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6x6 110: JUST A QUICK DIY JOB! Landy owners are renowned for being willing to take on ambitious DIY projects. But converting a 110 to six-wheel drive is a big undertaking by anyone’s standards.
That’s what Andy Webb set out to do, though, after realising that his old pick-up could be turned into a water tanker for stranded traction engines. And how was it? Well, it wasn’t the hardest part of the project‌
Full story: Page 20
The Holland and Holland limited edition is the most expensive Range Rover ever – at a cool £180,000. Full story: Page 8
Galvy chassis, discs all round, front PTO shaft‌ An old 90 can be a lot more mysterious than it looks! Full story: Page 34
200 or 300: what’s the best Tdi? We asked the expects for their views on which version of Land Rover’s iconic diesel is the one to choose‌ Full story: Page 26
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Issue 11: January 2015
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maJor new land rover show for aprIl 2015
Great British Land Rover Show • Indoor exhibition hall • 26 April, Donington Park The 2015 show season has an exciting new curtain-raiser – in the shape of the Great British Land Rover Show. Organised by the team that put on the British Indoor 4x4 Show back in its heyday, the event takes place at Donington on 26 April – and massive news is that you’ll be able to get in absolutely free! The Donington venue is indoors, meaning there’s no danger of spring showers getting in the way. Trade stands will be located inside the main exhibition hall, with vehicle displays outside in the concourse – and some special activities currently being planned on a little-known off-road course within the racing circuit. Donington is just off the M1 at junction 23a – making it an easy event
to get to from almost anywhere in the country. It’s next door to East Midlands Airport, too, should you want to fly in. All you have to do to qualify for a free ticket is pre-register online at www. greatbritishlrshow.com. The show will be open from 10am to 4pm, with free tickets valid from 12 midday onwards. If you want to arrive before that, you can also pay in advance to buy an allday ticket at the bargain price of £5.00 – that’s half the adult price on the door, which will be £10.00. With a long list of traders already confirmed, and Bearmach Land Rover Parts on board as headline sponsor, the Great British Land Rover Show is the new must-do event of the spring. It’s going to be very, very busy – make sure to register for your tickets now!
Above: Special displays of classic and modified Land Rovers mean there’ll be plenty to feast your eyes on Below: There’ll be trade stands aplenty in the main exhibition hall – at the time of writing, with six months still to go it’s already halfway to being fully sold out
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Deregulation Bill: Lords amendment means new threat to rights of way New laws to cut red tape are hijacked to try and force the Government towards a ban on green laning. But pro-freedom groups still welcome the opportunity for an honest debate THE GOVERNMENT WILL be forced to look into making all green lane use illegal, if a Lords amendment to the controversial Deregulation Bill is voted through. Rights of way users have long feared that anti-4x4 campaigners would try to ‘hijack’ the bill, whose purpose is to reduce costs due to red tape; the proposed amendment stops short of trying to sneak in a NERC-style ban by the back door, but suspicion is rife
among green lane drivers that this is its ultimate agenda. Published on 23 October, the amendment tabled by Lords Judd and Bradshaw requires the Secretary of State to ‘lay before both Houses of Parliament a report containing an assessment of the burdens and costs caused by the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on unsealed rights of way’. It continues by demanding
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 ‘an assessment as to whether legislation should continue to permit mechanically propelled vehicles to use unsealed rights of way.’ Lord Judd is on the National Consultative Council of the Friends of the Lake District, while Lord Bradshaw is President of Friends of the Ridgeway. The aim of the Deregulation Bill, which is ‘to make provision for the reduction of burdens resulting from legislation for businesses or other organisations or for individuals,’ is at odds with the notion of introducing legislation to ban specific activities. Instead, the amendment instructs the government to investigate the financial cost of allowing 4x4 and motorbike use on rights of way. It makes no reference to assessing the financial benefits to rural communities of green laning as a hobby, however it does require the Secretary of State to consult ‘such interested parties as he thinks fit.’ The use of an amendment has uncomfortable echoes of the process leading up to the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act, in which the already damaging Restricted Byway provisions set out in the previous Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act were manipulated to remove vehicular rights on unsurfaced highways which also happened to have been RUPPs. This meant that despite previously having had dual statuses, each of which conferred 4x4 rights, these lanes were
lost as the ‘higher’ status was cancelled out by the ‘lower’. The absurdity of this position, and the manner in which it was reached, remains a shameful abuse of parliamentary democracy in the eyes of many green lane users. Eight and a half years since NERC became law, the RUPPs whose vehicular rights were lost are generally no more passable to other users – in most cases, in fact, where there is a difference they have become harder to use due to encroaching vegetation which the passage of 4x4s used to help keep under control. The prospect of a debate on a full green laning ban carries a real threat of this happening on many more rights of way – indeed, the vast majority of the byways and unsurfaced highways which 4x4s are still permitted to use. The beneficiaries would be the small number of extremely vocal landowners who object to the freedom of others to drive on these ancient roads, as well as an equally small number of rights of way users who appear to believe that the countryside should belong to them alone. Most walkers, cyclists and horse riders go through their lives without even seeing a 4x4 or trail bike, and the majority of those who do are comfortable with sharing rights of way with other responsible users. The Green Lane Association (GLASS) has for many months been warning that anti-4x4 campaigners are likely to try and hijack the Deregulation
Bill since the early stages of its passage through parliament. The Association has reported that the Bill’s drafting committee has resisted attempts to introduce regulatory measures by amendment – which would be contrary to the purpose of the legislation. Initially, GLASS claims, amendments had been proposed by anti-4x4 lobbyists which would have reclassified all Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) and unclassified county roads (UCRs) as Restricted Byways. At present, the ferociously anti-4x4 Green Lanes Environmental Action Movement (GLEAM) appears to have concentrated its efforts on trying to have vehicular rights removed from UCRs rather than BOATs. The organisation states that banning BOAT use remains its objective, but that this would ‘require lengthy public consultation to achieve.’ ‘It’s better than what it was, but it is serious,’ commented GLASS through its Facebook page shortly after publication of the Lords’ proposed amendments. ‘However, as we have said, we would welcome a formal report on unsurfaced roads as it would be good to prove, once and for all, that the problems that anti-access groups such as GLEAM bleat on about really are few and far between. ‘The problems that do exist can easily be dealt with using current legislation. We urge the government to consult with GLASS, the TRF and LARA as well as other user groups.’
BAD FOR BUSINESS: Campaigners looking to purge the countryside of Land Rovers seek to deprive rural pubs, shops, hotels and filling stations of hundreds of thousands of pounds in revenue. Green lane groups are looking forward to an honest debate as an opportunity to highlight the value of 4x4 trade – and to demonstrate the lack of damage done by responsible motor vehicle use
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Issue 11: January 2015
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Land Rover prepares to launch 200 apprentices on a new career
Officially Britain’s number one employer for school and college leavers, JLR announces a new intake that will swell the number of apprentices in its ranks by almost 50% Jaguar Land Rover has launched the recruitment campaign for its 2015 apprenticeships. The company already has a 620-stong faction working throughout its six different facilities – meaning it accounts for around half of all apprentices in the entire UK OEM automotive sector. And now the Top Employer for School and College Leavers 2014-15 (as rated by All About School Leavers) is looking for 200 more. There are two options available to applicants. The first is a four-year Advanced Apprenticeship directed at GCSE students, the second a six-year Higher Apprenticeship for those with A-Level qualifications.
Noor Owarish, one of this year’s Higher Apprentices, works at the Whitley Engineering Centre, getting to grips with powertrain engineering. ‘Jaguar Land Rover has given me an amazing opportunity to work alongside class-leading engineers while studying for a fully-funded BEng Degree at Warwick, which is one of the country’s most renowned universities,’ he said. ‘We apprentices have joined a growing, globally respected company and I am excited about the career opportunities at Jaguar Land Rover.’ JLR’s wide-ranging experience in running apprenticeship programmes over a long period of time has given
The winners of this year’s Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship have been revealed – with Chloe AdamsPickford and Ruby Holmes named as the two successful candidates. The Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship, now in its second year, aims to support young women looking to break into the male-dominated world of engineering. This year’s winners have just been revealed as Chloe, 18, and Ruby, 19 – both of whom will receive £1000 towards their studies, as well as practical support and mentoring from senior Jaguar Land Rover engineers and WISE representatives. Chloe, who is currently reading Engineering Science at Oxford University, is also set for a stint on the inside at
the company a strong platform from which to support the Department of Business Innovation and Skills on its Trailblazer initiative – leading the design of UK apprenticeship standards and assessment tactics used across the automotive division. Commenting on the company’s contribution, Skills Minister Nick
Boles said: ‘I congratulate Jaguar Land Rover on its involvement in designing seven new apprenticeship standards and welcome those apprentices who have now begun working on these. Through working in collaboration with their industry partners as part of the Trailblazers initiative, Jaguar Land Rover is giving
Jaguar Land Rover, where she will come face-to-face with the automotive engineering industry courtesy of a work experience placement. ‘Through this scholarship, I am confident that with the input from WISE and Jaguar Land Rover, I will gain some great experience and develop skills to help further my career,’ she said. ‘As a result of this opportunity, I hope to dedicate time in an ambassadorial capacity promoting more women into what is a thriving UK industry.’ The Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship is an ongoing project, and young women with the ambition to forge a career in engineering are encouraged to register their interest for 2015. To find out more, email info@wisecampaign.org.uk.
people the skills our businesses need to grow and compete.’ If you or someone you know is interested in an apprenticeship at Jaguar Land Rover, the 2015 application process is open until 31 January. You can find out more by visiting www.jaguarlandrovercareers. com/jlr-roles/apprentices.
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Comment
If, like me, you live in the Midlands, you probably know just how massive Land Rover has become in the region. It’s always been a major employer, but since teaming up with Jaguar and embarking on a huge programme of product-led expansion, the company has grown beyond all recognition. Engineers I know round here joke about JLR’s voracious appetite for skilled staff. You could see it as a problem that wherever else you work, everyone you train up who turns out to be any good will soon be off to work for this huge, rich neighbour, but when you see the amount the company is doing to recruit people at the start of their careers, it’s clear that as well as cherry-picking the best talent from elsewhere, it certainly is doing its share of the work to develop the engineers of the future, too. When you consider the size of the factories some of the major foreign manufacturers have in the UK, it’s pretty impressive that when its next intake of apprentices start work, JLR will account for almost 50% of all the apprenticeships in the British motor industry. If you’re a cynic, you might think the company’s partnership with WISE to encourage women into engineering careers is just a gimmick, but JLR is also investing in schools outreach – which has already yielded a number of recruits to its workforce. When you couple this with the £500 million JLR has spent on its new engine factory, it’s clear that this is a company in the rudest of health – which is looking boldly forward to the future. And its product plans are breathtaking in their confidence. The big question is whether this confidence will translate into a new Defender worthy of the name. The DC100 concept slaughtered the hopes of many real-world Land Rover fans. I don’t doubt that the company’s mainstream future lies in trading on its reputation – but the more I hear about the new Defender, the more I believe that Land Rover does still understand the need for real off-road ability at the heart of what it does. Alan Kidd, Editor
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Issue 11: January 2015
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£180,000: the price of the most expensive Range Rover yet Holland and Holland edition takes Rangey further upmarket than ever as Land Rover goes Bentley hunting
LAND ROVER HAS UNVEILED its most expensive ever production vehicle. The limited-edition Holland and Holland Range Rover is based on the existing Autobiography Black model – and carries a Bentley-baiting price tag of £180,000. Created by Jaguar Land Rover’s recently formed Special Vehicle Operations unit, the new uber-Rangey is actually the second to take the name of the high-end sporting gun maker. The first Holland and Holland model, which was launched in 1999, was based on the Mk2 model in 4.6 HSE form
and again pushed the boundaries of luxury and prestige. This theme is taken further than ever by the new model, which gives you plenty of unique features for your (enormous suitcase full of) money. ‘The whole SVO team is very proud of this car, a bespoke design, which perfectly meets the very particular needs of Holland and Holland’s customers,’ commented SVO boss John Edwards. ‘This shows the huge potential of SVO, which encapsulates both off-road and on-road performance as well as luxury and craftsmanship.’
Like the P38 original, the Holland and Holland Rangey comes in a green finish, which is continued on the front grille. The headlights have the customary chrome surrounds, and you’ll find Holland and Holland badging scattered about the vehicle both inside and out. In the cabin, bespoke lighting illuminates a suite of fully adjustable seats clad in tan and espresso leather. This is continued on the doors and headlining, obviously, as well as the transmission tunnel. Wooden trim areas feature French walnut veneers
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More power for 3.0-litre Rangey and Sport
Land Rover has adjusted the 3.0-litre diesel engines in the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport to enhance both their output and efficiency. The TDV6 unit in the Range Rover now uses a ball-bearing single turbocharger, which replaces the twin-turbo configuration used previously. In addition to a Low Pressure Exhaust Gas Recirculation (LPEGR) system, two-stage oil pump and redesigned fuel-injector nozzles, this makes for an 8.5% increase in fuel efficiency. On the SDV6 Sport, the parallel-sequential turbocharging set-up is retained but the engine has been retuned to deliver 302bhp (up by 13) and 516lbf.ft of torque. The same fuel efficiency strategies are carried across, too. The result is a 7.0% improvement in efficiency, allowing the Sport to return 40.4mpg and polish off the 0-62mph dash in 6.8 seconds. Not at the same time. applied to single pieces of wood for a perfect fit and finish, and rearseat passengers can sip their Pimms and lemonade from atop a pair of electrically deployable walnut tables. The theme continues in the back where, as befits the Holland and Holland badging, there’s a removable leather-trimmed and wood-veneered gun cabinet embossed with the manufacturer’s badging. This is made from aluminium and carbon fibre and has an interior trimmed with
espresso alcantara, and slides out from its position on the boot floor so you can bag some pheasants while barely needing to move your arms at all. Don’t worry, though, that sliding floor can still be sat on like the classic tailgates of old. So you can change your footwear in dignity, while your servants bring you champagne and canapés to help you recover from all the effort. ‘This project represents two great British brands working together to produce a car that perfectly represents
our shared brand values,’ said Holland and Holland’s Daryl Greatrex. ‘Stunning form and perfect functionality unite in a car that is supremely fit for purpose.’ A total of 120 of these Range Rovers will be built over the next three years, all in long-wheelbase form. Customers will have the option of 4.4 SDV8 and 5.0 V8 Supercharged engines, the latter featuring a level of fuel consumption that’s unlikely to be of any concern whatsoever if you can actually afford to buy one in the first place.
‘Off-road cruise control’ is the latest gadget in the Range Rover’s arsenal If you’re merely loaded, as opposed to super-rich, further news on the Range Rover front is that Land Rover has added some new toys and a further colour option to the list of ways in which you can make either the Range Rover or Range Rover Sport even more expensive than it already was. Prime among these is All-Terrain Progress Control (ATPC), which is essentially a form of cruise control for off-roading. There’s also a new Head-Up Display (HUD), and Yulong White is added to the colour palette.
All-Terrain Progress Control lets you select a speed for the vehicle to travel at – anywhere in the range of 1-19mph. This works in forward and reverse gears. You can set your speed at standstill or while on the move. Once confirmed, the system monitors the terrain and traction at each corner and adjusts settings accordingly to maintain progress at that speed, whatever the conditions. You can have ATPC on the TDV6 Range Rover and SDV6 Sport, but it’s not available on hybrid models. The system will also be included on Supercharged V8 models specified
with dual-range transmission and Terrain Response 2. As for the new Head-Up Display, this now tells you your speed and gear position (with a shift light to alert you when they don’t match), as well as displaying sat-nav instructions and info from the vehicle’s Traffic-Sign Recognition system. It’s all projected on to the windscreen to keep the driver’s eyes more focused on the road. The Head-Up Display is priced at £1000 on Land Rover’s options list. All Terrain Progress Control costs £175 where available.
A VERY MODERN THROWBACK: Like the P38 model which was the first to wear the Holland and Holland name a decade and a half ago, the L405 version is finished in a classy green hue. The two vehicles are light years apart in terms of engineering, however – and though the original was hardly cheap, this model has work to do to justify a staggering £180,000 price tag. Your money gets you a bespoke interior whose trim levels put it firmly in Bentley territory – individual touches like carved door handles, indeed, are reminiscnent more of the boutique vehicles favoured by the ultra-rich, as is a pull-out gun cabinet made from aluminium and carbon fibre and finished in matching leather and French walnut veneers. In each individual vehicle, all the veneers are cut from one single piece of walnut to guarantee a perfect match. The vehicle is available with the 4.4 SDV8 and 5.0 V8 Supercharged engines and comes as standard in long-wheelbase form, complete with the super-luxurious Executive Seating package trimmed in the softest precision-stitched leather available. The walnut-trimmed tables in the rear are, of course, deployed electrically
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Brazil factory will extend Discovery Sport capacity Mike Trott Land Rover has announced that the new Discovery Sport will be the first model built in its new manufacturing facility in Itatiaia, Brazil. The news came at the Sao Paulo Motor Show, with the new factory expected to reap the benefits of a £240m investment by the end of 2020. Its role will be to supplement UK production, while also building up to 24,000 vehicles each year for the Brazilian market. Around 400 jobs will be created at the outset, with that number expected
to grow to almost double within the next five years. On top of that, a further 1000 jobs are expected to be created in the local supply chain. ’Brazil and the surrounding regions are very important to Jaguar Land Rover,’ said marketing boss Phil Popham. ‘With customers in Brazil showing an increasing appetite for highly capable premium products, we are proud to confirm that our new breakthrough Discovery Sport will be manufactured at our new Brazilian facility.’ The first vehicle will appear from the production line in 2016.
Front Runner, whose expedition equipment is well respected in the overlanding world, has kitted out a small fleet of Discoverys for the DHL Africa as One tour. In the run-up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup, this epic mission to spread the word about oval balls and stripey jerseys is currently underway; by the time it’s finished, the vehicles will have visited 45 countries, with convoy members passing a single rugby ball from hand-to-hand all the way.
Seen here in Sao Paolo, the Discovery Sport will be the first Brazilian-built Land Rover when production at the new Itatiaia factory commences in 2016. It’s yet to be announced which other models will be built here, but Solihull is believed to have ruled out a Brazilian Defender as it would be prone to falling apart at the first sight of anything from Germany
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NEXT MONTH
IF IT AIN’T BROKE People advised this Disco’s builder to scrap it and start again. Which made him more determined than ever to stick with what he knew… PLUS
What’s the best Landy to have as your daily driver? We asked a group of professionals for their views – and the answers were surprisingly wide-ranging From the outside, this 109 doesn’t look like much more than an old hard-top that’s been brush-painted in a rather sinister shade of matt black. But when you get inside, there’s a shock waiting for you –because for whoever built it, this Land Rover was designed to be the perfect home from home
NEXT MONTH’S LANDY IS PUBLISHED ON 29 DECEMBER You can pick up your copy of our January 2015 issue from
newsagents or Britpart dealers – or read it online at www.thelandy.co.uk
01283 553243 • enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk • www.thelandy.co.uk • www.facebook.com/thelandyuk Editor Alan Kidd Assistant Editor Mike Trott Admin and Editorial Assistant Gemma Pask Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Dan Fenn, Robbie Ronson, Olly Sack, Gary Noskill, Paul Looe, Vince Pratt Photographers Steve Taylor, Harry Hamm
Advertising Sales Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Production Tel: 01283 553242 Publisher Sarah Kidd Email: sarah.kidd@ assignment-media.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure that the contents of The Landy are accurate, however Assignment Media Ltd accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor
the consequences of actions made as a result of these
nearest Britpart dealer can be found at www.britpart.com
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After three and a half years in development and half a billion pounds’ worth of investment, Land Rover’s futuristic new Engine Manufacturing Centre is finally open for business – bringing almost 7000 direct and supply-chain jobs with it
Jaguar Land rover’s new £500 million, state-of-the-art Engine Manufacturing Centre has at last been opened – marking the start of in-house engine production for the first time in a generation. The factory, which will produce the company’s new range of Ingenium engines, further cements JLR’s place as the leading investor in the British automotive industry; the new family of engines can claim to
have been designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK. Its first product, a 2.0-litre diesel engine, will be introduced into the Discovery Sport range a few months after the vehicle’s launch. First announced in September 2011, the Engine Manufacturing Centre will employ 1400 people at full chat – with another 5500 jobs created in the supply chain. It’s located near Wolverhampton, just off the M54, where many months
of work have gone into developing the regional infrastructure in preparation. ‘The Engine Manufacturing Centre represents all that is great about British engineering,’ said Chief Exec Dr Ralf Speth. ‘Jaguar Land Rover is a business driven by design, technology and innovation and this investment and level of job creation is yet further evidence of our commitment to advancing the capability of the UK automotive sector and its supply chain.’
Within the factory complex, £150 million alone went into the creation
1400
Number of staff working on the Ingenium line at full capacity
of a literally cutting-edge Machining Hall. Here, 150 machines work away across three lines – including laser and drilling machines, assembly robots and more. ‘The first line is where the aluminium block begins its transformation from a simple chunk of metal to the technologically advanced heart of the Ingenium engine,’ says production manager Paul Blackman. ‘It is heated in an oven before undergoing a series
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Left: Crankshafts have their own line in the factory as, unlike the engines’ aluminium blocks and heads, they’re made from forged steel. Each unit is precision milled, turned and drilled before being put through its own series of quality control tests ahead of final engine assembly Above: The Engine Manufacturing Centre will run to the latest standards with a very high level of robotised operation. But there’s still a place for a skilled workforce – 1400 of them once the factory is fully up and running
of machining operations, always punctuated by high-pressure washes to filter debris away.’ The next line in the hall sees the cylinder heads undergoing a similar process, while the third looks after the specialised job of milling, turning and drilling the crankshafts from forged steel. The crank undergoes its own series of quality-control tests prior to final engine assembly. Once the component parts are ready (around 245 of them), the engine moves through 17 different zones in the adjacent Assembly Hall. There are actually two of these: only the Diesel
Assembly Hall is currently in operation, but its Petrol twin will come on stream in the next few months as the Ingenium era gathers pace. ‘The Engine Manufacturing Centre has 71 suppliers, approximately 30% of which are based in the UK,’ said Assembly Area Manager John Turner. ‘Hundreds of individual parts will be required when both diesel and petrol divisions are operational.’ Dr Wolfgang Ziebart, JLR Group Engineering Director, said: ‘These engines will be Jaguar Land Rover’s most advanced ever. This new family of premium, lightweight, four-cylinder
The Facts from the Factory 10 things you didn’t know about Jaguar Land Rover’s new Engine Manufacturing Centre… • £500 million investment • 100,000m2 in size – that’s 14 football pitches • 6500m3 of topsoil excavated from the site • 4400 tonnes of hot-rolled steel used in construction • 32.1 miles of ducting and drainage trenches • 21,000 photovoltaic panels on the roof, providing the same amount of energy required by 1600 homes • £650,000 – average cost of one of the high-tech machines in the Machining Hall • 0.003 millimetres – crankshafts are polished to a tolerance that’s less than the width of a strand of human hair • 245 – approximate number of parts in each engine derivative • 90 seconds – time taken to perform a cold test on a single engine
units will utilise the most flexible engine architecture ever produced by Jaguar Land Rover, making them efficient, powerful and capable of producing up to 300Nm of torque while emitting as little as 99g/km of CO2.’ The engines’ efficiency is aided by the extensive use of aluminium, which helps keep overall weight to a minimum. This is also the reason why all units in the range, both diesel and petrol, will feature the latest in turbocharging technology. A different kind of efficiency comes from the widest possible use of common internal components across
all engines – which as well as being cost effective helps the company to maintain a consistently high level of quality standards. This makes it simpler to create several versions of each engine with varying outputs, too. Talking of quality standards, the new engines have been put through the equivalent of eight years of trials, with over 72,000 hours on the dyno and two million miles of real-world assessment. ‘Despite adding features and increasing power output,’ said Dr Ziebart, ‘Ingenium engines weigh as much as 80kg less than equivalent engines of today. The Engine Manufacturing Centre will allow Ingenium engines to deliver outstanding low-end torque, effortless
acceleration and class-leading emissions performance with low consumption.’ That all sounds like a very good reason not to buy a Discovery Sport until after the new engine is introduced to the range, but the long-term news for this and every other model in the Land Rover range is more exciting. You can expect to see at least one version of the 2.0-litre diesel featuring in the all-new Defender when this is launched in 2016, with a petrol variant leading the way in versions destined for North America. Ingenium units will be phased into Evoque production, too, and a larger version will be at the heart of the Discovery 5 when this replaces the current model, also in 2016.
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We told you about Russian company Rival a couple of months ago, mentioning that it’s developing its range of aluminium bash plates at the sort of pace only a seriously big outfit could manage. And here’s the proof – new Protective Panels for the Defender, Freelander 2 and Range Rover Evoque. The panels are designed specifically to prevent your undercarriage from wearing the consequences of heavy impacts on rough tracks (or the sort of potholes that appear to be a common hazard in Rival’s home country). But they provide other benefits, too. A smoother underside means better aerodynamics, for starters, which in turn mean better fuel efficiency. On vehicles with electronic security devices, too, having a large metal plate bolted over the top of them makes it a lot harder for thieves to get in there and do their dirty work. Constructed in lightweight aluminium, the plates are finished in an Italian polymer powder paint. Both these things are good news when you consider the sustained attack they’ll come under the moment your local council starts chucking salt on the road. Rival’s range includes plates designed to bolt in underneath your truck’s engine, gearbox and fuel tank. The
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exact details of what’s available depend on what it is you drive – but whichever of the above it happens to be, the good
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news is that this is a company which can help keep it safe. www.xs4x4.parts
Christmas is coming, as you’ve no doubt observed. And with perfect timing, Britpart has added some excellent stocking fillers to its range. The ‘Landy’ series of story books has got to be at the top of the list. Written and illustrated by Veronica Lamond, these tell the story of Landy, a Series I who gets discovered after being abandoned for many years, and Fender, a 90 who befriends him and his owner Jack. If you’re the kind of Land Rover owner to whom even that level of reading is too much like hard work (rather an unlikely contingency if you’re reading this, unless one of your mates at work is patiently reciting it to you), another new option from Britpart’s diligent team of hard-working elves is a pair of 1:43rd scale die-cast models of the current Range Rover Sport. In Chile Red and Corris Grey, don’t you know. And if you prefer books with photos rather than cartoons and could actually do with something useful as a stocking filler, the original Haynes 90, 110 and Defender Restoration Manual has been reduced to clear. Ho ho ho! www.britpart.com
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk Roll cages are fine things, and so are roof racks – but they’re not always compatible with each other. Safety Devices’ Explorer racks, on the other hand, are designed to fix directly on to the majority of the company’s own exo cages – giving your Land Rover not one but two claddings of heavy-duty steel. Having been bent up and welded, the cages’ manufacturing process ends with them being grit blasted, primed with a zinc enriched powder undercoat and then finished in a durable black powder coat. They can carry most tents without the need for a floor, though you can also specify a marine ply non-slip floor if you want uniform support. The rack comes as standard with all the fixing bolts you’ll need, as well as a set of optional cross rails. The latter can also be purchased separately for use without a roof rack, if that’s more your bag, for example as a basic tent support or a way of carrying a cargo box. The range includes models for the Defender 90 and 110, as well as versions with long and short luggage rails – the latter is intended for use with sideloaded tents, while the former is better if you’re loading from the front or back. Racks for the 90 are 2.0 metres long and weight 30kg, while those for the 110 are 0.8m and 10kg longer and heavier. The plywood floor option adds 16 and 23kg respectively. These Safety Devices cages have just become available through Britpart, via its network of dealers throughout the UK and abroad. Prices vary depending on the model, but expect a basic 90 job to start at about £600 plus the VAT. www.britpart.com
When you’re trying to drive your Land Rover, it always helps if you’re able to steer it at least a bit. And while it’s always fun to play in your vehicle (whether on tarmac or not), the kind of ‘play’ you get in your steering is altogether less welcome. If you drive an Evoque, this shouldn’t be an issue for two very good reasons. One, they’re too new to have got worn out yet, unless you’ve been going for some sort of intercontinental mileage record. And two, er, off-road? This is an Evoque, sir, we don’t do that. Nonetheless, Bearmach has released its new Track Rod Ends for the Evoque – in anticipation, obviously, of the day coming soon when the first models do start to get a bit middle-aged. Left-hand (LR027570) and right-hand (LR026267) rod ends will retail for around £55 to £60 including VAT. www.bearmach.com.
Also new from Bearmach is a pair of replacement camshafts for the 2.5-litre V6 engine in the Freelander 1. These are the Exhaust Camshaft (LGC107740L) and Inlet Camshaft (LR016189); shop around, and all that, but expect to pay something in the region of £150-£200 including VAT. www.bearmach.com.
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DONE WITH TASTE…
‘WE WantEd to dEvElop thE dEfEndEr in a subtlE Way’
There’s a lot of companies out there offering to enhance your 90’s performance, handling, looks and refinement. Not all of them have grasped the idea that money can’t buy taste, though… but Invision 4x4 has set out to develop a set of mods a true Landy fan can appreciate
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Mike Trott
eing underestimated can have its benefits. If no-one expects anything of you in a 100metre sprint, for example, it’s unlikely you’ll disappoint them if you fall over your own feet. But if you turn out to be capable of crossing land as fast as Usain Bolt… well, they won’t forget you in a hurry. No Land Rover will ever be the four-wheeled equivalent of Usain Bolt (despite what some of the people who try and sell them for silly money would
have you believe), but this Defender 90 from Invision 4x4 has the same sort of effect. On the face of it, the truck looks like a relatively standard (and very clean) Td5, but Nathan and Keiron Bendell will tell you different. These guys are the two brothers behind Invision 4x4, a company which specialises in making accessories for Land Rover. Thanks to their father, they’ve had the Land Rover bug since they were able to drive, with the family having owned everything from a Series III 2.25 petrol to a Discovery 4 TDV6 and more or less everything in between.
‘We’re very well versed in the green oval’s products,’ says Nathan, who admits that when they were starting out, they needed the kindness of a few friends whose Defenders became the test bed for their prototypes. ‘As things quickly developed, we felt we were taking advantage of said friendships, so we decided we needed our own Defender. After an extensive search, we settled on our beautiful, low mileage TD5 90, sourced through James French in Oxfordshire.’ Since then, the 90 has changed. It might still look pretty standard, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. ‘We wanted to develop the Defender in a subtle way that made it visually stand out and turn heads,’ says Nathan, ‘but in a way that only a true Land Rover fan would be able to notice the level and detail of changes.’ Mission accomplished? Well, it’s certainly a very presentable machine – and one that doesn’t cause instant offence to purists the way some of the bling 90s you see can. There are a
couple of Invision 4x4 products sprinkled about it – the steering guard, light guards and aviation-inspired tinted sun visors – but there are numerous other cosmetic tweaks, too. The colour-coded wing mirrors, KBX grill, light surrounds and wing vents, along with the 18-inch Boost alloys and Cooper Zeon LTZ tyres are just a few to mention. There’s also a NAS rear bar and Mantec wheel carrier. The two brothers have given the Defender their own prototype rear glazing on the side windows as well, and there’s a Puma bonnet and security hinges. Garnish with LED lights all round (including in the bumper, which incorporates daytime running lights), and throw in some custom CNC-made badges, and you’ve enough touches to make a Defender stand out from the crowd rather than sticking out like a sore thumb. It’s the definition of smart. It’s not all show and no go, though. Under those tidy panels is a sports suspension package using Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs.
‘Mechanically, we wanted to give the vehicle the performance and refinement to match its looks,’ says Nathan. ‘We’ve added a Disco transfer box to give much more refined road manners. There’s a larger intercooler, Samco hosing, EGR blanking kit, a torquebiased remap and a fruity sounding stainless exhaust system that accentuates the lovely offbeat TD5 growl.’ So it looks better, sounds better and handles better. All good things. But there’s more. The word ‘refinement’ isn’t usually used about the Defender, but this is no usual Defender. ‘Inside, we undertook a very extreme vehicle strip and three-tier sound deadening process throughout the whole interior,’ says Nathan. ‘It has to be driven to be appreciated really, but it’s made the vehicle night and day different to those that roll off the Solihull line.’ Rubber matting was fitted in place of the original County floor carpets during the process, and all the exposed metal surfaces were carpeted. The rear
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
Invision 4x4’s 90 came to them as a low-mileage TD5 in the sort of condition you rarely see – perfect for the treatment they had in mind. Early on in the project, the interior came out to allow what Nathan describes as ‘a three-tier sound-deadening process’; when it went back together, it did so with the addition of cool toys like a Momo steering wheel, Focal audio and Recaro CS buckets seats were removed, and the fronts were replaced with more ergonomic Recaro CS buckets. Elsewhere inside, a Momo steering wheel and fresh Land Rover door panelling add further style. A full Focal audio system improves things further, especially now you can actually hear it. Invision 4x4’s own centre console features trimming by FCX, whose demo truck was featured in the November 2014 issue of The Landy, and as well as providing useful storage it has a hidden audio shelf. The vehicle is fitted with the necessary security systems, too – very much a requirement for today’s Defender owners. ‘We’re very much in the belief that this would still be considered a “true” Defender,’ says Nathan. ‘Although
we’ve looked to improve certain aspects of the vehicle in terms of comfort, as well as the visual aspects, it’s still a functional beast. ‘Keiron’s passion for Land Rovers is off-road biased, as he owns a rather amazing and beautifully modified Disco 1, while my other vehicle is a L322 TDV8, so we come from totally different viewpoints and bring our experiences, passions and loves together in the one vehicle. So we have a comfortable, performance-focused and off-road capable Defender that is truly the best of all worlds. In our minds, we feel this was the way Land Rover would have developed the Defender if legislation and regulations had not stopped its production.’ Is this a finished project, then? Well, the guys want to Waxoyl and treat the vehicle to keep it in tip-top condition, and the suspension is due to receive some attention, too. ‘I personally feel the springs are too stiff for UK roads,’ says Nathan. ‘There
are a few new products that we also admire, like ORP hinges, and I’d like to design a drawer system for the back load space. ‘Aside from that I think a new project is forthcoming and that will be either another Defender in Puma 110 format to replace the Range Rover, or if my sensibility gene still falters, a Tornado Motorsport vehicle using a Disco V8 as the starting point. Either way, it will be developed in the same stupidly detail-focused way as the 90, so watch this space!’ Invision 4x4 is shaping up to be a company that makes the sort of stuff people admire in the real world. It’s not at the extremes of the business in terms of on or off-road prep, and the understatement in its accessories is a welcome contrast to the excess of the megabuck Defenders on the market. You can’t buy taste, they say – but this 90 shows you can certainly buy style. ‘The beauty of the Defender is that each and every one of them is different, and is a true reflection of their owner’s personal tastes and needs,’ concludes Nathan. ‘However I think ours stays true to the original design – and each and every other owner that has driven it is amazed at the difference the modifications have made.’
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Issue 11: January 2015
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FULL STEAM
‘it’s simple.there’s no over-engineering involved at all’
AHEAD!
Words gary noskill pictures steve taylor
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What happens when a steam traction engine runs out of water in the middle of a muddy field? Andy Webb built the perfect Land Rover to come to the rescue, that’s what
any years ago, Midlandsbased truck driver Andy Webb found himself going along to a steam fair. He decided to take the 110 Hi-Cap he owned at the time – little knowing that he was about to discover a whole new way of life. It all started when someone got his traction engine stuck in the middle of a muddy field. No, it wasn’t stuck because of the mud. It was stuck because it had run out of water – and thanks to the mud, no-one could get close enough to bring it a fresh supply.
What self-respecting Land Rover driver wouldn’t jump in to help? Andy duly loaded the back of his pick-up bay and headed into the abyss – and within minutes, he was on his way to becoming a hero among steam enthusiasts the country over. Before long, Andy’s 110 was as much a part of the British steam fair scene as real ale tents, wall of death shows and polished brass. The Land Rover became part of a team of water-carrying trucks dedicated to helping keep the engines moving, which included an ex-fire appliance and a few Series vehicles.
With the green oval proving its mettle even against job-specific fire trucks which were built to carry water, Andy soon began to hatch a plan to enhance its credentials even further. His scheme hung on the notion of creating a 6x6 version of the 110, which would combined epic load carrying ability with the off-tarmac prowess for which Land Rovers are famed. ‘You don’t need the kind of offroad ability seen on challenge trucks,’ Andy says. ‘In essence, all you’re doing is getting across muddy fields. But standard fire engines aren’t up to that
Here’s where the magic happens. The standard rear propshaft runs to a through-drive Reynolds Boughton axle with an output flange on the back of its diff housing, and this in turn spins a third prop running back to the original rear Salisbury. Note the new trailing arm mount welded to the chassis extension towards the right of the picture
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk The 110 still runs its original 3.5-litre V8 engine, but these days this is fuelled by a Range Rover EFi system which Andy fitted in place of the old carbs. The engine was converted to run on LPG – and with an entire Ford Transit pick-up bed atop the two back axles, there was no shortage of space to lob in a couple of gas tanks between the chassis rails. Another interesting mod is the addition of a second alternator; four batteries are wired into two completely separate electrical systems, one for the vehicle itself and one for all its auxiliaries. Thus Andy can winch away to his heart’s content, knowing he’ll still be able to fire her up afterwards task, whereas the Land Rovers manage it with ease. So it seemed obvious to me that the ideal would be to combine the water capacity of the fire trucks with the 4x4 potential of the 110.’ The triple-axle conversion was surprisingly straightforward, says Andy, who did it by sliding a Reynolds Boughton through-drive unit in between the original Salisburys. A standard Land Rover prop runs from the transfer case to the middle axle, with another powering the third. ‘It’s deceptively simple,’ Andy told us. ‘There’s no over-engineering involved at all. It’s just a straightforward additional link to the drivetrain, and it works a treat!’ The whole plot runs on standard 110 springs and shocks, with A-frames keeping them in place – the only modification is a set of helper airsprings which are inflated when carrying a heavy load. The trio of axles are turned by a 3.5-litre EFi V8, via an LT85 Santana gearbox. The engine started out on carbs, but Andy did his own Range Rover sourced EFi installation – adding 35bhp in the process – as well as converting the engine to LPG. There’s no need for anything clever in the rest of the drivetrain, though, nor indeed the suspension – it’s the extra axle that gets all the plaudits, spreading out the vehicle’s footprint to the extent that it can run 235/85R16 tyres (that’s a narrow 7.50 in old money) without sinking in. So, that was the easy bit. No, really, it was. The bodywork, on the other hand, was where Andy’s skills got their biggest test. Fortunately, he has plenty. ‘This was the most difficult part of the build,’ he says. ‘But we got there in the end. It was definitely a case of design by evolution.’ The ‘we’ in question refers to himself and David Howell, aka Swampy, who between them removed the rear crossmember to make way for a crewcab conversion using the pick-up bed from a Ford Transit. They actually ended up with a three-door, in fact – Continued overleaf
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Left: Trying to do a 6x6 conversion like this on a station wagon or hard-top would mean any amount of messing about on the bodywork, but the dropside rear body made from a Transit pick-up bed covers the back axles just nicely – meaning there’s no need to create any sort of wheelarches, and leaving a nice, tidy amount of clearance for when the sides are dropped to allow access to equipment. Even so, Andy says this was the trickiest part of the job – ‘definitely a case of design by evolution’ Right: By contrast, Andy says the triple axle conversion was deceptively simple to install. Both rear axles run standard suspension, with an A-frame and two trailing arms each; the middle unit, which is from Reynolds Boughton, is sandwiched between the original front and rear Salisburys the fourth was turned into a solid panel to hold the LPG inlet pipe in place. Both sets of rear wheels are covered with the bed in place, meaning there was no need for wheelarches; then, with the Transit’s back body reconstructed on top, in went a pair of water tanks to give the Landy a capacity of 1.5 tonnes. ‘We do a fair number of traction engine shows,’ Andy told us. ‘I also use the vehicle for family holidays, and the kids love riding in the back!’ As you can probably imagine, even by Land
Rover standards this truck is pretty handy in front of a caravan… ‘It’s always a laugh to turn up at campsites with this outfit,’ Andy continues. ‘You get used to the double-takes as people try and work out just what you’re driving.’ As well as being every child’s dream ride, the cabin is a carefully designed work of fitness for purpose. So too is the rest of the vehicle, actually, with four 12-volt batteries wired up into two completely separate systems – one for
the vehicle itself and the other for all its auxiliaries. ‘It’s always amusing to finish using the winch for a lengthy recovery job,’ says Andy, ‘with the work lamps just dimming through lack of power, then jump into the cab with the engine starting on the button. Onlookers can never quite work that one out!’ The winch he’s talking about is a four-tonne Husky mounted just behind the cab, which plays out through a fairlead in the rear subframe. There’s also a six-tonne PTO unit on a home-fabricated front bumper, and elsewhere the vehicle also carries an air compressor and 3KVA generator for use at shows. ‘The equipment is there for steam rallies,’ says Andy. ‘It’s integral to the design of the vehicle, and means it can do its job with the minimum of fuss.’ Giving your Land Rover an extra axle and building it a whole new back body can’t really be described as a low-fuss way of making it better at what you want it to do. Especially not when the job ends up taking 15 months out of your life. Still, the results are absolutely worth it. Andy’s kids would agree on that – and so too would all the traction engine owners who wouldn’t be able to keep going without him.
The front winch is a PTO-driven six-ton job. It won’t surprise you to hear that Andy fabricated the bumper for it himself
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200 v 300: WHICH TDI? Issue 11: January 2015
Words Mike Trott Pictures Steve Taylor and Mike Trott
Regarded by many as the best engines Land Rover has ever made, the 200 and 300 Tdi power plants have gone down in the history books not only because of how good they were then, but because of how sought after they are even today. So, which is best?
T
he glorious 1990s gave us many things. Boomboxes, Will Smith and Tony Blair, for example, while for the younger generation, Pogs and Pokemon were the talk of the playground. Some good, some bad, as you may expect – but it was also the era in which the world grasped the internet with both hands and jumped on for a ride that continues today. In many ways, the 90s signalled the transition from analogue to digital. As we know now, Land Rover was heavily influenced by that process.
Take the company’s diesel engines, for example. The Tdi, first seen in the last few months of the 1980s, became the engine of choice for Defender, Discovery and even Range Rover Classic buyers alike – as well as for owners of older vehicles looking for the best repower option. In fact, the Tdi still is a hugely popular option, particularly if you work on your own vehicles. Unlike the Td5 that replaced it, it was mercifully free of electronics (at least until the late 300Tdi). It’s often said that true
DIY maintenance died with the passing of the Tdi era. But, of course, there was more than one Tdi. The original 200, launched in 1989, was replaced five years later by the 300. On top of that, there were differences between engines fitted to the Defender and Discovery. That’s a different story, though. What we want to establish here is which engine was better – the 200 or 300 Tdi. Each has its adherents, while many people will also say there’s little to choose between them, and if you go on
a forum for advice you’ll probably come away wishing you hadn’t bothered. What we’ve done for this article is ask the experts. People who have worked on more 200 and 300 Tdis than you’ve had hot dinners: if anyone can make a judgement on which is better, these are the guys to listen to. Experts take all shapes and forms, though, and it wouldn’t do just to concentrate on people with full-on professional workshops. So let’s start with the sort of DIY man most Landy owners aspire to be like. In our May
2014 issue, we spoke to Mike Webster – who had just finished converting his Lightweight from a 200 to a 300Tdi. Since then, Mike has had several months to decide whether it was a good idea. ‘I went with the 300Tdi because they are a little easier to come by and also cheaper in general,’ he told us. ‘The 200s are certainly getting harder to find.’ That explains why he didn’t just bang in another 200 for the next 250,000 miles. ‘I haven’t noticed much difference between the two in terms of how they
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 drive – apart from the belt squeak, anyway! The 300 is slightly harder to work on though, due to its layout.’ For every Mike Webster, however, there’s a Steve Parker. The proprietor of Steve Parker Land Rovers is well known in the repower game, having developed engine conversion kits to make the job that bit easier. ‘The availability of the engines is one of the deciding factors in terms of what you end up with,’ says Steve. ‘Gone are the days when you could just go out and buy a 200Tdi engine for your Defender, say. The 300Tdi isn’t quite as rare and the Disco 200Tdi is more plentiful as well.’ As we mentioned earlier, not only do you have to choose between 200 and 300 Tdi units when shopping for a repower unit, but whether you use one from a Defender or a Discovery. There are a number of different ways you can go – some having more complications than others. ‘Performance-wise, there isn’t a lot of difference between the two,’ continues Steve, ‘You do get differences in the engine bay though. The 300Tdi, for instance, uses different engine brackets. And if you were switching from a 200Tdi to a 300Tdi, you would need new engine mounts, normally going onto the chassis – which is a problem for those with a galvanised chassis!’ Coincidentally, Mike came up against precisely this problem when adapting his Lightweight. ‘If you opted for a 200Tdi,’ continues Steve, ‘at least no welding work would be required. However, a Disco 200Tdi block has its own issues because, unlike on the Defender equivalent, the turbo and manifold are positioned the other way round. It means you have to match the Disco engine with other Disco parts, like the exhaust and intercooler, for example.’ People have been putting Disco engines in Defenders (and things that look like Defenders) for a long time, so there’s nothing new in this information. Steve has a piece of wisdom to pass on though, which is absolutely timeless: ‘With conversions, as obvious as it sounds, they are only going to be as good as the guy who’s done it!’ As this suggests, repowered vehicles can turn into an absolute nightmare – especially if the engines being swapped weren’t as like-for-like as possible. So long as you can trust the handiwork of whoever put it in there, though, there are a lot of Defenders out there (as well as other assorted Land Rovers, in particular Rangeys that were once V8-engined) powered by one or the other versions of the Tdi. Some were even built that way in the first place. Continued overleaf
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The days when you could easily get your hands on a standard Tdi to swap in to an old Land Rover are well in the past: most have been played with by now, to a lesser or greater degree. The 200 Tdi above left – which, incidentally, has covered 680,000 miles in the Discovery to which it was originally fitted – breathes in through a K&N air filter and runs a Stage 2 intercooler as well as ceramic turbo blades, but other than that (and the silicone hoses you can see here) the only difference to the norm is that it’s kept super-clean and maintained very well indeed. The 300 Tdi to the right also runs silicone hoses but, aside from a few mild tweaks to the exhaust, turbo and injector pump, this too is a fairly standard engine. The Tdi was so good straight out of the crate that while most owners now have played with them a little like this, few have really gone to town on them in the sort of way that usually ends up making them smoky and unreliable. Something else that’s very common, however, is that the 300 Tdi seen here is a repower engine: the 90 it lives in these days used to have the feared 2.5 TD under its bonnet, as so many non-original Tdi motors once did What if you’re looking to buy such a Land Rover, then, rather than convert one with an older engine? Is the 200 or 300 a better option? Chris Homewood, of Wildwood 4x4, is a bit of a Tdi fanatic. Like a good number of Land Rover enthusiasts, in fact, he won’t touch anything newer. ‘For something to use every day and something easy to maintain, I’d go with the 300Tdi,’ Chris says. ‘The 300Tdi is mounted further forward and as a result you have more space to work within the engine bay. ‘On the 200, quite often you need to take the front off, whereas with the 300, changing the cambelt, for instance, can
be done without disturbing the water pump and other components. I have a 300Tdi with an auto box installed in my Defender and I think it’s great.’ Like Steve, however, Chris reiterates that in relation to performance neither engine really has an edge. The 200Tdi had a quoted output of 107bhp in the Defender and 111bhp in the Discovery and Range Rover, whereas the 300Tdi put out 111bhp in all three. I’m sure you won’t lose much sleep over this. Chris also says the 200Tdi is slightly more economical, if a little noisier and harsher on the ears. Speaking of headaches, it’s important to not give yourself one in other ways.
‘Make sure you know which parts to use if you are swapping and changing. Sometimes you can end up shoehorning components in, and it becomes a bit of a nightmare. The ultimate conversion is probably the Defender 200Tdi replacing a 2.5 TD, which is a straight nut and bolt job.’ Interestingly, one reason why this kind of conversion is still so popular today is that the British Army shunned the 200Tdi in the late 1980s and early 90s as it wasn’t compatible with a 24volt generator. Instead, back in the days before the celebrated Wolf, Our Boys had to make do with the old 2.5 diesel in naturally aspirated form. These
vehicles still come out through disposal outlets on a regular basis, making strong money in the process – and they’re ripe for fitting with one Tdi or the other. ‘A 300Tdi also needs to be kept watertight,’ continues Chris, ‘otherwise it can lead to problems with the cylinder heads. With the 200Tdi, watch out for loose camshaft bearings – the lack of pressure can cause complete engine failure.’ If you think he’s making both choices sound like a recipe for pain, welcome to the world of old Land Rovers. So, let’s press him on that original question: which is the better option?
This 300Tdi was opened up while searching for the source of a non-stop rattle. The noise was quickly traced to worn out tappets – the result of a longterm lack of maintainance
‘The one to have, in my opinion, is a Defender with an original 300Tdi,’ is his answer. Many will agree with him. So anyway, thus far we’ve managed to get an idea of what’s going to be a pain in the neck and what will be less of a headache. We’ve established that they’re pretty similar regarding their performance, if not necessarily their refinement, and that each has its pros and cons in terms of buying, using and maintaining. So what’s the answer? There’s a fourth opinion, that’s what. ‘Which engine you go for depends on what you plan on using it for and which vehicle you’re putting it in,’ says Brian Tonks of Tonks 4x4. ‘I’d say for off-roading the 200Tdi is better – it delivers torque a bit further down the rev range. The 300Tdi is better for motorway miles.’ When the 300Tdi was first introduced, commentators suggested that its position further forward in the engine bay might cause the 90 in particular to be a bit tail-happy. If it did, it wasn’t enough to overcome the inherent grip of its full-time four-wheel drive system, but the physics do say that it should have better weight distribution. In the real world, everyday issues are likely to matter far more than details like these, at any rate. ‘The plumbing can be a bit more difficult on a 200Tdi,’ says Brian, ‘with the turbo positioned lower down. And the 200s are a bit more prone to gaskets going.’ Again, Mike Webster would nod in agreement. ‘On the 130 we modified a while back,’ continues Brian, ‘we swapped the 2.5 TD for a 200Tdi because we only lost a couple of points on the DVLA
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 scoring system. Once you start making changes to the chassis, they could turn round and say you need a Q-plate.’ Now we really are talking about the sort of stuff that matters. One final thing to look for according to Brian is the aluminium threading for the rocker shafts on the 200Tdi. If these are moving, they can bend and snap – cue enough damage to make you weep. In many ways, these two 1990s’ engines are a bit like the boy bands from the same era. There are slight differences when you get in close, and one does sound a bit more unpleasant than the other, but from a distance they’re pretty much the same. The 300Tdi is accepted by many as perhaps the slightly easier unit to work on, and it’s generally considered the more refined of the two. Others will tell you that the 200 is the last truly simple engine Land Rover produced, however – and if you’re repowering a Defender with an earlier diesel, it’s cinch to fit. Ultimately, what you intend to use your vehicle for is a key factor, as is the work you can do on it yourself. Most telling of all, though, is one simple real-world factor: which engine can you get your hands on for the right money? We set out by asking which of the 200 and 300Tdi is better, and we have our answer: neither. Both are excellent in the right circumstances. So it’s okay to be ruled by your personal preferences. You do have to avoid using mismatched ancillaries if you’re swapping one in, and like all turbo-diesels it’s crucial to avoid one with a sloppy service history – not easy when you’ve no real way of knowing how a long line of previous owners have treated their truck. If you mind how you go though, fitting a Tdi (or buying a Landy with one already installed) is something few people have ever regretted. This was a time when Land Rover had come into the modern age, but hadn’t yet been corrupted by it. The Tdi is an engine whose desirability has never stopped growing – and whether yours is a 200 or a 300, owning one makes it very easy to see why.
Proof of what a Tdi can do if you care for it. This is the clock from a 200-engined Discovery – and it’s still only half as old as the one on the opposite page!
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Issue 11: January 2015
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MID-LIFE:
TWO MEN AND A IIA ON A MISSION TO REACH GI
CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS? A couple of plucky actors taking a couple of weeks out to go on a road trip across Europe doesn’t sound like much of an undertaking. Throw in a Series IIA and it starts to get interesting. Then imagine setting out with just £10 and having to rely on a little help from your friends… Mike Trott I suppose I’m lucky not to have sailed into the doldrums of middle age yet. Thus I haven’t found the need to have an affair, buy a convertible or go on a serial killing rampage, or commit any other atrocities of the like. Weirdly, though, I have often thought about what may lie in store for me or, more correctly, what I might decide to do when I get to this crossroads in life. You’ll be pleased to know I’ve ruled out all of the above – except maybe the convertible, if it’s a nice leaf-sprung Landy of some description. Anyway,
I’ll let you know my decision when I get there. There are a couple of guys who we came across recently, however, who reached mid-life and actually came up with quite an amazing... er... crisis. Dan Coll and Dan Carey got themselves a gig in October. The only problem was that the show was in Gibraltar, and they only had £10 between them to get there. Quite obviously, then, the solution was to get a 1968 Land Rover Series IIA and drive it there themselves. ‘It was mad,’ said Dan Coll after the dust had settled on their wacky
adventure. ‘And it was flippin’ hard work. It certainly wasn’t laughter all the way! It’s a long journey at 55mph – you know you’ve travelled, that’s for sure, and you feel like you’ve been through the shredder.’ Leaving from Hebden Bridge on 4 October, the guys travelled south through Manchester towards Dover and trundled through France on their way to the South of Spain. But £10 isn’t going to get you very far generally, let alone to Gibraltar – which is 1700 miles away. But Dan and Dan had a plan (excuse the rhyme). They would rendezvous
with a variety of celebrities along the way and find ways of raising enough money to keep them going. If they
£10 Not enough to get you to Gibraltar in a 2.25
were really lucky, they’d scrape enough together to eat, too. Now, getting a gaggle of celebrities to join in on your barmy act is a trick you can normally only pull off if you’re also a celebrity yourself (or incredibly handy at blackmail, perhaps). Both the Dans are actors; Dan Coll is best known from Emmerdale and various other soaps, while Dan Carey is about to play the role of Fred West in a docu-drama on Channel 5. Which kind of brings us back to middle-aged serial killers, but let’s move on. With the lure of some publicity behind them (needless to say, this was
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Issue 11: January 2015
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GIBRALTAR – WITH JUST £10 TO GET THEM THERE
Left: When you’ve got a long trip ahead of you and the truck your mate promised to lend you turns out not to be up to its MOT test the week before you’re due to set off, it’s always nice to know you can fall back on the Land Rover Centre in Huddersfield. The lads there came up with a tidy IIA hard-top which, despite all the celebs in the case, was the undisputed star of the show
all being filmed for online streaming and editing into separate episodes), Dan and Dan gathered together a diverse collection of well known names (loosely speaking, at least) including Paddy Doherty, Victoria Aitken, Cheryl Ferguson and Michaela Tabb. The celebs’ job was to help by pitching in or organising opportunities for the two Dans to make a bit of cash. Needless to say, it wasn’t easy. In fact, it very nearly wasn’t possible at all when the Land Rover they had been planning to use failed its MOT a week before they were due to set off. Fortunately, they found a replacement. ‘Dan and Dan approached us with a phone call,’ says Mark Griffiths, Sales Manager for the Land Rover Centre in Huddersfield. ‘They had already got a Land Rover promised from a friend and kind of ticked that box and forgot about it – but when it came closer to the date, they hit problems. ‘I chose the particular Land Rover they used, DAR 445F, as it was a hard top with a bit of extra security and space for their gear. Also, being a refurbished Land Rover, I was confident that it would make the journey without any major upset.’ Having found a set of wheels, they met up with Dan Carey’s friend Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts in Coronation Street), who kindly paid for their passage across to France via the Channel Tunnel. A few other donations from friends rolled in to keep them topped up with money for fuel, with Paddy Doherty riding down south with them before a spot of dinner at former Blue Peter presenter Peter Purves’ place set them up for the crossing. As well as finding fame through soap operas, Dan Coll has played the lead in West End productions such as Les Miserables and Billy Elliot, while also
appearing in Braveheart as Captain Stanley. Dan Carey has extensive theatre experience, too – and they needed all their skills to help earn the money they needed to keep going. ‘We were able to make a couple of hundred pounds in Paris, while being backing dancers for Victoria Aitken,’ said Dan Coll, ‘and then met up with Dean Sullivan further south. Continued overleaf
Above: £10 doesn’t get you much at a service station, so having a former Blue Peter presenter to drop in on is always handy. At least, we think that’s who this is; Peter Purves looked a bit different in his days of being towed around Pebble Mill by a stroppy elephant Right: Two Dans, their Series IIA and an Eiffel Tower. Plus a celeb, probably… it’s not our strongest subject, but it appears that this might be Victoria Aitken. You know, her…
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Issue 11: January 2015
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Left: At last, a celebrity we definitely recognise, as the lads stop for a chat with Ernest Hemingway Above left: We almost managed to get a whole year’s worth of issues of The Landy under our belt before the word ‘selfie’ forced its way into our pages. But then Cheryl Ferguson (her from some sort of soap opera) turned up to help, and our control over the situation went into a tailspin Above right: Busking in Benidorm ends in disaster as a local woman pays Frankie Cocozza to go and busk somewhere else
Having tried every other way they can think of to raise money, the boys finally reach the bottom of the barrel… A couple of songs in a karaoke bar did us no harm and got us a bit more money, too.’ Their next port of call was in Salou, Spain. Obviously, raising money was working out, but how was the Land Rover stacking up by this point? ‘She performed brilliantly,’ said Dan Carey. ‘We had a flat tyre at one point near Limoges, due to a nail, and there was a minor oil leak, but we just topped her up and that was that. ‘Some people said we were crazy. But then others said it was ideal really
because if there were any problems, it would be easy to fix.’ ‘If ever there was a diplomat for Britain,’ added Dan Coll, ‘that Land Rover would be it. Everyone was staring at it. There is just a romance about it – I remember as a young lad, it’s the type of toy I would have played with.’ Waiting in Salou was snooker referee and Scottish international pool player Michaela Tabb. The pool competition she had organised saw the two Dans walking away with almost £300, which in this company we think we can safely
assume came from donations rather than winnings. ‘It became a bit of a blur towards the end,’ Dan Coll recalled. ‘Busking with Cheryl Ferguson and bottomless waiting in Benidorm! We got a breakfast out of that… but then again we aren’t 6’2 and that attractive to look at!’ In the end, the guys did manage to scrape together enough cash to make Gibraltar. Another dose of busking made sure of that, after they had been reunited with Kevin Kennedy. They even ended up with £20 to spare, despite getting a helping hand from the X-Factor’s Frankie Cocozza. With the travelling finally over, you can imagine how well they slept that night. ‘It was a great trip,’ said Dan Carey. ‘We met a lot of nice people and it was all very interesting – coming down through Spain and into Gibraltar.
I loved Gibraltar, I think the world could learn a lot from that place.” Dan and Dan used this trip as a bit of a taster for what they hope will be bigger undertakings in the future. While currently trying to get their adventure onto TV, they also aim to do another couple of series – which would see them take on the Republic of Ireland before going for the big one in the USA. ‘Wherever there are Land Rover people and wherever we can get to with our money, then there is a trip worth doing,’ said Dan Carey. For Dan Coll, there was one final treat to enjoy after the dust had settled. ‘I ended up getting back a few days later than the others because I drove the Land Rover back by myself. I was gobsmacked by the attention it got; I went back through Marbella, where they all drive about the port in their
Lamborghinis. But I was turning just as many heads in the IIA.’ With episodes from the trip available to watch for free on the website (www. themiddleagedroadtrip.com), Dan Coll is also keen to acknowledge the role played by the Samaritans in getting him to where he is today. ‘They helped me immensely when I was in a bad place a few years ago. If anyone has enjoyed our story, then take a few moments to donate to these guys if you can.’ Over to you on that one, dear readers. In the meantime, we’re going to try and imagine the sort of attention the Americans would give Dan, Dan and their IIA on a cruise down Sunset Boulevard or Route 66. Now, that would be awesome. And much more fun than buying a soft-top and having an affair. Long live the mid-life crisis!
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Issue 11: January 2015
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SECRETS BENEATH THE
‘it has none of the hallmarks of an abandoned project’
SURFACE
Precious few of the 90s that date from the first few years of production are still in anything resembling their original state. In some cases, that’s a bad thing, but every so often a Land Rover turns up that looks unremarkable – until you start digging beneath the surface and happen upon a whole host of tantalising secrets just waiting to be discovered…
T
here’s absolutely no limit to the variety of 90s you come across. But every so often, something crops up that really gets you wondering. We said something pretty much like that last month about a blingy red 90 we’d turned up at Salter and Selby, a car dealership based on a farm in the village of Plungar, amid the idyllic rolling countryside on the LeicestershireNottinghamshire border. It was the sort of truck you only ever see a dealer taking on if they’re Landy enthusiasts at heart; sure enough Tom Salter is just that, and the red pose-truck we featured last month was only one of the
Words paul looe pictures harry hamm intriguing Land Rovers the company had for sale at the time. The one in these pictures is another. A very tidy but unremarkable looking wagon from 1985 was parked in the corner of the company’s barn when we turned up. Unremarkable, that is – until we started poking around and seeing what it was made of. On the face of it, this is a windowed hard-top with a naturally aspirated 2.5 diesel and 115,000 miles on the clock. That’s only about 4000 a year, so heaven knows how many it’s really done... in fact, heaven knows full stop, but one thing you can be sure of is that different bits of it have different histories.
The chassis, for example. Well, it might not even have that much of a history. Its age is unknown, but it looks pretty new – though it would. And it says a great deal about that of the vehicle itself – because it’s galvanised. Someone has built this Landy from parts, that’s clear – but the parts they built it from suggest they set out to create a 90 that would be a cut above your average bitsa. Look underneath that gleaming silver chassis, for starters, and you’ll see that the back axle has disc brakes on it. Not something Land Rover got into the swing of putting on the Defender for more than half a decade after this
Whoever built this 90 was content to use a naturally aspirated 2.5 diesel engine. Many of the Land Rovers that left the factory with one of these in place have since been converted to Tdi power, as the old unit isn’t exactly famed for putting a smile on your face, so its presence suggests that perhaps the truck was specced up by someone looking for an honest, hard-working Defender that would last forever, rather than one capable of taking on the world
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A 2.5 nat-asp from the mid-80s would have had disc brakes at the front, but what Tom Salter believes to have been a full Discovery axle conversion has brought the rear into the modern age, too. That’s part of a general rebuild which appears to have focused on general usability and long-term dependability – which in turn ought to explain the presence of a galvanised chassis and rear crossmember. Someone definitely spent a bit of money on speccing this 90, and as well as getting the basics right they paid attention to the details, too – note also the NAS-style rear lights in place of the hopeless little turret jobs you’d have seen on the 90 that wore this truck’s identity when it was new. It’s hard not to speculate that it might have been rebuilt by a farmer when you see the PTO shaft running forward from the transfer case, though these normally power a front-mounted winch and there’s no sign of one having been part of the truck’s make-up. Maybe it was in the old owner’s plans before he moved the vehicle on. In the cabin, the seats are more modern but it’s still 100% hose-out – again, as a farmer would want. The steering wheel is a later Defender-type unit with a lower diameter, which could be interesting with no PAS; perhaps this was also on the agenda at one point one was built. Tom says he hasn’t gone digging around for serial numbers, or drawn the halfshafts to count the splines, but he reckons the 90 was built using Discovery axles – which would certainly explain the brakes, of course. They’re turned by that nat-asp 2.5 diesel engine, which, given the vehicle’s age, may be original to it. The transmission appears standard, though the gearbox has a PTO shaft running forward from it which would originally have powered a mechanical winch. The plot thickens… Inside, the cabin is tidy, if not pristine. The 90 has proper seats, as opposed to the Series-style padding you see on some ex-military Landies of this age, and the steering wheel is a later ‘soft-touch’ unit from the Defender era. Not as wide in the beam as the contemporary wheel, which of course was chosen to turn the front wheels
without the benefit of power assistance, but the smaller-diameter job on this truck does okay once it’s got moving. Sadly, we’ve not been able to make contact with whoever built this 90, which ended up at Salter and Selby after being traded in to a Land Rover main dealer. So we can only speculate on the thinking behind the build, which doesn’t appear to have been a case of throwing bits together at random. Certainly, the galvanised chassis points towards a serious project, and the use of later, disc-braked axles suggests the builder wanted a Landy with the major grief points engineered out. We’d venture a guess that they were after a 90 with a bit more refinement than an old hack, too. Maybe a farmer wanting a simple, low-maintenance workhorse that would see him out? There’s nothing to suggest that this was ever meant to be turned into a
world-beating competition truck or anything like that, at any rate. And the classic hallmarks of an abandoned project are nowhere to be seen. Who knows what might be tucked away inside those axles, that gearbox… who knows whether the engine is as standard as it looks, even? Like so many old Landies, it’s a fascinating bundle of mysteries. Unlike many of them, though, they appear to tell a tale not of neglect – but of the loving care every old 90 surely deserves.
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Issue 11: January 2015
STOCKIST DIRECTORY
South-East England
West Midlands
South Wales
Foundry 4x4 Ltd
McDonald Land Rover Ltd
South-West England
Land Rover Parts, Accessories and Servicing
Cast Iron Quality & Service
Unit 18, Mile Oak Industrial Estate, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 8GA
The Old Bakery, Rear of Vale Terrace, Tredegar, Gwent, NP22 4HT
www.mcdonaldlandrover.co.uk parts@mcdonaldlandrover.co.uk • 01691 657705
North East England
Gumtree 4x4 “Independent Specialists in Land Rover, Range Rover, Discovery and Freelander.” Unit C17, Ditchling Common, West Sussex, BN6 8SG
www.gumtree4x4.co.uk admin@gumtree4x4.co.uk • 01444 241457
East Midlands Steve Parker Land Rovers Ltd Servicing, Repairs, Spares and Conversions
* Free Mainland UK Delivery Over £50 * * Delivery France, Germany and Belgium £10 unlimited weight and parcels *
Lloyd Street, Whitworth, Rochdale, Lancashire OL12 8AA
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info@steveparkers.com • 01706 854222
LAND ROVERS FOR SALE
Series I (1956). Petrol engine. Restored approximately six years ago, fantastic condition, any viewing welcome. £10,000, 07973 131603
Bulkhead mostly rust. No engine or gearbox, other parts missing too. Original reg number has been transferred at some point but may be reclaimable. V5C in my name but I’ve sent it away to request an age-related registration (currently on a suffix-A plate). Will need to be trailered away. Holland on Sea, Essex. £895. Call 07918 673915
tax! Essex. £3000 ono. 07966 242402, eccure@gmail.com
SERIES II Series I 86” (1954). Barn find in need of full restoration. Chassis number 47102663, clearly stamped on the chassis. Chassis may be original but is heavily modified and will need replacing.
(including fork). Full service. 17” Predator alloys with Cooper ST 33x12.50s on 30mm spacers. Swing-away spare wheel mount (not fitted but included in sale). This Landy has had a full police inspection by a specialist. She has her original tag in the window and brake servo, and I have the original log book from day one. I’ve done 1000 miles in her and she drives faultlessly, but a new house is forcing a very reluctant sale. Sheffield. £9999.99. 07547 111442.
TDS Goldfish Winches - The Best! East Foldhay, Zeal Monachorum, Crediton, Devon, EX17 6DH Tel: 01363 82666 • Fax: 01363 82782 • www.goodwinch.com • sales@goodwinch.com
Online Land Rover Part Specialists Offering Worldwide Mail Order
Series I (1955). Completely rebuilt with a Buick 3.5 V8 engine. Estimated to have cost £20,000 to build. Very fast, noisy, road-legal. Tax and MOT exempt. Leighton Buzzard area. £7750 (firm), 01296 668339
replaced the valves, head gasket, clutch slave and master cylinders, cleaned the carb, stripped and cleaned the starter motor, Waxoyled underneath. Could do with new seats, fuel gauge not working, no keys for the doors but drives fine. Frinton on Sea, Essex. £3495 ono. Call 07854 796912.
Importers, Exporters, Wholesale Distributors & Retailers of Winches & Accessories
www.island-4x4.co.uk
SERIES I
www.foundry4x4.co.uk
info@foundry4x4.co.uk • 01495 725544
Land Rover Series IIA (1969). 2.25 petrol. 48,389 miles. This is a beautiful marine blue Series IIA 88” soft-top. In excellent condition, fully serviced recently, newly repaired starter motor and 10 months’ MOT. No need for road
Land Rover 109 200Tdi. Twin tanks, body-off refurb, chassis
checked and no welding required, HD military style crossmember, new bespoke bumperettes, 3 coats of Shutz to chassis, tub and wings, galv bulkhead and front panel, Defender front wiring loom, professionally wired rear, new LED standard style lights, high level brake light, LED camping/reverse lights and internal strip lights, Pioneer CD, Toro overdrive, P38 PAS box on 12mm plate welded to chassis, safari roof, 5 General Grabber 235/85R16s, head skimmed and crack tested, timing belt changed, electric fan. Viewing essential. Must go to a good home. £6500 ono. Call Mat on 07908 582133 or email gondolamat@aol.com.
SERIES III Series III 88” 2.25 petrol (1980). MOT February 2015, no rust! 84,000 miles, four previous owners. Starts and drives lovely. Heavy-duty springs. Bought from a friend a year ago, only selling due to new project 90 I want to get on with. Looks like it’s had work done on the front chassis but ths does appear to be professional. I have personally
Series III 88” (1983). Galvanised chassis. Reconditioned MOD 2.25 Petrol engine on 20,000 miles (MOTs to prove genuine mileage). Comes with heaps of receipts. Series IIA gearbox, Fairey overdrive, freewheeling hubs, 265/55R16 BFGoodrich TAs on steel 8-spokes. Parabolic springs, swivel housing gaiters, Kenlowe Fan, halogen headlights. Cat 2 immobiliser fitted. Very reluctant sale as I know I will never own a Series III to this high spec again, which saddens me. Depending on sale price, I may include a spare tailgate and another tyre. Solihull. £4000 ono. Email jwmason@live.com.
Defender 90 Heritage. Much loved but rarely used. Heavy tow pack, non-smoker, very well kept, good for insurance, reliable. Four owners. MOT Oct. Part service history. Manual sunroof, air conditioning, MP3 player, leather trim, folding rear seats, spare wheel (full), PAS, traction, alarm, immobiliser. £13,000. Call Pete on 07834 763919 or email pete.barlow@salixrw.com.
90 Defender 90Tdi. Late 1994. Pick-up with Truckman top and 5-speed gearbox. Low milage, new MOT. Nice condition throughout. £4995, 01420 473470 Land Rover Defender 90 300 Tdi (1997). Rebuilt on galvanised chassis with mint bulkhead and 99% brand new nuts and bolts. £1000s spent! Axles, tank guard and rock sliders also galvanised. All new suspension, with +2” shocks and Adrenalin 4x4 turrets, rear shock mounts, HD steering bars, adjustable panhard rod, dislocation cones and spring retainers. TDCi exhaust and bonnet, extended bump stops, fully Polybushed. Snorkel. Reconditioned diffs and new brakes, timing belt, crank seals, track rod ends and heavy-duty clutch
Defender 90 TD5 pick-up. 139,100 miles. 12,000lb winch (cost £500, new 2 months ago from Gigglepin), Devon 4x4 winch bumper (£800), rock sliders, snorkel and diff breathers, diff guards, front and rear sump guards, bucket seats, light guards all round, dislocation cones, fully Polybushed. Cubby box, full chequer plate, rear bump guards, CD stereo with Alpine
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Issue 11: January 2015
We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk head unit and aux lead. Great truck with strong TD5 and solid chassis. Last serviced in January, MOT 04/15, tax 03/15. £6750. andydownes13@hotmail.co.uk
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GUMTREE 4x4
windows, CD stereo, traction control. MOT and tax November 2014. £15,500+VAT cwdm@ hotmail.co.uk
Range Rover
SpecialiStS in land rover, range rover, diScovery, freelander and all 4x4s servicing, repairs, conversions, rebuilds & chassis replacements. performance and off road modifications. Defender 90 TD5, 2002. Drives exceptionally well with lots of power, great gearchange and transfer lever action. 2” Britpart Super Gaz lift kit fitted. Boost Alloys (including spare) with Hankook Dynapro MT tyres. 30mm wheel spacers. Electric windows, remote central locking, heated seats, heated front and rear windscreen. Winch bumper with Warn winch, Kenwood CD stereo with aux input. Seats in good condition. NAS lights all round. Must be seen! £8295. joshbaker_uk@yahoo.com
Limited edition 90. Over 40k worth of receipts for work carried out and professional mods. Bespoke tuning, K&N air filter, Allisport intercooler, Hayward and Scott stainless straight-through exhaust, hybrid turbo. Recaro race seats (heated), uprated roll bars, lowered suspension. Boss wheels, LED lights, Alpine sound system, Bluetooth, sat nav, uprated cubby box. Brand new 13,000lb winch and front bumper. Momo wheel, upgraded brakes. FSH. £20,950 tonyackerman2000@yahoo.co.uk
110
110 2.5 petrol/LPG, C-reg. 121,000 miles, on SORN. Solid chassis, spot lights, chequer plate, rear worklight, tubular side steps, roof rack, fog lights. New alternator Feb 2013. Engine rebuild Feb 2011 including new valves, bearings and piston rings. MOT May 2014. This Landy is 27 years old and does have a few marks. £2200. cotton13@hotmail.co.uk
established in 1981, located in mid-sussex
Range Rover Vogue SE 3.9 V8 Auto Pick-Up. Professionally converted. Tan leather electric seats, lockable pick-up cover on gas struts. Engine rebuilt with Viper Hurricane performance cam, polished and ported heads, K&N air filter. Milltek Racing stainless exhaust with tubular manifolds. 1” lowered suspension. Mountney hardwood sports steering wheel, custom headlining by Nationwide trim, 5 new Goodyear Eagle GT+4 235/70/16s on fully refurbished alloys. Bull bar and spots, rear light protection, full tow bar kit. West Midlands. £4500, 07734 599399, mikehayes_1@msn.com
tel: 01444 241457 info@gumtree4x4.co.uk
Range Rover P38a (1996). 5.0-litre V8 engine built by JE Engineering with massive spec and extensive service history. Uprated rear brakes. Large front disc conversion. Air suspension working. Wheels recently powder-coated. Headlining replaced. Massive amount of car for the money. Removable tow bar, original tool kit. £2850. Kent. 07787 177397 or barming@ sky.com
Range Rover 3.5 V8 (1981), bobtail off-roader. Road-legal. Professionally built to a high standard with roll cage and rear-mounted fuel tank and battery. Various spot lights and gauges, with electrics all at windscreen height to avoid being swamped. Snorkel and big knobbly tyres. Bucket seats with harnesses, rear lockers, complete roll cage and tow bar. Starts first turn of the key and drives very well. Not one of the usual poorly converted Range Rovers you see for sale. V5 and all old MOTs etc present. Frome, Somerset. £1900. 07847 612739.
Recently built 300Tdi trayback. Very high spec. Only done one event since build. Custom interior, GP winches, Mach 5s, Ashcroft shafts/CVs. Please get in touch for full specification and work done. Hundreds of pics available. Offers around £10,000. 07841 193027
Specials Defender 110 XS Utility. Warn winch, full roof rack, steering guard, full set of Land Rover seat covers and mats, seats like new under covers. New tyres. Leather seats, heated front seats, air-conditioning, electric
Professionally built to AWDC and ALRC spec. Lucas 14cux fuel injection, 3-speed Torqueflite auto box. Defender type axles. Sparco seats with 6-point seat belts and window net on left hand side. Freestyle alloys with 205x16 Bronco Diamond tyres. Done about 1500 miles since I rebuilt it. This Land Rover is loads of fun and I’m mad for selling it, but it owes me the national debt. Tring, Herts. £4500. Call 01296 668848 (w)
Parts Coil sprung 88” racer. V8 auto with 1971 Range Rover chassis shortened to 88” and Series I style body painted white.
Discovery clutch pressure plate (part #FTC575). Brand new, still in box. Herts area. £offers. 01992 465721
BFGoodrich M&S tyre. 235/70R16. Only ever done 40 miles. Offers invited. Herts, 01992 465721
Land Rover spares for sale. Truck cab, £150. Bonnet, £100. Tailgate, £20. Doors, £20. Ifor Williams canopy, £80. Roll cage (brand new), £500. Call Claire on 07554 661053
Wanted Unimog axles. One complete, one part-stripped in prep for discbrake conversion. £1000, offers invited. 07968 960619
Series I or II for restoration. Anything considered. Preferably a pre-1960 vehicle. Private buyer. Cash waiting. Steve, 07970 102651, stephen.kuzio@ live.co.uk
Disco Mk 1 complete front end, including lamps, grilles and templates for modifying to look like a Disco 2. Offers invited. Herts, 01992 465721
Discovery M-reg bits for off-roading. Tyres, winch, winch bumper etc wanted. Guildford area. Contact via tor@assignment-media.co.uk.
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Wildlife the winner from UK Rhino Charge The UK Rhino Charge has been held at many different venues down the years, and in all sorts of weather conditions. This year, it took place at Slindon Safari on a sun-baked Sunday in September. One thing that never changes is that it’s all about raising money for wildlife conservation in Africa. And thanks to the efforts of this year’s teams, more than £6500 was donated to the Kenyan charity Rhino Ark. The Charge can best be described as a sort of light-hearted challenge event, as you find your way from one special section to the next and, at each one, have to conquer whatever conundrum is put in your way. You might find
yourself in a trial section, for example, or a mud run – or perhaps driving a reverse-steer 4x4, or having your driving skill and nerve tested by a large-scale ‘buzz the wire’ game. If that makes it sound like a walk in the park, don’t be fooled. It’s not like the Major’s on your truck, but it takes a certain kind of team to get their heads around the Rhino Charge – and many’s a seasoned off-road campaigner has tried and failed. This year’s contest was particularly tightly fought, with just 14 points separating the top three – quite something when you consider that the winner, Brian Beeley, scored 861. Behind him, Sachin Patel scored 851, also taking home the Victor Ludorum Prize for the team with the best combination of points scored and money raised. In this instance, his Bushcrawler Team 6 raised a phenomenal £1725 and, as a reward, claimed the last available spot in the 2015 Kenyan Rhino Charge. Team Muddyboyz finished a single point further back in third place as Kit Kaberry, a veteran of many Rhino Charges both in the UK and Kenya, piloted his Td5 Defender around the Slindon site. This meant the Muddyboyz also won the accolade of Best Land Rover. As part of the UK Rhino Charge, an award is also presented to a team embodying the Spirit of the Event. This year Tim Wood and his crew were the winners, having experienced a less than ideal weekend. Even before the event, having arrived at midnight, the team had to
kip on a steep hill on the entrance track as the height of their lorry meant they couldn’t get to the proper (and flat) camp ground. Then their starter motor, rear axle and, finally, transfer box all let go during the course of the day’s fun, condemning them to an early finish. Despite all this, they still did enough to limp home in 9th place – and their smiles remained throughout it all. So they should, too, because they were part of something that makes a real difference to the wildlife of Africa. The Rhino Ark was set up in 1988 by conservationist and engineer Ken Kuhle to help protect the wildlife and environment in Kenya, specifically by building a fence around the Aberdares National Park – which at the time was the scene of ruthless poaching, with the Black Rhino in particular being hunted to the brink of extinction. The fence has since been completed, following many years of fundraising, and projects are now underway to put similar facilities in place around Mount Kenya and Mau Eburu. To date, 57 kilometres of Mount Kenya and 34 kilometres of Mau Eburu have been completed – and the money raised by the 2014 UK Rhino Charge will help build a little more.
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Matchams the venue yet again as Dorset Land Rover Club throws its doors open to all comers The vast and varied Matchams Leisure Park, near Ringwood in Hampshire, is a great venue for a day’s off-roading. That’s why Dorset Land Rover Club is always happy to go there for its Open Driving Days – and the latest, on 19 October, saw nearly seventy drivers signing on for a session in the mud. After a long spell of dry weather topped off by a few days’ torrential rain, there was plenty to satisfy the most ardent of mud-pluggers. Those in slightly less modified Landies had plenty to get stuck in to as well – as did the many in absolutely standard vehicles, some of which even rolled up on everyday road tyres. Matchams is criss-crossed with pretty woodland trails, and there are also lots of wide-open tracks, slopes and banks and ditches, all of them interspersed with some exceedingly muddy bomb-holes.
They always say a Land Rover in mud is as happy as a pig in… well, you know the rest. And sure enough, the club’s marshals were kept busy making sure everyone was safe – and, occasionally, pulling the overambitious or just very brave out of the swamps. Club Chairman Rog Pardy, who gave his challenge truck ‘Baby’ an outing, was pleased that so many drivers had attended. ‘Matchams is a great venue with something to suit all kinds of drivers and vehicles,’ he said. ‘The Dorset Land Rover Club is pleased to run these events for everyone who comes along.’ In addition to all its other activities, including green laning and RTV trials, the club runs at least two largescale driving days each year. The next is scheduled for 29 March 2015; more details of the club’s events can be found at www.dorsetrover.co.uk.
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Life’s good for the BAD Land Rover Club!
A great club with a wide variety of Land Rovers and a range of sites in one of the most beautiful parts of Britain. Up in the Peak District, being part of Buxton and District LRC is certain to put a smile on your face! Up in the Peak District, there’s are a bunch of Landy enthusiasts who make up the Buxton and District Land Rover Club. Do they represent the dark side of the 4x4 world? After all, the name of their club spells BAD LRC… Actually, this club is very good. One of the best, in fact. And they certainly
know how to put on an event or two. With some excellent trial sites available in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, they’ve pretty much got it made. They don’t just use their Land Rovers for trials, either, having had a group of vehicles in this year’s Buxton
Carnival to help out with marshalling. As always, the public-spirited side of what it is to own a Land Rover comes to the fore. Talking of the great British public, open playdays were something else the BADLRC used to run, normally over a bank holiday weekend, and
these used to attract no shortage of vehicles. Currently, however, the club is struggling for a venue – they’re persevering, but in this case the right site is proving awkward to find. On to the trials, then, which are usually held over a weekend. A Tyro tends to precede the main trial on the
Saturday, allowing novice and younger drivers (13+) a chance to dabble before the Sunday showcase. For October’s action, six brave competitors took to the grassy slopes of the Derbyshire Dales at Hartington Quarry. While the air was full with the scent of fresh blood, there was fresh
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 metal on the go too, in the shape of a P38 Range Rover entering for the first time – with a lady driver who went on to win the trophy. ‘She was most thrilled to take the honours,’ said BADLRC Chairman Dave Theaker. ‘Much to the chagrin of the others who had competed before and had much more “aggressive” Land Rovers! ‘We normally include a reversing exercise on some of these sections, which can sometimes catch people out. But it’s an excellent way of giving the youngsters some driving experience. The farmer lads always do well at that – it seems they can reverse a trailer before they can walk!’ The morning after the night before witnessed a good turnout of twenty drivers line up to contest the honours. The sections were cranked up, incorporating tougher terrain that required bravery, steady control… and a brown paper bag, should the gradients get the better of you. The BADLRC only runs two classes in each event: Class 1 for ‘standard’ vehicles and Class 2 for ‘modified’. All negotiate the same eight sections with results, as you may expect, slightly more respectable for the modified bunch. Needless to say, if you chuck
a bit of rain on the situation that can change things dramatically, especially as it takes a while for drivers to filter through each section. This weekend stayed relatively moisture-free, though, and was another successful spot of Landying for an exemplary club. Alastair Moss claimed first spot in the Standard class of the main trial, while Dave Billings won the modified class and the overall event. The lady who wrestled the P38 Range Rover to victory in the Saturday Tyro, meanwhile, was Elaine Earp. Congrats all round!
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Issue 11: January 2015
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Big turnout for Suffolk Tyro
Juniors and seniors alike battle it out at Newbourne Words Andy Jeff Pictures Cathy Jeff The popularity of events at the Suffolk Land Rover Owners Club was emphasised by the long entry list for the Tyro trial held at its Newbourne site. With 18 entrants, the day was destined to be a very busy and extremely entertaining introduction to trialling for all involved. At this grass roots level, drivers as young as 13 can begin to understand how to handle a car off-road and develop skills that will help them through a lifetime of driving. But that’s not to say that you have to be 13 to enter: on the contrary, as well as being an introduction to driving for the youngest members, it also offers an opening to what must be the most accessible form of motorsport for anyone who has a 4x4, giving even more experienced off-roaders a completely different perspective on how to tackle the terrain. Rather than testing the competitors’ nerve in deep, car-drowning water or up and down steep and seemingly insurmountable slopes, the sections are designed to make them think about what they are doing, where they are going and how they are going to get there. This is where the Newbourne site is perfect for an event at this level. With its undulating, shallow hillsides and soft, sandy soil that only holds water in a few places at this time of year, it presents course builders with an opportunity to lay down the perfect challenge for all abilities on the day.
As usual, the entry list was filled with a good mix of Defenders and Discoverys of all ages and levels of modification, as well as a single and rather gorgeous Series IIA V8. In addition, as we’re now beginning to expect at every event, the development Freelander 1 from Mansfield 4x4 in Bury St Edmunds also turned up. With the entrants split into two groups, and after an amount of ‘driver familiarisation’ with their cars (remembering that this was the first time a number of the entrants had ever driven in any situation, let alone off-road), the competition kicked off with just about everybody trying to understand how best to attack the day. It takes a while to drop into the groove, and the best thing to see is the vast improvement that the competitors make throughout the day, not only in their understanding of how to approach the sections but also in their general ability and confidence. Of course, off the back of
that comes a lot of fun, and by the lunchtime break everyone was buzzing. The afternoon is usually when people start to get the boxing gloves on (not literally!) and the well laid out sections provided ample opportunity for most to start getting very low scores. For once there was no clear leader and it seemed that the eventual class winners could come from a number of entrants. Late in the afternoon, the Series IIA had to retire with a split top radiator hose, but thankfully that was the only mechanical casualty of the day. In the Senior class, James Prentice took first place ahead of Paul Johnson and Martin Vince. Amy Berwick was triumphant in the Juniors, with Ed Fleming second and Aaron Best third. All were delighted with their day, and the organisers were besieged with queries as to when the next event would be. It bodes well for some new names in the fray when the 2015 season kicks off in a few months’ time!
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NERO invite all Landy owners to join them for a free day out at the National Rail Museum Land Rovers and classic locomotives only have a certain amount in common, but a good many people who class themselves as fans of the green oval also appreciate the heavyduty delights of railway engineering. If you’re among them, the North East Rover Owners Club is planning a day out that should be right up your siding. On 25 January, the NERO guys will run a trip out to the National Rail Museum in Shildon, County Durham, which will be open on the day from 10am to 4pm. The event is designed to give Landy enthusiasts a chance to bring along their Land Rover, park up together and generally mingle, poke around each other’s trucks and get a fix of railway heritage in the museum – which is free to enter. All are welcome, with parking reserved for Land Rovers at the entrance to the museum entrance – where railway engines and rolling stock from the national collection include the APT-E tilting train, Queen Alexandra’s royal train and many others from the steam and diesel eras alike. Since the weather’s bound to be awful, good news is that the majority of the museum’s collection is housed indoors – and it also has a café where you’ll be able to warm up with hot food and drinks. The club is arranging the meet in conjunction with the museum, and this event is open to all Land Rover owners, not just club members – so they’re very keen for you to come along and join them on the day. For more info, visit www.nero.org.uk.
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Issue 11: January 2015
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Double-header wraps up 2014 LRS Challenge The 2014 LRS Challenge has reached its climax, with two autumn events rounding off another year of topquality winching action. After the usual summer break, competitors gathered first at Uplands Coppice, Bridgnorth for Round 5, sponsored by Arbil 4x4, then finally at Wormhough Farm, near Leek in Staffordshire, for the Llama 4x4 Round 6. Sadly, the first of these events clashed with the De-Cider Trophy down in Devon, which cost the organisers a few entrants, but there was still a strong field waiting to test themselves against the Uplands terrain – which mixes together trees, deep gulleys, rocky outcrops and a stream to create the perfect environment for a challenge event. It didn’t take long for the site to claim its first casualty as Andy Guest went end over end down a steep bank in his Class 1 machine. Andy was fine and his truck was quickly righted with the assistance of a fellow competitor, but the heavy roll had broken a strut on his cage – meaning an inevitable exclusion by the scrutineer, however keen Andy was to return to the fray. Elsewhere, a timed special section was also causing a few problems. Part of the section incorporated a nasty side slope, requiring some imaginative winch rigging; Roger Smith and Andy Savage recorded an impressive time of 2 minutes 47 seconds, but others struggled – not least the usually proficient John Sales, who went OTL after spending several minutes on his side. Roger’s performance on the special section was no fluke. He was going great guns, letting nothing get in his way – he even emerged from one section on the end of his winch rope with his truck on its side. Dan Hickling suffered an unusual problem when a branch fell right on to a power steering hose and pushed it off the end of the pump without breaking it. The hose was easy to push back into place, and with some hydraulic fluid from fellow competitor Steve Knight he was back in business. Still, what were the odds? In the entry-level class, Richard Peters and Callum Moore were having
Words Pip Evans Pictures Pawek Frackowiak
a steady day. The severity of the site meant there were only a limited number of punches they could go for, but at least their truck was going well. At the end of the day, Hannah from Arbil 4x4 dished out hats and goodie bags for the competitors as well as vouchers for £100, £40 and £20 for the top three in each class. Richard Peters and Callum Moore took the honours in the Entry Level Class to win the Damar award, while Andy Guest and Ian Scott were the only competitors in Class 1, winning it despite their early retirement. In Class 2, however, the battle was fierce. Matt Bain and Greg Ham took 3rd on 3203 points, with Ryan Stimpson and Tom Joliffe 2nd on 3586 points, but top spot went to Dan Hickling and Adam Burman on a very impressive 4865.
Steve Knight and Gerry Matheson had a reasonably trouble free day in Class 3, claiming 3rd on 3559 points. John Sales and Dan Thomas were second on 4801, but first place went to Roger Smith and Andrew Savage on a massive 5633, easily the highest score of the day. That left just one event to go – at Wormhough Farm near Leek, a site we had never visited before. It has recently gained a new owner who is keen to improve it – though its facilities were already the best we had ever seen. With a large indoor seating area, fresh running water in the kitchen and toilets and a landowner who welcomed us with sausage and bacon cobs, this was luxury off-roading! The competitors were in for an end of season treat, too. The site has been well used for trialling but there was no
sign of winch challenges ever having been held there – meaning our guys were the first to push their vehicles through the overgrown undergrowth in search of punches. Wormhough turned out to be a great challenge site with nice steep
climbs, tricky, narrow gulleys and a deep boggy area – a great cross-section of tests for drivers and winchmen alike. The weather was glorious, too which was a real bonus for the crews. It soon became apparent that the ground is very slippery indeed,
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 with vehicles struggling for traction. However this did mean that there was less pressure on drivetrains, as wheels were spinning rather than gripping. It also meant that crews had to call upon their technical winching skills to keep on track, and to prevent their trucks from slipping away to places they didn’t want to be. For the organisers and competitors alike, it was great to see Chris Booth back at it again after a whole year of woes. Sadly, though, his truck suffered electrical problems and he was the only competitor to have to retire early. Class 1 competitor Andy Guest’s winch held up well for most of the event, but the deep bog was to prove too much for it. Luckily, this was late on in the day so it didn’t do too much harm. The guys running in Class 1 always have a tougher time of it than others as they only have one winch, so this tends to take a hammering. Wormhough Farm is the most distant venue for most LRS competitors to get to, so the organisers had decided to finish this event an hour earlier than usual. Most seemed quite glad to have reached the end of a gruelling season as they loaded up and awaited the results, as Dave from Llama 4x4 stood by with a set of generous prizes. Andy Guest and Ian Scott came 2nd in Class 1 on 1601 points, which was won by Paul Dallyn and Jack MacDonald on 2401 points. As always, Class 2 was hotly contested – and rather surprisingly saw the top four competitors all score more points than anyone in Class 3. Third place here went to Tom Marrion and Craig Davis on 5066 points, with Matt Dilley and Ben Robinson on 5920. That was a whisker behind Dan Hickling and Adam Burman, who once again took the honours with a mighty score of 6035. Class 3 saw Steve Knight and Gerry Matheson 3rd on 3547 points, with Roger Smith and Andrew Savage on 4149. This time, John Sales went one better than in the previous round, taking the win on 4669. With the 2014 LRS Challenge now at a close, all that was left to do was offer a huge vote of thanks to Derrick Johnson, proprietor of LRS Off-Road, for his continued support, and to all the marshals, without whom none of this would be possible. The organisers from Viking 4x4 Club, meanwhile, are already looking forward to the year to come. Plans are already being made for another sixround one-day series – and where else will you get six hours of competitive motorsport for just a £50 entry fee? if you think you’re up to it, check out www.viking4x4club.com.
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Issue 11: January 2015
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Cobley crash sets up grandstand finish
Round Six of the inaugural Defender Challenge by Bowler series returned to North Wales in October, with Belfast’s David Johnstone winning one of the most dramatic encounters of the season. A total of seven teams reconvened for the first time since late August at the Cambrian Rally, which would prove to be a tough trial for all – but in particular for championship leader Edd Cobley. With 45 miles of tarmac and forest stages to tackle, only 83 of the rally’s 120 starters made it to the end. Among
the Defender Challenge contingent, Cobley had come in to the event with a healthy championship lead after four consecutive victories. But a big crash on Stage 4, near Penmachno, scuppered his hopes of leaving Wales with the title. Instead, his lead was slashed to just one point as second place behind Johnstone gave the hard-chasing Race2Recovery team its fifth straight podium finish – setting up what promises to be a mouth-watering title showdown at the last event of the season, the Borders Hillrally. The R2R team gives people with disabilities or injuries the opportunity to try their hand in professional motorsport – with long-term partner Land Rover enabling the crew’s entry in the series. One member of the team, Stephanie Boddez, has been singled out for particular praise for her progress so far this year. The Belgian co-driver, who lost both her legs to meningitis at the age of 17 and now uses prosthetic limbs, was invited to try out for the team after seeing them on TV and getting in touch – and she grabbed her chance with both hands. ‘To finish this course, let alone come second this weekend, is great,’ said Stephanie. ‘It was very slippery, with lots of difficult hairpins, and you never know if you’re going to take a tumble like Edd did.
‘I’ve heard some great things about the Borders Hillrally, and after coming second in the Welsh Hillrally earlier in the year we think we can do very well there. It’s exciting to be in contention for the championship and we’ll try to push Edd all the way in Scotland.’ Following his victory in Wales, Johnstone and co-driver Joseph Monaghan were full of praise for their vehicle. ‘The Defender did everything, and more than we’d expected,’ said Johnstone. ‘The stages were rough and the course seemed to suit the way we drove. It’s been great to compete alongside all the other teams, and to win the event was just a bonus.’ Drew Bowler, managing director of Bowler Motorsport, said: ‘It’s very exciting that the championship will go down to the final event. Edd Cobley has proved to be the man to catch all year, but this weekend’s result shows how competitive the Defender Challenge has been and the championship will go right down to the wire.’ Land Rover’s Mark Cameron added: ‘For Land Rover and Bowler, one of the many positives to come out of the series is the fact that we’ve been able to provide a platform to teams who will progress to international competitions like the Dakar Rally. We are delighted that three teams from the Defender Challenge are set to tackle Dakar in 2016.’