1991 Umm, 'Alter'native 4x4. trim removal

A few farmers around here still use them....you can get quite a few dead sheep in the back.....apparently!!! There was a garage locally that advertised they were experts on the type!!

I saw the pickup - it's the lwb 121 inch version. Mine is 100 inches. Didn't like the body on it though - the front wing is rusted through - and he ignored my email about it when I asked about it.

The expert garage was Country Vehicles - in Devon - who sold all their spares to Portugal last year.

I think I'm looking at keeping it ratty. Wheels are an odd fitment - but Suzuki SJ and Jimny /Vitara 15 and 16in wheels fit so am on the lookout for some alloys. Once it arrives, it'll get a good clean - has plenty of dog (or maybe Beast of Bodmin) hairs in the interior. Does have the extra luxury kit of carpets and headlining, as well as foglights (missing) and soundproofing.

On the lookout for a rooftent to start with for the outside and will hunt the Bay for a decent camper interior to cannibalise.

I've spoken to Brian there by email - he's very useful.
There's a couple of parts dealers in Portugal and, of course, a UK owner's club with about 50 members.

checked and it's 5×139.7 so Vitara and Grand Vitara Mk1.

Some Renaults have this pcd too.

Your lucky that the rear tyre is only flat at the bottom hey....

UMM is an older car manufacturer, they have always made ugly but to me highly desirable vehicles.
I love them but you can't say that they are a good looking vehicle.

Good luck with it mate!!

This buying a vehicle sight unseen, knowing it's been off the road for a wee while!!? Is it a good idea or a bad one?

Well, I kind of thought what's the worst that can happen - I buy a rusty old heap with a shed load of problems.

So, I now have umm, well, an UMM on the driveway.

Brian had called me from Gloucester saying he was twenty five minutes or so away and that the UMM had no steering - OMG I thought!!! What HAVE I DONE!!!!!!!!

Well, she arrived safely, and there is down and dirty Iveco action!

yes, I have safely only shown the rear end of an Iveco. No full frontal views!


[img src="farm9.staticflickr.com/8575/16853807312_d91a86822d_z.jpg" src="IMG_1108 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr" alt=" "]

it was a neat job of reversing in.

16667544970_af23524db5_z.jpgIMG_1113 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

16647621177_06dc57d25d_z.jpgIMG_1114 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

Once in, it was dropped off the trailer - remember, no brakes, and no steering!!!

No steering, you say, I wonder why that is?

16647435697_65b9723528_z.jpgIMG_1143 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

I wonder, is there something missing there? You bet, there is.

So, I had a friend on hand, he'd brought his trolley jack so we had a pair, but I had a farm jack from my time with land Rovers and we jacked up the UMM and turned the wheels by hand then wheeled it over roughly into position and then we stuck the farm jack under the bumper at the front and knocked it over so it moved about eight inches at a time. Five or six goes at this and a few at the back had it in its new home.

Bricked up the rear wheel and opened the bonnet.

16232378544_3a2ba92c88_z.jpgIMG_1142 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

16647595767_39b7dd67a9_z.jpgIMG_1119 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

shoved a crappy battery in with about 11 volts

16853705872_987e40296a_z.jpgIMG_1128 by messerschmitt owner, on Flickr

jumped it to the Merc and had it turning over on the ignition - but no joy on starting. I think we need a proper battery bolted in place but more later ...

I was told the tyres weren't great but they're actually quite good - lots of tread, no cracking and on 16s. That means I can run Landie tyres ...

I remember these coming into the UK in about 1990... I was selling Range Rover's for the Belfast Land Rover dealer at the time. Ugly beasties, but very capable off road.