{"id":64,"date":"2022-06-21T20:30:43","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T20:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.avscumbriametals.com\/?p=64"},"modified":"2022-07-14T16:24:44","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T16:24:44","slug":"avs-cumbria-metals-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.avscumbriametals.com\/index.php\/2022\/06\/21\/avs-cumbria-metals-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"AVS CUMBRIA METALS SPONSOR"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always liked rallying and have always driven Land Rovers, the two don\u2019t make the most obvious of bedfellows but I\u2019ve had some great fun over the years Historic Rallying a Series 3 and Targa Rallying the LRO Magazine Freelander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I\u2019ve always wanted to do a \u201cFull Fat\u201d Hill Rally. These are events that are very similar to your typical forest rally only tend to be longer and over much rougher terrain in parts.  There\u2019s not been one in the UK really for nearly 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then last year I\u2019d heard that the group \u201cThat\u2019s Motorsport\u201d  who used to run the British Cross Country Championship were going to revive The Welsh Hill Rally including rally stages that would go from off road, onto closed public tarmac roads and back off road again which is a UK first.  There was no way I\u2019d miss such an event!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided against using my ex Hillrally  88\u201d Series 3 as it really needed too much work and in what was possibly a little too much haste bought a well serviced but in need of work Freelander. It had been built for the Freelander Challenge which was an off road race and rally series meant to encourage lower costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In end I\u2019ve managed to buy and rebuild it for 5k, this includes new suspension (all of it) and some new parts in the transmission.  Trevor at AVS has been of great help and support  when things like the back diff turned out to be on it\u2019s last legs as well as the crucial spares such as driveshafts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In true \u201cclub level\u201d motorsport I\u2019ve been using it as a road car as well, both before and after the Hillrally as it\u2019s really good on fuel (40+mpg). Granted I\u2019ve had the odd strange look on the school run but it\u2019s fairly quiet, comfy and definitely quite safe!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Welsh Hill Rally was without doubt one of the best events I\u2019ve ever done.  500+km over 3 days with terrain ranging from 1st gear stuff where you\u2019re constantly on the sumpguard through fast and flowing forest stages which have been used by Rally GB.  I went with the aim of finishing so took the rougher sections a bit more cautiously and only pushed on the smoother stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a standard diesel Freelander it was never going to set the world alight but to get 36th from 59 crews including fastest of the 6 Freelanders and beating some of the 100k new Bowler Defenders will do.  What\u2019s really impressed me was how few issues we had and how strong the shell of those cars are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We damaged a couple of tyres which is to be expected including having to finish a stage with the front right on the rim but only other damage was a lost mudflap and slightly twisted trackrod from clipping a large treestump at speed! It also did the whole event on the equivalent of one tank of diesel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next up this year I\u2019ve a few events where I\u2019m on the organising\/ helping side and the Freelander certainly makes a handy vehicle for recce\u2019s and course car duties.  With plenty currently still on the road and also being scrapped the running costs are reasonable.  With the world as it is demonstrating you don\u2019t have to spend a fortune to compete, in this case at the top level of a UK motorsport discipline is no bad thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have to say a big thanks to Trevor and AVS alongside Land Rover Owner International Magazine for supporting me.  Hopefully there should be magazine feature in the issue out in August.<\/p>\n\r\n