Author: Craig McKeown

Tinkers with old MX5s, takes his Jimny mountain climbing and is a proud owner of an Austin Metro.

I’ve had my own Jimny for coming on to 6 years now. I love it. It’s simple, rugged, reliable and fun. There’s really nothing on the slow side of 60mph to dislike about it. Even round the town it jostles through the streets of Belfast as keen as any city car and throw it at an offroad center and it’s sure to draw a cheer or two as it cuts through areas no-one would expect it to (usually on the rev limiter). Even after 6 years it goes over obstacles that I really don’t expect it to. As my ability…

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Another RMS offroad outing was arranged for the 9th of April, and whilst half the country seemed to be headed to a certain VW-based show just down the road, a group of us opted for our favourite location for a bit of mud filled action, North East Adventures (formerly Flagstaff). NE Adventures operate a pay and play type system, which is just as it’s described; pay your vehicle in, the gate is opened, and away you go. Terrain ranges from what could be best described as green-lanes right up to diff busting drop offs, ruts, rocks and deep water splashes.…

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It has been almost a year since our last outing to Flagstaff adventures and with new owners at the helm we were not entirely sure what to expect on our second trip. Thankfully it was ‘game on’ as before with pay & play on offer and full, unrestricted access to the entire 120 acre site. The format again was the same; open the gate and away you go. There was a huge mix of machinery in attendance with Land Rover Discoverys, Defenders and Range Rovers all out to play. We also had two Jimnys, a Vitara, a Wrangler, a Shogun…

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This year marked the 30th anniversary for the Kilbroney Vintage Show and early indications were that this was going to be a big one. Started in 1985, the Kilbroney show was initially organised to mark the centenary of the motor car and has since ran from strength to strength getting bigger and better each year. The only rule for entry to the Kilbroney Vintage show is that all cars are registered prior to 31st December 1990 and all tractors registered prior to 31st December 1980. This open policy creates one of the most varied vintage shows in Ireland, attracting a huge…

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Nestled in the Ring of Gullion, County Armagh, Flagstaff Adventures covers 120 picturesque acres and is home to almost three miles of demanding 4×4 tracks. With promises of water filled trenches, steep hills and rugged landscapes, a collective of committed RMS forum members excitedly signed on and readied ourselves for what was to be a great days offroading. Sign-in was straight forward and the brief even more so… “no holds barred lads, go wherever you want and tear away.  If there’s a fence, move it out of your way and if you’re really good you’ll get to the peak of…

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