The Landy (January 16)

Ingenium Evoque on test: how well does a two-wheel drive soft-roader wear the Rangey badge?

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LANDY MEETS LAMBO! Many Lightweights have been converted to coil springs. This one?

It’s been converted back again…

Full story: Page 22

Andy Fleming says he just went into the workshop to have a little play with his Discovery. Three and a half hours later, half its body had gone missing…

Full story: Page 30 Matt Eyre’s 90 has been built to last a lifetime.

It’s galvanised in places where most cars don’t even have places.

But what stands out most about this stunning Landy is its colour.

We’ve seen Defenders in every shade of green – but this is the first in Lamborghini Verde Ithaca…

Full story: Page 34

It’s a long way from Yorkshire to the Pyrenees. But a company from one is taking Landy owners to the other.

Guess which way round it works…

Full story: Page 18

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

Issue 23: Jan 2016

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Evoque Convertible revealed at last

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Mike Trott

he worst-kept secret in the entire history of carmaking has finally been blown open.

Four years after making its debut as a concept vehicle, the Evoque Convertible will finally go on sale around the world.

Like an airbrushed glamour model, this eye-catching vehicle has thrown caution to the wind, relieved itself of a large weight on top and slipped into something more suitable for those summer days.

But this is more than just an Evoque without a roof and another Land Rover sales success warming up in the oven.

It’s a statement of how far Land Rover has come in the last decade – so far that here it is proclaiming the world’s first luxury compact SUV convertible.

Land Rover is pinning it as the convertible ‘for all seasons’. They’re probably right in this instance, because the Evoque Convertible, unlike its hard-top brother, won’t be offered with a two-wheel drive option.

It won’t come in low-spec form, either, because the only versions on offer will be HSE Dynamic and HSE Dynamic Lux. And it certainly won’t be cheap – the starting price will be £47,500.

So, four-wheel drive all year round, whether you’re cruising with the top down along the coast in the summer

Bond girl Naomie Harris seems to like the Evoque Convertible. Not sure what Posh Spice would make of this… but hey, a new model for a new model and all that

or relying on the Terrain Response settings to help you in the mountains in winter.

From the outside, first impressions look good. This is clearly an Evoque and carries on the tradition of Jaguar Land Rover’s ability to churn out cars that look the business. Fair play to them, you can’t say any of their vehicles are ugly.

The four-seater layout looks deeply embedded within the body that’s left exposed once the Z-fold roof stows away, but that’s probably a good thing when it comes to not driving like you’re in a hurricane.

Gerry McGovern, LR Design Director and Chief Creative Officer, said: ‘Range Rover Evoque Convertible is a vehicle for all seasons. Its uniquely distinctive design and world-class engineering adds another dimension to the Range Rover family, further enhancing its desirability and appeal.’

Land Rover predicts that the world’s SUV market will grow by around 20% in the next five years. So even if it’s taken four years, they’ve moved ahead of the game by creating a vehicle they think will pioneer a new segment of the market.

Unlike many modern convertibles, the Evoque’s roof is made of fabric, not metal. In fact, Land Rover says it’s the longest and widest soft-top on the market today. The roof slides away in just 18 seconds and can be erected again

in 21 seconds at speeds up to 30mph.

Handy for quick getaways, then.

The new roof, or lack of roof, doesn’t mean a load of fabric clumped up at the rear either, as it tucks nicely away to leave a tidy ensemble. Even with the roof draped back, there’s a 251-litre boot for all your weekend luggage.

Inside, there’s good news for all future Land Rover buyers as the Evoque Convertible has been become the first to get Jaguar Land Rover’s next-generation of infotainment.

An all-new, high-resolution 10.2” touchscreen sits at the centre of the dashboard, with the new InControl Touch Pro system allowing smartphones to connect in super-quick time and providing door-to-door navigation and 3G connectivity.

There’s the usual Terrain Response gadgetry as in the five-door and Coupé models, combined with Wade Sensing and All-Terrain Progress Control. But it’s probably true to say that more Evoques will be crashed than will be taken off-road, so what’s really important is the Roll-Over Protection Device – which deploys two pop-up aluminium bars in 90 milliseconds to protect the passengers in a ‘survival space.’

Under the bonnet, your choice is between the 240bhp Si4 petrol engine and the latest 2.0 Ingenium diesel unit, both mated to a nine-speed automatic ZF transmission. With 55mpg achievable, according to official figures, the latter will account for the vast bulk of vehicles leaving the Halewood factory when sales kick off next spring.

Above: Despite having to put a folding hood somewhere, the boot can hold 251 litres of luggage. More commodius than you may imagine, as demonstrated Below: The Convertible is only available in HSE Dynamic trim upwards. It’s definitely at the premium end of the Evoque range – and you’ll pay handsomely for the privilege

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Issue 23: Jan 2016

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Step aside, Evoque...

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he new Evoque Convertible isn’t the only topless Rangey the world has ever seen, contrary to what many people believe. Nor have Land Rovers only started to appear in Bond films since Daniel Craig picked up the baton.

And we have the proof right here.

You’re looking at a Range Rover Classic Convertible (CC) that was first built in 1973, indicated by its ‘B’ suffix. This rare example was then transformed

into its current guise by Special Vehicle Conversions in the late 1980s.

During that decade, an identical version of this convertible starred in the Bond thriller ‘Octopussy’, which premiered in 1983. So, it hasn’t always been about Range Rover Sport SVRs and Bigfoot Defenders.

The Classic Convertible you see in these pictures was auctioned off at The NEC Classic Motor Show Sale in mid-November. Right-hand drive and

with just a mere 62,500 miles on the clock, this is history worth treasuring.

In classic James Bond style, it’s rumoured that the car was then won by a previous owner in a game of cards.

He then stored it in one of his many lock-ups and, over the course of two decades, forgot where it was.

Come 2014, one of the owner’s friends heard this bizarre story and was keen to buy the Rangey off him. If only anyone knew where it was… Follow-

ing a length search of Land Registry records, the garage was tracked down – and within it, the vehicle.

The CC then went through an eightmonth nut and bolt restoration costing £20,000. This included an overhaul its 3.5-litre V8 engine, which we’re positive the new owner is praising as we speak.

Arwel Richards, Classic Car Consignor at Silverstone Auctions, spoke about the Range Rover before auction: ‘This classic Range Rover convertible

Clubs

conversion is a car worthy of the modern-day James Bond, but has a story akin to that of ‘007’ too.

‘With the recently launched Range Rover Evoque Convertible, it has become in vogue even more. It’s a real privilege to be entrusted with re-homing this very important car.’

And re-home it they now have. At auction on 14 November, the Rangey sold for £33,750 – fantastic value for such a rarity in such good condition.

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Issue 23: Jan 2016

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Final tweaks for Disco 4?

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and Rover has unveiled two new derivatives of the Disco 4, as the clock counts down to the launch of its successor.

The Landmark and Graphite editions give customers even greater options when choosing which Discovery is best for them. And since the former shares its name with one of the models used when running out the Discovery 2, it can be taken as a fairly broad hint that this is the beginning of the end.

Building upon the HSE Luxury spec, the Landmark features full-length roof

rails and a smattering of blackened highlights including the grille, fender vents and mirror caps, with contrasting silver badges on the front and rear.

There are also Landmark emblems on the rear and side to differentiate the model from others.

There is one other telling feature, however. Exclusively to the Landmark edition, the Discovery 4 will be available in the shimmering golden Zanzibar body colour. The other four choices (Waitomo Grey, Santorini Black, Yulong White and Indus Silver) are options elsewhere in the range. And the whole Landmark model is finished off with new 20-inch five-spoke alloys.

Inside you’ll find further enhancements, with the addition of Windsor Leather seats. There’s also an Extended Leather Pack which sees to the dashboard, door casings and fascia.

So you’d better like leather. You do at least get to choose what colour you’d like it all to be, though, the options being Ebony, Almond and Tan. The latter is a first for the Discovery.

Choose it and your Windsor seats will become fancy brown, with the door casings and fascia garnished in Ebony and a straight-grained walnut veneer trim finisher.

The alternative to the Walnut is the Grand Black Lacquer, while the leather steering wheel also receives two further options. All this adds up to an on the road price of £55,995.

In comparison, the Graphite model is a bargain. A £47.495 bargain. This features the Black Pack, which seems to appear on every Land Rover these days.

Unsurprisingly, the Graphite showcases a grey finish to the vents and grille, but with a gloss black and lighter grey frame.

The door handles and badging mimic the Graphite name, while this version also gets new 19-inch 7-spoke rims, draped in a high gloss dark grey as standard. Spring for that little lot and you can choose from nine different paint colours and three interior themes.

Under the skin, the vehicles remain as usual with the 3.0-litre SDV6 engine mated to the ZF eight-speed auto box.

The Landmark and Graphite models will start appearing in Land Rover’s dealerships come January.

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

Comment

Just over 21 years ago, the publishers of the now-defunct Land Rover World magazine asked me if I’d like to become its editor. They’d run out of other people to ask, see.

My answer was that if I could have a 90 as my company car, they’d have a deal. No dice, you get a Cavalier like everyone else. I made the obvious point about it being a Land Rover magazine, but they weren’t interested.

Then I pointed out that if it was a hard-top, they’d get their VAT back on it. Fifteen minutes later, they asked me what colour I wanted it in.

So began my relationship with M146 HPL, a 300Tdi which was my companion for six happy years.

I quickly lost count of the number of times things went wrong with it, of course, but much better was the number of comments I got about how much mud was falling off it in the company car park. I had become Land Rover Bloke, and I liked it.

And something else happened, too.

First time I was driving home it in, someone waved at me. Then another.

Soon it was the norm. I had discovered something all Defender owners know about: the Land Rover Wave.

Selling that truck broke my heart, and since then I’ve hardly driven another Defender. But this month I got hold of the keys to a blingy Puma we’ve had in on test, and I used it for a long trip down to Sussex for a press event there.

First Landy I saw: no wave. Second one: nothing. Third: still none. I did finally get a wave out of someone in a TD5, but that was after about half a dozen failures.

Now, the 90 I was driving was one of the new rich-git editions for people who don’t know what cow muck smells like. So I’m gripped by concern that maybe a division has grown up.

Just as Disco and Rangey drivers don’t wave to Defenders, is there a schism between people in proper old 90s and 110s and shiny new blingers?

Selling my 90 was heartbreaking, and watching the lights go out on the Solihull production line will be too.

But if the Land Rover Wave were to fade away? That really would be the final breakdown of society.

Alan Kidd, Editor

Issue 23: Jan 2016

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Issue 23: Jan 2016

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Sale of LR model collection will benefit charity

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here’s a Land Rover fan somewhere who’s going to get a Christmas present to remember, and no mistake. Because one of the country’s most interesting collections of Landy models is up for sale – and every penny of the proceeds will be going to charity.

Kit Kaberry, whose Defender has featured in these pages on occasion before, is a veteran of the Rhino Charge in both the UK and Kenya. This unique off-road event raises funds to support Rhino Ark – a charity whose aim is to aid the conservation of ecologically precious indigenous forests

and their vital environmental services.

Over the course of its life, Rhino Ark it has played a major role in helping secure the habitats of endangered species in Africa.

Kit will be travelling back to Kenya for the 2016 Charge. And as part of his fundraising programme, his collection

of 70-80 model Land Rovers is up for grabs. Proceeds from the sale will be included in the total raised by his entry, Car 9, when the event takes place at the end of May. The money will go to Rhino Ark UK for Rhino Ark Kenya – you can read more about both organisations at www.rhinoark.org and www.rhinocharge.co.ke.

Included in the collection are six 1:18 scale Universal Hobbies models.

These are definitely not toys – in fact, they’re very collectible. They include Driving Experience, Norfolk Police, Royal Mail Post Bus and Station Wagon 90s, and Station Wagon and G4 Challenge 110s. ‘I have seen the G4 on eBay for around £300!’ comments

Kit – make no mistake, by investing in this whole collection you’ll be bagging yourself a real bargain.

Kit’s asking £1000 for the full set of Land Rovers. And while that’s a lot of money, especially at this time of year, as the above demonstrates they’d cost you an awful lot more than that if you were to try and put them together one by one.

Best of all, by buying them you’ll be making a real contribution to one of the most worthwhile charity efforts anywhere. You can contact Kit by email at kit.kaberry10@gmail.com – whether as a Christmas present for yourself or the Landy lover in your life, this is a gift that will keep on giving!

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

NEXT MONTH

Issue 23: Jan 2016

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Death of Defender: We take one of the Adventure Limited Edition 90s back to its routes and where it all began 68 years ago in Red Wharf Bay PLUS

Sweet Sixteen – this is the story of how a 16-year-old boy spent his next two years restoring his very own 80-inch Landy. And special is an understatement

We continue the story of Nicky Smith’s rolling restoration on his ex-military Series III 109. As usual, his witty insight into his ‘relaxing’ pastime reveals the next stages to project completion

NEXT MONTH’S LANDY IS PUBLISHED ON 29 DECEMBER You can pick up your copy of our February 2016 issue from

newsagents or Britpart dealers – or read it online at www.thelandy.co.uk

01283 553243 • enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk • www.thelandy.co.uk • www.facebook.com/thelandyuk Editor Alan Kidd Assistant Editor Mike Trott Admin and Editorial Assistant Gemma Pask Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Dan Fenn, Gary Noskill, Paul Looe, Mark Janssen Photographers Steve Taylor, Harry Hamm, Mark Janssen and Paul Visser

Advertising Sales Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Production Tel: 01283 553242 Publisher Sarah Kidd Email: sarah.kidd@ assignment-media.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure that the contents of The Landy are accurate, however Assignment Media Ltd accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor

the consequences of actions made as a result of these

nearest Britpart dealer can be found at www.britpart.com

When responding to any advert in The Landy, you should make appropriate enquiries before sending money or entering into a contract. The publishers take reasonable care to ensure advertisers’ probity, but will not be liable for any losses incurred as a result of responding to adverts

Where a photo credit includes the note CC-BY-SA, the image is made available under that Creative Commons licence.

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Issue 22: Dec 2015

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E-mark approval puts Wilderness LEDs on the road to a bright future WILDERNESS LIGHTING has been awarded E20 approval for its Solo and Duplex LED lights. The new E-mark, which applies to 10” and 20” versions of both products, means they can now be used legally on the road with your vehicle’s main beam.

The lights can be used in pairs on any car, van, light truck, HGV or of course Land Rover. With two 20”Duplex LED arrays providing up to 22,000 lumens, that’s the equivalent of having TWENTY 8” halogen spotlights on the front of your vehicle.

This news can only help hasten the rise of LEDs – which has already become pretty meteoric over the last few years. It only seems like yesterday that LED lights started coming on to the market, but they’re already a firm must-have for hardcore off-roaders – as well, increasingly, as people who just use their Land Rover as a tool and want to be able to keep on doing so safely after dark.

In rugged businesses like agriculture, forestry and quarrying, health and safety is king – and being able to work efficiently doesn’t score too shabbily either. The light you get from LEDs is very white in comparison to old-style halogen bulbs, which gives better contrast and is closer to natural sunlight which the human eye prefers.

Studies have shown that this reduces driver fatigue, as the eye has to adapt to the yellowish tinge more traditional light sources have.

Quite simply, using LEDs is brighter too. Wilderness provides us with this fairly graphic example: ‘A 55w light gives out around 800 to 900 lumens.

One Wilderness Compact light gives out over 3200 lumens and only asks for 1.5 Amps at 12 volts, versus 8 Amps for the halogen. So if you replace eight halogen lights with Wilderness compacts, you will save over 50 Amps and have over 25,600 lumens versus the halogen’s 6400.’ In other words, spend it once, spend it right.

The Wilderness range is enormous, with various shapes and sizes of lighting solutions offering affordable prices on entry-level units, massive levels of illumination at the top and features like DRL provision and switchable beam patterns. When it comes to toughness, the housings are sealed to IP69K (the highest available international standard for dust and water ingress), and Wilderness is bringing an ever-wider range of fitting kits on to the market all the time.

Having partnered the 2015 Welsh Xtrem, Wilderness is serious about every part of the off-road market.

And so they should be, because this is serious kit – especially now it’s legal for road use too. www.wildernesslighting.co.uk

ProSpeed ups the ante with second-generation rock sliders for Discovery 3 and 4

Raptor launches sturdy replacement for cracked binnacle mounts

Rock and tree sliders for the Discovery 3 and 4? You know you want it.

And ProSpeed has got it, in the shape of these double-skinned units which fit quickly and easily on to standard mounting points upon the chassis.

These are actually the secondgeneration design ProSpeed has brought to the market. The company says they’re both lighter and stiffer than the first.

The sliders’ design provides maximum rigidity – ProSpeed says one tree slider alone can take the full weight of the vehicle anywhere along its length.

They won’t interfere with the door seal, either, and nor do they pick up on the Disco’s body – so it’s still able to move as intended on its rubber mounts.

Prices reflect the amount of work that goes into developing a product like this for a vehicle of the D3’s nature.

There are various options available, but you’ll be looking at a ball-park figure of £700-£900. www.prospeed-group.co.uk

RAPTOR ENGINEERING already has a replacement Defender binnacle in its range (pictured). And the company has now added a steel replacement for the plastic mount that holds it in place – but which has become split or broken in so many Land Rovers.

Powder coated in satin black to match its surroundings, this supports the binnacle which holds the speedometer, gauges and the heater controls in a Defender. Raptor says it

developed the mount in response to constant requests from customers.

‘When we took this part out of our Defender,’ it says, ‘we were surprised to find how weak the original is. One of the tabs that holds the binnacle was already broken off, and when testing the remaining tab we were able to break it off between finger and thumb.’

Safe to say that won’t happen with this heavy-duty replacement. www.raptor-engineering.co.uk.

Britpart’s new range of armrests for the Evoque are leather clad and fully adjustable to let you get comfortable.

It provides extra support over what you get from the standard item, while still allowing you access to the vehicle’s cubby box. Britpart says they’re easy to fit – and by avoiding the high-price merchants, you should be able to bring one home for just under £100 including the VAT. www.britpart.com

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

Rimmer Bros launches dedicated Discovery 3 parts book

If you’re one of the ever-increasing number of Land Rover fans who own a Discovery 3, there’s every chance that you’ve already become one of the ever-increasing number of Land Rover fans who need a source of parts for a Discovery 3.

Even if you haven’t suffered any mechanical (or, shudder, electronic) maladies yet, you’re bound to have noticed the growing number of accessories on the market for the Disco 3. Either way, your duty as an owner is clear: you need to Buy Stuff.

Helping you do this as wisely as possible is a new 114-page catalogue of goodies from Rimmer Brothers.

This ‘is the result of careful research and extremely detailed work, covering all years of Discovery 3 production. The listings include everything from service items to accessories and cover both UK and European models in detail.’

The catalogue is completely free, which is nice. We can’t say the same about the parts and accessories themselves, but at least this is a company which actually keeps them in stock. ‘Rimmer Bros have worked hard to source as many of the currently available parts as possible - and price them competitively,’ to use their own words. They promise quick delivery, too, which is equally important.

Talking of quick, if you can’t wait for your catalogue to arrive in the post there’s an online version on their website – and this includes up-todate information on pricing and availability, as well in some cases as fitting instructions and videos. www.rimmerbros.co.uk

Issue 22: Dec 2015

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Issue 22: Dec 2015

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Stylish windows promise to make your Defender better in every way

Masai’s Panoramic Tinted Bonded Windows tend to be associated with blinged-up 90s and 110s. But there’s a whole lot more to them than just looking good.

They’re made from 4mm toughened glass, for starters, which is Europeansourced and meets all the relevant EU standards. This stuff is strong – so much so, in fact, that Masai says is will increase the torsional rigidity of the Defender’s back body, making it feel sturdier and better to drive.

The glass reflects light, reduces glare and absorbs heat, and its factory-prepped tint makes it 70% opaque. So anyone trying to check out the contents of your vehicle will be disappointed – and any undergrowth trying to scratch the tint while you’re off-roading will be defied in exactly the way it wouldn’t if we were talking about a cheap stick-on film.

The windows are available either fixed or with a slide opening action, which long-time Land Rover owners might take to mean leaks, rattles and draughts. Not a bit of it: Masai promises a smooth sliding action and strong, secure lock which will prevent them being opened from the outside.

In more basic terms, these windows look the business – far more subtle

than most of the stuff you see on blingy Defenders, but classy as anything. As the name suggests, they give you an excellent view from inside the vehicle, too – if you’re doing what many people have an converting a hard-top to your own version of a station wagon, a set of these would make the difference between doing it and doing it in style.

They’re also ideal if you’re breathing new life into an original SW model and want to improve it in the process rather than just taking it back to where it once was. And Masai says

you’ll increase your vehicle’s resale value by fitting a set – which, by the way, can be done at home in a few hours, as they’re supplied with all the primers and adhesives you need as well as full templates and instructions.

What’s all this going to cost? More than it would if Masai had taken the cheap and nasty route, for sure, but at £375 (fixed) and £475 (sliding), or £595 for full-length units to go on the 110 Hard-Top, this is by no means an expensive way of transforming the look of your Defender. www.masai4x4.com

Masai’s makes its Panoramic Windows in-house, using its own 4mm glass. As this picture of the fixed version shows, it’s designed using an internal frame – adding a unique level of strength and rigidity

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Issue 22: Dec 2015

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A Monsta of a steering guard…

Foundry 4x4’s Monsta range of off-road kit for Land Rovers now includes a Sump and Steering Guard for the Discovery 1 and Range Rover Classic. This is made from 6mm

ally plate and held together by 5mm zinc-plated brackets, so it’s going nowhere either now or in the future.

The guard is finished in black powder coat, while the brackets

are coated silver and embellished with red anodised Monsta badging.

It costs £135 and could save you a whole lot more than in one go. www.foundry4x4.co.uk

Britpart has renewed its Freelander 1 Headlight Guards, which are very much what their name says they are. Suitable for 2004 models onwards, these look cool as well as protecting your lamps against everyday knocks and scrapes. They come in pairs and with a bit of shopping around shouldn’t cost more than about thirty quid plus the dreaded. www.britpart.com

Smart bike carrier for Defenders Thunderman Boom might sound like a dodgy Belgian porn star, but actually it’s a nifty way of being able to mount up a bike rack on a Land Rover with a spare wheel on its back door.

The problem is that bike racks designed to sit on your 50mm tow ball tend to be positioned snugly to the back of the vehicle. Which is all very well, but if there’s a wheel there you’ve run out of space before you get started.

Hence the Thunderman Boom. This carries a ball of its own and sits on the vehicle’s, allowing you to mount your bike rack nicely away from the spare. It comes with a choice of 7 or 13-pin trailer plug and socket for your light board, and connects up to the drop plate to provide a good, secure mounting for your precious bikes.

The Boom was originally designed with the Defender in mind, but you can now get it with a universal fitting kit to suit other vehicles too. Prices are £129.95 as standard, or £164.95 with the kit. www.thundermandesign.com

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

Ring reinvents the bungee

Say you need to secure a toolbox, or maybe a load of logs, in the back of your truck. Some people would turn to rope as the best solution: others would resort to the bungee cord.

A new solution is Ring’s BungeeClic, a complete system for securing loads.

It’s designed to have the benefits of both – without the drawbacks.

You can customise the system to build the correct length ties needed – meaning, Ring says, no unsafe coupling or inadequate lengths.

The system uses traditional bungee cords with patented end tips. A range of accessories attach to the tips, allowing you to alter the device to the needs of the object to be secured.

Straight connecters, for example, provide precision length for every job, while double-Y connectors let you build in all sorts of netting shapes.

Steel J-hooks, carabiners and lockable hooks, meanwhile, provide a more secure and safer fitment.

It all adds up to a system that promises to handle virtually any load.

Simply push the connections together, twist and click to lock.

Ring stressed that all the materials in the range have been extensively tested to ensure they are sturdy and durable. They have also been tested to withstand intense ultraviolet rays and adverse weather conditions, which is good if you drive a pick-up (or an old Discovery with no floor left, possibly).

The system has a suggested retail price of £9.99 and comes as a kit containing a selection of hooks and connectors as well as three cords of varying lengths. You can get accessories such as wall mount and Y-piece connectors separately. www.ringautomotive.co.uk

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Evergreen

Words and Pictures: Mike Trott

W

e’re very close now to the moment when the Lode Lane factory in Solihull stops churning out the Land Rover Defender.

It’s going to be tough to take, but we must keep our chins up and cherish the examples that still live on. We need to keep vehicles on the road that bear the Defender lettering on the bonnet and make sure these roads don’t forget what a real Defender looks like.

Part of the issue of making them last, though, is that they tend to crumble to pieces like an X Factor finalist who has

just been told they’ve won. We want our Defenders to be around for years to come, and as such you need to make some smart moves.

What you have here is Matt Eyre’s Lamborghini Verde Ithaca Green Defender, photographed in the picturesque grounds of Baden Hall.

The truck is loud and bright and, one thing’s for sure, it’ll never get lost in a superstore car park. It’s also bright in that this here is a 90 which we should all aspire to mimic.

While the colour is an acquired taste (which I personally admire), the

Above: A familiar sight in a Defender’s engine bay it may be, but it’s with good reason. The 300Tdi engine is arguably the best unit ever to be fitted in the 90

underpinnings and internal chamber of this green machine are what’s really important here.

‘I got this in March earlier this year.

I’ve always liked Defenders, but this is my first one,’ explains Matt. ‘I had a couple of Discoverys before, but I got burnt hands with those as I ended up having to fork out for a couple of expensive jobs.

‘I had to recondition the gearbox, one leaked like a sieve and the headlining became a problem – the ABS, all the usual stuff. I would get paranoid it wouldn’t get me back home again. I couldn’t take it anymore – so I got this.’

What Matt got was a 1994 Defender 90 with a 300Tdi heart, a galvanised chassis and galvanised bulkhead, an interior kitted out by Bespoke and a selection of other neat additions that make it one fine-looking Defender.

‘The guy who had this before me did a major rebuild five years ago and most of the external modifications you can see,’ says Matt. ‘I could tell the paint was done to a really high quality, inside and out, and I’ve really enjoyed getting it to the condition that you see today.

‘I have spent a lot of time getting the mechanicals right on this and I have now finally ironed out the issues and am starting to add the bling.’

The ‘issues’ Matt refers to are a couple of mechanical foibles that needed addressing before he could consider it a job well done.

It had been neglected in terms of the engine and was leaking quite badly.

Matt set about putting a stop to that and has focused on reconditioning a lot of the parts. While the chassis and bulkhead are good for another couple of decades, the drivetrain needed looking at.

Working away on his driveway when he could and in between juggling four kids, Matt reconditioned all the seals, driveshafts and both axles, while also fitting new calipers, discs and pads. The gearbox was reconditioned, too, and it’s something Matt has a passion for.

‘It’s been quite a challenge for me, I’m not a mechanic in any sense, but I do enjoy reconditioning things,’ he continues in earnest.

‘There is so much information out there to help you. I’d love to have a bit more time and do one (a rebuild) myself from the ground up. I do have an idea for a 110 in the future…’

But that is then and this Lamborghini-inspired Mantis green 90 is very much in our faces now. As Matt states, it’s a Land Rover that has been built to last, with even the inner wings and

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To many Landy enthusiasts, the Defender 90 is king. But as time wears on it becomes harder to keep these sacred icons in tip-top condition. What you’re looking at here is Matt Eyre’s answer to preserving the king – an example we should all look to replicate.

Except, perhaps, on the colour…

‘I GOT PARANOID IT WOULDN’T GET ME BACK HOME AGAIN’

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Above: Seat Risers from Exmoor Trim heighten the proceedings and give Matt a better view of the gloss black Puma bonnet Below: All through the cabin there are luxurious Bespoke seats upholstered with a green stitching to match the main theme here

floor pans having been galvanised for guaranteed longevity.

There are a couple of names this 90 is called, depending on how cooperative it is being with Matt. Sometimes ‘Kermit’ – for obvious reasons – or on occasion Matt has referred to his 90 as ‘The Hulk’. ‘Cos it makes me want to smash it up sometimes,’ he says.

‘I’m not normally sentimental about vehicles, but I find I am getting attached to this Defender.’

All the hard work Matt has put in is starting to show some real dividends now. When he first drove it, the 90 Right: This Defender hasn’t just been made to look the part, either. There’s a handful of additions, such as the Masai steering guard and Wildbear diff guard you see here. The suspension uses heavy-duty springs but sits with the same posture as a standard Defender

was, in his words, awful. Since then it has become ‘spot on’ to drive and all the little extras he’s adding are helping to make it into the everyday vehicle Matt wanted it to be – a Land Rover tailored to his lifestyle.

At the front, a popular KBX front grille sits proud above a Masai steering guard, with Masai side steps flanking the green body. Underneath, there’s a Terrafirma steering damper, Wild Bear diff guards for protection when Matt goes laning and heavy-duty springs for strength, although the ride height remains as standard.

Still, always plenty more left on the bucket list, isn’t there? For Matt it’s the timing belt and pulley kit, plus he’d like to install an electric fan for better cooling. And while he’s at it, a bigger intercooler and bigger brakes with a double servo are definitely on the cards, but generally it’s all coming together very nicely.

The fuel pump has already been tweaked and the EGR valve has been removed in what is one of the most popular choices a person can make when looking to make a Defender better than the day it was built.

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A big thank you must go to Baden Hall for letting us use its grounds to photograph Matt’s 90. It’s well-known in the area for its fisheries, but also for a clubhouse that caters for weddings and parties. It’s a handy comp safari venue, too. If you’d like to find out more about the services Baden Hall has to offer, visit its website at www.badenhall.com

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‘It did have a straight-through exhaust, previously’ says Matt. ‘But I’ve installed a new exhaust, with the new centre box and tailpipe.’

Inside, those Bespoke embossed seats were added by the previous owner, and there’s now an Exmoor cubby box, some Exmoor Trim seat risers and a Momo steering wheel. This is a Defender that you spend time wanting to get into, as opposed to wanting to escape from.

It’s also true that at whatever stage of life you get into these dinosaur machines, you’ll always come away ad-

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miring their straightforward approach to the way they go about their business.

‘It is a bit agricultural, but I like the involvement,’ admits Matt. This comes from a guy who has owned some of the most exotic superbikes ever made. It just goes to show you the raw connectivity a Defender gives its driver.

It is also just one of the many reasons why we need to keep doing what we do: admiring these Land Rovers for everything they can do. And for that reason, take a leaf out of Matt’s book and help ensure that your Land Rover stays evergreen.

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A Winning Formula

words and pictures: mike trott

If you own a Land Rover for long enough, sooner or later you’re bound to change something about it. In the case of Richard Judd’s Lightweight, two long and enjoyable decades have seen him convert it to coil springs – and, most recently, back again…

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he Lightweight Land Rover has always been a little different to its ‘heavyweight’ brothers.

It was distinctly different in design, with the curves (everything’s relative) of a standard Series truck replaced with the more angular ‘cutwing’ lines that make it so distinctive.

But like all Land Rovers, keep one in your possession for long enough and no matter what model it is, it will change its appearance, internals and anything else you can think of, more and more the longer you have it.

In the case of Richard Judd and his Series IIA Lightweight, there have been countless alterations over the years.

And that’s 20 years, to be exact.

‘I’ve had it as it is now for about 12 months,’ says Richard. ‘I stripped it

down and rebuilt it and have gone from leaf springs to coiling it and now I’ve settled on parabolics.’

Richard’s Lightweight was one of the earliest to show its unusual front wings to the world beyond the Solihull factory doors. First registered on 31 January 1969, this was Lightweight No 620 off the production line. And no, it hasn’t always carried the electric blue twinkle.

‘There’s not much difference between coil springs and parabolic springs actually, and that’s after spending the last ten years on coils!’ continues Richard.

‘By converting it back, I’m getting the original heritage of the vehicle – originality is key with these vehicles now.’

He’s got a point, especially when he goes on to predict that in ten years from now, you, me and every other Land

Rover fanatic will find it increasingly difficult to find, and afford, these parts.

‘This used to be my daily drive before it was coiled, by which time the chassis had nearly broken in half! I did the first build on a Designa Chassis back in 1997 or ’98 so I could put it on coils.

‘It sat there in the workshop till 2004 while I worked on it for those six to seven years, slowly restoring it at the weekends and when I could. Then last December, I decided to do a full strip down and rebuild on an original chassis – this time, from Richards Chassis.’

Chassis from here are galvanised as standard, so longevity and peace of mind for the future is what Richard has gone for. He’s even sprayed it black.

Having converted his Land Rover back from coils to leaves, it might not

‘tHe cHassis Had nearly BroKen in Half!’ shock you to learn that he’s also gone to the effort of bringing back and keeping original features, such as the wheels.

But he’s added his own little touches in the process. Those wheels, for example, are powder coated, but there is a shimmer of silver in them.

He’s kept things like the original four parachuting irons and the convoy light under the Land Rover’s body – little touches that separate the Lightweight from the civvy Landies of the day.

While some elements of this Lightweight may have gone back towards originality, others have definitely taken a step in the forwards direction.

Within those alternative front wings, for example, a long time ago there lived a 2.25 petrol motor. But that wasn’t good enough for Richard’s liking, so he

switched it for an Essex V6 courtesy of a Steve Parker Land Rovers conversion kit. This was fine; it had plenty of power and suited his needs, until it came to towing where he would need to change down a gear on precariously high-speed carriageways.

Furthermore, he was being teased on a regular basis, with some mates

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Above: The front wings on a Lightweight are one of the main features that set them apart from the rest of the Land Rover family. Available with added gleam...

Above: Looks familiar to how it started back in 1969 now, after Richard decided last December that parabolic springs would be the way forward, ousting the old coil springs in the process

Below: There’s a whole array of badges here to signify what could be under the bonnet and just how much heritage this thing has. Notice the retained parachuting irons too

Below: A Rover 3.5 V8 – shiny isn’t it? This was the result of a desire to not being teased anymore about the lack of cylinders, and for a hankering for a few more ponies to utilise

‘after a few experiments, I’ve finally settled on a configuration’ claiming he was always two cylinders short… You know what’s coming next, don’t you?

Yes indeed, a Rover 3.5-litre V8 found its way under this Lightweight’s bonnet, and it’s still there today. There’s a few additions, mind: ‘I’ve installed the 3.9 high-lift cam and it’s also running a twin Weber carburettor – the 46 DGAS carb as oppose to the twin SU,’ explains Richard. ‘I’ve also fitted a Lumenition ignition system and a remote oil filter. The whole engine is mated to a Series III gearbox, as it gives you synchromesh and stops you double declutching all the time.

‘It now sits steady at 55-60mph and will tow the caravan perfectly fine using just the torque of the engine.’

That’s not the end of the tour yet, though. The tilt is a suave black number from Exmoor Trim, while the seats – also black – have come from a more unusual source. They’re actually borrowed from a Sierra Cosworth and have settled in beautifully with a couple of mascots nestled in between – one for

Richard’s club (the Lightweight Land Rover Club) and one for the Army.

There’s also a whole array of badges on that pristine grille, all adding to the heritage behind this Land Rover’s vibrant stance. But why did Richard choose to have this Land Rover as his first, and how come he decided to ‘experiment’ with it for the last twenty years rather than moving on?

‘I hadn’t owned any Land Rovers previously – my father had and I’d grown up with them being around,’ he says. ‘I’d never seen a Lightweight before, though, and when one came through my village with the top off I couldn’t help but think “oh, I need one of those!”

‘It’s the body, I think. It’s not like any other Land Rover. It’s a chunky, mean, beefy machine, and it looks more like a Willy’s Jeep – but it’s not. It’s British.’

Naturally, as you would expect having shared the same home with the Lightweight for the past twenty years, there’s very little that Richard doesn’t know about them now. So I dare say

there are a few grateful souls within the Lightweight LRC who have been on the receiving end of his wisdom.

As for Richard and his own Lightweight, well we forgot to mention it has also been a hard-top at various points in its life. But after so long, it’s the canvas that’s emerged victorious.

‘I’m happy to have it as it is now,’ he concludes. ‘After a few experiments, I’ve finally settled on a configuration I’m happy with.’ Now he can sit back and look forward to the next 20 years…

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The Green Green Oval

Words: Mike Trott Pictures: Dick Hair

On Test: Evoque 2.0 eD4 150hp SE Tech Manual The Evoque has been a revelation for Land Rover. Period. But with a new generation of engines filtering into the Green Oval ranks, is that oval as green as Land Rover claim it to be?

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he Range Rover Evoque – whether you’re a fan or not – has been an undeniable success for Land Rover. Within the last half a decade, this young pretender to the bigger full-fat Range Rover has become the fastest-selling Land Rover of all time.

It is a vehicle that allows owners into the sainted Range Rover brand, allowing you to feel like a Premier League WAG without needing to be that rich.

Still, it’s a handsome craft, with a hattip to Mrs Beckham, and it’ll put other small SUVs to shame. And now it even carries Land Rover’s newest heart.

Land Rover has christened its latest range of power units under the name Ingenium. Presumably they’ve taken the combination of ingenious and aluminium, and feel this is the name to carry them forward over the course of the next several years.

Also fitted inside the new Discovery Sport, the all-new, all-aluminium, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder motor may tick one half of the Ingenium name, but have Land Rover worked their magic

and come up with a power plant worthy of such a name?

Let’s find out.

We’ve had Land Rover’s greenest car on test this month, in the shape of the two-wheel drive, 150bhp, six-speed manual Evoque. While this is never going to be the version a Landy purist would buy (nor would we particularly recommend it), it is – on paper – the green oval’s most economical vehicle.

The TD4 name has returned, but for our Evoque that collection of symbols changes to eD4 with the Evoque badge on the rear coloured blue to signify Solihull’s most Earth-friendly vehicles.

So, does this engine do exactly what it says on the rocker covers?

Refinement

We’re focusing on the diesel engines, partly because there is no new petrol Ingenium… yet. For the last few years, the Evoque has been running around on the Freelander 2’s hand-me-downs.

The 2.2 SD4 unit was also applied to the baby Disco for the first half of

2015. It was a decent engine, but there was room for improvement.

In terms of refinement especially, the premium cabins of the Evoque and Disco Sport demanded an engine that would be less obtrusive. And we’re glad to report there has been an improvement. While this eD4 engine will always struggle to outperform its petroleum brothers on noise, Land Rover seems to have cured some of the low-speed chatter we experienced in the Disco Sport earlier this year.

The majority of the time, the engine runs efficiently in the background, and with the preferred nine-speed ZF auto box selected (more on that later), you should be very happy going about your day-to-day commute and travels.

It helps with the fact the Evoque is always a sumptuous place to be and, even in this SE Tech trim, you won’t be lacking in luxuries.

Performance

In the Evoque, travelling at motorway speeds was a pleasant affair. The six-

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speed manual offers a long final gear, so motorway and dual carriageway cruising can be a doddle, with even enough torque (in this case a healthy 280lb ft) to satisfy for the majority of overtakes.

Don’t start expecting too much of the 150hp power unit, though, because it can give hints of fatigue.

From a standing start there’s a decent surge, with 0-60mph being dealt with in 10.6 seconds. But that’s just it; the Evoque copes with your sense of fun rather than inviting you to do it again. There isn’t enough power for that: I found myself yearning for the 180hp version (in my view, the one you should have).

Despite the power shortage, I have to admit that this Ingenium engine does have a sweet spot, and a melody that becomes rather addictive. Roll on the power in third and once the needle slides past 2000rpm, a satisfyingly gruff tone growls from the engine and makes you want to forgive the eD4 for not being quite there in outright performance.

Butu here’s another concern: the gearbox. It’s just fine – but bar the Sport SVR, Range Rovers should glide and

Above: For the 2016 model year, the Evoque gets bigger vents and a revised headlight display. This version, like most derivatives of the Evoque, has automatic headlamps and daytime running lights Below: Not as many tweaks at the rear, but a slightly heavier touch of mascara does the job

waft. The Evoque has great composure around the twisty stuff, but however well if changes gear that manual box doesn’t feel like it belongs in anything with a Range Rover badge.

Besides, the nine-speed ZF auto has so much better performance figures.

Why? Because it’s only available on the higher-powered 180bhp version. So, if you want to have the more economical vehicle, your only choice is to stick with the manual. It’s perfectly good: but is it Range Rover good?

To me, it’s just not as slick as a Rangey should be. We all know that the Evoque is really only a Range Rover in badge only, but heaven knows it presents itself as a premium vehicle. And from behind the wheel, having a refined auto doing the work for you would make it much more convincing.

Economy

During the Evoque’s stay with us here at The Landy, we used it for pretty much every conceivable kind of journey Continued overleaf

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Above: This is what all the fuss has been about – Land Rover’s new Ingenium engine.

The 2.0-litre unit here does some things very well, but in 150bhp form it struggles at times – and in our hands it fell well short of achieving the official mpg figure you’re likely to encounter. When it left us, the vehicle had averaged 42.5mpg.

Personally, I had hoped for this brand new engine to get closer to its official figure, especially as we hadn’t been trying to burn off German saloons at the lights on every commute home.

The claimed figures for this example are 65.6mpg on a combined cycle.

Given the fact that we couldn’t manage to find the final 30% of that figure, it leaves us questioning whether this engine is really going to provide any benefits to your bank balance. Ours had only covered 3300 miles when we got hold of it, however, so it might feasibly wear in after some more use.

That’s another reason why we’d just go for the 180hp version and be done with it. Its official mpg is still within touching distance of the 150’s – though if the real-world result was similarly distant from the claimed figure, it would be no better than the Disco Sport, with the old Freelander engine, which we tested earlier this year.

Running Costs Above: The Evoque has never been lauded for its phenomenal practicality, but given that it is still a Land Rover, it’ll handle the majority of items you wish to transport in it Below: A great place to drive from, especially with an auto box to hand. SE Tech with a handful of options is the way forward too

Stats (as tested)

Engine: 2.0-litre eD4 Transmission: 6-speed manual Top speed: 113mph 0-60 mph: 10.6 secs Power: 150bhp Torque: 280lb ft Kerb weight: 1,551kg Fuel economy: 65.6mpg (42.5mpg) Price: £32,200 (£37,800)

Still, the taxman goes on the official figures. The eD4 Evoque we have here does drop into the £30 tax bracket for the year, which is commendable for a Land Rover that weighs over 1600kg.

For the 180hp version with an auto ‘box to play with, you’re looking at £125 a year for tax. While that’s hardly mixing it with the electric hybrids of

Verdict The Evoque you should buy, if any, is the 2.0-litre TD4 with 180hp. Couple that with the nine-speed auto gearbox and an SE Tech trim level and things look a lot brighter. There isn’t any need to venture into HSE territory, particularly when you add a couple of well-selected options with the SE Tech – like the £950 fixed panoramic roof with power blind. It may not be the cheapest option on

this world, it isn’t disastrous. Plus, in this trim you can have the ideal gearbox and peace of mind that comes from four-wheel drive.

Ingenious?

A two-wheel drive Freelander is one thing, but to us a Range Rover that’s not a 4x4 just won’t do. The other problem with the Evoque, now, is the Discovery Sport, which trumps it in terms of practicality especially. It has two more seats; a bigger boot and better visibility, and you can hardly say that the baby Disco is ugly. In fact, it could be argued that as the Evoque is such a fashion statement, one day it will become dated while the Disco Sport still looks handsome.

There are solid, common-sense arguments for the eD4, that £30 tax bill being one of them. It could work as a company car, too. But if you’re going to let your head rule your heart to that degree, why are you buying a fashion machine in the first place?

All in all, the new Ingenium engines do look like a step forward for Land Rover. We didn’t manage to find the mpg benefits, but the official figures are there for all to see.

What definitely is the case is that it’s more refined, and even in base-spec form it’s willing enough most of the time. It’s not bad… it really isn’t. But whatever the Evoque really is, it wants you to think it’s a Range Rover. And ‘not bad’ isn’t enough for that. the list of extras, but it’s worth it.

Stretching to the 180hp version means you have a Range Rover with four-wheel drive, too. The eD4 is what it is, but it’s not special enough to justify its badge or its price tag.

And the Evoque’s case now seems to be weakening with every day that goes by, and every new Disco Sport that appears on the road.

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‘THREE HOURS LATER AND HALF THE TRUCK HAD GONE MISSING!’

Bright Idea

Andy Fleming is a fan of Discovery 1s.

He must be, since he’s now on his third. But when the common body rot sets in on your Disco’s rear, how do you sort out the problem? Well, Andy will tell you it simply comes from playing about in the workshop for a few hours…

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‘WOW, IT’S A REAL SUNGLASSES GREEN’ Above: Andy’s Disco sits four inches higher than standard and part of that comes down to the Bearmach +2” springs. Adjacent to those lie a set of heavy-duty bump stops from Flo-Flex, which do a good job or protecting the axles when the rear starts to get in its groove

he Discovery 1 has been a favourite with off-roaders for a number of years. It manages to offer very good performance away from the smooth and non-objecting world of asphalt, but for a cheaper and more affordable price than the expensive and idolised Defenders.

You also have the benefit of not having to drive them with your legs wrapped around your head, and your elbows bashing every lamppost down your local high street. But while the chassis on a Discovery 1 is usually a fairly solid and durable unit, the body can be a pitfall of disasters.

For a few years, Andy Fleming was happy with his lime-green Disco running on a two-inch lift and looking like… well, a Disco really! The rear body was starting to go, though, and as more and more people suggested traybacking, the man in question soon found himself in a workshop.

‘It was around October last year and I just thought I’d have a little play about with the truck,’ recalls Andy.

Words and Pictures: Mike Trott ‘Three and a half hours later and half the truck had gone missing! I immediately got that thought of “Have I done the right thing?”’

In that three or so hours, Andy had lopped three feet off the rear of his D1’s chassis and set in motion what would become a seven-month project towards the state in which you see it now.

It wasn’t in the best shape when Andy got it either, citing that it was ‘a bit smashed up’. It wasn’t so bad that Andy didn’t even give it a second glance, though. His previous D1 was reaching the end of its life and, having only been with manuals previously, he got on the auto rave with his latest Disco delight.

‘It’s nice having an automatic, but I’m still not convinced that autos are the right way to go,’ reveals Andy. ‘I’m toying with the idea of switching to a manual again, but there’s always pros and cons for both.’

One decision that has always been assured was carrying the old engine over from his last D1. The metallic

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Heavy-duty trailing arms, dislocation cones, relocated top mounts, lift springs, poly bumps… it’s all the stuff of a vehicle that’s been built with serious fun in mind

burgundy-turned-zesty green-Discovery may have only been bought for £400 in 2011, but Andy put his heart – and wallet – into the engine he ran in his previous Disco.

Andy has a 300Tdi engine in this Discovery and you’ll see why he wanted to keep it. Having given it over to the guys at WBH Performance in Lincolnshire, this power unit received quite the attention; with new timing valves, an uprated intercooler, silicone hoses and even a full port and polish. The EGR valve was also removed and the results have spoken for themselves.

At the time of the work being completed, Andy’s Disco was putting out over 145bhp and 240lb ft of torque.

It could do 50-70mph in less than 9 seconds and 0-60mph in less than 13!

Not bad for a two-tonne goliath.

Given the fact this all cost the best part of £1900, we think Andy’s made a good decision to keep such an impressive motor.

There are many more impressive features on this traybacked Disco, though. The auto box, for example, is mated to the transfer box from a 90.

And because it is an automatic, there is no flywheel.

‘I was snapping the flexiplate because of the amount of torque going through the gearbox,’ admits Andy. ‘So I fitted an Ashcroft flexiplate, which is thicker and uses better materials – and I’ve had no problems since.’

Nor has he had a problem with the Ashcroft limited slip diff in his rear axle, although he thinks it may be time to get one on the front too. The Disco now runs on a four-inch lift, with Rough Country 12” travel shocks on the front and 15” units on the rear.

The RAC twister kit helps generate some of that phenomenal articulation and that extends down into the Insa Continued overleaf

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There’s nothing like a bit of underbody armour to make a Land Rover look the business. Not that a traybacked Disco wouldn’t look the business anyway, but you get the idea. A by-product of this is that they’re also very handy at protecting things – like the drag link and panhard rod, in this case. For some reason, the latter remains black while the former is colour-coded, as are various other items beneath the vehicle

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Above: This is the engine that had more money spent on it than the whole of the entire car was bought for. Andy had this 300Tdi ‘enhanced’ by WBH Performance; uprating the intercooler, removing the EGR, new timing valves and having a port and polish, this ramped up the bhp to over 145. 0-60mph was dealt with in under 13s and, more crucially, the torque was spiked up to 240lbf.ft

Above: This is one of Andy’s custom jobs and a necessity when traybacking a Discovery. The fuel tank has been relocated, firstly behind part of the external rollcage and secondly, in the centre for better centre of gravity. The external frame stretches to the front of the roof for now, but a challenge front end is on the wish-list Left: Fully polybushed and continuing the green theme once more, the radius arms are QT6s – denoting that this has surpassed the 3” lift mark Below: Andy’s D1 making use of the Special Tracks he’s provided for it

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Turbo Special Tracks to be found at each corner of the truck.

It’s a great truck that Andy has spent many hours working on, along with the help from one of his friends, Simon, who runs SJB Car Body Specialists in Burton-on-Trent. Simon is actually the brains – or the Picasso – behind the disturbingly bright-green aura of Andy’s Disco.

‘I’d asked Simon to paint it green for me; I was in London at the time, when I got a call from him saying it was ready to pick up,’ says Andy with a wry smile.

‘I went to collect it and saw it for the first time… I said “Wow, it’s a real sunglasses green!” and Simon just replied “Well it’s green like you asked for”!’

It turns out he’d decided to use a Honda motocross green paint. Indeed, when Andy travels to some of the many Land Rover shows about this country, there aren’t many people who walk past without noticing.

Being noticed is partly why Andy upgraded to Discoverys. Originally, he had a convertible Suzuki SJ. He was into his shooting, but as the winter drew closer, someone suggested a switch to laning. Happy to try most things, Andy went out with a club, saw how big and impressive the Discos were and decided on the spot that he ‘needed’ to jump on the Disco bandwagon.

Now a three-Discovery veteran, Andy runs the Staffs 4x4 club with his friend Andy Guest, and gets plenty of help from his pals Darren and Amanda.

It’s the community vibe that has been the main reason for Andy’s continued participation in Land Rovers and off-roading. Mark my words, there’s no holding back when the Staffs 4x4 group get going on the banter front; there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Andy got stuck at Silverdale!

Nonetheless, they’ll always be there to pull each other out.

‘99% of people in the Land Rover world want to help you and it just seems like one big happy family,’ explains Andy. ‘When you’ve got a good club with great members, it makes a real difference.’

As for the differences on Andy’s truck, it’s gone from being a boring, weathered, old thing to a vibrant offroad tool – which must say something about Andy’s own personality.

He’s not finished with it completely, either, as a full challenge front end is on the horizon, with a few more tweaks like the front LSD and a rear winch on the Christmas list, turning this terrain trouncer into a green playday leviathan.

Like all projects, it’ll be finished one day. One day…

Thanks to Jim Johnston and Explore Off-Road for letting us use their brilliant Silverdale site in which to photograph Andy’s truck. Silverdale hosts pay and play days once a month – to chek out the upcoming dates there, pay a visit to www.exploreoffroad.com

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Issue 23: Jan 2016

Yorkshire is expanding – and we’re not referring to the county. There’s a desire to explore the world and take our fine Land Rovers to the furthest corners in the process. And now, with a little help from Yorkshire Overland Tours, that dream is coming a little closer to reality…

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Overlanding with a h

Words: Mike Trott and Mark Janssen Pictures: Mark Janssen and Paul Visser

T

he Pyrenees may be a long way from the rolling hills and quiet dales of Yorkshire, but there’s a company out there that is bringing these two places closer together – and a whole host of other overland destinations too.

Yorkshire Overland Tours is the result of a branching out by Yorkshire 4x4 Specialists. It takes the adventurous spirit and the Yorkshire people’s love of the countryside, wrapping it up in an overland package for those who want to give themselves, and their Land Rover, a true adventure.

We caught up with Marc Verstraeten and Paul Visser from the Netherlands after they spent a week in the Pyrenees with Yorkshire Overland Tours.

They travelled from Les in Spain, close to the French border, to Andorra la Vella, taking in all the beauty of the popular mountain range and the fantastic trails that lie in wait for willing explorers.

‘I expected the Pyrenees to be teeming with people in their 4x4 cars, walkers, mountain bikers, but we hardly

saw anyone,’ Marc says when he thinks back on his trip through the Pyrenees.

In May this year, Marc and Paul rented a Land Rover Defender 110 from Yorkshire Overland Tours to join one of their guided trips through the Pyrenees.

They completed a group of four: Pat and Bob in their 90; Elaine, Simon and their children Alan and Abby in a 110; and David and Kate in a Ford Ranger.

With Russell Dykes and Mark Janssen as tour leaders in another Defender 110, the five vehicles made for a good number as they headed off on their travels.

Neither Marc nor Paul are seasoned overland travellers and neither owns a 4x4 vehicle. What had attracted them to this tour was the opportunity to rent a Defender and drive in a small group under the guidance of Russ and Mark,

confident that the route had been researched, that everything was prepared and safe and that they would be travelling through stunning scenery.

They were not disappointed. ‘Wild, beautiful surroundings; pure nature, the views, the fresh air,’ say Marc and Paul

together. Clearly they’ve extracted very similar memories from the time they spent in the mountains.

‘I remember the shadows passing over the car as those enormous vultures majestically flew over. That impressed

me every time. And the silence – after we had switched off the engines,’ Paul adds with a smile.

They were amazed at how the route took them to places you’d normally never get to; places you didn’t realise even existed in Europe. The variation in the landscapes they travelled through also struck them.

No two days were the same.

‘You’d drive high up a mountain until well over 2000 metres (6600 ft.) where it was crisply cold, barren and rocky.

You’d negotiate some snow and then descend into a lush green valley, with meadows, cows, sheep and have lunch in the shade because it was too warm in the sun,’ Paul explains, almost in disbelief.

They liked the villages they passed through as well, with one in particular

being the church of Montgarri, spectacularly situated within the landscape.

‘And don’t forget the excellent food in Spanish restaurants,’ Marc pipes up.

As the recollections start to flow, it turns out that on two occasions the group did meet other people on the road. The first instance was when they had crawled up a mountain over a steep, narrow, rocky track. At the top, where they joined another track, there was a Ford Fiesta, cueing the howls of laughter from everyone in the group.

A somewhat panicky Spaniard, who was definitely not laughing, came out of the Fiesta and walked up to Russ and Mark’s Defender. He was lost. Could he go down the track the 4x4s had just come up on? They persuaded him that it wouldn’t be a wise option. He then started to ask where Espot was. Mark, being the navigator, knew where it was and could point him in the right direction, reassuring him that he had the worst behind him.

The other occasion was when Marc and Paul were the last car in the convoy and saw a police car in a cloud of

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hint of Yorkshire

dust coming up fast from behind. The convoy stopped by the side of the track.

As the car passed the leading vehicle of Russ and Mark, the driver slowed down a bit, shouting through his opened window: ‘Everything okay?’ Everything was definitely okay with our group, as they were in the Pyrenees having a trip to remember. So, with a big wave and a smile he continued on his way.

For Marc, his trip started when the information package arrived, containing all sorts of practical stuff and a day-to-day description of the route and its highlights. The pictures especially set his imagination working about what was to come. For Paul it started en route when everyone met for dinner near Limoges and had their first overnight stay. Meeting the other participants before the trip itself kicked off helped to build a group feeling.

This was further strengthened the following day when the group visited Oradour-sur-Glane – a village razed by a German SS division in 1944. All but six of its 648 inhabitants were killed.

At the behest of General De Gaulle, the

village was preseved exactly as the nazis left it, as a memorial to the dead – and it remains that way to this day.

‘Sometimes in pairs, sometimes in small groups, or individually, we walked through the ruins. It made the unimaginable tangible. Strange though it may seem, it was a great beginning to the tour, so unexpected and out of the ordinary. I’m convinced it created a bond between us,’ says Paul.

On the first day of the tour, from Les to Rialp, the group had to deal with two obstacles, prompting that team spirit into action. The first was when at an altitude of 2100 metres, snow blocked the track, having not yet melted away at the north side of the mountain.

Everyone, therefore, had to turn around on a narrow track, with a sheer drop to one side (no barriers here). In a completely natural way, gently directed

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by Russ, some acted as spotters, some took photographs and some just played in the snow – but no Land Rovers or humans were harmed in the process.

On the same day, the track was blocked once more, only this time by an avalanche. There seemed to be a way around it, though, if some of the trees

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over the road could be moved aside.

Russ asked a few people to walk further down the road to check that if they made a passage, they would indeed be able to continue.

After a positive report from the recce party, a few people cleared the track and the convoy moved on. Sadly, the recce party had decided that 100 metres of reconnaissance were enough. Another 50 metres further on, beyond a bend, another avalanche brought them to a final halt. So another 180degree turn later…

‘At one point the road was blocked by pylons because of roadworks further on. We turned right, then left, on to a fantastic track and came out exactly where we were supposed to be.

Mark only told us later that this was

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completely improvised. I thought it was meant to be that way,’ Marc recalls.

The same goes for a beautiful spot where they had lunch one day. Russ and Mark had seen it from high above and had spotted a vague and steep track to it.

‘We drove to the beginning of this track; Russ instructed us on how to drive it safely, which gear to select, and one by one we went down without feeling jittery for a moment,’ describes Paul. ‘Again, we had no idea that this was unplanned.’

Every day brought something new and exciting. On the last day, the group drove along the famous Smuggler’s Route into Andorra ‘This route is so well-known, you’d think there’d be more people driving it, but we were the only ones’.

The weather held, which was just as well as the track was muddy and the torrential downpour that burst loose moments after they hit tarmac would have turned the trail into a slip ‘n’ slide.

‘But even if that had happened, by then we were such a team that we would have put a rope on one of the Land Rovers and pulled Dave and Kate’s Ranger through,’ Marc grins.

Paul continues, ‘And you know what, the story didn’t end in Andorra, either.

After some time we received a photo album from our trip. It is perfect, professionally photographed and produced; a lasting reminder of a great time.’

So, of all those great memories, which ones stand out the most for these two adventurers?

‘The dust!’ they exclaim together.

‘Mark and Russ are so lucky to be in the first vehicle,’ concludes Marc.

Yorkshire Overland Tours is the sister company to Yorkshire 4x4 Specialists. It runs a host of different tours throughout the year, from the Pyrenees to Morocco. The company also runs a programme of green lane tours in the UK, seeking out the very best routes for customers that Yorkshire and beyond have to offer. For more information on their tours, visit www. yorkshireoverlandtours.com or www. yorkshire4x4specialists.com

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Issue 23: Jan 2016

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The Project Has Landed: Part Three

S

ince our last instalment of Nicky Smith’s Series III rebuild, he’s found out the purpose of a hand throttle, pulled through some fuel in the twin-tank system and fired up his Landy for the first time. The arctic heater is proving to be a worthwhile asset, too. He’s also managed to bleed all over his beloved truck after a bit of a workshop mishap, but the good news is that this month we find him in a good humour – things definitely seem to be looking up!

F

or a spell, I seemed to have a fair share of luck on eBay. I usually miss out on any real bargains but, for a week or so, it seemed like my turn to get lucky.

I picked up a rear door in excellent condition, with lock and key, for the princely sum of £21. And when I got there to collect it, I was asked if I wanted a driver’s side door-bottom in nearly new condition, with just a bit of surface rust, for £20. Yes please!

I also won a set of Discovery steel wheels for £10.20. Three of the tyres were shot, but one was more than good enough for a spare.

After unloading the car, I set about removing the old back door from the Landy. Which made it easy to see why it needed replacing… what was left of it!

Words and Pictures: Nicky Smith I’m happy to report that I actually managed to get something right, by noticing the door retaining strap before I had taken all of the hinge bolts out. Trying to hold the door in place while reaching for a spanner could have been interesting!

Having swapped the inner door handle from the old one to the new, soon a nice new door stood in place of the old rusty one. There was a different retaining arm on this door but, seeing as I had so carefully noticed the canvas one, I removed the metal one completely.

It turned out to be as easy as I could have hoped for. Bending up the flap at the end of the run and removing the rubber stopper, it soon popped out and then I just folded the end flap back down again.

Next up, I fitted the interior handle to the new door and ta-da, my Landy had a door that closed and locked! It was the only one I could say this about, but hey, that’s one more than I had the day before!

The weather was in my favour over the next few days and I was geekily excited, because I had managed to

buy a pair of half-decent front doors that weekend. So that was the next job sorted. I was happy to find that my truck’s door hinges and bolts hadn’t rusted away into scrap and they came off quite easily.

You’d think I would have learned my lesson by now, but at this point I must warn anyone who hasn’t removed doors before, like me, that it’s far easier if you remove the door stay before the hinges. This will save you standing there like a pillock, with a rusty door hanging in your hands while still attached to the vehicle, wondering what

the hell you are going to do now! Oh how the neighbours laughed…

So before taking the hinges off, remove the cover, then the door stay, but take the split pin out before removing the bolt. Then the door will come off freely and unhindered, saving you no end of red-faced embarrassment.

After removing and refitting the door latches to the replacement doors, they were soon attached to the Landy and I started rubbing them back ready for priming. Amidst the continued priming, the top-coat paint was delivered. It may not have looked much different to

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk the start of the day, but the Landy was now at least rust-free.

There were some old bits and pieces from the previous doors and wing that I had kicking around the house, including the window runners that I needed to put on the replacement doors. So I spent an hour making money on eBay rather than losing it to raise some much needed funds for the project.

The next day was a biggy. I got up early to collect some new rollers and got stuck in painting the top coat.

With the strong breeze and sunshine I managed to get two coats on before wrapping it up for work.

Putting the lights back on with the newly-painted headlight surrounds and air intake vent cover followed the morning after. It was only then that it actually starting to look like a proper Landy again!

The chores of family life, however, then called upon me to forget the Landy and remember that my middle daughter needed collecting from uni…

Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before I was back at it and taking advantage of the lovely dry weather. It gave me time to just potter with the Landy – it’s amazing how much you can get done when you’re not trying to do anything in particular!

The driver’s door needed the restraining bar refitting, but it needed new holes drilling before I could fit the end cap on. Then I refitted the air intake mesh before turning my attention to the front of the roof. When I

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Far Left and Left: So, spot the difference: attempt one... This shows the door restraining bar before and after Nicky set his mind on it. New holes were drilled prior to the metal cap being fitted

was painting it I realised that there were a few holes where rivets had been before, so the easiest way forward was to replace these.

Even after all those little jobs, a glance at my watch told me I still had plenty of time for messing about.

I thought I’d take a punt on the driver’s-side wing mirror – turns out it’s surprising what effect these little changes have on the whole motor!

Now it was on to the headlights. As it turns out, these were the standard military issue units – which differ from civvy ones in just about every way! Luckily I had already bought the replacement headlamp frames and they were still attached to sealed units and headlight cones.

I stripped out the military lights and set about fitting the civvy standards, remembering to use the correct fittings and wiring. I also fitted the halogen conversion lamps that have been in the shed for a couple of months, along with the headlamp surrounds.

I was, thankfully, starting to see some progress on the Landy. But there was still so much to do. I loved the fact it was looking good again, though. I may have bled, I may have sweated – but it hasn’t brought me to tears just yet!

Below: Spot the difference: attempt two...

This just shows the state of the Landy before it fell into Mr Smith’s ownership.

We’re fairly certain we don’t need to point out which of the wing mirrors is the fresh-looking new one...

Left: The bargain Disco wheels Nicky rescued from eBay – some better than others Below: The culprit responsible for nearly giving Nicky’s neighbours hours of laughter.

Fortunately, Nicky still managed that on the other doors!

For those of you who would like to hear the full escapades from Nicky’s time rebuilding his Series III, or if you can’t wait to hear how he gets on with the rest of the project, you can purchase a copy of The Project Has Landed from Amazon, at www.amazon.co.uk

Below and right: Various new bits and pieces of body that have been expertly won on eBay by Nicky – his fortunes must have been in this month! These are pre-primer state, but it didn’t take long for them to match the roof, rear body and front wings

The cost so far: Land Rover £375 Sanding discs £11.70 Ignition barrel £20 Heritage letter £21.75 2 batteries and rear quarter light £35 Battery terminal clamps £3.99 Floorpan nuts and bolts £6.50 Grinding disc £2.25

Underseal £8.99 Complete set of lights £85 Primer £24.99 4 Discovery wheels £10.20 Rear door £21.00 Front door £20.00 Handbrake spring £1.50 2 Discovery wheels £0

Seatbelts £0 Wing mirror £0 2 headlight surrounds £0 2 headlight frames £60 2 front doors £60 Nato green paint £36 TOTAL £803.87

38 USED LAND ROVERS FOR SALE w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k

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Issue 23: Jan 2016

Series I

Series I 86” V8 Truck-Cab. Recommissioned after 10 years in dry storage. 76,126 miles. Rover V8, SIII gearbox (full syncro), Fairey overdrive, FWH. Series III Salisbury axles with LWB rear drums at front. Parabolics. Overhauled swivels, like-new brake linings and cylinders. Told engine has been overhauled, bored to 3.9, lightened and balanced with a fast road cam. Custom rear frame with canvas from a 109.

New seats, fuel system, distributor and coil during recommissioning, also new engine oil and filter, spark plugs, brake fluids. Chassis and bulkhead have both been patched but are still very strong. £7995. Whitchurch, Staffs, 07811 698250 12/15

rebuilt using a Series III donor, so has later wheels, engine (2.3 petrol) and gearbox. Would benefit from cosmetic restoration inside. Can be driven away, used and enjoyed, but has scope for an enthusiast to restore to original Series IIA if desired. Current seats are far from standard, but I have a brand new set; all three cost £200-plus, but will sell for £150 if desired. £2995. Hertfordshire, 07749 444590 11/15

Series II 2.25 petrol (1959).

Fully restored to pristine condition on galvanised chassis with reconditioned engine, gearbox etc. Far too much to list. £24,000 or sensible offers. 07721 967591 11/15

plumbed nor ancillaries connected, condition not guaranteed, however a good used Discovery 2.5 Tdi, including all ancillaries, is available for £250.00. Registered as a tractor and used for forestry; tax and MOT exempt. Offered for sale in ‘as is’ condition. £4475.

Kilwinning, Ayrshire, FCLR@ Canada-11.com 11/15

Series III

Series IIA 88” Truck-Cab (1967). Two owners, last one since 1981. In regular use, starts and runs though the steering is a bit hit and miss – could be a worn rack or ball joints. It’s a complete vehicle and would make an ideal restoration project. £3000.

Oswestry, Shropshire, 01691 682677 11/15

Series II

Series IIA 88” (1965). For sale due to lack of use. Professionally

Series IIA Forward Control (1964). For repair. 47,507 miles.

In reasonable order but requires repairs to make it roadworthy so would most likely suit an experienced enthusiast. ENV axles and FWH. Early 2.5 nat-asp Defender diesel engine – not fuel

stripped down and its chassis has had new a crossmember and outriggers, been fully painted etc. The 1959 Landy is almost completely there but again will need rebuilding, had Series III axles fitted but the originals are there. Both have old style V5s. £2250. Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taff, 07791 869549 12/15

Two Series IIs (1961 and 1959). Both 2.25 diesel. The 1961 model is still complete and not in too bad a general condition but does need a rebuild. The other Land Rover has previously been

Series III diesel (1978). Chassis-up rebuild. Galvanised chassis, rebuilt engine. New pistons, timing chain, cylinder head, cam followers, pump and injectors, heater plugs, radiator, exhaust, starter motor, battery, full rewire, FWH, overdrive, swivels, clutch kit and slave, all copper brake pipes, brake master and four drum cylinders, diesel tank and sender.

Rebuilt bulkhead, tub floor and cross members. All new seats and belts. Full MOT. £9750 ono.

Manchester, 07749 866756 or 0161 688 6008 01/16

Series III 88” (1981). 55,946 miles. Complete vehicle with Fairey overdrive and freewheeling hubs. Starts, runs and drives fine, but chassis needs work or replacement. Has a very rare fibreglass hard top and sides (1 of only 10 made). No MOT or tax.

Sold as seen for spares or repair, with no warranty given. £1200.

Tiverton, Devon, 01398 331800 12/15

Series III 109” Safari (1979).

Major restoration just completed,

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passed MOT on 11 September.

Isuzu Trooper 2.8 TD engine starts first time and pulls like a train – it has no electronics whatsoever and is bullet proof. Faultless, silent LT77 5-speed gearbox with full-time 4wd and locking centre diff. New parabolic springs and shocks. Defender PAS box fed

by Isuzu pump. Front axle disc brake conversion. Vacuum brake servo fed from Isuzu alternator.

Brand new bespoke exhaust front to back. New clutch cylinder.

Modified Ford reclining front seats with headrests. Chassis has no rot and has been rustproofed. Fuel tank sealed with POR-15. All fuel and brake lines are brand new. 4 brand new Pirelli Dakar tyres on powder coated wheels and the clutch cylinder is new. Body was hand-painted and could be better – but all body panels are straight and original. £4500. Burton on Trent, 07973 682402 11/15

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them as the roll bar takes so much space, however it can easily be unbolted and removed if desired.

Bank of switches from coastguard use, plus leather gaiters which have kept the swivels in good condition. New rear springs.

Clear of rust, however bodywork is fairly rough, passenger’s side front wing is dented and was badly filled by previous owner.

A few drips of oil from various places. £3000. Deanshanger, Bucks, 07779 588695 11/15

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they should. Has a switch for twin tanks, but only one fitted. 3 new front seats plus rear bench. New canvas top. Fitted rollbar (easily removable ) and rear spare wheel holder. Towbar and electrics fitted. Paintwork could be improved, and it’s on non-standard wheels (fitted for a butch look).

Currently Q-plated, but original chassis plates are present and correct so you could revert to an age-related number. Mileage can’t be verified but I have MOTs from 1990-2004 which do bear it out. Has been on SORN since and was stodd for years, but it was easy to recommision. V5 present.

All offers considered. £4500.

London, 07711 064214 01/16

Series III Hi-Cap petrol. Current MOT. Original condition. Very rare – this is 1 of only 17 left. £3200 ono. 07544 889163 12/15

Series IIA Lightweight (1969). £2800. ajblundell@gmail. com 01/16

Series III 88” diesel (1983).

40,294 miles showing. Full MOT. In good condition, having just been recommissioned with a very good 5-bearing engine.

Deluxe interior (seats, door cards, carpet). Good seats (just a few nicks). Rear bench seats with belts. 4x Goodyear Wrangler 205 x16 tyres (spare is a Camac). 11” front drums. Runs and drives well, nice patina inside and out, neat and tidy and not at all scruffy.

Currently on SORN. £2350.

07791 461223 12/15

Series III 88” (1984). Solid chassis, new MOT (no advisories).

Ex-coastguard with factory-fitted winch in full working order with brand new rope. Three front seats with belts and roll bar in the rear. I do have two sets of folding bench seats which can be put in the rear, but have never fitted

Series III diesel (1983). In need of restoration. Requires gearbox to be fitted (there are two with the vehicle) and new diff, plus brakes, seats etc. Bodywork and chassis in excellent condition for age. Was stored under blankets in a garage for 10 years, now selling as a relative has passed away. £1750 ono, Somerset, pgev123@btinternet.com, 01278 723745 11/15

Lightweight

Series III Lightweight (believed 1979). 20,000 miles.

12 months’ MOT. Rock-solid chassis (undersealed some time ago) and bulkhead. Floorpans have been replaced. Engine starts effortlessly every time and runs, revs and idles beautifully but does over-run when turned off. Gear change, drive and brakes work as

Clubs

Car seats in front. Large awning.

Excellent tyres, recent new exhaust, brake shoes and brake cylinders. Good sound, rust-free truck (apart from door tops). £6950. Malvern, Worcs, rogerbrett45@hotmail.com 12/15

101 Forward Control (1976).

29,700 kilometres backed up by old MOTs. MOT March 16.

Demobbed by Army in Sept 1993.

3.6-litre V8 (was bored from 3.5 while by the MOD). Waxoyled.

LPG fitted Sep 2005, currently not working but I understand it just needs a switch. Apart from this, an additional cooling fan and a stereo, it’s in 100% original condition – I think even the paintwork.

4 new Cooper Discoverer STs. Comes with an A4 file of history, receipts and MOD maintenance schedule. Exhaust is blowing, starter needs a tap, a few small oil leaks, some dials need attention. £7000. East Dereham, 07425 605829 01/16

90 Series III Lightweight GS (1979). Last stationed with the infantry in Northern Ireland prior to MOD release, making its 12-volt electrics a little unusual (most Army Lightweights were 24v FFRs). Engine is an ABRO reconditioned unit fitted prior to release. The Lightweight was going to be a project but events have overtaken me and it has to go. Like any Land Rover of this vintage, it lets water in and lets oil out, but essentially it is all there and it runs. Gauges have let me down and the front right indicator is proving a stubborn fix. RH fuel tank was removed by a previous owner. It will come with two spare tyres on rims, the jack and handle and a stack of paperwork. £5000. Shaftesbury, Dorset, 07989 560075

101

101 Ambulance (1974). LHD. V8 with LPG conversion. 30,700 kilometres on original engine.

New MOT. First registered privately in 2000. Drives well, and on the button. Partially Waxoyled.

Serviced 1000km ago. Partial camper conversion by previous owner which needs completing.

Has 240v hook-up with sockets, leisure battery, water tank, filler, pump, tap, external shower (all fitted but need connecting).

Single-leg table (needs new base socket). Sofas convert to large double bed. Blown air heater, lights, fans etc. Useful roof rack.

90 (1989). 88,015 miles. MOT March 2016. 300 Tdi with R380 box and LT230 transfer case. Very good chassis. 24-spline Disco axles front and rear. 3” lift kit with dislocation cones and extended poly bump stops. Steering and diff guards, front bumper with new 13,000lb Winchmax with remote and synthetic rope. 5 virtually new 295/85R16 Insa Turbo Special Tracks on modular steels with 30mm spacers. Snorkel, chassis-mounted cage, rock sliders, MIB challenge corners, side-exit exhaust, chequer-plated bonnet, wings, doors and rear load area. CB, spotlights, work lamp, harnesses, waterproof seat covers. New brake pipes, gearbox mountings and full service prior to MOT in March. £4750. Tamworth, 07957 368779 11/15

Defender 90 2.4 TDCi XS SW (2007). 100,000 miles.

ABS, traction, alloys, tow bar, air-con, heated leather seats, PAS, electric windows, CD stereo.

Excellent condition throughout, regularly serviced with no trouble. BFGoodrich All-Terrain tyres in good condition, chequer plate, central cubby box, rear tow hitch. Remapped. Obviously there are some marks here and there. £16,100. Fyfield, Essex, 07968 819333 12/15

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Defender 90 300Tdi (1996).

101,000 miles. MOT July 2016.

Owned for 10 years – only done 20,000 miles in that time, but serviced every year. New timing belt in 2013. Comes with a detailed record of work done, plus 14 old MOTs to verify mileage. Never used for any serious off-road stuff, though the previous owner fitted steering/diff guards and rock sliders. Sound chassis (Waxoyled when I bought it) with just two small patches on the rear crossmember. 12/230V invertor with split-charge system (second battery not currently fitted). 3 seats.

Dixon Bate adjustable towbar.

Only selling as I’ve now bought a Puma. £4850. Hassocks, West Sussex. 07887 575151 01/16

Defender 90 V8 3.9 EFi (1986).

79,000 miles (unknown miles on engine). Full year’s MOT. First registered with DVLA as a 3.5 but has since been upgraded. Range Rover running gear. High and low range work as they should, as does all wiring. ECU located in the cab. Electric fans. Fantastic chassis with no sign of any welding or rot. Lifted and polybushed. Tyres have probably done less than 500 miles. Swing-away rear wheel carrier. Well made rear seats with belts. Rear cargo cage. Will sit at 70mph+ on the motorway.

A few bumps and scrapes, and some rust on the door bottoms plus a bit on the corners of the bulkhead, but the rest is solid.

Little exhaust blow but just on a joint. £2995. Weston Super Mare, 07725 687197 01/16

90 200Tdi Truck-Cab (1994).

161,000 miles. MOT November 2015 (happy to put another year on it). Engine and transmission all good, pulls well and drives well for age. Good, solid chassis and bulkhead, recent rear crossmember. Body and paint all clean and tidy for age. Presentable interior, just a couple of rips on seats. New Exmoor Trim hood and sticks. Lifted suspension, Insa Turbos, modular wheels, T-Max winch (has new motor), snorkel, front diff guard, new rear springs, complete new exhaust. May part-ex or swap for something interesting. £5499. Harwich, Essex, 07868 609994 11/15

90 200Tdi Station Wagon (1989). Galv chassis. Full exo cage with 4 spots. LR roof rack,

modified to take tent. Rear ladders, NAS step and swing-away wheel carrier. 12,000lb Superwinch in rear crossmember. New 285/75R16 Insa Turbo Special Tracks on Boost alloys with 30mm spacers and wide arches. Steering guard, tank guard, diff guards, rock sliders. Big intercooler, electric fan. Heavy-duty steering arms and upgraded damper. 2” lift kit, Fox shocks, tubular front turrets, 2” rear shock droppers and dislocation cones. Full stainless Janspeed exhaust. Puma bonnet with chequer plate. NAS front winch bumper. Snorkel and ram air vent on wing. Momo steering wheel. Puma doors with electric windows. TD5 dash, TDCi half-leather forward facing seats with matching fronts and cubby box. £17,000. Cambridge, 01223 424646 11/15

90 200Tdi (1985). 171,262 miles. MOT July 2016. Disco engine and box. Drives well on and off-road. High/low range and diff lock all work. +2” springs and shocks, +2” spring spacers, dislocation cones, steering and diff guards, rock sliders, rear bumperettes with under-wing protection, snorkel, front winch bumper (no winch), A-bar and light bar with spots, new exhaust, twin batteries, 16” modulars with Special Tracks. Rear door could do with a new skin but frame very good. £4300 ovno. Kettering, Northants, 07837 014310 01/16

Defender 90 300 Tdi (1989).

120,000 miles. Off-road beast!

Mods include cage, 2” lift, ProComp shocks, 285/85R16 Insa Turbo Special Tracks, wide arches, winch bumper, rock sliders, steering and diff guards, stainless smokestack, snorkel, LED bar, clear indicator lenses, drilled and grooved brake discs and chequer plate stowage box. During my ownership it’s had a propshaft, radiator, windscreen and seal, new wiper motor and blades, hub gaskets, rocker cover gasket, diff and transmission oil services, new light and wiper stalks, all filters, new fuel pipe, isolator switch and clutch master cylinder. Been offroad many times and never stuck. £6500 ono. Newton Abbot, Devon, 07949 249743 01/16

90 V8 (1986). 105,000 miles. A very rare genuine factory 3.5 V8.

2” suspension lift, large Grabber tyres, Exmoor seats, Sparco steering wheel. MOT ran out early this year. I’ve been told it needs a new LPG switch and fuse carrier rewire. £3981. Blackpool, 07870 891181 11/15

Issue 23: Jan 2016

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w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k

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Issue 23: Jan 2016

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Defender 90 200Tdi (1984).

62,611 miles. Selling due to lack of use. 200Tdi (Defender not Disco engine), always starts first turn.

New timing belt, water pump and radiator last year. Scorpion Racing extreme suspension kit and castor corrected front arms.

Mach 5 wheels and Simex Jungle Trekker 2 tyres (inc spare). Axles uprated to 24-spline, rear has hardened halfshafts. Rear ARB with high-output pump and extra air tank to reinflate tyres. Scorpion bumper, Warn 9.5 XP with Dynema and in-cab controls. HD steering bars, aluminium 3-piece steering guard. Rock sliders, diff and tank guards. Safari Snorkel.

Full exo cage. Front spot lights, electric fan, Exmoor trim soft top.

Rear fold-down seats with lap belts. Galvanised chassis fitted some years ago and its still solid.

CB, NATO hitch, high-lift mount on bonnet. All oils changed before MOT in April. £5600. Benfleet, Essex, 07970 689629 01/16

West Midlands

North East Scotland

Bobtail 90 300Tdi (1987).

145,000 miles. New MOT (no advisories). Solid chassis (never welded or patched), good bulkhead, 3M undersealed. Discovery axles, copper brake lines and braided hoses, polybushed, discs all round. Winch bumper, sill protectors, sump and rear diff guards. As-new tyres. New carpet and paint job. Brake bias lever inside. Land Rover seats.

Comes with a full roll cage (not fitted). House move forces sale.

Dash not in great condition and windows do rattle, but in very good condition overall. £4500.

Sedlescombe, East Sussex, 07732 518700 12/15

Defender 90 300 Tdi king-cab (1994). 100,000 miles. Just rebuilt and resprayed. Built with no expense spared for road, laning and fun days. All original engine, gearbox, axles and chassis. Mods include +2” HD springs and +5” shocks, Gwyn Lewis mounts and dislocation kit, Johnny Jointed trailing arms, HD steering arms, MSA-spec blue band cage, 8274 with wide drum and Bow 2 on HD bumper, Albright solenoids, rear winch tray for low-line winch or 8274, twin batteries with new split-charge, good Simex Jungle Trekkers (spare brand new) on original Mach 5s with 20mm spacers, rock/tree sliders, full-width Allisport intercooler, side-exit straight-through exhaust, LED front lights. Built to be as comfortable as possible inside, with carpets and soundproofing, new door cards and Exmoor Trim seats. Stage 2 Sigma alarm and new locking wheel nuts. Recent new alternator, PAS pump and water pump, props just rebuilt with new UJs, new CD stereo and speakers, new wings and full respray – there is not a single dent or scratch on this truck. Too nice to bash on trees, so selling as I now have a new challenge truck. Happy to do a deal with no winches. £9500 ono. Wolverhampton, 07583 027038 01/16

90 Soft-Top (1986). Ex-MOD. Will come with 12 months’ MOT. Reliable and fun. Battery under a year old, new alternator, new diff oils. Cheap insurance. A great example. Open to sensible offers. £4995. Kettering, Northants, 07891 402610 12/15

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Issue 23: Jan 2016

We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk and out, drives super. £6995.

Glastonbury, Somerset, 01458 834930 Trade

Defender 90 300 TDi County SW (1986). 59,400 miles. New turbo, full new exhaust, light bar with 4 LED spots, A-bar with 2 Ring spots, rear NAS step with tow bar, NAS lights, PAS, steering guard, snorkel, wheel spacers, front headlining in cab.

Chassis has no rust, a few patches but generally great condition.

Handbrake loose (needs to be tightened). Very clean and tidy – good runner and performs excellently on and off road. Sold as seen. £4500. Long Eaton, Notts, 07929 037037 01/16

90 pick-up (1986). MOT June 16.

Rebuilt last winter on a new galv TD5 chassis. Low-mileage 300Tdi engine and box. Salisbury rear axle. +3” springs on 2” lift blocks, long-travel shocks, extended front top mounts, cranked radius arms.

Dislocation cones. Diff, sump and steering guards. Rock sliders.

Tree bars for body (not fitted).

HD steering rod. 2.5” side-exit straight-through exhaust. EGR deleted. Insa Turbos on modulars, 30mm spacers, extended arches.

Winch bumper and winch. Qt quick-release easy-wash bucket seats. Nissan Navara roll top adapted to fit Land Rover bed. Recent new A-frame ball joint, rear calipers, timing belt, manifold and rocker gaskets, water pump, aux belt, alternator (recon), rear axle bearings and seals, speedo cable, snorkel and much more.

Body a bit rough in places and it needs a few bits and pieces doing, but it’s a great vehicle and with a little bit of love could be fantastic for many years to come. £4500.

Stourbridge, West Midlands, 07912 359227 01/16

Land Rover Defender 90 DT King-Cab (1989). 211,000 miles.

MOT April. Extended cabin will comfortably accommodate a 6’ 4” driver. Mods done (all in 2014) include +2” suspension with rear dislocation cones, castor-corrected radius arms, X-Eng rear trailing arms, Sumo bars, RTC steering damper, 35x10.50R16 Silverstone tyres, flexi arches, snorkel, rock sliders, steering, diff and fuel tank guards, professionally fitted cage, full-width LED bar, T-Max winch, front and rear recovery points, side-exit exhaust, Cobra Monaco recliners, Sabelt 4-point harnesses, Momo 14” steering wheel, CB, crystal headlamp conversion.

Recent clutch, starter motor, rear crossmember, rear diff, exhaust manifolds and full service. Gemini 3 Turbo, silicone hoses, Allisport header tank, HD battery. £6000.

Telford, 07767 796360 01/16

Land Rover Defender 90 2.4 TDCi XS (2007). 58,500 miles.

Bought July 2014 and fully Arctic prepared for a four-week Scandinavian trip in mid-winter.

Hannibal Roof Rack with chequer plate floor, Lightforce 140mm driving lights, Devon 4x4 light bar, Rigid Industries E2 20” Combo 150W LED bar and dually rear LED, Hi-Lift jack, Masai steering guard and winch bumper, Warn M8000 12v winch, Webasto fuel-powered cab and diesel heater (with digital timer, which is included but not fitted), 2x Odyssey PC1230 batteries with voltage-sensing Blues splitcharge, Mantec internal window grilles. Performance chipped by previous owner. Cooper Discoverer 235/85R16 M+S tyres with only 6000km and unused spare, plus full spare set of General Grabber M+S tyres with over 5mm tread and unused spare. Prep work done by Land Rover main dealers, had previously been serviced by independent Landy specialists.

Large accessory bundle also available for £450, including Hannibal storage boxes with covers, snow chains, Trac Mats, jerry can, winching kit, fuel tank and cooler guards, ARB puncture repair kit, external window grilles and winch blanket. £18,500 ono.

Hemel Hempstead, Herts, 07946 433397 01/16

110

Defender 110 Hi-Cap. Over 10k spent with a Defender specialist within the last three months to turn it into a modified off-roader.

Discovery Tdi engine with 100k miles (replaced original V8), +2” suspension, Simex tyres, wide-angle prop, front and rear LSD locking diffs, winch and bumper, snorkel, heavy-duty steering bars, roof rack, Warn spotlights. Cubby box. Full respray. £7000. Southampton, 07753 459704 11/15

Defender 110 FFR 200Tdi. Rebuilt from the chassis up by ex-REME Highland Wolf, using low-miles upgrade 200Tdi. New clutch, radiator, exhaust, halfshafts, brakes, gearbox, bulkhead, doors and hinges. Full respray.

Riot screens and cages, infra-red beacon and caged Snatch searchlight. Discovery seats, Riot cages, PAS, pioneer kit. I have spent a fortune on this machine and it’s a one-off show-stopping beast, but circumstances force me to sell. May p/x a desert Snatch Land Rover. £8500 ono. Nairn, Highand, 07980 698137 12/15

Defender 110 2.4 TDCi County Station Wagon (2008). 59,552 miles. MOT Jan 2016. For sale on behalf of one of our loyal customers. Bought and specced up by us in 2011 with Autologic ECU remap, roof rack with additional lights, snorkel, chequer plate, steering guard, side bars and NAS rear step and towbar. Fully carpeted. EGR valve just replaced.

This 110 has had a very easy life and been thoroughly spoilt, as shown by the lack of serious wear and tear inside and out. £19,995.

Hassocks, West Sussex, 01444 241457 Trade

Defender 110 300 Tdi (1994).

169,705 miles. MOT Feb. Drives A1, engine starts first time and pulls well with no smoke. Mechanically very good. Bodywork straight, small hole in bulkhead (been quoted £200 to repair and respray this). Some corrosion to lower door frames, but rear door is fine. Recent new rear crossmember, battery box, clutch and battery. New modular wheels with very good tyres all round.

Just been serviced. For sale as I have too many projects and need the space. £3950. Leeds, 07791 663880 01/16

Defender 110. 126,000 miles.

Long MOT. FSH. Very good condition. BFGoodrich tyres all round. All Service history. A1 interior. Never ‘dogged.’ Expensive upgraded springs and shocks.

Aluminium drop-side rear fitted recently costing over £2250.

Ready for work. £6850 ono.

01920 464540 12/15

Defender 110 Wolf XD 300Tdi Soft-Top (1997). 61,300 miles.

Remus upgrade. Damaged repairable. Date into service with MOD 24/10/1997. Starts, runs, drives and seems to be complete, has had some accident damage but this should not be too hard to repair. £11,000. Nottingham, 07711 229669 12/15

Defender 110 TD5 County (1998). 232,951 miles. MOT Aug 16. Air-con, leather, very high spec. Very clean inside

Defender 110 300Tdi County (1994). 185,500 miles. 11-seater, with belts. Drives well. Just had a new (not recon) head, water pump, clutch, timing belt, rad, steering box and rear exhaust section. High/low range and diff lock all work. +2” suspension, steering and diff guards, snorkel, rock sliders, front winch bumper (no winch) with A-bar and 2 spots, 3/4 roof rack with rear ladder, light bar with 4 spots, 16” modulars with 255/85/16 BFG Muds (lots of life left). Dixon-Bate tow pack with twin electrics. Has been used as a 4x4 response vehicle, hence the amber light. £7250 ovno. Kettering, Northants, 07837 014310 01/16

Land Rover Defender 110. One of a kind show-stopping off-road riot vehicle! Nearly everything has been renewed – now runs a remapped 300Tdi with custom decat exhaust and R380 box. Solid chassis. 35x12.50R15 Cooper Discoverer STTs. ARB compressor and locking diffs front and rear.

Winch bumper with Warn 9000i.

Mantec snorkel. Sill, diff, fuel tank and steering guards. Safety Devices cage with additional work. Riot-control windscreen grille on sliders. Twin Optima batteries. Sony stereo with Reference Infinity speakers and top-of-therange Rainbow amp. Midlands CB and external speaker. Raptor dash. LED lights front and rear.

Drilled and grooved brake discs.

KDX front end. £11,995. Devon, 01404 891888 01/16

Defender 110 XS 2.4 TDCi Station Wagon (2007). 98,000 miles. FSH. With 6-month warranty. MOT and service Feb 2016. £2000 recently spent at specialist Defender garage. Upgraded Bluetooth/MP3/CD/Radio with hands-free kit. Air-conditioning.

Full Winter Pack including front heated seats and heated front windscreen. Black part-leather seats. ABS. Tow bar. Remote central locking. £15,995. Verwood, Dorset, 07815 888878 11/15

Defender 110 TD5 Double Cab (2006). Two owners from new.

Perfect gearbox new 5000 miles ago. Autologic remapped. Warn 9500 winch with remote and

wired switch on dash, Safari snorkel, +2” suspension lift, BFGoodrich Mud-Terrains 285/75/16, custom roof rack for spare wheel, Warn rock sliders, military bumperettes, twin high power reversing lights, twin 100 Watt Rally spot lights, 500 watt stereo (7 speakers), AFN Winch bumper, Ifor Williams canopy. £13,500. 07802 582826 11/15

127/130

130 Defender Tipper (1995).

120,000 miles. Waxoyled every year. Good working order for age.

BFGoodrich All-Terrain tyres with plenty of tread and brand new spare. £7500. Truro, Cornwall, 07812 153707 12/15

Range Rover

Range Rover Classic 3.9 Vogue auto (1995). 105,000 miles with fully stamped service book and manuals. MOT Aug (no advisories).

CVC-reg soft-dash model – this is a final-run model from the very end of Classic production. Clean, velour interior in good condition.

Air-con, electric glass sunroof and Classic badging. Pioneer CD player with iPod socket. Stored since 2009, recently lightly recommissioned and serviced.

Sound underneath, with no rust in any of the usual places. LPG fitted at some point but has been removed. Some scratches, one bumper end-cap missing, new head lining needed, tailgate logo missing. Tyres all good. Drives very well. One electric window not working, and tailgate key lost, but everything else works. This is a genuine original example, ready to use as-is or for an enthusiast to improve. Comes with spares package and full never-fitted tow bar assembly unit. Possible part-ex for classic vehicle or 4x4.

Sensible offers invited. Salisbury. 01980 610411 01/16

Range Rover 4.4 V8 auto Vogue (2004). 103,000 miles.

MOT July 16 (no advisories). Full Land Rover history. Massive spec includes sat-nav, premium sound system, TV, multi-CD and media, grey leather memory seats, heated fronts and rear, Bluetooth, winter screen pack (includes heated steering wheel), folding heated mirrors, leather dash and 20” alloys with 4 new tyres.

Just magnificent throughout, looks amazing and drives, feels and smells like a newer car. Two owners only. Cost £70k new, has been cherished throughout and must be driven to appreciate it. £5950 ono. Warwick, 07710 028025 10/15

had a towbar fitted, I believe, and has not been chipped. Only one key present. £5450. Berkswell, West Mids, 07951 059118 12/15

Range Rover 3.9 V8 Vogue (1990). 150,000 miles. 3 keepers from new, MOT June 2016. Ported heads, stainless steel valves, RS head gaskets, chrome piston rings, RPI performance cam, Cloyes uprated timing chain and gears, nitrous injection (could run up to 150bhp), uprated fuel pump, new Bosch starter motor, twin batteries, stainless steel snorkel. +5” Terrafirma suspension with extra long travel shocks, dislocation cones all round, Qt 3-degree corrected arms, HD trailing arms, polybushes, wide-angle props, 2” body lift. 37x12.50R17 Cooper Discoverer STTs (inc brand new spare) on black modulars under +2” flexi wheelarches.

Champion winch and bumper, steering and diff guards, HD steering bars, adjustable panhard rod, new fuel tank and sender, LED light bar, rear work lights.

Custom headlining, uprated speakers, heated screen, fridge.

Recent front hub overhaul and gearbox filter. Comes with spares including complete 3.9 engine, auto box, transfer box, complete back axle and four doors. £5995.

Worthing, West Sussex, 07957 414844 01/16

Range Rover 2.5 DSE (1999).

165,000 miles. 10 months’ MOT. Cream leather interior. All good tyres. Owned for the last 8 years. £1850 ono. Bedfordshire, 07790 662064 01/16

Range Rover 3.6 TDV8 HSE (2008). 79,000 miles. MOT end 2015. Originally used for chauffeuring MPs, so has been very well looked after. Silky smooth V8 turbo-diesel and auto box, and being an HSE model it is fully loaded with alloys, leather, cruise, electric seat adjust, TV monitor, parking sensors, reversing camera, touch-screen sat-nav, climate control, heated screens, Bluetooth and remote voice command phone system, plus lots more. In excellent unmolested condition, with no bling or chrome bits – still as it was when it left the factory, and will return 30+ to the gallon. £17,995. Bridgend, 07977 493311 11/15

Range Rover Vogue TD6 Auto (2002). 141,000 miles. Usual Vogue refinements – sat-nav, climate, CD changer, heated electric leather seats, sunroof.

Good tyres and very good interior.

Some rust showing at rear arches, switch for high/low range has snapped off but still works. Never

Range Rover Classic Bobtail.

MOT May 2016. 3.0-litre Perkins with Garrett turbo, sounds like a tractor on the road but very powerful and great off-road.

35x12.50R16 Maxxis Creepy Crawlers with less than 300 miles, on split rims – the wheels and tyres alone are worth over a grand. Hi-Lux axles, Hi-Lux Surf steering box with crossover steering. Chromoly CVs. Lorry ball joints on trailing arms and A-frame. New engine and gearbox mounts and panhard rod bushes. Husky winch. Chromoly wheel bearings, lock nuts and knuckle studs. Speedo doesn’t work and syncro between first and reverse has gone. £2500.

Liverpool, 07949 018469

Range Rover 4.2 V8 (1980).

Bobtailed off-roader. 90,000 miles. Roll cage, uprated springs, electric winches, snorkel. Some marks and dents from off-roading and green laning, but well looked after and has always been inspected by myself and another mechanic after being taking it out and used. £2500, Keighley, West Yorkshire. Email tor@assignment-media. co.uk, quoting box number T11/15/001 12/15

Range Rover 3.9 EFi V8 auto off-roader (1992). Bought bog-standard in Feb 11 on 124,000 miles and upgraded for off-roading, now on 128,000 miles. New head gasket and skim, water pump, HT leads, coil, all belts, engine and gearbox oil and filters. Engine very smooth and quiet, no problem with transfer box. Modifications include Southdown snorkel and straight-through 3” side-exit exhaust. 5” suspension lift with brand new Fox shocks and brand new Britpart and Gwyn Lewis HD wide-angle props (all never used off-road). 33” Insa Turbo tyres on Mach 5 rims. Full cage welded to chassis, brand new tubular front wings, detachable rock/tree sliders, heavy-duty rear bumper, heavy-duty steering arms and panhard rods, steering, diff and tank guards. Front Warn 8274 with Bowmotor 2, remote solenoids, in-cab controls and 100ft of 11mm rope. Rear Warn 8274 with in-cab controls and 100ft of 11mm rope. Solid chassis.

Rear crossmember changed around three years ago. Small rust patches in driver’s footwell and side member (easily patched up).

Inner wings have rusted badly – I

41

have new ones which I will supply with the vehicle. Bodywork has dents and scratches from off-roading. No current MOT (will need front indicators, I’ll supply it with a set) so will have to be trailered. £4950. Dunstable, Beds, 07752 307609 12/15

Range Rover 2.5 DSE Auto (2000). 94,744 miles. Excellent condition, stamped up with 14 services. New MOT. Alloys, all good tyres, very clean inside and out, air suspension works well. 2 keys, 3 owners from new.

Red with cream leather interior. £3995. Hertfordshire, 07722 723429 12/15

Discovery

Discovery TD5 GS Auto (2000).

120,017 miles. MOT 16 Jan 2016.

Towbar, leather, 7-seater. Very good condition all-round. Full safety check and valet. 90-day warranty. £3295. Glastonbury, Somerset, 01458 834930 Trade

Discovery 2 TD5 (2003).

106,250 miles. MOT Sept 2016.

Facelift model. Very good all round condition. Remapped

by Bell Autos of York for torque and fuel economy. Coil-sprung all-round. No sunroofs. 18” Alloys with Pirelli Scorpions (front) and Goodyear Wranglers (rear). New clutch and starter motor, recent PAS box and hub assembly. Polybushed. Anti-theft bars on front lights. No wear to seats (always been covered). A few light dents and scratches but good all-round condition for age. £4300. Wakefield, 07999 989600 11/15

Discovery TD5 S Auto (2000).

150,000 miles. 11 months’ MOT. Drives spot on. Uprated Garrett turbo, engine remapped, de-cat exhaust, EGR blanked off, silicone hoses, uprated fan with adjustable thermostat. New gearbox at 105k miles. OME +2” suspension, poly bushes, approx 2.5” taller tyres in mint condition on mint alloys. Heavy-duty front and rear bumpers (front has winch mount but no winch), alloy bash guards front and rear, detachable tow bar, snorkel. Just had handbrake rebuilt, new fuel injector loom, heavy-duty battery and prop. Lots of money spent. This is one of the cleanest Discos around, inside and out, and has not been abused. £3750. Ilkeston, Derbyshire, 07967 321335 11/15

42 Discovery 300Tdi Auto (1995).

130,000 miles. MOT Jan 2016.

Professionally bobtailed off-roader with full exterior/interior roll cage. Engine has tweaked fuel pump and full-width intercooler and pulls really well. Recent new timing belt, rad, glow plugs, full-width intercooler. New +2” lift kit, 35” Maxxis Bighorns (inc spare), arches cut out and extensions fitted. Front and rear winch bumpers with 12,500lb Winchmax on front, HD steering guard, rock sliders. HD steering arms, Safari Snorkel, transmission cooler, switchable electric fan.

Twin batteries. 4 Subaru Impreza bucket seats. All 4 wheel bearings recently replaced. Carpets removed. Alloy fuel tank in boot.

Just serviced, including all filters and fluids. Brand new front and rear discs and pads (not yet fitted). Fully cleaned every time it’s been off-road. Underbody in great condition with no bad rust, just a touch on the rear arches. May part-ex. £3500 ono. Tonbridge, Kent, 07801 569003 01/16

Discovery TD5 GS 5-seat (1999). 173,000 miles. MOT June 2016. Snorkel, roof rails, dog guard. Matching set of 5 Goodyear Wrangler 245/70R16 tyres on 50mm spacers. Roof light bar with spots. Rear ladder.

Inclinometer. New brakes all round. Many new parts. Heavy duty seat covers. Tow hitch and electrics. £2650 ono. Down, 07870 557528 01/16

Discovery 200 Tdi (1992).

190,700 miles. MOT September 2016. Engine has been changed for a lower-mileage one, with new cam belt, clutch, head gasket and skim at the same time. Mods include +3” suspension with +5” shocks (double pin on rear), 2” front turrets, dislocation cones and cranked rear trailing arms.

Winch bumper with 9500lb Superwinch, winch rope and incab controls, strong rear bumper, steering, diff and tank guards, rock/tree sliders. 265/75/16 Insa Turbo Special Tracks on black modular wheels with 30mm wheel spacers under extended arches. Extended braided brake hoses, new drilled and grooved discs with new pads all round (not even done 50 miles). Safari snorkel, heavy duty steering arms, light bar (all four lights working), rear light guards, full chequer plate kit, CB, bucket seats. Does have a few dings and scratches, and the interior is not as clean as it could be, but it has been used off-road and has always been very capable. In good mechanical order and the

w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k

News

Issue 23: Jan 2016 engine is sound, however the syncro in second gear is starting to get weak. Sale due to house purchase. £2100. Weymouth, Dorset, 07752 967446 11/15

Discovery TD5 ES Auto (2002).

167,000 miles. MOT April 2016.

Facelift model with uprated 16p engine. Runs on biodiesel at 80p a litre. History up to 144,000 miles. Black leather. EGR deletion, 40mm lift and 275/65R18 Cooper Discoverer STTs on less than 1000 miles. Recent new brakes, air bags and ride height sensors, water pump, recon steering box, alternator, steering damper, fuel pump and filter, air flow meter, bump stops, drop links, sump and rocket gaskets, thermostat, belt and tensioner and much more. Sunroofs work with no leaks. VGC – just a few marks, a weep of engine oil and a CV that wants doing. Never off-roaded.

May part-ex. £4900 ono.

Barrow-in-Furness, 07470 309186 01/16

Discovery Tdi auto (1995). New MOT. Drives great, box changes up and down perfectly. Ready to offroad or green lane. HD bumpers, diff guards, rock sliders, front winch with remote, Terrafirma shocks, 5 BFGoodrich All-Terrains (nearly new), snorkel, Land Rover roof rack, Momo steering wheel, Cobra driver’s seat, rear tank guard with removable tow bar. £2900 ono. East Preston, West Sussex, 07796 234181 01/16

Discovery 300Tdi 7-seater (1995). 155,546 miles. MOT 31 May 2016. Great condition, drives very well. Very small rip in driver’s seat. Full safety check and valet. 90-day warranty. £1995.

Glastonbury, Somerset, 01458 834930 Trade

Discovery TD5 (2000). 12 months’ MOT. FSH (most recent service Oct 15). Engine has only done 85,000 miles. Stands on 18” wheels and comes with a set of five 16” spares. Clean body with no rust or dents. Lots of extras. £2950 ono. 07899 783396

cream cloth interior. Starts and drives very well, good condition inside and out with just the odd mark on bodywork. New MOT if sold for asking price. Full safety check and valet. 90-day warranty. £7995. Glastonbury, Somerset, 01458 834930 Trade

Discovery V8i bobtail (1995).137,000 miles. MOT September 2016. Professionally bobtailed. 4” lift. Roll cage, winch, bucket seats, boot-mounted fuel tank. RDX lights. 6-tonne Superwinch. All tyres in great condition with plenty of life left. Chassis was welded to pass the latest MOT so it’s fine now. Floor has been Hammerited inside vehicle.

Engine and transfer box in perfect condition. Rev counter and speedo not working (I just use my sat-nav). £2200. Widnes, 07703 754655 01/16

Freelander

Freelander Soft-Top 1.8 petrol (2001). 98,330 miles. MOT August 2016. With hard and soft tops. Regularly serviced. New front tyres, new clutch, new head gasket Jan 15. Sunroof, tow bar, roof rack, CD stereo. Fun to drive, really smooth and great off-road and in the snow. Very good condition. £1500. Brightlingsea, Essex, karenajulia@hotmail. co.uk 12/15 Freelander TD4. 114,000 miles. Great condition. Fully serviced and will come with 12 months’ MOT. £3895. Shrewsbury, 01743 441787 Trade

Freelander 2.0 Td4 Commercial (2005). 27,000 miles. No VAT. MOT June 16. ABS, air-con, PAS, CD stereo, front airbags, alarm, metallic paint, remote central locking. Steel wheels. Would be ideal for someone with dogs.

Reluctant sale due to new baby. £5000. Stroud, Gloucs, 07854 506739 12/15

RR Sport

Range Rover Sport 2.7 TDV6 HSE (2005). 70,500 miles. 12 months’ MOT. Phantom edition with heated leather seats. Excellent condition – and wrapped in pink. Drives like a dream. Four brand new tyres. Recent service including new brakes. £19,000.

Llanybydder, Ceredigion, 07974 967370 11/15

Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto (2005).

181,421 miles. 5-seater with

ing engine and transmission to be set further back and giving this truck a far better centre of gravity than normal. Full North Off Road cage, tubular front body, jackable rock sliders, front and rear winch trays, +2” springs and +5” shocks all round, rear dislocation cones. 265/75R16 tyres (3 Insa Turbo Special Tracks and 1 Insa Turbo Dakar). Custom fuel tank.

Removable rear wings. Lockable Series doors with removable tops.

Sony radio with MP3 / flash drive connection. £2500. Penrith, Cumbria, 07768 090728 12/15

Specials

300 Tdi 88” hybrid (1981).

115,072 miles. MOT Nov. Range Rover chassis with Defender body and Series rear tub. Done by a professional mechanic. Clifford alarm/immobiliser. Watertight mohair hood by All Wheel Trim.

Good working heater and blower.

Raptor dash with CD stereo.

CB (not wired in). Lockable cubby box. NATO hitch, recent brake pads and calipers. Cargo net. Swing-away spare wheel carrier. Adrenaline 4x4 trailing arms, Terrafirma shocks. Cooper STT tyres (plenty of tread left).

Raised air intake. Milemarker hydraulic winch. HD track rod.

Rear bumperettes. Battle scar on rear driver’s-side corner, drip from PAS box, knock when selecting 4th gear from 5th but gearbox and transfer case do work in high and low, and centre diff locks up correctly. Plenty of paperwork and receipts. £4800. Abingdon, Oxon, coxy552@hotmail. co.uk, 07952 614434 11/15

Range Rover hybrid (1972).

Current MOT. 200Tdi, R380 Defender box. Full ground-up restoration completed Dec 2014, including all mechanicals, refurbished axles, new suspension and interior done to a high standard.

Shortened Series II 109” body, resprayed in 2-pack bronze green. Techno Defender seats.

5 new Michelin 7.50s. Runs and drives superb, excellent condition inside and out. £11,750. 07791 461223 12/15

12/15

Freelander 1.8 ES 2-dr (2002).

120,000 miles. 5-speed manual.

Very smart looking, with added light guards. Good all round condition, drives and starts without any issues. £1895. Glastonbury, Somerset, 01458 834930 Trade

Products

Hybrid 200Tdi Challenge Truck. 59,501 miles. 10 months’ MOT. Defender body on a shortened (92”) and strengthened 1989 Discovery chassis. Short bellhousing LT77 gearbox, allow-

200Tdi trayback hybrid (1994). 130,000 miles. MOT October 2016. Based on a very solid Discovery chassis. Proper Hi-Cap rear bulkhead. Ex comp safari cage (has some knocks).

Cut-down 109 roof, sealed to cage with GRP. Challenge wings (brand new and not fitted). 200Tdi with side-exit stainless exhaust.

R380 gearbox (sometimes crunches into 2nd). +2” springs, +5” shocks. X-Eng wide-angle A-frame joint. Rear axle recently rebuilt with KAM locker and halfshafts (cable-operated, so no air issues). Warn 8724 with Dyneema rope, recently serviced using Gigglepin parts with HD brake linings and Allbright style solenoid. 35” Trellborg tyres on 10x15 rims (tyres are old but hold air, one of the rims is buckled and causes vibration through the steering wheel). Gwyn Lewis wide-angle prop, braided hoses, strong recovery points. Needs a gearbox mount. For sale due to lack of use. May part-ex. £2995.

Bangor, Gwynedd, 07919 561206 01/16

Bowler Wildcat 200 (2001).

5.2-litre John Eales V8. Chassis strengthened and wrapped, latest Qt tubular radius arms, current-spec suspension turrets, Donerre shock absorbers. Recently resprayed in Land Rover metallic Santorini Black and fitted with custom stainless front bumper, steering guard, tailgate handle and side bars, plus KBX grille and full LEDs including DRLs. Technospeed Kevlar sidewall tyres on Blindo alloys. Quaife R380 box and recent reconditioned transfer case, custom props, Ashcroft diffs with Gripper limited-slip centres, Ashcroft CVs, 300M halfshafts.

New OEM wheel bearings and Bilstein steering damper. Both heads checked and gaskets renewed, flywheel skimmed, clutch cylinders and paddle segments replaced. New Optima Red-Top, Bosch coil packs and Magnecor KV85 ignition leads. New radiator, PAS box, panhard rod, brake master cylinder, wheelarches and heated screen. Huge-capacity washer bottle with 30psi pump.

Willans 5-point harnesses, Terratrip, fiddle brakes, in-car

Vehicles

camera system, Peltor intercom, 150-litre fuel tank, strengthened and tubed front axle, twin fans, plumbed-in fire extinguisher.

Will come with a spares package including 8x wheels and tyres, front and rear props, Ashcroft diffs, shafts and CVs, recon transfer box, 3x hubs, PAS box, clutch line and cylinders, track rod ends, starter motor and lots more. I am still competing with the car (current class leader in the NORC championship, even in the hands of a novice like myself) so it will be mechanically sound but will have the battle scars you would expect of a race car. It had an MOT in July as it was used as a wedding car but is currently on SORN. £45,000. Bradford, West Yorks, 07824 447894 01/16

Adventure

Workshop

from one of the seals – I just top it up occasionally and it works fine. Comes with jockey wheel and brand new spare.

Mitsubishi L200 (2003). 134,000 miles. 8 months’ MOT. FSH to 2012. Well looked after, good general condition.

All three are for sale as a full offroad package – if you’re looking to get into Land Rover sport, it’s perfect for you. May also sell separately. £7000. Bristol, 01275 372305 or 07951 836659 01/16

Parts

Defender Wide Arch Kit. Terrafirma style, fits 90, 110, 130 or Series. Screwed on from the exterior. Currently painted in a metallic green which is flaking off so will need respraying before use. But no cracks or splits anywhere. All offers considered. £75. Long Eaton, Notts, 07929 037037 01/16 Qt 88” competition car and Brenderup car trailer, plus Mitsubishi L200 2.5TD 4Life tow truck. A complete package deal for getting started in Land Rover competition! Details are: • Qt 88” trialler: 3.5 V8 (runs sweetly) with Lumenition system, new plugs, dizzy, HT leads and rotor arm. Electric fuel pump.

Twin Kenlowe fans. Pro-Comp +2” springs and +5” shocks.

Full Qt tagged cage, box-section bumper welded to chassis, racing fuel tank, Gwyn Lewis rear diff guard. Qt buckets, 6-point Luke harnesses, new OMP steering wheel. 8 Greenway Alligators (6 on LR steels). Rear lights work.

Good condition, a little off-road panel damage but not serious, mechanically ready to go. Comes with spares including 1 complete axle, 2 diffs, panhard rod, steering arms, full Qt front guard, 7 spare shock absorbers, Intercom kit for racing and original bumper.

Brenderup car transporter trailer: Total length 18.5’ (bed is 14’ long by 6.7’ wide). Total weight limit 2500kg. All original VIN numbers and codes on a plaque and engraved into the chassis. Very strong and robust, tows superbly.

Recent new lights. Brakes and handbrake work perfectly, winch is fully working and greased.

Hydraulic ram has a slight leak

Defender 300Tdi EGR ECU control unit. Land Rover (Genuine OE) part number ERR6233.

Removed from a vehicle we are currently dismantling. Comes with 30-day warranty. £20.

Glastonbury, Somerset, 01458 834930 Trade

LT77 Gearbox and Transfer Box. This was a reconditioned gearbox, fitted by Land Rover in good condition. Taken from a 200Tdi Discovery which had 145,000 miles on the clock, but as it was a replacement unit it will have done a lot less than this.

Includes the heavy-duty clutch fork. Will split the gearbox and transfer box for the right price.

I do also have more Discovery 200Tdi parts available as I bought a donor car for parts to fit to my own. £200. Market Harborough, Leics. 07730 891983 (text prefererd) 12/15

Clubs

Series I parts. Front and rear axles, gearbox, front wing, grille.

Call for prices. Motherwell, 01698 264937 01/16 Defender parts, from a 2002 110. TD5 engine including ECU, R380 gearbox plus transfer box (may split), rad and intercooler, PAS box, front axle and swivels, rear axle casing, front and rear diffs, radius arms, all halfshafts, propshafts, steering wheel. Will split. Call for prices. Bury, Lancs, 07973 561006 01/16 Range Rover Classic parts.

New fuel tank, £75. New CSK chrome front bumper, £150.

Free (by Land Rover) oval decal if parts purchased. Staffordshire, 01889 574945 01/16

Galvanised roof rack.

Heavy-duty, with ladder and fittings. Size 109” x 58”. Suitable for 110. Excellent condition. £150. Rossendale, Lancashire, 01706 227406 01/16

Discovery 300 Tdi front axle.

Complete, good condition. Ready to fit. Oil checked and is like brand new. Wheels not included. Also breaking 300Tdi and TD5 – lots of parts available. £79.97. Leighton Buzzard, Beds, 07860 298039 12/15

Hydraulic Steering Ram. Double-ended. Has 6.5” travel and comes with clevis ends. Four mounting bolt holes to make mounting to the axle easier. Bought for my challenge buggy but unused as I fitted a different set-up in the end. £200.

Whittlesey, Cambs, 07940 008958 12/15

Tools Evolution Rage 3 Chop Saw. Sliding compound 240v 255mm (10”) blade, cuts metal and wood on same blade. Also various large fly presses for sale. £60 ono.

Derby, 07800 848346 01/16

Listing your vehicles and parts for sale in The Landy is FREE for private sellers and existing advertisers.

Just call Gemma Pask on 01283 553242

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Calendar

Off-Road Playdays Whaddon 4x4

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

27 December

Avalanche Adventure

Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire

Cowm Leisure

Whitworth, Lancashire

Hill ‘n’ Ditch 4x4

Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Muddy Bottom

Minstead, Hampshire

Slindon Safari Dates are apt to change, so always check with the site before travelling

Fontwell, West Sussex

29 November

13 December

Broxhead, Hampshire

Kirton Off Road Centre

Avalanche Adventure

29 November

Devil’s Pit

Cowm Leisure

Whitworth, Lancashire

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club

Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Frickley 4x4

Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

Devil’s Pit

Frickley 4x4

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Hill ‘n’ Ditch 4x4

Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Kirton Off Road Centre

Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

6 December

Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Rayleigh, Essex

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Hill ‘n’ Ditch 4x4

Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Parkwood 4x4 Tong, Bradford

Slindon Safari

Thames Valley 4x4

3 January Bala 4x4

Bala, Gwynedd

North Yorks Off Road Centre Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorks

Picadilly Wood

Bolney, West Sussex

10 January

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club Rayleigh, Essex

Frickley 4x4

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Fontwell, West Sussex

Slindon Safari

Bala 4x4

20 December

Thames Valley 4x4

Muddy Bottom

Explore Off Road

North Yorks Off Road Centre

Muddy Bottom

Bala, Gwynedd

Minstead, Hampshire

Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Fontwell, West Sussex Slab Common, Bordon

Whaddon 4x4

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorks

Minstead, Hampshire

17 January

Picadilly Wood

Bolney, West Sussex

Mud Monsters

East Grinstead, West Sussex

Explore Off Road

Whaddon 4x4

North Yorks Off Road Centre

North Yorks Off Road Centre

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorks

Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorks

Green Lane Convoy Events 29 November

24 December

UK Landrover Events

UK Landrover Events

5-6 December

26 December

Yorkshire Dales

North York Moors

Atlas Overland

UK Landrover Events

Wessex

Tynedale

27 December 13 December Landcraft

Landcraft

Snowdonia (Adventure Plus Day)

Snowdonia

10 January

UK Landrover Events

Landcraft

Lake District

Snowdonia

Issue 23: Jan 2016

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Issue 23: Jan 2016

News

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Edd-ing for victory T he penultimate round of the Defender Challenge

by Bowler series got under way at the South of England Tempest Rally on 6 November.

Rushmore Arena in Aldershot played host to the one-make series, with a total of 10 Bowler-prepped Defender 90s looking to tame the former MOD moorland.

A total of 10 stages lay in wait for the teams, and seasonal downpours and strong winds aimed to sway the competitors off course if their concentration should falter.

A familiar name was undeterred by the conditions, though, as Edd Cobley sealed his fourth win in as many races for Sturgess Land Rover, alongside co-driver John Tomley.

Not only was this a continuation of Cobley’s impressive form, but the Englishman also won in his own class and managed to take 7th in the event overall –beating a Mitsubishi Evo IX by over two minutes in the process.

Either Cobley needs to start giving Lewis Hamilton tips on how to drive

or the rally organisers need to find some stiffer competition!

While Cobley was in first service, he said: ‘The off-road sections are perfect for the Defender; there are deep ruts which help us manoeuvre it across the track. It’s incredibly slippery through the wooded sections so it’s important to keep focused.’

Behind the flying Sturgess express, Lookers Land Rover drivers Gareth Curruthers and Wallace McKay continued their run of form with a fourth second place in four rounds, finishing 1 minute 20 seconds behind Cobley and co.

Third place seems to be where the majority of the action has been this season, and so it proved to be once more at Rushmore Arena.

The Defenderists, Brian Palmer and Northern Ireland Racing were covered by a mere two seconds after the first stage, with team Palmer shifting into third position ahead of The Defenderists after stage two.

Palmer stayed in the hot seat until stage seven saw The Defenderists make

their advance. Having pipped Team Palmer to the post by a single second, drivers Paul Mansfield and Richard Mills reclaimed the final rostrum position.

However, Northern Ireland Racing still wanted to have their say in the proceedings and after a superb performance in stage nine to climb up to fourth place, driver David Johnston and co-driver Joseph Monaghan kicked on into the final stage – to clinch third overall by just two seconds.

The Defenderists held on to fourth place with a resilient Brian Palmer and co-driver Callum McPhail finally yielding to fifth place six seconds further back.

A final report of the championship finale will be in the next issue of The Landy after the conclusion of the series at the Borders Hill Rally in Dumfries on 21 and 22 November.

You can be sure of one thing, though, and that is that Cobley will be going all out to make it five from five at the Forrest Estate.

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k

Mix ‘N’ Matcham We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

Issue 23: Jan 2016

45

Just as well it wasn’t the Rangey that ended up on its side… though if it’s still going when it’s as old as the Series II above, it’ll have done well

Words and Pictures: Andy Wilson

T

here was a good turnout for the Dorset Land Rover Club’s Open Driving Day on 18 October at Matchams Leisure Park, near Ringwood. Nearly fifty drivers signed on in total for the event, with the vast majority in green oval-badged vehicles – although there were also a couple of other makes in evidence!

The oldest vehicle was a very original 1958 Series II, while the most recent was a ’65 plate sparkling white Range Rover Sport that looked as if it had just been driven out of the dealership – which turned out to more or less be the case!

And if there was a prize for the person who’d come the furthest to drive, it would have gone to a gentleman from Holland who saw the event advertised on the club website whilst he was holidaying in the UK. As well as all the usual fun to be had at the vast Matchams Leisure Park (a regular venue for the DLRC’s Open Driving Days), the club ran a tyro RTV trial for some of the younger enthusiasts, and the five competitors had a great time on the specially laid-out course. The eventual winner, Kirsty, said she’d had a brilliant day and can’t wait for the next event!

After a long(ish) spell of dry weather, much of the area available to drive was in very good condition, with plenty of traction to be found, but there was also plenty of mud to catch out the unwary or over-ambitious, and the DLRC marshals found plenty of use for their winches.

Matchams gives an opportunity for owners of ‘shinies’ to have a go on good surfaces and non-scratchy trails, while those with more modified vehicles have plenty of chances to put their trucks through their paces, which – along with the tyro event – underlines the Dorset Land Rover Club’s policy of

inclusivity and helps to attract as many new members as possible.

Club vice-chairman and clerk of the course Nigel Moore was pleased with the numbers who attended and commented afterwards, ‘We’re always made very welcome at Matchams.

The organisers know that our club

is very well-behaved and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, with no real mishaps to report.’

The club’s next Open Driving Day at Matchams is provisionally pencilled in for March 2016 – keep an eye on the club website www.dorsetrover.co.uk for more details!

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Issue 23: Jan 2016

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Staffs and Shrops see out epic season Words: Steve Blakeman Pictures: Danielle Cooper and Gina Williams

T

he 2015 Comp Safari Interclub Championship was another great success, with 44 entrants competing in six events across England and Wales, including three brand new grounds to the championship, which is organised

by Staffs & Shrops Land Rover Club.

Round 1 kicked off, as ever, at the very popular Baden Hall. Although the event was a sell-out of 60 entries, there was one driver noticeably absent: the defending champion, Ian Roberts.

There were various rumours flying about as to why Ian was not driving – some claimed he was still in mourning from the destruction of ‘the tree’ at Stone and others suggested he was upgrading his engine to a diesel (clearly a late April Fools’ joke).

With Ian missing most of the season, there was to be a new Championship winner, in fact there would be four new class winners out of the five

class trophies to be handed out at the upcoming prize giving. Let’s find out how they were won…

In Class 1, there were only ever two contenders for the title - 2013 winner Kevin Stubbs and ‘80s fashion icon Peter Roberts. Pete turned up to “Badass” Hall meaning business with new trainers, and it showed as he won the event by 20 seconds ahead of Kevin, with Stuart Winter finishing third with the fastest lap.

In the other classes, victories went to Ken Powell (2), Keith Lynam (3), Wendy Chandler (4), Andy Bayliss (5) and James Harris (6). Despite these early season class wins, only one of the above five actually went on to a championship class win, with Andy ‘Fly’ Bayliss taking Class 5.

Round 2 took us to Babell, a brand new ground to the sport, jointly hosted by Staffs & Shrops and North Wales Land Rover Club. Stuart Winter attempted to take off (literally) from where he finished the last event, where he set the fastest lap by putting in a strong first run; unfortunately for Stuart the colour sequence of green,

blue, green, blue, green, blue and finally brown appeared on his first lap which put him out of the event. With Stuart gone, it was again left to Pete and Kevin to set the pace. With seven of the eight runs gone, Pete had set up a comfortable 10-second lead. However, unlike the first round, Kev put in a balls out lap to go 20 seconds faster than Pete and win the round. 1-1 after two rounds!

Ken Powell followed up his victory in round 1 by doing the double in round 2. Graham Ponton on home ground won Class 3, with Paul Mansfield winning Class 4, Andy Bayliss Class 5 and the mobile library (110) driven by Neil Rogers winning Class 6.

Round 3 was at another brand new ground, this time in Green Hall, Shropshire. This ground is immense and will get better in the coming years as more of it gets opened up.

Kevin Stubbs decided he wanted a go at 3-wheeling, but didn’t get very far and thus retired, which allowed Pete Roberts to claim his second victory of the season and open up a nice lead in the championship. All was not lost for Kevin, though, because one of the great things about the championship is that you can drop your worst event.

Steve Strutt, the defending Class 3 winner, finally returned to form with a class win ahead of Tim Simon, who for once decided to stay away from big trees. In Classes 4 and 6, Paul Mansfield and Neil Rogers followed up their wins in round two with victory here also.

Round 4 was hosted by North Wales at the other new ground for the year, in

Anglesey. The see-saw nature of Class 1 continued at Anglesey, with Kevin Stubbs taking his second win of the year after Pete Roberts decided to do some hedge trimming on one of his middle runs. In Class 2, Ian Chiles was not competing, though, he decided to make the trip up from South Wales to North Wales on the Bank Holiday Monday to get some marshalling points for the championship!

An old name returned to the top of Class 2, with Jeff ‘Warwick’ Bazeley claiming victory despite the trauma of having his beach ball popped the night before hanging over him. Jeff later dedicated this victory to the ball.

Round 5 took us to the very popular ‘Enduro’ comp - one mile from Stone in Staffordshire. The Enduro, if you haven’t guessed, is named due to the fact that it takes place over two days, including multiple runs in the dark on the Saturday evening. After his second place in round four, Pete Roberts took victory ahead of Kevin to record an impressive string of results for the season; 1st, 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 1st – the only thing more consistent was his ‘80s attire, but why change a winning formula?

With victory and fastest (class) lap, his third of the season, Pete Roberts sealed the Class 1 title and with it the overall championship, to make it

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47

Greetham Gags

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three different winners in three years!

All this in a car he designed and built himself. Very impressive.

Ian Chiles not only returned to racing but also returned to the top of Class 2 at Stone, beating Jeff Bazeley to maintain his grip in the Class 2, with the other contender Ken Powell suffering technical issues which put pay to his chances of a class win.

Round 6 saw 23 drivers attend the championship finale at Walters Arena, hosted by the AWDC. There were still class honours to fight for in Classes 2, 3 and 4, along with pride in Class 1. For the first time in 2015, neither Pete nor Kevin came first in Class 1 with Wyn “Win” Williams taking the honours. This also gave him third in Class 1 for the championship behind Pete and Kevin.

Class 2 was set up nicely, Jeff knowing a victory and a good overall result would enable him to leapfrog Ian to the title. Unfortunately, he drove like a girl and finished so low down the classification that it hurt my neck, so the title went to Ian along with third place in the championship.

Steve Strutt cleaned up in Class 3, and became the only driver to retain their class win from 2014. In Class 4, neither Steve Ham nor Paul Mansfield could make the trip, so the class was won by Team MayHam: Steve Ham and Sue Maynard.

The Comp Safari Interclub Championship will return for a sixth year in 2016 – see details of events and how to register on the CSIC page of the Staffordshire & Shropshire Land Rover Club page www.saslrc.co.uk.

Issue 23: Jan 2016

Words: Mike Trott Pictures: Tony Birch

T

o kick off November in style, the Leicestershire and Rutland Land Rover Club returned to one of its favourite stomping grounds, and hosted one of their unpredictable and always-entertaining RTVs. Eight brave souls ventured into the ring, armed with various machines brandishing the famous green oval badge. Unusually, the line-up consisted of more longer wheelbase Landies than usual, with P38s and a Discovery 1 in the mix.

One of the vehicles was being triple driven by a father and two sons, and Steve Limb – usually such a composed figure through the sections – was very lucky to beat both of them. They are snapping at his heels at every trial now!

In a strange occurence, Steve ‘The Stig’ Limb managed to claim two ‘12’s.

The various passengers, spectators and marshals were nevertheless soaking up the atmosphere, and thankfully not the gooey mud of Greetham.

The site is normally rather rocky, but now as the seasons change from autumn to winter, the infamous mud is getting easier to find. Some areas in particular were being touted as very

slippery, especially for those still on road tyres.

Still, sliding around in an RTV is certainly going to put a smile on your face.

Event secretary Simone Birch said, ‘It is a good site to use when the weather is not so kind. We plan to use it twice a year with the Clerk of Course laying it out differently each time. That said, this trial was held in warm sunshine.’

The heat must have been getting to some competitors, too, with Mick Wildman in his 90 relying on one of his twin sisters to help with the navigation of the sections. Apparently he must have picked the wrong one as he managed to get lost on at least two sections!

One man wasn’t feeling the heat, though, even after returning to his first trial in over three years. Steve Wood, who had spent the time rebuilding his

vehicle, came back with a bang as he wrestled his coil-sprung 88” through the sections and ended up winning.

There’s life in the old dog yet.

And as a little bonus from the day, the only part of the vehicle that left needing repair work was a wing mirror that came off in his hand.

Expect to see the Leics and Rutland LRC back here again in the spring, after all the competitors have regrouped over the winter.

For more information on the Leicestershire and Rutland Land Rover Club, pay a visit to their website at www.lrlrc.co.uk