After many years of wasting money on cars, the latest being my mk2 octy vrs ive finally given up with them. The Octavia is now back to standard and I've started to show more interest in the family's hobbies. Mainly horse's!

I'm the one that has to tow the horsebox so it's been put on me I think

Anyway.

We needed something to go up to the stables and tackle the farm tracks as the octy was far to low for all that so we started looking, I wanted a td5 discovery but swmbo put her foot down and wanted a swb as she was supposedly going to be using it everyday. Looked at shogun/pajeros but nothing quite fitted.

Stumbled on this by accident and tbh I wasn't struck at 1st. Went to test it and bought it straight home

The dog likes it

It's more than upto the job.

It's not bad in the mud either

I'm surprised at how much fun it is to drive and how much I enjoy driving it. So much so that I drive it all the time now and swmbo uses the Octavia.

I do plan on blacking all the chrome bits and maybe painting the bonnet (it's carbon wrapped at the min?!) when I replace the wings as there starting to go.

I have started to address some issues, the steering wheel is worn so my OMP will be going on when the boss arrives,

The stereo system is all on its way to accompany the alpine headunit

This consists of:

2x 8" Jbl subs in a custom box so I don't lose too much boot space

Alpine mono amp to power the subs

Jbl 6.5" component speakers up front

Jbl 5.25" components in the rear

Other than that the only things I've done are swap the silly little aerial for a standard one

Put diesel in and have a laugh in it.

Much more fun than the vrs

1st speaker delivery has arrived

Wow... 2.7 litre and only 98 bhp!?

 

0-60 in 19 seconds doesn't sound fun to me.

 

Looks tidy though.

 

I imagine it's fairly thirsty too?

 

Phil

Edited 30 October, 201411 yr by Phil-E

123bhp, more with a performance chip

Mpg is a bit better than the vrs and its a lot more fun, it'll go anywhere and you've no worries about car park/shopping dings, getting it dirty or panicking where you've parked it.

It tows the horsebox which the vrs couldn't and it doesn't get stuck in fields like the vrs would've done

That's all the stereo stuff arrived

Not bad for 8's.

Couldn't do this in the vrs!.....

Spent the day marking out the horse route for Sunday's sport endurance

Ive never really been a fan of offroads but since getting my XC90 it is quiet good fun getting it muddy and its not even a proper 4wd,

 

Oh and i also find it useful for towing my trailer aswell

 

Progress on the box

Box Is near completion now and tuned to 34hz, hopefully be in this weekend as well as the speaker builds.

Progress!

Just the rear components to fit next weekend but the rest is in.

2 jbl 8" gto804's running 2ohm powered by an alpine amp, In a port tuned box 36hz

Cover that slots tightly over the box so I can still use the boot for horse tackle.

6.5" components up front

Sounds extremely well and the 8's surprised both me and the installer.

Ah, memories!  I had one of her cousins-under-the-skin - a Nissan Terrano, also a 'P' reg, bought as a three-year-old in 2001.  With a 'proper' transfer box for low range, those lanes you show would be a doddle for the Mustang.  Not everyone liked the rather tall appearance, slightly narrower than the comparable contemporary LR models, Shoguns, Troopers and so on - good for our local roads, though.  Lovely wagon, and we only parted when something obscure in the CPU began failing intermittently and prevented her from starting.  Those were the days before full diagnostics, of course. 

 

Enjoy! 

It turns out they have rather a decent following....who'd have thought it.

Some pretty trick ones about tbh, this Won't be going to mad. It's a workhorse after all, if I'm honest they'd not even crossed my mind when I started looking for a truck to toe with. More swb pajero's and the like.

It's not at all bad either, needs 2 front wings but at nearly £200 a piece new if you can find them I'll be hanging on for some good 2nd hand ones.

The lsd makes it fun in 2wd and it seems pretty capable in 4wd aswell. It faired better than the tdv8 Range Rover I was in the other day

All done and sounding good.

Not updated for a bit.

Due to crap wiring on the boss the horn has never worked so the next best thing, dash mounted horn button

Went laning and broke/bent a few bits

A bar bent so removed. Exhaust snapped at the middle box box which gives me an excuse to fit a straight thru side exit.

Finally sorted the dodgy towbar wiring, ordered a 2" lift kit for it and now on the lookout for bigger tyres.

Had awesome fun in the snow, rwd + lsd = a lot of fun

Stereo's starting to sound much better now the speakers and subs are bedding in but I have an urge for more bass so the system is likely to be upgraded at some point.

The A pillars are receiving some work to mount the tweeters in pods on them to tidy it all up a bit more.

Fixed the snapped exhaust. Made up and fitted a straight thru centre section today

2" lift has turned up

If you are going to off-road it I suggest that putting all those electrics at floor level is not a good idea. The first time you wade it they get fried.

 

And make sure you have some protection for the front steering arms; they are easily bent.

No one does any bash plates for them unfortunately but it's something I'll be looking into.

2" lift and rock sliders will be fitted at the end of the month along with diff service, new track rods, steering arm and steering idler.

A pillars have been dropped off at the installers for double tweeter pods. Another set of 6.5" speakers will be going in door builds with the set already fitted and a little amp to power them.

Hopefully be ready for a few rounds of proper droppers spl comps this year.

No one does any bash plates for them unfortunately but it's something I'll be looking into.

2" lift and rock sliders will be fitted at the end of the month along with diff service, new track rods, steering arm and steering idler.

A pillars have been dropped off at the installers for double tweeter pods. Another set of 6.5" speakers will be going in door builds with the set already fitted and a little amp to power them.

Hopefully be ready for a few rounds of proper droppers spl comps this year.

Shouldn't be too hard to manufacturer with a sheet bender and a welder

Not much to bolt to under these compared to a disco. The chap that made the spring spacers is looking into it tho

Not going to mad with it as I'm more focused on the bass comps this year

Swapped the dash bulbs for leds as some didn't work, turns out some of the holders are rusty so until I can get time to fit some more only so many leds are working.

Painted the horrid chrome grille, rain stopped play before I could do the mirrors.