The Landy February 2016 by Assignment Media Ltd

How bringing this 80-inch Series I back to life helped a 14-year-old boy ﬁnd his way in the world

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‘FATHER AND SON WORKING TOGETHER AS EQUALS’

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FEBRUARY 2016

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ISSUE 24

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FAREWELL DEFENDER This thumping great Range Rover wasn’t always going to be built as an off-roader. But it was odds-on always going to end up with a V8 engine like no other… Full story: Page 22

A few days after this paper is printed, the Defender line will fall silent.

It’s been going, in various guises, since 1948. But now it’s no more. To mark the end of an era, we took one of the last Defenders on a nostalgic journey back to Red Wharf Bay in Anglesey – where, almost seven decades ago, the Land Rover story began.

Full story: Page 18

Why settle for a holiday in hell when you can have a heaven-sent month seeing Europe in a Disco? Full story: Page 32

This Landy looks a lot like any other hybrid. But when you see what’s under its bonnet, you’ll discover that it’s a full-on super-truck Full story: Page 30

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

Issue 24: Feb 2016

McGovern: Next Defender

won’t look like DC100 L

Above: This concept, the DC100, may be suitable for Barbie to drive around in, but the Land Rover world can rest soundly knowing that the next generation Defender will never get to look this bad

and Rover enthusiasts, pedestrians of the UK and people with the gift of sight can now rest in the knowledge that the next generation Defender won’t resemble the DC100. News has broken, straight from the horse’s mouth, that Land Rover is not planning to retain the controversial appearance of 2011’s concept vehicle on the forthcoming production model. Gerry McGovern, Land Rover design director and chief creative officer, spoke with Automotive News (AN) earlier in December about the plans for the re-emergence of the Defender, estimated to arrive for the 2019 model year. ‘When this vehicle comes out,’ he asserted, ‘people will know it’s a Defender, it’s a modern Defender. But

it will bear no resemblance to those Defender concepts.’ Those are encouraging words from a man who faces one of the toughest tests any automotive designer has had to get their head around. Land Rover is determined not to let the disapproval of its traditional fans stop it from creating a new Defender that will have wider sales appeal – but it has been surprised by the strength of feeling against the way its concept looked. In order to make financial sense, Land Rover needs the Defender to emulate the sales success of its Range Rover and Discovery families. To do that, the new vehicle will need to appeal to many more buyers. ‘A lot of people love the idea of [the previous Defender], but they never buy

one,’ McGovern revealed to AN. ‘While I’m a designer, and I love designing, I’m also a businessman. We need to build a critical mass in order to sustain ourselves in the long term and reinvest.’ Essentially, that means Land Rover needs the Defender to be shifting 100,000 units a year as opposed to the current 10,000. In design terms, this means creating something that’s more rugged than the forthcoming Discovery 5 but not as forbidding and utilitarian as the outgoing 90 and 110. True to the original Defender, reports from Automotive News suggest there will still be an array of body styles for potential customers to choose from. Short and long-wheelbase derivatives are in the works, along with at least one pick-up variant.

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

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New engine plant set to double in size

t’s not long since Jaguar Land Rover finished work on its £500 million Engine Manufacturing Centre (EMC). But the site is already set for a huge boost in funding as part of fresh plans to double it’s size. The expansion is estimated to cost around £450m, making for a total of almost £1bn in investment for the site which opened in late 2014. It will make the EMC one of the most important automotive facilities for the UK, cementing the company’s trust in Britain for the future. Over the past year, more than 50,000 of JLR’s new Ingenium engines have made their way off the EMC production line and into the likes of the Evoque and Discovery Sport. With their focus on state-of-the-art technologies for low emissions, these are the engines which JLR intends will power its vehicles for years to come. Based in the Midlands, near Wolverhampton, the Engine Manufacturing Centre supplies all three JLR vehicle plants and has fuelled hundreds of jobs in the UK through the automotive supply chain. The next developments in line for the EMC involve expanding its size to 200,000 square metres. This will be

necessary to cater for all operations as the demand for the company’s products continue to increase. JLR CEO Dr Ralf Speth said: ‘We are proud to be such a significant investor in advanced manufacturing in Britain and are excited by this expansion and the new jobs it will create. ‘The Engine Manufacturing Centre is a strategically significant facility for Jaguar Land Rover. The decision

to expand our operations at the site provides a clear signal of our commitment to meeting customer demand for cleaner and more efficient engines, while developing the skills and capability that Britain needs if it is to remain globally competitive.’ While the company may have created over 20,000 jobs in the last five years, the expansion of the EMC will see another several hundred positions

being opened up – pushing JLR’s employee total to over 40,000 in 2016. Back in 2011, eight apprentices first embarked on their programmes with JLR and have recently graduated, allowing them to now move into roles within the EMC. Lauren Quinn, one of the EMC’s first apprentices said: ‘My time as an apprentice at the Engine Manufacturing Centre far exceeded my expec-

tations. It’s given me a future I could have only dreamed of five years ago. ‘When I started in 2011, I was one of only eight official employees dedicated to the project and the plant was no more than a muddy field. We have come such a long way in a short space of time and I’m proud to have been part of this world-class team and the creation of a facility which will create a legacy for many years to come.’

Santa’s Leftovers

AS WE ALL KNOW, January can be a time for getting much better value for money than in other months of the year. That’s why you see people camping outside high street stores pretending to be tramps for the morning. There is a place, however, more worth visiting this New Year – and you won’t have to get out of bed before the pesky blackbirds start running their gobs. On Saturday 9 January, Arkonik will be hosting a bit of a yard sale. Only this one’s going to be filled with lovely Land Rover items that Santa just simply may not have had space for on his sleigh. The ‘mini autojumble’ will last from 10am to 4pm (normal person

hours) and is being held in Arkonik’s very own back garden in the village of Mells, Somerset. Doors, bonnets, wings, bumpers, wheels and tyres, seats, headlinings, suspension, fuel tanks, accessories, boxes full of assorted small parts, side panels, cappings, sills, ABC pillars, lights, tow bars, engines, propshafts, roll bars, rock sliders… all these and more will be available to purchase at the yard sale. It’s possible that you’ll be reading this after the event has been and gone. If so, don’t panic – get in touch with Arkonik and we’ve no doubt they’ll be happy to help you. The postcode you need is BA11 3RH. If you need any more info, give tem a call on 01373 812011.

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

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Slovakian plant is go S

lovakia has been confirmed as the destination for Jaguar Land Rover’s next venture following an agreement with the Slovakian Government. The plans will see a brand new, £1bn manufacturing facility built in the western city of Nitra as the car maker plans to become the first British company to open a manufacturing plant in Slovakia. Projections estimate that the plant will eventually employ approximately 2,800 people as Jaguar Land Rover looks to punch its way into the Eastern European market. The news was broken after JLR had already announced plans to double its investment in the initial £500million Engine Manufacturing Centre near Wolverhampton in the UK. Dr Ralf Speth, chief executive officer, Jaguar Land Rover said, ‘Jaguar Land Rover is delighted today to welcome Slovakia into our family. The new factory will complement our existing facilities in the UK, China, India and Brazil and marks the next step in the company’s strategy to become a truly global business.’ He added that Slovakia had been selected due to its infrastructure, extensive and proximal supply chain, plus already has an established sector for premium vehicles. Slovakia has fought off competition from the USA, Mexico and other European constituencies in the process. Construction of the plant is scheduled to start this year, while production will follow in around two years time, estimated for late 2018. The facility is expected to cater for around 150,000 from the offset and will look to support the company in its produce of an ever-increasing line-up. The Discovery Sport has been JLR’s latest revelation and the newly-launched Evoque Convertible is likely to follow suit. The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, who signed the agreement along with Dr Speth said, ‘We are glad that Jaguar Land Rover has chosen Slovakia for its new world-class manufacturing facility. This decision shows that, with a stable and solid business environment, Slovakia is an attractive place for investors. And the marriage of Slovak craftsmanship and British engineering holds great promise.’ It would seem that Jaguar Land Rover is married to success at the moment and with plans like this in place, there seems to be no end to the honeymoon period just yet.

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

Comment

The stories we carry in The Landy can often be put into one pigeon hole or another. Travel stories, modded vehicle profiles, new vehicle tests, classic rebuilds, and so on. It’s the same in every publication aimed at motoring enthusiasts. Over the many years I’ve been doing this, I think I can safely say I’ve seen most of the different categories of article there is to see. Back in the old days of Land Rover World, we even did an article one time about taking a Land Rover branded pushchair, complete with small child, around an RTV course. That little lad will be pushing twenty now. Maybe he’s already doing real RTVs every other weekend, or spending his evenings out on the drive with his spanners. That brings me to the category of feature I’ve always enjoyed most in the various magazines I’ve worked on. Which is the kind of story in which someone has already rebuilt a vehicle while they’re still ridiculously young, maybe even still at school. We had a few of them in LRW, and some more in Total Off Road. As I recall, the first was a sixteen year old girl who had mucked in with her dad to rebuild the Series I that would become her transport (and boy magnet, presumably) at university. Of course, most of these stories involve an obliging dad somewhere along the line. I guess sometimes it’s a case of junior passing him spanners and not a lot else, but what could be more fulfilling than rebuilding an old Land Rover as a father-and-son project? And what could be more reassuring, when you’re waving off your precious little ones as they set out to make their way in the world, than knowing they’re doing it aboard a safe, sound Landy that you’ve both worked on together? Seppe Verhaege’s story, which you can read about in this issue, is a little different from that. Only a little, mind. Aged 14, he went into the workshop with his dad to build a car ready for when he passes his test What kind of car is that? A Landy, obviously. But the kind of Landy it is might surprise you just a little… Alan Kidd, Editor

Issue 24: Feb 2016

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

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New Venue for GBLRS F

ollowing on from its hugely successful launch in 2015, the Great British Land Rover Show is returning on 24 April. And it’s already outgrown its old venue! For 2016, the organisers are pleased to announce that the show will move to Stoneleigh, near Coventry. The National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre (NAEC), to give it its full name, is bigger, more modern and far better suited to a leading show like the GBLRS. Once again, the show will be backed by headline sponsors Bearmach. The main hall is clean, bright and modern –

and at more than 21,000 square metres in size, it provides plenty of space for more exhibitors, more traders and of course more Land Rovers than ever. As before, there’ll be FREE tickets for visitors who book in advance. This is a bonus offer on every paid-for advance booking – so however many

you buy, even if it’s just the one, we’ll give you a FREE ticket per order. And advanced tickets are only a paltry £5 apiece anyway! Once again, under-14s will be free and adult admissions will be £10 on the door. And parking will be free too, with space for as many as 30,000 visitors

around the show site – so turn up in your Landy and show it off! The organisers expect to be making a number of exciting announcements as the date draws nearer. So watch this space – we’ll keep you updated on

exactly what’ll be happening, and you’ll see a ticket booking form on these pages in plenty of time. For now, though, keep 24 April free in your diary. Because it’s going to be a Land Rover event like no other!

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

Land Rover posts record November sales results

hile November may have been a productive month for many high street retailers, Land Rover didn’t fair too badly in the sales either. In fact, 2015 will go down in history as giving Jag Land Rover its best-ever November sales figures. The company sold a total of 46,547 vehicles – a 27% improvement on November of 2014. That brought the year-to-date total to 437,512 vehicles – a 4% hike over the previous year. Remarking on the encouraging numbers, Group Sales Operations Director Andy Goss said: ‘We started the fourth quarter of 2015 with a record October and have followed this up with another historic month of sales, thanks in large part to the performance of the UK and European markets. ‘Land Rover has again seen record sales this month, with continued strong global demand for the new and refreshed model line-up.’ Land Rover’s contribution to JLR’s sales success was to shift 38,555 vehicles in the month, up 26% yearon-year. Many of its models showed yearly improvements, too – the top performers being the Range Rover (15%), Range Rover Sport (13%) and Discovery (7%). There’s no 2014 sales figure for the Discovery Sport to improve on, of course. But Land Rover’s latest model has started well, with November sales of 9358 vehicles setting a high standard for the future.

Issue 24: Feb 2016

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

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2,000,000th Defender sells for £400K

n 15 and 16 December, Bonhams of London turned into a Green Oval haven for Land Rover enthusiasts with a two-day Series and Defender heritage exhibition. The highlight of the event was the sale by auction of the special and unique Defender 2,000,000. This vehicle signifies the production of over two million Series Land Rovers and Defenders over the course of the company’s 67-year history.

Sold for £400,000, this one-of-akind Defender was assembled earlier this year with the help of Land Rover’s 33 ambassadors – who include Bear Grylls and former Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis. The money raised from the auction will be donated to charities and humanitarian partners linked to the Solihull firm, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Born Free Foundation.

The exhibition highlighted the Defender’s success since its conception over 67 years ago and gave visitors the chance to admire the Defender 2,000,000 as well as taking a walk through the Defender ‘hall of fame’. The latter portrayed Hollywood stars past and present, showing their own moments with the automotive icon. These encompassed such names as Daniel Craig and Steve McQueen. It also focused on projects that the Defender has been a part of through-

out the entire world, for example helping millions of lives through the work of the British Red Cross. Visitors were given the chance to share their own thoughts and memories on a dedicated wall, while ‘Mr Land Rover’, Roger Crathorne, was in attendance and passing on his wisdom and knowledge of the Land Rover brand from his 50 years of service to the intrigued visitors. Speaking prior to the exhibition, Crathorne said: ‘The Series Land Rover

and Defender have played a huge role in the lives of people all over the world for almost seventy years and to be able to offer it a fitting send off as it nears the end of production is an honour for me. ‘Through the creation of the exhibition, we have really got under the skin of just what has made Defender such a loved vehicle. We hope that the exhibition really brings to life the richness of the vehicle’s heritage and why it has had such longevity.’

Defender Truck Cab-bie

ou never know what lies in store for your retirement. But given what happened in London last month, the Defender may be in for a spot of oldaged kerb hopping. A unique Defender ‘taxi’ was seen buzzing the streets of London for potential fares as part of a commemorative film being prepared for an exhibition at Bonhams in mid-December. The main attraction at Bonhams was the auction of Defender 2,000,000, but outside in the Capital the special ‘taxi’ was joined by a host of co-stars –

including a Series II ice cream van, the Paul Smith inspired Defender 90 and the first-ever 80” Land-Rover show car that gobsmacked the Amsterdam Motor Show almost 68 years ago. Now, as black cabs go, we reckon this could just be the best one ever created. Let’s face it, where other taxis have to stay on the road, a Defender really will be able to get you where you want to go. Who knows, the driver might even be willing to go south of the river at this time of night. We wonder if the soiling fee is the same in a Defender…

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

NEXT MONTH

Home at last: Gary Newton let his pride and joy go back in 1997. More than 15 years, we discover the unlikely story of how it returned home PLUS

If the Hulk owned a car… Take a Range Rover Sport SVR and a fistful of ‘schnell’, and you’re left with 680bhp, no licence and a grin as wide as the Rhine

Nick Lewis is a bit of a traditionalist. For example, he likes the very noisy and unreliable 2.0-litre diesel engine in his Series II. Oh, and his beautiful Landy has only managed to cover 18,000 miles…

NEXT MONTH’S LANDY IS PUBLISHED ON 25 January You can pick up your copy of our March 2016 issue from

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

01283 553243 • enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk • www.thelandy.co.uk • www.facebook.com/thelandyuk Editor Alan Kidd Assistant Editor Mike Trott Admin and Editorial Assistant Gemma Pask Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Dan Fenn, Paul Looe, Peter Wales, Nicky Smith Photographers Yves Verhaege, Phil Uden, Kayleigh Costin

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

the consequences of actions made as a result of these

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

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

Where a photo credit includes the note CC-BY-SA, the image is made available under that Creative Commons licence. Details are available at www. creativecommons.org The Landy is published by Assignment Media Ltd, Repton House, Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road, Bretby DE15 0YZ

The Landy is distributed by Britpart. Details of your

Issue 24: Feb 2016

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Issue 23: Feb 2016

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Discoverer STT Pro brings a new dimension to Cooper’s mud-terrain tyre range COOPER’S DISCOVERER STT PRO has arrived in the UK, just a few months after making its debut in America. Designed ‘for those who revel in outdoor adventure,’ this is an addition to the existing Discoverer range, with a tread pattern all of its own. A less uniform arrangement of tread blocks is designed to minimise noise generation on the road – and we’ve received independent reports from the US suggesting they work very well indeed. The tyres are build using a new high-silica compound, too, which Cooper says will improve grip on wet roads as well as improving fuel economy through a lower rolling resistance.

The STT Pro’s construction also features Cooper’s Armor-Tek3 construction, which is designed to add strength to the tread surface and sidewalls. The tread’s aggression level is that of a generic mud-terrain, though Cooper says it is particularly good at self-cleaning. ‘The STT Pro delivers exceptional traction and performance in some of the harshest terrains on Earth,’ says Cooper’s European Technical Centre General Manager Peter McNally. ‘The STT Pro is an aggressive, high-performance tyre that will thrill off-road adventurers with its impressive traction in the thickest mud, across rocky terrain and in all types of challenging conditions. Yet, it

delivers a smooth, reliable ride on the road, making this tyre an outstanding solution for those that enjoy off-road adventures but need to use the same tyre on-road.’ We photographed the STT Pro at Tyres Direct, shortly after the first shipment had landed. At that point, there wasn’t even any sign of the new tyres on Cooper’s own UK website, so you’ll be blazing a trail by getting a set of these on your Land Rover. www.tyresdirectuk.co.uk

The latest addition to Bearmach’s Off-Road range is a heavy-duty winch bumper for the Discovery 3. This is made from 5mm steel – and in Bearmach’s own words, it’s ‘a force to be reckoned with.’ The bumper is designed to accommodate most standard-pattern winches, and it can also be fitted with recovery rings for when a rope is what the situation requires. Further features include cutouts for auxiliary lights – and even positions for re-mounting the truck’s headlight washers. The bumper is designed to work with the skid plates already in Bearmach’s range, which also includes rock sliders and a spare wheel guard. The company also says it’ll be adding plenty more in the way of off-road kit during 2016. www.bearmach.com

Exmoor’s premium seats for late Pumas IF YOU’VE BEEN TRYING to decide on the best way to upgrade the seats in your Defender, you may want to put down your brew and take a look here. Just introduced by Exmoor Trim, these Premium Puma Front Seats provide a straight-swap option for 2013 Defenders onwards. Complete with runners and all the required fixings, these replacement front seats have removable bases and reclining backs. Best of all, they’re available in a wide variety of trims including XS Black Rack, Black Leather, Black and Pimento Leather, Black and Tan Leather, and Black and Lunar Leather. Exmoor also offers the XS Vinyl option with twin white stitch, as well as Diamond XS vinyl and Diamond XS Leather options. Better still, the seats are supplied complete with OEM heaters – all ready to reconnect

to the loom in vehicles with the Winter Pack. It’s also worth knowing that you can order separate elements. So if a weathered seat base is all you need to rejuvenate, that’s possible too. As with all of Exmoor’s latest front seats, these items use the latest Defender seat frame and come with a full Vehicle Certification Agency Mark 1 Impact Test certificate. They’re sold in pairs, with prices starting at £1050 including VAT. www.exmoortrim.co.uk

Protection for your protection

Your roll cage is there to protect you, but what is there to protect the roll cage itself? Well, now there’s these Carbon Roll Cage Protectors from Demon Tweeks. Supplied in metre-long strips, these clip around tubes measuring between 38mm and 40mm in diameter and protect them from scuffs, scrapes and fading paint. They’re not designed for the sort of cage that spends half its life being rubbed against trees, but given the beating a 4x4’s interior tends to take there could certainly be a place for a set or two in a truck whose owner likes to keep it nice however hard he plays. Demon Tweeks recommends that for a stronger fit, securing your protectors with double-sided sticky tape ought to keep them in place. Needless to say, they’re not FIA or MSA-approved for motorsport use – if that’s what you do, anyway, you’ll want to paint your cage white and leave it very well alone, so they won’t be for you. The cage protectors are priced at £29.50 a throw, plus some lovely VAT, and available from Demon Tweeks. www.demon-tweeks.co.uk

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

Sealey’s new wheel step gives you a leg up when you’re working on your Landy

While working on Land Rovers is a joy we (generally) appreciate, there are times when manoeuvring around the engine bay could be a lot easier. These normally involve not being tall enough to reach all the way in, which is something you can only combat by eating more Weetabix when you’re young – and the ship may have sailed on that one for most of us by now. That’s where the Sealey Folding Wheel Step comes in. It may not be revolutionary, or indeed the first time you’ve come across a wheel step, but if you’re one of the many who still trust a rickety old upturned box for extra height when spannering deep in the depths, this might come as a timely reminder than there is a better way. The fold-away step can be popped into place in moments, giving you a ‘leg-up’ should you need it – or even a place to park your backside while having a tea break. It’s nice and small, too, so it can be stored in the vehicle for whenever you need it – be that at home or out in the field. The step, with its three adjustable height settings, fits tyres up to 10” deep and with a wheel diameter of between 14-20”. It’s not for trucks with mongo lifts and the rubber to match, then, but if you run a Series motor that’s still as nature intended it’ll be perfect. The rubber-topped platform means you shouldn’t be wrong footed once up there, which has got to be a good thing. The step is priced at £59.94 including VAT. www.sealey.co.uk

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Issue 23: Feb 2016

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Canadian-built overdrives making Land Rovers around the world quieter and more efficient AS WE ALL KNOW, proper Land Rovers (that is, Defender-shaped ones and the Series trucks that came before them) are geared to work wonders off-road. That’s one of the reasons why they can out-drive almost anything away from tarmac. It’s also one of the reasons why they’re stressed, frantic and deafening at motorway speeds. If you can even get them up to motorway speed at all. People have been addressing this problem for nigh-on half a century by fitting their vehicles with overdrives. But like Land Rovers themselves, overdrives have come on a long way since then. It was only in 2002, for example, that Global Roamer Corporation started producing its Roamerdrive unit. This differs from older designs in that it uses a strong, compact and quiet-running system of epicyclic gears instead of more basic spur gears that used to be the staple of this kind of machine. A Roamerdrive gives you a 28% overdrive ratio and can be engaged in any gear (including low range). That means the vehicle will become 28% quieter and less thirsty, if you want to follow that kind of logic – and 28% of a lot is a lot. The Roamerdrive was originally designed by Ray Wood, a South African mechanical engineer with a lifetime’s experience in developing automotive and marine power transmitting devices. It’s now manufactured in a modern factory in West Vancouver, Canada, from which the company exports to more than fifty countries worldwide. These include the sort of places where Land Rovers are used for venturing into the proper wilds, and as a result of this Roamerdrive proudly claims that its overdrives

have been ‘exhaustively tested on expeditions in Africa, Australia and the Americas.’ The units can be fitted by ‘any mechanically competent owner’ and shouldn’t require anything more than a decent set of everyday workshop tools. If you leave yourself three hours in which to do it, you should be home and hosed with time to spare.

The good news for Land Rover owners in the UK is that while normally it takes a bit less than two weeks for a factory-ordered overdrive to reach its destination, over here we’ve got a dedicated distributor. That’s Rocky Mountain Spares, which is currently quoting £1375 for a Series overdrive and £1420 for a Defender. www.rockymountainspares.co.uk

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

Extreme props from Bailey Morris

Of all the many modifications people make to Land Rovers, lifting their suspension has got to be one of the most common. But as soon as you do that, you start asking questions of the vehicle’s propshafts. A loose rule of thumb would say that so long as you keep it to a couple of inches, your original props should be okay. Even then, though, you’ll be running with the slider part-open or the UJs at a more acute rest angle – so however big or small a lift you’re planning, it pays to think about props. And when you’re doing that, it pays to think about Bailey Morris. As well as carrying a stock of OE props, they’ve developed their own Extreme range – which instantly sounds like a good thing. ‘We can offer an upgraded propshaft option,’ they say, ‘whether you need greater angle, longer splines or larger torque capacity, which may give increased potential life expectancy. The Extreme props are available with an operating angle of up to 40°, which ought to cover all your lifting needs. They come with metal dust covers on their UJ bearing caps to keep water out, too, and their extended sliders are double sealed for exactly the same reason. The props have a higher torque capacity than standard, too, which is no small thing if you plan to warm up your engine – or just to run bigger tyres, because those shock-loadings have got to go somewhere. www.baileymorris.co.uk

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Issue 23: Feb 2016

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Mud-UK launches trim panel for 110 Utility Wagon Interior lights have rather obvious uses. They allow you to use your eyes, for example, so you can see that you’re picking up the cup of coffee you’ve just bought and the one next to it that’s been there for the last fortnight. So, light is a good thing. And LED lights are all the rage these days, which is why Mud-UK has combined the two to give you even better inLandy visibility. This British designed and manufactured product is a direct replacement for the stock Land Rover interior light – and it comes with a staggering 10-year guarantee. LEDs being what they are, it provides a mighty flood of light – which at 228 lumens is 400% brighter than the original.

Another advantage is that the light also allows you to see things in more natural colours, thanks to its higher colour temperature. All the relevant fittings are provided, so you simply need to plug it in and go. You’ll also appreciate the switchable colours of white and red, with the latter providing a much better level of illumination for night time driving. This product is compatible with all post-1991 Defenders – as well as the Freelander 1 and Discovery 1 and 2. It will replace both the stock front and rear lamps, though for the Station Wagon you will require the rear LED lamp plinth, priced at £3.60. The LED Interior Lamp itself costs £54.00 including VAT. www.mudstuff.co.uk

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Polybush cuts prices for Landy bump stops Polybush has lowered the price of its bump stops for the Land Rover Defender, Discovery and Range Rover. The product itself is unchanged, featuring indestructible polyurethane stops with an integrated stainless steel mounting plate. These are available for vehicles on standard-height springs or in +2” extended form to suit Land Rovers with a suspension lift. Availability covers almost all the Land Rover range, and with prices now down by as much as 35% (and therefore starting at just £16.96 plus VAT) it would seem more churlish than ever not to. To find out more, pay a visit to www.polybush.co.uk. www.polybush.co.uk

Britpart launches shackles made of rope… Here’s an interesting alternative to a traditional shackle. Britpart is now stocking Dynaline shackles, made from 8mm Dyneema SK78. With a minimum breaking load of 5830kg, these are strong enough to do the job in the majority of everyday off-road recoveries. They’re particularly handy for joining two ropes together, however, or for use when recovering an everyday car – in which case, large steel shackles are often bigger than you need and, in a more confined operating area, pose a greater risk of damaging the bodywork near the stricken vehicle’s recovery points. Britpart also points out that with a Dynaline shackle will be a lot less dangerous in the event of a rope or strop failure, due to the much lower level of kinetic energy it stores. Supplied in pairs, they weight a barely noticeable 40g each. As always, a bit of searching will yield the best prices, but www.britpart.com is never a bad place to start. www.britpart.com

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Britpart adds E-marked LED lighting to range

The LED rush continues, and Britpart is the latest name to try and light up your world. It now offers ECEapproved single and multiple arrays housed in extruded aluminium casings and rated to IP67 and blazing out up to 7500 lumens. The lights have clear polycarbonate lenses and heavy-duty stainless steel brackets with enough adjustment to get them pointing where you want. The single 120mm unit puts out a 1500-lumen spot beam, while the 500mm guvnor produces 7500 lumens’ worth of combination beam. Prices for LED lights tend to vary wildly. So shop around carefully for the best deal – and when you’re doing so, always be sure you’re comparing like for like. www.britpart.com While we’re shining light on the situation, Britpart is also now offering replacement Defender headlights featuring the latest in LED technology. Using 8-piece Cree LED arrays in a die-cast aluminium housing with polycarb lens material, these deliver 2800 lumens on dip and 4450 on high beam. They’re DOT certified and E-marked, and you should be able to find a genuine set for not much more than £250 including the VAT.

Issue 23: Feb 2016

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

After 67 years, the Defender is no more. It’s been a long and enthralling journey of British engineering brilliance. But as the clock ticked down, we took one of the last Defenders ever made back to its roots in Anglesey for a final visit to the place where it all began

’ve just tucked into a rather magnificent bacon bap, courtesy of the Rhug Estate Farm Shop just past Corwen on the A5. But as nice as it tastes, the vehicle I’m in, the weather and the general reason behind this journey is having a rather sobering effect on proceedings. As I wind further and deeper into Wales, even the blockbuster scenery of the towering mountains above Llyn Ogwen can’t brighten the mood. I shouldn’t really be surprised, though. Because this is our farewell tour for Land Rover’s very own Defender. It’s a collection of words that I’m struggling to come to terms with, but it’s something we must do.

I’m on one final pilgrimage to the birthplace of Land Rover itself: Red Wharf Bay. And it is at least providing some comfort to know that I have exactly the right vehicle for whatever the Welsh climate continues to throw at me. In early 2015, Land Rover announced it would be celebrating the final year of Defender production with the launch of three limited edition models – Autobiography, Heritage and, the one we have here, Adventure. Personally, I think this is the one to have. The Autobiography may well be very plush inside – and it should be at £61,845. But no matter how much of a Range Rover interior you put inside a Defender, it’s still going to sound

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A line in the sand

Words and Pictures: Mike Trott and drive like a Defender. And the Adventure Edition isn’t exactly a prison cell itself, with its heated leather seats being one example of how well it looks after you. The Heritage Edition doesn’t seem worth it, either. I mean, would that really be a substitute for an actual Series Land Rover in Pastel Green? Anyway, the point is that I’m happy with what I’ve got for this sober journey. I’m also in a 90 – the ‘right’ Defender, if you will. If you were serious about doing any overlanding in it, for obvious practical reasons you’d pick the 110 variant, but it’s all about icons now and that’s what the 90 is. I’ll talk more about what makes this the Adventure Edition later. But for now I’m just enjoying the twists and turns of the A5 as I edge closer to Anglesey. It gives me time to appreciate just what the Defender is about and gets me reminiscing about my first drive in Land Rover’s finest. It’s a unique feeling stepping inside a Defender. You could be blindfolded and put inside a million different vehicles, but if you got thrown into a Defender you’d instantly recognise the positioning of it all. I may be bounding along with a few more cogs to play with in my left hand these days, and have a few more horses

to gee up under my right foot, but the sheer involvement and feel of it… well, you know as well as I do. It’s brilliant. It’s unique. It’s Defender. I love the agricultural symphony playing loud and proud from under that outstretched and squared-off bonnet; the fact it makes me feel like I’m piloting a tank or some huge HGV. I love the way it handles and requires you to work out how much input you need on the steering wheel. I love that Land Rover’s Defender asks you to drive it. You earn the respect of the gearbox by taking a moment to analyse your hand movements, and learn how best to utilise the torque from its gutsy heart. This is why we all fell for the Defender and the rest of its bloodline. There is no machine that puts you closer to its inner workings.

And that’s the thing. It’s not a mere car. It’s a machine. And it’s all the better for it. This Adventure Edition epitomises what the Defender is all about, too. With its underbody protection, raised air intake, roof rack, ladder and Goodyear MT/R tyres, it’s pretty much ready for anything. Owning a vehicle like this gives you licence to explore, discover and, above all, live. And I feel honoured to be able to take the pinnacle of 67 years’ worth of heritage and evolution back to where the magic all started to twinkle. In 1947, the Engineering Director of Rover was Maurice Wilks. He had an idea that he was itching to share, and who better to share it with than his brother, Spencer Wilks, then Managing Director at Rover.

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Above: There’s plenty of extras on this Adventure Edition 90 and it’s all the stuff you may consider (or would have considered) putting on a stock Defender. There’s a steering guard and underbody protection under the sills to show that this isn’t just an expensive Landy that shouldn’t be taken for a rough ride. There’s also a roof rack, ladder and raised air intake for safer wading Below: It might not be an Autobiography, but this 90 is no spartan hell-hole. The heated leather seats are unusual in a Defender, but certainly very welcome. As is the aircon and other 21st Century gizmos, like electric windows

Speaking earlier this year, Stephen Wilks, son of Maurice, said: ‘My father met his brother on the beach at Red Wharf Bay and made a drawing in the sand of how he thought the Land Rover could be made. That was the start of it all; the conception of Land Rover.’ As I myself arrive at the bay and step out of the Defender on to this sainted sand, I can’t help but think how much has changed in the world since those postwar years. Yet here I am, pulling up in a vehicle that resembles its parents more than any other automotive creation ever produced. The weather at Red Wharf Bay fits the occasion: dull, grey, damp, and visibility into the distance is not great. That’s probably how most of us feel about the Defender’s replacement. I say ‘Defender’s replacement’ as opposed

to ‘new Defender’ because, let’s face it, whatever it is it will be worlds away from this British icon. As much as our hearts may want it to stay relatively unaltered from the recipe we’ve come to savour, we accept sadly that there will be foreign ingredients thrown in, like Terrain Response and independent suspension. We expect it to be a premium vehicle with an eye on volumes and margins. We fear that it will be a beefed up, slightly more rugged version of the Discovery 5 we’ll be getting in the next year or so – ironic, as the original Discovery was a more family-friendly version of the 200Tdi Defender. Perhaps we’ve been riding our luck, having something so good for so long. Perhaps. Maybe it’s like they say, all good things come to an end.

Above: For a true Adventure vehicle, you need tyres to live up to your ambitions. And the Goodyear Wrangler MT/Rs are more than up to the task Below: These are the three Limited Edition Defenders (from left to right): Autobiography, Heritage and Adventure. The latter is the one to have, in 110 form, if you want to really use a Defender for its intended purpose In reality, it would have been a hard fact to digest at any point in the future, the death of the Defender. As much as I will be sad to see this glorious icon disappear into the history books, I know it’s thanks to an army of enthusiasts that so many of these Land Rovers remain on the road today. And I know for sure that those enthusiasts will continue to do so. I also can’t fault Land Rover’s management in any of this. It is not they who make the emissions rules and Continued overleaf

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A big thank you must go to Baden Hall for letting us use their grounds for Matt’s 90. They are well-known in the area for their fisheries, but also for their clubhouse that caters for weddings and parties. If you’d like to find out more about the services Baden Hall has to offer, then feel free to visit their website at www.badenhall.com

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safety regulations that put the final nail in the Defender’s coffin. We should be grateful indeed that Jaguar Land Rover’s current owner, Tata, has steadied the ship and rebuilt the green oval into something no-one could have foreseen a decade ago. Land Rover is in good hands, and without Tata’s stewardship it wouldn’t be in a position to replace the Defender with anything. It has been an unforgettable journey. The frill-free style, the straightforward off-road engineering, the heroic capability… Nothing will ever be quite the same again. When I first got into this game, a wise man told me not to compare the Defender to normal cars. Over time, I’ve learnt what that meant. I won’t forget that journey to Anglesey aboard the 90 that was mine for a few brief days. Come wind and rain, sat up there in my lofty perch I was, like every Defender driver, above it all. In that most literal of senses, it reached heights no other vehicle has, or will. At the end of our journey, I wanted to say thank you. And to the greatest vehicle ever made, I want to say farewell. And thanks for the memories.

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The Dirty Dozen

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Words and Pictures: Dan Fenn

ive years ago, Andy Knight went to look at a Range Rover Classic that had come up for sale in Essex. He’d been after

one for a while, but all he’d managed to turn up was a trail of stinkers. ‘It was totally original,’ he recalls. ‘The owner had an old Green God-

Above and below: There’s a lot going on under the bonnet, however unremarkable it looks at first glance. The 3.9-litre V8 has been reworked in a big way, gaining ported heads, stainless steel valves, chrome piston rings, an uprated fuel pump and RPI performance cam and Cloyes uprated timing chain and gears. There’s also the small matter of nitrous injection, which is set to come in automatically at full throttle. Andy says he gets 60bhp from the NOx kit, but with a full bottle this would increase to 150bhp

dess fire engine, and the only thing the Range Rover had ever been used for was towing it in and out of the workshop every so often. It was 100% standard and in good nick underneath. ‘When I told him what I was planning to do with it, I thought “it’s going to go one of two ways – either he’ll completely hate it, or he’ll think it sounds brilliant.” Fortunately, he thought it sounded brilliant!’ Looking at it now, all stickers and 37” tyres, you’re probably assuming that what he was planning to do was an off-road build. But no. ‘I put a load of stereo gear in it, did a custom black headliner. ‘Then I had a race with a guy in an L322… I won, but the engine started to smoke a little. So I took it out and rebuilt it, and while it was in bits I decided to give it some more power.’ This meant stuff like ported heads, stainless valves, chrome rings, an uprated fuel pump, a performance cam and uprated timing chain and gears. Oh, and nitrous injection. That’s not something you come across very often in Land Rover circles. But Andy used to be into Sierras – he says he’s had 66 of them in his time. He chucked Rover V8s into a couple of them, and did the NOx thing there too, so he’s got previous. Besides, nitrous injection is about much more than just crushing the opposition when the lights turn green. ‘It’s there to help you getting up hills off-road,’ he insists. ‘Without it, the gearbox would be hunting between

first and second. But now it just rolls up there in third.’ Off-road instructors are forever telling people to use the highest gear and the lowest revs, so it actually fits in pretty well with the right way of doing things. Andy says it’s a real boon when you’re towing, too – and if you’ve ever taken your life in your hands when pulling out at a junction with a trailer on the back, you’ll get what he means. Something else it helps the Rangey do is turn those 37” tyres. Which came along after Andy decided it was time to stop messing around. ‘I did a bit of off-roading with my mates – and almost got stuck. I wasn’t happy with that at all, so I went out and bought all the gear – tyres, suspension, the works. It completely filled up the back room of my house!

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This is the 12th Range Rover Andy Knight has built. He’d already explored a variety of tuning and suspension options with the others – and the results are there for all to see ‘Then I got down to it and fitted it all, over two weeks one Christmas. I’ve done loads in it since then, been laning in Wales about ten times and never been stuck. I change the oil and all the fluids every 2000 miles too and touch wood, it’s never ever gone wrong.’ So Andy looks after his truck, and he’s obviously formed quite an attachment to it. In fact, the five years they’ve spent together is the longest he’s ever owned a vehicle. That’s saying something when you’ve owned 66 Sierras and built 12 Range Rovers, and when your driveway is also home to a Chevy Camaro, a 4.4-litre L322 and a Chrysler 300C SRT-8. ‘I like V8s,’ says Andy, and we don’t feel much like disagreeing. ‘I don’t like manuals, though,’ he continues. ‘I had one and my friends

Above: Behind a heavy-duty steering guard are heavy-duty steering bars – if anything gets past that lot, either it’s been launched from a bazooka or Andy needs to slow down. The axles are protected by bolt-on diff guards, and there’s an adjustable panhard rod to prevent the huge lift from pulling the truck off to one side

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk Below: You’ll have noticed the heavy-duty cranked trailing links straightaway, but did you spot the wide-angle prop? Next to that, +2” lifted body mounts are a cinch for any Rangey-sniffer to identify from standard

Above: Suspension is by +5” Terrafirma springs and long-travel shocks. Both ends use dislocation cones to help keep the enormous tyres pressed to the ground

Left: Here’s a set of 3-degree castorcorrected radius arms from Qt. Also visible here are the downpipes leading to a full stainless exhaust and, rather more abnormally, the leading edge of a Bowler Wildcat wide-angle front prop warned me I wouldn’t get on with it. They were right, I hated it. First time out I took it laning in Wales, and it was already up for sale on the road home. I’ve had nothing but autos ever since.’ These included the Rangey that came before this one, which was built to a more or less similar spec. ‘I used the same suspension, just not quite as much body lift, and it was only on 35s. It had lots of rose joints and was all stripped out inside. ‘But it was awful on the road. It would skip over cat’s eyes and drain covers. I asked experts about it and they all said the rose joints were only really going to be any good off-road – fair enough, they were, but it was just terrible on the road. ‘I put it up for sale and a guy came along at six o’clock the next morning and bought it there and then. As far as I know, he’s still got it now.’ So he’d already learned plenty before starting on this vehicle, though he still has ideas – a full internal cage (‘I wouldn’t have one of those external ones, because you just get the wind whistling in them all the time when you’re driving’) and a rear Detroit Locker being the main ones. He’s also dabbling with the idea of a bigger V8, possibly a 4.6 from a P38 or the 5.0-litre Chevy unit from his Camaro. Then, as we talk, Andy starts musing on the idea of going up to 44” rubber, and I find myself trying to dissuade him. There’s a fine line between a credibly big off-roader and a ridiculous mini-monster, after all, as visitors to

many a Land Rover show will have seen. And besides, if you reckon rose joints are bad on the road… As it is, this Range Rover comes across as exactly what it is – the work of a man who built several before it and got his head around what works and what doesn’t. That chap with the Green Goddess was right to approve. Of course, half a decade has passed since then and if you were to find an unmolested Mk1 in good condition now you’d have a proper classic on your hands. Butchering such a Rangey wouldn’t quite be a crime yet, unless it was an early two-door or CSK, but given the prices they’re fetching now it just wouldn’t make financial sense. That’s inevitable, but it’s also a bit of a shame. They might be too special to cut up now – but as Andy’s shows, when you cut one up you can make it more special than ever.

Above: That there’s a 37x12.50R17 Cooper Discoverer STT. These tyres are already good in 265/75R16 form, so expand them to such a size and you can picture the vehicle driving over absolutely everything Below: A heavy-duty front bumper is home to a Champion winch running old-school steel cable through a roller fairlead. The Rangey has just been used for laning, so the winch is only there for emergencies – hence there been no need in Andy’s mind for synthetic rope

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18 going on 80” Issue 24: Feb 2016

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Most teenagers spend their time wondering how they can get more friends to like their selfies on Facebook, or coming up with the best concoction of alcohol to spend the weekend testing. In Belgium it would appear to be different. There, you just need an 80” Landy…

Words: Peter Wales Pictures: Yves Verhaeghe

Above and left: This is the state in which Seppe bought his very first Land Rover – a daunting project for even the most experienced of hands. Still, Seppe, with supervision of his father, Yves, managed to get this special Landy back to a condition that will see this Series I right for much of his adult life

‘Seppe was very often found in the garage’

ack in August 2012, Seppe Verhaeghe was a tender fourteen years of age. But that didn’t stop him from buying his first Series I Land Rover. Not the sort of thing you’d usually expect to find on the bedroom walls of a teenager with big four-wheeled ambitions. However, Seppe, who is a keen classic car enthusiast, had set himself the challenge of restoring an ‘old-timer’, as classics are fondly known in Belgium, ready to use as his first car when he was 17. Seppe was frequently seen after school and at weekends helping out at his neighbour Albert’s classic car business. Seppe knew that the experience he gained whilst working with Albert and his father, Yves, would stand him in good stead in the months to come. If you ever meet Seppe and his old man at the same time, you’ll soon see where Seppe gets his love of Land Rovers from. His mother, Nele, tells us: ‘Seppe’s first memory is probably of Yves’ euphoria at buying a Series III the day after he was born! ‘Yves was convinced it was the perfect second family car. He hadn’t noticed that the chassis was rotten, broken and rusted, though, so he had to restore the car entirely. ‘It took about one year, and Seppe was very often found in the garage with Yves – he grew up in there, to be honest.’ Today, Yves has a very nice Series Land Rover of his own in the shape of a recovery truck which was previously based at a garage in Suffolk. It’s clearly a vintage vehicle thing. Now, Seppe may have got some of his technical nous from his neighbour

Albert, but he saved up for his very own Landy through his student job. This was, of course, doing mechanical maintenance on the machine park in a wood factory nearby. By this stage, a Unimog had replaced the old Series III which had ignited the hearts of these two Belgian boys. But at the age of 12, Seppe’s adolescent curiosity caused him to stumble across some of the family’s dusty old photo albums – within which the Series III could be seen. It rekindled his admiration for these vehicles – and it didn’t take long for the inevitable web searches to follow. Yves very quickly found a Series I and together the pair went to view it. The vehicle was purchased almost immediately, but Yves wouldn’t be able to stop his lust for them there. Shortly after, he found the recovery truck we mentioned earlier. But after a couple of years of watching his dad have all the fun, Seppe decided it was time to get one to call his own. After a few months of searching for a potential project vehicle, he finally struck gold. He found one locally in a village near Kemmelberg and, early one morning back in August 2012, he and Yves set out with eager anticipation. It was a 1951 ex-police 80” which had originally been based in the Ardennes. By now, however, it had fallen into disrepair, with very poor mechanicals, chassis and bodywork. ‘The seller was also a lover of Series I Land Rovers, but he was no mechanic and didn’t know where to start the restoration,’ continues Nele. Seppe knew very quickly that this was the project vehicle he had been looking for. After some quick confer-

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Above and right: It’s a fine looking craft now, this Series I, and appears to be an entirely different vehicle to the one that Seppe bought in 2012. That’s mainly down to just how much work and time he’s put into it; overhauling and rebuilding the engine and the gearbox, while also making extensive repairs to the tired chassis and bulkhead ring with dad, he snapped it up for a few hundred euros, loaded it on to a trailer and brought it back home to his workshop in Wervik. Fortunately for Seppe, he’d had the go-ahead from his mum, who didn’t mind him spending his spare cash on what was currently a wreck. But that would change. With a Landy he could really cut his teeth on, Seppe launched himself into the project. He quickly stripped it down

and had soon compiled a list of all the various components he would need to complete the restoration. This included re-fabrication and repairs to the bulkhead and chassis, plus a complete overhaul and rebuild of the engine and gearbox. The tub and doors were beyond repair, so Seppe and Yves decided to make new ones from scratch. ‘During the project, I thought it was dad doing all the work and Seppe Above: This is the sort of thing you want to see in a Landy Below: This is the sort of thing you do not

Left: Well, as if by magic, we’ve managed to bring you a picture of the young Seppe when he was a mere boy. He already looks at home in the company of this Land Rover and with his own Series I to knock about it now, he’s surely going to be a Landy man for years to come

‘I thought it was Dad doing all the work’

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Above: This is Seppe’s Land Rover sitting alongside his father’s Series I earlier in 2015, at the annual Charity Land Rover Run

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helping out,’ recalls Nele. ‘But I was surprised how much Seppe did for himself. He prepared, restored and assembled parts, searched on the internet and in books for the right pieces and instructions. ‘Father and son were always working together as equal partners. Most of the time they agreed – but Seppe wanted perfection.’ Well, an 80” Series I is, to many, the very definition of perfection! ‘He has become a very good mechanic,’ smiles Nele proudly when asked about her son’s progress. ‘Every evening he would publish his latest developments on the Series I forum and he got a lot of admiring comments from other enthusiasts.’ It took just over two years for Seppe to see the project through. And then finally came the big moment, for him and his family alike, when the Series I went in for its Controle Technique (the Belgian MOT test) back in May. Unsurprisingly, it waltzed through. And much to Seppe’s joy, he has recently turned 18 and, with a little help from the postman, now has all the documents he needs to ride around in

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his fine 80” without the need for his parents to ride alongside. His first major adventure was for the 2015 Charity Land Rover Run from Kent to Brugge – where, fittingly, he received the Spirit of the Event award. ‘Seppe is very interested in old mechanics with cars, engines and tractors,’ says Nele. ‘He likes the sound of the old motors, the smell of the oil; the whole family are obsessed with classic cars, but for Seppe it’s definitely Land Rovers.’ His mother tells us he plans to find a Defender for a project vehicle at some point, to convert into his daily drive. He’ll certainly be adding to his collection in any case. ‘Yves and Seppe most like the driving experience and working together in the garage on the same project. They’ve made a lot of friends, not only in Belgium and the UK, but all over the world. ‘Why Land Rovers are so popular in France and Belgium, it is not really clear. Everyone has their own reasons for driving and owning them.’ It may not be that clear to some people. But for one particular 18-year-old, it’s as crystal as can be.

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Oh Cummins all ye faithful

Words and Pictures: Mike Trott

Andrew Poulsen’s Land Rover is the kind that annoys purists. It looks like a 90, though it’s actually a leafer – but then you get underneath it, and start seeing components that have come from far and wide…

Above and below: Now here’s an engine that ﬁlls this Land Rover’s boots a little more than the standard. It’s a 5.9-litre straight-six Cummins diesel. And if like Andrew you like big, loud, powerful diesels, you can’t go much further than this

ndrew Poulson is one of those guys to whom the term ‘grease monkey’ really does apply. Not that he’s an actual monkey, of course – but if the man isn’t in his workshop surrounded by spanners and oil, he’s probably asleep. Spinney Engineering is the name of Andrew’s company and, for many years now, he has been fixing Land Rovers of all diﬀerent shapes and sizes. But you should know that anything post-Tdi is when Andrew starts to lose interest. Working on old Series Landies and Tdi-era trucks is where it’s all at for Andrew. He likes a challenge, though; so don’t be surprised if you see him attempting some impossible-looking jobs in that workshop of his. We’ve even got one of his own personal vehicles here to show you just what lengths Andrew will go to in order to make it happen in the workshop. This Land Rover has actually shed some of its Solihull heritage and

acquired internal parts that are from a much more eastern persuasion. To some of you, this may mean mechanical parts tailored by the devil. ‘It might look like a 90, but I can tell you that underneath there’s very little that resembles a Defender,’ smiles Andrew. You’re looking at a hybrid – a vehicle that some of you will think takes the best bits from a whole range of vehicles, while others will feel it’s a collection of parts each as dismal and plain wrong as the last. If you’re in the latter camp, and refuse to park your Land Rover next to anything Japanese in case it catches some sort of infection from it, stop reading now. Oh, you already had. The rest of you, settle down and enjoy the tale of a Landy we should all now be able to appreciate. Underneath you’ve got a Series II chassis, still with leaf springs providing the suspension side of the equation. But the axles and gearbox have been donat-

ed by a Toyota Land Cruiser. Andrew says this was for their extra strength, which is certainly something they’re known for. ‘The body is from a 90,’ continues Andrew. ‘But there’s other changes inside too, like the seats which are from a Volvo V40.’ I can confirm they’re rather comfy, too, and being upholstered in leather is also nice. I say this because Andrew took me out for a little recce to experience this Landy-ish vehicle’s party piece. Which is what? The thing under the bonnet, for sure. Which is a 5.9-litre straight-six Cummins diesel, extracted from a 7.5-tonne Leyland DAF truck. That’s a bit like taking the heart of an elephant and squeezing it into the body of a dormouse – you’re going to see a diﬀerence! ‘I’ve got another one that I’m trying to put into a Bentley,’ adds Andrew (treason for some of us). ‘But you have to take on these projects lightly. It took

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

me 18 months to complete this one, just doing what I could, when I could.’ Andrew tells me that one of his friends had bought an American pickup truck previously and he’d seen how the engine could be used, admitting it ‘tickled his fancy.’ That happens. ‘In my honest opinion, the first thing to do when buying a Land Rover is to take out the original engine and throw it away!’ exclaims Andrew. You could just sell it, mind, given that a good original Landy engine, particularly a Tdi from a Defender, is always going to be in demand. Still, Andrew likes to go big. ‘I’ve always been into bigger engines. I have this thing where I like to fit the biggest engine possible into the smallest vehicle I can.’ Anyone with petroleum running through their head can appreciate the benefits of having a good power to weight ratio. Here’s another of Andrew’s experiments, too. When he was 14, he decided to put the engine from a London taxi into a 1952 Series I. Try doing that now and they’ll be coming after you with pitchforks.

But back to the hybrid. It is a collection of carefully chosen parts which all come together to make quite the package. Which is of course what it’s all about. The result is that Andrew sits in comfier, more supportive seats, enjoying the performance of a hefty great engine and the strength of a bomb-

proof drivetrain. But what he’s driving is still an old leafer – albeit one that looks like a 90. Purists may shudder. But this is no weekend toy. ‘I use it everyday,’ says Andrew. ‘And obviously the highlight is the six-cylinder Cummins engine. But I really like the fact I’ve done it all and managed to

Above: With seats from a Volvo V40 and a gearbox and axles donated from (close your ears, purists) a Toyota Land Cruiser, this is certainly one mix‘n’match of parts found from the automotive world do what I set out to do – and best of all, there are no electronics on it!’ Now that’s something we can all appreciate.

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

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A Voyage of Discovery

Words: Gemma Pask Pictures: Kayleigh Costin and Phil Uden

When Kayleigh Costin and Phil Uden, a primary school teacher and mechanic from Kent, were considering their 2015 summer holiday, there was no talk of the Algarve or Ibiza. No, for these two, their break was to be about adventure and soul-searching – and what better way to do a bit of self-discovery than hopping around Europe aboard, well, a Discovery…

he Discovery’s name brings with it a whole host of wonderful connotations – journey, surprise, adventuring into the unknown – all of which were at the heart of Kayleigh Costin and Phil Uden’s recent overland trip. While most head straight for a 110 when planning their trip of a lifetime, Kayleigh and Phil opted for a 2001 TD5 Disco, a vehicle which clearly lived up to its name. During the summer of 2015, Kayleigh and Phil loaded up the Discovery and set out on a month-long expedition of Europe, covering 7200 miles through 12 countries including Austria, Romania, Switzerland, Hungary, Bulgaria

and Greece. Not your usual shabby last minute bodge-job from a dodgy travel agent, then! ‘We had always dreamt about an overlanding trip together,’ says the duo. ‘Joining this with our passion for Land Rovers and the comfort and ability of the Discovery meant this was the only ever option for us.’ It wasn’t all plain sailing in the early stages of planning, however, thanks to an incident on the way home from the London to Brighton Land Rover Run in 2014. The Land Rover in which Kayleigh and Phil were travelling was engulfed by flames, just after the pair had narrowly escaped. Speaking of

‘WE HAD ALWAYS DREAMT ABOUT AN OVERLANDING TRIP TOGETHER’

the traumatic event on their blog, they explain how ‘the flames ate her alive in front of our eyes’. ‘Our friends at South East 4x4 Response helped us recover the shell of what we had left,’ Phil and Kayleigh stress together. ‘With their support, it wasn’t long before we were ready to find its replacement.’ Hence the Discovery. Of course, mechanic Phil was in his element prepping and modifying the vehicle for the trip. Additions included a cooker, a national Luna fridge-freezer, shelving and boxes, an expedition roof rack with a Maggiolina roof tent and space for extra diesel and water containers, a second battery

with a split-charge system, a snorkel, General Grabber A/T tyres, high-lift jack and more. ‘The Discovery was heavily modified for the trip,’ says Phil. Indeed. But a modified shed is still a shed, and an old Disco is still an old Disco. So you may or may not be surprised by what happened, it didn’t. ‘It performed exceptionally well whilst we were away,’ says Phil. ‘We experienced only one minor issue of the rubber doughnut starting to break up on the rear propshaft. This caused a slight vibration at motorway speeds. ‘We carried a wide range of spare parts with us, including two of the

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We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk rubber doughnuts for the propshaft. With me being a mechanic, this enabled us to cover most problems that could arise. We learnt quickly from talking with other overlanders that you make use of what you’ve got to help you get out of any situation.’ Considering the Disco faced the twists and turns of the Austrian Alps and the Hahntennjoch Pass, a trek up the Carpathian Mountains in Romania and miles and miles (and miles) of soul-destroying European motorways, we know you won’t be surprised to hear that it dealt with all of it without so much as a break of sweat. If ever you look up the definition of ‘all-rounder’ in the dictionary... As well as Austria and Romania, Kayleigh, Phil and their trusty sidekick took in the sights of Germany, France and Italy, the latter including a voyage up the Italian Alps via the Stelvio Pass, which Phil and Kayleigh say is ‘regularly referred to as Europe’s greatest driving road.’ You remember the closing scene in the original Italian Job? That was filmed on the St Bernard Pass, which has about 20 harpins. The Stelvio has 48.

Continued overleaf

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

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Having had such a full adventure, when asked to consider their highlights you would imagine they would have quite a job. ‘Each country we visited gave its own highlights, from the incredible twisting roads of the Alps through to the rocky tracks of Romania and everything in between,’ Kayleigh recalls. ‘If we were to narrow it down to one highlight it would have to be our first night wild camping in the Austrian Alps. Nothing will ever come close to waking up to that spectacular view as we opened our tent that morning.’ A meticulous level of planning went into the trip, but our Disco duo did drop the ball on one occasion… ‘We had neglected to spot the need to catch a ferry from Romania to Bulgaria,’ Phil and Kayleigh explain. ‘Having

Above: Overlanding is all about preparation. In this case, Phil did a good job of putting some custom items together, such as this roll-out storage box

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realised this, we headed straight to the port, where en route Phil decided to investigate an abandoned power station with its massive dockside cranes. After a few photos of the Landy beside them, he reluctantly drove on towards the ferry terminal… only to find that we had missed it by two minutes! ‘In 38°C heat, we had no option but to race to the next port which was an hour away, where the border police took great interest in our vehicle and reasoning for being there.’ These detours are all part of the fun when it comes to overlanding, though, as Kayleigh and Phil back up. ‘Don’t underestimate how important planning your trip is, but also bear in the mind that the greatest moments often appear when you deviate from your original plans.’ And seeing as the pair cite the most difficult aspects of the trip as ‘the monotonous motorway heading to Romania’ and once ‘losing the use of the sat-nav’, it must have been a pretty great trip through and through. So would they do it again? You betcha. And this time they’re looking to venture past their home continent. ‘We are already itching to pack up and leave again but work commitments have stalled our plans for now. Morocco is next on our list – along with Iceland. We would not hesitate to jump back in the Discovery and already feel more prepared than when we first left the UK.’ With such a successful adventure under their belts and more in the pipeline, Phil and Kayleigh are unsurprisingly brimming with advice for budding overlanders, and their message is simple: ‘You must do it!’ Indeed, these two went from being a mechanic and a teacher with a Land Rover to traversing some of the most breathtaking and culturally rich areas of Europe known to man – in short, they brought their dream to life. And it was all down to a little courage and a really trusty truck. Of course, it’s always a good idea to consider your mode of transport carefully beforehand. Sure, you can see lots of Europe with an interrailing pass in your pocket, or roam free with your own road car, but can either reach the far corners that Kayleigh and Phil did? And, more importantly, can you sleep on the roof? ‘The entire trip was based around the abilities of our Discovery,’ the pair says. ‘It really did become our home away from home for that month. We ate, slept, cooked, washed and travelled in complete comfort for the entire duration of the trip. If we could turn back the clock, we would still choose the Discovery as our vehicle.’ For a day-by-day account of Kayleigh and Phil’s expedition, plus more of the stunning photos you’ve seen on these pages, www.ouroverlanddiscovery.com is your next stop.

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

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The Project Has Landed: Part Four A

nother day, another injury. Nicky Smith’s knuckles suﬀered some more bangs and scrapes during the making of this month’s instalment in his 109” rebuild. He’s being remarkably sanguine about it springing a major ﬂuid leak during the night, though – and about creating a new breed of poisonous cabbages while painting his bumpers… Above and below: Handbrakes are always a troublesome region, and Nicky’s 109 has proven to be no different. Some WD40 close to hand is always essential, while keeping a toolbox full of odd sockets also seems to be a problem solver. In this case, Mr Smith used an undersized one to hammer out a rounded nut, which was insistent on holding firm

Words and pictures: nicky smith

didn’t have the correct imperial size spanner for the adjusting nut on my Landy’s handbrake. But I found that the ring end of a 7mm spanner would work perfectly on it, with no play. Some good old WD40 helped to free it up before I removed the nuts holding the drum on. Typically, one had already been rounded during previous attempts at maintenance. Fortunately, I have a toolbox full of odd old sockets. So I took a slightly undersized one and hammered it into place. This brought the nut off nicely. Next I gave the drum a good whacking with a hammer to loosen the contents. Then I used a flat-ended screwdriver, inserted into the edge

between the back plate and the drum, to see if it would gently free off. Much to my surprise, it came away easily – whereupon I was very happy to see that the brake pads and components were all in good condition! After a quick clean and adjustment, the handbrake worked perfectly! And the only component I had to replace was the spring on the handbrake itself. So, another job marked off of the list. And only at the cost of a new nut, a handbrake spring and a lump on my head from when I was emerging from under the truck on the way to the toilet. Which was nice! The following day was the first of six days off, with nothing to do but please

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Above, left and right: These are the ridiculously cheap Disovery wheels that Nicky picked up and set about working on to de-rust. He succeeded in doing so and, after priming them and finally choosing on what colour boots he’d like his Land Rover to have, ended up with some nice looking black rims

‘Our future cabbage crop might taste a bit... paintish’ Right: Initiative is often one of the best tools you can have – and it can lead you to having all sorts of outside-the-box ideas. Such as turning your greenhouse into a spray booth, for example myself. And how did I do that? First of all, by spraying the bumpers black. So after a trip to the shops to buy some more paint, I set to cleaning down and spraying up the front bumper – and then it started raining. Not to be put off, I moved the entire operation to my spray booth (aka the greenhouse). Our future cabbage crop might taste a bit… well, paintish. But that’s just the new type of veg I am growing now! I looked at the rear bumperettes and decided that spraying them in situ was a bad idea. A nose around the shed revealed a tin of black Hammerite, with enough in it to give them three good coats. They came out quite well, where-

upon I started looking at the NATO hitch – but decided to leave it alone as I was going to change it for a 50mm ball anyway with caravan-towing in mind. After persuading the front bumper back on with the help of a hammer and some scuffed knuckles, then came the washers and the nuts that hold it in place. For this, may I recommend bribing a small child to put them on – because if you have fingers the size of sausages, like myself, you have no hope! In the end – and I am being serious here – I went with balancing the nut and washer on the end of the ring spanner, then feeding it into the gap to try and get the threads to bite. This does work eventually.

Next, I turned to the brake system. I had already had some luck with the handbrake (see above), but I didn’t hold my breath on that luck holding. My first job was simply to free off all the brake adjusters. So that would make it WD40 o’clock. To my surprise, I had the right imperial spanner for the adjuster. On the front drums, the adjuster is towards the bottom of the back plate. Another surprise – they both freed off and started moving, winding the pads back nicely. On the back drums, the adjuster is toward the upper part of the back plate. I jacked up each end to make sure the wheels and drums moved freely

Issue 24: Feb 2016

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

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Left, below and right: Here’s Nicky getting the clutch pedal and master cylinder housing out. The pipework needs to come first and that’s where your 1/2” spanner will come in handy. Following on from that, you’ll need to hop into your Landy and undo the six bolts around the pedal

Above: This is usually not a good sign, but let’s face it, on an old Land Rover it’s bound to happen at some point. This leak is suspected to be from the transfer box pictured to your left

Above and left: This is the old master cylinder before and after being detached from the framework. The next job is to pop the new cylinder in and put all of it back together. Just remember to check before throwing any bits in the bin…

Above: When it came to freeing all the brake adjusters, it was time to call upon the WD40 again, but also the right imperial spanner. Remember to check where the adjusters are according to whether they’re the front or back drums

enough, in readiness for a thorough strip-down inspection. That was for later, though, as first there seemed to be a problem with the servo or master cylinder. And at this point it was time for bed, so I turned in and went back to it the following morning – to find that during the night my Land Rover had, shock, sprung a large leak. This seemed to be coming from the transfer box front output. I decided to leave it for later, anyway, keeping it

at bay with some sand and a drip tray while I kept on at the clutch. Job one was to get the pedal and master cylinder housing out. I first unscrewed the pipework going to the slave cylinder then undid the six bolts from inside, running along the bulkhead next to the clutch pedal, to release the framework. After a bit of twisting your way around wiring, brake pipes and so on, the whole thing does eventually come out. It comes with the usual Land Rover sacrifice of some skin, blood and choice language, but it does come. I then undid the two bolts holding the master cylinder on to the framework and it was ready for the new one to be fitted. I nearly forget to remove the pipework coupling housing to put on the new one, but noticed it was still on just as I was throwing it into the wheelie bin. So that saved a scramble through some week-old food to find it again! While the framework was out, I gave it a quick rub down and a spray in the handy black paint. I then refitted it all

The cost so far: Land Rover £375 Sanding discs £11.70 Ignition barrel £20 Heritage letter £21.75 2 batteries and rear quarter light £35 Battery terminal clamps £3.99 Floorpan nuts and bolts £6.50 Grinding disc £2.25 Underseal £8.99 Complete set of lights £85 Primer £24.99

4 Discovery wheels £10.20 Rear door £21.00 Front door £20.00 Handbrake spring £1.50 2 Discovery wheels £0 Seatbelts £0 Wing mirror £0 2 headlight surrounds £0 2 headlight frames £60 2 front doors £60 NATO green paint £36

Rear Window Seal and insert £9.99 Wiring connectors £3.00 2 tins of silver metal paint £7.00 Fuses and sandpaper £4.50 5x tins black spray £5.00 5x more tins black spray £5.00 Clutch fluid £0 Exhaust putty £0 WD40 £8.49 TOTAL £845.85

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk and turned my repairing eye on to the slave cylinder. The best way is to jack up the front on axle stands, then try to get yourself and tools into the tiny gap on the passenger’s side behind the exhaust and on top of the chassis. Sounds easy, right? I first took off the pipework while trying to keep the falling rust out of my eyes and the clutch fluid from running too far up my arms. Then I removed the bottom bolt holding the slave in. Big mistake. Because the slave was seized, it then pushed up on the top bolt while I was trying to remove that, making it impossible to keep the socket in place. So I attached some thin rope and pulled the cylinder back down, refitting the bottom bolt. What fun. I removed the top bolt followed by the bottom, and started my Houdini impression while fitting the slave. But then the pipe coupling wouldn’t screw in for love nor money. Deciding it must be a thread issue, back in I went with a torch and a very thin screwdriver. Sure enough, the thread on the coupling was ever so slightly bent, just after the first turn. So I carefully straightened it out with the screwdriver and it popped in first time. Then comes the bleeding. Not me this time, the Land Rover. Long story short, it didn’t really want to. After an hour of pumping pedals, I remembered someone referring to reverse bleeding from the slave up with old fashioned oil cans. I give it a shot as my eldest daughter watched the reservoir for bubbles and levels. She sais there was air, and I managed to stop it from overflowing as well. There was now pressure on the clutch pedal, which is better than the other thing. But there was also still some play, and no amount of fiddling seemed to change it, even though the gears did now engage. I hadn’t had the engine running by this stage, but the wheels were still off the ground and they locked up nicely when a gear was selected, so that suggested something was working. With the truck still raised, I decided it would be a good time to retighten the exhaust. I was really keen by now to get the engine running once again so I could see how well the clutch was actually working. And the last time I started it, the 109 sounded like a Lancaster bomber! Anything better than that would count as progress. So at least there was some room for optimism! If you would like to read the full story of Nicky’s Series III rebuild, or if you can’t wait to hear how he got on with the rest of the project, you can purchase a copy of The Project Has Landed from www. amazon.co.uk. Alternatively, you can read all of his rants and raves on most walks of life – but mainly Land Rovers – at www.nickysmith.me.

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

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

Series I

crossmember and outriggers. It is almost completely there but again will need rebuilding, had SIII axles fitted but the originals are there. Both have old style V5s. £2250. Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taff, 07791 869549 12/15

replacement. Has a very rare fibreglass hard top and sides (1 of only 10 made). No MOT or tax. Sold as seen for spares or repair, with no warranty given. £1200. Tiverton, Devon, 01398 331800 12/15

Lightweight

Series III Series I 86” V8 Truck-Cab. Recommissioned after 10 years in dry storage. 76,126 miles. Rover V8, SIII gearbox (full syncro), Fairey overdrive, FWH. Series III Salisbury axles with LWB rear drums at front. Parabolics. Overhauled swivels, like-new brake linings and cylinders. Engine tuned and bored to 3.9. New seats. Chassis and bulkhead have both been patched but are still very strong. £7995. Whitchurch, Staffs, 07811 698250 12/15

Series II

Two Series IIs (‘61 and ‘59). Both 2.25 diesel. The 1961 model is not too bad but does need a rebuild. The other LR has previously been stripped down and its chassis has had a new

Series III diesel (1978). Chassis-up rebuild. Galvanised chassis, rebuilt engine, full rewire, FWH, overdrive, swivels, clutch kit and slave, all copper brake pipes, brake master and four drum cylinders, diesel tank and sender. Rebuilt bulkhead, tub floor and cross members. All new seats and belts. Full MOT. £8500 ono. Manchester, 07749 866756 or 0161 688 6008 01/16

Series III 88” (1981). 55,946 miles. Complete vehicle with Fairey overdrive and freewheeling hubs. Starts, runs and drives fine, but chassis needs work or

Series III 88” diesel (1983). 40,294 miles showing. Full MOT. In good condition, having just been recommissioned with a very good 5-bearing engine. Deluxe interior (seats, door cards, carpet). Good seats (just a few nicks). Rear bench seats with belts. 4x Goodyear Wrangler 205 x16 tyres (spare is a Camac). 11” front drums. Runs and drives well, nice patina inside and out, neat and tidy and not at all scruffy. Currently on SORN. £2350. 07791 461223 12/15

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

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SIII Lightweight (believed 1979). 20,000 miles. 12 months’ MOT. Rock-solid chassis and bulkhead. Engine starts, revs and idles beautifully but does overrun when turned off. 3 new front seats plus rear bench. New canvas top. Roll bar and rear spare wheel holder. Towbar and electrics. Paintwork could be improved, and it’s on non-standard wheels. Currently Q-plated, but original chassis plates are present and correct so you could revert to an age-related number. I have MOTs from 1990-2004. Has been on SORN since and was stood for years, but was easy to recommision. All offers considered. £4500. London, 07711 064214 01/16

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

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

101

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

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New MOT. First registered privately in 2000. Drives well, and on the button. Partially Waxoyled. Serviced 1000km ago. Partial camper conversion by previous owner which needs completing. Has 240v hook-up with sockets, leisure battery, water tank, filler, pump, tap, external shower (all fitted but need connecting). Single-leg table (needs new base socket). Sofas convert to large double bed. Blown air heater, lights, fans etc. Useful roof rack. Car seats in front. Large awning. Excellent tyres, recent new exhaust, brake shoes and brake cylinders. Good sound, rust-free truck (apart from door tops). £6950. Malvern, Worcs, rogerbrett45@hotmail.com 12/15

101 Forward Control (1976). 29,700 kilometres backed up by old MOTs. MOT March 16. Demobbed by Army in Sept 1993. 3.6-litre V8 (was bored from 3.5 while by the MOD). Waxoyled. LPG fitted Sep 2005, currently not working but I understand it just needs a switch. Apart from this, an additional cooling fan and a stereo, it’s in 100% original condition – I think even the paintwork. 4 new Cooper Discoverer STs. Comes with an A4 file of history,

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receipts and MOD maintenance schedule. Exhaust is blowing, starter needs a tap, a few small oil leaks, some dials need attention. £7000. East Dereham, 07425 605829 01/16

Defender 90 2.4 TDCi XS SW (2007). 100,000 miles. ABS, traction, alloys, tow bar, air-con, heated leather seats, PAS, electric windows, CD stereo. Excellent condition throughout, regularly serviced with no trouble. BFGoodrich All-Terrain tyres in good condition, chequer plate, central cubby box, rear tow hitch. Remapped. Obviously there are some marks here and there. £16,100. Fyfield, Essex, 07968 819333 12/15

Defender 90 300Tdi (1996). 101,000 miles. MOT July 2016. Owned for 10 years – only done 20,000 miles in that time, but serviced every year. New timing belt in 2013. Comes with a detailed record of work done, plus 14 old MOTs to verify mileage. Never used for any serious off-road stuff, though the previous owner fitted steering/diff guards and rock sliders. Sound chassis (Waxoyled when I bought it) with just two small patches on the rear crossmember. 12/230V invertor with split-charge system (second battery not currently fitted). 3 seats. Dixon Bate adjustable towbar. £4850. Hassocks, West Sussex. 07887 575151 01/16

Defender 90 V8 3.9 EFi (1986). 79,000 miles (unknown miles on engine). Full year’s MOT. First registered with DVLA as a 3.5 but has since been upgraded. Range Rover running gear. High and low range work as they should, as does all wiring. ECU located in the cab. Electric fans. Fantastic chassis with no sign of any welding or rot. Lifted and polybushed. Tyres have probably done less than 500 miles. Swing-away rear wheel carrier. Well made rear seats with belts. Rear cargo cage. Will sit at 70mph+ on the motorway. A few bumps and scrapes, and some rust on the door bottoms plus a bit on the corners of the bulkhead, but the rest is solid. Little exhaust blow but just on a joint. £2995. Weston Super Mare, 07725 687197 01/16

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

Defender 90 300 Tdi (1989). 120,000 miles. Off-road beast! Mods include cage, 2” lift, ProComp shocks, 285/85R16 Insa Turbo Special Tracks, wide arches, winch bumper, rock sliders, steering and diff guards, stainless smokestack, snorkel, LED bar, clear indicator lenses, drilled and grooved brake discs and chequer plate stowage box. During my ownership it’s had a propshaft, radiator, windscreen and seal, new wiper motor and blades, hub gaskets, rocker cover gasket, diff and transmission oil services, new light and wiper stalks, all filters, new fuel pipe, isolator switch and clutch master cylinder. Been offroad many times and never stuck. £6500 ono. Newton Abbot, Devon, 07949 249743 01/16

Defender 90 200Tdi (1984). 62,611 miles. Selling due to lack of use. 200Tdi (Defender not Disco engine), always starts first turn. New timing belt, water pump and radiator last year. Scorpion suspension and castor corrected front arms. Mach 5 wheels and Simex Jungle Trekker 2 tyres (inc spare). Axles uprated to 24-spline, rear has hardened halfshafts. Rear ARB with high-output pump and extra air tank to reinflate tyres. Scorpion bumper, Warn 9.5 XP with Dynema and in-cab controls. HD steering bars, ally 3-piece steering guard. Rock sliders, diff and tank guards. Safari Snorkel. Full exo cage. Front spot lights, electric fan, Exmoor Trim soft top. Galvanised chassis fitted some years ago and its still solid. CB, NATO hitch, high-lift mount on bonnet. All oils changed before MOT in April. £5600. Benfleet, Essex, 07970 689629 01/16

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Bobtail 90 300Tdi (1987). 145,000 miles. New MOT (no advisories). Solid chassis (never welded or patched), good bulkhead, 3M undersealed. Discovery axles, copper brake lines and braided hoses, polybushed, discs all round. Winch bumper, sill protectors, sump and rear diff guards. As-new tyres. New carpet and paint job. Brake bias lever inside. Land Rover seats. Comes with a full roll cage (not fitted). House move forces sale. Dash not in great condition and windows do rattle, but in very good condition overall. £4500. Sedlescombe, East Sussex, 07732 518700 12/15

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

90 pick-up (1986). MOT June 16. Rebuilt last winter on a new galv TD5 chassis. Low-mileage 300Tdi engine and box. Salisbury rear axle. +3” springs on 2” lift blocks, long-travel shocks, extended front top mounts, cranked radius arms. Dislocation cones. Diff, sump and steering guards. Rock sliders. Tree bars for body (not fitted). HD steering rod. 2.5” side-exit straight-through exhaust. EGR deleted. Insa Turbos on modulars, 30mm spacers, extended arches. Winch bumper and winch. Qt quick-release easy-wash bucket seats. Nissan Navara roll top adapted to fit Land Rover bed. Recent new A-frame ball joint, rear calipers, timing belt, manifold and rocker gaskets, water pump, aux belt, alternator (recon), rear axle bearings and seals, speedo

cable, snorkel and much more. Body a bit rough in places and it needs a few bits and pieces doing, but it’s a great vehicle and with a little bit of love could be fantastic for many years to come. £4500. Stourbridge, West Midlands, 07912 359227 01/16

Land Rover Defender 90 DT King-Cab (1989). 211,000 miles. MOT April. Extended cabin will comfortably accommodate a 6’ 4” driver. Mods done (all in 2014) include +2” suspension with rear dislocation cones, castor-corrected radius arms, X-Eng rear trailing arms, Sumo bars, RTC steering damper, 35x10.50R16 Silverstone tyres, flexi arches, snorkel, rock sliders, steering, diff and fuel tank guards, professionally fitted cage, full-width LED bar, T-Max winch, front and rear recovery points, side-exit exhaust, Cobra Monaco recliners, Sabelt 4-point harnesses, Momo 14” steering wheel, CB, crystal headlamp conversion. Recent clutch, starter motor, rear crossmember, rear diff, exhaust manifolds and full service. Gemini 3 Turbo, silicone hoses, Allisport header tank, HD battery. £6000. Telford, 07767 796360 01/16

Land Rover Defender 90 2.4 TDCi XS (2007). 58,500 miles. Bought July ‘14 and fully Arctic prepped. Hannibal Roof Rack with chequer plate floor, front and rear spots and LEDs, Hi-Lift, Masai steering guard and winch bumper, Warn M8000, Webasto fuel-powered pre-heater, Odyssey PC1230 batteries, split-charge, Mantec internal window grilles. Chipped by previous owner. Cooper Discoverer 235/85R16 M+S tyres with only 6000km, plus full spare set of General Grabber M+S tyres with over 5mm tread and unused spare. Prep work done by LR dealers, previously serviced by independent specialists. Large accessory bundle also available for £450, including Hannibal storage boxes with covers, snow chains, Trac Mats, jerry can, winching kit, fuel tank and cooler guards, ARB puncture repair kit, external window grilles and winch blanket. £18,500 ono. Hemel Hempstead, Herts, 07946 433397 01/16

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

Issue 24: Feb 2016

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

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East Midlands

Defender 90 300 TDi County SW (1986). 59,400 miles. New turbo, new exhaust, light bar with 4 LED spots, A-bar with 2 Ring spots, rear NAS step with tow bar, NAS lights, PAS, steering guard, snorkel, wheel spacers, front headlining. Chassis has no rust, a few patches but generally great condition. Handbrake loose. Very clean and tidy, performs excellently on and off road. Sold as seen. £4500. Long Eaton, Notts, 07929 037037 01/16

110

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Defender 110 FFR 200Tdi. Rebuilt from the chassis up by ex-REME Highland Wolf, using low-miles upgrade 200Tdi. New clutch, radiator, exhaust, halfshafts, brakes, gearbox, bulkhead, doors and hinges. Full respray. Riot screens and cages, infra-red beacon and caged Snatch searchlight. Disco seats, Riot cages, PAS, pioneer kit. One-off show-stopping beast. May p/x a desert Snatch Land Rover. £8500 ono. Nairn, Highand, 07980 698137 12/15

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side bars and NAS rear step and towbar. Fully carpeted. EGR valve just replaced. This 110 has had a very easy life and been thoroughly spoilt, as shown by the lack of serious wear and tear inside and out. £19,995. Hassocks, West Sussex, 01444 241457 Trade

Defender 110 300 Tdi (1994). 169,705 miles. MOT Feb. Drives A1, engine starts first time and pulls well with no smoke. Bodywork straight, small hole in bulkhead (been quoted £200 to repair). Some corrosion to lower door frames, but rear door is fine. Recent new rear crossmember, battery box, clutch and battery. New modular wheels with very good tyres all round. Just been serviced. £3950. Leeds, 07791 663880 01/16

Defender 110. 126,000 miles. Long MOT. FSH. Very good condition. BFGoodrich tyres all round. All Service history. A1 interior. Never ‘dogged.’ Expensive upgraded springs and shocks. Aluminium drop-side rear fitted recently costing over £2250. Ready for work. £6850 ono. 01920 464540 12/15

North East Scotland Defender 110 2.4 TDCi County Station Wagon (2008). 59,552 miles. MOT Jan 2016. For sale on behalf of one of our customers. Autologic ECU remap, roof rack with additional lights, snorkel, chequer plate, steering guard,

Defender 110 Wolf XD 300Tdi Soft-Top (1997). 61,300 miles. Remus upgrade. Damaged repairable. Date into service with MOD 24/10/1997. Starts, runs, drives and seems to be complete, has had some accident damage but this should not be too hard to repair. £11,000. Nottingham, 07711 229669 12/15

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Range Rover

Defender 110 TD5 County (1998). 232,951 miles. MOT Aug 16. Air-con, leather, very high spec. Very clean inside and out, drives super. £6995. Glastonbury, Somerset, 01458 834930 Trade

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

Land Rover Defender 110. One of a kind show-stopping off-road riot vehicle! Nearly everything has been renewed – now runs a remapped 300Tdi with custom decat exhaust and R380 box. Solid chassis. 35x12.50R15 Cooper Discoverer STTs. ARB compressor and locking diffs front and rear. Winch bumper with Warn 9000i. Mantec snorkel. Sill, diff, fuel tank and steering guards. Safety Devices cage with additional work. Riot-control windscreen grille on sliders. Twin Optima batteries. Sony stereo with Reference Infinity speakers and top-of-the-range Rainbow amp. Midland CB and external speaker. Raptor dash. LED lights front and rear. Drilled and grooved brake discs. KDX front end. £11,995. Devon, 01404 891 888 01/16

127/130

130 Defender Tipper (1995). 120,000 miles. Waxoyled every year. Good working order for age. BFGoodrich All-Terrain tyres with plenty of tread and brand new spare. £7500. Truro, Cornwall, 07812 153707 12/15

Range Rover Classic 3.9 Vogue auto (1995). 105,000 miles with fully stamped service book and manuals. MOT Aug (no advisories). CVC-reg soft-dash model – this is a final-run model from the very end of Classic production. Clean, velour interior in good condition. Air-con, electric glass sunroof and Classic badging. Pioneer CD player with iPod socket. Stored since 2009, recently lightly recommissioned and serviced. Sound underneath, with no rust in any of the usual places. LPG fitted at some point but has been removed. Some scratches, one bumper end-cap missing, new head lining needed, tailgate logo missing. Tyres all good. Drives very well. One electric window not working, and tailgate key lost, but everything else works. This is a genuine original example, ready to use as-is or for an enthusiast to improve. Comes with spares package and full never-fitted tow bar assembly unit. Possible part-ex for classic vehicle or 4x4. Sensible offers invited. Salisbury. 01980 610411 01/16

Range Rover 3.9 V8 Vogue (1990). 150,000 miles. 3 keepers from new, MOT June 2016. Ported heads, stainless steel valves, RS head gaskets, chrome piston rings, RPI performance cam, Cloyes uprated timing chain and gears, nitrous injection (could run up to 150bhp), uprated fuel pump, new Bosch starter motor, twin batteries, stainless steel snorkel. +5” Terrafirma suspension with extra long travel shocks, dislocation cones all round, Qt 3-degree corrected arms, HD trailing arms, polybushes, wide-angle props, 2” body lift. 37x12.50R17 Cooper Discoverer STTs (inc brand new spare) on black modulars under +2” flexi wheelarches. Champion winch and bumper, steering and diff guards, HD steering bars, adjustable panhard rod, new fuel tank and sender, LED light bar, rear work lights. Custom headlining, uprated speakers, heated screen, fridge. Recent front hub overhaul and gearbox filter. Comes with spares including complete 3.9 engine, auto box, transfer box, complete back axle and four doors. As featured in The Landy! £5995. Worthing, West Sussex, 07957 414844 01/16

Range Rover 2.5 DSE (1999). 165,000 miles. 10 months’ MOT. Cream leather interior. All good tyres. Owned for the last 8 years. £1850 ono. Bedfordshire, 07790 662064 01/16

Range Rover Vogue TD6 Auto (2002). 141,000 miles. Usual Vogue refinements – sat-nav, climate, CD changer, heated electric leather seats, sunroof. Good tyres and very good interior. Some rust showing at rear arches, switch for high/low range has snapped off but still works. Never had a towbar fitted, I believe, and has not been chipped. Only one key present. £5450. Berkswell, West Mids, 07951 059118 12/15

Range Rover Classic Bobtail. MOT May 2016. 3.0-litre Perkins with Garrett turbo, sounds like a tractor on the road but very powerful and great off-road. 35x12.50R16 Maxxis Creepy Crawlers with less than 300 miles, on split rims – the wheels and tyres alone are worth over a grand. Hi-Lux axles, Hi-Lux Surf steering box with crossover steering. Chromoly CVs. Lorry ball joints on trailing arms and A-frame. New engine and gearbox mounts and panhard rod bushes. Husky winch. Chromoly wheel bearings, lock nuts and knuckle studs. Speedo doesn’t work and syncro between first and reverse has gone. £2500. Liverpool, 07949 018469

Range Rover 4.2 V8 (1980). Bobtailed off-roader. 90,000 miles. Roll cage, uprated springs, electric winches, snorkel. Some marks and dents from off-roading and green laning, but well looked after and has always been inspected by myself and another mechanic after being taking it out and used. £2500, Keighley, West Yorkshire. Email tor@assignment-media. co.uk, quoting box number T11/15/001 12/15

Range Rover 3.9 EFi V8 auto off-roader (1992). Bought bog-standard in Feb 11 on 124,000 miles and upgraded for off-roading, now on 128,000 miles. New head gasket and skim, water pump, HT leads, coil, all belts, engine and gearbox oil and filters. Engine very smooth and quiet, no problem with transfer box. Modifications include Southdown snorkel and straight-through 3” side-exit exhaust. 5” suspension lift with brand new Fox shocks and brand new Britpart and Gwyn Lewis HD wide-angle props (all never used off-road). 33” Insa Turbo tyres on Mach 5 rims. Full cage welded to chassis, brand new

tubular front wings, detachable rock/tree sliders, heavy-duty rear bumper, heavy-duty steering arms and panhard rods, steering, diff and tank guards. Front Warn 8274 with Bowmotor 2, remote solenoids, in-cab controls and 100ft of 11mm rope. Rear Warn 8274 with in-cab controls and 100ft of 11mm rope. Solid chassis. Rear crossmember changed around three years ago. Small rust patches in driver’s footwell and side member (easily patched up). Inner wings have rusted badly – I have new ones which I will supply with the vehicle. Bodywork has dents and scratches from off-roading. No current MOT (will need front indicators, I’ll supply it with a set) so will have to be trailered. £4950. Dunstable, Beds, 07752 307609 12/15

Range Rover 2.5 DSE Auto (2000). 94,744 miles. Excellent condition, stamped up with 14 services. New MOT. Alloys, all good tyres, very clean inside and out, air suspension works well. 2 keys, 3 owners from new. Red with cream leather interior. £3995. Hertfordshire, 07722 723429 12/15

Discovery

Discovery 300Tdi Auto (1995). 130,000 miles. MOT Jan 2016. Professionally bobtailed off-roader with full exterior/interior roll cage. Engine has tweaked fuel pump and full-width intercooler and pulls really well. Recent new timing belt, rad, glow plugs, full-width intercooler. New +2” lift kit, 35” Maxxis Bighorns (inc spare), arches cut out and extensions fitted. Front and rear winch bumpers with 12,500lb Winchmax on front, HD steering guard, rock sliders. HD steering arms, Safari Snorkel, transmission cooler, switchable electric fan. Twin batteries. 4 Subaru Impreza bucket seats. All 4 wheel bearings recently replaced. Carpets removed. Alloy fuel tank in boot. Just serviced, including all filters and fluids. Brand new front and rear discs and pads (not yet fitted). Fully cleaned every time it’s been off-road. Underbody in great condition with no bad rust, just a touch on the rear arches. May part-ex. £3500 ono. Tonbridge, Kent, 07801 569003 01/16

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

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

Discovery TD5 ES Auto (2002). 167,000 miles. MOT April 2016. Facelift model with uprated 16p engine. Runs on biodiesel at 80p a litre. History up to 144,000 miles. Black leather. EGR deletion, 40mm lift and 275/65R18 Cooper Discoverer STTs on less than 1000 miles. Recent new brakes, air bags and ride height sensors, water pump, recon steering box, alternator, steering damper, fuel pump and filter, air flow meter, bump stops, drop links, sump and rocket gaskets, thermostat, belt and tensioner and much more. Sunroofs work with no leaks. VGC – just a few marks, a weep of engine oil and a CV that wants doing. Never off-roaded. May part-ex. £4900 ono. Barrow-in-Furness, 07470 309186 01/16

Freelander

Freelander Soft-Top 1.8 petrol (2001). 98,330 miles. MOT August 2016. With hard and soft tops. Regularly serviced. New front tyres, new clutch, new head gasket Jan 15. Sunroof, tow bar, roof rack, CD stereo. Fun to drive, really smooth and great off-road and in the snow. VGC. £1500. Brightlingsea, Essex, karenajulia@hotmail.co.uk 12/15

Freelander 2.0 Td4 Commercial (2005). 27,000 miles. No VAT. MOT June 16. ABS, air-con, PAS, CD stereo, front airbags, alarm, metallic paint, remote central locking. Steel wheels. Would be ideal for someone with dogs. Reluctant sale. £5000. Stroud, Gloucs, 07854 506739 12/15

Specials

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

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

Discovery V8i bobtail (1995).137,000 miles. MOT September 2016. Professionally bobtailed. 4” lift. Roll cage, winch, bucket seats, boot-mounted fuel tank. RDX lights. 6-tonne Superwinch. All tyres in great condition with plenty of life left. Chassis was welded to pass the latest MOT so it’s fine now. Floor has been Hammerited inside vehicle. Engine and transfer box in perfect condition. Rev counter and speedo not working (I just use my sat-nav). £2200. Widnes, 07703 754655 01/16

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

bellhousing LT77 gearbox, allowing engine and transmission to be set further back and giving this truck a far better centre of gravity than normal. Full North Off Road cage, tubular front body, jackable rock sliders, front and rear winch trays, +2” springs and +5” shocks all round, rear dislocation cones. 265/75R16 tyres (3 Insa Turbo Special Tracks and 1 Insa Turbo Dakar). Custom fuel tank. Removable rear wings. £2500. Penrith, Cumbria, 07768 090728 12/15

200Tdi trayback hybrid (1994). 130,000 miles. MOT October 2016. Based on a very solid Discovery chassis. Proper Hi-Cap rear bulkhead. Ex comp safari cage (has some knocks). Challenge wings (brand new and not fitted). 200Tdi with side-exit stainless exhaust. R380 gearbox (sometimes crunches into 2nd). +2” springs, +5” shocks. X-Eng wide-angle A-frame joint. Rear axle recently rebuilt with KAM locker and halfshafts. Warn 8724 with Dyneema rope, recently serviced. 35” Trellborg tyres. Gwyn Lewis wide-angle prop, braided hoses, strong recovery points. Needs a gearbox mount. May part-ex. £2995. Bangor, Gwynedd, 07919 561206 01/16

43 Defender Wide Arch Kit. Terrafirma style, fits 90, 110, 130 or Series. Screwed on from the exterior. Currently painted in a metallic green which is flaking off so will need respraying before use. But no cracks or splits anywhere. All offers considered. £75. Long Eaton, Notts, 07929 037037 01/16 Defender parts, from a 2002 110. TD5 engine including ECU, R380 gearbox plus transfer box (may split), rad and intercooler, PAS box, front axle and swivels, rear axle casing, front and rear diffs, radius arms, all halfshafts, propshafts, steering wheel. Will split. Call for prices. Bury, Lancs, 07973 561006 01/16 Range Rover Classic parts. New fuel tank, £75. New CSK chrome front bumper, £150. Free (by Land Rover) oval decal if parts purchased. Staffordshire, 01889 574945 01/16

Parts

Galvanised roof rack. With ladder and fittings. Size 109” x 58”. Suitable for 110. Excellent condition. £150. Rossendale, Lancs, 01706 227406 01/16

Series I parts. Front and rear axles, gearbox, front wing, grille. Call for prices. Motherwell, 01698 264937 01/16

Discovery 300 Tdi front axle. Complete, good condition. Ready to fit. £79.97. Leighton Buzzard, 07860 298039 12/15

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Issue 24: Feb 2016

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Five-Star Cobley

Words: Mike Trott

fter a long and testing season, the finale of the Defender Challenge by Bowler series got underway in late November at The Scottish Borders Hillrally. Held at the Forrest Estate in Castle Douglas, this would determine who was to be crowned champion for 2015. Most rounds of the Challenge are run held alongside traditional stage rallies, meaning the terrain has to be suitable for everyday rally cars. But this

13-stage, 100-mile hillrally was a true cross-country event, mixing off-piste terrain with the faster forest tracks. Besides, the Scottish winter was getting into full swing. And with a night stage as part of the event, it was definitely one to sort the men from the wee laddies. None of this can have concerned reigning champion Edd Cobley, an experienced off-road instructor and winch challenge veteran who’s driven most kinds of terrain. And as the Defenders fired off from the start, it wasn’t long before the form man of 2015 staked his claim on proceedings. Alongside co-driver John Tomley, Cobley established a comfortable lead over the field, with Gareth Carruthers and Fraser Ward charging hard after them in second for Lookers Land Rover. Throughout day one, Team Palmer and Northern Ireland Racing were engaged in a closely-fought struggle for third place. This came to an end on the night stage when the latter’s Defender ended up on its roof – requiring a recovery that took long enough for the organisers to abandon the stage. This gave the Bowler team’s mechanics a job to the get done overnight as they worked to repair the damaged 90, determined that it would be ready to resume hostilities in the morning.

The incident pushed the Irish team to the bottom of the table. But with the 90 repaired and scrutineered, it was able to join the rest of the field for the final five stages. A triumph for driver David Johnston, who had twice previously posted DNFs at the Borders Hillrally. Following another gruelling day of action, though, it was Edd Cobley’s event – and year. The Englishman sealed victory with co-driver Tomley in the final round by finishing approximately half a minute ahead of

second-placed Carruthers, a one-two that was replicated in the final championship standings. The Defenderists took third place on the Borders podium, having closed the gap on Team Palmer during the day and finally overhauled them on the last stage of the event. In closing the season, Jon Chester of Bowler Motorsport, said: ‘The Defender Challenge 2015 has been everything we hoped it would be. It’s brought drama, excitement and some challenges, but always with a lot of fun.

‘This season has reinforced everything we knew about Defender. It’s massively versatile and robust, and is an incredibly capable performer and remarkably reliable. We’ve not had to change a clutch all season, not replace a driveshaft or a diff. It’s remarkable. ‘Furthermore, many of the competitors drive their Defender to each event, rally for a full weekend then drive home. It’s given us a lot of insight into the development of our next year’s Class 2 V6 Defender 110, and the next generation of vehicles beyond that.’

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Words: Dean Spencer Pictures: Dean Spencer and Paul Aldridge

ell, after months of planning and organising, this weekend combined two eager Land Rover clubs, Red Rose and North Wales, on a brilliant trip out to the greenways (that’s what they call them) of the Isle of Man. On Friday 23 October, 20 vehicles and 45 people arrived at Heysham docks and boarded the MS Ben-myChree bound for the Isle. After a predominantly smooth crossing, and a homemade supper during which the two clubs mingled and discussed plans for the next few days, the members settled down for some kip before all the fun kicked off. The following morning required us to meet up with the Manx 4x4 Club, who had offered to be leaders out on the greenways – Richard Crane, Chairman of Manx 4x4, Bob and Phil. Split into three groups – one heading off to the south, one to the north and another to cover non-scratchy routes – the laning could begin. Our group headed north first, taking a lane which came out near Creg-ny-Baa, one of the most famous and spectacular corners on the TT mountain course. We then took in the magnificent Laxey Wheel, nicknamed the Lady Isabella, after some tight and overgrown lanes. Next on the agenda was Ballaragh, where we took one of the Island’s long-

est lanes over the mountains into Glen Mona, eventually leading us to Ramsey. After a white-knuckle, cliff-edged lane in Glen Auldyn and the chance to see spectacular scenery and wildlife, we soon wound up on the Millennium Way – one of the main paths that links the north and south of the isle. Next, we found a recently reopened lane near Sulby Claddagh, before interlinking with the TT course every now and again as we roamed the surroundings of Ballaugh and its plantations. There was time for just a few more lanes that day before parking the vehicles up for the night. After the Saturday, it was time to experience some other areas of the

Isle of Man. We got cracking on the Millennium Way once again as we proceeded towards Barregarrow and Cooildarry. A great many of these lanes are overgrown and there’s a high chance of your Land Rover coming out trhe other end with a few scars to accompany the story. The same applied to Glen Mooar when we went through Ballacarnane. We went on to St Johns, and then Tynwald Hill, the famous parliament meeting place of the Manx government. Then we headed off to Slieau Whallian over the mountains with a trajectory towards Glen Maye, where we did the Pipeline lane. The Slabs (check YouTube) were up next, which required some manoeuvring, before a lovely ford finish in Greba. After rounding off the day with a mixture of lanes in Dorans, Greba and Ballaugh, some had to face the music and head back for Douglas to catch their ferries home. But over a dozen others stayed to enjoy some of the tourist attractions and routes on the Monday and Tuesday, including the stunning coastal roads and superb views. It was a fabulous few days covering some amazing lanes and discovering many hidden gems, such as Summer Hill Glen. Either way there is something for everyone on what is a very beautiful island.

Issue 24: Feb 2016

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Into the Darkness... Issue 24: Feb 2016

Words: Sue Coulson Pictures: Ralph Coulson

A Harty End to the Year Words: Lord Hollinsclough Pictures: Joe Cullin

aturday’s sun lowered across the Tissington Trail for a magic evening of bonfire festivities with Buxton and District Land Rover Club at Hartington quarry. Parkin cake with Haribo toffees positioned up close and dangerous to the flames of pallets, while four-wheel drive chums discussed diff locks and traction on low-pressure rubber.

The Sunday morning fog cleared with a rumble as vehicles stepped off their trailers for some serious combat with the stages laid out in the quarry. Mud spattered upon the smiling faces as V8s spun and diesels dug deep for traction. The forecast was rain, but the Met Office had no idea this was a BAD trial day so the clouds dare not spit. Red was the colour of the day’s backdrop, the quarry mud drying up a little, meaning sticky sections were all the rage and aggression increased

as the rubber searched harder into the quarry surface. When rocks don’t move, it’s time for a towrope and the show goes on. Mind the tree… it may be autumn, but we expect the leaves back next year. Half the stages done, time for a lunch break. The best roast beef, done to perfection by the Sheffield girls who turned out the best Yorkshires ever. Bruised shoulders emerged in a second-half frenzy of tightly strapped harnesses to keep those scores low. Toads leapt out of the quarry lake to make way for the Discoverys, while there was no time for afternoon tea, the scones having turned cold by the time the winners reached the final gate. Sparkling bubbles assisted in the celebration for joint winners and a bottle of wine for the lime-green four-wheel steer beast that turned so tight he could cross tracks in a straight line! Well done to the marshals – and not a spit of rain till the day was done!

ssex Land Rover Club held its annual day-into-night trial on the first Saturday in December. The weather was overcast but surprisingly warm for the time of year. Often the ground is frozen – and so are the drivers! Several members arrived early and helped to set out six sections. The plan was to drive them in the daylight, take a break and then drive the same sections again once it was dark. The site is wooded with several large bomb-holes, which can be tricky to drive even in the daylight, so it was bound to be fun. I was sporting new modular wheels and Insa Turbo tyres and was looking forward to trying them out in the mud. The first section started gently through the trees and then down into what looked like an enormous ditch. Then came a sharp climb up the bank

on the other side, through the trees where you really needed your navigating head on to turn at the right point, over a mound into a Land Rover-sized hole, then turning down round a tree and up again over an axle-twisting log – where several drivers came to a halt. The final part of the section was through another hole and then a very tight turn up to the one gate. An excellent section and my new tyres lived up to their promise. We completed the next five sections with a range of scores and lots of banter. After a short break where Storm Kettles were lit and sausages cooked, we all set off to drive in the dark. The visibility changes everything! Surprisingly, hills are actually not so scary when you can’t really see as much. However, canes do leap out at you in the dark and you wonder how you passed them so easily when it was light. It was another excellent, friendly trial in the end, with congratulations going to Alex Howard who took the honours in his Defender 90.

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Calendar

Off-Road Playdays Picadilly Wood

Bolney, West Sussex

Whaddon 4x4

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

14 February Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club Rayleigh, Essex

Slindon Safari

Fontwell, West Sussex

21 February Dates are apt to change, so always check with the site before travelling

Devil’s Pit

10 January

Slindon Safari

Explore Off Road

Devil’s Pit

Whaddon 4x4

Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club Rayleigh, Essex

Frickley 4x4

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Slindon Safari

Fontwell, West Sussex

Thames Valley 4x4

Slab Common, Bordon

Whaddon 4x4

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Fontwell, West Sussex Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

30 January Kirton Off Road Centre

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Whaddon 4x4

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

31 January

Kirton Off Road Centre

Cowm Leisure

Whitworth, Lancashire

Kirton Off Road Centre

Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

Explore Off Road

Bala 4x4

24 January

Devil’s Pit

Frickley 4x4

Hill ‘n’ Ditch 4x4

Parkwood 4x4

Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Frickley 4x4

28 February

7 February

Frickley, South Yorkshire

Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

17 January

Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent

Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Bala, Gwynedd Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

29 February Cowm Leisure

Whitworth, Lancashire

Hill ‘n’ Ditch 4x4

Mouldsworth, Cheshire

Kirton Off Road Centre

Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs

Slindon Safari

Fontwell, West Sussex

Frickley, South Yorkshire Tong, Bradford

Green Lane Convoy Events 10 January

31 January

20-21 February

Landcraft

UK Landrover Events

4x4 Adventure Tours

16 January

7 February

Onelife Adventure

Yorkshire 4x4 Specialists

UK Landrover Events

Snowdonia

Yorkshire Dales

Lincoln and Belvoir

Northumberland

17 January

14 February

UK Landrover Events

Landcraft

Peak District

Yorkshire 4x4 Specialists

Snowdonia

Yorkshire Moors

20 February

24 January

UK Landrover Events

4x4 Adventure Tours

Yorkshire 4x4 Specialists

Salisbury Plain

Eden District White Peak

Welsh Marches Wales

Issue 24: Feb 2016