Yeehaw! Well, finally finished putting my home made, simple-is-as-simple-does metal plates on the underside of the Vit. It still requires a weld along one 'join' between 2 plates, but they are bolted together at the moment. It is the same thickness 4/5mm steel checker plater for all 3. Simon even kindly put graffiti on the end plate, which was nice of him! :-D
bumper fitted. Spacers came from Bits4Vits, and gave more like 2" than the 1.5" it was advertised as. Just have to get some brackets made up to add on the extra plating playing on the underside.
Bumper was made by a local welder type chappy
Transfer case bracket went on a treat. thanks RockWatt!
RockWatt from Difflock is going to make me a custom transfer case bracket. Looking forward to it as I have the later version which is too low in my opinion. With the new one fitted I'll be able to finish the underbody protection as it will move the lowest point up an inch and a half or so. :-D
His stuff looks good quality, so quite excited to get it done, and shipped to Bulgaria! This is the one he made for the SJ...
Well, I have already made by hillbilly underbody stuff for the front of the Vit, and have a big lump of metal waiting to make some to go over the transfer case box. I'll update when that is done. In the meantime, a Bits4Vits spacer kit is on the way to give a little 1.5 inch lift.
If that is not enough, then I can always add on the GV springs, Astra shocks, and the extended shock spacer for the front, so quite happy with this.
Si has ordered a bunch of stuff from an Italian firm who make underbody protection for the SJ, amongst others). MG-Gualmini will be supplying
Front, and rear diff guards
Transfer case skid plate
Fuel tank guard
Front steering guard
All for 500 euros, delivered. Not too shabby at all.
So, now that Simon's SJ had a new clutch, and both cars were shod in shiny new rubber, (Insa Turbo Sahara for me, and the cheaper, grrr, Malatesta Trac for the SJ. Same tread pattern though), we decided to head off to the mountains. I picked up my Vit from getting new discs and pads, and off we went.
We stayed, again, at Moto-Camp Idilevo, just as we did when we went to the Shipka Pass, and the Buzludzha monument. Very nice meal, and company. It's mostly a biker motel. We went for a play in the hills, and logging trails in the area for that day. Found some mud, and got a bit splattered. We also found that Tortoises can live in the muddy ruts left by logging trucks, etc, so we were a bit extra careful! I saw one emerging from a mud puddle after Simon had gone through. It wasn't hurt, but I kept my eye out after that.
The Tortoise. Crappy picture, as the bugger was powering through the bushes to escape!
So the next day, off we went going via Sevlievo. We got to a river that we had been through before, and decided to stop for a cooling dip. The water was bloody lovely, although I did get some shrimp-like things in my pants, (although I can't say whether they were already there!).
Took some video as well.
So, off we went to the mountains up by Apriltsi, and Oreshak.
Little video on one of the small tracks coming down from the top of the mountain.
Well, the Pinin has been relegated to school runs, and going to the shops. Instead, Si has managed to pick up a bloody nice SJ from Vratsa, (about 200 miles away), for just over 3000 Leva. Originally Italian, and kept seemingly by the same chap in Italy for nigh on a decade, it comes in very good condition. 1 new clutch, and all is well with the world.
When Simon bought a bit of underbody protection for about a hundred quid, I though we could do the same, but far cheaper, and rustier looking. I think we succeeded. It isn't pretty, it isn't painted, and it will feel very underdressed next to nice underbody stuff, but I'm confident it will stand up to the task. We have lifted the car using the protection, and it seemed pretty solid, as well as giving it a good few bashed running in some logged out land over some tree stumps.
In case you were wondering, the strap is holding that side of the bumper on after I had an argument with a small tree whilst reversing down a trail. The tree was victorious.
We plan on continuing our shoddy workmanship and buying some shiny new chequer plate, and covering the transfer case, etc, and as much as we can.
The plan we used, (accurately measured using the MKI Eyeball are as follows,
Still, it seemed to copy with being bashed, and smacked about on tree stumps, etc. Some pics from a little trip out near a lake.
So, Simon's bullbar and underbody protection came from Tesser 4x4, so on that went. Seemed good enough, although the bullbar required some drilling as the holes wouldn't line up, but it's all on there now, solid as a rock. The underbody protection is good. Went on easy, and had a good weight to it.
Summer is pretty much here, (by summer I mean not snowing, and no longer require multiple layers of clothing), so we went for a small jolly on the ridge above his village. We also tried out his new Go-pro Hero HD camera. The battery was used up pretty quick as someone who shall not be mentioned managed to leave it on so we only had a few bars of elastictrickery.
Well, the snow has been coming down the last few days, so we figured we'd best get out and attempt to give ourselves frostbite, and do a Fiennes with a rusty junior hacksaw at a later date. The temperature was -18 degrees celcithingies, so being stuck, and lingering about meant frozen nostrils, toes, and fingers pretty damned quick. It was 2-1 to Simon on this trip. I was towed out of trouble twice, and he just the once! Damnit!
Some of the snow was pretty deep. Haven't really got a pic of it, but the snow was ploughing over the top of the bumper.
Simon off for a reconnouter. Innocuous looking brown skid marks on the roads were not there before I drove over them. Much to'ing and fro'ing to get out. A large ice puddle lay ahead, so we went to see if the ice was thick, and how deep the water was underneath...
Simon is well house trained. Look, he even buried his squits in the forest!
Hard to see, but largish ice patch...
The moment the ice broke, and I got stuck!
Out in the meadows, heading for a frozen river.
The frozen river. From here to the far bank was pretty thick ice, but the water depth was only 6-8 inches underneath, so we had a little play. I ended up getting grounded on some ice! :-(
Little open patch of water.
Simon making his way up the little river. No bother.
Me, on the other had, managed to ground on a hunk of ice, and couldn't shift it.
Not a hope in hell of me putting my feet in that water to get the tow rope on.
A wee stream we went over a few days before, this time with a bunch of snow, and ice.
The backwoods trails were much more 'crunchy' than earlier visits. The mud oozed up by the 6x6 logging trucks froze, and was like concrete. Grounding, and scraping was common.
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