Hey friends!

I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to get in touch with you. I'm not sure if you remember, but we took off for Colorado on May 20th.

We made it on the 22nd, and things are great. Settled into a nice place just north of down-town. We bought a couple of bikes, and I've only put 2 tanks of gas through BOTH Rovers in the last 1.3 months. We either ride bikes or walk into town, and the only trips I've made out have been to the airport for business flights.

USCCA is growing strong, and business is therefore good. All the petty little issues I had with the Rovers that were on the list of fixes (door actuators, for example) have been long forgotten since pulling one out of the driveway is a rarity.

I've been enjoying friends, books, writing, business, and my wife, and I'm loving how plentiful Discos and Series Rovers are out here. There is even a mechanic that ONLY works on Rovers- and he has a bigger shop than Berger Chevrolet back where I'm from (the biggest dealer).

I would trade my Disco for my neighbors Series II in a heartbeat, but he won't come off it. He's a lawyer and he did all the restoration himself. And now he's promised it to his young son.

I am wishing I could have brought my motorcycle from Michigan- tons of those, and there are no helmet laws. A cycle that sold for $600 (Yamaha Maxima) is $2,000 out here. Every day is nice weather here, it's very strange when compared to Michigan.

Well guys, good luck with the on-going Rover stuff.

Your friend,

Pat

 

Glad you finally made it out to CO. You're absolutely right about the number of Rovers there. I think I was told CO has more Rovers than anywhere in the world except England.

 

I was just thinking of calling you today Pat.
How did the roof rack work out for you?

 

2004 White Disco II w/ 62k miles - $9.7k in repairs and running great ;-)
(Head Gaskets, Engine Block, 8 (eight) thermostats, water pump, fan, fan clutch, battery, 3 (three) coolant flushes, two head-millings).


Thats my truck...they must be twins....

 

Sorry for the delay- Hello, Spike!

The roof-rack worked great. It looks very cool, though my Rover blends in perfectly with the thousand other Discos out here. I've even seen a white '04 with the exact same set-up as mine (roof rack, ladder, no lights on top).

A couple weeks ago, a guy got my attention at a stop-light and asked how much I'd sell the roof-rack for. I told him "it's not for sale, but to keep looking- I got this one for $500." His jaw dropped.

Much more common are stock Discos, but I've seen several very tricked out, and there are two G4 editions that are pretty regular around town. One has a ridiculous lift, and I'm sorry the owner perverted the rare truck that way.

I drive the Rover because it's perfect, and I love it- not because I want to stand out in a crowd... but I DO miss having the only type of vehicle in my area. In that sense, I'd really like a Mercedes G-Class, because I've only seen two of those even out here, and I'm pretty sure they were the same one. I'd never seen on in Michigan.

I'm not sure how capable they are- and since even a 2008 with 30k miles is over $40k, I doubt too many people have put them to the test. I love the thoughts of having 150 more horsepower in a lighter, smaller SUV though. Plus, for crying out loud, it's a German automobile from a reputable company.

Anyway, that's it from me. How have you been, Phil?

Pat