24
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 37: March 2017
Faced with a less than perfect Land Rover, Phil Keeling thought it would be a good time to embark on his very first rebuild of a Green Oval machine. Building the perfect Land Rover from scratch – just how hard can it be?
Y
ou might think, judging by the title of this article, that I’m going to reveal a horrific story of a rebuild highlighting the pitfalls you could face when embarking on losing your rebuild virginity. But you’d be well wide of the mark. As a matter of fact, it’s more like a can-do tale of how you could just be like our story’s main protagonist - a man not frightened to take on an unfamiliar challenge and who insists that these Land Rovers are not as daunting as you may first think. It’s a bit like starting a new fitness regime and being presented with what
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Buyers
How Hard Can It Be?
Words & Pictures: Mike Trott can only be described as a pipette’s worth of baby food, only to find out that it tastes better than you imagine. Especially when you close your eyes. Or so I’m told. Phil’s 90 also needed trimming when the vehicle he bought turned out not to be as exemplary as he first believed. ‘I thought it was in a half-decent condition, but when I started digging deeper, the vehicle clearly needed a lot of work doing,’ admits Phil. ‘I figured I’d take it back to basics, go back to the beginning and start again from scratch.’ One thing you’ll quickly note about Phil is that he doesn’t mess about: do
a job once and do it properly, that’s very much his outlook, none of this skimping and bodging crap. Think of Phil as the sort of person you’d feel happy conducting your triple-heart bypass surgery – you know he wouldn’t take any shortcuts. And you only need to look through a list of all the various modifications and new components that have been installed on the 90 to further confirm your decision that Phil knows what he’s on about. A galvanised chassis from Richards Chassis is always a good place to start on any rebuild, something immediately followed by a galvanised bulkhead.
Dr Phil did just that and followed it up with a set of Puma axles meaning disc brakes all-round, and a fully reconditioned 200Tdi motor. These are the core elements of this newly revived Land Rover, but there is a whole lot more besides. Inside there’s a cabin by Exmoor Trim, outside there’s a pro respray with some individual and neat touches, and a personal favourite is the five-speed manual ‘box with overdrive. Please don’t think I’ve gone potty now it’s 2017, because while the mechanics of a gearbox are all very well and good, that’s not what’s getting me excited here.
Notice how the gearstick has a little button on top? Like the sort of button Bond would have in his DB5? Well, that triggers the overdrive. It may not launch missiles or some annoying cretin employed by Spectre from your passenger seat, but I love stuff like that. And so does Phil. ‘I bought the vehicle in January 2015 and work started on it three months later,’ recalls Phil. ‘It was all a bit of a fad and I really fancied trying one out! The idea was simply to make the best possible Land Rover I could in my eyes; to make it as robust as possible, hence all the galvanised parts.
‘LOCKING’ TREE SLIDERS • Specifically designed to enhance look • Fits all specifications of Land Rover Defender • Impossible to open - UK No1 security deterrent • Ideal when your standard door locks don’t work • Bolt locking system • Doors open/shut as normal when in use • Made in GB
01709 926775 | 07776 373632 mrhamshaw@gmail.com www.hamshaw888.com
Security protection against thieves Practical protection against trees Prices from Series - £199 | 90 - £199 | 110 - £230 110 Crew Cab - £300 | High Capacity - £150