Land rover winch

[BogMonster]

Horses for courses I guess but I don't recommend using any rope. If you use one with stretch it in, it would be bloody dangerous...

Personally my Milemarker hydraulic is spot on for everything I do, which has been pretty wide ranging and included things like righting upside down vehicles, straightening steering wheels bent around the dashboard during an accident, winching a boat up a very narrow slip (tyre sidewalls slightly wider than the slip!), self recovery (using a wireless remote/ground anchor), pulling out fence posts, putting up roof trusses building my garage, etc etc. No heat issues, no battery drain, only downside is low speed.

I could have done some (but not all) of those things with a capstan, but other than using very long ropes and stuff like pulling cables through ducting I don't know of many practical uses that require a capstan. Though I do like the look of capstans on an old Land Rover, so not completely biased

[The Black Pig]

Originally Posted by camelgas

I have owned a couple in the past , as said above great bits of kit.

If you can find a complete aeroparts these days they are big money, faireys a bit more common but still not cheap.

I have been collecting aeroparts bits for a few years and have just in the last few months got a complete set at reasonable money

If you do get one: be aware that there are several different types of engine mounting brackets for the crank drive dog , 1.6/ 2ltr or 2.25 they are not interchangeable and are the proverbial hens teeth.

If you need any help with any info just shout and will try to help if I can.

An Aeroparts capstan I am lead to belive is the only one able to fit on a lightweight, as you say parts are rare, incomplete and seem to be expensive
I have a three bearing engine so the bracket would be different again

[camelgas]

Only 2 types of aeroparts engine brackets, 2.0 ltr for S1 and very early 2 , and 2.25 for the later S2/2a both were 3 main bearing ! .

The 2.25 brackets sometimes crop up on ebay as the S1 boys don't want them only the capstan so they can be cheap, I payed £7.50 for my last ones.

Rob Maude who's site you link to, is a good source of bits, there is also a guy called Bob who frequents the S1 club forum or sometimes sells on Ebay who deals in aeroparts capstan stuff.
Dunsfold did have the whitworth rivnuts, for the front X-member mount .

Did not have the series out today but the capstan would have been a great help on the long shallow slip we used today.