The supreme Perentie 6x6: a Land Rover built for Australia – and now they’re coming home to Britain
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BOBTAILING A P38 This looks like a nice 90 truck-cab, right? Beneath the surface, it’s an altogether more exotic Landy… Full story: Page 20
When the Mark 1 Range Rover started getting old, people were bobtailing them left, right and centre. But those didn’t have sensors trying to stop you changing anything. Damian Roberts’ P38 isn’t just bobtailed. It’s lifted and armoured, too – and fitted with a later BMW turbo-diesel engine. It’s been turned into a true one-off – but it didn’t half put up a fight…
Full story: Page 24
This 109 has just been restored… in honour of perhaps the most famous Land Rover owner in the world Full story: Page 18
Five years on expedition? This 110 did it – and she’s back for more Full story: Page 32
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Issue 16: June 2015
Lane users chip in to save Tilberthwaite We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
One of Britain’s very best green lanes has been saved from closure – after a collection of user groups raised £4000 to pay for its maintenance. The Tilberthwaite UCR was threatened as a result of erosion beneath two dry-stone walls adjoining the right of way, which were in danger of collapse. An appeal was launched after the local National Trust ranger contacted the Green Lane Association – which, as well as campaigning against politically motivated attacks on rights of way, works with other organizations to protect the countryside and keep green roads open. The work was not considered suitable for volunteer labour as the walls were unstable and above head height. The Trust was forced for safety reasons to reserve the job for its own trained and experienced upland team, which is funded by charity – hence the need for outside assistance. The £4000 target, which covered the cost of labour and transporting stone to the site, was met after GLASS, the Trail Riders’ Federation, other 4x4, trail bike and cycling groups as well as anonymous donors chipped in to contribute. ‘We believe this is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when user groups work together,’ commented GLASS. Work to stabilise the walls has already started, securing Tilberthwaite for all to enjoy over the coming summer and beyond.
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LR’s support for young female engineers
Applications are now open for the 2015 Range Rover Evoque WISE Scholarship programme. Designed to encourage young women into technology and engineering, the programme offers winners a
mixture of mentoring support plus a helpful bursary of £1000 per year towards their studies. The closing date for applications is 28 July; to find out more, please visit www. wisecampaign.org.uk.
Durham Council to close Hexham Lane
Durham County Council’s Highways Committee has endorsed a proposal to close Hexham Lane in Wolsingham to motor vehicles. The proposal was
presented by the council’s Rights of Way department – who decided to press ahead with it despite receiving more than 200 objections.
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Issue 16: June 2015
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New SV Autobiography – the most expensive Range Rover yet Wanted: Series I restorer
Above: Quad tailpipes denote there being a 542bhp V8 engine at the opposite end of the Range Rover – use wisely…
T
he 2015 New York International Auto Show saw the launch of Land Rover’s new Range Rover SVAutobiography, pushing the luxury levels – and you wallet – further than ever before. This new range-topping Range Rover has been created by JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) branch, whose Technical Centre is responsible for the production of what is now the most powerful Range Rover since the vehicle’s introduction 45 years ago. The SVAutobiography can be chosen with a retuned version of the all-aluminium 542bhp supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine, first used in the Range Rover Sport SVR. Identifying this model will be fairly easy, not just because of that noise, but because of the quad tailpipes lurking underneath the Range Rover’s classy bottom. There’s 501lbf.ft of torque available from as low as 3500rpm through the eight-speed ZF automatic box, but
Below: ‘Luxurious’ is an understatement. Polished metals, knurled for your touch, deep twist-pile carpets and screens throwing information at you left, right and centre – this is one loaded Rangey gloss black Brembo front brake calipers are on hand to make sure things don’t get out of character. Other variants, including the SDV8 and SDV6 Hybrid, have been given performance tweaks and are now more efficient. The SDV8, for example, now manages up to 33.6mpg, thanks to the inclusion of stop-start technology. Standard and long-wheelbase options are available, and to go with the extra power there’s more luxury than ever – not to mention a distinctive new look. The SVAutobiography has a Santorini Black upper body, which customers can combine with nine possible colour choices for the lower body to create a range of duo-tone finishes. Fresh bonnet and tailgate badging complements this, and a front grille in Graphite Atlas and chrome sets the front end apart. The vehicle shows its metal inside too, with aluminium controls and
North West Defenders is recruiting for a Series I restorer. The Lancashire company says the work would be perfectly suited to an experienced Land Rover enthusiast with sympathy for original vehicles, and that the main requirement is for ‘old-school knowledge.’ The main requirement is to be able to work on running gear, though if you were keen to undertake an entire restoration they’re be interested in talking to you about that too. Applicants can be based anywhere in the country, though you need to have your own workshop. For more information, contact Aidan on 07565 137183.
Andy, Dave and Keiran’s mission for H4H
pedals and fresh detailing on the cup holders, socket covers and armrest. In the back, passengers can utilise powered deployable tables and a chiller compartment (Dom Perignon not included), and there’s even a place to hang your coat (presumably Barbour). Even your feet get treated well, with deep twist-pile mohair carpet mats, while the key fob is knurled for your touching pleasure. Round the back, an aluminium and veneered sliding loadspace floor extends out to help you with your baggage. And while we’re there, have you ever noticed people sitting on their Rangey’s tailgate? Of course you have. That’s why SVO has developed Event Seating. Essentially, you now have a pair of easy-access Windsor leather seats that can be erected in moments upon the lower tailgate. Other thoughtful enhancements include the Surround Camera System, which delivers greater visibility around
the vehicle; the Gesture Tailgate, offering hands-free access, and the Automatic Access Height function, making life easier when it comes to getting in and out as the car lowers itself for you. All-Terrain Progress Control is now available on SDV8 models too. You can stay connected via Land Rover’s InControl technologies, including InControl Remote Premium – which enables you to remotely check the fuel level, lock and unlock the doors and flash the lights or sound the horn, just in case you’ve misplaced your Range Rover yacht, all using a smartphone app. The Range Rover SVAutobiography goes on sale this summer, replacing the Autobiography Black at the top of the range, priced from (get ready) £148,900. Next to this, the £74,950 it will now cost to get your hands on an entry-level ‘normal’ Rangey looks like a bit of a snip.
Left: We’re used to seeing people perched on the rear tailgate of a Range Rover, and now Land Rover gives us ‘Event Seating’ to make it a bit more ‘proper’
A trio of Loughborough Land Rover Club members will set off in early September to visit as many different countries as possible in the space of seven days. Running solo and unsupported, Andy Cox, Keiran Barker and Dave Emery will be driving a very early 1958 Series II – which, to add to the challenge, is currently in bits in a garden. Visiting several major landmarks, they’ll be doing it all to raise money for Help For Heroes.
TPORE to build new off-road site
Trans Pennine Off Road Events is working with a landowner in North Derbyshire to develop a brand new off-road site. The club is helping design a course as well as providing labour, and in return it’ll have exclusive use for a period of time before other clubs are allowed in. The site is near Barlborough, off Junction 30 of the M1, and Trans Pennine can be found at www. tpore.co.uk.
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50 Shades of Brown A unique colour scheme can make or break a vehicle. And there can be few if any kinds of car that have had as many different paint jobs applied to them as the Land Rover Defender. The latest is this one-off 90, created by the Special Vehicle Operations division in collaboration with iconic fashion designer Paul Smith. Unlike the celebrated Minis bearing the same man’s trademark vertical stripes, this is built from panels in 27 different colours – almost all of which are, well, a bit drab. There’s a few bright yellow highlights and a metallic blue roof, but elsewhere this 90 does look like a bit of a vision in grey and brown.
Flirting with the fashion world is nothing new for Land Rover, of course, as seen by its collaboration with Barbour. And in Paul Smith it’s partnering with a similarly celebrated British brand. ‘The Defender is a British icon, which is something I’m exceptionally proud of,’ says Smith. ‘I keep a Defender at my home in Italy, which is in the middle of the countryside, so it’s the perfect vehicle to cope with the rugged terrain.’ Given the enormous range of bright colours that have been appended to 90s and 110s in the past by the unsung heroes of Land Rover’s success
(individual owners who keep old ones running and modify them into more than they ever were in the first place), something a little less muted might have been equally iconic. As it is, the Defender looks to us a little too much like a vehicle that’s been prepped for its EuroNCAP crash test, with stickers and sensors all over it. Still, each to their own, and there’s some fancy leather and fabrics inside the vehicle too. But on the whole, you’d like to think that bringing a great British vehicle together with a great British designer would have resulted in something just a little more memorable than this.
No King of France, says Ultra4 The King of France event on 22-24 May has been cancelled. Replacing King of the Glens in this year’s Ultra4 Europe calendar, the event is still in the organisers’ plans for 2016 – but has for now fallen victim to the amount of paperwork required
in France. ‘It was not worth taking the risk and cancelling at the last moment,’ said Ultra4’s Dave Cole. ‘For 2015, we will have a three-race series with Italy, UK and Portugal, and our goal is to create a four-race series in 2016 that includes France.’
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Comment
I’ve been critical of Land Rover’s approach to its traditional fans in this column. So it’s only fair that when the company does something positive, I give it the praise it’s due. And the news of a new Heritage Parts line, which will preserve supply for older vehicles and even restart the manufacture of factory items which had gone out of production, is certainly positive. Whether or not this will lead to Land Rover offering items that aren’t already available through Britpart and the like is beside the point. So too is the question of whether this is just a case of paying lip service to the past. What’s important is that there’s more to the world than InControl Apps, and an awful lot of people who live and breathe Land Rovers thought the company had forgotten that. Don’t let’s be in any doubt: there’s a lot of antipathy towards Land Rover among people who love the sort of vehicles it used to make. When they announced that they were going to stop making the Defender, that started turning into resentment. It’ll take a great deal for Land Rover to win back the trust of the people who’ve become alienated in the years since the company’s move towards modernisation began. A parts programme which offers credible support to the enthusiast sector will be a very good first step, though. No-one needs to be under any illusion that this is suddenly going to turn classic Landy ownership into a cheap hobby, of course. I very much doubt that someone at Solihull has learned about the waiting list for handmade Series I bulkheads and decided to help you rescue that old 80” by making hen’s-teeth items like this as affordable as a seal kit for a Disco 2. Much more importantly, what it does mean is that if you’ve got an old 90 or 110, a Disco or a Range Rover from the days of live axles, Land Rover is going to help you keep it in a usable everyday condition. And that really is good news. Alan Kidd, Editor
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Charity LR Run to raise money for Battle of Booming business at 4x4 Britain Memorial Trust en route to Belgium Overlander 4x4 Overlander started in August 2009 – and last month it turned over more than in the whole of its first year. Set up to trade in overland equipment, the company has expanded to sell all sorts of products – the key being that it specialises in items no-one else sells. ‘We can’t compete wit the big boys on selling service parts,’ says 4x4 Overlander’s Barbara Brew. ‘’The secret for us is to be adaptable. We do whatever other people aren’t doing.’ At present this includes Nolden LED headlamps, which have just
been picked up by Land Rover itself for the recently launched Adventure special-edition Defender. These are supplies exclusively by 4x4 Overlander – indeed Barbara says an important part of the company’s ethos is to deal only with good quality equipment that won’t keep coming back under warranty. ‘We started with absolutely nothing,’ comments Barbara. ‘Now, every month is better than the same one last year.’ To find out more about the company, visit www.4x4overlander.com.
Two-year warranty for Approved Used Land Rovers
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain – one of the most pivotal events in World War II, and also among the most deadly. So it’s fitting that for 2015, the Charity Land Rover Run will be raising money for the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust. Early on the morning of Saturday 6 June, 38 classic Land Rovers will fire up at the Battle of Britain Memorial atop Dover Cliffs prior to boarding a ferry en route to the World Heritage city of Brugge. This year, the route will cover approximately 90 miles, taking in the French and Belgian countryside along the way and visiting Ardres, St Omer, Cassel and Steenvorde.
A few Belgian Land Rovers will team up with the green oval convoy at the French border as they travel towards their stopping point for the evening in Zedelgem, just outside Brugge. In the evening, there will be a line-up of all the Land Rovers and awards will be dished out, including accolades for the Best Land Rover, Most Original Land Rover and the Best Decorated Land Rover. The Mayor of Zedelgem will also pick his favourite before a charity auction gets under way. Speaking in advance of the big day, event organiser Peter Wales commented: ‘We have already set up a fund raising page and I am pleased to announce that we have already raised
over £2000 before our main fundraising activity has started. ‘We have raised over £30,000 in the past five years for different charities, so it would be nice to break the £35,000 barrier this year!’ On the way back from Brugge, the convoy will pass through Diksmuide, Poperinge and Dunkirk, before finally sailing home from Calais. The Charity Land Rover Run benefits a different cause each year, and in 2016 the beneficiary will be very close to the heart of everyone who loves Land Rovers. ‘Next year we will be returning to Ypres,’ concluded Peter. ‘And I am very pleased to be able to announce that in 2016, we plan to raise money for the new Dunsfold Charitable Trust.’
Jaguar Land Rover UK has announced a new Approved Used Programme – which will see used dealer stock being sold with a twoyear unlimited mileage warranty. Vehicles will also be subject to a 165-point check prior to going on sale, and will be covered up to their purchase price by a consequential damage warranty. To qualify for this new programme, vehicles must by under five years of age and have a maximum of 100,000 miles on the clock. They will be history and mileage checked by Land Rover, and buyers will have them delivered with a 30-day, 1000-mile vehicle exchange policy. On top of that, these Approved Used Land Rovers will come with MOT cover, UK and Europe roadside assistance and seven-day driveaway insurance.
Buyers will be invited on a halfday complimentary Land Rover Experience drive, too. Changed days indeed from when even brand new, factory-fresh Land Rovers came with a pathetic 12-month warranty and nothing more. Commenting on the new warranties, Jaguar Land Rover’s UK Managing Director Jeremy Hicks said: ‘Our new Approved Used Programme is truly competitive and we believe that the enhancements we’ve made here demonstrate our commitment to our customers. ‘We are committed to providing our customers with an excellent ownership experience. Whether buying a new car for business or for personal use, or from our enhanced Approved Used scheme, we are confident the service standards we’ve set ourselves are highly competitive and highly desirable.’
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Land Rover launches Heritage Parts Solihull has provided a massive boost to enthusiasts and owners of older vehicles – with the launch of Land Rover Heritage. Announced at the Techno Classica show in Germany, the new division will see original Land Rover parts being made available for a range of older models – all of which have been out of production for at least ten years. Land Rover Heritage will cover the Range Rover Classic, P38 and Discovery 1 and 2, among others.
Owners will be offered body and trim parts which had previously become hard to get, as well as servicing options appropriate to vehicles built with the technology of yesteryear. Series Landies haven’t been forgotten about either, as a selection of previously discontinued items will be available for customers – with further original parts being reintroduced over time. All of these will be made using the original tooling methods, and will come with a full warranty.
Parts availability is critical to keeping classic vehicles on the road, and this new development is Land Rover’s way of doing something for the army of enthusiasts without whom it wouldn’t be able to boast that the majority of vehicles it hss built down the years are still in use. Land Rover Heritage will be operated as a branch of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations division. Its chief objectives are to preserve the heritage of these older Land Rover vehicles and
help customers across the world to do the same. Further good news from Land Rover is that after the Defender goes out of production later this year, replacement parts will continue to be supplied through normal dealer lines for the next 15 years. Following this, these will move over to become genuine Land Rover Heritage Parts. Dare we say the future looks a little more secure? John Edwards, Managing Director of JLR Special Operations, said: ‘It is estimated that 70% of all Land Rovers manufactured since 1948 are still in existence. So there is a large and very passionate owner base to support through Land Rover Heritage.’
In addition to offering an expanding range of parts for your ageing Land Rover, this summer the company is also launching Land Rover Heritage Drives this summer. A 200-acre site in Warwickshire will provide a location in which customers will get the chance to commandeer a variety of models from Solihull’s heritage collection. Land Rover is often criticised by enthusiast owners for having become too focused on luxury vehicles and forgetting about the off-road engineering on which its heritage is based. With this new development, perhaps these enthusiasts can start putting their faith back in the marque once more.
Twisted Automotive in £7m order for 240 Defenders Twisted Automotive, one of the original Land Rover tuners and modifiers, has staked a claim on 240 new Defenders – in a deal worth £7million. With Defender production ending in December, the Yorkshire company placed its mammoth order to maintain supply for as long as possible. The market for tuned and personalised Land Rovers continues to boom – so much so while you might expect 240 vehicles to keep Twisted’s supply line intact forever and a day, the company still sees this as a finite pool of vehicles. ‘This is a big, bold order which will see us sustain and maintain what we’ve been doing over the last few years,’ commented Charles Fawcett, Managing Director of Twisted. ‘It would be a great shame for us not to be able to carry on doing what we do. We don’t sell in big numbers, so this will guarantee numbers for the next few years.’ The Yorkshire-based company offers four different models, but will also personalise any of these to a customer’s specific requirements. Depending on the interior and mechanical enhancements you ask for, prices range from £40,000 to as much as £180,000. ‘Our customers love Defenders and they come to us because we don’t transform them into something they’re not,’ added Charles. ‘They still look like ordinary Defenders, but the standard car just doesn’t quite do the job the customer is after.’ As well as the UK, Twisted has seen a sharp rise in interest from the overseas market. And with these extra vehicles available, it will be looking to continue its growth the next few years. ‘Our new range has attracted a great deal of interest from around the world and our order book is filling up,’ added Charles. ‘We continue to invest and grow our export markets, who value our focus on engineering, luxury, and the pure Britishness of the Defender.’
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
NEXT MONTH
Caffeine Rush: Meet All-Terrain Caffeine – the Land Rover coffee shop, owned by Stuart Hancock, that allows him to serve customers virtually anywhere PLUS
We drive the new Discovery Sport – is it worthy of the Discovery name?
Nice looking Defenders are often let down by what you find when you open the back door. That definitely won’t be the case with this gorgeous teak-lined 90, though...
NEXT MONTH’S LANDY IS PUBLISHED ON 25 MAY You can pick up your copy of our July 2015 issue from
newsagents or Britpart dealers – or read it online at www.thelandy.co.uk
01283 553243 • enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk • www.thelandy.co.uk • www.facebook.com/thelandyuk Editor Alan Kidd Assistant Editor Mike Trott Admin and Editorial Assistant Gemma Pask Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Dan Fenn, Gary Noskill, Paul Looe, Mark Bailey Photographers Steve Taylor, Harry Hamm, Anthony Singer
Advertising Sales Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Production Tel: 01283 553242 Publisher Sarah Kidd Email: sarah.kidd@ assignment-media.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure that the contents of The Landy are accurate, however Assignment Media Ltd accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor
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Issue 16: June 2015
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Mac 4x4 Challenge sees superheroes on the march against cancer
Words Mike Trott Pictures Matt Morgan
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aising a million pounds for charity is a heroic achievement. And this year, the Mac 4x4 UK Challenge started in a great place – with the knowledge that this annual event for Land Rovers and others has just donated its millionth pound to the fight against cancer. The 2015 event saw a total of 72 teams signed up for a weekend of driving fun and games, whose warm and spirited nature is all part of what makes the Mac so special. Starting at Britpart HQ in Craven Arms, teams were faced with around 750 miles of different challenges, the eventual destination being Daresbury Park Hotel in Warrington. The challenges include navigational, orienteering and observational tests, set out over various on and off-tarmac sections, with day and night driving thrown into the mix to try and get the drivers scratching their heads along the way. The off-roading is definitely on the tame side of gentle (don’t be fooled by the word ‘challenge’), but every year it attracts a dedicated crowd of keen entrants who get right into the spirit of things by turning up in well prepped vehicles. Some turn up in even betterprepped fancy dress costumes, too. As
we said, charity fundraisers are heroes all – and so it was very appropriate that this year, it was won by Batman and Robin… or Alex and Joff Littleton, as they’re known to their friends! Ultimately, though, what matters is that this is a fundraising event for Macmillan Cancer Support. The £1,000,000 that had been raised prior to this year’s event was an incredible effort, and one which the Mac 4x4 Challenge organisers and competitors alike should be proud of, but that didn’t stop the teams from putting in another superhuman display of fundraising prowess this year. ‘The event went very well, particularly from a Macmillan point of view as we raised over £110,000, so it was a great success,’ said Peter Rowland, secretary to the challenge. ‘The event has gone from strength to strength, to the point where we are now only about £30k from reaching the £1,250,000 mark. That says a hell of a lot for the event – it’s been very successful for Macmillan.’ It has been another tip-top Mac, an event which raises money for a cause which comes close to the heart of almost everyone at least once during the course of their life. Medical science has developed immensely over the last century and research will continue to be done in the hope that one day, we’ll be able to
say that no-one need ever fall victim to cancer again. More and more people are surviving than ever, with some research suggesting that more than 50% now survive the illness. But the fundraising must go on – because it needs to. That’s why the Mac 4x4 Challenge will be back next year. And they’d very much like it if your Land Rover was part of it.
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
Left: Mac 4x4 Challenge founder Selwyn Kendrick was thrilled when Batman and Robin asked him to accompany them on a night out in Gotham... Above: Even the AA had a punt on the Mac Challenge to see what all the fuss is about
Picture Perfect
Among the many gleeful duos taking part in the Mac were Mike Stead and Phil Norman. And now, these guys have gone and raised a bit more besides – after successfully bidding to have their photo published within these pages! The idea came from Matt Morgan, the Mac 4x4 photographer. And thanks to him, an extra £350 will now be going to the charity. Mike and Phil met each other 12 years ago, when Phil started dating Mike’s only daughter. Like many protective dads, Mike was clear to point out early on that going out with his little girl could be a dangerous venture. He was, after all, a shotgun owner. Point made.
Even so, despite Mike’s warnings, Phil married into the family anyway. After the initial standoff, the guys found themselves together on a tour of Morocco and the Sahara back in 2009. They both developed a taste for adventure and participated in their first Mac 4x4 in 2011. Five successive Macs later, with just over £8500 raised for Macmillan since Ireland in 2011, they’ve become regulars. They come back each year – and maybe one day they’ll get their hands on a Mac trophy. ‘This year, to fulfil our vehicle requirements we chose to use Mike’s brand new 2015 Discovery,’ says Phil. ‘After several years
of lusting through the showroom window, Mike took the plunge and ordered his new toy… a mid-life Land Rover crisis, you might say!’ After wrestling each other for the keys, they eventually found out that the Disco 4 is actually quite good at this off-roading stuff. Still no trophy to show for it, though. ‘To rub salt into the wounds, Mike’s wife Lorraine, in another vehicle, collected the Spirit of the Mac award for jumping to the rescue of a fellow Mac team,’ continued Phil. ‘At least there’s one trophy in the family!’ laughed Mike. ‘Our thanks go to Selwyn, Peter and all the Mac family for once again putting on a great event year after year.’
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SPINNEY ENGINEERING has come up with a revolutionary means of stopping thieves from making off with your Land Rover. Called the Rat Trap, this is available for Series vehicles from 1948-1984 and Defenders from 1984-on. ‘This is a Victorian solution to a modern epidemic,’ says the Rat Trap’s inventor, owner of Spinney Engineering Andrew Poulson. ‘The thief walks up to the vehicle, takes a hammer and screwdriver to the lock, breaks it, pops the truck into neutral and takes the handbrake off to try a bump start or roll it away… but it won’t move! ‘What does he do next then? He hasn’t got time to start stripping the vehicle down on the owner’s drive!’ The device, which aims to receive Thatcham approval in the near future, works by physically locking the transmission in gear. It uses a springloaded latch to interlock with a ratchet located within the transmission, which is engaged and disengaged with the turn of a key. A lock chamber extends from the device and through a 2” hole which needs to be made in the front of the seat box. Having parked the vehicle as normal, you turn the key in the slot under your left leg and walk away – leaving a Land Rover which can’t be physically moved.
Constructed using stainless steel, brass and armour plating, the Rat Trap is strong and durable – and locates on your vehicle out of sight of nosey thieves. The prototype model shown here shows the key chamber jutting out from the seatbox, but on production models the lock sits further back. More applications are being developed at present, and soon there will be Rat Traps available for all Land Rovers – a process which Andrew says takes no more than three hours (tea break included!) The Rat Trap is made in Lincolnshire, but Andrew says he has had interest from far and wide – including from a prospective distributor in Australia. Here in the UK, the Rat Trap for Series models is priced at £490, while the cost for Defender models is £590. These prices include your choice of either delivery or fitting. www.spinney-engineering.com
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Barely a month goes by without someone launching a new LED light of one kind or another, but this offering from Bespoke Cars is a bit different. It’s a 10-piece kit for converting all your Defender’s side lights and indicators, as well as its reversing and fog lights, to LEDs – giving it a much more upto-date image and, if you’ve never got round to fitting NAS lights, making it easier for other road users to spot in the dark. At £495, the whole kit costs less than a big challenge-style array, and we know which we’d be after for a dailydriven Landy. LED there be light, and all that… www.bespokecars.co.uk
IF YOU EVER wonder why restoring classic Land Rovers is such an expensive business, here’s why. Unique parts for rare old vehicles sell in tiny volumes, which mean their manufacturing costs are very high – and if that can’t be passed on to you the punter, no-one’s going to make them. That’s why Britpart is now offering a pair of rear quarter window seals for the 4-door Range Rover Classic – at a price that might raise your eyebrows. The cheapest we’ve managed to find the kit is £269.99 plus VAT. For a pair of window seals? No, for a pair of Range Rover Classic window seals, and if you don’t get why that’s different you should definitely stick to owning a Defender or Disco 2. It’s not like Britpart is famous for being greedy with its prices – at the end of the day, rarity value is still value, and if this is the difference between a finished vehicle and one with big holes in the back you won’t flinch. 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 New from 4x4 Overlander are these Nakatenga side repeaters for the 90, 110 and 130. These are E-marked and promise easy installation, with a simple ‘plug and play’ fitting. The road-legal repeaters are available with orange, black and white lenses to suit your style. Each flashes with the traditional orange illumination, however. There’s no need to buy a separate relay, either. Because once installed, the lights work with both the original Defender relay and also the adjustable relay that comes within the Nakatanenga LED Signal Lights set. www.4x4overlander.com STEERING GUARDS come in all shapes and sizes, and some look a lot better than others. Safe to say, though, that this is an area in which form tends to take precedence over function. Not so with this new Defender Steering Guard from Belly Fender. For sure, it has plenty of function to it – but in addition to just being strong, it was designed to look great too. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so we’ll let the picture tell its own story. For the record, though, we think it’s drop-dead gorgeous. In terms of the protection you get from it, the plate itself is made from
Remember the days when Land Rovers’ heaters were known as ‘shin burners’? Well those days are still here, if MudUK is to be believed – though with its Puma Heater Deflector maybe they don’t need to be. If you drive a later Defender and find that the heater delivers an annoying stream of air at your lower legs, this is the answer. Installed in five minutes using a 4.5mm drill and pushfit fasteners, it redirects the flow of air away into the footwell either side of the centre console. Many Defender owners will be scratching their heads in wonderment at the idea that someone might be able to feel any kind of warm air from their heaters at all, far less that they’d want to stop this, but there you are. Puma owners, huh? How the other half live. Though at least at £28 including VAT, this is one part of Puma ownership that doesn’t need you to have a hefty sum about your person. www.mudstuff.co.uk
6mm marine-grade aluminium. This is CNC-machined so that all forwardfacing edges have a 2.5mm radius. The mounting brackets use 5mm mild steel, and the guard attaches to them using A2 stainless steel fasteners. The whole lot is then fixed to the chassis with 10.9-grade bolts, leaving you with new lashing hoops which have a 16mm diameter and, lest you miss them, are red. The guard, which fits all Defenders up to the 2015 model year, comes with full instructions and is priced at £295 inclusive of VAT. www.duckworthparts.co.uk
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• If you want to protect your new repeaters, another newly introduced product from 4x4 Overlander is these Stainless Steel Lamp Guards. Again developed by Nakatanenga, these are designed to ensure that you don’t have to worry about obscure objects like branches coming along and swiping at your indicators – definitely worth having if you’re into exploring the lanes. The stylish looking guards come in a natural stainless finish or a black powder coating, and are supplied in pairs with all the necessary fittings for you to complete the job – including theft-retardant installation materials. How much does it all cost? A set of guards will cost you between £53 and £60, depending on finish, while the repeaters themselves are priced at £48, with all these including VAT. www.4x4overlander.com
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Picture Robert Head Snatch blocks are brilliant things, but have you ever noticed how good they are at hiding? Put one somewhere sensible in the back of your Land Rover
and you can guarantee that by the time you need it, it will have wormed its way down beneath something else where it’s a) invisible, and b) impossible to get
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at. That’s if it hasn’t leapt up at the first sign of provocation and clobbered you in the back of the head. The Snatch-On from 4x4 Goods is the answer. This is a tailor-made mount for securing your snatch block exactly where you need it. The mount can be bolted on to any flat surface inside or out of the vehicle, and you can combine it with a range of different base units to suit the most commonly found shapes and sizes of snatch blocks. 4x4 Goods says that the standard Snatch-On will fit a round or square 8x4” snatch block – for other designs, you should contact them prior to ordering. At £35, this is definitely a good idea – one that could save you a lot of grief on a playday and make the difference between winning and losing in a competition. www.4x4goods.com
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If you’re lucky enough to have a Discovery 3 or 4 as your toy, protecting its bodywork probably comes higher up your list of priorities than it would if you were tooling around in an already dog-eared Tdi. Britpart’s newly introduced rubbing strip kit won’t help you if you decide to lean it up against a tree, but they’re solid and tough enough to take a good knock or scrape that would otherwise be scoring a direct hit on your precious Land Rover. At a pretty typical £165 plus VAT, they could pay for themselves in an instant. www.britpart.com
Swivel housings are the bane of many a Land Rover owner’s life. But you wouldn’t get very far without them (as some of us have found out), so depending on what you drive Britpart’s latest range of replacement kits is likely to be of interest. Available for the Disco 1, Range Rover Classic and Defender, the range caters for 8mm and 12mm seal sizes and models with and without ABS. Kits include the swivel housing itself as well as a swivel pin bearing and upper, gasket, seals, plate, shims, joint washers and a sachet of grease. Prices will vary from kit to kit, but you can expect to pay between about £120 and £150 including the VAT. www.britpart.com
A 1550 x 910mm loadspace mat is possibly the least sexy thing you’ll ever buy. But if you run a 110 or 109 hard-top, it will at least fit, keep your cargo from jiving around in the back and deaden down some of the din that assaults you every time you drive it. Expect to pay in the region of fifty quid. www.britpart.com
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If you don’t like draughts, near the windows on a Land Rover hasn’t always been the best place to sit. Garrison Outfitters believe this shouldn’t be the case, though, and now the company has come up with a way of shutting out the wind and keeping those rear windows quiet at the same time. Described as a ‘DIY solution’, these Rear Window Channel Kits allow you to swap out the old factory-fitted felt lining in a 1984-2001 Defender for a rubberised replacement. This, says Garrison Outfitters, will silence the clattering you get from the sliding windows – allowing you to enjoy all the other noises a Land Rover of that vintage makes. Perhaps more importantly, the channels’ upper flanges wrap outwards and around the edge of the window frame, cushioning the glass from the metal and keeping moisture, dust and other debris from entering the vehicle. Handy enough in wet old Britain, but even more so if you’ve got all the sand in the Sahara trying to join you on board (and it will). Made from virgin (non-recycled) EPDM rubber, chosen because of its superior temperature and weather resistance, the rubber is also faderesistant. The kit should be simple to install, too, requiring only a few hand tools to fit – and it even comes with a #2 Pozidriv ACR bit, to prevent hamhanded users from stripping the hardto-find screws that hold the window frame together. www.garrisonoutfitters.com
Demon Tweeks recently introduced a range of Quick-Release Bonnet Fasteners as an alternative to traditional pins. These have a two-piece design, with a latch and pin connecting to a ball and socket joint to give 360 degrees of rotation. The fasteners, which are corrosion resistant, are available in red, blue, silver and black and are priced at £24.95 plus the VAT. www.demon-tweeks.co.uk
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Issue 16: June 2015
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Happy Homecoming
‘The greatest gift we could give was his Land Rover’
As well as being one of the world’s most iconic musicians, Bob Marley was one of the most notable Land
Rover owners. Not for him a shiny new Range Rover, though – this man of the people drove a humble Series III
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hat did the late Bob Marley have in common with Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and Rod Stewart? Aside from being a globally famous musical icon, obviously. The answer, of course, is Land Rover ownership. But unlike your average rock star, reggae legend Marley didn’t have a sparkling new Rangey parked in a huge garage next to a line of Porsches and Ferraris. Jamaica’s favourite son was a man of the people – and his Land Rover was a 109” Series III pick-up.
Words Mike Trott Pictures Sandals Resorts International Despite dying at a tragically young age of 36, Marley packed 14 albums into a career that was recognised with Band of the Year, Album of the Century and Song of the Millennium awards, a UN Peace Medal, Jamaica’s Order of Merit, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and an English Heritage blue plaque. This year, he would have celebrated his 70th birthday – and to mark the occasion, a long-term restoration of his old Landy has just been completed. The ‘rastaration’ (sorry) has been carried out by Caribbean resort company
Sandals along with ATL Automotive Limited and ITC, which distributes Land Rovers throughout Jamaica. The project features a family touch courtesy of Marley’s first-born daughter, Cedella – an acclaimed fashion designer who gave the vehicle a new interior with seats themed around her father’s and Jamaica’s heritage. ‘In this 70th year,’ she said, ‘the Defender’s return to its home is in perfect timing as we celebrate all aspects of our father Bob Marley. The Marley family thanks ATL, ITC and Sandals for this
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Above: The 2.25-litre engine is well-travelled, having been sourced in Ethiopia Right: Cedella Marley fashioned the delightfully themed upholstery labour of love. I would also like to thank Bali and Rohan for their vision, which is now a reality.’ After the singer-songwriter’s death in 1981, his Land Rover was abandoned for over thirty years before the decision was made to return it to the condition it would have been in when it transported its proud owner, often accompanied by members of his band the Wailers, around the streets of Kingston. Adam Stewart, Chief Executive of Sandals, commented: ‘Bob really raised the profile of our nation of Jamaica and we felt the greatest gift we could give to him was to restore his Land Rover to its former glory.
‘Marley’s Land Rover is one of the most famous vehicles in automotive history and we were delighted when the opportunity arose to be a part of its restoration. For us it has been an unbelievable privilege to work with the entire Marley family – and to reunite them with the same vehicle they rode around in as children is something we were only too pleased to do.’ Bringing the Series III back to life involved some intense treasure hunting for parts. And it wasn’t enough to go looking just anywhere, either. The heart of any Land Rover is its engine: as a Rastafarian, Marley’s heart held a strong connection to Ethiopia, and it
was from here that a 2.25 diesel engine was sourced. Other parts were found here in the UK – where Marley lived for two years after an assassination attempt in 1976. ‘Those (parts) we couldn’t find were handcrafted and rebuilt by our own Jamaican team,’ Stewart added. ‘We stripped the vehicle down to its shell, rebuilding it piece by piece.’ The chassis was repaired along with the axles, before attention turned to the body panels – which were refreshed or replaced before being resprayed. The vehicle was fully rewired, too. Last year, while work on the Land Rover was in full swing, Bob’s son Ju-
lian Marley (himself a reggae star), said: ‘I have always loved my father’s Land Rover. I remember driving in it from where my family lived, to nearby Hope Road and from Kingston to Nine Miles, St Ann (in North Eastern Jamaica) where my father was born. ‘I love what the team is doing and would love to take the refurbished Land Rover for a drive when it returns home.’ Well, that time is now. The refurbished Land Rover is back the way it was in the days when the great Bob Marley himself used to drive it – a gleaming tribute to the team behind the project and, of course, to the memory of its former owner.
The Series III was unveiled in February, at a reggae festival to celebrate Marley’s 70th birthday – one of many events arranged around Jamaica to mark the occasion. Following this, it was transported back to its old stamping ground at 56 Hope Road, Kingston, which Marley called home for many years. And there it will stay, as part of the collection at the Bob Marley Museum. It won’t be running round the streets of Kingston any more, but it will be seen by all those who visit – a fitting tribute to one of the world’s most compassionate musicians, and to one of the most notable Land Rover owners of all time.
Above and Below: This is what the Series III looked like prior to ATL getting their hands on this treasure. To think the wheel hadn’t been turned for over thirty years... Left: The load bay looks as good now as it did when The Wailers were piled into the back. Of course, back then it would have had amps, guitars and probably a few girls tagging along for the ride… Maybe we were wrong!
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When a 90 isn’t a 90
‘The front and rear winch bumpers cost eight pounds each’
In the great days of hybrid building, most home-brewed Land Rovers were 80” or 88” coilers. Stuart Whale’s came a bit later, though – and rather than mimicking a Series truck, he created a carbon copy of a 90. A carbon copy, but with some very interesting extras…
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very so often, something will crop up on eBay or Autotrader that looks like a 90 but, once you get into the details, turns out to be a hybrid. Normal practice is to sneer at these Land Rovers and move on, assuming that a) the seller is trying to fool you, and b) the truck will be a shed. Dishonest sellers aren’t exactly a rarity in the murky world of internet advertising, of course (they’re outnumbered only by dishonest buyers), but just because something’s a hybrid definitely doesn’t mean it’s a guaranteed shed. There are horrors out there, of course, but the best Landies from the heyday of hybrid building were nothing short of superb. Of course, it helps if the guy behind them was a professional fabricator.
Words Gary Noskill Pictures Steve Taylor Such as Stuart Whale, who built the picture-perfect 90 you see here. Oops, did we say ‘90’? Well, in actual fact that’s what it is – because when his old Range Rover finally snuffed it after four years of faithful service, he cut the chassis down to exactly 92.75 inches. That makes it a proper 90, of course, but he went a step further and bobtailed it by 3.5”. While he was about that job, he fabricated a fuel tank to fit in what was left of the space; this was made so as to be completely diesel-tight no matter the angle. Stuart and his mate Warren spent a year on the vehicle in total, but shortening the chassis took just three hours of that. As we said, it helps if you’re a fabricator by trade. It also helps if you can pick up a donor 90 for £700, which is what he managed to do, and that ages
this story a bit – with the way prices have gone since the DC100 concept first appeared, you barely even get an identity for that now. Not that £700 ever got you much of a 90, and sure enough the donor’s chassis was a study in rot. Nothing wrong with its bodywork, though, which Stuart reused to turn the remains of his old Rangey into a really smart truck-cab. A really smart truck-cab which, once it was finished, only stood him about £4500. Look at the sort of mouldy old mingers you see changing hands for that sort of money now, and the value of building your own is instantly apparent. Talking of building your own, that’s exactly what Stuart did with the custom steelwork around the vehicle. The front and rear winch bumpers, for example,
cost him a princely £8 in raw materials, and the rock sliders owe him a scarcely less bargainous £10 apiece. ‘I bought a length of steel box for forty quid,’ Stuart explains, ‘and cut out four rock sliders.’ That’s two for him and two for Warren, which only seems fair. With this in mind, you’d expect him to have made his own roll cage too, but no. Instead, he bought one from Safety Devices that came in kit form, ready to be welded up. His reasoning, and it’s sound, was that if there’s one area where you don’t want to take a chance, it’s safety. Other stuff he did make included a home-made steering guard, though he put his hand in his pocket again for Qt diff guards and a Tomcat A-bar for the front bumper. ‘By the time you’ve fiddled around bending tubing,’ he
explained, ‘you may as well buy the finished product from someone who is mass-producing them. It’s a lot easier in the long run.’ Re-read that last paragraph and take it in. We’re talking about a skilled professional with a fully equipped workshop here – and he still thinks certain components are better bought off the shelf than made as one-offs. So if you’re not up to that standard, what chance do you stand of making it worthwhile? Of course, making your own stuff is worth doing just for the fun of it, but if you’re only doing so to save money you should think very carefully about whether or not you’re actually doing so. Beyond the metalwork, things run the risk of getting controversial. Stuart went for exactly the right wheelbase for
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 Left: The Nissan FD35T engine is a 3.5litre turbocharged four-pot used in the Japanese company’s Cabstar light trucks in the late 80s and early 90s. It’s not that much more powerful than Land Rover’s own Tdi, but it runs 24v electrics and has gained a legendary reputation for never-ending reliability Right: The front bumper is sound, solid and completely unique. That’s because Stuart made it himself. Being a pro at this stuff helps, obviously, but the big eye-opener is that by not paying anyone else for their time, he put it on his truck for the princely sum of just £8 Below: Yep, that’s a 3.5Tdi. In the right lettering and everything. This Land Rover must have set a few tongues wagging in its time…
a 90, but the engine isn’t like anything you ever saw coming out of Solihull. The ‘3.5 Tdi’ sticker on the side of the truck gives that away; it’s a Nissan unit, fetched out of a lorry, and it went in complete with all-new wiring throughout the entire vehicle. Stuart’s choice was governed by the appeal of Japanese reliability – he told us that spares weren’t proving ever so easy to come by, but of course the advantage of an engine like this is that you hardly ever need them. Mated to a three-speed Chrysler auto from a Range Rover, fitted using a Milner adaptor, the big Nissan lump cruises along with ease on the motorway and pulls the Landy around off-road without needing anything more than the most occasional prod of the loud pedal. Leave it to tick over and it’ll tick over almost anything. Underneath, Stuart fitted +2” springs and shocks with cranked rear radius arms, dislocation cones and dropped shock mounts. Plenty of room for bigger tyres there, then – especially as he also mounted the body on spacers that added another couple of inches. With all that, a set of 235x75R16 Blackstar mud-terrains sounds distinctly modest – you see people swinging 36-inchers under 90s with that much lift. Continued overleaf
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Above: Yep, that’s an auto shifter you see in the home-made tranny tunnel. It controls a three-speed Torqueflite from an old Range Rover, which bolts to the Nissan engine via an adaptor from Milner Off-Road
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Above: Bolted to a plate between the chassis rails which is part of the rear bumper (built for £8, lest we forget), a Superwinch EPi9 nestles quietly beneath the floor waiting for action
You’re only seeing a bit of the cage here, but that’s enough to make a very important point. Despite being a professional fabricator, Stuart bought a cage from Safety Devices – if there’s one place where you don’t cut corners, it’s your own wellbeing That’s all well and good if you’ve got all-out off-road warfare in your sights, but Stuart chose these tyres as much for their performance on the road. ‘You may sacrifice some of the off-road potential for this extra refinement,’ he admits, ‘but I think it’s worth it on balance. At the end of the day, I spend a lot more time on the road than off it… even if I’d sooner the ratio was reversed! Adding to the fun, whether on or off-road, Stuart made up a custom exhaust from a combination of a Subaru straight-through centre box and various Mercedes bits. It breathes well and it makes a nice noise: job done. An interesting safety mod, if it can even be called a mod, was to replace the glass rear screen with shatterproof perspex. In front of this, the cabin is adorned with a couple of race seats from a TVR. Remember those? The Nissan engine was wired up to twin 80-amp batteries as standard, as
well as a heavy-duty 24-volt alternator. Not the lightest of set-ups, but being truck batteries rather than specialist off-road jobs they’re reasonably cheap to replace. Talking of watching the pennies, each of those built-for-sweeties bumpers is home to a Superwinch EPi9. Excellent value for a 9000lb winch, Stuart reckons – as is the commercial white paint he used, which has the advantage of being dead easy to colour match as every paint shop in the land knows how prone vans are to needing touch-ups. That’s the kind of thinking that goes into building a truck that looks as good as new but only owes you £4500. Combine Stuart’s smart planning with the professional skills he and Warren put into it, and you’ve got the recipe for what looks like a loadsamoney 90 but in reality is quite the opposite. When you spend it, you spent it right: when you do it, you do it well. Simple, really.
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Pioneering Spirit You’ve got to be brave to bobtail a P38 Range Rover. To lift the suspension, build new bumpers and fit it with an engine it never knew it needed… now, that’s being a workshop pioneer
Above: Yes, that’s a BMW badge on the top of the engine cover, but it’s not the weedy four-pot motor that was taken from the 3 Series in the ‘90s. No, here you have an extra couple of cylinders thrown in which forms the 3.0-litre straight-six from a 5 Series. This engine (codenamed M57) won the International Engine of the Year award for the ‘2.5-3.0-litre category’ four years on the bounce from 1999 to 2002
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owards the end of the Range Rover Classic era, rumours started going around that BMW had started refusing to sell diesel engines for repower if the buyer admitted that he was going to use it in a Rangey. Most observers guessed, correctly, that this must mean the Classic’s replacement was going to be fitted with a diesel from the German giant. When it finally arrived, the turbo-diesel in the P38 had four cylinders and not enough power. It was a great engine… in the BMW 3 Series. Trying to shift a Range Rover around… less so. But BMW have made plenty of different engines, and the one in Damian Roberts’ P38 is a bit better suited to its new home. This particular Range Rover started life as a 4.6 V8, but somewhere down the line a previous owner had managed to fit it with the 3.0 six-pot from out of the 5 Series. That’s not an easy job. It required a custom torque converter plate – as well
Words Paul Looe Pictures Harry Hamm as needing a fearsome three months with an auto electrician, who spent all that time trying to figure out how to fool the gearbox ECU into accepting that nothing was wrong. ‘You can get plug and play ones from America now,’ says Damian. ‘But they cost £2750!’ Electronics are of course the downfall of more or less any Big Idea anyone has involving a P38, but the chap who turned this one into a bobtail was made of stern stuff. Unperturbed by what was happening on the dashboard, he soldiered on with a project that took him three years to get just about complete – whereupon he was injured in an accident, couldn’t carry on with it and, in Damian’s words, ‘I was in the right place at the right time.’ What he bought was a Rangey with 18” very skilfully removed from the back (its builder is a bodywork specialist, so he knew just what he was doing and it shows). It had been converted from air suspension to coils, giving it a
slight lift in the process, and was fitted with a Safety Devices internal roll cage. The latter has had to be modified to fit, as the bobtail job meant there wasn’t any room for the rear stays. But it’s there, it doesn’t interfere with cabin space and it would certainly keep the vehicle up in an everyday roll. Mind you, it had to be shipped over from America, which was where the Rangey’s builder had to go to find one. While he was about it, he also brought over a set of Compomotive alloys which look the business wrapped in 33x12.50R15 Maxxis Bighorns. Obviously you don’t fit a set of tyres that big under a Range Rover without doing something dramatic to its suspension, and that’s where Damian comes in – because although he bought the vehicle with several major mods already done, he’s put in plenty of graft himself to take it to the next level. Talking of things he’s put in, these include another engine. While he
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Above: An exhaust running through a rock slider! That IS fancy. Well, what did you expect? It is a Range Rover after all… Right: Bobtailed – check. Wheelarches trimmed – check. 33x12.5R15 Maxxis Bighorn tyres – check. There’s an extensive list of mods on this vehicle and now they’ve all been checked off, the result is one very special P38
Above: Notice those yellow coils in there? Anyone in their right mind is going to make a coil conversion a priority when it comes to modifying a P38. The radius arms have been returned to the correct angle via the help of some dropped chassis brackets. Watch out for P38 mods being more readily available over the next few months – the P38 is definitely ‘trending’ was playing with it off-road, the front axle dropped out and its panhard rod snapped. This let the body move sideways, taking the engine with it – which happened just as the axle was on its way back up again. And bang, the front diff gave the sump a mighty one. ‘I checked it afterwards to see if there was any oil leaking out,’ says Damian. ‘There wasn’t, so I set off for home. Turned out there was no oil leaking out because there was no oil in it!’ Cue one seized engine. That put the Rangey off the road for a spell, while Damian sourced a replacement engine. He went like for like, which meant dropping in another M57 unit (in BMW talk, that sounds like it ought to be the name for some sort of unbelievably exciting fast saloon, but it’s just their codename for the 3.0 turbo-diesel of the time) – pretty much essential for ease, but also because Damian was very happy with the way it performed and saw no reason at all
to change it. One thing he did do was to was to weld gussets in to the inside corners of the sump, so that should the same thing happen again the diff will come up against three times the thickness of metal as it did before. Anyway, we were about to talk suspension. The offending panhard rod was one of a pair which had gone on before Damian bought it, to cope with the added height of the coil springs; just as he’s quick to offer praise where it’s due (for example to the bobtail work), he’s ready with an opinion on stuff that’s no good and as far as he’s concerned the panhards definitely fell into that category. Not a problem to replace, though, because he’s a skilled welder by trade and knew how to do a job like this the way it ought to be done. So it’s been all change under there, and the results are impressive – not just in what they’ll do but in how much thought has gone into the set-up. Problem solving is always going to be a
major part of modifying a P38, though the nature of the problems might at times come as a surprise. ‘You can’t get stuff for them,’ Damian complains. ‘Everything has to be manufactured.’ As you can read in the Products section of this issue, that might be starting to change, but in this case he’s talking about castor correction – an issue with all manner of bolt-on remedies if you drive a Defender, early Discovery or Range Rover Classic, but one which left him completely bereft of off-the-shelf options here. The solution was to return the radius arms to the correct angle by mounting them on dropped chassis brackets. These hang down from the chassis by several inches, obviously, but thus far this hasn’t caused any problems with snagging or ground clearance. One reason for this is that these days, the Range Rover isn’t being used as a Continued overleaf
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Above: Nice wall. Nice vehicle too. There’s a bit going on here, what with the steering guard and Terrafirma steering damper too. The springs are +2” Old Man Emus on spacer blocks, which then team up with +5” Terrafirma shocks at the front and +2” Pro-Comp shocks at the back. The result is a 4” lifted P38 that travels as good offroad as it does on-road Left: Safety Devices provided this internal roll cage and it fits very snuggly into the cabin. And while it may have been made a little difficult thanks to the 18” chopped off the back of the Rangey, it doesn’t hinder the interior space either big-time off-road toy. Damian is a bit of a serial Land Rover buyer, and he also owns a couple of traybacks which bear the brunt of playtimes and winch challenge action, so now it’s a daily driver for his wife Tracy – something their son Kai is very happy about, even if this does mean the back is often heavily laden with horsey stuff. That’s quite something for a truck that rides on a 4” lift (achieved using +2” Old Man Emu springs on spacer blocks, with +5” Terrafirma front and +2” Pro-Comp rear shocks) and runs heavy-duty bumpers and rock sliders. The latter are particularly interesting, not just because they’re so firmly
anchored to the chassis that you could hang the car off them but because the one on the left is also the exhaust pipe! Yes, you read that right – Damian ran the exhaust across the vehicle and into the body of the rock slider, from which it exits though what must be the most over-engineered side pipe in the history of the world. Between all this, you’re talking about an extremely competent and very distinctive off-roader. Damian thinks the rear axle has a limited-slip diff in it, though he’s never had it apart to check – and that would certainly add up, because the guy who sold it to him said it had cost £15,000 to build.
There’s a cautionary tale about pioneering mod jobs in there, but the vehicle itself is a spectacular example of what can be done if you have a vision and persevere in chasing it. And it’ll stay that way, too, so long as Tracy keeps on using it as a family car and Damian keeps on getting his off-road fix from his traybacks instead. Turning a P38 into a lifted trayback and then not using it off-road? It sounds crazy. Turning a P38 into a piece of engineering brilliance then keeping it looking beautiful so everyone can keep on admiring it forever? That makes all kinds of sense.
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Issue 16: June 2015
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The Lizard King
Words and Pictures Mike Trott
The perentie lizard is one of those creatures that’s frighteningly good at everything. So too is the Land Rover named after it – and, like all the best things from Australia (and some of the worst), now it’s over here…
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ustralia is famous for many different things. Convicts. Fosters. Big deserts. Animals that want to kill you. Soap operas that make you want to take your chances with the animals. Being annoyingly good at cricket. And rugby. And off-roading. The list goes on. If you’re English, it’s kind of the law that you’ve got to mock the Aussies. But you’ve also got to be secretly jealous
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of them. Because they get to live in Australia. While we’re shivering on the beach at Skegness and trying to dodge floaters on the tide, they’re surfing joyously and trying to dodge yet more animals that want to kill them. Anyway, I am a fan of Australia. Seriously. Not everyone tries to mug you in the street and the wildlife is generally… well, in the wild. Except when it lurks under your toilet seat, obviously. Or
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behind your sun visor. But you know what I’m saying. And hell, when the landscape is this epic you don’t mind sharing it with the rest of the animal kingdom. Especially not when they’re animals like the Perentie. This is Australia’s largest lizard (and the fourth largest in the world, after the likes of the Komodo dragon). It lives in the Outback, it hides from humans (very smart, as
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Above: Wherever this giant decides to roam, a huge rack of jerry can holders means it can do so for long periods of time. No small matter when your job is to get about in the wilds of Australia the Aborigines used to eat them) and it eats stuff like snakes, wombats and even dingoes. It grows up to 2.5 metres in length, it’s great at hiding, burrowing and climbing trees, it can run fast enough to catch a fleeing rabbit and when push comes to shove it’s armed with claws, teeth and even a tail that can mess you up a treat. Make no mistake, this guy is full-house gnarly. That’s why the perentie’s name was so appropriate for what is one of the most remarkable Land Rovers ever built. Back in the 1980s, the Australian Army must have decided it liked this lizard very much – because it went and had a whole ‘lounge’ of trucks built bearing the Perentie name. The Perentie has four legs and so do many of its Land Rover cousins, but there were some that developed another two and this gives you the Perentie 6x6. This vehicle is based on the Land Rover 110, but the differences between them make it something else besides. Developed in the mid-80s, all Perenties have galvanised chassis. For the 6x6 variant, the frame has also been extended to cope with the extra weight on its back. The 6x6 also has leaf springs at the rear instead of the usual 110 coils. The 6x6’s body has been widened, too, keeping the angles of the exterior in proportion and giving the Australian soldiers who drove it a bit more elbow room. In addition, Perenties have a widened rear chassis to accommodate the spare wheel, which has now Continued overleaf Below: One of the great things about the Perentie 6x6, and indeed how it gets its more proportional exterior, is the fact the body is wider than the standard 110 version. So, not only is there space for some of ya mates, but there’s room for yar arms too, cobber!
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Issue 16: June 2015
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Above: A cabin you’ll be proud, and comfortable, to sit in. With big seats waiting for you and even the option to flip up a little flap behind the steering wheel to stop all the dash lights dazzling your eyes, this is proper King of the Road territory been relocated to behind the second of the rear axles. So it has its spare located in the same place as the Range Rover Sport. The similarities end there, rest assured… unless you count big engines among them in general. When the Aussie army invited tenders for its new truck, Land Rover was still years away from putting a turbocharger on its old 2.5-diesel engine. That was never going to be enough to satisfy the requirement for a payload of up to 2.0 tonnes, especially given competition from the Unimog and Merc
G-Wagen, so Land Rover’s Australian arm turned to Isuzu for something a little more suitable. What you have here is the 4BD1-T; an Isuzu 3.9-litre four-cylinder diesel with a turbo bolted on (4x4 models were naturally aspirated). This ought to have kept Bruce happy while he patrolled Helmand Province back in the day. The Perenties were registered into service over a five-year period between 1987 and 1992. Coincidentally, it was in ’87 that Marc Pedersen started up Agricultural and Cross Country
Vehicles; Marc and his team have been importing demobbed Perenties to the UK since they were retired from service in February 2013. These days, military vehicles like the Thales Bushmaster have replaced old Land Rover based machines on the front line. Of the 400 6x6 models that were built, the 6x6 you see here is one of the few that’s made it all the way from Australia. And we say ‘made it’ because it’s no quick process… ‘It takes about three to four months to get them over here with all the correct permissions,’ explains Marc.
Below: The Isuzu 3.9-litre turbocharged four-pot is what some people call a ‘proper’ engine. If we’re honest – we agree!
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Above: This Land Rover is not afraid to shout about its roots. And you wouldn’t be when you’ve got all the right tools for the job. The Aussies gave certain 6x6 models a winch and, this being an Assault Pioneer model, it was one of those lucky ones Right: If you decide you’d like to sneak about in your massive invading machine, fortunately there is a blackout switch to hand ‘Having a good shipping agent helps too. Sometimes these vehicles have no paperwork and once you get them over here you have to contend with the IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval). ‘We deal in vehicle trading mainly; we used to do a lot of British Army stuff, but it’s more utility vehicles now. We’re the only ones that really import Perenties as well, because the paperwork can be such a pain.’ Fresh off the slow boat to the UK, this 6x6 is one of the Assault Pioneer models. These can carry up to six troops (including the driver) and have storage space for ammunition, guns and other offensive devices. There are racks for jerry cans on the rear to keep that 3.9-litre lump turning over, as well of course as six-wheel drive for when you need to get this goliath off the highway. Sometimes people who buy and sell vehicles don’t have any great fondness for the ones they can make decent money on, and the 6x6 is definitely a Land Rover to divide opinion. So we
asked Marc if this big old beast was his jar of Foster’s. ‘Yeah, I love these,’ he replied. ‘We try and buy things that we actually like ourselves. These haven’t got any electronics. You’ve got a good solid engine up front – very reliable and torquey. And it’s got the LT95A gearbox – which in my eyes is the strongest box Land Rover has ever built.’ That is high praise indeed. But then, you would like to think that one of the Commonwealth states would know better than to go into battle with just some feeble little 4x4. The Perentie 6x6 is a little on the heavy side, though, so if you’re like me and passed your driving test after 1997 you’ll need a C1 licence to drive one. Shame… I had already plotted the strategy for invading an irritating neighbour’s front lawn and destroying all his gnomes before me… Ahem. Despite the Perentie putting a fair amount of pressure on the scales, the 6x6 can at least outrun its reptilian counterpart as you change up through
the four-speed transmission and on towards about 50-55mph. It also has the welcome bonus of power steering. There are other 6x6 variants of the Perentie, too. An ambulance adaptation is one example; these have fibreglass bodies and air conditioning. But surely the most ruthless-looking version is the Long Range Patrol Vehicle, a bristling brute of a thing whose 365-litre fuel tank means it’s capable of travelling about 1000 miles without a single stop (so, in Australia, about enough to get you to the shops for a pint of milk). There you go, another little dig at Oz from a Brit who, joking apart, is in complete awe of this fantastic country and its fantastic beasts. And if you ask me, the Perentie is the most fantastic of them all whether on four legs or six wheels! Needless to say, certain of the creatures found in Australia are best kept over there in the Southern Hemisphere. But as far as Perenties that don the green oval go, they can have a first class seat all the way.
Above: In reality, you’d do very well to get this close to an actual perentie lizard out in the wild. You’d also do well to escape from it or simply survive its unyielding wrath! Still, this one doesn’t bite with any toxic venom, though it does have six-wheel drive. It also has leaf springs at the back, which provide extra strength for carrying a huge payload across any terrain, and the spare wheel sits ready between the rails of a galvanised, widened and extended chassis Below: Outward facing seats and storage for enough weaponry to defend the whole of Australia against enemy forces… if you’re a fan of a bit of lamping, you’re probably counting your money for one of these monsters right now
Thanks to Marc at Agricultural and Cross Country Cars, whose Perentie we photographed for this article. If you fancy an Aussie crusader of your very own, check them out at www.exmod.co.uk
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The wheels on the bus... Issue 16: June 2015
Spending five years in the same place sounds like it could be a recipe for boredom. That is, unless the place is Planet Earth – and you’ve spent half a decade roaming around as much of it as possible Words Mike Trott Pictures David Turner and Jayne Wilkinson
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avid Turner and Jayne Wilkinson have been just about everywhere. Over the course of 1903 days and 134,250 miles, they’ve visited six continents and an incredible 66 countries. And boy, do they have some stories to tell. First, though, let’s introduce their Land Rover: Lizzybus. She was once a regular 1996 300Tdi Defender 110 Station Wagon – but a lot can happen in five years. ‘She was initially called Elizabeth because of the roof rack on the top, which made her look as if she was wearing a crown,’ explains David. ‘Plus, Jayne’s identical sister lives in Elizabeth Rd. Soon to be son-in-law James kept calling her ‘Lizzybus’ because she could seat twelve… and the name stuck!’
According to the couple, it was always going to be a Land Rover that carried them across the globe. This is in part because the vehicles are made eight miles from their home, so there’s definitely a bit of local loyalty going on. Mind you, we use the word ‘home’ pretty loosely. From 16 August 2009 to 1 November 2014, Lizzybus was David and Jayne’s real home. ‘We used to do lots of backpacking, but we were lucky if we could get three weeks off. We’ve always been envious of those that could take six months out at a time,’ says David. ‘We’d never owned a 4x4 and it was all rather spontaneous. The advantage of having your own transport is you don’t miss things out – overlanding gives you more options.’ Heading all the way down the west of Africa to South Africa, Lizzybus and her occupants then travelled up the east side of the continent on their way towards Asia.
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Issue 16: June 2015
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Above: David and Jayne faced many dangers while travelling around the globe, and that includes bush fires! Neither crew member or Land Rover was harmed in the making of this story…
Above: Too close for comfort? On this occasion Jayne was able to escape from te cobras unharmed, but unfortunately a snake did bite her during the five years of adventure. She lives to tell the tale though! Below: The Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA, and the Mano del Desierto, Chile, are just a couple of places that the trio visited on this truly epic journey
West Africa was one of the few places in the world that proved to be more hazardous than David and Jayne had bargained for. The police shook them down for money and although they played hardball when they could, they ended up paying out bribes on four occasions. ‘We had two huge guys with knives cutting through the kit at three in the morning in the Congo,’ Jayne tells us. ‘For us to escape we had to climb down the roof tent ladder barefoot and unlock Lizzybus to get away. Fortunately these guys ran off after we “screamed” a lot! ‘This is why Lizzybus number two will still have a roof tent for the views, keeping us off the ground, but it will be a pop-top. If need be we can get out of bed and drive away inside the vehicle – not down a ladder.’ That wasn’t the only touch-and-go moment on the trip. Jayne suffered a bout of malaria, got bitten by a snake and narrowly escaped death after going into anaphylactic shock. ‘It’s a get-helpor-die situation,’ she says. ‘Running down a street in Uruguay knowing I was about five minutes from oblivion, with no phone or common language, hunting for a hospital or clinic, I would have given up everything and never travelled again.’ ‘It was a bit of a struggle at times,’ adds David. ‘You lose the protection of Western society. But then going “where there is no doctor” is part of the adventure in many ways.’ So too was needing armed escorts on the way through Pakistan, apparently. All this makes it sound as if these people have spent the last five years lurching from one drama to another, but they’ll tell you that the tough times along the way are overwhelmed by so many incredible experiences that will stay with you forever. Nonetheless, exploring Europe, Africa and Asia would be enough for most people. But for this gang, that was only halfway. Next up was Australia, Continued overleaf
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before Lizzybus went on a ship to South America. From here, Jayne and David headed north through Central America before rounding things off in the USA and Canada. Naturally, it would be difficult to pick a favourite place from such an extensive amount of destinations... ‘Everyone says this, but we truly loved every country and continent we passed through,’ says Jayne. ‘What does stand out more is the countries that surprised us. ‘Ethiopia was not just a country of famine, but incredibly diversified with mountain ranges and archaeological sites like the Churches of Labella. Iran is sometimes described within the “axis of evil” but its people, particularly the women, were incredibly educated. At Persepolis everyone was honoured we had come to their country and took endless photos of Lizzybus and us.’ Knowing when to go by road or trail also helps along the way. David says they would generally take the road less travelled by others and limit their time on the tarmac. ‘Obviously you need to be wary when taking to the tracks and you should be prepared to turn back if it comes to it,’ continues David. ‘We were travelling around in our house at the end of the day.’ As you would expect when covering 134,000 miles, Lizzybus was to be found in the garage on more than one occasion. You’ll go through a few sets of brakes in that time, not to mention clutches and cam belts, and she was plagued by overheating towards the end of the adventure. There were the usual leaks and creaks to contend with, too – but she arrived home a hero. ‘We know Lizzybus is an inanimate chunk of metal,’ says David. ‘But this chunk of metal has been all that stood between us and the road ahead.
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She is as much a part of this journey, if not more so than us. This is not the end – it’s just the beginning!’ On that subject, Brian Tonks of Tonks4x4 has been carrying out a full rebuild on Lizzybus, ready for the next chapter of David and Jayne’s crazy adventures. Yes, they really are heading off again – and they might not bother coming back either! They also plans to put her on have put her on a galvanised chassis, and want to convert her to a two-door for better storage space. As veterans of overlanding now, the Lizzybus crew have some useful tips for anyone who wants to follow in their (very extensive) footsteps. ‘Make sure the person you are travelling with is someone you actually like,’ jokes Jayne. ‘Living four feet away from someone in such a confined space, with no facilities and being totally reliant on each other, takes some doing. Be prepared to hate, loathe and detest them at the same time as admiring, respecting and trusting them!’ For some people, overlanding can be considered a lengthy holiday; for David and Jayne, its now their lifestyle. ‘We are looking to go to Russia and Mongolia next, to do the Road of Bones and more. We want to get on the move as soon as possible, though, before the Russian winter sets in!’ says Jayne. Some would say David and Jayne are lucky to be able to do what they do. But they’re not having any of that. ‘To all who say we are lucky, we say luck is not part of our vocabulary. Guts, balls and determination make you lucky. Don’t wake up and wish: wake up and do.’ As you’ll appreciate, it’s hard to fit five years of travelling into a few pages. Which is why, if you’d like to read more about Lizzybus and her companion’s stories, you can do it at www.lizzybus.com
36 All in Good Time w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 16: June 2015
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Replacing a rear crossmember is the perfect example of a job it’s easy to do badly. But so long as you’ve got the basic skills and are willing to take your time, it’s just as easy to do it well – and this is a job where the consequences of bodging it don’t bear thinking about
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eplacing a Defender’s rear crossmember is the sort of job you’ll probably be happy to take on so long as you can weld two bits of metal together. We all like to be the guy who can fix anything, after all – and while Land Rovers make
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Words Mike Trott Pictures Spinney Engineering
that a whole lot more possible than most vehicles, there’s a big difference between ‘fixing’ something and fixing it properly. There’s no such thing as a job that won’t come back to bite you if you lash it up. But some will come back with
bigger teeth than others. When it’s stuff like a rear crossmember, or indeed any other kind of chassis welding, doing it badly is like going skinny-dipping in a bay full of sharks. The only question is when: you’re going to get bitten, and if you survive it’ll just be down to luck.
We’ve all heard the stories about the guy whose back chassis broke off while he was being recovered from a mud pit. Everyone laughs, the car goes home on a trailer and some time later it either reappears on a new chassis or gets broken for scrap. When the same thing happens on the road, because your welds weren’t up to the stress that goes through them in a hard corner, it’s a lot less funny. Killing your Land Rover is one thing: killing your family, and maybe someone else’s, is another. So this is a job that should be done with care, not with some double-sided tape and Superglue. It goes without saying that welding skills are essential here – but even if you’ve done a course and got your ticket, talking to someone
who knows the specifics of what they’re doing is still crucial. Your ideal tutor is someone who has done the job more often than he can remember; someone who can give you tips and techniques on doing the job properly – and avoiding the pitfalls that lie in wait for he unwary. Someone like Andrew Poulson, in fact. The main man at Spinney Engineering, he’s been around plenty of rear crossmembers – ‘more than my age,’ he says. So when he talks, it’s a good time to listen. ‘Aside from doing the work well, the primary consideration has to be personal safety,’ says Andrew. ‘Without further complications, I would allow approximately six hours depending on the model. But however much time you intend to allow, double it. If you end up with any time left over, put your feet up accompanied by an invitingly cool and well-deserved beer!’ Some of us may find six hours without a beer particularly excruciating, but seeing as it’s still only early spring we’ll give it a go. Besides dehydration, there is another factor you should take note of: wiring. When removing the old crossmember, cautions Andrew, it can be very easy to get carried away and start slicing and dicing the vehicle until you cut through something that’s going to cause a blue cloud to escape into the atmosphere – and not from your Land Rover, either! ‘Support the body before cutting and removing any bolts,’ says Andrew, ‘and ensure that you possess the right sized replacements. Beware of the wires, which need carefully disconnecting, then remove the tow bar et al. And be safe in the knowledge that you can really weld well!’ Read that again, as many times as it takes. The rear wiring loom is housed inside the driver’s-side chassis rail, so think twice before putting that angle grinder into action. ‘Locate the
Main picture: As is often the way, this Defender looks very well presented from the outside. Outwardly, there’s nothing to suggest that the crossmember would be anything other than in tip-top condition – looks, however, can be deceptive Left: Here’s the ugly truth – and it’s one that lurks beneath the blunt end of many’s an ageing 90, 110 and 130. The back chassis and crossmember are well on their way – trusting your life to metal in this state means you’re running the risk of not having one
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Above: The new piece is taken back to bare metal too – there’s no point trying to weld on to paint, is there? Again, keep at it with the measuring – accuracy is the key here Above: The crossmember includes the back section of the chassis rails, which in this case are the crustiest part of the whole deal. When you look at this picture, and the next, you’ll see why ‘measure once, cut twice’ has become such a well worn phrase. You’ll also see what could happen if you didn’t take account of the wiring harness running within the driver’s-side chassis rail rear crossmember on axle stands,’ says Andrew, ‘then avoid cutting the chassis in the wrong place. The old adage of
“measure twice and cut once” very much applies here. Clean and grind the chassis and new crossmember as
appropriate, then offer up the new crossmember to a snug fit. ‘When satisfied, fully weld the new crossmember in situ, clean and grind any excessive welding if necessary, then paint it up. Carefully reconnect everything you disconnected earlier and test as appropriate, then you have a job well done.’ Dire warnings aside, a rear crossmember is simply not a job you need to do badly. As with so many things, the difference between rushing it and taking your time is a the difference between a bodge and a job done right – the big deal being that in this case, it can also be the difference between a sound motor and one that kills you. Six hours is what Andrew reckons a straightforward job will take him, but taking longer doesn’t mean you’ve failed. This is a guy who’s done dozens of them, don’t forget – and anyway, it’s not a race. Final words of wisdom from the master? ‘Always remember it is easy to do a job badly, but not difficult to do it well.’ Make that your motto and the sky will be your limit. Above left: Here lies the broken, disgraced and now former crossmember. Look at the cuts where it’s been unstitched from the chassis and you’ll understand the importance of getting them in the right place Left: Out with the old and in with the new. The chop and measurements have been made and the outstretched chassis rails have been cleaned up with the grinder ready for insertion into the new crossmember
Above: Mate the new crossmember to the chassis then tack-weld it so it stays in place while you give it yet another check. Once you’re completely confident in your positioning, you can weld it up finally Below: Here’s the new crossmember fitted and welded firmly into place. A job well done – and, depending on what sort of use this particular 90 tends to get, one which should be good to last a decade or more
38 LAND ROVERS AND PARTS FOR SALE w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 16: June 2015
Series I
Series I 88” soft-top (1956). Solid chassis with full cage. Tax exempt. 2200TC P6 Rover engine conversion. Reconditioned carbs, runs superbly and starts first time. Used daily. ARC logbooked. Series III axles with large brake drums. Rear ally petrol tank, parabolic springs, electric fan, new temp gauge, 4 seats with belts. £5500. Lancs, 01942 603091 05/15
Series I hard-top (1958). Needs a full restoration. New V5 present, chassis plate is present and correct. This very rare Land Rover will make a very rewarding project. £4500. Halifax, West Yorkshire, 07825 855740 05/15
Series I 80-inch ‘replica’. Based on a shortened Series II chassis with a 2.5 nat-asp Defender engine. Has been used as a farm hack, is not road legal and has no logbook, but could be used for trialling or to re-chassis a rotten 80. Chassis very solid and has no rot. Tyres have plenty of tread and hold air, but are not legal due to cracks in sidewalls. Electrics might need looking at, but starts every time. Has a leak from the oil filter, and exhaust has started to blow. Has towbar and electrics. House move forces sale. £POA. York, 07790 617348 05/15
88” Series I hard-top (1957). For Restoration and Repair. SWB hard-top with windows. 2.0-litre petrol – engine is partly dismantled and not running. Chassis and bulkhead rusted. Original
logbook and V5. In present ownership for more than 20 years. Possibily ex-Civil Defence. Good, non-transferable number plate. No tax or MOT needed. Has been dry-stored for several years but is now outside and in need of a new home. £4750. Beccles, Suffolk, 07544 147066 06/15
Series II
Ex-MOD Series IIA Ambulance (1972). Camper conversion. MOT July 15 (no advisories). Tax exempt, cheap historical insurance. Stretcher bays converted into beds/seats, but could easily be returned to original. New 2.25 petrol engine fitted by MOD prior to disposal; only done 4500 miles since then! New tyres, brakes and pipes in last 3 years. New lights, floor panels, wheel cylinders, coil and carb. Fairey overdrive. Chassis excellent (Waxoyled). Window washers, phone changing points, DVD player and LED inside lights added. Rear roof insulated and carpeted. Comes with a driveaway awning. £3500. Cardiff, 07736 329789 04/15
GUMTREE 4x4 SpecialiStS in land rover, range rover, diScovery, freelander and all 4x4s servicing, repairs, conversions, rebuilds & chassis replacements. performance and off road modifications.
Series II (1960). For renovation. £650. Cornwall, 07818 216186 06/15
Land Rover Series IIA (1969). 2.25 petrol. 48,389 miles. Beautiful marine blue Series IIA 88” softtop. In excellent condition, fully serviced recently, newly repaired starter motor and 10 months’ MOT. No need for tax! Essex. £3000 ono. 07966 242402, eccure@gmail.com 01/15
Series IIA 88 (1968). 200Tdi, galv chassis. MOT Aug. Strong Discovery engine. Brake servo. Solid bulkhead. Overdrive. Exmoor Trim full tilt. Parabolic springs and uprated dampers fitted 6 months ago. Range Rover heater. Tailgate modified to open like a door. Electric fan, Range Rover rad, Glencoyne 4x4 alternator. New props and UJs. Phone charger, high-back cloth seats, Hankook tyres on larger wheels. £5600. Telford, 07446 192319 05/15
88” Series II (1959). 51,000 genuine miles. Very early Series II using the 2.0-litre diesel engine. Recently sympathetic restoration to original working standard, cost more than £5000. Solid chassis, sealed underside. Newly painted. Engine restored to a perfect standard, runs beautifully with no smoke. Fitted with an overdrive, which kicks in well and runs very smoothly. New canvas roof and upholstered seats. MOT and tax exempt. An opportunity to own a rare and beautiful Land Rover. £10,000. Rolvenden, Kent, 07743 709095 06/15
Series III
109” Series III (1974). Ex-military 3.5 V8 project –
nearly finished, comes with 100s of spares. Heavy-duty chassis, overdrive, wing reinforcements, longer seat legroom. No tax or MOT, on SORN since August last year (last MOT passed with no advisories!) Chassis is original, fully undersealed and in excellent solid condition for age. Front and rear crossmembers in superb condition. Bodywork very good condition. Rock solid Defender bulkhead, modified to accommodate V8 engine and Series III brakes, throttle, windscreen hinges etc. Gearbox, overdrive and axles all in good condition. FWH. New clutch, including 9.5” pressure plate and both cylinders. Good brakes and tyres, recently sealed canvas in average condition for age. Engine makes good oil pressure but appears to need new head gaskets and could do with a tune up. New aluminium radiator and Steve Parker exhaust. Spares include low-mileage gearbox and axles, springs, bonnet, propshafts, hood sticks, bulkhead, panels and more. Loom for brake and rear indicator lights needs replacing. Very little work required for MOT. NB the amount of spares means you will need two trips or a very large trailer! Very reluctant sale due to lack of time and a house move. £2499. Alderley Edge, Cheshire, 07902 078430 06/15
88” Series III (1974). 200Tdi with PAS. 106,049 miles. Tax exempt. MOT Feb 2016 (no advisories). Engine starts, runs and pulls really well. Excellent bulkhead and chassis with recent new rear crossmember. Fully undersealed. New Parabolic springs and ProComp shocks. Fully polybushed. Front and rear 13,000lb winches, twin batteries with T-Max splitcharging system. Front winch bumper and rock sliders. Rear roll bar with work lights. Disco diffs and FWH. Rebel steering guard. Front prop spacer. 265/75R16 Insa Turbo Special Tracks. Wheel spacers. New adjustable height towbar with electrics. Defender seats (good condition). Heater works fine! £4500. Hull, 07973 849078 06/15
90
Defender 90 TD5 County (2003). Challenge vehicle with massive spec. 68,000 miles, full MOT. Very straight and tidy, just had full respray. Comes with factory-fitted electric windows, full remote central locking and immobiliser. Stage 2 engine remap (off-road/torque map). Professionally fitted challenge front end, HD winch bumper, Warn winch with synthetic rope. TDCi Puma bonnet. Terrafirma +2” springs and +5” shocks in -2” turrets. Qt 6-degree cranked arms, Terrafirma double-cranked rear arms. 2” lift blocks. Sumo bars, steering guard and Terrafirma damper. Good quality snorkel and hardmade side-exit exhaust (sounds unreal!) Small steering wheel. 35x12.50R16 Maxxis Mudzillas on modulars with 2” spacers. Both axles upgraded to TDCi hi-capacity 4-pin diffs and HD 110 rear halfshafts. Body sliders and rock sliders. Many recent parts including new rad, alternator, starter motor, wheel bearings, EGR removal kit, clutch, recon steering box and Bosch HD battery, all within last 18 months. Recorded Cat C as stolen recovered. No rust at all, anywhere. I have more than £15k in this and am only selling due to lack of time. £8999. Holmfirth, West Yorks, 07703 383492 (no calls after 9pm) 06/15
Defender 90 off-roader. MOT Dec. Converted from a 110 in 1993. Discovery 200Tdi engine, just had full cam belt kit including
Defender 90 300 Tdi (1997). 141,000 miles. Ex-RAF, served in the Falklands. Very good condition. Chassis just cleaned and sealed. Recent new rear cross-
Series III 109” Fire Engine (1975). 2286cc petrol. Ex Guernsey and Alderney. Registered for road use in 2001. Good starter, drives and brakes well. No MOT or tax (as a fire engine it is exempt). Fairey winch, some hoses, ladders, suction pipes and various fittings. £3995. Chorley, Lancs, 07714 331685 05/15
Minerva
established in 1981, located in mid-sussex
tel: 01444 241457 info@gumtree4x4.co.uk
tensioner, water pump and radiator, and good second-hand turbo fitted. Good chassis, bulkhead looks mint. External cage mounted to body. Tubular front end. LED headlights, sidelights, indicators and tail lights. Raptor dash, Puma bonnet, cubby box, Scooby seats (3 seats in back as removed 4th for tools etc). 285/75R16 Insa Turbo Special Tracks. 30mm wheel spacers. New +2” lift springs 3 months ago. Shock relocation kit with 11” travel shocks and dislocation cones all round. Twin snorkels (one for heater, which needs finishing). Diff guards, steering guards, bush cables, rock sliders, brand new tank guard. Winch bumper (no winch). Swing away wheel carrier. Tow bar with electrics. Spare A-frame ball joint supplied as it will need one soon. £POA. Doncaster, 07429 145045 06/15
Land Rover Minerva TT (1952). Recent overhaul, new paint, new suede gaitors. New battery and alternator, 12v aux. Brakes overhauled, new diff and gearbox oil, seats re-upholstered. 4 new tyres. Electronic ignition. Bulkhead sound, hood VGC, rust-free for its age! Road tax and MOT exempt. Isolator switch, new fuel pump. £4500. Hull, 07737 320448 05/15
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 member and front outriggers. 4 new door hinges. Front light bar. Winch bumper (brand new winch can be bought separately, never been fitted and still in box). This truck as had lots of care and it shows how it drives. The interior is in very good condition, seats are like new with heavy-duty covers. Two sets of wheels and tyres also available – alloys with BFGoodrich tyres and modulars with brand new 285/75/16 Insa Turbo Special Tracks. £4600. Conisbrough, South Yorkshire. 07950 461197 06/15
Defender 90 300Tdi (1994). 155,000 miles. Superb condition, with full service and lots of new parts. Professionally restored with 12 months’ MOT. New carpet, one-piece tinted glass, chequer plate, bumper (with DRLs), fuel tank and filler neck, rear shocks, discs and pads all round, brake lines, lift pump, doors, outriggers, 1/3 rear crossmember, steering and diff guards, tailgate and NAS LED tail lights. Full respray inside and out, load bed fully lined, chassis fully welded to high standard. Genuine Wolf wheels with Michelin XZLs. Retrimmed dash with matching gear gaiter. New aluminium gear and diff knobs. Still leaks a little oil, but it is 20 years old! Good strong engine pulls well with no gearbox issues and all. This is a nice solid Defender 90 pick-up with all the work done and ready to go. £6400. Leek, Staffs, craigwormald@ me.com 06/15
Defender 90 300Tdi (1988). 211,000 miles. Repainted in 2011. Redesigned rear lights. Custom winch bumper, front diff guard and steering guard. Terrafirma springs. Heavy-duty steering bars. Terrafirma polybushes. Insa Turbo Special Track tyres. Twin batteries and alternators. K&N performance air filter. Sparco steering wheel. Raptor dashboard. Cobra Monaco seats with 4-point belts. £5500. Hatfield, 07525 147663 06/15
Defender 90 300Tdi. 12 months’ MOT. In Heritage green. 2” lift kit, freshly Waxoyled. Chassis has had some patches over the years. Boost alloy wheels (wheels and seats could do with a refurb). This car drives really, really well and is very powerful. it needs to be driven to be appreciated. Has also got Safari snorkel etc. £4250. Halifax, 07896 595192 06/15
Defender 90 2.8 truck-cab (1984). 133,999 miles. MOT September. 2.8 Daihatsu engine. Snorkel. 285/75R16 Fedima Siroccos. +2” springs and shocks. Heavy-duty steering arms. Chequer plate wing tops. Range Rover grille. New push-button doors. CD player. Honda CRX seats. Side-exit exhaust. May swap. £3400. Newark, 07961 009001 05/15
Defender 90 300Tdi (1985). Full 12 months’ MOT. Excellent condition. Rust-free chassis. Full external cage and challenge-style front wings. Rock and tree sliders. 12,500lb front winch with remote, Plasma rope and air freespool, 9500lb rear winch with remote. 265/75R16 Insa Turbos on beadlockers. Quick-release steering wheel, Raptor dash, ARB compressor with tyre inflator. Rebuilt LT77 box and Disco transfer. +2” Terrafirma suspension with front and rear shock turrets and dislocation cones, wide-angle props and heavy-duty halfshafts. Diff guards. XT disc handbrake. Qt 3-degree cranked arms front and back. Snorkel and diff breathers. Side-exit exhaust. Heavy-duty steering arms. New timing belt, alternator, starter motor and heavy-duty battery just fitted. £4650. Doncaster, 01709 863555 or 07930 876533 05/15
Defender 90 300Tdi. 168,000 miles. Front and rear ARBs, upgraded steering arms, underbody protection, Allisport intercooler, heavy-duty clutch just fitted, chassis and bulkhead in mint condition. £5500, Liverpool. 07956 361888 05/15
Defender 90, 200Tdi pick-up (1992). 12 months’ MOT. One owner from new. 129,000 miles. New clutch and cover, new handbrake shoes and heavy-duty adjustable tow bar. Chassis very clean and sound. Good reliable vehicle. £4200. Denbighshire, 07776 210775 06/15
Issue 16: June 2015
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Issue 16: June 2015
STOCKIST DIRECTORY
South-East England
Importers, Exporters, Wholesale Distributors & Retailers of Winches & Accessories
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
East Midlands
Gumtree 4x4 “Independent Specialists in Land Rover, Range Rover, Discovery and Freelander.”
West Midlands
South Wales
Foundry 4x4 Ltd
Cast Iron Quality & Service The Old Bakery, Rear of Vale Terrace, Tredegar, Gwent, NP22 4HT
www.foundry4x4.co.uk
info@foundry4x4.co.uk • 01495 725544
North West England
North East England
Unit C17, Ditchling Common, West Sussex, BN6 8SG
www.gumtree4x4.co.uk admin@gumtree4x4.co.uk • 01444 241457
www.island-4x4.co.uk Online Land Rover Part Specialists Offering Worldwide Mail Order
* Free Mainland UK Delivery Over £50 * * Delivery France, Germany and Belgium £10 unlimited weight and parcels *
sales@island-4x4.co.uk
South-West England
North East Scotland
Defender 90 200Tdi (1987). On/off-road. 150,000 miles. Recently painted in Kawasaki Green. Interior is decent but could do with a slight upgrade. Comes under very cheap c lassic car insurance. Jacked up on big springs and shockers, wide wheels, Momo racing steering wheel (comes with disk lock), stainless steel side-exit exhaust, guards all round, Terrafirma steering damper, dislocation cones. Very solid all-round chassis and bulkhead. £3995. Mirfield, West Yorks, 07563 234944 06/15
Defender 90 TD5 XS Hard-Top (2000). No VAT. 92,809 miles. MOT Nov 2015. Full service history. Minimal off-road use. Well maintained and in very good condition for age, immaculate interior with grey cloth seats (seat covers fitted since new). Air conditioning, BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain tyres (all in good condition, with brand new spare), 16” Boost alloys with locking wheel nuts, hub spacers, front diff and steering guard, Scorpion Racing front bumper, chequer plate wing tops and side protection, rear roof rack ladder, rear step bumper with tow pack, rear light protection, Sony CD.MP3 stereo , fully lined rear load area, sunroof, lockable cubby box. Sale also includes original front bumper, front light guards, dog guard and two-bar roof rack. £8750. Chichester, West Sussex, 07710 170868 06/15
Defender 90 (1986). 300Tdi. 12 months’ MOT, 95,500 miles. 300Tdi and R380 from a Discovery fitted professionally at 76,000 miles in 2009. Solid chassis. Disc brake rear axle conversion. Momo steering wheel, high-back half-leather XS seats. Performance air filter. Replacement rear crossmember, fuel tank, front brake calipers, rear brake lines, steering damper and tow electrics, also clutch master cylinder, late newer-type clutch pedal assembly, brake servo pump, fan belt tensioner and water pump housing. Sale includes a replacement bulkhead (the one fitted on the vehicle has some rust). Very low mileage for the year. £4750. Sturry, Kent, 07843 228220 05/15
Land Rover 90 (1988). 2.5 TD (19J) engine. Rear bench seats with four auto lap belts. 2” lift kit fitted, with polybushes. Many new parts and recent full service. All drive, transfer and gears work. Large dual-terrain tyres (including spare). Has MOT but is on SORN. £2995. Edenbridge, Kent, 01732 868067 06/15
Defender 90 TD5 hard-top (2000). 70,470 miles. No VAT. Brand new Insa Turbo tyres a few months ago. Apache winch with synthetic rope, mounted on bumper with A-bar and spot lights. Orange recovery strobes front and back (always good when your friend gets stuck somewhere!) Heavy-duty steering guard. Carpeted inside. Rear bench seats. Sony Bluetooth head unit. Bulkhead spot-on, chassis in good condition, rear crossmember could do with a spray. MOT July. Heaters not working (might just be a fuse), dink on back panel. £7500 ono. Barnsley, 07917 528584 06/15
Defender 90 200Tdi softtop (1994). 137,000 miles. Southdown snorkel with Gwyn Lewis wading hoses and manifold. Terrafirma TF100 alloys with beadlocking rims and Kumho tyres (with less than 1500 miles on them). Toad alarm. Heated windscreen. Raptor console. Terrafirma +11” Mega Sport Competition suspension and +2” springs with SuperPro bushes. Exmoor Trim bikini hood and rear black benches with lap belts. Cobra bucket seats. CB. Black chequer plate throughout. Full replacement dashboard. MOT November. A great fun vehicle in very good condition. £7999. Brockenhurst, 01590 620083 06/15
110
Ex-Army 110 FFR (1987). 2.5 nat-asp diesel, 5-speed manual gearbox (no PAS). MOT Aug.
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
Issue 16: June 2015
We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk Only released from the Army in August last year, and its condition reflects this. It’s still fitted with all its Clansman radio equipment, Dexion racks, TUAAM boxes, antennae and bases, ARFAT, radio battery box/table with set trays, DCCU, headsets, batteries for clip in and pressel boxes. It also has a snorkel breather adaption and has had Wolf wheels fitted. The SA80 rifle racks are still there and there are bull bars which haven’t yet been fitted but will be part of the sale too. Overall condition very good – chassis and engine are excellent. Hard top has been insulated. The vehicle is nearly 30 years old and has done approximately 100,000 miles. May swap/ part-ex for a Disco auto diesel or similar with PAS. £3999. Bolton, 07928 191564 05/15
Defender 110 (1983). 200Tdi with PAS. Galvanised chassis. Very reluctant sale. Bought in 2003 from Forestry Commission in N.Ireland (all paperwork and old MOTs available). Well looked after. Old Man Emu suspension lift. BFG All-Terrains. Spare 80-litre fuel tank built in behind rear seats. Veg oil conversion (currently disconnected). Spare tools. Starts every time. Bodywork, cappings and front doors need attention, so do CV joints, bulkhead showing signs of fatigue. But strong and healthy deep down, and comes with registration valued at £600 as well as three Haynes manuals. MOT June. £3500. Portsmouth. Email debyjanderson@gmail. com 06/15
Range Rover
Early Range Rover Classic Suffix A 2-Door (1972). 72,000 miles. Tax exempt with MOT. 5-speed Disco gearbox with locking diff. 2.8-litre Isuzu turbo-diesel engine with large Forge Motorsport intercooler. Power steering. Very solid. Has had welding here and there but is in great condition, with most of the bushes recently being overhauled. Still retains most of its period features like early bumpers with starter handle in the front bumper, 7-hole Lucas rear lights, 1/2-height heater element in rear hatch, lever-style lower rear hatch opening, grease nipple external hinges, non ‘black stripe’ front indicator units, squared off side badges, squared off front and rear Range Rover lettering, vertical grille, lever release, folding rear bench and lots more! New brakes, stainless exhaust and prop UJs, reconditioned rear diff. 2” suspension lift, many new
suspension bushes. Large roof rack (suitable for tent). Sump guard. New steel wheels with BFGoodrich All-Terrain tyres. Jaguar XJ front reclining seats. Various spares including lamp guards and HD rear bumper. Reluctant sale to due to lack of time – this is a wicked classic to run around in, and with the last few bits done it will be an awesome car for years to come. I’d like it to go to someone who can look after it and enjoy it properly! £9495. London, 07834 492079 06/15
Range Rover Classic 3.5 V8 (1987). Unfinished restoration project. MOT May. 92,500 miles. Chassis shotblasted and galvanised, along with shock turrets. Cranked front and rear arms, Polybushes, Rimmer 30-40mm HD lift springs, 2” ProComp shocks. New 225/75R16 General Grabber ATs on refurbed alloys. New brakes and body mounts, excellent refurbished fuel tank, heavy-duty steering arms. Major engine rebuild with reground crank, high-torque cam, honed bores, skimmed heads, new valves, pushrods and lifters, Edelbrock 4-barrel carb and manifold, SS exhaust, RPI plenum, rebuilt distributor, NGK plugs, Magnecor leads, K&N filter, Facet fuel pump and Optima Red Top battery. New fibreglass headlining and aluminium upper tailgate. Waxoyled from new, including sills, crossmember and pillars. No Rust. Only welded parts are two 4” plates (usual rear seat belt mounts on arch), and two 1 x 6” repairs on footwell corners (wheelarch abrasion area). There is a small hole inside the tailgate under the carpet left to repair, but the only big job left is a respray. Front inner wings, sills, footwells and rear inner wings have been sanded, treated, primed and coated in stonechip guard. Sold with various unused, never-fitted parts. New Coil And Ignition amp fitted but no spark from coil, so engine won’t run and needs to be trailered away. Over £10k spent. This is a reluctant sale as poor health is slowing me up, and I may still keep it if it doesn’t sell. Viewing essential. £7400. Hornchurch, Essex, 07974 947285 06/15
Range Rover Vogue TD6 (2003). 156,000 miles. Excellent condition. Tow bar, 20” alloys, xenons, light guards, chrome handles and side bars. Cream leather interior. Bodywork excellent for the age and miles. Sat-nav. All heated seats, with electric adjustment and memory. Sunroof. New gearbox, still with guarantee. All new brakes, front bushes and two suspension
airbags. ECU remap for economy (gives an extra 27bhp and more torque). Private plate will be retained. £6950. Wigton, Cumbria, 07875 385781 (no time wasters) 06/15
Discovery
Discovery XS 300 Tdi 7-seat (1996). Off-road monster. MOT December. Solid chassis and boot floor (never welded). Box-section sills and rock sliders (not fitted). CB. LED rook bar. Five 285/75R16 Insa Turbos. Side-exit exhaust. Lots more off-road equipment, all fitted new this year and only used twice. £2050. Sheffield, 07469 811159 06/15
Discovery TD5 ES 7-seat (2000). 113,000 miles. MOT March 16. Full beige leather interior with heated and electrically adjustable front seats. New heated windscreen, recent clutch and fuel pump. Harmon Kardon speaker system with Sony Bluetooth head unit. Tow hitch with working electrics. Twin sunroofs have been sealed with silicone due to leakage. Usual age-related marks. Please no time wasters. £2700. Wadebridge, Cornwall, 07449 972737 06/15
Discovery TD5 (2004). 165,360 miles with full service history. Genuine Land Rover Special Vehicles model with expedition prep. +3” Terrafirma lift with heavy-duty shock absorbers. Terrafirma steering damper and braided brake lines. 50mm Bulldog wheel spacers and extended flexi arches. 19” RR Sport wheels with Koala A/T tyres. Terrafirma fuel tank guard, steering guard, winch bumper, Safari snorkel, breathers and removable tow bar. EGR removed. Full stainless 2” exhaust with de-cat and straightthrough pipe (sounds superb). K&N filter. Drilled, grooved and vented performance brake discs. New Clutch and flywheel in 2012. New battery, starter motor, double-cardon propshaft, hubs and bearings and major service this year. Roof rack with spot lights (not wired) and spare wheel. Includes 3-in-1 Armadillo side canopy, awning and day room/ tent. This is a real head turner and gets admirers everywhere it goes.
I have owned and maintained it for over 4 years (only done 7000 miles in that time), and you won’t find one in better mechanical condition. Only for sale as I have now bought a Discovery 3. Private plate not included. £4750. Luton, 07833 413071 06/15
Discovery 300 Tdi (1997). 10 months’ MOT. Full Land Rover service history up to 125,000 miles, then last two from local garage. +4” suspension lift, +2” body lift. Dislocation cones, front and back bumper bars. No advisories on last MOT. New boot floor with cream interior, electric heated leather seats in excellent condition, everything works as it should. Six roof bar lights (all working). Cylinder Head reconditioned last year, new clutch, pads and discs in Feb. This car is sadly Cat D, having suffered damage to the rear of driver’s-side back quarter. £2995.
07807 860007 06/15 Land Rover Discovery 2 TD5 ES (1999). 166,000 miles. MOT Aug. Td5 Alive tuning box, EGR valve blanking kit, larger alloy intercooler, Samco boost hoses, de-cat exhaust. Devon 4x4 heavy-duty bumpers, Warn Powerplant winch, Devon 4x4 steering guard, Safari Snorkel, heavy-duty galvanised fuel tank guard, xenon headlights, 6x light bar (requires wiring), Aeroquip brake hoses, Polybushed trailing arms, uprated shocks, 265/75R16 mud-terrains with lots of tread. Standard equipment includes climate, cruise, steering wheel controls, electric front seats and Harmon Kardon stereo. Sunroofs have been sealed shut. £3000. Bromsgrove, Worcs, 07889 855699 05/15
Discovery 200Tdi auto bobtail. Built several years ago and used as a daily drive as well off-road toy, with dickie seats in the back. Tubular bumpers. Aluminium tank with integral guard, using original filler. Rock sliders on box sills. Sealed wheelarches – no dirt traps! 4-point play cage. Ally rear floor. Range rover tailgate. Td5 headlights. Currently on SORN and has no MOT. Still a presentable vehicle, but it has been used and the paint has gone dull. £POA. Tetbury, 07970 079727 05/15
Specials
Discovery V8i GS Auto (1999). Off-road prepped. 136,700 miles, MOT September. Good condition for year, with no rot. Clean and tidy – used every day. Slight wear to driver’s seat. +2” lift, winch bumper, rock sliders, Terrafirma straight-through middle silencer (sounds lovely). Off-road tyres, LED spotlights. New truck forces sale. £2000. Bodmin, Cornwall. 07771 587819 05/15
Discovery 300 Tdi (1994) bobtail. No MOT, currently on SORN (could be put back on the road, but I have no idea what it would need). Virtually new 285/75R16 Kumho Road Venture MTs on modular wheels, Terrafirma springs and shocks, competition fuel tank in boot, wheelarch extensions, snorkel and roof-mounted light bar. £1600. Harbrough, Lincs, 01469 577170 or 07936 377314 04/15
Freelander
Freelander Td4 S (2000). 103,000 miles. MOT Dec (no advisories). This is a stunning 14-yearold Freelander, not to be confused with a poor example. Always valeted, never been off-road. Has tow bar but only used for small garden trailer. Bodywork in great condition, with as-new interior – rear seat’s been used less than a dozen times. Never smoked in. Serviced every year. Recent tyres fitted. Any inspection welcome, AA/RAC. £2595, offers invited. Dartmouth, South Devon, 07904 712814
Freelander Td4 GS (2001). 136,534 miles. New flywheel, clutch, slave and master cylinder and propshaft bearing in 2015. New battery, rear brake shoes and glow plugs in 2014, and head removed and cleaned. All fluids and filters changed recently (including transmission oils and pollen, crank case and turbo filters). Tyres in good condition. £2000, amyowen114@ btinternet.com
Foers Ibex 6x6 pick-up. 1992 (K-reg), first registered in UK 2002. 87,500 miles. MOT May. One owner from new (Environment Agency). 4.6-litre V8 petrol/ LPG, very cheap to run. Automatic gearbox, PAS, built-in winch. Electric sunroof, CD player, cruise control, rear Air-Locker, compressor, dual-battery controller, immobiliser, tow bar. Pick-up bed has 12-foot alloy dropside body. Drives and goes very well. All in very good condition and must be seen. £11,500, Chippenham, Wilts. 07980 278833
Parts
Defender 90 bonnet. Metallic green. Taken from a 96-plate model. Some light damage – fits reasonably but has a dent or two. Would be good enough if repaired, or ideal for an off roader. Small dent to leading edge in the middle and slight kink on driver’s side about 6” up. £85. Newton Abbot. Contact care of tor@ assignment-media.co.uk (will be forwarded) 04/15 Matching set of 5 tyres. 235/85R16C. Road-going pattern, reasonably chunky but nice and quiet. Removed when I fitted off-road tyres. As new. £275. Chichester, 01243 788811
41 Series II offside front wing. Very rare. Very good condition for age, no rot where it bolts on apart from where the mud shield bolts on. No dints or creases, no lights been cut into it. £110. Buxton, 07779 782394 06/15
Rover 3.5-litre V8 EFi aluminium cylinder heads. Freshly removed from block. A bit dusty on top, but the bottom has been kept sealed to the block. £60. Devon, 07961 832046 06/15
Genuine Tomcat panels and doors. £POA. Montgomery, Powys. 07772 867989 06/15 88” ALRC Tomcat racer. Highly competitive, for sale due to lack of time and other commitments. Built and raced by both Tim Dilworth and Dave Hughes, with many wins. 4.6 V8 (approx 300bhp) located in the centre of the vehicle. Jag 3-speed auto box, rebuilt with all necessary internals including rachet shift. Pete Roberts transfer box, heavy duty axles, big vented brakes, camber and castor correction on front axle, radius arms and panhard rod to rear. 12” King bypass 7/8” rod shocks with remote reservoir to front and 14” King bypass 7/8” rod shocks with remote reservoir to rear. Quick-ratio TD5 steering box, Peugeot brake servo and master cylinder, competition springs and mounts, heavy-duty props. Big rear-mounted radiator with twin fans. New foam-filled alloy tank, Tomcat bonnet and seats. Professionally wired and relayed. Car comes with ALRC logbook. Offered for sale at a fraction of the build cost. Willing to consider any sensible offer. The 4.6 engine and gearbox could be removed if not required by purchaser. I can also supply a 4.2 and 4-speed auto box at cost if required. £6995. North Wales, 07926 869158 05/15
Freelander monster truck pick-up on Discovery 300Tdi (1996). Approx 190,000 miles (est). MOT April 2015. Solid chassis and body, engine and running gear all fine and everything works. Electric windows and mirrors, PAS, bull bar, spotlights, CD stereo, towbar, sunroof, sump guard. NB windscreen is badly cracked. This is a one-off custom vehicle. £1995. Spalding, Lincs, 07447 441990 05/15
Genuine Land Rover bonnet windscreen fastener. To fit Series I and military Series vehicles. Part number MRC5314. Includes the catches and the parts to go on the bonnet. Remanufactured. £70. Contact care of tor@ assignment-media.co.uk 05/15 Discovery 2 (1999) rolling chassis. Complete with TD5 engine and auto box, axles, propshafts, fuel tank, ACE and air suspension, five 18” alloys with tyres (2 as new, 2 very good). Chassis rusty at the rear. Complete with V5 logbook. £900 ono. 07788 535957, Essex 06/15
Quaife 6-speed 4wd gearbox. To fit any 4wd vehicle. I believe it was one of a batch Quaife did for a customer building off-road Land Rovers for the Middle East. Perfect condition inside but has had repairs done to the case. Professionally welded and re-machined. Dog-leg 1st and 6th. Split 50/50 front/rear with Quaife centre diff. All dogs in perfect condition, all parts have Quaife numbers so spares should be no problem. No bell-housing or gear lever, but should be easy to replace (I believe the lever is the same as their standard 6-speed gearbox). Spline shaft on the side for the centre diff lock. £3000. Towcester, robriding@ msn.com 05/15 Fairey Overdrive. Suitable for Series II and Series III. £200, Cornwall, 07818 216186 06/15
Discovery 200/300Tdi 3-part clutch. Bought six months ago and never used. Still in box. £30. Reading, Berks, 07831 262829 06/15
Warn 8274-50 12v winch. Has been used but comes with a new fairlead, new live and earth connections and second-hand wired remote (with missing plug). £750. Barnstaple. Contact care of tor@assignment-media.co.uk (message will be forwarded) 05/15
Maxxis Creepy Crawler tyres. Set of four 35x12.50R16s on 16x10j Land Rover modulars. No punctures or gashes. £500. Derby, 07817 886950 05/15
200 Tdi radiator with oil cooler. To fit Defender or Discovery. The radiator was sold to me as fully functioning, I have not tested it but see no reason why it should not work. £35. Llandeilo, 07884 333680 06/15
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Issue 16: June 2015
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
Dry but deceptive in Greetham
Words Martin Wynne Pictures Tony Birch
When you’re up early to lay out a trial, how do you start your day? Speaking in my official capacity as Clerk of the Course for Leicestershire and Rutland LRC’s Greetham RTV, the answer is simple: with your customary ‘Fat Boy’ breakfast at the award-winning Colsterworth Truck Stop. With our stomachs thus lined, Simon, Jack and I arrived nice and early on the Saturday to start laying out the sections. The weather was a bit iffy, but the ground was very dry – unlike the last time we laid out an RTV here and the slippery ground meant some very high scores. This meant there was plenty of grip, so we could get a bit more adventurous
with our use of the terrain. Cue me almost rolling my 90, after which we dumbed down a few of the sections – although judging by some of the comments we got on the Sunday, some of the competitors still considered it quite ‘sporting!’ Satisfied with our day’s work, we headed for home, looking forward to Sunday’s trial – and of course another big breakfast! Sections one, two and three were close together – and we even managed to include Greetham’s see-saw. A good range of scores, mostly ones, but Eddie was struggling with his new 90, though, to be fair to him the longest time he had spent in the vehicle’s driving seat was coming to the event that morning, so time was certainly on his side.
Section three started with a very steep drop into churned-up mud, followed by a turn out of the ruts. Unfortunately, by the time half of the competitors had cleared the 11th gate, the mud dragged up from the gully made it near impossible – so the scores started to mount. By now, though, Eddie was getting used to his new motor – he scored less on the last eight sections than he did on the first two combined! Section four caused confusion, with a simple drop off into a set of ruts. The gate was very wide, but competitors took an unnecessarily tight line and came to an abrupt halt rather than riding up over the ruts – something we had not considered when laying out the section. Section six also caught out most of the competitors, with a cane near a
rut and a tree. I had crawled though it with room to spare at lunchtime, but only three competitors cleared the 8th gate – the rest either hit the cane or avoided it but hit the tree. Section seven also caught out more than half the competitors, with two cross-axles adjacent to each other – if the first didn’t get you, the second one did! Section nine also included a ‘wander in the woods’, with eight drivers scoring a 4 – at a part of the section we hadn’t considered difficult. Then it was on to Section 10 for a chance to clean the motors with three trips through a small river. This was situated next to a large fishing lake, and we received quite a few stares – some of the fishermen looked a bit aghast as the first vehicles on the section started their excursions into the water!
Over the piece, the scores were surprisingly high (86 was the highest) considering the ground was very dry. Congratulations to Chris Birch for coming first with 22. However, examining the best scores for each section showed that the best actual overall score that could have been achieved was only 3, so we felt pretty happy with what we’d given the drivers to tackle. Thanks to Simon and Jack for helping me lay out on Saturday, and to Simone, Michael, Simon and Bertie for marshalling and of course to the Colsterworth Truck Stop for the Fat Boy breakfast! Maybe not the most slimming of options, but every offroader’s idea of the perfect way to sustain yourself through two excellent days. No doubt we’ll be calling in on them again soon!
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Newnham reels them in Words Mike Trott Pictures Aaron Lillicrap
We all know the score with RTVs. You turn up in your Land Rover, have a fun day of sport with your mates then travel home in the same Land Rover before driving it to work on Monday morning. This is probably why it can be even more popular than CCVs, comp safari or any other kind of Landy-based weekend activity. And Cornwall and Devon LRC’s recent RTV at Newnham Park would be a great example of why. Back in March, 32 people took part in the Newnham event – four of whom were competing at this level for the very first time. The site is well known and very popular in the South West. On the day, conditions were relatively dry – though down by the river there was still some mud to be revelled in. The first four sections were set up in an open area, using banks and cross-
axle conundrums, while the other four utilised the wooded and boggy areas down beside the river. The clerks of course were Phil Heys, David White and, setting up an event for the first time, Andy Painter and Rebecca Pepperell. ‘Setting up opened my eyes into how much work and effort goes into each event,’ said Rebecca. ‘Working out
where to place the start so that vehicles can line up, where to place the finish, where to direct them… it wasn’t just a case of plonking some canes in the ground and then driving through them afterwards. It takes a lot of thought to set up each trial.’ As with many clubs, RTVs are often a monthly occurrence and it’s the same for the CDLRC. Club member Aaron Lillicrap said: ‘We have a good social aspect to the trials, with the entrants split into two groups. People try to stay in groups with their friends so that they can see how well each other are doing, and of course there’s some good hearted banter between them all.’ At the end of a busy day’s trialling, it was Simon Badge who took first place with an excellent score of just 3. Gary White and Chris Wheeler finished second and third respectively, both tied on a relatively distant 11 points – making Simon’s score look all the more impressive.
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Issue 16: June 2015
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Getting wet in the west
This year’s Western Land Rover Run, hosted by the Series III and 90-110 Owners Club, was held a week later than normal on the second weekend of April. New route organisers and a new area of the country made it easier for more people to attend – the only
limiting factor being the size of the car park at the finish! The run started from Cirencester and finished at the Jet Age Museum in Gloucester. As the crow flies, it’s about 20 miles, but the run totalled around 40 miles.
Words and Pictures Frank King At the start, miraculously, everyone was on time and we left at exactly 10.30am. But this is where the first issue lies – we got lost heading for the first photo opportunity point and found ourselves driving towards it from the opposite direction! It’s surprising how different things look going the wrong way, so there was a bit of panic when Dave came over the CB to tell me they were nearly at the ford. So was I, as it turned out, but that was down to good fortune rather than anything else.
Parking up, we watched as the vehicles made their way through one by one. Happily, all the drivers resisted the urge to try and soak me! As normal, it’s also our job to get to the finish and sort out the parking. Rather than dishing out T-shirts this year, the club had decided that all the owners would receive a photograph of their vehicle in a folder. The Jet Age Museum is quite a place. The staff there had arranged for a short talk on the Vulcan bomber and for us to meet a 92-year-old former RAF pilot
named Leslie Kershaw who piloted a Horsa glider into Germany on 24 March 1945 during operation Varsity. A true hero. And that wrapped up the 2015 Western Run. A great day out – even if we did get lost! The club will be hosting further runs later in the year, including the Midland Run on 5 July which starts in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. The National Rally will take place on 22-25 May, and the Holiday Rally is in Somerset from 1-8 August.
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Calendar
Off-Road Playdays 16 May Burnham Off-Roaders Tring, Hertfordshire
17 May Avalanche Adventure
Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire
Burnham Off-Roaders Tring, Hertfordshire
Devil’s Pit
Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire Dates are apt to change, so always check with the site before travelling
Explore Off Road
25 April
Kirton Off Road Centre
Frickley 4x4
Devil’s Pit
Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs
Muddy Bottom
Minstead, Hampshire
Hill ‘n’ Ditch 4x4
Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorks
Mud Monsters
Bolney, West Sussex
Muddy Bottom
Slab Common, Bordon
North Yorks Off Road Centre
Slindon Safari
4 May
Parkwood 4x4
Whaddon 4x4
Hill ‘n’ Ditch 4x4
Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire
26 April Cowm Leisure
Whitworth, Lancashire
Devil’s Pit
Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire Fontwell, West Sussex
North Yorks Off Road Centre Picadilly Wood
Thames Valley 4x4
Silverdale, Stoke-on-Trent Frickley, South Yorkshire Mouldsworth, Cheshire East Grinstead, West Sussex Minstead, Hampshire
Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorks Tong, Bradford
Milton Keynes, Bucks
Mouldsworth, Cheshire
24 May
2 May
Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs
Future 4x4
Slab Common, Bordon
Slindon Safari
10 May
Whaddon 4x4
Kirton Off Road Centre
Kirton Lindsey, North Lincs
3 May Avalanche Adventure
Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire
Bala 4x4
Bala, Gwynedd
Kirton Off Road Centre Thames Valley 4x4
4x4 Without a Club
Avon Dassett, Warwickshire Fontwell, West Sussex Milton Keynes, Bucks
Harbour Hill, Aldermaston
31 May
Chichester, West Sussex
Avalanche Adventure
Boxgrove
Dundry Off-Road
Essex, Rochford and District 4x4 Club
Sibbertoft, Northamptonshire
Frickley 4x4
Whaddon 4x4
Frickley 4x4
Dundry, Bristol
Frickley, South Yorkshire
Rayleigh, Essex
Milton Keynes, Bucks
Cowm Leisure
Whitworth, Lancashire Frickley, South Yorkshire
Green Lane Convoy Events 25 April
27 April – 2 May
10 May
Lost World Adventures
4x4 Treks Galloway
Landcraft
Berkshire
25-26 April 4x4 Adventure Tours
Dorset and East Devon
Atlas Overland Wessex
Waypoint Tours Wiltshire
26 April UK Landrover Events Lincoln and Belvoir
Galloway
8-11 May 4x4 Treks Galloway
Galloway (Laggan Challenge)
9-10 May 4x4 Adventure Tours
Snowdonia
17 May
UK Landrover Events Eden District
18-23 May 4x4 Treks Galloway Galloway
Welsh Borders
23-24 May
UK Landrover Events
Waypoint Tours
Wiltshire
Wiltshire
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Issue 16: June 2015
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Opening salvos fired in Suffolk Words Andy Jeff Pictures Cathy Jeff
In the Suffolk Land Rover Owners Club’s first challenge of the year, we visited Snugg’s Pit, near Sudbury, for what turned out to be more than just your average winch event. Snugg’s has always offered challenges, but over the last two or three years in particular it has been further developed into an excellent location for running all types of offroad event. So, on a chilly day bathed in early spring sunshine, competition got underway – with the majority of teams choosing to stay out of the wetter, deeper sections and instead tackling the pot holes, ditches and steep slopes at the south ‘Pit’ end. The Mansfield 4x4 Freelander, having no snorkel, was destined to
keep clear of the water all day, but started by getting wedged between two trees at a precarious angle. This turned out to be only a slight hiccup as it was soon properly into the section and on its way to get both punches in the section. The Mansfield team moved on to complete only one other section before the clutch began to feel the strain. Sometimes it’s better to call it a day while you can still drive home relatively unscathed. The other entrant with a Mansfield 4x4 interest was going okay right up till lunch, when a seemingly innocuous and steady drive out of a hole was greeted by an equally innocuous sounding crack. It proved to be one of the front CV joints that had blown. Needless to say Adam soon had it fixed and was out again after lunch, trying
Clubs
his best (but thankfully failing) to break the other side! They weren’t the only team to suffer problems. The David Roots Tomcat managed to snap a winch rope early on, and later popped a tyre off its bead – making the team that little bit more cautious after fitting their one and only spare. There were other incidents (of course), including a winch rope breaking near the top of a climb out of the pit, resulting in a reasonably quick but thankfully safe reverse to the bottom… where it ended in a stinky swamp! James did say that he didn’t want to get his truck ‘too dirty’, but that was before he enrolled into the Chris Cole School of off-road driving. Chris, never known for being subtle with the throttle, was James’ winch man for the day and his influence clearly rubbed off, resulting in a couple of daring manoeuvres involving what can only be described as ‘launch control’ – much to the delight of the onlooking crowd! The ‘do or die’ (rev and clutch dump) attitude worked well for James and Chris though, as they ended up winning the event. Adam and Tim came in a deserved second, despite their earlier CV troubles. Suffolk LRC’s next winch event is the Novice Winch Challenge, at Newbourne on 16 May. It’s usually a little kinder to the entrants and is a great introduction to the world of challenges for those who want to dip their toe in the water – but not their whole motor!
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Chirk hosts the rite of spring Chirk is a border town known best for its castle and the twin viaducts which carry the Shrewsbury railway and Llangollen canal across the Ceiriog Valley. So yes, one of them’s actually an aqueduct, but who’s asking? Anyway, the border country is where the Muddy Millers 4x4 Club tends to mark its territory. We weren’t here for the sightseeing, though. No, we were in Chirk for its former quarry. The Muddy Millers love a good trial. And once you navigate down the switchbacks and into this offroading paradise, you can set up sections with all the variety you like.
Seeing as these guys like to roll CCV style, the action that ensued really brought some excitement back to this retired complex. There were seven sections in total throughout the day. It was meant to be eight, but fading daylight and falling snow – yes, snow, on what was meant to be the first day of spring – saw off that idea. Each section had 15 gates. Oh yes they did. We’ll elaborate. Often the club will run its RTV and CCV trials simultaneously over the same set of sections, with only the first ten gates
applicable to the RTV but all 15 counting in the CCV. On this occasion, there was only one competitor driving in the RTV, so no rocket scientists were needed to conclude the winner of this class. As for the CCV, things were a little harder to predict, with sections throwing up conundrums for everyone. Rock steps, soil banks and many, many trees provided obstacles and challenges for each of the drivers. The torrential downpours of rain and snow provided challenges for everyone else, too. Some of the vehicles were doubledriven, with the Harper Adams gang coming along to the trial and taking their truck round each section four times. Ultimately, though, only one person could take top spot. That person was Roger Jones, who finished the seven sections on 9 points to become the first winner of spring. There was a fearsome battle for 2nd place that was sadly cut short, with three drivers on 15 points in the shape of Andy Magee, Tim Gibbs and Tim Padfield. Lee Haycox and Phil Davies followed on 18 points apiece. Could there be a better way of welcoming the arrival of spring?
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