electrics remain a little eccentric - but on the whole ownership and driving has been rewarding and fun.

The diff ran more-or-less dry last weekend so had to crawl underneath to top it up.  I guess when I finally stump up the small fortune required to recondition the gearbox, I'll also get the diff seals redone.

It is a lovely, relaxing car to tour in, but the boot is 2/3 full of tools, cans of oil and other fluids, so there is not a lot of practical luggage space left.  Perhaps a boot rack would set it off nicely...?

Most weekends I try to get out into the Dandenong ranges with either of the kids or the whole family, if possible.  Tourist traffic and the winding, hilly roads tend to mean that the best speeds are between 30 and 55 mph (50 and 90 kph) - which is a great sweet spot for the particular transmission and engine combination of this model.

I think the age of the suspension and the fact that it runs on light truck radials (instead of the original crossplies) means that it rides a bit more harshly than it otherwise might - but still, it is a comfortable and solid car on the road.

It s also surprisingly practical to commute in - as long as the temperatures stay below 30'C.  My run to work is a 40-mile round trip in to the centre of the city in a range of road conditions - up to 70 mph (100kph-ish) if I take the tollway option - or suburban and urban stop-start if I don't.  Usually I choose the stop-start - so I'm pretty pleased with the 19.5 mpg.

I replaced the wipers this weekend - so now a bit more of the screen is smeared during rain.  Maybe there is an adjuster I can work on - it shouldn't be this bad!

I think before the summer gets here, I should probably replace the Marina with a car that has working airconditioning.

So - my 'new' car - has to keep me both looking and feeling cool through out the next few months.  It also really needed to be a Leyland - given that the Rover P5 was made a few years before Leyland subsumed Rover.  After all, I can't go renaming my blog just like that - what would all you avid readers do if I undertook such an impulsive rebranding exercise?

Finding anything with working airconditioning that fits my very modest budget, will certainly be a challenge.

Anyway - it's Sunday, so am off to Church.  More later.