The Landy April 2015

Leading lights from Dunsfold and Solihull team up to recreate the original Series I production line

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GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT

When you set out to build a Landy you can see the world in, it pays to start with a good one. And a 130 Wolf is a very good one Full story: Page 26

This might look like a standard 109. But underneath it’s a hybrid of Range Rover and… er, Peugeot Full story: Page 20

Daan Schreuders didn’t go looking for epic suspension flex when he built his hybrid.

Instead, his aim was to strike the perfect balance beteween front and rear travel. He even used radius arms and a panhard rod instead of a rear A-frame.

The result was an 88” coiler which took on some of the world’s biggest off-road challenges – and showed people that a well thought out Landy can cut it with any number of megabuck super-trucks!

Full story: Page 16

long-range in a short rangey

Three weeks in Morocco aboard a bobtail? It’s not an obvious choice for adventure travel, but a shortened V8 turned out to be the ideal tool for taking on the Saharan dunes Full story: Page 32

There’s no shortage of modified Td5s in the world. Not many of them are as tidy as this one…

Full story: Page 26

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Issue 14: April 2015

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Evoque Convertible: Yes, Land Rover WILL build it Land Rover is preparing to launch a production version of the Evoque Convertible. As shown by a set of spy shots which was recently punted around the mainstream motoring press, the vehicle will look as good as identical to the concept model which was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show – at which time Land Rover said that no production plans had been confirmed.

The showroom version of the ragtop Evoque is expected to be launched during 2015, possibly as early as this year’s New York Show in April; the US will be a primary market for the vehicle. Sales will commence with the 2016 model year, with dealer deliveries expected to start this autumn, though right-hand drive production may not start until a year from now.

Like the concept, the production Convertible will have a fabric hood rather than a folding metal roof. This will retract electrically to stow away beneath a hands-free folding tonneau cover behind the second row of seats, so that there’s no interruption to the vehicle’s ‘waistline’. A pop-up roll bar will operate instantaneously in the event of a rollover; while the Evoque is only a token off-roader by Land Rover’s traditional standards, the company’s engineers have been tasked with ensuring there’s no danger of accidental

deployments at extreme angles on uneven terrain.

While Land Rover has been making soft-tops since its first model was created in 1948, the Evoque Convertible will be the first ever cabrio in the Range Rover family. It will only be available in three-door form – and, as Land Rover will position it as a premium product, will come with a limited choice of top-spec engines and four-wheel drive as standard.

Those engines are likely to be revised at the same time as the Convertible is launched, with JLR’s new Ingenium units replacing the old Freelanderderived diesel. The Evoque will be almost four years old by the time the soft-top goes on sale in the UK; while its looks will remain unchanged, interior trim details will be updated and the latest 2.0-litre diesel from Land Rover’s new Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton will give it a

level of efficiency to match its stillfuturistic looks.

The Evoque range is also expected to be extended by a high-performance version from JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations unit. Powered by a tuned version of the 2.0 Si4 petrol engine, this will feature further evolved suspension using the magnetic dampers already employed on the sportiest Evoques.

No timescale is yet known for the Evoque SVR, as it’s bound to be

called, however a launch at next year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed seems feasible. In the meantime, pricing for the Evoque Convertible is sure to be the next big question now that the lid has been lifted on Land Rover’s production plans. A premium of around £3000 over the equivalent tin-top is likely; with a general price hike sure to be part of the facelift coming at the same time, you can expect to pay in the region of £45-50,000 to get behind the wheel.

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Issue 14: April 2015

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High-speed passenger ride feature at Great British Lan

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Issue 14: April 2015

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es from Race2Recovery to nd Rover Show THE GREAT BRITISH LAND ROVER SHOW is delighted to announce that Race2Recovery, the world-famous off-road rally team, will be offering high-speed passenger rides throughout the event. The team, which supports injured servicemen in their recovery and became the first ever to finish the Dakar Rally with a disabled crew member, will be running its Land Rovers on the little known off-road course in the infield of Donington’s racing circuit – and visitors to the show will be able to buy tickets on the day for the ride of a lifetime!

These are not available in advance, but on a first-come, first-served basis on the day at the show itself.

Race2Recovery have set the cost at £20 per ride, with £5 of that going to an armed services’ charity.

Don’t forget that entry to the show itself is free after 12 noon when you book in advance – so buying a ticket for this unique experience would be a great way to treat yourself with the

money you saved! Demand will be extremely high, however, so to avoid disappointment it may be a wise idea to buy a morning pass so you can beat the crowds. Even this only costs £5 in advance, though, so it’s still a raging bargain – just try comparing this price

with what you’ll pay at other shows of the same size!

You can apply for free and paidfor show tickets by going to www. greatbritishlr.show.com. Book your place now – and get ready to grab a piece of the action!

THE LANDY SHOW THAT’S FREE TO ENTER! The Great British Land Rover Show, at Donington Park on 26 April, is FREE to enter – so long as you book your tickets in advance.

• Tickets for entry from 12 midday are FREE while stocks last when you register online (limited to two per household). NB the show closes at 4pm • Advance tickets for entry from the show’s opening time of 10am cost £5 per adult • Adult tickets on the door cost £10 at all times of day • Under-16s go free

Advance tickets are available at www.greatbritishlrshow.com

Claim your FREE tickets today – visit www.greatbritishlrshow.com

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Issue 14: April 2015

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Series I production line recreated for Solihull factory tour Mike Trott

The Defender’s time may be running out, but at least you can go back in time and relive its early days – thanks to Land Rover’s new recreation of its 1948 production line.

An authentic replica of Solihull’s post-war manufacturing plant, the ‘Defender Celebration Line’ is part of a new Defender tour – which is now open to the public. It displays the different stages of the vehicle’s production, using the exact same methods and components that went into building the original Series I. This nostalgic throwback to life in the automotive industry from the late 1940s provides visitors with an insight into the type of tools and planning that were employed at the home of Land Rover. You can even slip yourself into an authentic ‘cow gown’ as worn by the engineers of 1948.

There is a section to learn more about Land Rover’s founder too, with previously unseen video footage of Maurice Wilks in an area dedicated to telling the story of how the original Series I was conceived.

Land Rover’s Defender is still produced in one of the original Solihull factory buildings, and the new Celebration Line lies in the heart of

the plant. Land Rover is dedicating this year to celebrating the Defender, having announcement three specialedition models last month and now opening this historical attraction.

JLR Heritage Director John Edwards said: ‘Land Rover has a rich heritage based around the Series I and Defender models, and we wanted to create something extra special that would give visitors and enthusiasts a unique insight into how it all started.

‘It has been a huge task to recreate a production line from almost 70 years ago, from sourcing original parts for the Series I models to recreating the working environment and uniform of employees who were here. The team involved has been meticulous in their research, planning and creation of what is a fitting tribute to the legendary heritage of Land Rover.’

One man who knows plenty about rebuilding old Land Rovers is Phil Bashall, who restored his first Series I at the age of 13. He’s the curator of the famous Dunsfold Collection, home to the world’s largest collection of Solihull products, and was responsible for helping to bring the production line back to its former glory.

‘It’s been a struggle at times,’ he admitted, ‘but a real labour of love to source all of the original parts needed

for vehicles that stopped production so many years ago.’

After scouring his own ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of Land Rover spares, Phil stockpiled more than 8000 original parts including rare brake components, gaskets, clutches and pedals.

He then brought in the Land Rover Series I Club and a group of skilled craftsmen to help him put together a replica chassis and aluminium bodywork for the showcase models.

Once all the necessary elements were found, Phil and a mechanic set about reconstructing the five Series I models.

The project was orchestrated by Mr Land Rover himself, Roger Crathorne, who was born in Solihull and, after starting as an apprentice in 1963, went on to serve Land Rover for more than fifty years before retiring last spring.

‘No other car maker in the world has anything as authentic and with such meticulous attention to detail as our heritage line,’ said Roger. ‘It has taken months of searching and dedication to put this project together, but it has been worth it.’

Starting in the body shop, visitors will embark on a three-hour journey.

They’ll follow on to the moment the engine and gearbox are mated with the chassis, before glossy new paint panels finish off the rebuild.

Opening day for the exhibit saw the Writtle family from South Gloucestershire becoming the first to be taken back to 1948. ‘We are huge enthusiasts of this iconic vehicle,’ they said, ‘and own 11 between us. It feels like we have won the lottery as we have

secured one of the few Limited Edition Heritage vehicles from the recently announced Celebration Series.

‘We were amazed how little the Defender manufacturing process has changed in the last six decades, with individual craftsmanship still at the heart of each vehicle produced.’

The family also witnessed Land Rover’s quality control processes, including the monsoon chamber test – where vehicles are subjected to 343 high-pressure water jets for 14 minutes to ensure no water leaks into them.

The Defender production line employs a 450-strong workforce, which includes a family from whom three generations have all worked on the manufacture of this iconic vehicle.

Tours cost £45 per person; to book a place, visit shop.landrover.co.uk/ driving-experiences/find-a-centre/ solihull or call 0121 700 4619.

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Comment

Land Rover is well aware of what its heritage is worth. It has never been slow to boast of its former glories – and, whatever you think of its current and future models, that’s very relevant to a specialist manufacturer.

It’s almost impossible not to think about the next-generation Defender when I say this. But the ease (or otherwise) with which Land Rover’s past sits with its present runs an awful lot deeper than just that.

There was a time when people who ran hybrids or went trialling in old Series IIs would have a Range Rover or Discovery as their everyday car.

People for whom Land Rovers were a hobby had real loyalty to Solihull.

That does still exist today, but if you have a 90 for off-roading, a classic Series I or a 101 for military shows, you’re more likely to look at what Land Rover makes now and feel like you live on another planet.

To some extent that’s even the case with the Defender. I know plenty of people who’d sooner renovate a Tdi than buy a Puma, and that’s before you start talking about the DC100.

To a lot of its staunchest fans, Land Rover is just a luxury car maker now.

I actually think Land Rover is quite happy with that, too. They even came out and said as much about the DC100: ‘traditionalists might not like it, but they’ll have to live with it.’

Compare this with the way Jeep relates to its fans in the US. They might not buy new trucks, but the company values them, engages with them and sees them for what they are – an essential part of a heritage that continues to thrive and grow today.

Jeep is proud of the people who modify its vehicles. By contrast, the impression I get is that Land Rover is almost embarrassed by the people for whom off-roading a modded 90 or keeping a Series III alive is a hobby.

These are people who have an ‘us and them’ opinion of the green oval.

But like it or not, they’re part of Land Rover’s heritage. If the company ignores that, one day it might wake to find that it has no heritage left.

Alan Kidd, Editor

Issue 14: April 2015

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Issue 14: April 2015

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LR’s latest tech means a safer ride for cyclists Mike Trott Cycling and road safety has become a massive issue in recent times, following a spate of tragedies in London – where more and more people are being encouraged to get on their bikes. The debate has been marked by no small amount of bitterness between drivers’ and cyclists’ lobby groups, both of whom accuse the other of not doing enough to address the dangers that come when cars and bikes share the road – but Land Rover should be immune to criticism of its forthcoming products if its latest high-tech development is anything to go by.

Calked ‘Bike Sense,’ this a system using colours and sounds to alert the driver to nearby hazards – specifically cyclists or motorbikes. In a modern vehicle, however, you can be assaulted by no end of lights on the dashboard and beeps and bongs from all around you – so Jag Land Rover’s high-tech boffins have come up with something startlingly different.

The party piece is when you get a ‘tap’ on either of your shoulders from

the top of the car seat, alerting you to the fact that there’s a motorbike overtaking you – or a cyclist coming past on the inside.

Party piece? You’d better believe it. The tap will be backed up by an audible tone – not just another beep or bong but a bicycle bell or a motorcycle horn, which will be played through the speakers on whichever side you’re being passed on.

While all this is going on, a set of lights will line the window sills, dashboard and windscreen, first glowing amber and then switching to red to indicate when the bike is approaching. The pattern in which these lights dance around the inside of your Land Rover will also indicate the bike’s direction of travel.

‘Human beings have developed an instinctive awareness of danger over thousands of years,’ said JLR tech boss Wolfgang Epple. ‘Certain colours like red and yellow will trigger an immediate response, while everyone recognises the sound of a bicycle bell.

‘Bike Sense takes us beyond the current technologies of hazard

indicators and icons in wing mirrors, to optimising the location of light, sound and touch to enhance this intuition. This creates warnings that allow a faster reaction as they engage the brain’s instinctive responses. If you see the dashboard glowing red in your peripheral vision, you will be drawn

to it and understand straight away that another road user is approaching that part of your vehicle.’

The system’s sensors can tell the difference between a bike and motorbike, and if several come at you together it will identify the most immediate hazard and concentrate on

that. In addition, the door handles will illuminate and/or vibrate if you’re about to open your door at precisely the wrong moment. The sensors can pick up bikes from the other side of a parked vehicle, too – so while you might not even be able to see them, your Land Rover will.

Land Rover’s work in cutting-edge technology has been recognised by a ‘Pioneer Award’ from two leading German magazines. The readers’ choice Connected Car Award from Auto Bild and Computer Bild praised JLR’s InControl smart connectivity and infotainment systems – which allow you to access your vehicle remotely via a smartphone, for example to check fuel levels or even pre-heat it before getting aboard.

‘We are very proud to receive such an important technology award,’ said JLR engineering boss Wolfgang Ziebart. ‘It will inspire our engineers to develop even more innovative and pioneering technology to delight our customers.’

• Land Rover has welcomed the announcement of £11.3 million in government funding for initiatives set up by the Automotive Council. The award, which was announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable, comes in recognition of the £19.1 million already invested in the schemes by Land Rover and other major industry players.

Since being formed as a partnership between the government and motor industry, the Automotive Council has introduced a series of programmes designed to inspire the next generation of engineers and technicians.

Concentrating specifically on enhancing the skills necessary for such careers, these aim to encourage young people into the automotive industry and its supply chain.

Its Chair is Jo Lopes, Jaguar Land Rover’s head of Technical Excellence, who said: ‘The Automotive Industrial Partnership brings together industry’s employers on an unprecedented scale. By working collaboratively, we are ensuring that the UK’s automotive sector can grow and retain the talent that is so vital for the industry’s continued success.’

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Issue 14: April 2015

First intake samples Land Rover’s training for ex-service personnel Jaguar Land Rover has launched a new programme designed to help ex-military personnel adjust to the civilian workplace. Following on from last autumn’s Invictus Games, the company has made good on its pledge to support ex-servicemen and women by taking ten candidates on board a new bespoke training course.

The aim of the programme is to provide ex-military personnel with the opportunity to gain the skills and confidence that will provide them with an opportunity to secure high-quality long-term employment.

JLR recently announced plans for a further 1300 jobs at Solihull, and the ten candidates will be looking to stake their claim once they have completed the six-week programme.

First off, the group will spend four weeks at the Education Business Partnership Centre, where they will attain qualifications for working in the engineering and manufacturing sector.

Following on from this is a two-week,

hands-on work experience placement in the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.

One of the candidates, 19 year old Michael Connolly from Birmingham, said: ‘I spent three years in the infantry and left as my contract had finished. All I have known is the infantry and it’s daunting to know how to find another career in the civilian world. I am really excited about what Jaguar Land Rover has to offer and I hope to one day climb the career ladder with them.’

Unemployment is a major issue for former service personnel, and JLR hopes to help ease that problem with its industry-first ‘Inspiring Tomorrow’s Workforce: Military’ programme. Last year alone, 24,000 men and women personnel left the armed forces, and many more will be joining them in the search for employment this year.

‘Already at Jaguar Land Rover, we have recruited over 100 ex-military

personnel in the last year, the majority here in Solihull,’ said plant Operations Director Alan Volkaerts. ‘They have valuable skills that can be directly

transferred to the automotive industry.

Through working with ex-military staff and helping them strengthen their employability skills and relevant

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work experience, we can make a positive contribution to society as well as increasing the talent pool for our growing business.’

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Issue 14: April 2015

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Hope for Landies aboard stricken cargo ship The stricken Hoegh Osaka cargo ship, which ran aground in the Solent at the start of January, has finally off-loaded its cargo – including 1200 Land Rovers.

Discoverys, Defenders and Range Rovers of all varieties were seen licking their wounds as they were driven off the ship and into a compound at Southampton docks.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, which saw the ship list alarmingly before being beached to prevent it from capsizing, there was strong speculation that the vehicles

on board would have escaped their lashings and slid into a pile of wreckage.

This, however, appears to have been unfounded, as the majority of the vehicles were relatively unharmed. A few displayed light body damage to, but all appeared relatively unscathed – and, crucially, there does not appear to have been any ingress of sea water.

In total, the Hoegh Osaka had £30 million worth of cars on board. In addition to the 1200 Land Rovers, there were several Minis and Porsches as well as a number of construction vehicles.

At the time of writing, Jaguar Land Rover had released no official statement on its plans for the seasick vehicles.

Back in 2006, however, the MV Cougar Ace capsized in the North Pacific with approximately 4700 Mazdas aboard.

From the outside, the vehicles appeared to be in a similar condition to some of the Landies driven off the Hoegh Osaka.

On that occasion, Mazda bosses in North America controversially decided that all 4700 vehicles should be crushed. Whether that will be the fate of these Land Rovers remains unclear.

The latest publicity stunt in Land Rover’s Hibernot campaign, which encourages people to embrace winter and get outdoors whatever the weather, was a BBQ for 250 people at the Broughton Hall estate in North Yorkshire. The crowd were serenaded by brand ambassador Pixie Lott while tucking in to special ‘Land Rover’ burgers flipped by TV chef and self-proclaimed petrolhead James Martin. There were toasted marshmallows, inevitable selfies and, somewhere among it all, a Discovery Sport apparently driving through some woods. Hiberwhat?

Final ‘Inspired by Britain’ Evoque gets Fab 4 theme Land Rover has unveiled the final model in its series of special-edition Evoques for the export market. Once again taking inspiration from a London postcode, this is called the NW8 – that’s where you’ll find Abbey Road, home of the famous Beatles’ zebra crossing.

The NW8 Evoque comes with Fuji White paintwork, 20” black alloy rims and a Firenze Red roof, wing mirrors and bonnet lettering. It had darkened headlamps and wing vents, and on the

inside there’s a combination of neat embroidery and further red, white and black touches – see gear knob and headrests, for example.

The final ‘Inspired by Britain’ Evoque was launched at the Montreal Auto Show and, to set off all the other features, carries a unique motif picturing that iconic zebra crossing.

Only 1000 examples will be produced – with precisely none of them set for the UK market.

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NEXT MONTH

PREPARE TO BE DAZZLED Most Land Rover fans are being derogatory when they talk about shinies. It’s a bit different in the case of this 88” Seies II, though PLUS

If your grandad went out and bought a 90 for a paltry £800, you might not expect the consequences to be all that pretty. So prepare to meet Supergrandad…

The Carmichael Range Rover is one of the most celebrated conversions on any Landy. This ex-RAF TACR-2a firefighter dates from 1985 – and it’s one of the ones whose 200-gallon load never managed to roll it over. No wonder it’s a hit at the shows…

NEXT MONTH’S LANDY IS PUBLISHED ON 30 MARCH You can pick up your copy of our May 2015 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 Bailey Photographers Steve Taylor, Harry Hamm, Anthony Singer

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

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Issue 14: April 2015

You can’t really put a price on having the right winch. In a challenge event, it’s the difference between winning and coming nowhere; on a lane trip, it’s the difference between getting home with a story to tell and paying a farmer fifty quid for a pull with his tractor; and out in the wilds of the world, it could be the difference between coming back alive and never being seen again.

Performance is a big deal in the world of winches these days, but make no mistake – over and above everything else, this is an arena in which dependability is all. Efficiency to match the Swiss railways and power to match a Eurofighter are all very well, but most of all your winch needs to be as reliable as an old Labrador.

Warn is no stranger to making winches that tick all the above boxes.

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DRIVING A SERIES LAND ROVER is something that one of life’s great joys and privileges. But doing so in a world of modern traffic can be one of life’s great terrors – especially when some clown in a look-at-me Audi rounds off an in-your-face overtaking manoeuvre by cutting in front of you and slamming his brakes on, confronting you with a broadside of ABS, ESP and all sorts of other hightech acronyms while all you’ve got between your front panel and his boot lid are four slightly moist drums.

With this in mind, you may be interested in Wild Industries’ new Series Disc Brake Conversion Kit. This is designed to let you swap out your long-suffering old drums for the more modern disc set-up from a Discovery or post-1992 Defender.

The parts in the kit have been put through extensive testing and harsh treatment both on and off-road, says the manufacturer. They’re constructed from high- quality steel (and you’d jolly well hope so) and allow you to retain your original-style Series wheels – or, if you’d prefer, later-style Wolf or Disco rims.

Wild advises that when fitting the kit, you should update the entire system to the twin-line servo-assisted And the latest addition to its range is the last word in precious metal.

On sale from mid-March, this mighty new powerhouse of a winch is called the Zeon Platinum. And it promises to have a line speed that’s 20% faster than any previous Warn unit.

Given that Warn isn’t exactly famous for making slow winches, that’s one serious claim. But it’s not the only headline feature on the new Platinum range. Because in an industry first, this winch does without a manual clutch.

‘When the Zeon originally launched, we didn’t think Warn would be able to top it,’ says Phil Rawlings of UK importer Arbil 4x4. ‘But the new range definitely goes that step further. It is the remote clutch that has got people the most excited, as the UK hasn’t seen anything like this before.

‘It doesn’t end there, though. The Zeon Platinum has also been tested and proved to be twice as durable as Warn’s previous generations of winches. And when Warn is arguably already the best out there, this is pretty impressive!’

Bold words to say the least, and there are few manufacturers who could say such a thing without being laughed at. But we’re talking about the brand whose 8274 became a household set of digits in the off-road world – there ain’t many in this business who can shoot from the hip with the same credibility as Warn.

To test the winch’s new-found extra durability, it was put through more than 400 hours of salt-spray testing.

You’d expect its aluminium structure to shrug that off, but its seals stood firm too, keeping the interior in perfect nick.

To further combat corrosion, the winch is finished in a flat black powder coat and held together by stainless steel fasteners. The Zeon Platinum can also hold its drink much better, with an enhanced waterproofing rating now certified to IP68 standard. Inside, it has a stronger gear train and high-strength sleeve-in-drum brake design.

The Zeon Platinum comes with a choice of two rated capacities, 10,000 or 12,000lb. Both come with wire cable as standard, but the 10,000lb model is also available with synthetic rope as an upgrade; prices for the range start at around £1600. www.arbil.co.uk/4x4

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set-up system introduced on late Series vehicles or, even better, that from the early 90 or 110.

Included in the kit are two machined caliper brackets, two hubs accepting Defender discs, two track correction shims (accounting for the switch from drums) and four OEM caliper mounting bolts. You also get the necessary high-tensile disc mounting bolts, bracket fixing bolts and spring washers.

Will Donaldson, owner of Wild Industries, said: ‘These components are now in use on numerous Land Rovers. The first set has been in use for over 50,000km and they are, as always,

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pulling up very quickly and perfectly straight every time.’

Buyers also receive fitting guidelines, along with a list of part numbers of consumables and a guide to the different caliper and disc options. This conversion is based around the use of standard parts, which should keep things simple and cheaper when it comes to finding spares.

There are options to choose, too, including longer wheel studs and adaptor brackets to fit a Defender servo to the Series pedal box. Leave these alone, and the standard kit will set you back £525. www.wildindustries.co.uk

The new Topchest and Rollcab Combo from Sealey is serious bit of kit, with 14 lockable lift-latch drawers which glide in and out on ball bearings. This pro-quality tool cabinet, which also has a top storage area, combines a 7-drawer rollcab, a 5-drawer topchest and additional 2-drawer chest; between these three sections, its overall dimensions (W x D x H) are 660 x 435 x 490mm.

Price? A good tool chest is pretty much priceless, actually.

But since that fact isn’t a great deal of use when you earn a living by selling them, £339.95 plus VAT sounds like a very good investment. www.sealey.co.uk

The styling gurus from Bespoke Cars have come up with a new way of scaring the guy in the car ahead of you, with a menacing looking new lightweight Defender bonnet. Made from fibreglass and sculpted with a huge power bulge and air intake feature with a Bentley-style mesh insert, this is light in weight as well as being outrageous to look at. The bonnet costs £995, but few other mods add as much presence so easily. www.bespokecars.co.uk

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It’s possible to spend a small fortune on seat covers for a Defender. But if all you want to do is cover up the splits, fag burns and dog-chew damage, or you’d like to plonk your posterior on something a bit more pleasant than the harsh vinyl of the originals, something cheap but tough might well suffice.

Something like Britpart’s new range of Inner Seat Covers, which are designed to slip over the Defender’s standard two-piece seat units and stay in place using elastic ties. Simple, robust and all most people will need – and cheap enough that if they get ripped, eaten, stained to death or totally ingrained with mud, you can just lob them in the bin and buy a new set.

Cheap enough? With prices starting at £29.99, it’s a lot better than springing for a new seat. www.britpart.com

It’s always good to see new products for old Landies. So Britpart’s new Brake Pipe Set is very good, because it’s for the very oldest.

These UK-made copper nickel brake lines come pre-cut for 80” and 86” wheelbases. They’re supplied with solid brass unions and are pre-marked to show where they’re meant to go on your vehicle. Where required, the kit also includes fitting clips and brass inline connectors.

Prices start at £69.99. Shopping around might score you a bit of a discount on that, but for a set of tailormade brake lines that won’t rust it already sounds like very decent value. www.britpart.com

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The latest addition to the range of Hutchinson wheels available at XS4x4 is the WA0604 Rock Monster Beadlock, in a 16x7.0” size designed specifically for the Land Rover Defender. Fully government-approved as a roadlegal accessory back home in the US, this allows you to run your tyres at ultra-low pressures – all the way down to 0psi – without breaking them off

the rim, allowing them to spread the maximum possible footprint in search of traction on difficult surfaces.

Beadlockers have been common for a long time in America, but they remained rare in the UK until relatively recently when winch challenges took over as the primary form of competition. There’s a lot of options on the market, but Hutchinson is at the top end – as a price tag of £470 per wheel from UK importer XS4x4 illustrates.

Hutchinson’s range includes a variety of fitments covering a wide range of vehicles, so if yours isn’t a Defender (or, indeed, a hybrid with Defender axles) there’s probably still something in it for you. The WA1352, for example, is another heavy-duty road-legal beadlocker with the same price tag, but this one’s flagged up as being suitable for the Mk1 Discovery too. www.xs4x4.parts

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If you’ve got a Discovery 3 or Range Rover Sport with the 2.7-litre TdV6 engine, or a 2005-2009 Sport with the 3.6 TdV8, you’re also the owner of a Webasto fuel burning heater.

And Britpart’s latest box of tricks is a controller module which allows you to switch it on an off using the vehicle’s own key fob.

This runs the heater for 30 mins, warming the engine’s coolant to a target temperature of 76 degrees. Particularly useful if your glow plugs are on the way out, but just generally a brilliant idea if, like everyone else in Britain, you’ve spent the last couple of months scraping ice off your windscreen and driving your kids to school in a self-propelled fridge and you’d very much like not to have to again next winter.

Installing the controller is a relatively simple matter of mounting it up and connecting four wires (live, earth, heater and headlights), then setting the ‘follow me home’ function as shown in your vehicle’s handbook. Pressing the third button on the key fob will now activate the headlights for a few seconds – and this is where the control unit gets its command to turn on the Webasto heater.

Britpart’s RRP for the unit is £219.

Not the cheapest accessory in the world, then – but divide that by the number of times you’ve shivered your way to work this winter, then factor in the extra engine wear you’re saving by not running it cold, and you’ve got an open and shut case. www.britpart.com

Britpart has introduced a range of back door cards for Land Rover Defenders from 1987-2006 fitted with rear wash-wipe (yes, such things exist).

Available in Slate Grey, Dark Granite and Black, these are coded to the vehicle’s chassis number – there are six different fitments in the range. They’re not exactly cheap at around £140, but they’ll make your Defender look a lot more cheerful. www.britpart.com

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inch challenge vehicles tend to have ridiculously big tyres, stupidly flexibly suspension, bodies suited only to bashing off trees and more power than is good for them. Daan Schreuders’ 88” hybrid is an everyday usable Land Rover first and foremost, but it’s been places most hardcore winch trucks haven’t – Ladoga and the Rainforest Challenge, for example.

It was, however, in the altogether more domestic surroundings of Tixover that the Landy first came to fame, when a chap with a camera happened to be in the right place at the right time to catch it somersaulting backwards down the hill Daan was trying to get up. That was

When Landy owners build suspension set-ups for the toughest off-road events, they normally try to max out on flex. But Daan Schreuders chose to take another route.

The result was an 88” hybrid with modest articulation – but a perfect balance between front and rear

Words Gary Noskill Pictures Steve Taylor

To advertise in The Landy, call Mike Casey on 01283 553244 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk a good test for its rollcage, if nothing else – which, as an automotive CAD designer, is a subject he knows a lot more about than most of us.

Before any of this started, the vehicle was an everyday Series III with the steering wheel on the left. Daan is originally from Holland, and he brought it with him when he moved to Britain – before rebuilding it with a 90 chassis and 300Tdi engine.

Hybrid building was well past its peak by this time, but that wasn’t the point. ‘I am a big fan of Series Land Rovers,’ explains Daan, ‘but Defenders are better technically. This vehicle combines both.’

It does so using a NAS chassis that came direct from Land Rover without ever having been used. The perfect starting point for a project, naturally, even if cutting a brand new unit down to 88 inches must have seemed a little odd when most hybrid builders used to make do with the frames from crusty old Range Rovers. Daan didn’t just shorten it, however – he also replaced all the crossmembers to suit his needs, before sending it off to be galvanised.

Overall, Daan reports, cutting it down saved 30kg: ‘I’ve tried to keep the vehicle as light as possible,’ he says, ‘and very simple for easy fixing in the field.’

Fitted to the chassis is a suspension system using 220kg Old Man Emu front and 170kg Range Rover rear springs, which gives a lift of about one inch. Identical shocks are used at each corner to cut down on spares; all are 10” Pro-Comps, with the rears fitted coil-over style for protection.

Both axles run radius arms, with rubber bushing all round. The fronts are Range Rover units, drilled to save weight, while those at the rear are fabricated in T45. Unusually, the rear axle doesn’t locate using an A-frame: instead, Daan has fitted a panhard rod.

This illustrates that he’s not one for trying to achieve crowd-wowing levels of articulation which, unless you’re into rock crawling, don’t actually do all that much in the real world. ‘There’s no dislocation,’ he says, ‘but proper ten-inch travel, very well balanced between front and rear.’ It’s not unusual to see vehicles on which one axle does way more work than the other, with drivers constantly banging their diff-locks in and out to try and compensate, but Daan’s theory (and it’s a sound one) is that two axles working in harmony is worth more than any of that.

The axles themselves are both Defender units, with 4.75:1 KAM ring and pinions, Ashcroft halfshafts and 110 CV joints. Belt and braces? ‘I’ve never broken anything,’ says Daan, which more or less answers that. A Gigglepin diff-guard beefs up the axle case at the front, where Daan has also

made his own heavy-duty sleeved steering rods.

The steering system is otherwise standard, using a four-bolt PAS box, but the same doesn’t go for the brakes.

Needless to say, it’s discs all round, vented at the front, with very early 110 front calipers chosen for their larger pistons and stainless steel construction.

Braided hoses are fitted all round, while the handbrake is a transmission unit with an AP Racing caliper acting on a Vauxhall Astra disc.

Providing the get-up-and-go is the aforementioned 300Tdi, run in standard form, which is mounted about 10” further back to improve weight balance. Breathing in through an inswept snorkel, whose design means it won’t be getting the tug from any trees, this feeds out via a Defender 130 heavy-duty clutch to a Defender LT77S gearbox and 1.2:1 Discovery transfer case. Beyond this are Defender 90 front and Series III rear props, which turn the axles via a Detroit Locker in the back and Truetrac in the front.

‘The vehicle is designed to be able to run without any electrics,’ says Daan.

‘If the electrics fail, you can remove the plunger from the fuel solenoid, bump start the vehicle and it all still works: engine, diff-locks, front winch, cooling, none depend on electricity.

So if the electrics let you down, you can still continue.’ This in turn allows the electrical system to be very simple; juiced by a single Discovery battery, it’s basically standard but for an upgrade to waterproof relays.

As we’ve just revealed, the front winch doesn’t rely on electricity for power or switching. Which can only mean one thing: it’s driven by a PTO. Even then, however, it’s no normal mechanical unit – in fact, it’s a Koenig high-speed job with a 9:1 reduction ratio, making it a staggering five times faster than standard. The Superwinch EP9 paying its Plasma 12-strand out beneath the rear crossmember looks positively normal by comparison, which is of course because it is. Neither winch is fitted using any tricks to let its cable out at silly angles, just a basic hawse ring which fits in with Daan’s philosophy of keeping it simple.

Protection comes from galvanised rock sliders, an aluminium bash plate for the standard fuel tank and a steering guard which flows down from that fabricated bumper. Chequer plate wing tops seem a little trivial by comparison – but while we’re talking about the vehicle’s bodywork, it’s worth going into greater depth on an area in which it’s much less standard than first appears.

The panels are all Series III, as is the front bulkhead – as illustrated by the classic split-screen appearance of a leafer. The roof has been lowered by

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Top, above left: Yes, this is the rear axle you’re looking at. Daan was more interested in achieving the same level of articulation front and rear than freaking everyone out with how high he could life one wheel with a Hiab, so he did away with the traditional A-frame and used fabricated radius arms with a panhard rod. The shocks are housed within the coils to protect them, so there’s no dislocation going on either Above right: More coil-over mounting up front, this time with Range Rover radius arms which have been drilled to save weight.

Bushing is by bog-standad rubber all the way round, too – if you’re looking for clever tricks, you’ll be a while. It all results in what Daan describes as ‘proper ten-inch travel, very well balanced between front and rear – and talking of resuts, it helped the hybrid show the cream of the world’s winching talent a thing or two at the Ladoga Trophy and Rainforest Challenge

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Daan designed and assembled the roll cage himself, which is a thing you only do if you’ve got the sort of know-how you can trust with your life (he has, and the Land Rover’s been over several times to prove the fact). The exo part meets the rear hoop via spreader plates in the roof, and the main stays are positioned as wide as possible to retain a usable level of luggage space in the back – very necessary on self-sufficient events like the Rainforest Challenge. This means they don’t run down to meet the main chassis rails; instead, Daan fabricated a set of outriggers to support them. We said he designed and assembled the cage, but for the bit in the middle he bought a load of T45 tube and took it to the Safety Devices factory, where they bent it up for him – as this demonstrates, knowing what to do can sometimes mean knowing when to let someone else do it 65mm, however, and the internal bulkhead shifted backwards by 75mm to create more legroom. The pedal box is 40mm further forward for the same reason (Daan’s 6ft 7in frame wasn’t made to fit in a standard Landy), and the front panel is 20mm ahead of its original position to create room for the Tdi’s intercooler – remember, the engine itself is 10” further back from

its standard mounting position. This meant extending the bonnet to suit, which Daan has achieved without making it look like a lash-up.

Further body mods include Defender wheelarch spats and a grille mesh to prevent the radiator from clogging up.

This, of course, is removable for cleaning, as a hardcore event will quickly turn it into a solid wall of baked mud.

Elsewhere, the tub has been heavily chopped about to clear the wheels on full bump (remember, the vehicle has only one inch of suspension and no body lift at all), and also to provide more stowage space.

This allows Daan to carry a pair of 20-litre jerry cans in front of the spare wheel, with two waffles creating a false floor beneath which live the rear winch

and, ahead of that, all the spares and recovery equipment he needs. The fact that this includes a high-lift jack illustrates just how much space he’s managed to find.

This is all the more impressive when you consider the amount of space some designs of roll cage can eat up. As we mentioned earlier, Daan designed and built the hybrid’s himself, using T45

tube which was bent up at the Safety Devices factory; his design uses an internal rear hoop which runs down to outriggers rather than the chassis rails so as to minimise the amount of space robbed from the cargo area.

Rollover protection of another kind comes in the shape of a stout mesh guard attached behind the internal hoop and cross-brace. No small matter,

Below left: In among all that armour is a Series III rear prop. The axle it turns started life on a Defender, and the handbrake you can just about see part of at the top of the picture is a one-off which Daan made using a disc from a Vauxhall Astra Below right: With the engine being mounted 10” back from its standard position, and the vehicle’s wheelbase not resembling anything Land Rover ever made with a 300Tdi in it, a custom transmission cradle was always going to be necessary. Another large tick against Daan’s welding skills here

To advertise in The Landy, call Mike Casey on 01283 553244 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk this, when you consider that in the sort of endo Daan knows about all to well, on top of all the other stuff we’ve already mentioned there’s going to be a shovel, chainsaw and set of ammo boxes doing their best to break free.

Less frightening interior fittings include a pair of Volvo seats and a laptop for GPS navigation, the latter mounted on a frame attached to the dash. The floors are chequer-plated for hoseout ease of maintenance, and there’s a second lever next to the transfer box control for operating the PTO winch.

When we talk about ‘the’ PTO winch, by the way, we’re actually referring to the second to be fitted on the vehicle.

Various people have experimented with centre-mounted winches, routing the cable cleverly to let them be used at the front or rear, with various levels of success. Daan’s among them – but he’s one of the ones for whom the level of success wasn’t high. Not high enough to meet his own standards, at any rate: ‘I tried a middle PTO winch which could work to the front or the back, but I didn’t get on with it. Since than, I’ve had the two winches.’

As this illustrates, Daan has long since reached the stage with the Land Rover where he’s happy just to refine and improve it. There’s no such thing as a finished project – but this is one hybrid that’s about as close to it as you’ll ever see.

Above: Here is the aforementioned 300Tdi. Being mounted so far back, there’s a shroud guiding air to the radiator – you’ll be familiar with this sight if you own a 90 with the 2.5 nat-asp diesel Below: The PTO-driven Koenig winch is geared for very high line speeds. Being 100% mechanical, it will keep going even in the event of a total electrical failure

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This is the modern world…

Issue 14: April 2015

Seeing a late Series IIA in a nice, straight condition isn’t the rarest of experiences. But there’s no such thing as a Land Rover without a story to tell, and this 109 hides a lot beneath its pleasingly straight body.

Like a stretched Range Rover chassis, for example… and a 2.5 turbo-diesel engine from an old Peugeot.

Not a classic in the conventional sense, then – but a fine example of what a classic Land Rover can become

L

ike a classic old song that’s been digitally remastered, or a seventies’ blockbuster which has been meticulously restored using the latest technology, there’s a certain kind of Land Rover that manages to look ancient and modern at the same time.

These are the Landies which have been restored – but not back to their original condition.

At some point in your life, you may have looked up the definition of the word ‘restoration.’ Well, maybe. Most likely when you were intoxicated at

Words Mike Trott Pictures Martin Traynor Christmas, because it seemed like the fun thing to do at the time.

On stumbling your way through the ‘R’ category of your dusty Oxford English Dictionary, you’d read: ‘The action of returning something to its former owner, place or condition.’

Riveting stuff. Your hazy eyes would then drift down to ‘resuscitate,’ but that’s another story.

The point is that while the vehicle we have here certainly did start off in need of restoration, what happened to it was a little less easy to qualify. The word ‘restification’ has been coined for trucks

that start out as a wreck and end up as a hardcore off-road warrior, but this isn’t that either.

No, here the term ‘modernisation’ (bringing something up to date using modern methods and techniques) fits the bill much better. Intrigued?

From the outside, this looks like a normal 1969 Series IIA 109. So far, so unremarkable, even if it looks in good health. Some years ago, however, this classic piece of British engineering went through a revamp, the idea being to keep it moving with the times while preserving its looks and character.

Actually, by ‘some years ago’ we’re talking about 1997. So ‘modernisation’ might not quite be the right word. No Transparent Bonnets or Hill Descent Control in this Landy, thank you. All the same, it can be tolerated for much longer distances than it once was.

Generally, if you asked someone what their daily drive was and they replied with the words ‘Series IIA, you’d assume that he or she is on first names terms with a chiropractor. With this Landy, though, that’s not the case.

‘It’s been modified and updated to enable it to be used on a daily ba-

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These days, putting a Peugeot engine in an otherwise original Series IIA would be like dancing on the grave of a precious classic.

But back when this 2.5-litre turbo-diesel went in, it was simply a good way of making an old Landy drive nicer. Installed using a Steve Parker conversion kit, the engine mates to a Discovery manual gearbox – making the 109 much stronger to drive as well as allowing it to cruise comfortably (and a lot more quietly) at motorway speeds sis,’ says Martin Traynor of Chiltern Motors. ‘The body now sits on a Range Rover chassis, which means you now have coil-sprung suspension, so it’s significantly more comfortable to drive.’

The more eagle-eyed among you (or in actual fact, anyone who’s awake) will have spotted that since the 109 is still a 109, the Range Rover chassis can’t still be a Range Rover chassis. Well, not an original Range Rover chassis. So what you’re looking at is a stretched Rangey supporting a very tidy long-wheelbase Series IIA van.

It was the Landy’s previous owner who did the conversion, but Martin can verify that the extra comfort is definitely there. Not because he just whizzed it round the block before putting it up for sale, either.

‘As a testament to its ability,’ he says, ‘I took this 45-year-old vehicle down

to Southern Germany some months ago to deliver a Series I on the back of a trailer. It never missed a beat and was just great, with plenty of power and pulling ability, and happily sat on the Autobahn all day long.’

Not many people used the words ‘plenty of power’ in relation to the 2.25-litre petrol or diesel engines that went into new Series IIAs as they came out of Solihull. And Martin isn’t bucking that trend. Under this one’s bonnet is 2.5-litre Peugeot turbo-diesel, installed using a Steve Parker Land Rover conversion kit and mated to a five-speed Discovery manual gearbox to go with it.

‘The original Series vehicles are cracking motors,’ says Martin. ‘They have those classic looks, but often drive pretty horribly. This one is deceptive though – the work has been done so

well, you wouldn’t realise unless you drove it. So you now have retro looks with much more modern running gear, reliability and comfort.’

The man speaks the truth. No, those seats won’t be winning any style awards, but they beat sitting on a park bench wrapped in vinyl. And then there’s the handbrake; it sits by your hand and doesn’t force you into a game of heads, shoulders, knees and toes.

As well as the logical improvements in the cabin, the bodywork also received a full restoration when the new chassis and other modifications were made. Not surprisingly, it acquired a full repaint as well.

Back in the nineties, when hybrid building was in its heyday, this must have been quite a machine. It still is, Continued overleaf

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One of the nicest things about this IIA is that although it’s been changed very fundamentally in terms of its engine, chassis and suspension, nobody’s tried to make it into anything it’s not. The cabin is still a basic, robust, functional place to sit, even if it’s gained a pair of seats you can actually sit in on a journey without having to spend the next day learning how to walk again. In the back, it’s just a clean, tidy van, boarded out and ready to do a day’s work – the same sort of days’ work it’s been doing since the Beatles were still together actually – IIAs are rare enough now that the time for modifying them like this is in the past, so you’re unlikely to see any more getting this kind of treatment now.

At the very least, when the work was done this Series IIA would have stood comparison to the 90s and 110s of its time. You’d expect it to have been among the least punishing on your body, too.

Yes, it is hybrid, at least of sorts. But depending on your take on things it could be one of the best out there – not an off-road killer, but a straight old one revised to be more like they would have been, if only Land Rover had had access to more modern engineering back then.

‘I wouldn’t have driven it down to Germany if I thought it was going to be unreliable,’ concludes Martin. ‘I couldn’t have something hindering me and it didn’t! You could do it in a big, shiny 4x4 perfectly well, but the IIA is just something different.’

Quite. Today, old Series IIAs are way too rare and precious to chop around (and Q-plates are enough of a pain in the neck to put you off anyway). But this one is the sort of truck it was possible to create back in those happy days of more freedom and less red tape. It’s not in its original state, no. But if they’d all been like this, running a Series truck as a daily driver would be as normal as anything.

Chiltern Motors currently have the IIA up for sale, at an asking price of £5750 ono. Call 0118 954 7818 or pay a visit to www.chilternmotors.co.uk

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‘it’s tempting to go with bells and whistles, but that’s not always the best thing on an overland vehicle’

When Ian Daly longed to get out there and explore the world, he decided to base his build on the longest Landy there is. When he found a 130 Wolf at the right money, he knew he’d chosen well…

If you want to go and see the world aboard a Land Rover, there are plenty of companies who’ll happily see you on your way by relieving you of a large pile of cash. You get what you pay for, of course, and many of these outfits turn out vehicles we’d all be proud to pilot across continents far and near, but there’s another kind of overland wagon too – the kind whose owners take self sufficiency to a whole new level.

This hefty 130, for example, was prepped for overland travel a few years ago by Ian Daly. A lot of overlanders aren’t that into the more extreme side of the off-road game, but this particular Landy shared its driveway with a

Words Gary Noskill Pictures Steve Taylor hardcore playday toy he’d take out when he wasn’t going long-range.

Two very different vehicles, then, for two very different kinds of fun.

‘Overlanding is a great pastime,’ Ian told us, ‘because it offers such a rich experience. My wife can’t stand offroading in this country, but she loves the long-distance stuff where there’s something new to look at every day and a real sense of adventure.’

The 130 was a no-brainer when Ian started planning his build, and that didn’t change when he went looking and found one in Wolf spec at the right price. ‘It came with air-conditioning and a diesel heater,’ he says, ‘but the

rear was just an empty box when I took delivery of it.’

It wasn’t empty for long. With the Wolf being so well sorted from scratch, Ian was able to concentrate on the living quarters – which contain a fold-down double bed, copious storage space and a dining table which four of us were able to gather round for a brew without anyone feeling cramped.

It was, he admits, an intensive job which took months of solid work. But the results are staggering.

Ian was eager to test the 130 in gentler conditions than the desert when the build was first completed, just to make sure everything worked the

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The perfect stategy for an overland build is to start with the strongest truck you can find, so you can leave it as standard as possible and concentrate on just prepping the camper-van part of it. That’s what Ian did with the 130 – and they don’t come much stronger than a Wolf model, which meant an original-equipment 300Tdi under the bonnet with a factory-fit raised air intake and 24-volt alternator. The domestic electrical system is all 12-volt, and thus completely separate, and it provides power and light to a ‘home’ based around a fold-down double bed and remarkably spacious dining table way he wanted. So off he went, first to Scotland and then to Switzerland.

Whoever heard of a shakedown run for a camper van, huh? Well, it’s just as well he did, because the batteries ran flat first time out – something he was able to remedy back home before setting forth again. Naturally, he was happy to have discovered the issues with the initial arrangement before heading out on the sort of expedition where a problem like that could prove to be much more serious.

The 130 is a heavy old bus even in standard form, and with a selfpropelled home on the back this one tips the scales at almost four tonnes – more when fully laden with water and spare fuel. Given that it was built to go places where deep sand is the most common type of terrain you’ll find, Ian went for the widest tyres he could get – 265x85R16 BFGoodrich All-Terrains.

‘I like the AT tread pattern for its allround capabilities,’ he said. ‘But I think an even wider tyre would perform better in desert conditions.’

Being a Wolf, the 130 has a 300Tdi engine turning an R380 gearbox.

The engine runs a raised air intake and has the usual 24-volt heavy-duty alternator, but Ian left it well alone in terms of mods. The perfect choice for an overland truck is one that’s very strong as standard and doesn’t need any enhancements at all, so you don’t have to go messing about with the drivetrain and suspension – and this Defender proved absolutely ideal.

Being on 24-volt throughout actually suited Ian rather well, as the electrics for the living quarters could be kept entirely separate from those in the engine bay. He used 12-volt for the domestic stuff because of

its compatibility with conventional appliances, and a second 24-volt system went in to serve as a back-up for the engine. ‘The last thing you want is to be stranded in the desert with no power,’ he comments. ‘So it’s worth adopting a belt-and-braces approach.’

Talking of belt-and-braces, going off-road in anything that weighs this much is going to ask questions of your suspension. Many people fit upgrades here, whether or not they actually lift the height of the vehicle, but Ian didn’t need to – because Land Rover already had the answer itself.

This was, of course, to fit big springs and really big shocks. The Wolf being the Wolf, total dependability is what it was all about, so you’re looking at a set of impressively over-engineered components here.

As we’ve said, keeping it standard as possible is always a good idea on an expedition machine. ‘If you keep with stock componentse,’ confirms Ian, ‘it’s far more likely you’ll be able to find replacements when you’re travelling. It’s tempting to go with bells and whistles, but that’s not always the best thing on an overland vehicle.’

Aside from that, of course, there’s the age-old argument that the truck’s manufacturer put a lot of time and effort into designing it so all the components would work together.

Start modifying it away from standard and, while it might perform better in the short term, eventually something’s going to object.

That’s why a 130 is a great choice, and a 130 Wolf is a brilliant one. Ian took this Landy and turned it into a top-class home from home. But deep down, in the bits that make it go, it’s still the same Landy it always was.

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SCRUBBING UP

‘I came back to it once and someone was lying underneath!’

AMAZINGLY In a world of Porsches, Evos and Caterhams, a Defender will always look like the geeky kid at the back of the class who never gets the girl.

But when the time comes to shine, Land Rover’s finest scrubs up very well indeed – and when it does, nothing else gets a look in

A

Defender is rarely what you’d consider to be a ‘smart’ vehicle. These are the Land Rovers most at home on the land – where, whether for work or play, they never look better than when they’re covered in mud.

The Defender is like the kid at school who doesn’t hang out with the cool crowd. Rather than spending the summer getting wasted at endless house parties, he’d sooner be off hiking.

But then, when the whole school comes together for prom night, what happens? The odd kid turns out to scrub up better than anyone could

Words and pictures Mike Trott imagine and ends up stealing the show.

And the girl, obviously.

Sorry. Maybe I watched a bit too much American kids’ TV when I was a teen myself…

Anyway, here have that odd kid, moments before he loosens his tie at the end of the night and whisks the prom queen away… to jump knee-deep into the mud together. Alan Webber is father to this particular show-stealer, and on the whole he’s pretty proud of what he’s got.

Part of the reason why he may be so happy is that he didn’t raise this Defender himself. He merely took it on

from someone who’d done all the hard work already!

‘I bought this truck off my brother-in-law, who had kept it for about a year himself,’ says Alan. ‘It was my brother-in-law and my best mate that actually got me into the off-roading side of things; we all love them and I’ve had loads of different Defenders over the years.’

They say that the first step towards rehabilitation is to accept that you have a bit of a problem (I’m not speaking from personal experience). And I’m glad to report that Alan has completed this first step…

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Above left: Suspension uses +3” Pro-Comp springs and shocks throughout. Above: Some of the decor on this 90 is more street chic than off-road cred, but you can never go too far wrong with a good bit of chequer plate.

Below: Elsewhere – notably underneath the vehicle, which is of course where it’s most vulnerable – stuff like the Matt Lee diff guard, Equipe bash plate and Shadow winch bumper are heavy-duty and nothing less ‘I’m a furniture maker by profession, but I also do a bit of part-time trading on Land Rovers. It started off as a hobby really; it’s getting out of hand now though!’ continues Alan.

‘I’ve had at least 20 Defenders and another couple of Range Rovers over the last half a dozen years. I think once they’re in your blood, you are doomed.’

Alan may change his Defenders like he changes his socks, but that’s nothing new to him. ‘I’ve had everything, from Porsches to Evos to Subarus – but I just keep coming back to Land Rovers.

I had a lovely Caterham Seven before and people used to ask me questions wherever I went in it – but I kid you not, this Defender is ten times worse!

‘I came back to it once and someone was lying underneath it! I said, “Excuse me, what are you doing?” You’ll go a long way to find a car with more character than the Defender.’

There’s probably a reason why Alan found someone under his daily drive, because this Td5 has been smartly Continued overleaf

It’s the same Pro-Comp springs that you’ll find at the back. Here, however, instead of being fitted coil-over style they’re non-captive at the top – where dislocation cones helps them re-seat themselves after a flexing session

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The Td5 engine is still regarded with suspicion by some, but desipte the electronics it’s one of the most reliable things ever to come out of Solihull. You see some ludicrous tuning efforts going on with it, but this one shows just what you can do by simple means – the EGR valve has been binned and there’s a sports exhaust to ease off on the back pressure, and that’s just fine. In the cabin, this generation of Defenders still had the old-school dashboard – and amen to that, say many of us – but is less likely to have been destroyed than something from the early Tdi era or beyond enhanced for exactly the sort of thing he enjoys – a touch of gentle green laning and a chance to let off some steam at the occasional playday.

A lot of the vehicle has remained unmolested, including its brakes, transmission and axles, which simply have a set of diff guards bolted on. Let’s face it, a Td5 is a good starting point – rear disc brakes had become standard by this point, the axles were good and strong and the powertrain is one of the most reliable ever to exit the magic factory on Lode Lane.

Kids are terrible for losing things, of course, and this one has misplaced its EGR valve. Better performance and fuel economy in one easy stroke?

Don’t mind if I do. Combine that with the stainless steel sports exhaust at the other end of proceedings and you have yourself a smoother, more efficient Land Rover that also enjoys stretching your facial muscles.

It’s off the tarmac, however, where this odd kid starts to show its maturity. Wide-angle propshafts work with a 3” Pro-Comp suspension lift and dislocation cones to make sure it can travel across the majority of terrain. The steering has been given a revamp with a Terrafirma damper and hardened steering arms, all protected by that shiny guard at the front from Equipe 4x4. Should things go wrong, a Superwinch S5000 inside a tidy Shadow tubular winch bumper will make them right again.

Alan must go home and drive his family insane with all his talk of Land Rovers. We say this because even his real offspring has caught on to his obsession! ‘My daughter Amy, she’s ten now and she keeps saying things like “galvanised chassis” and “KAM diff

lockers.” Can’t think who she could have got that from…!’

While the Defender came to him already potty-trained, Alan has made a couple of changes himself, most notably to its wheels and tyres. It now runs on 33x12.50R15 Cooper Discoverer STTs, which Alan says are the best all-rounders he’s found. These are glued around a set of black modular rims.

It’s in the bolt-on extras that this Defender has really gone to town. You

could say it’s gone overboard, even, but it appeals to Alan – because it takes an already great truck to become a stupendous one.

A G4 roof rack, chequer plating, wing vents, Puma bonnet, heavy-duty side steps, spotlights and Exmoor Trim XS-style seats should cover the options list. We did say that this vehicle has a prom to get to, after all, so it was always going to need a few accessories to go with its tuxedo.

As we mentioned, Alan tends to go through cars faster than some people go through changes of underpants, so it won’t surprise you ever so much to learn that since we took these pictures he had already moved on to his next Defender. This one’s a Puma, and he says it’s the most comfortable Defender he’s ever owned.

‘Realistically, for me at least, the Defenders are more of a second car than something you’d want to drive about

in every single day. But they are the ultimate vehicle for having fun in.’

We’d all agree with that. And when the time came for this odd kid to shine and it danced around the off-road site at Muddy Bottom for our photos, it was like the greatest prom night triumph ever. The birds sat up and cooed with delight… as did the sheep, and all the other wildlife down there.

You see? They really do all scrub up well in the end.

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SEEKING

NO TIME FOR A FULL EXPEDITION? TRY A THR

THE SAHARA

Words and pictures Mark Bailey

The idea of taking a couple of years out and setting off around the world is hugely appealing, but actually doing it is hardly what you’d call practical. For many Land Rover owners, the soution is just a 35-minute ferry ride from the south of Spain. Joining an organised convoy to Morocco gives you cameraderie, peace of mind – and instant access to a landscape and culture that might as well be on the other side of the planet One day before we’re due to leave for an overland trip to Morocco, after two months’ frantic preparation, what happens? My Range Rover refuses to start.

Nothing for it but to call in the sixth emergency service. This is Andy Pendragon, the organiser of our expedition. He convinced the Rangey to start, but offered no explanation as to why it hadn’t wanted to in the first place.

The following morning, I very nervously went out and turned the key. To my great relief, she fired up. All set for the trip of a lifetime. But then, 25 miles

into that trip of a lifetime, she started misfiring again and struggled to climb the slightest of hills.

By the time I arrived at the meeting point, I was ready to pull out. The idea of travelling 3000-plus miles with this vehicle was filling me with nothing but dread. But Andy is a laid-back kind of bloke; he convinced me, somehow, that everything would be fine.

So I misfired my way to Portsmouth and on to the ferry, and forgot about it for a while. I’d suggest taking a good book for the crossing, or at least a big

one. Whale and dolphin watching is extremely rewarding when you get to see them, but you have to be looking out to sea at the right moment –and there are a lot of moments before you get to Santander.

Once in Spain, Andy suggested we drain the Rangey’s tank and clean the fuel lines. I had serviced it to within an inch of its life only a week before, so it had to be something silly. And indeed, draining the fuel tank revealed water, mud, muck and bits of metal – how on earth did all THAT get in there?

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REE-WEEK CONVOY TO MOROCCO INSTEAD…

King of the dunes? That would be the author’s Range Rover. A nicely tuned 3.9-litre V8 engine and auto gearbox had a lot to do with that, though the truly ground-breaking idea of going on expedition in a bobtail meant they didn’t have as much weight to haul through the sand Roger, one of the guys on the trip, had a small compressor, which we used to blow out the fuel lines. The Range Rover misfired on and off for a couple more tanks, then cleared up and started running sweetly. What a relief – at last, I could settle back and enjoy our overland journey to Morocco.

The first thing you do once out of the port is climb a mountain – and what a mountain. More than 4000 feet above sea level, with switchback after switchback in first and second gear, it made for amazing driving and a stunning view. What a way to start the trip.

Once over this, you settle into chasing the horizon, across flat plains cov-

ered in date plantations with mountain ranges away in the distance. Northern Spain more than warrants a trip of its own – but our target was the south coast and our ferry to Morocco.

Two days of fantastic scenery later, we rolled into the port… only to be told that the day’s crossing was cancelled due to bad weather. Not to worry, that gave us an opportunity to give our vehicles a check-over. One of the group had had to replace a couple of wheel bearings and UJs on his 90 on the way down, something that quickly became a team effort.

It was still a little blustery the following day, but this time the ferry

was able to set sail. It makes you realise how close together Europe and Africa really are, because the crossing only takes 35 minutes.

Moroccan customs was an experience in organised chaos, but once out of the city the pace of life slows right down and the true Morocco reveals itself. It’s only now that first-time visitors like me can start to take things in – and you quickly realise you’re in a totally different world.

After a fuel stop and café break, we set off for our first campsite, all the while trying to adjust to the unfolding sights, sounds and smells of Morocco.

Yes, smells: plantations of orange trees,

When your ferry’s cancelled due to high winds in the Strait of Gibraltar, what do you to to kill the time? Why, you get to work on your Land Rover, that’s what.

Everyone gave their vehicles a general check-over, but for one member of the group the adventure included changing a couple of UJs and wheel bearings.

When that turned out not to be a big enough job to keep everyone occupied, he decided to follow that up by changing the bushes in his 90’s steering. And you thought a three-week holiday wouldn’t involve the sort of running repairs that are part and parcel of fully fledged expedition travel…

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If you visit Morocco on a hotel holiday, probably the only time you’ll realise you’re not in Europe is when you get herded on to a bus and taken on a tour of ‘authentic’ markets selling touristy tat in sterile cod-ethnic surroundings. Go there for real and the reminders are all around you: none of these photographs were taken in zoos. If that’s not reason enough to start planning a trip like the one in this article, we don’t know what is dates and mint are intoxicating as you pass through with the windows down and the wind in your face. You pass roadside stalls selling brightly coloured pots, plates and crystals, with the proprietors beckoning for you to stop and view their wares.

The further south you go, the more dramatic the scenery and the sparser the population becomes. We covered on average 125 miles a day – but it wasn’t just a follow-my-leader convoy drive. Andy gave each of us a roadbook and let us all travel at our own pace, stopping where and when we liked.

Our aim was to get to the desert in the south of the country, but we did stop a couple of times to explore. The first of these detours was to the cascades at D’Ouzoud, which are stunning.

A three-stage waterfall with a total drop of some 300 feet, they’re at their best in April when the river is full. But they remain extraordinary all year round – as indeed does the whole of Morocco.

Our second stop was at Marrakech.

Much has been written about the place, but nothing does it justice; the city square is full of water sellers in all their finery, snake charmers and stalls

selling food, souvenirs and aromatic spices. The souks are an experience in themselves, with stalls stuffed with colourful lanterns, jewellery, clothing and slippers. Be warned, though, the Moroccans are born salesmen!

Two more days’ driving, and at last we were on the northern fringes of the Sahara. The scenery so far had been spectacular, but we were about to go somewhere really rather special.

The first thing you notice is that the desert is not all soft sand. In fact, vast areas are covered with rocks and mountains. You pick your way though

the rocks, sand and clumps of bush; you’re following ancient tracks, but you still have to pay attention to where you’re going.

It was here that I got my only puncture. A word of advice about changing a wheel in the desert: take it slowly!

Needless to say, the rules about travelling in convoy change once you’re off the beaten track and into the wilds. Out here, where breaking down or getting stuck could have calamitous results, it would be crazy not to stick together.

On the smooth, flat surface of Lak Iriki, a dried-up lake bed, you can

travel at 50-60 mph with no difficulty at all. We spread out to keep out of each other’s dust, with everyone having a whale of a time. I spotted a dust devil and headed off to drive through it.

Next time, I’ll remember to close the window first…

After about an hour we were back on the track, but we soon turned off into soft sand. This requires low box and diff lock due to the drag as your tyres struggle to float over the surface, and momentum is absolutely essential. I could feel the Range Rover squirming beneath me as I fed in the power, and

Below left: There’s plenty of sand in the Sahara, but there’s much more to it than that. The desert has huge tracts of stony ground, and it’s by no means all flat – there are rocky outcrops and craggy mountains erupting from the plains below, and many of the ancient tracks pick there way through a landscape of boulders and clumps of bush Below right: Just when you think you’ve got the measure of Morocco, check this out. The sun might beat down on the dry, parched desert below, but up here in the High Atlas the climate is defined by altitude. Yes, that really is snow on the peaks in the distance

To advertise in The Landy, call Mike Casey on 01283 553244 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk there was a delay following each turn of the wheel as I steered. It’s great fun – I defy anyone not to be grinning from ear to ear at this point!

The next day was even better. We’d had a taste of the desert – and now, after a lesson from Andy on how it’s done, it was time to hit the sand dunes.

As it turned out, my Range Rover was the king of the dunes – with the combination of three-speed auto and 3.9-litre V8, she climbed everything.

Okay, you could say that the auto box took some of the skill out of it. But who cares? What a blast! That’s not to say I didn’t get stuck, far from it. There is a technique to sand dune driving, but the Range Rover made it look easy. I loved it.

After three days in the desert, it feels as if the trip is over when you set off for home. Far from it, though. Our route went through the High Atlas, which isn’t called that for nothing. I thought we’d climbed some pretty big mountains on the way down through Spain, and seen some stunning views, but nothing prepares you for this place.

One mountain in particular, Jebel Toubkal, took three hours to climb and topped out at around 4100 metres. The views? Mere words can’t begin to do them justice.

By the end of the trip, I had covered some 3300 unforgettable miles in three weeks. My advice is that if you have been thinking about making a trip like this, you should do it soon; western influence is gaining a foothold, and Morocco is changing fast. It’s not just Burger Kings and Pizza Huts, either – Andy told us that some of the tracks he had travelled on in previous years are now tarmac roads.

And my other piece of advice? While solo travelling is perfect for long-term expeditions, if you want to take a shorter overland trip and make the most of every day it makes a lot of sense to go with an organised party the way I did.

Above: You almost never hear anything being described as ‘exotic’ without the reality turning out to be altogether more mundane, but Marrakesh at its best really is worthy of the word. The souk in the centre of the city comes alive at night – it might be for the benefit of tourists, but the effect is totally believable. After running the gauntlet of the ever-present manic traffic that circles the city, in any case, you’ll be quite happy just to be able to relax and enjoy your surroundings for a while – though the noise and energy running through the place mean it’s anything but peaceful Right: Something else that looks peacefully beautiful in a photograph but is actually pretty deafening in real life. At the triple cascades of D’Ouzoud, the Oued Tissakht river plunges 330 feet – it’s the biggest waterfall in Morocco, and the most visited attraction in the region. Don’t let that put you off, though, because all those people rolling up in their coaches haven’t had the experience of driving there on rough mountain roads in the Western High Atlas Below right: Many people have taken Land Rovers to Morocco. Not all of them, it would appear, have brought them back…

Using roadbooks on the way to the desert gave me the feeling that I really was exploring on my own, yet I never had to waste time looking for a campsite or worry that I was missing the best scenery. Having a guide meant we could all just relax and enjoy the trip.

Besides, it was Andy who settled my nerves before we even got to Portsmouth and convinced me not to back out. And I’ll always be grateful to him for that – because if he hadn’t, something as stupid as a grotty fuel tank would have caused me to miss out on the trip of a lifetime.

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36 LAND ROVERS AND PARTS FOR SALE w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k

Issue 14: April 2015

Series I

only because I have other projects to complete. £7000. Kendal, r.g52@operamail.com

at a muddy festival! £3500.

Cardiff, 07736 329789

Series II Series I (1956). Petrol engine.

Restored approximately six years ago, fantastic condition, any viewing welcome. £10,000, 07973 131603

Series I 88”. Has an early 2.25 engine fitted which runs on petrol and LPG. Bulkhead totally rebuilt using galvanised box-section, galv steel plate and new footwells. Not to original spec but strong and rust free.

Chassis repaired where needed to make roadworthy. Parabolic rear springs with Polybushes.

Items still to do include front springs, speedo cable to fit, some rear area windows which are cracked and hard-top painting, plus carpet inside. For sale as is,

Ex-MOD Series IIA Ambulance (1972). Camper conversion.

MOT July 15 (no advisories). Tax exempt and cheap historical vehicle insurance. Stretcher bays converted into beds/seats, but could easily be returned to original for military shows. New 2.25 petrol engine fitted by MOD prior to disposal; vehicle has only done 4500 miles since then! New tyres, brakes and pipes in last 3 years. New lights, floor panels, wheel cylinders, coil and carburettor. Fairey overdrive. Chassis in excellent condition (Waxoyled).

Window washer system, phone changing points, DVD player and LED inside lights added. Rear roof insulated and carpeted. Comes with a drive-away awning for adding space when camping.

A great head-turner, and very practical – I’ve helped friends move house in it, and you won’t get stuck if you use it for camping

Land Rover Series IIA (1969).

2.25 petrol. 48,389 miles. This is a beautiful marine blue Series IIA 88” soft-top. In excellent condition, fully serviced recently, newly repaired starter motor and 10 months’ MOT. No need for road tax! Essex. £3000 ono. 07966 242402, eccure@gmail.com

Land Rover 109 200Tdi. Twin tanks, body-off refurb, chassis checked and no welding required, HD military style crossmember, new bespoke bumperettes, 3 coats of Shutz to chassis, tub and wings, galv bulkhead and front panel, Defender front wiring loom, professionally wired rear, new LED standard style

GUMTREE 4x4 SpecialiStS in land rover, range rover, diScovery, freelander and all 4x4s servicing, repairs, conversions, rebuilds & chassis replacements. performance and off road modifications. established in 1981, located in mid-sussex

tel: 01444 241457 info@gumtree4x4.co.uk

lights, high level brake light, LED camping/reverse lights and internal strip lights, Pioneer CD, Toro overdrive, P38 PAS box on 12mm plate welded to chassis, safari roof, 5 General Grabber 235/85R16s, head skimmed and crack tested, timing belt changed, electric fan. Viewing essential. Must go to a good home. £6500 ono. Call Mat on 07908 582133 or email gondolamat@aol.com

shows! Halogen headlights.

All light grilles fitted, plus side holders for fuel, water and oil.

Driver and passenger mats and side steps, CD radio fitted in cab, military bumpers with NATO hitches, plus lots more – many extras fitted! Paintwork may need a touch up here and there, but ready to show. £5600. Croydon, 07780 680622

centre seat. Currently a truck cab – included in sale will be a 3/4 canvas tilt and sticks, and a full hard top with windows and rear door. Also a set of Series III rims, but they are pretty rough.

Not concours, but a great Series III – you can use every day and tinker away to your heart’s content! £3450. Cannock, 07913 340661

Series III

Ex-military Series III 109 FFR (1984). 2.25 petrol, 24v. Genuine 40,700 miles, with only 6000 in last 7 years. Last serviced Aug 14, MOT Aug 15. Full military history, original military vehicle identification plate, set of military number plates. Perfect chassis – no rust or welding been needed.

Front seats all covered, new rear twin seats fitted. Fully fitted for radio and has .50 cal mount ready for use. Canvas in good condition.

5 brand new off-road tyres for extra grip during those muddy

Land Rover Series III 88” (1980). 2.25 petrol. Less than 2000 miles in last six years covered (backed up by VOSA).

MOT end of March 2015. Webber carb. Starts first turn of key, runs superbly. Clean under bonnet.

Bulkhead completely solid. Brand new driver and passenger doors (driver’s door bottom needs painting). New seat belts fitted, nearly new Defender rims and Michelin tyres. Brand new grille.

Headlight bowls painted correct marine blue. FWH fitted. Transfer box works fine and gearbox is great. Includes a VGC deluxe

Ex-MOD Series III 88”. 2.25 petrol. Fully rebuilt, with everything new or fully reconditioned – brakes, seals, body panels, rear tub, all engine parts, manifolds, radiator, pipes, fittings, lights, battery, doors, windows, locks, pedals, everything! Every nut and bolt replaced with stainless steel ones. This vehicle is now ready to last another 40 years! 12 months’ MOT. Stormforce fitted cover.

All new seats in the back with seatbelts, deluxe front seats, full seatbelt bar fitted, fitted rubber mats, electronic distributor.

Military number was 17 GF 34. £8995. Rhyl, Denbighshire, 01745 353476

Land Rover Series III 109” One-Tonne (1984). 2.25 Petrol, ex-military FFR, refurbished.

45,000 km on clock. MOT June 2015. 2.25 petrol on Solex Zenith carb (runs very smoothly, as do the gearbox and transfer case).

Spent 14 years in northern Norway and was factory fitted with the CJ Williams Arctic Heater, which is still installed and operational. 24v electrics.

Oil temp gauge and oil-cooling radiator (not commonly fitted to civilian Land Rovers). Original heavy-duty chassis and Salisbury rear axle. Can take a full-size spare on bonnet or rear door.

Twin fuel tanks. Other military components were removed during its restoration – these have been dry-stored and will be available to the buyer if desired.

Custom interior with reclining bucket seats, new inertia reel seat belts and clasps, Mountney 15” steering wheel and tailored soundproofing carpet. Two rows of custom bench seats mounted lengthwise in rear. £8995.

Swansea, 07824 158634

Land Rover Sandringham Six. 6x6 Series III Stage 1 V8. 139” wheelbase. 95% complete with all parts needed to finish. Factory built and original – one of only about a dozen known to survive.

Rebuilt from the chassis up.

Road registered with a V5 in my name. I also have the proper wide one-ton wheels which have been shot blasted, primed and will be painted green, plus six new 7.50 x 16 Extra Grip tyres. Total photo library of every stage of the rebuild. Just needs brake shoes and wheel cylinders fitting (new parts supplied), lights refitting and wiring connected. A back body needs to be sorted; they were fitted with either flat beds with sides or a lengthened normal Land Rover body. The chassis has the original mounting points for both. £8500, Bridgwater, Somerset. 07590 487885

Minerva

Land Rover Minerva TT (1952). Recent overhaul, new paint job, new suede gaitors. 12v aux, new battery and alternator, new

wiper blades and motors.

Brakes overhauled, new oil in diffs and gearbox, seats re-upholstered. 4 new tyres, 2 fire extinguishers, also fitted electronic ignition. The bulkhead is sound and the hood is in very good condition, and it is a rust free vehicle for its age!

Road tax and MOT exempt.

Needs new horn button, but has isolator switch fitted and new fuel pump. £4500. Hull, 07737 320448.

90

Defender 90 off-roader.

MOT Dec. Converted from a 110 in 1993. Discovery 200Tdi engine, just had full cam belt kit including tensioner, water pump and radiator, and good second-hand turbo fitted. Good chassis (had a little patch at the rear), bulkhead looks mint (small plate on passenger’s footwell, but can’t see it with mats in).

External rollcage mounted to body. . tubular front end. LED headlights, sidelights, indicators and tail lights. Raptor dash, Puma bonnet, cubby box, Scooby seats (3 seats in back as removed 4th for tools etc). 285/75R16 Insa Turbo Special Tracks with around 14mm left. 30mm wheel spacers.

New +2” lift springs 3 months ago. Shock relocation kit with 11” travel shocks and dislocation cones all round. +5” braided brake lines. Twin snorkels (one for heater, which needs finishing).

Diff guards, steering guards, bush cables, rock sliders, brand new tank guard. Winch bumper (no winch). Swing away wheel carrier. Tow bar with electrics.

Spare A-frame ball joint supplied as it will need one soon. £POA. Doncaster, 07429 145045

Land Rover Defender 90 (1988), 300 Tdi trayback.

128,000 miles. Road-legal. New MOT to Jan 2016. £1000s spent.

Solid chassis (no rust). Complete Whitbread trayback roll cage (professionally installed), bolted to chassis so removable. North Off Road rear winch tray. Alloy 50-litre fuel tank behind cab. +2” suspension all round with cranked rear arms, rear dislocation cones and full Polybushes.

Uprated steering bars. Front steering guard, front and rear diff guards. Diff, gearbox and engine breathers Disc brakes all round

37 STOCKIST DIRECTORY

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Issue 14: April 2015

We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk (fronts new). Tubular front winch bumper with Champion HS9500 winch and Dyneema rope. New 9500lb Superwinch fitted to rear winch tray, only used once.

Electric cooling fan. Skyline seats with 4-point harnesses. Jumpstart Anderson plug with isolator (cables included). Side-exit straight-through stainless steel exhaust. High-level stainless snorkel. Front and rear spotlights.

Fuse box rewired into waterproof box. 5x Insa Turbo 285/75x16 Special Tracks. Bottom end rebuilt 3 years ago by previous owner.

Waffle boards, new battery last year. Recent work includes rear wheel bearings, clutch master and slave cylinders, timing belt, clutch with modified release fork, radius arm and panhard rod bushes, front axle rebuild, headlights, windscreen wipers, washer bottle pumps and expansion tank. Receipts for £2200 spent in the last year! Comes with lots of spares. This has been a brilliant vehicle, have been able to follow mates around that have front and rear lockers and not got stuck.

Been told it has a limited-slip rear diff but never had it apart to check. Currently on SORN. £6200, North Petherton, Somerset.

07894 427297

Land Rover Defender 90 300Tdi (1995). New rear crossmember, chequer plate on bonnet, wings and rear corners.

Stainless toolboxes in tub. P&P rear hoop, Britpart snorkel and wading kit, LED lights and 4 Hella spots on Terrafirma roof bar. Superwinch Tigershark on First Four front bumper with synthetic rope.

T-Max dual battery system. First Four tree sliders, 2” Terrafirma lift, Qt diff and tank guards, HD steering arms, cranked radius arms and wide-angle props. Mach 5 alloys with BFG tyres. Exmoor acoustic mats, Defender X-Lock.

Four wheel bearings and a caliper recently fitted. Solid chassis. £8000. Yelverton, Devon, 07584 411698

Land Rover Defender 90 300 Tdi. Emigration forces sale.

Restored 18 months ago and in excellent condition, with new turbo, perfect chassis and immaculate bodywork. Six seats (back bench seats are new, front cloth is good with no tears or wear). Just serviced ready for sale, with four new tyres. Starts first turn of the key and drives very well on the road. In the past restoration it has had a new 300TdI bulkhead and a TD5 front panel fitted, plus a new rear crossmember. £4995 ovno.

Southam, Warwickshire, 07719 069686

Land Rover Defender 90 County 200Tdi (1992).

Galvanised chassis. Meticulously upgraded and maintained by a Land Rover enthusiast, and painted to replicate the latest X-Tech model. Engine sounds and runs very nicely through the free flow exhaust. No oil leaks, no nasty clunking. Clutch is good and steering is accurate (by Defender standards!) 12 months’ MOT. £6250. Bewdley, Worcestershire, 07889 928421

Land Rover Defender 90 (1990). 3.5 EFI V8 Automatic with LPG. Ibis White. Upgraded front end giving up-to-date look.

Engine and gearbox changed for a Range Rover V8 10 years ago, converted to LPG at same time.

Last owner ten years. Recently fitted with 235/85R16 Sahara offroad/winter tyres, 2012 Defender XS seats; remote-control 5-ton winch, new HD battery and alternator, leads, plugs, distributor cap, new heavy-duty towbar. TD5 steering wheel included but not yet fitted. Solid all round, rot-free chassis and bulkhead, with Boost alloys and 2” suspension lift. Not used off-road in the time I’ve owned it. Serviced and tuned in the summer so is running and driving without fault, apart from fuel gauge is temperamental. £4650. Cumbria, 07540 537673 or 01539 446898

South-East England

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Foundry 4x4 Ltd

Cast Iron Quality & Service The Old Bakery, Rear of Vale Terrace, Tredegar, Gwent, NP22 4HT

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* Free Mainland UK Delivery Over £50 * * Delivery France, Germany and Belgium £10 unlimited weight and parcels *

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Defender 90Tdi. Late 1994.

Pick-up with Truckman top and 5-speed gearbox. Low milage, new MOT. Nice condition throughout. £4995, 01420 473470

Defender 90 TD5 pick-up. MOT Apr. 139,100 miles. Nearly new 12,000lb winch (cost £500), Devon 4x4 bumper (£800), rock sliders, snorkel and diff breathers, diff guards, sump guards, bucket seats, light guards, dislocation cones, Polybushed. Cubby box, full chequer plate, rear bump guards, CD stereo with Alpine head unit and aux lead. Great truck with strong TD5 and solid chassis. Last serviced Jan 14. £6750. andydownes13@ hotmail.co.uk

South-West England

North East Scotland

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Issue 14: April 2015 guard, tree sliders. Split charge system, bucket seats, Mud-UK radio/CB centre console with Carling switches for fan, rear work lights, interior lights and splitcharge. £4500. Warrington, 07879 883348 Defender 90 200 Tdi (1993).

Hybrid T28/T25 turbo, K&N air filter, Allisport full-width intercooler with silicone hoses.

Full 2” stainless exhaust. Kenlowe fan with in cab control, X-Lite spots on roof bar, snorkel with full wading kit. Winch bumper, fitted with Superwinch. 2” longer shocks with 2” lift, bigger bump stops and full Polybush kit.

Adrenaline front and rear castor correction radius arms. Big brake conversion with braided lines and front drilled and grooved discs. QT rock slider diff guards, fuel tank

110

Land Rover Defender 110 300 TDi Camper. Professionally converted to a camper van two years ago. MOT October 2015.

In past two years it’s had the

Advertising your Landy for sale is FREE for private sellers.

Just call Gemma Pask on 01283 553242

following: new rear crossmember, brand new rear door, brand new nearside and offside doors, resprayed black, professionally fitted Cat 1 remote alarm and immobiliser. New radiator, fuel tank, snorkel. 40W solar panel with leisure battery and USB sockets, thick Kingspan-insulated camper with comfy bed. Britpart +2” HD springs, Pro-Comp ES9000 +2” dampers, QT Castor-corrected radius arms and track rod arms, 5 alloy wheels with General Grabber 235/85R16s in good condition, front winch bumper, rear step bumper, chequer plate wing tops, LRX Hi-Force wing top vents, lockable cubby box. Great condition for age, starts first time, drives very well. Warm to sleep in, even if frosty outside. £5500. East Sussex, 07765 528528

235/70/16s on fully refurbished alloys. Bull bar and spots, rear light protection, full tow bar kit.

West Midlands. £4500, 07734 599399

Land Rover Defender TD5 110 utility special vehicle (2003/53). White, 153,000 miles.

Four nearly new Cooper STTs plus 2x Kumho KL71s on wheels, EW9 electric winch, night heater, 600w inverter. FSH, 12 months’ MOT, lots of racking and storage, heated seats. Only selling as now have a company vehicle. £6000 ono. 01364 654854 or 07974 418048

Land Rover Defender 110 Td5 (W-reg). Off-roader with lots of extras. Very good condition. Full MOT, 120,000 miles, bodywork very good with shiny black paint.

PTO Superwinch, heavy-duty Snatch chassis, uprated diffs, lift kit and heavy-duty suspension, Safari Snorkel, LED spot lights, side lockers, rock sliders, ZU wheels, sump guard, light guard, high lift jack, CD player, CB, 3 front seats. £6300. Bewdley, Worcestershire, 07889 928421

Range Rover

Range Rover 4.2 LSE. 1 owner from 1993-2013. Air suspension just removed and replaced with 4 new shocks and springs at astronomical cost. Paint work excellent, a few shopping trolley dents and scratches here and there but nothing major. Interior also excellent, usual saggy headlining but not too bad. It has never had any welding work done, so it is totally original underneath. Realistically priced for a quickly appreciating classic. £3750. Anglesey, North Wales, 07971 466841

Range Rover Vogue SE 3.9 V8 Auto Pick-Up. Professionally converted. Tan leather electric seats, lockable pick-up cover on gas struts. Engine rebuilt with Viper Hurricane performance cam, polished and ported heads, K&N air filter. Milltek Racing stainless exhaust with tubular manifolds.

1” lowered suspension. Mountney hardwood sports steering wheel, custom headlining by Nationwide trim, 5 new Goodyear Eagle GT+4

Range Rover 2.5 DT (1996).

93,000 genuine miles, 5-speed manual. MOT Feb 16. Has had £1000 facelift with newer bumper (integrated foglamps), spoiler and grille. Recent light guards, exhaust, chrome trim, LED lights and 18” alloys. Towbar and electrics. Luxury trim with leather, electric seats, armrests, upgraded walnut trim, electric sunroof and Clarion CD stereo.

Airbag light on, patched-up headlining, loose door handle, some dints and scratches but no smoke, clutch slip or bangs on suspension. Looks like a £10,000plus car, and registration number is worth about £900. £3495.

Manchester, 07400 775140

Range Rover Classic Bobtail.

4-door with Daihatsu 2.8 turbodiesel engine and Range Rover 5-speed gearbox. MOT and tax August 15. 285 Insa Turbos on Extreme Offset 16” modulars.

Front and rear ARB Air-Lockers.

Hardened shafts. Cranked suspension arms, HD steering arms. New 2” lift springs and 5” shocks. From Warn 8274 with Bowmotor 1 and wide drum, rear Superwinch X9, both with remotes and in-can switches.

Wide-angle props. X-Brake handbrake. Diff and steering guards, rock sliders, HD bumpers, custom internal/external roll cage. Snorkel. Swing-away wheel carrier. Gwyn Lewis front winch tray and 2.5” shock droppers.

Front designed for maximum off road capability – it goes everywhere. Have also got lots of spares that will come with the Range Rover if sold at right price. £5500, Chelmsford. Contact care of tor@assignmentmedia.co.uk (message will be forwarded to advertiser

Range Rover 3.5 V8 (1981), bobtail off-roader. Road-legal.

Professionally built to a high standard with roll cage and rearmounted fuel tank and battery.

Various spot lights and gauges, with electrics all at windscreen height to avoid being swamped.

Snorkel and big knobbly tyres.

Bucket seats with harnesses, rear lockers, complete roll cage and tow bar. Starts first turn of the key and drives very well. Not one of the usual poorly converted

To advertise in The Landy, call Mike Casey on 01283 553244 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k

Issue 14: April 2015

We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk Range Rovers you see for sale.

V5 and all old MOTs etc present.

Frome, Somerset. £1650. 07847 612739

Range Rover for spares or repair. Engine runs and she drives but needs a battery. Needs repair but not that bad for her age – contact for details. Would have to be towed away. Viewing 9am to 4pm weekdays as parked at a garage. £1100. Collection from A9 just outside Perth. Contact neilw@emirates.net.ae

Range Rover Vogue 3.9 EFi Auto (1990/H). Finished in metallic Ardennes Green with grey cloth interior. Supplied by Dutton Forshaw Land Rover, V5 shows Demo + 1 owner from new.

Covered 81,000 miles with service history and old MOTs. Current MOT. Electric windows, electric mirrors, remote central locking, R12 air conditioning, dog guard, original stereo, original Vogue alloys with Michelin M+S tyres, front fogs, tow pack. Recent tune up, headlining, exhaust and new alternator. A fresh example and in excellent condition. £9950.

Brighton, 07795 023663 or 01273 323244

Range Rover Bobtail. F-reg.

300Tdi, 2” lift, Insa Turbos, no rot, long MOT. Has been done to a high standard. £3000 ono.

07969 045579

Discovery

Land Rover Discovery 300 Tdi (1994) bobtail off-roader. No MOT, currently on SORN (could possibly be put back on the road, but I have no idea what it would need). Virtually new 285/75R16 Kumho Road Venture MTs on modular wheels, Terrafirma springs and shocks, competition fuel tank in boot area, wheelarch extensions, snorkel and roof-mounted light bar. £1600.

Harbrough, Lincs, 01469 577170 or 07936 377314

Discovery TD5 GS (2001).

104,000 miles, 7-seater. Excellent condition inside and out – one of the cleanest I’ve seen. 9 months’ MOT, 5 almost-new Falcon All-Terrain tyres. Drives spot on! £3295. Wrexham, 07549 693608

Discovery 200 Tdi manual.

Long MOT. 100% reliable, firsttime starter. Gearbox crunches in 2nd/3rd. Very solid chassis and floor. Over £5k spent on mods including HD shocks and springs, Goodridge braided brake lines, wheel spacers, arch extensions, Safari snorkel, diff, tank and steering guards, Polybushes, 12,000lb winch, sill guards, second battery and much more.

May swap for tax-exempt Series LR. £2000, 07434 398504

G4 Challenge Discovery 3 (2009). 105,000 miles. Used

by Land Rover in the selection trials in Belgium for the 2009 G4 Challenge (the one that was cancelled). Disposed of at 2200 miles and I have owned it since. Comes with all the usual G4 decals, although the bonnet and door LR badges are quite faded. Comes with two extra wheels (tyres worn), Warn winch cover and remote, first aid kit, two water and one diesel jerry cans (unused), dog guard (not currently fitted), kayak mounts for roof rack, PLUS a genuine G4 Challenge selection mountain bike! Selling mainly because I fancy a change. £20,000. Northumberland, 07802 449658

Land Rover Discovery 300Tdi trayback. L-reg. 3” body lift and 4” suspension lift. KAM rear LSD + electric diff locker, drop-in electric locker at front, +5” shocks all-round, Gwyn Lewis wide-angle rear prop, double cardon front prop. £6500, Shepperton/Farnham. Call John on 07957 658847

Land Rover Discovery 200Tdi bobtail (1991). 185,000 miles.

Manual. 10 mths’ MOT. 24-spline diffs, five Insa Turbo Special Tracks, +3” Pro-Comp springs, +5” Pro-Comp shocks. 2” front shock droppers, -2” rear droppers with relocators. Full tubular front end. Full-width Sierra Cosworth radiator and Transit intercooler.

Fuel pump professionally tuned.

Breather kit, snorkel, Polybushed, 3” body lift, extended brake lines, side-exit exhaust, tank and battery relocated behind seats. Very solid. Selling as they want stupid money to insure me. The truck is what it is – it needs a few bits and is sold as seen. £2000. Tibshelf, Derbyshire. Contact care of tor@assignment-media.co.uk (message will be forwarded)

Specials

Foers Ibex 6x6 pick-up. 1992 (K-reg), first registered in UK 2002. 87,500 miles. MOT May. One owner from new (Environment Agency). 4.6-litre V8 petrol/ LPG, very cheap to run. Automatic gearbox, PAS, built-in winch.

Electric sunroof, CD player, cruise control, rear Air-Locker, compressor, dual-battery controller, immobiliser, tow bar. Pick-up bed has 12-foot alloy dropside body.

Drives and goes very well. All in very good condition and must be seen. £11,500, Chippenham, Wilts. 07980 278833

Coil sprung 88” racer. V8 auto with 1971 Range Rover chassis shortened to 88” and Series I style body painted white.

Professionally built to AWDC and ALRC spec. Lucas 14cux fuel injection, 3-speed Torqueflite auto box. Defender type axles.

Sparco seats with 6-point seat belts and window net on left hand side. Freestyle alloys with 205x16 Bronco Diamond tyres.

Done about 1500 miles since I rebuilt it. This Land Rover is loads of fun and I’m mad for selling it, but it owes me the national debt.

Tring, Herts. £4500. Call 01296 668848 (w)

Parts

BFGoodrich M&S tyre.

235/70R16. Only ever done 40 miles. Offers invited. Herts, 01992 465721 Disco Mk 1 complete front end, including lamps, grilles and templates for modifying to look like a Disco 2. Offers invited.

Herts, 01992 465721

Defender 90 bonnet in metallic green. Taken from a 96-plate model. Replaced after a small bump so some light damage – fits reasonably well but has a dent or two. Perfect in every other way. Would be good enough if repaired, or would be ideal for an off roader. Small dent to leading edge in the middle and slight kink on driver’s side about 6” up. Did close perfectly before removal, to the point where it held down but wouldn’t quite catch. £85. Newton Abbot, Devon.

Contact care of tor@assignment-media.co.uk (message will be forwarded) Haynes Land Rover buying and selling manual. Hardback, 176 pages, covers all LR models.

Great read, unmarked pages, as new. £5, 07989 951895

88-inch Land Rover competition frame. Professionally built Tomcat copy. Made from a shortened TD5 Discovery chassis, so can run TD5 radius arms.

Comes with a 5-speed gearbox and transfer box that I got when I bought it, a steering box and other bits. Will make a great truck for trials, comp safari or just for fun.

I also have some genuine Tomcat panels and doors available separately, and could organise a deal on the lot if wanted. £700.

Montgomery, Powys.

Discovery clutch pressure plate (part #FTC575). Brand new, still in box. Herts area. £offers.

01992 465721

Hood stick for Series II, IIA or III. Good, usable condition. Slight kink on one side but still fits fine. £20, 01538 724073

200Tdi Land Rover engine and 90 gearbox. Engine is originally out of a Discovery but it was removed from a 90. Starts and runs okay with a little white smoke when cold. Unknown mileage. Gearbox and transfer box are original 90; the gearbox jumps out of reverse. Prior to removal, clutch didn’t slip and diff lock was working. Automator is practically brand new. Turbo has no play on the spindle and is in good condition. £400, offers welcome. Contact care of tor@assignment-media.co.uk (message will be forwarded to advertiser)

Range Rover P38 GEMS engine sump rubber gasket.

Hand-cut engine oil sump gasket made from industrial rubber, to fit 95-99 4.0 and 4.6 V8 with the tin sump and one front corner at 45 degrees. Ideal if you have trouble getting a seal with the liquid gasket. £10, 07753 581643

39

the catches and the parts to go on the bonnet. Remanufactured. £70. Contact care of tor@ assignment-media.co.uk (message will be forwarded) Land Rover Discovery 300 Tdi cylinder head. Original Land Rover. Came from a good, running engine. Complete including injectors. £95. Contact care of tor@assignment-media.co.uk (message will be forwarded)

Land Rover Defender and Series rear bumperettes.

Heavy-duty. For Series or Defender 90/110/130 and Puma. Made from 4mm wall 50mm diameter steel pipe, wit grip tape on top so can be used as a step. Bolt on using the same fixing points as your standard rear handles (but will not fit Land Rovers with the 2 large torx bolt heads on each side of the rear crossmember without spacers). £75, 07753 581643

Land Rover Defender 90 interior. Removed from a 2013 model. Includes seats, trim, door cards, centre console, seat belts, safety frame, speakers, rear trim set, seat belt mount and carpet set. £2250. Chepstow, Monmouthshire, 01291 624584

Unimog axles. One complete, one part-stripped in prep for discbrake conversion. £1000, offers invited. 07968 960619 Land Rover parts for sale.

Bonnet, £100. Brand new Whitbread roll cage to fit Defender, £400. Series I half doors, £30 (pair). Ifor Williams canopy, £50.

Call 07554 661053

Genuine Land Rover G4 Expedition Roof Rack. To fit Defender 90. Brand new, boxed, RRP £845! As pictured, with full fitting kit. Superb build quality, light weight, simply the best!

Collection or possible delivery in M1/A1/M62 area. £650 ono.

Scarborough, 07597 939611

Matching set of 5 secondhand tyres. 235/85R16C. Standard road-going pattern, reasonably chunky but nice and quiet. Removed it when I fitted off-road tyres. As new. £275.

Chichester, 01243 788811

Wanted Discovery M-reg bits for off-roading. Tyres, winch, winch bumper etc wanted. Guildford area. Contact via tor@assignment-media.co.uk

Genuine Land Rover bonnet windscreen fastener. To fit Series I and military Series vehicles.

Part number MRC5314. Includes

Wanted, Warn low-profile 9000lb winch. 12 or 24-volt. No other winch make needed. Must be VGC. Good price paid. Call 07931 857604

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Issue 14: April 2015

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Products

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Wye and Welsh prove that he who dares does win…

Words Ruth Smith Pictures Archey Barrell The ‘Who Dares Wins’ event at Taffs Well in Wales, run by Wye and Welsh and set out by Richard Hannam and Jeff Baker… what a corker!

Just using that well-known SAS phrase for the event name made me extremely nervous, so initially I was less than enthusiastic when my husband Richard suggested that we should enter, saying it would be ‘fun.’

The motto ‘Who Dares Wins’ was first

coined by David Stirling, founder of the SAS, so the story goes… but then again it was also made famous by Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses, so maybe it wasn’t so scary after all!

At 6.30am on a dark and dreary morning, we met up in Droitwich with fellow Midland ROC triallers Ben, Becky and Ian before heading off in convoy for Taffs Wells. It’s about a two-hour trip, but the fog made for

slow progress. At least it began to clear as we reached our destination.

There were only a couple of other vehicles in the car park when we arrived, but within a few minutes we could hear the sound of approaching.

After that, the cars started to roll up, and they kept coming… and coming… and coming!

Fortified by delicious bacon sandwiches and coffee by Gary of

Classic Catering, we were scrutineered, paid-up, signed-on ready for the driver’s briefing. It was a great turnout, with no less than 30 drivers split into two teams.

Now, the rules for Who Dares Wins are a little unusual for an ALRC trial.

For a start, the more points you accrue, the better! Each of the eight sections had been given a ‘score’ from 4 to 8, depending on the level of difficulty.

You had to complete a section (in other words, get through gate 1) in order to gain any points – but if you hit a cane, or came to a stop and had to get going again, you lost a point.

In other words, you could have four mistakes on a ‘4’ section before you had to retire with no score. However that’s not all. You were also given a ‘joker’ that had to be played on one section of your choice throughout the

To advertise in The Landy, call Mike Casey on 01283 553244 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk day – but you had to play it before any cars started on that particular section.

Ooh, tactics!

Now, if you played your ‘joker’ (and this was done secretly, to add to the mix), you could double the points you could score for that section. However, if you made a mistake and hit a cane, stopped or made any other blunder whatsoever, you would lose all your points for it. Would it be better to play it on a ‘4’ section, so you could only lose the four points if the worst happened, or on a difficult section in the hope of doubling up on gaining maximum points?

We chose to play ours on an easy looking four-pointer, as did many of the others in our group. But disaster… we got stuck at the last gate, meaning we lost all our points.

Hindsight is a great thing, isn’t it?

If only we had waited until later in the day and played our joker on the ‘8’ section that we managed to clear… We still wouldn’t have won, though!

The land was quite wet and it was a challenge simply getting around the site at times, but what a fabulous trial. There were some long and twisty sections, some short but complex ones to remember and some very challenging ones over huge ruts, up banks and round tight corners. Each section was completely different and all were non-damaging, unless you got it completely wrong.

Geoff Baker and Richard Hannam certainly lived up to their reputation for some very sneaky laying out. They should be very proud of themselves for giving us all a great day’s competition in very good company.

Ben was the top scorer for MROC with 32 points, while we scored 31 and Ian got 18. But the winners, with massive scores by comparison, were Gary Bull with 56 points in the CCV and Stuart Jepps with 51 in RTV. Three drivers suffered breakdowns on the day, but overall the event was very well attended and a great success.

We will definitely be entering again next year – and hopefully we will have a larger contingent from the MROC with us too! Remember, as Del Boy said, ‘he who dares wins. He who don’t… don’t!’

Midland Rover Owners Club will run a long social weekend of camping and competitions at Eastnor this coming Easter. The event – which is open to all ALRC club members – will include Tyro, RTV and CCV trials, and the campsite will be open from Wednesday 1 to Monday 6 April with catering and a bar to keep you entertained throughout.

An interesting attraction of this particular event is that the trial sections will be laid out on the land the club will be using for the ALRC National Rally the following month. This is to help them understand how best to manage access routes and so on, but from a competitor’s point of view it’s a chance to sneak in a quick recce of the land.

MROC will hold its annual prizegiving bash in the beer tent on the Saturday night, too, so this is going to be a packed weekend.

To find out more, visit the club’s website at www.mroc.co.uk.

Call goes out for marshals as Welsh Xtrem prepares for action March will see the third running of what has already been billed as the UK’s leading multi-discipline off-road event, as 40-plus teams battle it out in the 2015 Welsh Xtrem. Won by Jerry Hunt and Nick Bolt in 2013 and Allen Sharp and Ben Turpie last year, this is an event which attracts the very best in crews and vehicles – and in its second year at Walters Arena, it can pretty much boast of being held at the very best venue too.

As the event grows, so too does the team behind it. Challenge veteran Nobby Morgan, who came up with the idea in 2013, continues to lead the group who make it happen. But these days, it’s much more than just him doing everything himself.

‘As the size of the event grows, so do its needs,’ Nobby told us. ‘So a band of merry helpers try to make everything smooth and as problem-free as at all possible. Not long after the 2014 event was over, a group of people got together to try and take some of the workload of my family and I – this has already seen some massive benefits, and stress levels are a lot lower in the Morgan household, aka Xtrem HQ!’ The format of this year’s event will be broadly similar to before, with four challenge disciplines awaiting competitors over a three-day period. Again, says Nobby, it will be set up so as to be more than just a test of who has the biggest bank balance.

The Xtrem will kick off at 2pm on Friday 6 March, with a prologue in the new man-made Odyssey Arena. This has been specially constructed for extreme off-road competitions to provide the maximum possible action for spectators while also keeping the drivers happy and focused.

This will be followed by a multi-part night event which, in Nobby’s words, will ‘make the teams think outside the box with everything against them in the hours of darkness.’

The following day will see 11 timed special stages on which groups of four cars will work in a team rotation system. On the Sunday, there’ll be ‘a good old-fashioned punch hunt that should finish the teams off for the weekend.’

As the previous years’ competitors will confirm, Nobby doesn’t believe in showing any mercy.

As always with Nobby’s events, whoever wins the trophies it’ll be local charities that go home quids in. The worthy causes for 2015 will be Wales Air Ambulance, Week On The Street Project and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Baby Loss Group. ‘We are hoping to try and beat last year’s total of £7745, which was a fantastic figure,’ he told us. ‘In the two years the event has been running, it has helped raise close on £12,000. That’s an amazing amount to be handed over in such a short time, and all involved should be very proud.’

None more so than Nobby himself, of course. For more information on the event, you can call the man himself on 07973 576240 or drop him a line via info@thewelshxtrem.co.uk. If you would like to volunteer your services as a marshal or just lend a pair of helping hands (in which case, a warm welcome is more than assured), the man to contact is Geraint. He’s on 07805 143618 and geraint@thewelshxtrem.co.uk.

Issue 14: April 2015

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Issue 14: April 2015

News

Products

Vehicles

Adventure

Workshop

Clubs

Desperately seeking Santa Graham Somerville The Scottish Off Road Club, we brought 2014 to an end with not one but two excellent events. First was the annual Santa Hunt at Glentarkie, in Fife – where, as the name suggests, competitors searched the site for, yes, Santas. Who needs punch hunts, huh?

These Santas weren’t full-sized (finding them would have been rather easy), but scaled 10cm in height. This one was set up by Bob – who, with his many years of experience, knows exactly where to hide the blighters!

It was a windy day, but the terrain wasn’t too wet so getting around the site didn’t prove too difficult. A definite advantage to those who were only running All-Terrain tyres.

To follow this up, the year’s final outing was our Cold Turkey event at Lamancha. Another site with its own micro-climate, despite being on the closer-to-the-Equator side of Edinburgh – and this one had the added advantage of not being so dry underfoot either.

Christmas being Christmas, most years at this event we are hunting for turkeys which have been let loose by our resident Farmer Dave. This year, however, the turkeys were throwing their presents out of their stockings – so instead, Santa Dave accidentally crashed his sleigh, scattering miniature chocolate figures in the process.

A fantastic turnout for the time of year saw 18 different machines come and play for the day, with Discos and Defenders very much to the fore. As the club allows all types of 4x4, we even had a winch-equipped Polaris quad turn up to compete. The weather wasn’t bad, but the ground really was sodden, so plenty of recoveries took place across the day.

Access to sites is always an issue in the depths of winter, with landowners understandably anxious not to let their ground get chewed up when it’s saturated. So we kicked off 2015 with an on-road navigational event. It’s called the Borders Blizzard; you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work out how it got its name!

Starting from a central location, competitors were set off in two-minute

intervals with a tulip-style roadbook.

To keep them awake, the instructions featured a set of questions about the route such as naming the roundabout.

Winding their way through the country lanes, we stopped for the mandatory lunch break at a small pub in the middle of nowhere. Bellies full, but hungry for more driving, a restart saw competitors climbing up over the hills for some awesome views, and some time in the snow, before dropping back down and coming up close to the new Borders Railway. Yes, a new railway in Britain – when did you last hear anything like that?

The route finished with a log fire, around which everyone gathered to find out the answers to all the questions – and share stories about who can’t read tulip diagrams!

To advertise in The Landy, call Mike Casey on 01283 553244 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

Calendar

Off-Road Playdays Hill ‘n’ Ditch 4x4

Mouldsworth, Cheshire

15 March Explore Off Road

Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Mud Monsters

East Grinstead, Wset Sussex

Muddy Bottom

Minstead, Hampshire Dates are apt to change, so always check with the site before travelling

15 February Explore Off Road

Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Mud Monsters

East Grinstead, Wset Sussex

Muddy Bottom

Minstead, Hampshire

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

Parkwood 4x4 Tong, Bradford

21 February Kirton Off Road Centre

Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

22 February

Avalanche Adventure

Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire

Cowm Leisure

Whitworth, Lancashire

Frickley 4x4

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Slindon Safari

Fontwell, West Sussex

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

Parkwood 4x4 Tong, Bradford

1 March

22 March

Bala 4x4

Avalanche Adventure

Dundry Off-Road

Burnham Off-Roaders

Bala, Gwynedd Dundry, Bristol

Muddy Bottom

Minstead, Hampshire

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

Picadilly Wood

Bolney, West Sussex

8 March 4x4 Without a Club

Harbour Hill, Aldermaston

Avalanche Adventure

Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire

Boxgrove

Chichester, West Sussex

Devil’s Pit

Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire Tring, Hertfordshire

Devil’s Pit

Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Frickley 4x4

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Hill ‘n’ Ditch 4x4

Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Slindon Safari

Fontwell, West Sussex

28 March Kirton Off Road Centre

Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

29 March

Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Cowm Leisure

Hill ‘n’ Ditch 4x4

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club

Future 4x4

Kirton Off Road Centre

Frickley 4x4

Future 4x4

Avon Dassett, Warwickshire Mouldsworth, Cheshire Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

Rayleigh, Essex

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Green Lane Convoy Events

Whitworth, Lancashire Avon Dassett, Warwickshire

Kirton Off Road Centre

Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

15 February

UK Landrover Events

14 March

UK Landrover Events

28 Feb – 1 Mar

UK Landrover Events

21-22 February

Atlas Overland

22 March

Onelife Adventure

7 March

Landcraft

22 February

Lost World Adventures

UK Landrover Events

4x4 Adventure Tours

8 March

29 March

Landcraft

Landcraft

UK Landrover Events

Northumberland

Wales

Salisbury Plain

Snowdonia (Adventure Plus Day)

Eden District

Wessex

Wiltshire

Snowdonia

Tynedale

Snowdonia (Adventure Plus Day) East Yorkshire

Durham Dales

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Issue 14: April 2015

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Midlanders turn the Nightmare into reality…

Kayleigh Harris

Courtesy of our ever-enthusiastic Steve Burrows, the Midland Off-Road Club’s 5th Nightmare Challenge included a new feature – the ‘Decider.’ Designed to make our annual night-time punch hunt appeal to a wider range of participants, this added a bit of speed, with some special stages which would contribute towards your total score.

As organisers, the event quickly crept up on us after Christmas. With a lot of rain having fallen over the previous few weeks, the ground was pretty muddy, and of course it was cold out. But we’re all hardy souls here, ready and willing to go off-road. And the wet ground? Just the ticket!

By 5pm, it was dark and the boys were set loose to go and find glow sticks and work out where the punches were. The Burman boys were out in force: Malcolm with his three sons, Adam, Duncan and Patrick, which goes to show that this is an event for the whole family. Shaun, a new addition to our club, was having fun in the mud, while Duncan Smith was zooming round and showing everyone how it was done, as were Brian Clegg and Tom Marrion. Matthew Bain and Simon Lee, meanwhile, just spend the day happily going about the site.

Once Sunday arrived, it was time for the Decider. To help us put this on, we were grateful for the volunteers from Northants 4x4 who turned up armed with radios and well kitted-up vehicles.

By 10am, everyone was in place and ready to start the special stages.

This was a good day, something quite different for the challengers – rather than having to think tactically about positioning their vehicles for the punches, drivers could just open up the throttle and let the grins grow on their faces!

This latest addition to the event seemed to go down well, not least because of all those smiles – not to

mention the way everyone seemed to be mimicking oversteer, with their hands on imaginary wheels, as they stepped out their now well and truly muddy trucks afterwards.

Overall, it was a great weekend for competitors and spectators alike, as well as for our helpers from Northants.

Special thanks to them – and also to Pip Evans of the Viking 4x4 Club, who each year helps us organise the venue.

Everyone in the Midland ORC is already looking forward to getting together next time out. We’d love to see you there – to find out more about our events, come and say hello at www. midlandoffroadclub.co.uk.

Loins girded in Halton as Muddy Millers set out to draw first blood Words Mike Trott Pictures Leeane Davis With winter becoming a memory, the snow and ice have melted away to leave the ground still cold – but now nice and muddy!

For the Muddy Millers 4x4 Club, February means the start of the trialling season – and a chance to draw first blood, as members dust down their 4x4s, fire up their engines and set about staking an early claim on this year’s championship.

And you couldn’t get a more eager start as the club hosted its first trial of the year on 1 February at Halton, near Chirk, right on the border of England and Wales.

Club Secretary Leanne Davies said: ‘We use the

site twice a year for our first and last trial of the year, as it’s a good all-weather site. It tends to attract people because it’s notorious for mud, and the fact that it has very few trees.

‘So it’s a good site for RTV motors or people who have not trialled before. But there are also plenty of hillclimbs and more tricky spots for the experienced guys to revel in.’

The Halton trial was the first of ten rounds spread throughout the year, with the club normally taking a break in January and skipping August because of the Oswestry Show They do of course get out and about on some of the green lanes in Shropshire and Mid-Wales too. But would seem the trophy awarded to the top dog in each trials class at the season’s end is too much of a lure for anyone not to compete.

On this occasion, 13 members turned up with a view to returning home with a slightly larger ego, nine of whom were competing in the CCV category.

Fists clenched, jaws set and loins girded, the drivers coaxed their trucks around the winter wasteland, each fighting their own

personal war against the laws of nature. They were of course competing against each other, too, and in this struggle their can only ever be one winner.

And that winner was Roger Jones, who racked up a minimal 11 points on route to victory in the CCV. Club Chairman Phil Davies grabbed second place with 24 points in his 90, while Michael Callum – a student from Harper Adams University – took the RTV honours aboard his Series III Land Rover.

There’ll be a lot more to come from the Muddy Millers throughout the year. To be part of this friendly and very active club, pay them a visit at www. muddymillers.net or check them out on Facebook.

To advertise in The Landy, call Mike Casey on 01283 553244 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

AWDC pilots new event Chris Bowler The All Wheel Drive Club has been experimenting with various twists on the challenge discipline for several years now, resulting in an amazing range of events. The latest is Driven to the Edge, a new format combining extreme terrain with comp safari style timed laps and flying finishes.

The pilot event was held at Walters Arena a few weeks before Christmas.

The aim was simple: travel a marked cross-country course, via four punch sections, in the fastest time. The challenge sections had optional bypass routes, but taking them meant accepting time penalties.

The nine-mile course was based on a very rough version of a traditional comp safari layout, featuring rocky rivers, narrow steep tracks and muddy gullies. Walters is a popular comp venue, but the organisers kept the route as far away from current safari tracks as they could possibly get.

A total of 22 crews signed on for this new and unfamiliar event, and after Saturday’s first lap they were returning with plenty of smiles – so far so good.

By the third lap it was 4.30pm – time for a lap in the dark, albeit without the challenge sections. This was something the AWDC has not done for many years, so the event was a milestone in more way than one.

The last three laps on Sunday took their toll on the cars, with rear diffs, punctures and general speed-related wear getting the better of some. But by the end of the day, out of the 22 crews who entered, an impressive 14 cars completed the course.

All the cars in the event were challenge-orientated, with no comp safari trucks entered, and for some the speed element proved a little too much.

As we know in motorsport, when a vehicle is built for one discipline it’s difficult for it to deal with another, but that flexibility is what the latest generation of off-road competition cars is all about.

As a test event, Driven to the Edge 2014 proved to be viable. Almost all the competitors said it had the right blend of speed, route selection and technical checkpoints. The AWDC is planning to run another two of these events next year – with more night laps to follow! So to be part of what may be seen as a more accessible alternative to Ultra4, certainly for competitors without the means to buy or build a super-truck, www.awdc.co.uk is the place to go next!

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Youth has its day as Tay 4x4 head for Fife in search of treasure Words Mike Trott Pictures Jamie and Gavin Swadel

Some clubs are all about trials, some just want to lane and others feel a constant need for speed. But the Tay 4x4 Club runs a lot of different events throughout the year – including trials, point-to-points and even a gymkhana in the warmer months.

On 25 January (Burns Night, lest we forget), it was the club’s annual treasure hunt that took centre stage.

This was held at Newton Hill Country Sports, near Wormit in Fife, which is a great place for fun and games at this time of year.

Hungry to explore, 16 vehicles got going with the aim of finding a selection of hidden words needed to

complete a particular phrase. In order to compete with this club you have to be literate, see?

Diving through water, scouring undergrowth and generally searching top to toe, it’s bad enough trying to find your car keys sometimes, let alone having to overcome stodgy mud and steep banks to find a word ferreted away in a haystack!

Youthful energy must have been the solution, though, because the winner turned out to be 14-year-old Hannah Don. Her prize was a bag of Mini Eggs, but going to school on the Monday and telling her mates about how she’d just beaten grown men twice her age in

Clubs

a motorsport event can only have been a good way to start the week ahead.

Bragging rights are everything in the classroom.

This ever-imaginative club has been going for about 12 years now and you can expect to hear plenty more of their antics throughout the year. You also know where to go if you want to bag some free chocolate (seeing as January has passed), but you’ll have to beat Hannah if you want a shot at that…

If you’d like to find out more about the Tay 4x4 Club and their upcoming events, you can visit www.tay4x4club. gduff.com, or drop in and check them out on Facebook.

To advertise in The Landy, call Mike Casey on 01283 553244 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

Nationals revisited as LRLRC return to Stainby Words Mike Trott Pictures Tony Birch Stainby is a perfect place for trialling.

So much so, in fact, that the ALRC National was held there last year.

Even when the whole of the Land Rover world isn’t descending upon this little hamlet in southern Lincolnshire, though, you can still find the Leicestershire and Rutland LRC putting the old quarry to good use.

The club’s most recent visit was for an RTV on the first Sunday of February. With golden sun bursting through the overcast sky and pools of muddy brown waiting to be disturbed, that’s what you call making the most of winter!

The LRLRC’s events are notable for the enormous variety of Landies you see there, and this was no exception.

We’ve had photos of P38s and even L322s competing between the sticks before and, while there wasn’t anything quite that exotic here, club members turned up in Discoverys and Series IIIs to add to the usual Defender fare.

All took their turns on a wide variety of sections, which used an excellent mixture of the Stainby terrain. From grassy ruts and shallow pools to boggy pits and sharp quarry sides, RTV here could stand for Really Tough Variety.

There’s a lot of terrain at Stainby that’s definitely CCV-only, and some that’s more like lunatic-only, but that doesn’t mean there was any shortage of good stuff for the RTV boys too.

So much so that the LRLRC will be returning later in the year – when, of course, the ground will be drier and the character of the terrain will be completely different. That’ll mean tighter gates and steeper hills, then… To stay abreast of what the Leicestershire and Rutland LRC are up to, visit www.lrlrc.co.uk.

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