One day
good. One day bad. The best truck in the world that dances over sand dunes and
makes old men smile in the street as it passes with its V8 purring like a
Siberian tiger slurping Cornish cream. The worst pile of malfunctioning
anachronistic mechanical engineering since the invention of the internal
combustion engine. Like some four wheeled incarnation of Jekyll and Hyde that
glugs down petrol rather than potion but still manages to flip-flop
personalities with alarming and heartbreaking regularity. Introducing, in case
you hadn’t guessed, the simultaneous metallic mistress of my love and
haemorrhoid on my soul, ODO999Y.
Steering column bearing, steering box bearings,
thermostat, water pump, radiator, rear prop shaft, front prop shaft, timing,
starter motor: I’ve repaired, adjusted or replaced them all and we’ve only done
6000 kilometers. For more than half of that distance the temperature gauge has
been hovering around the red zone resisting all attempts to tease it back down
to seriously hot and away from just-about-to
cook-the-engine-and-blow-a-head-gasket super-heated-steam hot. I’ve spent more
time staring at the needle on the water temperature gauge that I have at the
scenery.
With only seven days to travel 1800 kilometers, we
were pushing our luck. It really wasn’t too much of a surprise when 200
kilometers in it finally broke down and refused to move. My limited mechanical
expertise was exhausted, even under the telephonic tutelage of guru Martin
Howdle, I couldn’t sort this one out.
Once again the generosity of people I had never met
before this trip was extended in spades and without hesitation or request. This
time, it was the suave, nonchalant, Mohammed Sharsher. A former student of Rosie's, whose
excellent command of the English language is at least in part due to her
teaching skills, Mohammed stepped straight into the role of guide, guardian,
translator, facilitator and general top geezer when he met us at the border.
Having an off-duty Lieutenant Colonel in the Libyan police grease the wheels of
immigration and customs formalities is to be recommended. On the outskirts of
Tripoli, the truck finally crawled to a halt, but within minutes I was being
towed behind a HGV to the secure compound of a near-completed mansion house.
Both the tug and the private park-up were courtesy of contacts of Mohammed. If
they ever make a Libyan version of “The Professionals”, Mr Sharsher would make
a perfect Bodie, at least if he cut down on the smokes and hit the gym from
time to time. Next day, another call, this time to Suleiman: another major
dude. He poked around the engine, diagnosed what I’d suspected but was unable
to solve and he promptly tweaked the carbs until they would at least function
enough to get us the twenty Ks to Land Rover Libya.
Like an oasis
in a desert (and we know for real how welcome they are) there is a compound in
the suburbs of Tripoli that is Land Rover’s Libyan Liaison base. In a huge
hanger, surrounded by a fleet of immaculately reconditioned Libyan army Series
III 109s, ODO999Y became the centre of attention. Seasoned mechanic Vir took on
the job and at various times, several ex-pat Land Rover experts have also had
their hands on her in snatched hours between their daily commitments. None could donate all their working
hours, but all have tinkered with relish. Jeff Hobson and Richard Hobson of
Hobson Industries fame, Bill Wickman and Lloyd Field: it would be hard to find
a greater concentration of British Land Rover V8 experience and knowledge
anywhere outside of the Midlands.
If they can’t sort her out then maybe this
101 would have been better left un-bought. Still, if we were driving anything
other than a 101 would these expert mechanics really have been so interested in
fixing it? Jekyll and Hyde.
A
heartfelt thanks to John “MisterJohn” Richardson and Paul Richardson of 1st
Engineering and the Land Rover Libyan Liaison Office for workshop time when we
needed it most. Also for their warm hospitality and the employee accommodation they
donated to us while the truck was in their care.
Route, photos and more at www.thelongandwinding.co.uk
