Michael MarukIt’s a Fall ritual, a weekend of camping and off roading on the farmland of Don and Mike Frye, Petersham, MA. This year, it featured an added delight.
While the event opens on a Friday night in September, most participants show up on Saturday, and that’s when the real excitement kicks in – watching convoys of Land Rovers descend into the lower level of the Frye’s Doe Valley Farm. The various Land Rovers, each with their own levels of patina and battle scars, become eye candy; the somewhat-cleaner Defenders and Discoverys feature distinctive builds, ranging from bone-stock to greatly kitted-out.
Vermont Rovers’ Dave Sweetapple had used his social media skills to promote the event. To honor Dave, Don Flye created memorial t-shirts for the event; in recognition of Dave’s passing, those t-shirts sold out quickly. After selecting mine, I wandered through the parts stashes for sale, as well as the 40 Land Rovers of different vintages and conditions. Then I stumbled upon one Land Rover that really called to me- a ’49 Series I 80”.
Ronny Diamonde, New York, NY, who works for the one of the city’s real estate corporations, said, “For me, finding this Land Rover was more interesting than selling a 20 million apartment in NYC. Over the years, I’ve sent out emails to individuals that had not advertised their Land Rover. I saw this Series I in the background of a photo, and the owner said, ‘It’s very original’ but also, ‘It’s not for sale.’ Two years went by and he’s running out of space in his shop. I told him I needed it to run and stop. Videos of it running made it sound amazing; after all, your ears don’t lie. I rented a U-Haul trailer, and brought the car from the docks in Newark, NJ, to a shop near Hudson, NY.”
“It came with a new hood and hood sticks but needed some metalwork, new wiring, a capstan winch (“my preference”), a fresh set of Avon tires, rebuilt the wheel cylinders and water pump, and a fresh set of seats.The shop did a brilliant job and it was ready the day before the All Metal Dash. My Land Rover mentor, Sean Shabob, told me that he would trailer his ’50 Series I if I would bring my ’49.”
Ronnie knows little of its 76-year history, tracing it back to Sweden for 40 years, and then in 2020, when a Belgian enthusiast purchased it. In 1949, the RHD Series vehicles wound up in the UK, British colonies in Africa and/or Commonwealth countries whose driving patterns mimicked the British. Quickly after its worldwide introduction at the 1949 Amsterdam Motor Show, The Rover Car Company realized that a LHD model would be critical for overseas sales. (Ironically, Sweden also maintained RHD and left-hand traffic until 1967, when it converted to the more common LHD and right-side traffic.)
Ronnie also pointed out to be that this Land Rover had a “fishplate” attachment point for the front bumper (a manufacturing decision that would change within the 1950 model year). It has the narrower leaf springs that would change to a wider leaf that improve stability under heavy loads. As an early Series I, it also featured a pull chain that served four-wheel drive functions similar to the more-familiar yellow knob lever in later Series I – III Land Rovers.
Once arriving Saturday morning, Diamonde and the Series I joined the congregation of Land Rovers in the lower field of the farm. Shortly after sharing stories and swapping parts, the gathering geared up to head out to the famous Red Apple Farm in nearby Phillipston, MA for a leisurely meal. I followed in my ’72 Series III with enthusiast Rob Wollschlager of CT Rovers. After 3 miles, Ronnie’s Series I started stumbling and he pulled over to the side of the road. Within moments, five enthusiasts gathered around the engine bay to offer a helping hand. The problem turned out to be a simple problem with the choke cable, and we continued to lunch without further incident.
One more problem arose after we returned to the Frye’s farm in the form of a charging system warning light. Once again, experienced enthusiasts diagnosed the issue [a cracked voltage regulator], sourced a replacement part and installed it.
With that final repair, Vermont Rovers members convinced Ronnie that he should take the Series I through the muddy, rocky off-road course on the property. “I had never driven this Series I in low range,” Ronnie said. “To my amazement, it reacted like a caged animal set free! It trudged through the course with ease exactly like the way it left the factory.” It was high-centered briefly on some tall rocks, but a careful yank from a Discovery I eased it back onto the trail.
Mike Kenney, Taunton, MA, served as chef for a dinner by the campfires and lanterns. The gathering exchanged stories of travel, repairs and life through their Land Rovers. Later into the night, Noel Bishop, Fletcher, VT, offered a toast to the late Dave Sweetapple, a tribute to his role as a Pied Piper of enthusiasts, bringing us together as enthusiasts and members of Vermont Rovers. It was a perfect way to cap off a weekend of camaraderie and sharing our passion for Land Rovers.