The Landy June 15

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ISSUE 16 JUNE 2015

BOBTAILING A P38

When the Mark 1 Range Rover started getting old, people were bobtailing them left, right and centre.

But those didnt have sensors try-ing to stop you changing anything.

Damian Roberts P38 isnt just bobtailed. Its lifted and armoured, too and fitted with a later BMW turbo-diesel engine. Its been turned into a true one-off but it didnt 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

This looks like a nice 90 truck-cab, right? Beneath the surface, its an altogether more exotic LandyFull story: Page 20

Five years on expedition? This 110 did it and shes back for more Full story: Page 32

3Issue 16: June 2015w 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 553242Lane users chip in to save Tilberthwaite

One of Britains 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.

LRs 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 LaneDurham County Councils Highways Committee has endorsed a proposal to close Hexham Lane in Wolsingham to motor vehicles. The proposal was

presented by the councils Rights of Way department who decided to press ahead with it despite receiving more than 200 objections.

Wanted: Series I restorer

4 Issue 16: June 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews

The 2015 New York International Auto Show saw the launch of Land Rovers 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 JLRs Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) branch, whose Technical Centre is responsible for the production of what is now the most powerful Range Rover since the vehicles 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 Rovers classy bottom.

Theres 501lbf.ft of torque available from as low as 3500rpm through the eight-speed ZF automatic box, but

gloss black Brembo front brake calipers are on hand to make sure things dont 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 theres 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

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 theres 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 were there, have you ever noticed people sitting on their Rangeys tailgate? Of course you have. Thats 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 Rovers 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 youve 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.

New SV Autobiography the most expensive Range Rover yet

Left: Were 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

Above: Quad tailpipes denote there being a 542bhp V8 engine at the opposite end of the Range Rover use wiselyBelow: 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

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 theyre 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 Keirans mission for H4HA 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, theyll be doing it all to raise money for Help For Heroes.

TPORE to build new off-road siteTrans 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 itll 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.

6 Issue 16: June 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews50 Shades of BrownA 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 mans trademark vertical stripes, this is built from panels in 27 different colours almost all of which are, well, a bit drab. Theres 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 its partnering with a similarly celebrated British brand.

The Defender is a British icon, which is something Im exceptionally proud of, says Smith. I keep a Defender at my home in Italy, which is in the middle of the countryside, so its 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 Rovers 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 thats been prepped for its EuroNCAP crash test, with stickers and sensors all over it.

Still, each to their own, and theres some fancy leather and fabrics inside the vehicle too. But on the whole, youd 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 Ultra4The King of France event on 22-24 May has been cancelled. Replacing King of the Glens in this years 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 Ultra4s 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.

7Issue 16: June 2015w 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

Ive been critical of Land Rovers approach to its traditional fans in this column. So its only fair that when the company does something positive, I give it the praise its 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 arent 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. Whats important is that theres 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.

Dont lets be in any doubt: theres 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.

Itll take a great deal for Land Rover to win back the trust of the people whove become alienated in the years since the companys 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 hens-teeth items like this as affordable as a seal kit for a Disco 2. Much more importantly, what it does mean is that if youve 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

Comment

Booming business at 4x4 Overlander

8 Issue 16: June 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews

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 its 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.

Charity LR Run to raise money for Battle of Britain Memorial Trust en route to Belgium

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 cant compete wit the big boys on selling service parts, says 4x4 Overlanders Barbara Brew. The secret for us is to be adaptable. We do whatever other people arent 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 companys ethos is to deal only with good quality equipment that wont 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 RoversJaguar Land Rover UK has announced a new Approved Used Programme which will see used dealer stock being sold with a two-year 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 half-day 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 Rovers UK Managing Director Jeremy Hicks said: Our new Approved Used Programme is truly competitive and we believe that the enhancements weve 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 weve set ourselves are highly competitive and highly desirable.

10 Issue 16: June 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsSolihull 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 havent 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 Rovers way of doing something for the army of enthusiasts without whom it wouldnt 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 Rovers 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 Solihulls 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.

Land Rover launches Heritage Parts

Twisted Automotive in 7m order for 240 DefendersTwisted 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 Twisteds 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 weve 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 dont 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 customers 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 dont transform them into something theyre not, added Charles. They still look like ordinary Defenders, but the standard car just doesnt 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.


Editor Alan KiddAssistant Editor Mike Trott

Admin and Editorial AssistantGemma PaskArt Editor Samantha DSouza

Contributors Dan Fenn, Gary Noskill, Paul Looe, Mark Bailey

Photographers Steve Taylor, Harry Hamm, Anthony Singer

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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NEXT MONTH

PLUS We drive the new Discovery Sport is it worthy of

the Discovery name?

NEXT MONTHS LANDY IS PUBLISHED ON 25 MAYYou can pick up your copy of our July 2015 issue from newsagents or Britpart dealers or read it online at www.thelandy.co.uk

Caffeine Rush: Meet All-Terrain Caffeine the Land Rover coffee shop, owned by Stuart Hancock, that allows him to serve customers virtually anywhere

Nice looking Defenders are often let down by what you find when you open the back door. That definitely wont be the case with this gorgeous teak-lined 90, though...


Raising 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 (dont 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 better-prepped 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 theyre 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 years event was an incredible effort, and one which the Mac 4x4 Challenge organisers and competitors alike should be proud of, but that didnt 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 its 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, well 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. Thats why the Mac 4x4 Challenge will be back next year. And theyd very much like it if your Land Rover was part of it.

Mac 4x4 Challenge sees superheroes on the march against cancer

Words Mike TrottPictures Matt Morgan


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 Mikes 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 Mikes 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, theyve become regulars. They come back each year and maybe one day theyll get their hands on a Mac trophy.

This year, to fulfil our vehicle requirements we chose to use Mikes 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, Mikes 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 theres 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.

14 Issue 16: June 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsSPINNEY 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 Traps 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 wont move!

What does he do next then? He hasnt got time to start stripping the vehicle down on the owners drive!

The device, which aims to receive Thatcham approval in the near future, works by physically locking the transmission in gear. It uses a spring-loaded 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 cant 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

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. Its a 10-piece kit for converting all your Defenders side lights and indicators, as well as its reversing and fog lights, to LEDs giving it a much more up-to-date image and, if youve 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 wed be after for a daily-driven Landy. LED there be light, and all thatwww.bespokecars.co.uk

IF YOU EVER wonder why restoring classic Land Rovers is such an expensive business, heres why. Unique parts for rare old vehicles sell in tiny volumes, which mean their manufacturing costs are very high and if that cant be passed on to you the punter, no-ones going to make them.

Thats 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 weve 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 dont get why thats different you should definitely stick to owning a Defender or Disco 2. Its 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 wont flinch.www.britpart.com

15Issue 16: June 2015w 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 553242New 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.

Theres 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

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 dont have to worry about

obscure objects like branches coming along and swiping at your indicators definitely worth having if youre 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

Remember the days when Land Rovers heaters were known as shin burners? Well those days are still here, if Mud-UK is to be believed though with its Puma Heater Deflector maybe they dont 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 push-fit 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 theyd 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 doesnt need you to have a hefty sum about your person.www.mudstuff.co.uk

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 well let the picture tell its own story. For the record, though, we think its drop-dead gorgeous.

In terms of the protection you get from it, the plate itself is made from

6mm marine-grade aluminium. This is CNC-machined so that all forward-facing 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


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 its a) invisible, and b) impossible to get

at. Thats if it hasnt 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

Picture Robert Head

If youre 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. Britparts newly introduced rubbing strip kit wont help you if you decide to lean it up against a tree, but theyre 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 owners life. But you wouldnt get very far without them (as some of us have found out), so depending on what you drive Britparts 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 youll 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

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

17Issue 16: June 2015w 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 553242If you dont like draughts, near the windows on a Land Rover hasnt always been the best place to sit. Garrison Outfitters believe this shouldnt 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 youve 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 fade-resistant. 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 ham-handed users from stripping the hard-to-find screws that hold the window frame together.www.garrisonoutfitters.com

Happy HomecomingThe greaTesT gifT we could give was his land rover

As well as being one of the worlds 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


words Mike TrottPictures sandals resorts international

What 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 didnt have a sparkling new Rangey parked in a huge garage next to a line of Porsches and Ferraris. Jamaicas favourite son was a man of the people and his Land Rover was a 109 Series III pick-up.

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, Jamaicas Order of Merit, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and an English Heritage blue plaque. This year, he would have cele-brated 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 car-ried 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 Marleys first-born daughter, Cedella an acclaimed fashion designer who gave the vehicle a new interior with seats themed around her fathers and Jamaicas heritage.

In this 70th year, she said, the De-fenders 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


Above and Below: This is what the Series III looked like prior to ATL getting their hands on this treasure. To think the wheel hadnt 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!

Above: The 2.25-litre engine is well-travelled, having been sourced in EthiopiaRight: 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-songwriters 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 trans-ported its proud owner, often accom-panied 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.

Marleys 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 wasnt enough to go looking just anywhere, either. The heart of any Land Rover is its engine: as a Rastafarian, Marleys 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 couldnt 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, Bobs son Ju-

lian Marley (himself a reggae star), said: I have always loved my fathers 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 refur-bished 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 Marleys 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 wont 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 worlds most compassion-ate musicians, and to one of the most notable Land Rover owners of all time.

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 Whales 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

Every 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 arent exactly a rarity in the murky world of internet advertising, of course (theyre out-numbered only by dishonest buyers), but just because somethings a hybrid definitely doesnt mean its 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.

Such as Stuart Whale, who built the picture-perfect 90 you see here. Oops, did we say 90? Well, in actual fact thats 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 bob-tailed 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 short-ening the chassis took just three hours of that. As we said, it helps if youre 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 donors 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, thats 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. Thats two for him and two for Warren, which only seems fair.

With this in mind, youd 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 its sound, was that if theres one area where you dont want to take a chance, its 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 youve fiddled around bending tubing, he

explained, you may as well buy the finished product from someone who is mass-producing them. Its a lot easier in the long run.

Re-read that last paragraph and take it in. Were 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 youre 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 youre only doing so to save money you should think very carefully about whether or not youre actually doing so.

Beyond the metalwork, things run the risk of getting controversial. Stuart went for exactly the right wheelbase for


words gary noskillpictures steve Taylor

When a 90 isnt a 90


a 90, but the engine isnt like anything you ever saw coming out of Solihull. The 3.5 Tdi sticker on the side of the truck gives that away; its a Nissan unit, fetched out of a lorry, and it went in complete with all-new wiring through-out the entire vehicle. Stuarts choice was governed by the appeal of Japanese reliability he told us that spares werent 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 Mil-ner adaptor, the big Nissan lump cruis-es 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 itll 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 big-ger 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

Below: Yep, thats a 3.5Tdi. In the right lettering and everything. This Land Rover must have set a few tongues wagging in its time

Right: The front bumper is sound, solid and completely unique. Thats 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

Left: The Nissan FD35T engine is a 3.5- litre turbocharged four-pot used in the Japanese companys Cabstar light trucks in the late 80s and early 90s. Its not that much more powerful than Land Rovers own Tdi, but it runs 24v electrics and has gained a legendary reputation for never-ending reliability

Thats all well and good if youve 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 its worth it on balance. At the end of the day,

I spend a lot more time on the road than off it even if Id 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 theyre reasonably cheap to replace.

Talking of watching the pennies, each of those built-for-sweeties bump-ers is home to a Superwinch EPi9. Ex-cellent 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.

Thats the kind of thinking that goes into building a truck that looks as good as new but only owes you 4500. Combine Stuarts smart planning with the professional skills he and Warren put into it, and youve 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.


Above: Yep, thats 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

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

Youre only seeing a bit of the cage here, but thats enough to make a very important point. Despite being a professional fabricator, Stuart bought a cage from Safety Devices if theres one place where you dont cut corners, its your own wellbeing

Youve 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, thats being a workshop pioneer

Towards 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 Clas-sics replacement was going to be fitted with a diesel from the German giant.

When it finally arrived, the tur-bo-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 dif-ferent 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.

Thats not an easy job. It required a custom torque converter plate as well

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 down-fall 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 com-plete whereupon he was injured in an accident, couldnt carry on with it and, in Damians 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 special-ist, 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 wasnt any room for the rear stays. But its there, it doesnt 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 Rangeys 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. Ob-viously you dont fit a set of tyres that big under a Range Rover without doing something dramatic to its suspension, and thats where Damian comes in because although he bought the vehicle with several major mods already done, hes put in plenty of graft himself to take it to the next level.

Talking of things hes put in, these include another engine. While he


Words Paul LooePictures Harry Hamm

Pioneering Spirit

Above: Yes, thats a BMW badge on the top of the engine cover, but its 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


was playing with it off-road, the front axle dropped out and its panhard rod snapped. This let the body move side-ways, 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 wasnt, 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 re-placement 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 its 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 thick-ness 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 hes quick to offer praise where its due (for example to the bobtail work), hes ready with an opinion on stuff thats no good and as far as hes con-cerned the panhards definitely fell into that category. Not a problem to replace, though, because hes a skilled welder by trade and knew how to do a job like this the way it ought to be done.

So its been all change under there, and the results are impressive not just in what theyll 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 cant 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 hes 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 hasnt caused any problems with snagging or ground clearance.

One reason for this is that these days, the Range Rover isnt being used as a

Continued overleaf

Above: An exhaust running through a rock slider! That IS fancy. Well, what did you expect? It is a Range Rover after allRight: Bobtailed check. Wheelarches trimmed check. 33x12.5R15 Maxxis Bighorn tyres check. Theres an extensive list of mods on this vehicle and now theyve 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

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 chal-lenge action, so now its 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.

Thats 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 interest-ing, not just because theyre 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, youre talking about an extremely competent and very distinctive off-roader. Damian thinks the rear axle has a limited-slip diff in it, though hes 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.

Theres 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 itll 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 tray-back 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 every-one can keep on admiring it forever? That makes all kinds of sense.


Above: Nice wall. Nice vehicle too. Theres 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 off-road as it does on-roadLeft: 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 doesnt hinder the interior space either

28 Issue 16: June 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsThe Lizard King

Words and Pictures Mike Trott

The perentie lizard is one of those creatures thats 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 its over here

Australia 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 annoy-ingly good at cricket. And rugby. And off-roading. The list goes on.

If youre English, its kind of the law that youve got to mock the Aussies. But youve also got to be secretly jealous

of them. Because they get to live in Australia. While were shivering on the beach at Skegness and trying to dodge floaters on the tide, theyre surfing joyously and trying to dodge yet more animals that want to kill them.

Anyway, I am a fan of Australia. Seri-ously. 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

behind your sun visor. But you know what Im saying. And hell, when the landscape is this epic you dont mind sharing it with the rest of the animal kingdom.

Especially not when theyre animals like the Perentie. This is Australias 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

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, its great at hiding, burrow-ing and climbing trees, it can run fast enough to catch a fleeing rabbit and when push comes to shove its armed with claws, teeth and even a tail that can mess you up a treat. Make no mis-take, this guy is full-house gnarly.

Thats why the perenties 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 anoth-er 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 Per-enties have galvanised chassis. For the 6x6 variant, the frame has also been ex-tended 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 6x6s 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 accommo-date the spare wheel, which has now


Continued overleaf

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

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 theres room for yar arms too, cobber!


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 tur-bocharger 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 com-petition from the Unimog and Merc

G-Wagen, so Land Rovers 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 thats made it all the way from Australia. And we say made it because its no quick process

It takes about three to four months to get them over here with all the correct permissions, explains Marc.

Above: A cabin youll 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

Below: The Isuzu 3.9-litre turbocharged four-pot is what some people call a proper engine. If were honest we agree!


Above: This Land Rover is not afraid to shout about its roots. And you wouldnt be when youve 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 onesRight: If you decide youd 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 its more utility vehicles now. Were the only ones that really import Perenties as well, because the paper-work 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 dont 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 Fosters.

Yeah, I love these, he replied. We try and buy things that we actually like ourselves. These havent got any elec-tronics. Youve got a good solid engine up front very reliable and torquey. And its 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 youre like me and passed your driving test after 1997 youll need a C1 licence to drive one. Shame I had already plotted the strategy for invading an irritating neighbours 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 to-wards 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 its 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 crea-tures 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, youd do very well to get this close to an actual perentie lizard out in the wild. Youd also do well to escape from it or simply survive its unyielding wrath! Still, this one doesnt 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 chassisBelow: Outward facing seats and storage for enough weaponry to defend the whole of Australia against enemy forces if youre a fan of a bit of lamping, youre 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

David Turner and Jayne Wilkinson have been just about everywhere. Over the course of 1903 days and 134,250 miles, theyve visited six continents and an incredible 66 countries. And boy, do they have some stories to tell.

First, though, lets 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, Jaynes 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 theres 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 Jaynes real home.

We used to do lots of backpacking, but we were lucky if we could get three weeks off. Weve always been envious of those that could take six months out at a time, says David.

Wed never owned a 4x4 and it was all rather spontaneous. The advantage of having your own transport is you dont 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.


Words Mike TrottPictures David Turner and Jayne Wilkinson

The wheels on the bus...

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 youve spent half a decade roaming around as much of it as possible


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 un-lock 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 wasnt 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. Its a get-help-or-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 adven-ture 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 theyll 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

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

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


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 cover-ing 134,000 miles, Lizzybus was to be found in the garage on more than one occasion. Youll 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.

She is as much a part of this journey, if not more so than us. This is not the end its 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 Jaynes 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 travel-ling 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 pre-pared 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 theyre 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. Dont wake up and wish: wake up and do.

As youll appreciate, its hard to fit five years of travelling into a few pages. Which is why, if youd like to read more about Lizzybus and her companions stories, you can do it at www.lizzybus.com

Replacing a rear crossmember is the perfect example of a job its easy to do badly. But so long as youve got the basic skills and are willing to take your time, its just as easy to do it well and this is a job where the consequences of bodging it dont bear thinking about

R eplacing a Defenders rear crossmember is the sort of job youll 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

that a whole lot more possible than most vehicles, theres a big difference between fixing something and fixing it properly.

Theres no such thing as a job that wont come back to bite you if you lash it up. But some will come back with

bigger teeth than others. When its 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: youre going to get bitten, and if you survive itll just be down to luck.

Weve 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 werent up to the stress that goes through them in a hard corner, its a lot less funny. Killing your Land Rover is one thing: killing your family, and maybe someone elses, 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 youve done a course and got your ticket, talking to someone

who knows the specifics of what theyre 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, hes been around plenty of rear crossmembers more than my age, he says. So when he talks, its 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 with-out a beer particularly excruciating, but seeing as its still only early spring well give it a go. Besides dehydration, there is another factor you should take note of: wiring.

When removing the old crossmem-ber, cautions Andrew, it can be very easy to get carried away and start slicing and dicing the vehicle until you cut through something thats 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 real-ly weld well! Read that again, as many times as it takes.

The rear wiring loom is housed inside the driv

The Landy June 15

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Transcript of The Landy June 15