Hot new rubber.

Remember my Jeep? Not mentioned the old girl for a while, but it’s still here, ready for combat at the drop of a flag. I’ve finally dug deep and bought a new set of tyres. The ex (very ex) Range Rover 205-16’s wobbled their last wobble a week ago to be replaced by Michelin ZXL’s. Pals dave and Roger Tilton helped out on Bank Holiday Monday and we wrestled with black rubber all afternoon. A test run at about 5.00 confirmed they were a delight and no trace of wheel wobble. When we removed one of the old tyres it transpired I had trapped a section of inner tube between the halves of the rim. So, no wonder they could not be balanced. My fault and not repeated this time. Split rims are a learning curve. Not sure about them yet, but they are fine right now.

A colourful career in show business.

After buying a set of second hand tyres for my Land Rover some years ago, with disastrous consequences, I swore I’d never buy second hand tyres again. These are they! Ten quid from ‘Wet Paint’ Tony, they will replace the oversize tyres currently fitted to the Jeep. I was over in the land where time stands still (Swadlincote) last week removing these tyres form some Land Rover rims and chatting to Tony and a pal of his, Mick, who owns three tanks. Clank, clank, I’m a tank. They were discussing a Range Rover project Tony is working on for Mick and the fitting of a winch. The conversation went like this:
Tony: ‘You still got that winch?’
Mick: ‘No I lent it to Dave.... you know? Dave who’s in the porno films’
Tony: ‘Oh. Can’t you get it back off him?’
Mick: ‘No. He says it’s on his motor now and he can’t be arsed to remove it and I owed him one anyway.’
Tony: ‘Uh’
Mick: ‘ His missus is pregnant again. It’ll be the fifth.... Bit of a cock up at work’

All fall about laughing.

It was the delivery of the porno film line that amazed me. It was as if discussing someone who was an electrician, or worked in the green grocers. Dave, whoever he is, was in porno films! The tyres seem okay. I’ll fit them tomorrow.