I have my L322 back. I am soo happy. The garage tried to free up the brake caliper and it was working briefly, it got through its MOT, and was fine for a few miles then started binding again, been told to see how it goes for a few days, but I recon the best option is to just have a new caliper fitted. And the rear brake hoses won't make it through another MOT, so that is on the to get done professionally in the summer job list. Whoever fitted a sidelight bulb also managed to lose the white butterfly thing that helps secure the sidelight unit to the car, so ended up having to buy cable ties at the petrol station that I had stopped at on the way home to temporarily secure it. I was going to lavish some love and attention on both Range Rovers but the weather is set to be wet all day So maybe Monday.

I still need to get a replacement gearbox, but while it still drives, I will keep driving it.

It was very very dirty when I picked it up, bird poo has stained the windscreen, the wheels were almost black, bonnet was clearly brown and not blue and there was mould on the bumpers so while I was at the petrol station, decided to give it a damn good wash.

The weekend has been and gone, And neither Range Rover got used I went on a day trip out with my other half to the Isle of Sheppey to collect a spare set of alloys, 18" wheels with excellent tyres that are there as a spare set for either the L322 or the P38 in case my ex neighbour gets the urge to come back to our road and pop any tyres.
In addition to those wheels, I ended up buying another set, and after buying them, changed my mind about them as I know I won't end up with the money spare to grab a matching 4th or get 4 new tyres, as the wheels are bigger than the current 20" wheels already on my car so can't even just get the tyres swapped over. Impulse purchased So put the 22 Inch wheels up for sale for just under what I paid for them.
Sunday I was extremely unwell, but had to go out shopping, again not using either Range Rover, ended up in bed just after lunch, fully medicated up. Woke up too late in the day afterwards to be able to force myself out to the cars, so started preparing the new grill to be painted.

Tomorrow, I am planning on at least getting the bit I want to paint, coated in fresh primer, and hope to manage to finish the grill by Sunday, but a lot going on this coming week, again stuck in meetings at various locations, of which my Range Rover is going to be racking up a decent amount of miles and really will be put to the test.

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Since having the Range Rover back, the binding brake issue seems to have pretty much sorted itself out now, the garage advised they had sprayed the components with a fluid to free it up after they had trouble getting to the stage they had to pass the MOT. Monday just going on a 14 mile round trip, the brakes stunk on the drivers rear, the binding brakes smell, yesterday I went out further and the brakes were binding on and off and eventually seemed to not bind at all. Tomorrow I have a pretty huge journey to go in it, so 1, dreading the gearbox as it came up with overheating twice for the transmission, but I was stuck in heavy traffic, and this stupid driver in front of me on a steep hill, instead of crawling with the traffic up the hill, kept stopping, yanking her handbrake on, then going again. But tomorrow, the journey is mostly steady speeds so hoping no trans overheating message comes up.

On Monday, I also started work on the new grill that I bought. I wasn't happy with the colour of outer section being the standard grey, so on Monday, I managed to get it primed ready for the paint.

Although this looks like a step back, I have finally got round to sanding the final coat of paint down to smooth it off, just taking a break before I head out and wipe the sand and soapy water off with the paint prep wipes, then hopefully get to finally spray the 1st coat of lacquer on to it.

Despite time being against me, I have managed to get closer to the finish line with paint job on the front grill.
7th coat of paint on after I got impatient before and nearly ruined it all. I have ended up with some run marks, but the last bit wet sanding needed will resolve this, then I can move onto the lacquer. I might just manage to get the grill on my car this side of winter lol

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

All the coats of lacquer (3 thick coats), now done, so now got to wait for I reckon about a week to let the lacquer cure. Once it has cured, I will t-cut and polish the black area. Sadly and annoyingly there was already marks in the silver area which now stand out more for some reason since changing the outer area colour. I may touch it up in the future, but plan on further front end changes in the future.

Looks great👍

Thank you. Really annoyed though that I now have to sit in my lounge and see it for about a week while the lacquer cures knowing I can't fit it to my car yet. I am starting the rear light guards tomorrow.

Things didn't go to plan on Saturday, a business my other half and I were looking to take over, a car repair business with bodyshop, turned out to be a total lemon for a business, the value of the reputation of the business has gone down by 2 thirds in the last couple of years. It was a very high risk and according to an accountant, had virtually 0 chance of surviving more than 12 months with huge debts hanging over it. So ended up at the beach eating lunch from the local chippy, before heading home, it got jet washed on the way home but some how ended up dirtier than it went in the jet wash coming out. The water was manky. Once home, to destress, I decided to start on the rear light guards. I managed to get 1 sanded properly before the cold got to me and the nerve damage in my hands really started to cause me grief. But there is no more runs on the dodgy paint job, the bad orange peal is smooth, the surface has now also been cleaned with hot water to remove the dust, and later on after I have managed to get some sleep, I will be sanding the other light guard down and plan at the very least to get 3 or 4 coats of primer on and by the end of the day wet sanded. I have a heat gun so can speed up the process as bit. I now have most of the week free apart from a pre opp assessment and 1 day where I will be taking my other half to work and picking them up again as the Zafira is going in for new discs and pads on the front which are sat in my house waiting to be fitted.

I am hoping that by the end of Friday, the grill will be fully cured so I can t-cut it, polish it and hopefully fit it on Saturday if I have time. But plan on having the rear light guards fully painted by the end of Friday, then will leave them a week to naturally cure, then will apply the lacquer. Really starting to get the car repairing bug in me again. Must be the time of year lol

Sunday didn't go to plan, I ended up having a very bad night with my disabilities and pain which made me exhausted, I ended up finally getting to sleep at 6am, which meant instead of me getting mid morning'ish as originally planned, I slept until about 2.30pm. After lunch and a cup of tea, I went outside into the gorgeous sunny weather, and got on with the rear light guards, 1st problem I had was I ran out of the right sand paper , So had to use a finer grit sand paper to sand the old paint off which meant twice the effort which was a pain in the backside and slowed things down, I got 3 coats of primer on 1 light guard, while I was getting the other ready for being sprayed in primer, gained a few minor run marks which will easily be wet sanded out, and then came problem number 2, I got as far as being ready to spray primer on the other light guard and noticed the can felt really light So as I shook it again was hoping that I would have enough to do all the coats I needed, But no such luck, by miracle I managed to get 1 good coat on with lots of run marks, this was because I wasn't getting a consistent spray out of the can as it was just about to become empty. And I went to get another can of primer, and what did I not have, Primer, I had used it all on the grill and the other light guard , and most annoying was the fact that I found this out after the shop I use had long closed So tomorrow on my way to my pre operation assessment, Really hoping that I will be home before the day is up so I can continue. If not, I will get on with it Tuesday.

Just read this from start to finish - wow, just an amazing series of events

Have to say that you've had more bad luck than everyone I know added together......may be the underpinnings of a good soap?

Did they force you to move house?

Cant wait for the next episode

Things worked out right in the end AMTony. The truth finally came out, my home finally became a secure thing for me and in December, the neighbour was evicted. His stuff was finally removed in February and the whole neighbourhood literally cheered and took photo's of the removals vans taking his stuff. Everyone down here is talking properly to each other again, sharing the communal green area between our properties, even sun bathing at the fronts of our properties while talking to each other. Everyone is helping each other apart from 1 neighbour who was friends with the psycho, but she doesn't cause any trouble. The ex neighbour has tried to continue his harassment from a distance but failed, and things are quiet from him now, so I guess he has found another victim to prey on. Sadly though, my health has gotten worse and now my property isn't suitable for me anymore. But I am not in any rush to move. I absolutely LOVE it here. Very nervous about who may move in to the place next door to me next. But can't be worse the Kerr. There is even people on the main part of the estate that celebrated my next door neighbour leaving. My experience lead to me to starting an organisation which is about to get charity status, I started the organisation in December 2016. And things are really looking up, my other half and I are about to buy a couple of small businesses, I am continuing my studies in Law, I have finally been given a rough date for my life changing operation, so things I am now in a much better place emotionally, so all I can say, is what I went through over the last 2 years nearly ended me, but ultimately made me stronger and gave me a real drive for life.
Ironically I was out shopping a few weeks ago, and I came across my ex neighbour, he is now pretending he needs a wheelchair full time being pushed around and was even hunched over pretending to have the shakes. This is the start of his nasty behaviour, exactly how it started when I moved where I am now, so the people wherever he is living now are being made to think he is a severely physically disabled poor little irish man, but give it 4 months at the most, he will be running around, screaming I am not in the IRA in one breath, then I am in the IRA in another, threatening to cut peoples heads off for smiling or looking in the direction of another neighbour, cars will get damaged, he will break into there homes, fit cctv camera's up and listening devices as he did with my property, He actually installed a FALSE wall which concealed all his equipment until it was ripped down by the contractors who allowed me in to the property long after he left, I took photo's, and my worst fears were confirmed, there was not only cables for audio devices fed through to my chimney breast, but video device cables. My fireplace was removed a long time ago but the wires were dangling down to my vent. The damage to the chimney breast was so extensive from his holes and drilling the other side that the chimney itself had to be removed for safety reasons and the fire place was removed.

If anyone has watched the most recent series of Nightmare Neighbours, if you recall the one where the elderly lady and her disabled daughter got stabbed after being subjected to hundreds of false complaints and constant anti social behaviour, by a man with paranoid schizophrenia, the story was identical down to the last detail with my neighbour. Only difference was, he was petrified of my dogs, which the police stated, saved my life, as he had threatened to cut my head off with the sword he kept on his wall, and he made over 2000 false reports against me.

It is quite funny as well, as the man got his friend to tell some of the neighbours that he had gone back to Ireland, I wish he had, but now several of us have seen him while we have been out at different times lol.

But that chapter in my life appears to over now and hopefully is. I am still recovering emotionally, but getting there slowly. Hence finally getting back to working on my own cars again, because it is safe for me to do so. I am physically challenged with my disabilities, but that never used to stop me, what stopped me was being in fear of being killed or attacked.

Sorry for the essay. But apart from a few car drama's, there shouldn't be much drama in my life anymore, although there is something I dealing with to do with a case against the police which is a joint case with another organisation. And I have developed terrible tourette's syndrome when I see police cars or police officers where I just don't seem to be able to control what comes out of my mouth.

That story will be making the news at some point this year, just waiting for the so far 6 month investigation being done by the IPCC, and at least one police Inspector no longer in his position for what he has done, but I am not allowed to tell the story behind this series of events just yet, but know one thing, it ties in fully with what happened with my neighbour and involves 3 police stations of officers in one area. Once it has been dealt with and my compensation pay out terms have been agreed along with a public apology and certain officers out of work completely and charged with criminal charges, then I will reveal all. Moral of the story is, don't mess with someone who has a higher IQ than Albert Einstein, who knows the laws in depth and is in the right and is on the Autistic Spectrum. (I have Asperger's).

Anyway totally off topic.

Tomorrow is supposed to be wet, so that means my day off will be spent vegetating in front of the TV watching films.
Wednesday I will most likely carry on with the light guards. Friday the grill should be ready hopefully to t-cut, polish and fit as the smell is very very faint now. Hoping it isn't that I am just used to it. But the lacquer is nearly cured and I managed to get 0 orange peal effect as well, well chuffed with that. Still annoys me being able to see all the parts including my spoiler knowing I can't fit them yet.

Edited, as I hit submit too many times as the site seemed to be not working briefly lol, which meant 3 identical replies lol.

Last edited by green-oval-nut on 4th Apr 2017 12:56am. Edited 1 time in total

Really pleased with myself, managed to get 4 coats of gloss black paint onto the rear light guards. Depressing knowing that 1. The day is over, 2. I now have to play the waiting game for the paint to cure. I might cheat and use my heat gun tomorrow late afternoon, and really hoping that Friday I will be able to wet sand the paint to smooth it out, and really hoping that by the end of Friday that I will have 3 or 4 coats of lacquer on them. I have used 2 and a half cans of Hycote gloss black paint on the light guards alone. I really can't wait until the day I can fit them to the car.

After a busy day, I spend the late afternoon into evening doing small jobs to the Range Rovers. Before the grill went on, I was starting to have doubts about how it would look to me and if I would like it, but now it is on, I couldn't be happier with the result.

Before: