the landy august 14

one day, everything but watching tv will have been bannedTen years on, the story of a gentle green lane trip that would now be a weekend of non-stop criminal activity

The Range Rover Sport SVR made its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Its the fastest production vehicle Land Rover has ever built. And its the first product of a new Special Operations division whose job is to build the fastest, finest and most unique Landies in the world.Full story: Page 3

HIGH PRICES FOR LOW MILERS Even the latest Mk1 Rangeys now qualify as classics.Its 20 years since they were built, but there are examples out there that have covered very low mileages.

If you can find one, dont expect it to be cheap. A resto job on a true low-miler would likely earn you a tidy sum. But the real gems are those that have never needed to be restored: and weve turned one up on less than 10,000 miles.Full story: Page 24

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ISSUE 6 AUGUST 2014

DEFENDER 2.2 TDCiWe all know used Defender prices are rocketing. So is the current one worth splashing out on?

BIGGEST EVER ISSUE! 33% MORE PAGES THAN EVER BEFORE!

A group of Brits travelled to Kenya to do battle in the annual Rhino Charge. They helped raise millions for wildlife but at what cost to their Land Rovers? Full story: Page 40

Spinney Engineering recently took on this 1965 Series IIA.

The company bought the vehicle to break for parts. But as they went through it, they realised there was too much life left in it for that Full story: Page 22

3Issue 6: August 2014w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242FASTEST PRODUCTION LAND ROVER ON THE WAY AS SVR PROTOTYPE BREAKS COVERHigh-performance Range Rover Sport on sale next year; likely to cost close to 100,000

Land Rover is getting ready to launch its fastest ever production vehicle. An evolved version of the Supercharged 5.0 V8 Range Rover Sport, this made its debut in prototype form at last months Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The super-fast SUV is the first in a new high-performance model line within the Jaguar Land Rover group. Badged SVR, this will be reserved for only the most focused of the companys vehicles.

The SVRs familiar V8 roar was heard at Goodwood as the prototype treated spectators to a predictably full-on performance, and has also reverberated around the Nurburgring during testing and evolution. In production form, the SVR is expected to go on sale during 2015; Land Rover quotes a power output of around 543bhp, about 6.5% up on the V8 in the existing Range Rover Sport Autobiography.

Teaser videos released by Land Rover show the camouflaged prototype flat-out on the Nordschleife at the Nurburgring, with no apparent body roll to be seen under hard cornering. In addition, the vehicle is seen breaking traction momentarily under power but staying under control thanks to its combination of balanced suspension and advanced electronic control systems.

Land Rover says performance data for the SVR will extend the Range Rover Sports established capabilities

Mike Trott

4 Issue 6: August 2014w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsas the fastest, most agile and most responsive Land Rover ever built. The company remains tight-lipped about the vehicles drivetrain, but enhancements to the eight-speed ZF auto box can be expected to help get the best from the supercharged V8. Ahead of any official figures, a 0-62mph time of around 5.0 seconds can be expected.

The SVR model range is among the first products of Jaguar Land Rovers new Special Operations team. This elite engineering department, headed by former Williams engineer Paul Newsome, was recently also tasked with creating a run of six Jaguar E-Type recreations. It has been created to work on bespoke commissions, heritage products and branded goods as well as high-performance derivatives such as the new top-spec Range Rover Sport.

As this suggests, the SVR is the work of an initiative within Land Rover whose goal is very much to address the top end of the companys clientele. It will be some time before Land Rover comments on pricing but, with the 5.0 Autobiography already costing well over 80,000 before you add any options, the extra engineering in the SVR is likely to push this model closer still to the six-figure mark.

With more than 500,000 examples of the Sport having now been built since the vehicles launch in 2005, and the new second-generation model still in the first flush of youth, Land Rovers march into the world of on-road performance remains as relentless as ever. The 5.0 V8 Supercharged SVR may only add a small number in terms of overall sales but as a halo product it will make the vehicle, and Solihull itself, more visible than ever.

Above: Supercharged 5.0 V8 engine will be pushed further to add approximately 6.5% in powerBottom: Public debut gave Goodwood crowd the chance to experience how the SVR will look and soundBelow: 543bhp prototype has been testing extensively at the Nurburgring

Stealth is the last word youd use to describe the rumbling SVR edition of the Range Rover Sport. But thats the name given to the latest accessory pack for the existing HSE Dynamic and Autobiography Dynamic versions of the vehicle.

Also debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the pack adds a host of new features including a satin black front grille and grille surround, fog lamp bezels, bonnet and wing vents, upper mirror caps and a tailgate finisher. Being stealthy certainly doesnt mean hiding your light under a bushel, obviously.

A choice of 21 9-spoke or 22 5-spoke wheels, in satin black finish with wheel nuts in gloss black, give the Sport some smart looking traction. Theres a Stealth finish on the non-reflective headlamp and tail lamp surfaces, too, adding further to the exclusive visual cues.

The pack is available with all three engine options in the standard Sport range 5.0 V8 Supercharged, 4.4 SDV8 diesel and 3.0 SDV6 diesel. It will retail at 1700 with the 21 wheels, or 2500 with the 22 jobs. The order book opens in July, with first deliveries expected by the end of the year.

Theres an aggressive new look on the way for everyday Range Rover Sports, too

5Issue 6: August 2014w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242Special Ops: Land Rovers new team wholl build absolutely anythingThe Range Rover Sport SVR is the first production vehicle in Land Rovers new SVR model line. Shared with Jaguar, this is a range of high-performance vehicles whose engineering is unique from the rest of the companys offerings. Its the work of the new Special Operations division thats just been set up to work on high-end derivatives, bespoke builds and heritage projects.

Based in a new technical centre located in the West Midlands, Special Operations will be behind a series of top-spec models like the SVR, aimed at Land Rovers more discerning (code for rich) customers. It will also undertake bespoke commissions for even more discerning punters who want their vehicles to be true one-offs, focusing on an extended range of trim, colour and accessory options.

We asked Land Rover whether this means a customer could get Land Rover to build them a triple-winched Defender with portal axles, three-link suspension and 44 tyres. The answer was less than definite, but the impression we got is that this isnt the definition of performance the company has in mind.

Comparisons will inevitably be drawn, however, between this new division and Land Rover Special Vehicles, which among many other things was responsible for the 90SV the first-ever lifestyle Defender. Models like this remain a probability, though if you were to want one specced up like Jim Marsdens (as featured in last months issue), youd probably be better going to someone like Jim Marsden to build it.

Intriguingly, Special Operations will also be responsible for restoring classic vehicles and even recreating heritage models from scratch. If someone stumbles on the holy grail and the original centre-steer prototype crops up, this is the workshop where itll be restored: if that never happens and Land Rover decides to build a fresh one instead, this is the workshop where itll be created.

Special Operations day-to-day work, however, will be on vehicles like the SVR which cast a halo above its present and future models. Even as you read this, you can safely bet that the team will be developing a version of the Discovery Sport to give BMWs M-Power models a bloody nose.

6 Issue 6: August 2014www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsDisco hits sixty grand as LR goes upmarket againEntry-level model now 41,595 and range-topper 59,965 as kit list gets bigger than ever

Land Rover has revised the Discovery line-up for the 2015 model year, with newly named models and enhanced specification levels.

Customers will be able to select various features first seen on the XXV Special Edition anniversary model, while new SE and SE Tech variants give you more kit as standard than the models they replace. In addition, the introduction of Land Rover InControl

Apps has raised the vehicles technology profile once again.

To mark 25 years of Discovery, Land Rover offered more premium luxury in the form of the XXV Special Edition, says Land Rovers Phil Popham. Striking attributes from this anniversary derivative are now being made available across the range for our customers to bring that level of heightened luxury into their Discovery of choice.

InControl Apps adds another dimension to the Discoverys attributes and another meaning to work-life balance by enabling safe and efficient access to essential smartphone content and in-car apps from the vehicles touchscreen, Popham added.

The revised MY15 model range includes a new entry point in the shape of the SE, which will replace the GS and contain more features as

standard. Cruise control, front fog lights, automatic headlamps/wipers and headlamp power wash are all included, as are an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, interior footwell and door puddle lamps.

Moving up, SE Tech replaces the XS model, now giving you xenon headlights with an LED signature. The HSE trim is retained but now features 20 alloy wheels as standard, rather than 19s.

We mentioned the XXV special edition, and features from this model which now make it on to the standard options list include Grand Black Lacquer wood and leather-wrapped steering wheel for the interior. Three

new colours are available: Aruba, Kaikora Stone and Montalcino Red, replacing Luxor, Ipanema Sand and Nara Bronze.

Land Rover InControl Apps bulks up the Discoverys infotainment system, should you tick the designated box, allowing you to be more connected than ever via your smartphone.

Mike Trott

2015 Discovery pricesHSE Luxury 59,965HSE 54,495SE Tech 47,495Commercial XS 42,295SE 41,595

7Issue 6: August 2014w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242Yet another triumph for Land Rover as Discovery becomes the most successful vehicle ever in the history of the UKs Towcar Awards

Land Rover has proved its capabilities once again by claiming two accolades at this years Tow Car Awards as well as setting a new all-time standard for the best towing vehicle ever.

That distinction goes to the Discovery, which won its class for an unprecedented seventh time in the last eight years. That makes it the most successful car in the history of the awards.

In addition, the introduction of a Money No Object award meant Land Rover could take home another honour courtesy of the Range Rover Sport.

Award testers used the 3.0 SD XS version of the Disco, which ruled the 1900kg+ category to take what is now the vehicles fifth consecutive win. In the process, the 10-year-old vehicle held off the challenge from vehicles launched much more recently.

The judges said: It is going to take a really superb car to beat the Discovery. Power, performance, stability, practicality it has the lot.

Under the watchful eye of an experienced panel, the Disco impressed by making towing duties look exceptionally easy, in particular its confident and decisive overtaking and smooth, unflustered characteristics when losing speed, no matter how much

is trailing behind it. Lane changing, motorway cruising and hill starts were also noted as excelling points.

The new Money No Object award fell to the Range Rover Sport 3.0-litre SDV6 Autobiography Dynamic, commended by the judges as a phenomenal tow car.

They concluded: Putting price aside for a moment, you wont find a more capable heavyweight tow car. Dawdling

traffic wont be in the way for long, as the sprint from 30-60mph takes just 9.6 seconds, even with a big twin-axle caravan in tow.

The Range Rover Sports first-rate stability was an overwhelming feature, as proven in the lane-change test.

Towing at 60mph feels like 40mph in the Sport, and the Range Rover seemed impervious to crosswinds, even at speeds that would have your collar felt on a British motorway, the judges noted.

Jaguar Land Rovers Jeremy Hicks said: These awards are a great reward for the strength of Land Rover design and engineering.Discovery continues to set the benchmark for its class, in spite of the arrival of newer competitors. With Range Rover Sport we are delighted that independent experts consider it to offer the ultimate combination of prestige, luxury and performance.

Compatible with the latest Apple and Android offerings, the system enables services such as satellite navigation, media streaming, internet radio and location services, all while providing access to the connected smartphones contacts, calendar and music library.

Compatible apps include Stitcher, Glympse, Sygic, Parkopedia, Hotelseeker, Cityseeker, News on Board and MobileDay, with more expected to join the range soon. No, weve not heard of them either, but if someone does an app called GrubOutThatStump or TimingBeltServiceHeartbreak, were sure itll be compatible too.

Once the Land Rover InControl App has been downloaded to the smartphone and connected to the vehicles USB port, you tap the InControl Apps icon on the central touchscreen and simply choose whichever vehicle-compatible app you want from the menu.

But the best news of all? You can still get a Commercial version of the Discovery. Its not exactly cheap, though as well as getting a 42,295 price tag it inherits the XS badge from the outgoing passenger model, so thats going to be one posh van. Either way, the order book is open now, with initial customer deliveries getting underway in September.

Halewood is to benefit from 250 new jobs as the Merseyside plant prepares for production of the Land Rover Discovery Sport.

This is the latest model to be confirmed at Halewood and the increasing workforce is set to reach 4750 more than treble the number employed there in 2010.

Commenting on the announcement, Jaguar Land Rover CEO Dr Ralf Speth,

said: The Land Rover Discovery Sport is the next in a line of exciting new products to come from Jaguar Land Rover. I am delighted that Halewood and Liverpool has been selected for this new investment. It is totally deserved, and strengthens the special relationship that bonds Jaguar Land Rover to this great city.

The Halewood plant has received 200 million in investment to prepare for the introduction of what will be the first model in the new Discovery

family. The plant already produces JLRs fastest selling model of all time, the Range Rover Evoque, and over the last four years the companys total investment here has reached nearly 500 million.

The new Discovery Sport is due on sale in 2015. It will be the first member of an all-new family of Discovery vehicles, envisioned by the Discovery Vision Concept that was unveiled at the New York International Auto Show earlier this year.

Richard Else, Jaguar Land Rover Halewood Operations Director, said: I am delighted to be welcoming the new Land Rover Discovery Sport to Halewood. Its arrival has been a further boost to the region and to our committed and loyal workforce, who are all passionate ambassadors for this great company.

In many ways, Halewood has embodied the transformation of Jaguar Land Rover. We have seen our workforce treble and production quadruple in just four years. Today we are operating three shifts, 24-hours a day to meet global demand and I am confident that the team will rise to the challenge and deliver a flawless launch of this exciting new model.

A 45 million state-of-the-art Aida servo press line was installed in March of this year, with JLR installing 260 new automated robots, industry-leading laser welding facilities and further state-of-the-art equipment in monitoring and reporting systems to continue to push for the highest levels of quality.

Halewood started production of the Range Rover Evoque in 2011 and, two years later, the plant had already produced more than 200,000 vehicles a record quantity for a single vehicle line at any Jaguar Land Rover facility.

Sales in May for the Evoque were up 12% year on year, with more than 80% of production exported to 170 global markets. The Discovery Sport is likely to mimic that pattern as Land Rover continues its history as one of Britains great export industry success stories.

8 Issue 6: August 2014www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsJobs boost for HalewoodDiscovery Sport brings 45m investment and creates 250 new jobs in resurgent factory

Mike Trott

Jaguar Land Rover has received the 2014 Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade. The company was honoured for its outstanding overseas sales growth over the last three years in 2013, some 80% of the 425,006 vehicles it sold went abroad.

Chief Exec Dr Ralf Speth was presented with the award from Her Majestys Lord-Lieutenant of West Midlands, Paul Chandrasekharan Sabapathy CBE, at a ceremony in JLRs Coventry HQ. Jaguar Land Rover is delighted and honoured to receive recognition of its contribution to British enterprise, he said, and I am privileged to accept this award on behalf of our 30,000 employees. Our success, driven by global exports to over 170 countries, is thanks to our dedicated and passionate employees who create exciting vehicles that are in high demand with customers around the world.

Queens Award recognises Jaguar Land Rovers export success

9Issue 6: August 2014w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242

News of a Special Operations engineering department being set up in Land Rover to build high-spec models, bespoke one-offs and heritage recreations is very exciting. Aside from anything else, it shows that the company recognises how special its vehicles, past and present, really are.

It is, however, predictable that the first thing to come out of the new workshop, where a team of specialists is headed up by a former Williams engineer, is a super-fast version of the Range Rover Sport. More dynamic, more road-focused and of course more expensive than ever, itll find a tiny market of super-rich owners.

Im already wondering what Special Ops will make of the new Defender when it comes out. A range of halo models with even greater off-road ability? Id like to hope so. Bigger suspension, clever traction aids, enhanced power and gearing options, body and chassis protection, that kind of thing. If Im not wrong, more Land Rover people would get turned on by trucks like that than will ever care about shaving a couple of tenths off an SUVs 0-62 time.

In America, Jeep has a special ops department of its own. Every year, they turn out half a dozen modified examples of the companys current products, showcasing the latest items available from the aftermarket for turning Wranglers into massively enhanced work trucks and toys.

Were talking trick suspension here, crate engines and even portal axles. Id love to see Land Rover leading the way by encouraging the aftermarket to develop kit like that which really makes a difference to what a vehicle can do.

Not that the aftermarket needs much encouragement. But a whole industry, not to mention hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts, would love the validation it would bring to have their passion for Land Rovers taken seriously by the company. Fine, make money by building SUVs: but Land Rovers heritage and off-road soul must never be forgotten.

Alan Kidd, Editor

Comment

10 Issue 6: August 2014www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsWhat happens when two Scottish off-roading enthusiasts cant find anywhere to take their 4x4s? They set up a touring holiday company with access to 300,000 acres of land, thats what.

They dont do things by halves, the Scots.

After months of planning, Nick and Norman Robertson of 4x4TreksGalloway have secured access to this vast amount of land (about twice the size of Anglesey, since you ask) in order to bring an adventurous form of off-road touring to South-West Scotland. The tours, which will last for up to seven days, offer holidaymakers

the chance to travel across sparsely populated forest, farm and estate areas of Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway in the comfort of their own 4x4.

The tours arent about hardcore off-roading the company says theyre suitable for all 4x4s. Instead, its all about seeing spectacular sights at a suitably slow pace. Most of the tracks

Gemma Pask

Green laning doesnt really exist in Scotland but a 4x4 trekking company with access to 300,000 acres of land aims to open it up in exciting new ways

11Issue 6: August 2014w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242are only accessible by 4x4, so the experience will be unique to say the least.

Youll spend five days encountering all manner of wildlife, including red deer and Galloways famous Belted Cattle. 4x4TreksGalloway says its tours are considerate and non-damaging to the environment, and as well as exploring the countryside aboard your 4x4 the trips also include field sports on a private forestry and sporting estate, as well a visit to a dairy farm where you can experience milking time and taste an array of ice cream and cheese.

Two experienced tour guides will be on hand to help you out, so dont worry if youre new to this off-roading lark. Youll also be insured for several hundred miles of off-road driving, meaning you can explore the 193,000 acres of mountainous terrain, rivers and wild moorland that make up Galloway Forest Park to your hearts content. Whats more, nocturnal drivers will be pleased to learn that this is home to the UKs first Dark Skies Park, where clear starry skies and night-time critters are inherent.

And if this still doesnt sound like your thermos of tea, there are a number of optional additions and revisions available, such as a night in a swanky hotel (were not all mud dwellers, after all). You can even come along if you

dont have a vehicle, as there are plenty available to rent for the week.

Youll wrap up your journey at the Mull of Galloway lighthouse, the southernmost point in Scotland.

The success of the trips is already evident, as one happy holidaymaker says: Ive been coming to South West Scotland for over 20 years to shoot and have never seen an Osprey in the wild till today. Great trip and I only wish it went on longer.

And Nick is hoping this will continue. All of us involved in the business wish to bring others to experience our native Scotland; the countryside, the wildlife and the people. This is not just a job for any of us we seek more, to share our enthusiasm for back-country Scotland and lifelong interest in 4x4 vehicles. Our business plans show that for every 1 we retain, we expect to generate 6 in revenue locally.

So, when do we leave? There are five tours planned for 2014 so far: two in July, two in August and one in October. Most kick off just across the border from Carlisle, putting them within a three to four hour drive of the bulk of the UKs population. Prices range from 300 to 450 depending on the number of people per vehicle, and you can find out more by visiting www.4x4treksgalloway.com.

12 Issue 6: August 2014www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsLR donates Freelander to help conserve tigers

Donated Land Rover joins the battle to help protect one of Indias most critically endangered species as conservation workers struggle to reach remote habitatsLand Rover has lent a hand to the Born Free Foundations work in India by supplying a new Freelander to the Satpuda Foundation.

Based in central India, Satpuda is one of Born Frees partner organisations. Its aim is to preserve tigers in this part of the world, undertaking critical conservation work for a species thats vulnerable to poaching and habitat destruction the combination of which has seen its numbers plummet to just 3500 worldwide.

The Indiantiger is now classed as a highly endangered species, and the Satpuda Foundations dedicated teams work to secure the animals future in what is Indias largest region of tiger habitat. The Freelander is the latest piece in the jigsaw.

This particular Freelander features the white paw prints associated with the Born Free Foundation, an organisation which has enjoyed Land Rovers support as a conservation partner over the course of many

years. It will be a welcome asset in the environment and promises to help complete the conservation work being done in the Satpuda Landscape Tiger Programme area.

Mark Cameron, Brand Experience Director at Jaguar Land Rover, said: Land Rovers on-going partnership with the Born Free Foundation has already helped support some of the Foundations most important projects in the UK, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa and Sri Lanka. With this addition of the Land Rover Freelander to the Satpuda Landscape Tiger Programme, I believe together we will now make a real contribution to the conservation of the endangered Tiger in India.

The Land Rover Freelanders all-terrain capability will enable conservation workers to reach areas which would otherwise be inaccessible to them and ultimately protect the tigers throughout the Satpuda Landscape.

Will Travers OBE, President of the Born Free Foundation, added: In one form or another Land Rover has been part of Born Frees DNA for nearly seven decades, all the way back to the days when George and Joy Adamson used a Land Rover to help return Elsa the lioness to freedom, a story that inspired the Born Free book and film.

Today the link is even stronger, with Born Free-branded Land Rovers already deployed in South Africa, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia. Now India will benefit from this alliance and I am delighted that a brand new Freelander will be assisting our efforts to protect wild tigers as part of our Satpuda Tiger Landscape Project, as well as helping prevent their continued devastation at the hands of poachers.

As ever, tigers and other threatened species can count on Born Free. And we, in turn, can count on Land Rover!


Editor Alan KiddAssistant Editor Mike Trott

Admin and Editorial AssistantGemma PaskArt Editor Samantha DSouza

Contributors Dan Fenn, Robbie Ronson, Olly Sack, Malky Styles, Paul Looe, Vince Pratt

Photographers Steve Taylor, Harry Hamm

Advertising Sales Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242Advertising Production Tel: 01283 553242Publisher Sarah Kidd Email: [email protected] effort is made to ensure that the contents of The Landy are accurate, however Assignment Media Ltd accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor

the consequences of actions made as a result of these

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

The Landy is distributed by Britpart. Details of your

nearest Britpart dealer can be found at www.britpart.comWhere a photo credit includes the note CC-BY-SA, the image is made available under that Creative Commons licence. Details are available at www.creativecommons.org

The Landy is published by Assignment Media Ltd, Repton House, Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road, Bretby DE15 0YZ

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01283 553243 [email protected] www.thelandy.co.uk www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

NEXT MONTH

Vogue LSE: Restoring the last of the Mk1 Rangeys

The tale of a 110 thats fitted with an option you dont see every day half a tonne of wood-fired pizza oven!

DONT FORGET THE LANDY IS FREE EVERY MONTH!Pick up your copy of our August 2014 issue from 18 July available from Britpart dealers and free to read online at www.thelandy.co.uk

HAVE HYBRIDS HAD THEIR DAY? Now that old 90s are cheap and the IVA test has messed everything up, can it still make sense to build a Landy of your own?

How the other half camp: The inside story of the Sherazee, a bespoke expedition module thatll turn your Land Rover from a way of life into a home from home

14 Issue 6: August 2014www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews

Lazer Lamps has teamed up with Zunsport, the UK manufacturer of premium quality stainless steel mesh grilles, to reveal its new Integrated Grille Kits.

These allow for extra levels of high beam illumination and the seamless mounting of Lazers LED lights. Your vehicle comes out looking smarter and it also gains increased radiator and engine protection.

Each custom-made grille kit includes two powerful Lazer ST4 LED driving lamps, pre-mounted into a stainless steel mesh which replaces the vehicles original grille. The units are constructed from premium quality 316L stainless steel wire mesh, which can be either electro-polished for a long-lasting bright silver finish or coated in a black polymer, meaning all grilles are chip and corrosion resistant.

The result is attractive additional protection to each vehicles radiator and engine bay, so loose debris is something you neednt worry about anymore.

Lazers grille kits come with a three-year warranty, and matching grille parts are available where the vehicles design allows. The kits are easy to install, with the fitment and wiring taking less than 45 minutes to complete, and fitting instructions are supplied to make sure you dont go wrong.

Further models will be added to the line-up in the coming months, and special vehicle kits can be produced upon request. As for prices, the Defender kit you see pictured here would set you back 740 including VAT reassuringly expensive, to coin a phrase.www.lazerlamps.com

If youre equipping your workshop at present, SIP Industrial Products has got to be worth a look. The Leicestershire company is currently running a promotion on ranges covering welding, metalworking, air compressors and air-tools, generators, pressure washers, automotive and lifting equipment, with eleven different package deals, each including at least one free or heavily discounted item.

The promo is called Winning Eleven, and yes it was dreamt up to coincide with the World Cup. Unlike the England team, however, the tools and machines it covers are reliable and can be depended on to give you good results. At least when you order them for delivery you know theyll be home

early, though, so resemblances to our boys do exist after all.

The promo runs until 31 August and also includes a chance to win a football shirt from any

of the nations in the World Cup. Bite marks not included, sorry.www.sip-group.com

If you want more flex and a softer ride, you may well be interested in the latest Pro Trac Hi-Flex Polyurethane Kit from MM4x4.

This compound of super-soft polyurethane bushes is designed for off-road use and competition events. If used on-road, you will experience a particularly soft ride. However, away from the tarmac the benefits of this kit are that it will give you improved suspension flex and greater axle articulation.

The general ride quality should be smoother and the shock absorber receives further mount protection.

This latest bush kit is designed with durability in mind. It is petrol, oil and grease resistant and MM4x4 states that it will not perish or crumble.

Made in the UK, the Polyurethane Kit is finished in an eye-catching day-glo green. Its available for the Defender, Discovery 1 and Range Rover Classic, priced at 90 including VAT.www.mm-4x4.com

Paddock Spares has launched the Factor 55 range of recovery products into the UK. Aimed at the top end of the winching market, these come from the USA and consist mainly of two product ranges, the Prolink and the Flatlink.

The Prolink is machined from lightweight billet 6061 aluminium and provides a means of attaching a standard 3/4 screw pin shackle to existing winch cables and rope eyes. The eye is captured into the body of the Prolink by a removable 5/8 double titanium shear pin.

The front of the Prolink provides a precision shackle mounting hole and 1.2 thick mounting tab. Its designed to work with both hawse and roller fairleads, tucking in snugly against either.

The Flatlink, a shackle thimble and D-ring, promises to be a safer and stronger replacement for the conventional winch hook. The industrys first folding shackle mount for recovery winches, it has less than 1.75 of thickness and claims to work with all roller fairlead number plate mounting brackets.

Paddock says the big advantage of the Flatlink is that it eliminates the danger which exists with everyday hooks of cutting and fraying your recovery straps. It wont allow the strap to come free when the tension drops off your winch rope, either, thanks to a secure screw pin attachment.

The Flatlink doesnt require splicing and can be used with steel cables or synthetic ropes of up to 3/8 in diameter. As with the Prolink, the cable eye is retained by a 5/8 diameter grade-5 steel double shear pin and internal snap ring. It is, according to Paddock, installed easily in minutes.

Were delighted to be adding Factor 55 to our existing range of products for the off-road enthusiast, says Paddocks Rob Wright. Its great to see more products that are obviously designed by the enthusiasts themselves coming to the UK, and realise that quality and innovation from over the Atlantic are key in helping keep the off-road scene alive in Europe.

If youd like to drown out some of your local boy racers, or just fancy a little orchestra with your daily drive, you may want to consider QuickSilvers new Sport Exhaust System for the Range Rover Evoque.

Designed for the Evoque SD4, this lightweight system comes in at just 11kg, saving weight and delivering a more efficient airflow at the same time. Made from T304 stainless steel, the exhaust has a unique QS tip design which should give a nice, neat finish to go with those stimulating burbles.

QuickSilver says the system shows a noticeable improvement in throttle response while enhancing the exhausts sound, with a deep masculine rumble rising in pitch as the revs climb. The system is designed to work with the engine, so at lower revs the sound remains relatively civilised and at higher revs it provides more presence and volume.

Your Evoque can expect improvements in all performance areas as well, with slight increases in power and torque, all of which helps dull the pain of the price tag which is 696 including VAT.www.quicksilverexhausts.com

15Issue 6: August 2014w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242A D V E R T I S I N G F E A T U R E

Superwinchs global manufacturing facilities have grown over 45 years in business to design and produce a broad range of winches; from electric 12, 24 and 115-volt planetary gear, right angle gear and worm gear units to hefty hydraulic workhorses. The companys 1000 to 50,000lb capacity winches can be found in diverse industries and applications around the world.

These products share Superwinchs common traits of first class design, quality, value and solid construction for safe, simple and reliable operation. This is the Superwinch tradition.

HUSKYThe Superwinch Husky is an off-road champion in its own right, one of the companys original and most popular winches designed specifically for off-road environments; and still manufactured at its site in Tavistock, Devon. The Superwinch Husky Series is a tough winch, with the rugged worm-gear drive mechanism and 4.2-horsepower Series Wound motor. The steel-centred phosphor bronze worm wheel matched to a case-hardened ground and polished worm shaft make this winch virtually indestructible. When only the best will do, the only choice is a Superwinch Husky.

EXXTREMEBorn off-road, the EXXTREME is engineered for ultra-fast recovery in trophy competitions under the most demanding conditions. It uses 2 Talon 6.0hp motors, CNCd drum supports and a Talon 148:1 gearbox, giving extreme performance. Featuring the phenomenal sealing the Superwinch Talon is known for, the EXXTREME utilises the Talons 2-stage planetary/2-stage spur gearbox, external brake (to avoid rope-damaging heat build-up) and a high-capacity fabricated steel drum. The drive shaft is heat treated, tempered and hardened to withstand the high speeds and torque loads Superwinch engineered this winch to handle. Rolling on silky-smooth sealed bearings, this is quite possibly the easiest winch to freespool.

ROCK 98The Superwinch Rock 98 winch is part of the ALL-NEW TALON Performance Series, designed and engineered by Superwinch. This is probably the industrys best truly sealed vehicle recovery winch assembly. All seals on the entire winch meet the IP67 standard: the solenoid will keep out water, mud, snow and dust and has a patented venting feature that allows the contacts to resist water and release contact-damaging internal condensation.

The Rock 98 is the perfect off-road winch, with 4445kg of pulling power on 15.24m of synthetic rope; youll be pulling in the Power Zone the first two layers on the drum. All this power in a small, lightweight package! It weighs 12kg less with Dyneema synthetic rope, 101.6mm narrower for smaller, modified competition vehicles.

To find out more information on the full range of Superwinch products, visit the companys website for specifications, videos and special offers: www.superwinch.com

Superwinch all you need!45 years tradition in winch-building excellence

16 Issue 6: August 2014www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsSomething the Discovery 3, Mk1 Range Rover Sport and Mk3 Range Rover all have in common is air suspension. Which, as we all know, is something extra to go wrong. Something extra and, all too often, expensive.

Well, Britpart has now started supplying Hitachi Air Suspension Compressors, which are designed to be a cost-effective replacement for

the OE units. This might not stop you from needing to replace the factory item, but at least itll let you do so without as much pain in the wallet department.

An uplifting point to mention is that these compressors use all the original brackets and pipes, so fitting is made easy. The relay must be changed (this is included in the package), but theres no need to reprogram the vehicles ECU after completing the installation.

Prices for the compressors vary around the 400-500 mark from Britparts dealers. Thats a big range, so be prepared to shop around.www.britpart.com

As any overland traveller will tell you, one of the most important keys to a successful life on the road is making the most of every last scrap of storage space. Theres no middle ground: cramped and stressful is to be avoided, while organised and relaxing is a must-have state of affairs.

A roof rack is a pretty much essential accessory if you want to achieve that. Ones like these new expedition-style jobs from Britpart, for example.

Available for the Defender 90, 110 and 130, these racks are constructed from aluminium and finished in black powder coat for maximum resistance without any needless weight. Easy to install, theyre strong and versatile, with longitudinal floor planks to reduce the effect of wind noise. Accessories can be fitted easily, with the help of nut channels on all the extrusions.

Roof rack rails are available to buy separately, too, in case youd rather keep your wardrobe with you. Prices starts from about 700 including VAT, and climb to 1000 or so, depending on which Defender youre prepping.www.britpart.com

We always talk about protecting your Landy from trees, boulders and so on, but what about those pesky passengers who insist on sitting in it?

Worry no more, because Britpart now offers Waterproof Seat Covers for the Disco 1 and Range Rover Classic. Available in black, blue, green, grey and now sand colour, these will stop moisture and other dirt and debris from tarnishing your seats.

Made from waterproof woven polyester with a PVC backing, the covers are washable and easy to slip on or off your Land Rovers seats. They come in separate kits for the front and back seats, and you can expect to pay around 60-80 inc. VAT.www.britpart.com

17Issue 6: August 2014w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242South African company Front Runner is currently making inroads into the UK market, having established a network of dealers and approved fitting centres for its high-end 4x4 accessory range.

The company promises to lead the way on Discovery 3 and 4 accessories, including roof rack systems through to storage, load carrying, camping and cooking equipment. It also offers a spare wheel carrier, to get the vehicles spare away from its original location and up out of harms way behind the back door.

The carrier fits on to the vehicles chassis through the rear bumper, and swings away for easy access when the in-built locking mechanism is unlatched. Its made of mild steel and is black powder-coated to protect it against the elements simple and effective, like all the best ideas.www.frontrunneroutfitters.eu

Further news from Front Runner is that it has teamed up with LandieBox, which is offering a combo deal on its tents and Front Runners roof racks.

LandieBox, which makes specialist overland accessories, recently became a distributor for Front Runner products. I wanted to set up a relationship with Front Runner because their products are high-end and fit so well with our bespoke LandieBox outdoor and camping products, explains MD Steve Guy. Front Runner product engineers have practical, hands-on experience and having used some of their extensive range myself, I know that they use quality materials, which are ideal for even the most extreme conditions.

The LandieTent is quick to erect, with no poles to potentially break when miles from anywhere, and its double-skinned design with a mesh inner means you should sleep easily whatever critters might try to join you.

Front Runner has an entire range of products available in the UK. And remember, if you want a rack to go with your LandieTent youll get the two at a keen price by talking to Steve.www.landiebox.co.uk

it was just what i was looking for a blank canvas

When you spend your working days maintaining a fleet of 14 Land Rovers for an agricultural estate, it might reasonably be assumed that you wont want to spend your leisure time working on LandRovers. But Nick Mills is so into it, he didnt just build himself one. He built a whole series of the things, culimating in a hefty 110 so his kids and dog could come along for the ride too

Nick Mills works on Land Rovers every day. Hes an agricultural engineer on a farming estate, looking after all his employers engineering and fabrication needs as well as spannering on a fleet of 14 Landies.

Im an all-round chap, I am, he says, and thats a good thing to be when you work on Landies. Which he doesnt just do with his job, either. When a project is finished I start to get itchy feet and need to fuel my addiction for the build buzz, he admits. And that explains the catchily coloured 110 on his drive.

This replaced a Discovery, and even when we spoke to Nick there was

another 110 waiting in the wings to be built. He obviously doesnt get enough spanner time during working hours.

Seriously, though, youd think a man who maintains 14 of the things would have a hobby like woodturning or model railways. But not Nick. I love Land Rovers and always have, is his straightforward explanation. I wanted to buy a Defender 110 as Id never owned one. Ive had a 90 before but didnt like the lack of space in it really, what with having two children and a dog to fit in.

Buying a 110 isnt a difficult thing to do many 110 owners have done it but as always, the trick is to buy

18 Issue 6: August 2014w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews

words gary noskillPictures steve taylor

BUSMANS HOLIDAY

The 200Tdi engine beneath the bonnet is nicely installed, for which the 110s previous owner is awarded precisely no thanks as when Nick bought the truck, it was held down mainly by gravity. He hasnt replaced the engine, but it needed a thorough going over and many parts needed replacing. It now features a large-core radiator, heavy-duty clutch, Td5 heater and Fiat Ducato fan. Its bolted to an LT77 gearbox and LT230 transfer case, just as Solihull intended

19Issue 6: August 2014w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk

Above/below: The interior is kitted out to reflect work as well as play. The spare wheel holder is a one-off job, as is the chequer-plate rear door cover. Inside, theres a custom cage and storage area for Nicks tools; beyond it, you can just make out the half-leather Rover MG ZT front seats which make things pretty luxurious. An extremely nice touch is the hinged dog guard, which allows Nick to access his gear (and dog, and therefore presumably versa) but can be secured in place to prevent that same gear (and, hopefully, dog) from biting him on the back of the head should something unpalatably bumpy happen off-road

To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242

the right one. Which in Nicks case meant buying one most people would consider fairly wrong.

The chassis was rotten and the bodywork was really rough and neglected, he says. The interior was also really tatty and a 200Tdi had been fitted very roughly indeed.

Nice. But as far as he was concerned, it was perfect. It was exactly the type of Land Rover I was looking for a blank canvas for me to build on, to whatever spec I wanted.

Continued overleaf


Nick ran the truck for a few weeks, which is how long it took for its MOT to expire. At that point in time, rather than trying to get a new ticket, he put it on SORN and got down to work.

He started by stripping it down and selling the bits he didnt need, to fund the bits he did. Good plan. Then he had the chassis shot-blasted, which is also a good plan, and lots of welding followed; the main rails needed plenty of patching, and a whole new quarter-chassis went on the back.

The body panels were able to go again, though there was plenty of beat-ing required to knock out all the dents. But the reward for all his hard work was that he was able to break out the

spray gun and finish them in the very fetching Ransomes Orwell Blue you see here. Its manufacturer, Spaldings, lists it as a hard implement enamel, and thats very appropriate because this 110 is a very hard implement indeed.

Something else the body wanted for was a cage in the rear, which Nick bent

up himself. It shares the cabin with a melting pot of bits from all sorts of sources the front seats are from an MG ZT, the rear heater a Ford Transit and the rear bench seats were bought from Britpart. Nick made his own cen-tre console, complete with cubby box, cup holders and CD player housing.

Another goody from Britpart was a set of 4 extra-wide wheelarches, which went on after hed trimmed out the front wings. He wanted to leave plenty of space for a set of 33x12.50R15 BFGoodrich KM2s to do their thing without fouling, see, and as we all know virtual lifts are all the rage among truck-modders at the moment.

Not that he didnt enhance the sus-pension as well, by going back to Britpart for a set of +2 springs and shocks. More space around the big BFGs, and more flex to keep them pressed to the ground not a radical set-up, but one that works for him and unless you want to go extremely extreme, itll work for you too.

Those tyres, by the way, have their fans but, un-like the original BFG Mud- Terrain, youll find people who dont rate them as much. Nick is firmly among

those in favour, saying they give him plenty of stability when hes out and about on the estate at work and playdays at the weekend.

Also on the suspension front, he made his own cranked rear trailing arms, which is a pretty grown-up thing to do. More droop and more strength, too: both fine things. Also strong as an ox are the heavy-duty drag link and track bar that turn the front wheels, and the Britpart heavy-duty steering damper that helps convince them only to do so when asked.

Turning the wheels in the other sense of the word is the same 200Tdi whose installation Nick didnt like the look of in the first place. Its a diamond

of an engine in the right hands, which obviously is where it was now, and you wont be surprised to learn that he craned it out and did the job properly.

This meant replacing or repairing the starter motor, head gasket, alternator and water pump before doing anything else. Might as well get the engine right while its hanging from a chain. Next up were a large-core radiator, heavy-duty clutch, TD5 heater and the electric fan off a Fiat Ducato van, then in she went

with an LT77 gearbox and LT230 transfer case bolted on the back of her.

Which brings us back to the MOT test, and after all that work the 110 arrived home with a new ticket to justify all Nicks efforts. So now he was able to get out there, start playing, use it in his job or go back into the workshop and build something else.

As hes already explained, the moment he downs tools on one project he wants to get stuck into the next. Ive got big plans for the next one

To most of us, big plans would be what lead us to a Defender much like

this one. No harm in being ambitious, though. It definitely helps when youve got a pro workshop and the skills to use it right, but its the plans themselves thatll put you on the right lines.

Nicks 110 is spot-on because as well as being very able off-road, it hasnt had the usability compromised out of it. He was after a Landy to suit life with two kids, a dog and an out-and-about job, and thats just what this is. Top tool, top toy. What more could you ask?

Right: Nick made the seven-degree heavy-duty cranked radius arms on the rear, which allow the axle to drop out further on articulation and, just as importantly, do it without turning themselves into spaghetti first time it happens when youve got your foot on the gas. The spring and shock lurking behind the wheel at the extreme right of the picture are part of a Britpart kit that lifts the vehicle by 2 over standard, and at the other end the same companys steering damper is partnered up with a drag link and track rod that wont bend for anythingFar right: Yet more desirable gear from Britpart, whose catalogue Nick turned to repeatedly while speccing up the 110. Here, a set of 33x12.50R15 BFGoodrich KM2s is tucked away comfily beneath a set of 4 extended wheelarches, behind which the bodywork has been trimmed back to help the suspension articulate without caning the big, wide tyres into it. With so much offset on the wheels, even on such wide tyres its possible to get a level of steering lock that drivers of factory-standard 110s would envy

When a project is finished, I start to get itchy feet and need to

fuel my addiction for the build buzz

2000Typical price for a G-reg 110 in the condition Nicks was when he got it

IIa Bought for parts But now comIng Back to lIfe


Older vehicles are for restor-ing. Simple as. You wouldnt restore a brand new Defender would you? That would be like trying to repair an iPhone 5S fresh out of the box Its not really do-able.

If your iPhone looks like its been steamrollered by a fist, then a little TLC could be in order. Some items, though, are beyond repair and are broken down for parts. Thats what Andrew Poulson of Spinney Engineering thought hed be doing with this Series IIA before he took a closer look.

I bought this for breaking down into parts originally, recalls Andrew. And when I first saw the Land Rover, I was thinking what have I just bought? As with many things, though, taking a closer look reveals more of the story.

The vehicle was quite nice, actually, once Id had a proper look round. It had got new springs, new tyres and a new bulkhead. I couldnt break it for parts it was too good!

We bought it at the end of March. Wed nearly bought it 18 months ago, but the seller changed his mind.

We originally saw the vehicle three years ago when I was at an off-road driving centre with my wife. It was owned by a gentleman who was thinking of selling or restoring it at the time. So we said if you ever want to sell, then give us a call.

Eventually, Andrew got the IIA back to his workshop and was able to discov-er its hidden assets. It may have been in a better condition than originally thought, but then again, its not what you call a well-travelled vehicle.

Its only had two owners from new, and it lived in the same street for 49 years! The first owner had it 44 years and then it moved three doors down to its new owner!

The old girl was built on 22 April 1965, but will soon roll back the years once Andrew finishes the restoration work. So far, many different paint colours have been stripped off ready for a total respray, which will see her once again resplendent in the classic deep bronze green.

Everything is original and well try and keep it as bog standard as possible. All the brakes need doing, the master cylinder and shoes. There is just a little welding to be done and then we can set about the respray.

After the vehicle has had its glossy new coat applied, Andrew will start the

reassembly process, fitting mud flaps, seats and all those other little things, such as the lights, that make a function-ing vehicle what it is.

We normally do restoring and repair work and we only really bought the IIA as we needed a bulkhead for another project! We do our own power steering conversion for the Series I, II and III, and disc brake conversions too anything to do with Land Rovers really.

This relic may turn out to be quite the sassy lady once finished, then, so will Andrew keep her for himself? The plan is to sell it on and let someone else give her the love and attention she needs. Ive had lots of Land Rovers in my time. Were a strange breed, us Land Rover lovers, but this lady will be moving on.

Before Andrew says goodbye though, well be following the progress of the restoration over the coming weeks and seeing the transformation as it goes. Its safe to say we all want to see the final product: its always a pleasure to see another Land Rover back out on the road factory-fresh, even after almost half a century!

Andrew originally bought the Series IIA as he needed a bulkhead for another project. When he saw how good this one was, however, he decided that the vehicle was too good to scrap and set about bringing it back to its former glories

How many times have you come across a Mk1 Range Rover that looks particularly worn down by life and riddled with rust underneath? The kind which, when you

squint from a distance, merely resembles a big sack with a pound sign on the side, just waiting to be filled.

Yes, that may have been a longer way of saying it will devour your money than necessary. But devour your money, it surely will, much as a crocodile would devour your right arm given half a chance.

If you feel like losing an arm or a leg, of course, you dont necessarily have to seek out your nearest reptile house. In fact, you dont need to lose any limbs at all. Sometimes, its about timing.

You may wait a long time for your dream machine. But when it turns up, you will know about it. And even better is when you come across your ideal dazzling vehicle and all it costs is the price of a new small hatchback.

The photos displayed next to this waffling text show one of the very last Classics, and therefore one of the last of a fine breed. This particular example was on sale a couple of months ago and we were able to get a look round it before it went to its new home.

You may have read in the last couple of issues about the Series IIB 110 Forward Control and then the Series I 107 Station Wagon which have been receiving TLC from the Walker brothers at Alex Engineering down in Tring. This mint Classic has also received the same attention; not quite

as much, admittedly, but thats just because it didnt need it.

Its a very clean example and thats predominantly down to there being just 63,000 miles on its clock. There arent many like this left, at least in such good nick. It has the usual 3.9-litre V8 of its day, but on top of this it boasts an LPG conversion with a single-point injection so, its safe to say its saving those pounds already.

These Classics can really be money pits, but luckily this one hasnt rusted

because of the small amount of miles, said Andy Walker. Weve done little bits of welding and spent a bit of time on the paintwork to polish it up.

Its only had general servicing and maintenance though as a whole. New tyres with Goodyear Wrangler ATs as well.

How often are you able to say that about a Range Rover thats coming up to its 20th birthday? Or indeed any car, regardless of the miles. This old Classic has worn it well.

It has been given some extra lights at the front, which can split opinion. In this case, keeping it simple and as close


36.5kPrice when new of a top-spec Range

Rover Classic 3.9 SE

Mk1sInterest in straight Range Rover Mk1s

is building all the time. Even a late Classic can now be

valuable and if its clock is showing super-low

miles, its even better

without the miles

Words Mike Trott Pictures Steve Taylor


If the Classic from Alex Engineering was a good un, shortly after being captivated by it we stumbled upon another thats simply in a whole new league of its own.

We talk about timing, and the need to wait for your dream vehicle. Well, the owner of this Range Rover was actually viewing another car altogether when he bought it.

Ian Wright, proprietor of The Wright Event off-road training centre, had gone to look at an E-Type Jaguar hed been offered for sale, when he realised the shape lurking under some old dust sheets just a few metres away was that of a Mk1 Rangey.

Id walked straight past the Range Rover, he admits, and barely gave it a glance with it being covered up.

Inside the long, dark garage, the Classic had been sat since 2007. Off came the covers to reveal a superb example of a 1991 Rangey, with get this just 8000 miles on the clock!

The covers came off and I thought blimey! I had just done the deal for the E-Type, and then the guy turned to me and said Do you want the Range Rover as well?

After Ian had managed to pick his jaw up off the floor, they fired up the very unmo-lested Classic and showed it

some sunlight for the first time in sev-en years. It started up straight away. The belt squeals like a pig and the brakes are a little spongy, but every-thing works and it sailed through its MOT. Its running much better now.

Unlike the lads at Alex Engineering, Ians not looking to sell his Classic on. You cant imagine there being any shortage of interest if he did, even if his only word on the subject is that hed only let it go if someone offered him an obscene amount of money. We dont think he means fifty quid by this, sorry.

as possible to original would surely be the aim of the game, but with so many Rangeys having been fitted with auxiliary spotlights, they dont look at all out of place.

Alex Engineering ended up selling this fine money pit for a tidy 12,000. A tidy sum for a 20-year-old vehicle, but not a lot for a genuine classic car that you can use without compromise

as an everyday drive and so long as he looks after it, the Rangeys new owner is unlikely ever to lose much on his investment.

He could, for example, have spent the money on a brand-new Dacia Duster. And how much of it do you think he would get back in five years time?

A no-brainer if ever there was one, we reckon. And thats before you even turn the key and a Rover V8 throbs into life to remind you that youre driving a true classic from the Rangey timeline. Beautiful and worth every penny.

Aside from the obvious chassis, floor and underbody rust, the tailgate is one of the most trouble-prone areas of any Mk1. Even on a low-miler, they can be rotted out or non-fitting. Good news then that this ones so straight

The 3.9 V8 is a lovely version of the old Buick engine, and in the Range Rover it found a perfect home. This ones had an LPG conversion, so perfection doesnt come with a side order of poverty

I Instantly regretted not havIng a serIes I dIscoBuying an old barn in Devon meant Neil Witt

had a lot of rubble to shift. Buying a rusty, knackered Series IIA was a bit of a novel

answer, but as well as helping him build his house the old truck converted him to the Land

Rover way. So much so that he now owns not one but three Discoverys including a

300Tdi Commercial thats a perfect example of how to

plan a project sensibly


Words robbie ronsonPictures vic Peel

The 300Tdi was Neils third Discovery, and hes bought another two since. One of thems the original prototype LWB, no less, which he took on as a project; the others this Disco 3, which didnt cost much to buy but sure costs a lot to run

ANOTHER KIND OF BARN CONVERSIONManys the story of a Land Rover fans devotion that ends up in rubble. If not actual rubble (though thats not unheard of), then certainly the 4x4 equivalent.

Neil Witts story starts with rubble. Not the metaphorical kind, the final acceptance that your project is never going to turn a wheel. Actual rubble. The kind you put in a wheelbarrow.

A dozen years ago, Neil bought a new home in Devon. Not a barn conversion, he says. A converted barn. Theres a difference.

The difference was that when you move into a barn conversion, your

main concern is wherther to serve Krug or Moet at your house warming. When you buy a converted barn, you need to shift ton after ton of building material inwards, and a similar amount of broken concrete in the opposite direction.

If Neils life had gone a very slightly different way, he would have become the owner of a Japanese pick-up truck. And now, with the building work well in the past, he might be doing his daily commute in a Mondeo.

But no. A friend was into Land Rovers. And rather than getting an identikit pick-up, he convinced Neil to plump for what he describes now as a rusty, knackered Series IIA.


The phrase with friends like these, who needs enemies comes to mind. Yet it was the beginning of a love affair with Solihull that saw Neil become the owner of three Discoverys including the prototype long-wheelbase 200Tdi, of all things, as well as a D3 workhorse and the off-road machine you see here.

The Series IIA clearly wasnt all that rusty or knackered as it sailed through its MOT after hed had it for three years. I took that as an omen that I should sell it, he says, which sounds a bit harsh but with an hours commute every day, you can see why he replaced it with a 200 Tdi Discovery instead.

He ran this for four years, but it didnt repeat the IIAs trick of sailing through its MOT. Instead, it fell to bits. So he sold the engine and bought a 3.9 V8 ES on gas. This was his first auto, and what a revelation.

Three more years passed, then with a bit of spare cash about his person Neil was able to trade up to the Disco 3 he still owns today. Since then, he says hes learned that just because theyre cheap to buy these days doesnt mean theyre cheap to own.

Maybe because the Disco 3 is more sanitised than older Landies, Neil started having withdrawal symptoms. He found himself with rose tinted specs about Series IIA ownership,

and having sold the V8 he instantly regretted not having a Series I Disco.

You know where this is going. First, he bought another IIA and rebuilt it. Then a Disco Mk1 Commercial came up for sale nearby, which was perfect as hed always wanted a van and was on the lookout for something practical.

This one seemed to tick a lot of boxes. Its chassis was solid, it had just had a new gearbox and its 300 Tdi engine had the right history: so long as its been looked after, says Neil, with regular oil changes at the right time, itll go on forever.

Better still, though it had the later engine this one was old enough to be from the days before electronic management, meaning he could look after it himself. And best of all, he managed to pick it up for 1200.

Actually, theres something better still: he reckons all the mods hes done have only cost him the same again. He built the project on an as and when basis, buying cheap bits when they came up rather than paying strong money to get everything straightaway.

That was in the main, at least. One thing he did have to buy off the shelf was an Allisport intercooler. I found out very quickly, on the drive home, that it was very underpowered. Special Vehicles had built it with air-con, but I quickly learned not to use it! I

overhauled the engine and went to Allisport for the intercooler the air-con meant I needed a specific fit rather than their standard one. But it makes a huge difference Id say it adds half as much power again.

Of course, doing it bit by bit is easier when youre only doing a tickle-up of a project rather than setting out to build something epic. And Neils intention was never to create a colossus of a Disco, just a good, practical everyday truck he could have some fun in too.

A good example was his first event in it. No, not a novice winch challenge, but the Mac 4x4. He entered it for the first time in 2012, finishing a very decent 17th out of 63 under the moniker of Team Toad.

My last Series IIA was pretty well known as Ratty in the Series II Club, he explains. So the Discovery got called Mr Toad, since its green. And when I bought the LWB Discovery Ambulance last year, we stuck with the Wind in the Willows theme and called it Badger.

And why not? The Ambulance was bought to be restored and gently modified into a truck Neil can use for camping and as a surfing support vehi-cle, though without doing anything that would ruin the character of what is, after all, a piece of Land Rover history.

Will Mr Badger usurp Mr Toad on Neils drive? Not likely. Now that the Disco has come together, hes going to use it. Hes even left the suspension at its standard height because when youre out on the sunken lanes of Devon, headroom is often your biggest concern. Theres a very bent roofrack and some wrecked guttering in a skip somewhere that says amen to that.

Many of us set out to build projects that are going to take the world by storm. And lots of us end up wishing wed set our sights a bit lower.

Neils Disco is a perfect example of doing it right. And thats why hes got a tidy truck thats 100% sorted and set to last him as long as he wants it to. His love of Land Rovers may have started in a sea of rubble but its not going back there any time soon.

Neil made this storage unit from some scrap softwood and ply. Its size and shape were dictated by the smoke-damaged storage boxes he picked up for a song

Above: When you get a part from eBay, it might be a branded product or it might have been lashed up in the sellers garage. This winch bumper looks like the former lash-up merchants tend not to have their own powder-coating facilitiesWith Wizardbilts steering guard and a diff protector behind it, theres not a lot that Neil needs to fear driving into. Its had a few bashes, so its already paid for itself in saved drag links

Buying a Defender is still as good an idea as ever. Only problem is, which kind do you go for? Factory fresh or expertly refurbished: each has a good many points in its favour

28 Issue 6: August 2014w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsTHE AGONY OF CHOICE

Ever since Land Rover an-nounced that the Defender will cease production at the end of next year, values for used models have been getting stronger. A thriving market has grown up for

refurbishing early 90s and 110s, using early engines to create new Defenders from the days of DIY servicing.

If you want to put a new 90 on your drive, an alternative to the showroom is to have one built using galvanised

underpinnings and cherry-picked components. Youll save big money, and get something thatll last longer than a standard new one.

At the same time, those new ones have been getting better and better over time. Since the days of the Tdi, the Defender has developed through several phases to the current model, the 2.2 TDCi, which will be the last before the factory goes quiet in 2015.

Many people who like the idea of rebuilding an old Defender to better-than-new standard also like the idea of doing it themselves. Get it done professionally, however, and if you want a truck built to the very highest spec you could expect it to cost you some-thing upstairs of 20,000.

Thats the alternative option. The conventional one is to go to a dealer and see what you can get for that same money: if you shop around, haggle hard and accept that you might need to settle for one thats high on miles or has been

used off-road, that sort of sum might just about net you the truck here, a 90 XS from early in the 2012 model year, just after the 2.2-litre engine came in.

The XS is at the top of the Defender range, which means you get stuff like alloys, air-con, electric windows and traction control. Around the 20k mark, the 2.2s youll see are more likely to be lower spec models, while if you spot an XS itll probably have the older 2.4 TDCi unit.

Thats relevant because, in our view, the 2.2 is nicer to drive. On paper, everything about the two engines should be identical, but we found it more responsive through the gears than the 2.4s weve driven. You wont be disappointed by its pace or pulling power, anyway, and if you do a lot of motorway work the good news is that the dreadful speed limiter that blighted the 2.4 is gone on the 2.2.

Talking of gears, the six-speed box on this model is excellent and changes

very smoothly. The transfer case on our tester was slick, too: gone are the days, it seems, when shifting between low and high in a newish Defender was an exercise in hope.

Of course, low box is where any Defender is in its element, and whether youre using it to shunt trailers around or conquer almost any terrain you care to try, the 90 is as masterful in 2.2 TDCi form as ever.

With the six-speed box, in fact, itll ease over major obstacles at tickover in low second and tackle descents that hang you against your seatbelt with absolute confidence. Leave it in low first and, with the combination of torque and anti-stall, were enough traction to be available it would claw its way up the side of a building.

As we mentioned, traction control is standard on the XS, and itll cut in to try and keep you moving once the limits of either the tyres grip or the suspensions travel have been reached.

The 2.2 TDCi engine is very well suited to the Defender. Its stats say it should be identical to the older 2.4 to drive, but we find it much nicer. If you want to do your own maintenance, however, either will be a huge stumbling block


Almost every Defender gets a set of mud tyres on it in the end, and most will also be fitted with longer-travel springs and shocks at some point in their lives, but even in factory form the 90 will keep going long after most modern 4x4s have bellied out or left their own traction control confounded.

Not that we like the 90s traction control very much. The idea is to bury the throttle as your wheels start to spin, so that the system starts hammering away with the brakes until eventually, enough torque is shifted to the wheels with grip. It sounds brutal, for the vehicles brakes and potentially for the ground beneath it, and wed far sooner see some sort of locking rear diff on the options list. A much more elegant solution, and far cheaper via the after-market than the cost of specifying Land Rovers system.

In terms of living with it, a Defender is very much a Defender. The more modern version is friendlier in some ways (especially in luxurious XS form), but whether the addition of a dash-board in lieu of, er, none was quite the revolution it felt like at the time is open to question. Being able to work the heater controls and get actual heating is a novelty if youre used to old ones, but the amount of storage space has actually got worse now theres no longer a catch-all tray to shove everything into the way Defender drivers have long been used to.

Buying our test vehicle now would mean picking it up with a few months left on the original three-year warranty. Many cars lose half their value by their third birthday, but it says a lot that anyone wanting to own this one now would need to stump up around 75% of the 29,500 it cost new. Thats a huge point in favour of buying as new as you can, because even an expertly refur-bished old Land Rover is still just an

old Land Rover in the eyes of the guy buying it off you, so however good it is you neednt expect a better-than-new Tdi to hold its money the way a late 2.2 TDCi will.

On the other hand, its often said that depreciation is meaningless if you never sell the car. And Defenders, more than anything else, are the kind of vehicles people hold on to forever. Which might tilt the balance back towards refurbishing an old one,

because youll certainly get more for your money and by speccing everything galvanised and stainless, youll have a Landy thats still hanging together once even the last ones from the end of next year are rusting out. No small matter if what you really want is a Landy for life.

Is there a conclusion to all this? Yes, actually. Its that we think the 2.2 TDCi is the best Defender to drive since the 300 Tdi. And since the choice were

describing is between a refurbished Tdi and a nearly-new 2.2, thats good news.

What choice would we take? It really does depend on whether youre honestly committed to keeping your Land Rover in the long term. Anything under about a decade (still pretty young for a Defender), and the strength with which they resist depreciation will point you towards a newer one. But the pleasure of creating your own vehicle, and seeing a project take shape, cant

be underestimated. Nor can the huge satisfaction that comes from doing your own maintenance, which is highly unlikely to happen on the much more complex TDCi.

Ultimately, for what the 90 in these pictures is worth even now, you could have a truly sensational refurb project done just the way you want it. It wont hold its value the same, but itll last far better and if you look after it, itll be a friend for life.

Many of us still struggle with the notion of a Defender that has an actual dashboard. Proper heating is definitely welcome (as is the air-conditioning thats included on this XS-spec model), but the huge void in front of the passenger is actually less usable than it looks like it ought to be. The old models full-width tray was underrated

Its ten years since we took the laning trip in this story. Ten years in which a lot has changed Im not sure exactly how much, but the stuff youre going to read about here is now pretty much wall-to-wall illegal.

We were green laning in Wales, see. On Sarn Helen, principally, and the many trails near it which at the time were still classed as RUPPs. Some 18 months later, they were all to be closed when Tony Blairs government passed the hated NERC Act.

At the time, with NERC still to come, we naively thought these lanes would be safe from its pernicious aims.

Almost all of them are also recorded as minor public highways (UCRs or ORPAs, as you might know them),

so theyd still be roads even when their RUPP status was taken away. As history now shows, however, in a shocking piece of late manoeuvring the government allowed the lower status of Restricted Byway, which all RUPPs became, to overrule any highway rights.

Incompetent, or dishonest? You can choose, but if its not one its the other.

So anyway, if youre aged under about 25 youre reading about a trip on a set of lanes youve never been allowed to drive. Which is a proper shame, as theyre beautiful.

It came as a bit of a kick in the teeth for the local economy, too. Because


Words Hamish GilhoolyPictures Steve Taylor

ONE LAST TIMEON A CLASSIC TRAIL

LANDIES OUT THERE EXPLORING THE WELSH LANES

1623Years from the

Romans leaving Wales to Blair closing their

roads

Wales is still a great place to explore in your 4x4, with a wide range of beautiful green lanes in the mountains and valleys. Ten years ago, however, it was better yet back then, before the crass NERC Act became law, a mass of superb rights of way were still open. Among them was the daddy of them all, a glorious Roman Road in the Brecon Beacons by the name of Sarn Helen


with five trucks worth of us all heading to Wales for the weekend, theres at least a couple of grand in it. We rented a holiday cottage at Cwmcamlais, Powys with room enough for ten, which didnt come cheap even in the depths of the winter off-season, and bought all our provisions locally. Multiply that by the number of laners like us whove not taken their Land Rovers back there since Blair closed so many of the best trails, and thats a lot of money stripped away from ordinary Welsh people and spent on Xbox games and pile ointment instead. Nice one, Tone.

So anyway, our trip. Five trucks, ten blokes, one weekend. By the time of the actual weekend, it was down to three trucks and six blokes, so we were going to be rattling around a bit in that big old cottage of ours, but never mind. Daves Range Rover was the first to withdraw, then with just a few days to go Matts 109 wouldnt play ball.

That left Steve and Bob in a V8 hybrid and Joe and Kit in a TD5 Discovery. Plus me and Tim, and Im not even saying what we were driving but the others were very sporting and helped us through the gnarly bits using waffle boards, rock infill and, at one point, a chainsaw.

That there was the work of Kit at his best. Something else that happened ten years ago was that people on laning trips still navigated using maps (yes, made of paper and everything), which is what Tim was doing first time we got lost. And second, and third, actually, but anyway, there we were going down a lane which, too late, I realised was one I had marked down

LANDIES OUT THERE EXPLORING THE WELSH LANES

Continued overleaf

A beautiful old moss-covered sign for Sarn Helen, with storm clouds gathering in the background. Doesnt really get any more appropriate than that, does it?


as too scratchy when Id done a recce on the route a few weeks previously.

For too scratchy, read theres half a tree in the way. In a flash, Tim had his Swiss Army Knife on the case, prompting Steve to roll his eyes and reach for his bow saw.

That was the point when an orange vision appeared from behind Kits Discovery, clad from head to toe in protective gear and heading for the offending tree, chainsaw in hand, with a steely glint in his eye. He was even wearing his face mask Eminem-style for maximum impact.

There you are, an Eminem reference. Told you it was ten years ago. The magnificence of this spectacle was only partially undermined by the fact that

his chainsaw wouldnt start until Joe stepped in to knock off the safety catch. After that, the tree didnt stand a chance. Nor did Tim, obviously. Swiss Army Knife, indeed. If you ever want to invade Switzerland, just take a chainsaw. And Joe.

After that, we got ourselves back on the right route. Which meant we were heading for Sarn Helen. Its hard to explain just how special this ancient Roman Road was in the days before Blair came along to wreck it. People do still drive it today, and local chat says

the landowners and even the police are quite happy to let this happen (the real coppers who work for their living, at least), but as far as the Westminsters concerned the next few paragraphs describe us doing something thats now right up there with burglary and arson.

And fox hunting. People were out doing that, too, as we bumbled our way on to the firm trackway north of Glyn Neath and headed up towards the Brecon Beacons. One day, everything apart from watching television will have been banned.

And the people who these new laws are meant to protect from us horrible nasty troublemakers in our big scary 4x4s? Today, they were 100% happy to share the countryside with us. Moun-

tain bikers, horse riders, ramblers: we chatted and laughed with them all. Sev-eral trail riders, too, and even another chap in a 4x4 (a brand new Nissan pick-up at that). Oh, and the ramblers? Some of them even had bobble hats on. We dont want to be judged on appear-ances, so dont lets do it ourselves.

Talking of ramblers, one of the only other 4x4s we passed on the lanes that weekend was a Mountain Rescue 110 on patrol. If youre up there on two feet (or wheels) and do yourself a mischief, youll be coming back down aboard

a 4x4. One of the other vehicles we spotted was a 90 bringing a group of special needs kids into the mountains for a picnic. Theyd be breaking the law now, too.

We followed Sarn Helen for as long as we could, which was eight or nine miles of stony, well maintained track-way across mountains and through valleys. The going was rarely technical, though the rock steps on the west flank of the Nedd Fechan were enough to need waffles in a truck with poor clearance or a big rear overhang (a good spotter doesnt go amiss either, and since Bob has done that job on the Malaysian Rainforest Challenge we were in safe hands). Mainly, though, this glorious lane was about the views

wild, expansive vistas over austere highlands marked by a mixture of forestry and hill farming.

It was the same on the many RUPPs clustered around the north-ern end of the trail, too. Mynydd Illtyd

is criss-crossed by several old roads on which a shallow layer of peaty soil sits on top of solid bedrock, meaning we were driving in what at first looked like deep ruts but turned out simply to be tramlines on a firm, traction-heavy surface. Open hillsides west of here are similarly austere but vehicle-friendly; here, one of the unsurfaced highways is still open to vehicles, courtesy of never having been classified as a RUPP. The less of a road something is, the more chance youve got of still being able to drive on it. Incompetent or dishonest,

We spotted a 90 bringing a group of special needs kids into the mountains for a picnic. Theyd be breaking the law now, too


take your choice: if the government of the day wasnt one, it was the other.

Our weekends laning got tougher after this, in terms of both the driving and the navigation. In fact, the combi-nation of wet grass and steep gradients had us turning back on the lane over Coed-y-Rhiw-las: we reckoned we could have made it, but at the cost of chewing up the surface, and thats not what any responsible laner is about.

Were not about straying off the track, either, though this turned out to be unbelievably awkward to avoid on the RUPP running south-west into Llanfihangel Nant Bran. This is a bit odd in that halfway along its length, it kinks off to the right (as we drove it) in the shape of a triangle. Problem is that the apex of the triangle, at the time at least, was as good as impossible to spot. Were we using sat-nav? Oh no, not us. Guesswork got us through, but not without a lot of trudging around on foot to try and work out where on earth we were.

That led us to our last lane of the weekend, which dropped off from the road out of Llanfihangel and straight into the river Nant Bran. Yet anoth-er thats become a restricted byway thanks to the foulness of NERC and those behind it, this was a real test of driver and vehicle alike: the bank as we dropped into the river was heavily dug

out on one side, throwing each of us in turn into an axle twister just as we were committed to entering the water. The Disco eased through, the hybrid walked it and us, we slithered our way down on a hastily positioned waffle. Oh dear

A weekend lane trip is long enough for most people but, if you really want to explore Wales, a full week wouldnt be excessive. Even today, when almost all the lanes we drove have been closed to 4x4s, its still a great place to take your Land Rover.

As for us, we set off for home feeling lucky that it was Dave and Matt, not us,

whod had to pull out at the last minute. We were blissfully un

the landy august 14

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