Dead Landrover at Farm C, correct type, broken springs

New Front Springs for the Landrover

Needed a lie in today, so I crawled out of bed after Tom and Andy this morning. We processed the last of this weeks food box and found a broken jar of jam at the bottom. More mass to add to the rusl. It was an imperative job today to sort out the Landrover as we were only able to limp about on tarmaced roads, so we headed off back to  Akureyri in search of a garage. 

A dead Landrover Series IIa gets turned over for inspection at Farm D

We stopped at a garage on the way that looked promising, and they gave us a cup of coffee, but after 15 minutes chat they concluded they were not able to help us. We carried on to Akureyri and back to the garage with Landrovers outside that had been closed yesterday. They re-directed us to a supplier of genuine Landrover parts. A new Landrover spring was going to cost us 7540Kr (£75), and we conclude it is not worth buying a brand new spring for such an old crock. We left and headed back north in search of a farm with a dead Landrover outside.

Friendly Icelandic farmers at Farm D help us search for new front springs

Eventually we found a target farm and approached. First off we spoke to an old Icelandic chap, and since we don’t speak Icelandic, and he did not speak English, we had a spot of bother. Eventually a young lad arrived who told us where we might find a spring. We drove on and stopped at the next farm (farm B) as it had 2 dead landrovers outside, and pounced on the woman who had just driven up. We got to speak to her son who said those Landrovers were petrol, and we would be better off up the road where they had some dead diesel Landrovers. The farmer from farm C drove down the road, and told us we could go and see if his springs were any good. We turned up at Farm C to find a totally shagged out Landrover; no engine or gearbox. We set-to looking for the springs, but they were both broken. Farmer C arrived, and looked for some other springs he thought he might have, but no avail. He phoned up the next farm, (Farm D) and sent us up there.

Rob, proudly displaying his new front spring, salvaged from a wreck on an Icelandic Farm

Just as we arrived at Farm D, a vehicle pulled away, but we knocked on the door and the girl who answered already knew what we were going to say. The entire valley had been mobilised looking for old Landrover front springs for the lunatic Englishmen and their ancient vehicle. We got fed coffee and cheese before being taken off to look at the Landrover corpse which was some way off from the farm buildings. It had no engine, but had 2 front springs that looked in far better nic than our own. Farmer D pushed the Landrover onto its side with his front-loader tractor and left us to it. We had little trouble removing the old springs, and Farmer D told us to come back to the farm. He lifted the front of our Landrover up with his front loader and we set to work. Started about 7pm, and by 9:30pm had switched over the first spring. We were taken into Farm D for food (meat, of course) and Tom and Andy had to explain that they were both vegetarian, which judging by the reaction, is not a common diet in Iceland. All the conversation with the family was done with the assistance of a young woman, about our age. Farmer D was a bit frustrated at the speed of translation, but they were generally amused by our tales of kayaking. They did not quite believe we kayaked over Goðafoss, so we will have to send them a picture when we get home. Carried on working and got the second spring in place by 01:40am. Put the tent up in the back garden and crashed out, somewhat exhausted.

Fitting new front springs goes on late into the night at Farm D