Paul LeClair newest project July 2023

progress report on 2012 Range Rover Sport Supercharged and on 79 Lincoln Mark V.

Range Rover is done and runs beautifully. Seling off parts from the 2013 parts donor, will likely leave the 2013 parts vehicle in driveway another couple of weeks max, then whatever has not sold will be hauled off to scrap. Never say never I guess, but my current thinking is that the 5.0 liter supercharged engine swap between the 2013 and the 2012 may be my last big project like that at least in my current working environment with a garage too small for a lift.

the 79 Lincoln MArk v is approaching mechanical refurbishment completion. I picked up the rebuilt "Hydroboost" power brake booster today on my way home from work, the new brake master cylinder has arrived, and the new power steering pump has arrived. Surprisingly finicky removal of the Hydroboost and power steering bits, a lot from inside the car oddly enough, dash had to come out again, putting the new stuff in may be a bit of a challenge working in a confined space. This weekends project, but I can see the home stretch now unless something else important breaks or starts leaking.......

on the Lincoln, the only original bit missing when I got it was the original 8 track radio unit. I have been trying to find a used stock one without luck so far. I may break down and put a modern head unit in, with an amp and some decent speakers, slippery slope from a modern thumping stereo then on to air bags, huge wheels.........:ROFLMAO::rolleyes::cool:

in Laverda news, all three triples are running really well, but fall is fast arriving here, days are getting shorter, cooler in the mornings and evenings, leaves on the trees are starting to turn, going to get the RGS out for a long ride Sunday
 
will post photos of the Lincoln once it is "finished" as much as any of these projects ever get. At the moment the dash etc are still out, installing the rebuilt 'Hydroboost", new power steering pump, and new brake master cylinder, is taking a while.....

I am presently stripping all the remaining bits of value off the overheated Range Rover motor, things like the 8 coils, the supercharger, bunch of stuff, before it goes off for scrap. Present going rate locally is apparently 13 cents a pound, barely worth the gas to tow it to scrap on the trailer. On the donor 2013 that I took the good engine out of, I have the seats removed from the interior, presently stripping door panels, Harmon Kardon speaker system, the fridge from between the seats, and so on, and still have some major mechanical bits to remove, picking away at it as time permits, but I would like it out of my driveway sooner rather than later, as I am sure many of my neighbours would as well...... :ROFLMAO: :eek:
 
To hell with the neighbors...Leave it in the driveway and the snow will soon cover it. After the spring melt it will be reborn and you can rekindle the fond memories.
 
henrywillms said:
To hell with the neighbors...Leave it in the driveway and the snow will soon cover it. After the spring melt it will be reborn and you can rekindle the fond memories.
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Hi Henry

while I agree "to hell with the neighbours...." sadly i am short on parking and storage space and I want that driveway parking spot back sooner rather than later. That is where the Lincoln is going to be parked...... unless I can talk my spouse's elderly step mother into letting me park the Lincoln at her place, beside my boat already parked there :ROFLMAO: :rolleyes:

I have found a You Tube channel of a used parts seller stripping a 2013 Range Rover Sport to the bare bones, I have spent an hour or so watching all the interior dis assembly videos, lots of high value parts to be removed before i have the shell towed off. Amazing really how the interior is put together, very few screws/bolts, mostly interlocking clips but you need to know where the bloody things are and where to pry and pull
 
the Lincoln is finished and in semi regular use. A very different driving experience. Best floating down the open road. Bit of a challenge to park or negotiate tight spaces...... 🤣

in other news, my spouse Diane whom some of you know, has not been riding motorcycles since 2019. She crashed heavily on a Kawasaki 250 Ninja on a mountain road outside of Nakusp, British Columbia in 2012. We had then bought her a then new 2013 Moto Guzzi V7 Special, which she used sporadically until sold in 2019 and not replaced. She has been keen to ride again, but seems to have never really gotten over her earlier crash.

New riding solution. She just bought a three wheel 2024 Can-Am Spyder F3 RT in pearl white. https://can-am.brp.com/on-road/ca/en/models.html

Was supposed to take delivery this past weekend. We both test rode it. It needed a bit of fettling, and adjustments to better fit her. New handle bars and a brake pedal relocation kit on order, should take delivery in the next week or two. Delay not a big deal, is supposed to snow heavily here for the next few days anyways.

I am currently still fettling my new to me 2022 Kawasaki H2 SXSE still with only 162 original kms. Parts are still trickling in.

My current challenge is going to be where to park Diane's new Can-Am, the garage is already bursting at the seams, but not a bad issue to face...;)
 

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My neighbor has one and I have ridden it a number of times. I did not like it at all. It feels like a very poor quality cheaply made car. The fact it does not lean over in a turn also ruins the riding experience for me. Although it has decent HP, as it weight almost 1000 lbs it feels slow. And fuel mileage is not good, 30 MPG is about average.

But............. they love it and ride it all the time!
 
Yes, I’ve heard their evil and try to kill you at every turn!
Narrow front wheelbase not suited to roadways that everyday traffic travels.
If it gets you out n bout with some air trough the gills…….. go for it!
To each there own.
 
A couple of blokes I know own them, one is a bloody menace. I should have known better as he was on a bike as well. Couldnt help himself starting at the rear and pulling some bonehead moves passing other bike riders on the ride I went on. Apparently, they can be hustled along but never again near me. Guess why his Nickname is Adolf, he loved to take up others' space on the road. The other bloke looked to be having a great time.
 
hooksey said:
Yes, I’ve heard their evil and try to kill you at every turn!
Narrow front wheelbase not suited to roadways that everyday traffic travels.
If it gets you out n bout with some air trough the gills…….. go for it!
To each their own.
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I picked up a bike from a CanAm dealer.

Out the back there was one that had been crashed. While I don’t know what happened, it was in three large pieces
 
A friend of mine used to be a Can-Am dealer 10 yrs ago. I’ve got alot of seat time on them. They are of course NOT a motorcycle, ESPECIALLY in rider input. I consider them to be closer in rider input to a snowmobile. They turn ‘tiller style’. The input needed to change direction in twisty bits , actually you need a set of arms, it can be a bit of a workout. Straight line and soft arcing turns it’s ok. Stability wise, Can-Am has a full electronic ‘nanny’ system as far as braking, anti tip over from aggressive turns, etc, and it is by far the most stable and safe of the other 2 styles of 3 wheeled leisure vehicles ( bike sidecar, and single front wheeled 3 wheeled motorbike , like the Harley.
 
You can't lane split with them so not a commuter option. My Miata (now sold) was faster around corners and stopped quicker I know because one of the Doc's I worked with had one and we traversed some mountain roads together. A better option to the 3 wheelers is a LS V8 Mazda conversion, sounds right up your alley Paul
 
Steve G. said:
A friend of mine used to be a Can-Am dealer 10 yrs ago. I’ve got alot of seat time on them. They are of course NOT a motorcycle, ESPECIALLY in rider input. I consider them to be closer in rider input to a snowmobile. They turn ‘tiller style’. The input needed to change direction in twisty bits , actually you need a set of arms, it can be a bit of a workout. Straight line and soft arcing turns it’s ok. Stability wise, Can-Am has a full electronic ‘nanny’ system as far as braking, anti tip over from aggressive turns, etc, and it is by far the most stable and safe of the other 2 styles of 3 wheeled leisure vehicles ( bike sidecar, and single front wheeled 3 wheeled motorbike , like the Harley.
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My mate was pretty much folded in half when a van dropped a u-turn in front of him on his triumph oiler. He’s lucky to walk with sticks now, his pelvis X-ray looked like a handful of gravel. Two wheels are out of the question, but man, he gives his canam shit, nothing like when he was riding carefully on his beloved t-bird 🤣
 
The current generation Spyders handle quite well as compared to the older models. Even on rough roads they hold their line and handle potholes etc without any drama. A good choice for those who still want to get out on the road in the fresh air, but can no longer deal with two wheels.
 
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