The northern French green lane run that brings Brits flocking back across the Channel year after year
ISSN 2056-6778 • Assignment Media Ltd
‘I’ve been a drIver, a navIgator and the thIng In the back’
www.thelandy.co.uk
FREE EVERY MONTH FROM YOUR LAND ROVER SPECIALIST
LANDY
DECEMBER 2014
THE
ISSUE 10
EVERY MONTH • 100% LAND ROVER • 100% FREE!
DIVIDED WE STAND! It’s quarter of a century since the Range Rover conquered the San Juan range on the Great Divide Expedition. These days, a Rangey is a very different kind of vehicle. But it’s still the king of the off-roaders. Land Rover North America has just proved that by crossing the Divide again. And leading the convoy of L405s was a survivor from that triumphant first trip. Full story: Page 22
As the Disco 2 gets more and more affordable, could it take over from the 110 as the ideal overland truck? Full story: Page 30
This 90 is an acquired taste. But behind those 20” alloys, there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye… Full story: Page 16
When did you last see an 88” going toe-to-toe with an L322 Rangey? Well, it happened at the latest Leics and Rutland LRC trials weekend… Full story: Page 38
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Issue 10: December 2014
3
DISCOVERY SPORT GOES IN-SEINE…
Barge-based supermodel and big welly boot antics in floating Parisien public unveiling Mike Trott The new Discovery Sport made its first public appearance at the Paris Motor Show – or rather, aboard a huge barge on the River Seine. Two Disco Sports turned tricks on a custom ‘off-road’ course on the barge. Behind them, the scenery was made from seven pairs of giant, vibrantly coloured wellington boots – a reference to the Disco Sport’s much-vaunted 5+2 seating format and credentials as a family vehicle. The Disco Sport was joined on deck by model and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who made an appearance after finishing her duties on the runways of Paris Fashion Week. After being chauffeured around the floating course, the British star posed with the Disco Sport alongside one of the pairs of enormous boots – painted, naturally, in a Union Jack pattern. Having made its big entrance, Land Rover’s new star continued down the Seine past the Eiffel Tower and NotreDame. The vehicle is the first model in a new family of Discoverys to be revealed over the next couple of years, with attention turning to the Discovery 5 next year; its importance can be gauged from the fact that the Disco Sport was the only Land Rover on display on the preview day at Paris. Following its digital unveiling last month at Virgin Galactic’s Spaceport
America facility in New Mexico, Land Rover announced details of a unique global competition which will see four people taking a once in a lifetime trip into space. For the rest of us who need to keep our feet on the ground, the Discovery Sport will go on sale in early 2015. ‘Designed and engineered to be the world’s most capable and versatile
premium compact SUV, this is a vehicle that will appeal not only to existing Land Rover customers but to a whole new group of people who may never have considered Land Rover before,’ commented Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design Director and Chief Creative Officer. ‘It is quite simply the most accomplished vehicle in its segment.’
Left: Land Rover’s design boss Gerry McGovern once sat for an hour in a room in a Coventry business park being interviewed one-to-one by our Editor. We’re guessing that floating down the Seine on a sunny day while chatting with catwalk model and Transformers star Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is one he’ll remember more fondly…
4
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
Special-edition Evoque is a ‘celebration of Britishness’ Evoque buyers around the world are shortly to get the choice of choosing their vehicles dressed in a variety of Union Jack motifs. Land Rover’s ‘Inspired by Britain’ special-edition versions of the fastest-selling vehicle it’s ever made will only be sold in export markets – but they’re set to win fans among anglophiles everywhere – in addition, presumably, to patriotic ex-pats keen to display their allegiance everywhere they go. Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in early October (where visitors might have been forgiven for missing it, such was the fuss surrounding the launch of the Discovery Sport), the SW1 edition features Union Jack décor on its rear spoiler and elsewhere. The same design is dotted around the cabin, too, just in case you forget what it is you’re driving. The SW1 is available in two different forms, called Union and Monochrome. The former is based on the Dynamic model and also gets a white roof and 20-inch gloss alloy wheels to go with its red, white and blue highlights. The Monochrome, meanwhile, is based on the Pure and offers a choice of black, white or grey body colours, with the latter two getting a black roof. The Union Jack stickers are picked out in a single colour, too, rather than the fullon effect seen on the Union. Inside the Union model, the upholstery, door inserts, armrests and facia trim are finished in Taurus
Laser tech for HUD option
Further exciting news for Evoque watchers is the adoption of a new integrated laser Head-Up Display (HUD), which is now available on the vehicle. Using world-first laser holographic techniques to project a second information point in the driver’s line of vision, this improves on previous HUD systems through improvements in colour saturation, brightness and contrast, with better glare prevention. The information in the display comprises of speed, selected gear, navigation markers, cruise control set speed and recognition of traffic signs ahead. The display is fully customisable and can be turned off altogether if required. The HUD function is available on the Evoque now – so long as you’re buying a higher-end one in the first place. Not available on the Pure or Pure Tech, it’s listed as a £1000 option on the Dynamic, Dynamic Lux and Autobiography – though you also need to choose the Solar Attenuating Windscreen option, which adds another £200 to the bill.
Ebony leather with Cirrus stitching. Ebony leather on the Monochrome is complemented by matching door trim and facia inserts, and both have a red anodised finish on the nine-speed automatic ZF gearbox paddles and rotary shift controller. ‘The Range Rover Evoque is a fresh interpretation of classic Range Rover design cues,’ commented Land Rover’s Chief Creative Officer Gerry
McGovern. ‘These special editions are a celebration of our Britishness. Evoque is designed and engineered in Britain and we know that resonates with our global consumers.’ How many they’ll sell to Top Gear fans in Argentina is anybody’s guess. But you can certainly see these versions of the Evoque going down an absolute storm in America – where the vehicle is already a smash hit.
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
In Africa, sponsorship from Land Rover raises the profile of a major award for pioneers of wildlife conservation Land Rover has furthered its involvement in protecting African wildlife, with the announcement that the company is to sponsor this year’s Tusk Conservation Award. The winner of the award will receive a grant of £15,000 towards their work. The Tusk Award acknowledges emerging conservationists who have displayed true dedication to the cause of preserving Africa’s wildlife and environments. The sort of work involved includes the protection of endangered species or threatened habitats, supporting and building environmental education and assisting the growth of communitydriven conservation. Last year’s winner, Tom Lalampaa said: ‘The award has been well received in Kenya by everyone from the British High Commission to the village elders in the communities I work with. The award was not about me, it was about the incredible people I work with and the Northern Rangelands Trust. ‘I was extremely inspired by the work of my fellow finalists last year and I applaud their commitment and achievements. I hope these awards will continue to inspire a new generation of conservation leaders in Africa and across the world.’ Three individuals have been shortlisted for the 2014 Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa: • Amy Dickman (Tanzania), who has already been successful in teaming up with local communities
to reduce conflict with the lion population in one of the most carnivore-rich locations. • David Kuria (Kenya), who created The Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO) – a community-based forum which focuses on grass-roots conservation. • Herizo Andrianandrasana (Madagascar), who has inspired the integration of local people into conservation management and monitoring, leading seven different jungle and wetland programmes across a combined surface area of 3500 square kilometres. ‘Land Rover is proud to be sponsoring the Conservation Award,’ said Global Brand Experience Director Mark Cameron. ‘The nominees’ determination and endeavour reflects the ethos that sits at the heart of the Land Rover
brand of going Above and Beyond. Having seen how each individual has contributed to conservation is truly inspiring. I hope these awards continue to recognise and reward these efforts so that conservation continues to grow in strength across Africa.’ Land Rover’s partnership with Tusk goes back 15 years, when the company first supported the Lewa Marathon in Kenya. Since then, Land Rovers have continued to support the Trust in carrying out its important work across Africa. Charles Mayhew, founder and chief executive officer of the Tusk Trust, commented: ‘Tusk and Land Rover have enjoyed a long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship in Africa. Their vehicles have become the reliable workhorses of many of our projects.’
YVB 166H – a correction Following the article which appeared in the October edition of The Landy, the trustees of the Dunsfold Collection would like to correct the statement made regarding the famous Range Rover Velar YVB 166H which won the first off road rally in the United Kingdom in 1971, The Senior Service Welsh Hillrally. This car is not owned by JLR but is in the custody of The Dunsfold Collection. This car is loaned out occasionally to JLR for special events such as the exhibition at Mulhouse and MotorFair, along with other vehicles in the Dunsfold Collection for which JLR make a donation towards the upkeep of the vehicles.
Issue 10: December 2014
5
6
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
Production of the Discovery Sport began at Land Rover’s Halewood plant in early October. The first vehicle, an LSE Luxury model, came off the line to the usual fanfares – before heading off to New Mexico, where it will be part of the Virgin Galactic fleet at Spaceport America. The Halewood plant now employs 4750 people – three times the number who worked there just four years ago. Land Rover’s latest products have had much to do with this, with the Range Rover Evoque and now the Disco Sport providing massive volumes. This latest launch is responsible for 250 jobs on its own – as well as for more than 1000 in the UK supply chain. ‘Today marks another incredibly proud moment for the Halewood plant, its workforce and the region as a whole,’ commented Operations Director Richard Else. ‘The decision to build the Discovery Sport here is a testament to our tremendous team, who are committed to delivering outstanding customer quality. Investment in the plant since 2011 now stands at £500 million.’ Production of the Disco Sport signals the launch of a new Discovery family which will grow to include the forthcoming Disco 5. There has also been much speculation over the potential for an entrylevel vehicle in this range – which the Sport’s £30,000-plus pricing certainly leaves plenty of room for, even in today’s premium SUV market. These launches and many more are among a total of 50 ‘important product actions’ Jaguar Land Rover expects to introduce over the next five years. With the Disco Sport alone accounting for a total of £3.5 billion in business awarded to 55 suppliers within the UK, the company’s place at the heart of the manufacturing sector continues to grow apace. • Jaguar Land Rover’s latest intake of 238 graduate trainees joined the company shortly after the Disco Sport was unveiled. The company, which this year climbed to number 16 in the Sunday Times Top 100 list of graduate employers, is currently recruiting for its next intake of graduates and work placements – the dedline for applications is 31 December.
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
Freelanders all round for winners of 2014 Rural Bursary Land Rover has revealed the winners of the Prince’s Countryside Fund Rural Bursary for 2014. In what is the second year for the initiative, these were selected from a range of projects and schemes designed to help rural communities with the preservation of Britain’s countryside. The five winning candidates, who were chosen for their ‘unerring community spirit and desire to make a long-term, positive difference to the community around them,’ receive a year’s loan of a Freelander 2 as part of their bursary. All five were introduced to their vehicles at Eastnor Castle, where they were taught off-road driving techniques and familiarised with the Freelander’s towing technology. This five winning candidates are: • Tim Sidaway, from Garden Farm LIFE in Derbyshire, who supports disadvantaged groups by using the farm and surrounding environment to provide them with enhanced welfare and opportunities. • Rachael Heatley, of Urban Farm in Lancashire – a mobile farm which she takes round local schools to educate children on the countryside, and also to care homes whose residents are unable to get out and about. • Mark Cawardine, from Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) in Chepstow, Monmouthshire – a voluntary rescue organisation which deals with floods, land and mountain searches and runs inshore lifeboats around the South Wales and Gloucestershire region. • Paul Harrison, who works for Bell View, a charity based in Northumberland which covers a 120 square mile radius delivering prescriptions and meals to the elderly in remote locations and transporting care workers to care homes. • John Fisher, of Petroc College in Barnstaple, Devon, who will
use the vehicle for taking students to moorlands and coastlines for research purposes and to gain work experience. This particular Freelander will also be used for enabling physical improvements to paths, borders and woodlands in Exmoor National Park and working on improving education and business partnerships. Land Rover’s Laura Schwab said: ‘Building on the success of the first year, where five recipients of the inaugural bursary made a tangible difference to communities across the country, we are delighted to find a further five truly worthy projects which will no doubt benefit and grow with the provision of a Freelander 2. Land Rover is truly synonymous with the countryside and we are looking forward to seeing the benefit that our vehicles can bring once again this year, and to seeing the development and growth of the supported projects.’ Helen Aldis of The Prince’s Countryside Fund added: ‘In the past
year, with Land Rover’s support, we have witnessed the positive impact the use of this vehicle can have not only on the lives of the beneficiaries, but the local rural communities involved. There are so many fantastic and worthwhile countryside initiatives that
exist to support local communities, and it’s an honour that with the support of Land Rover, The Prince’s Countryside Fund is able to recognise and further award five people with dependable and reliable transport to continue their valuable work.’
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Comment
Sniffing around old Land Rovers is always fascinating. Obviously, it’s something I get to do quite a lot as part of my job, which is nice, and you’re forever seeing people crawling about under each other’s trucks at shows and events. As we all know, no two Land Rovers are the same (not older ones, at least), and it’s the differences between them, and how they got to be the way they are, that make them so fascinating. At the risk of sounding just a touch pretentious, poking about under the bonnet of an old Landy is a bit like being on an archaeological dig. You don’t know what you’re going to find; often enough, you’ll know what you expect, but there’s always a strong chance that you’ll be proved completely wrong – and that’s when you start learning things. How often have you been looking at someone else’s handiwork as ‘how did they DO that?’ has turned into ‘why did they do THAT?!’ There are some weird and wonderful vehicles out there, for sure, many of which bear testament to baffling examples of spanner work, but for every one that leaves you shaking your head there’ll be another that makes you nod in appreciation – even if you wouldn’t ever have thought of doing it that way yourself. There’s nothing wrong with the workmanship on the 90 featured on pages 16-18 of this issue, for example. But how many people would think of building a vehicle using Tdi repower with a full-width intercooler then fit it with heavy-duty steering bars, an expedition roof rack and 40-profile road tyres on 20” alloys? Whatever you think of the builder’s taste, it’s trucks like these that make old Landies such an interesting form of history. Who did it like that? Why? What were they thinking when they created a 90 that bucks every trend in the builder’s book? I don’t know the answer, before you ask. Actually, I do. ‘Because Land Rover,’ to misquote what they say about art. And it’s definitely enough. Alan Kidd, Editor
Issue 10: December 2014
7
8
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
No let up in towing awards as Disco 3 closes in on 10th birthday Mike Trott
The Land Rover Discovery is coming on for its tenth birthday, but it’s still winning awards hand over fist. The latest accolades come from the Caravan Club, which gave the Disco 4 top honours in two categories at its 2015 Towcar of the Year Awards. The Discovery is no stranger to victory in towing competitions, and this year the HSE Luxury was judged to be best in the all-wheel-drive vehicles over 1800kg class – as well as among all vehicles priced in excess of £40,000. Back in June, the Land Rover Discovery walked away from the Tow Car Awards with a record fifth consecutive victory and seventh classtopping win in eight years, something no other model or manufacturer has achieved. This time, at the Caravan Club’s awards ceremony in London, the judges’ citation reported: ‘Towing is effortless with Land Rover Discovery. The V6 3.0-litre TD engine, mated to an impressive eight-speed auto gearbox, propels you up, down and round at speeds that a large outfit such as this
would initially appear incapable of reaching. Greenhouse-sized windows give excellent rear visibility too.’ The Discovery won from among a field of 39 vehicles for the Caravan Club test, in which five professional drivers were tasked with putting each machine through its paces to assess acceleration, braking and hill starts to find the most capable towers. A further two judges looked at the vehicles’ usability, while two more performed acceleration tests. As with most of the new breed of Land Rovers, the Discovery is bursting with technology – including Trailer Stability Assist, which detects the presence of a trailer and, once above 37 mph, monitors its behaviour by gently applying the vehicle’s brakes as necessary on individual wheels to help it steady. Towing Assist is another device designed to assist manoeuvrability. This reversing aid, which also includes the optional Surround Camera System, predicts the trajectory of both the vehicle and trailer. It acts as a guide when coupling a trailer and provides
a predicted path for the car when reversing by displaying coloured lines over the image on the touch-screen. We ran a towing test on a 2010 Discovery 4 in our May 2014 issue,
pulling much more weight than a caravan, and gave it a resounding thumbs-up. Our conclusion was that the vehicle’s real strength lies in a deepseated design which means its high-
tech helpers don’t actually make any difference in everyday towing; either way, we fully expect the Disco to keep on winning these awards until Land Rover takes it out of production.
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
NEXT MONTH
BEHIND THE MASK This unremarkable looking 1985 90 plays its cards close to its chest. But underneath, there are signs of a fascinating history… PLUS
Which turbo-diesel? Professionals and enthusiasts from each corner give us the lowdown on whether you’re better off with a 200 or a 300Tdi An awful lot of the street-machine 90s you see have been modified to the point of vulgarity. This one’s a bit different – its looks and handling have been subtly enhanced, but it’s what’s been done to make it quieter and more refined that really takes people aback
NEXT MONTH’S LANDY IS PUBLISHED ON 24 NOVEMBER You can pick up your copy of our January 2015 issue from newsagents or Britpart dealers – or read it online at www.thelandy.co.uk 01283 553243 • enquiries@assignment-media.co.uk • www.thelandy.co.uk • www.facebook.com/thelandyuk Editor Alan Kidd Assistant Editor Mike Trott Admin and Editorial Assistant Gemma Pask Art Editor Samantha D’Souza Contributors Dan Fenn, Robbie Ronson, Olly Sack, Gary Noskill, Paul Looe, Vince Pratt Photographers Steve Taylor, Harry Hamm
Advertising Sales Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283 553242 Advertising Production Tel: 01283 553242 Publisher Sarah Kidd Email: sarah.kidd@ assignment-media.co.uk Every effort is made to ensure that the contents of The Landy are accurate, however Assignment Media Ltd accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor
the consequences of actions made as a result of these
nearest Britpart dealer can be found at www.britpart.com
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
Where 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 distributed by Britpart. Details of your
© 2014 Assignment Media Ltd
The Landy is published by Assignment Media Ltd, Repton House, Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road, Bretby DE15 0YZ
Issue 10: December 2014
9
10
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
A quarter of a century after the original Great Divide Expedition saw a team of classic Range Rovers pick their way over 1128 miles of high mountain trails in Colorado, Land Rover returns to the scene of one of its greatest triumphs as the Mk4 Rangey sets out to prove that it, too, is up to the challenge
A quarter of a century after the original Range Rover first embarked on the famous Great Divide Expedition, its successor has returned to tackle the epic adventure once again. It was back in 1989 that a group of Range Rovers travelled across the Continental Divide in Colorado, against a stunning backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. In 2014, once again the convoy’s challenge was thrown down by hundreds of miles of narrow, rock-strewn trails. This year, nine 2014 Range Rovers battled across 1000 miles of the original Great Divide route – with the assistance
of a Range Rover Classic which took part in the original adventure. The Great Divide route consists of various trails and unpaved roads with altitudes of more than 4000 metres, which pick their way via passes clinging to the side of the towering mountains. ‘Land Rover has over 67 years’ experience of engineering vehicles to contend with some of the most challenging terrains and climates on the planet,’ said Solihull’s Phil Popham. ‘And for more than 40 years, Range Rover has proved the ultimate vehicle for conquering the toughest conditions, using leading-edge technologies.
Led by Tom Collins, a veteran of the Camel Trophy in Madagascar, the 1989 Great Divide Expedition covered 1128 miles as it traced the route of the Continental Divide between Colorado and New Mexico. And the 1990 model year Classic wasn’t the only thing making this breathtaking crossing of the San Juan Mountains for the second time – because now, as then, the expedition was led by Collins, who has lived in Colorado ever since that first triumphant venture. Starting in Denver, the convoy picked its way south-west via rough old miners’ trails towards Mosquito
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Issue 10: December 2014
11
Treading Lightly for 25 Years To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the expedition, Land Rover North America auctioned a fully restored 1990 Range Rover Classic built as a replica of an original Great Divide vehicle. The sale raised $55,000 –which the company donated to Treadlightly! in support of the public use of American trails. Recreational 4x4 use is much more established as a ‘respectable’ pastime in the US – as evidenced by car manufacturers’ use of trails like the Rubicon and those on the Great Divide as a proving ground for 4x4s. There is, however, still opposition from quasienvironmental groups, and LRNA’s donation will help Treadlightly! defend the trails from pernicious attempts to prevent their use.
When you’re 13,000 feet up in the sky, things are already tasty enough without a surprise carpeting of autumn snow. Not that the Range Rovers couldn’t cope with it, of course – though in conditions like these you can’t see the view, and up here it’s well worth looking at Pass – where their arrival was greeted by a carpet of recently fallen snow – and on via Leadville (the highest city in the USA at 10,000 feet) towards Aspen. Further on, beyond the old gold rush town of Telluride, the Range Rovers scaled the 13,144-foot Imogene Pass – that’s three times higher than the summit of Ben Nevis. The 2014 expedition was unable to follow exactly the same route as the original in places, for the simple reason that some of the ground they covered back then has been eroded away by a quarter of a century’s mountain weather. That’s a fact of life in the sort of harsh environments in which Land Rovers have made their name. But while the trails have been degraded, the trucks coming out of Solihull have been getting better and better all the time. ‘The vehicles which completed the 2014 Great Divide Expedition demonstrated
the capability and composure our customers expect from a Range Rover on and off-road, combined with refinement and exceptional luxury,’ continued Phil Popham. The Range Rover’s four-corner air suspension gives it exceptional manners on tarmac, while its Terrain Response® 2 system monitors driving conditions and surfaces and sets up the vehicle automatically in accordance with what’s required for the terrain ahead. Despite having lightweight independent suspension all-round, the Range Rover still achieves two feet of articulation at each wheel – a staggering figure which explains much about the vehicle’s world-class ability off-road. Its electronic traction control system and class-leading 900mm wading depth play their roles here, too, and a towing weight of 3500kg helps make it
a true all-rounder. Not that anyone was pulling a trailer on the Great Divide, where the terrain puts even the most accomplished vehicles to the test. That the Range Rover came through with flying colours should be no surprise to anyone. It is the King of OffRoaders, after all – and, let’s not forget, 25 years ago it had done it all before.
12
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
News
Issue 10: December 2014
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Alu-Cab has introduced the Shadow Awn – a 270-degree awning which attaches to your vehicle’s roof rack and can be folded out to provide around 10 square metres of shade. The material is Tancate, a fabric with an aluminised acrylic coating which reflects sunlight. Alu-Cab says this keeps the shaded area around 5° cooler than simple canvas. It’s also around 30% lighter in weight. Supporting it all is a frame with solid stainless steel mounting points and hinges and boxed aluminium extending arms. It comes with mounting kits to suit various roof racks including those from Front Runner and, naturally, Alu Cab itself. You also get a fixing strap for each arm, though Alu-Cab says it has yet to encounter windy enough conditions to actually need them on its own test rigs. Three pegs are supplied in a fixed pouch which is attached to the awning cover itself, meaning you shouldn’t lose them, and you also get a fold out leg which, once again, Alu-Cab says you’ll only need in the worst weather conditions. The unit is 2.6 metres long when closed down for travelling, and will add 24kg to your truck at roof rack height. Not a bad trade-off for all that relief from the African sun, or indeed the British rain. www.xs4x4.parts New from Extreme 4x4 is a 12/24-Volt Dual Battery Voltage Monitor. This can be set to provide high and low voltage warning levels on two battery circuits, which it does by highlighting the voltage on a display. You can set it to sound an audible buzzer as well, in case you worry about flattening your truck’s batteries while you’re engrossed with what the winch is doing.
The warning has a five-second delay so as only to sound if the voltage across the circuit really has dropped off. The monitor also has clock and automatic sleep functions, and at 56 x 20 x 66mm you can mount it somewhere out of harm’s way. Extreme 4x4’s price for the monitor is £117.76 plus VAT. • Also new at Extreme 4x4 is a range of LED Rocker Switches. These offer the choice of either one or two-LED illumination and single or double-pole contacts; you can choose for the switch
to be constantly lit, if you need to be able to see where it is at night, or just to light up when you’ve switched it on. All switches are dual 12/24-volt (they’re 20-amp rated at 12V DC and 10-amp rated at 24), and are protected to IP66 from the front. You can choose from various colours and lens legends to build exactly the switch you require, and the units can be housed in an industry-standard panel cut-out or gang-mounted on a choice of frames. Prices vary, as there are so many choices available, but a simple rocker
switch will tend to cost a couple of quid and a two or three-position switch body will set you back about a tenner. www.extreme4x4.co.uk
Workshop
Clubs
Head torches are not exactly anything new, but this recently launched LED job from ARB is looking like quite the shining light (sorry about that). It’s fitted with a full beam setting which, at 300 lumens, gives you three hours’ battery life; power-saving mode, which puts out 180 lumens and extends battery life to seven hours; and a flashing mode, which is ideal for attracting attention (and probably quite handy at raves, too). The torch is powered by three AAA batteries, and you won’t need much in the way of imagination to see how it could be a big help (especially if you’ve ever tried to change a knackered wheel bearing or rig up an awkward winch recovery after dark). With a RRP of £24, it’s a lot cheaper than some things with an ARB badge on them but every bit as useful. www.arbil.co.uk/4x4
• Last month, we very skilfully published a write-up about Britpart’s new Discovery 3 coil-sprung suspension kit with a photo of the same company’s replacement air-suspension compressor. Very helpful to those interested in either product, we’re sure you’ll agree. So, here it is again with the correct picture – and next to it is last month’s picture with the correct text. Clever, huh? If you’d be tempted by an early Discovery 3, if only you weren’t so terrified of what the vehicle’s air suspension could do to your sanity (and bank balance), Britpart’s new Coil Conversion Kit could be just the thing you need. People have been converting P38 Range Rovers back to coils for more than a decade, and with the first D3s now coming up on that sort of age, a way of banishing one of the model’s most fearsomely expensive features has got to make sense. The kit includes everything you need to do the conversion. That means four coil-over suspension struts as well as the all-important plug-in module – necessary to stop the vehicle’s brain from thinking there’s a fault with the air suspension and lighting up the dashboard like a Christmas tree. This much hardware doesn’t add up to a throwaway purchase, needless to say. You’re likely to pay something in the region of £700 – so a bit of shopping around is definitely in order. www.britpart.com
So, the compressor, which you might recognise from last month. Oh, the shame of it. This is a direct replacement, made by the OE manufacturer in Germany, for all non-Hitachi air-sprung vehicles – so, the Discovery 4 and Range Rover Sport, from chassis numbers …9A513325 and …9A215622 onwards respectively. The unit uses all the original mounting hardware and pipework, making it a true direct replacement fit. You do need to change the relay, however, for the one included in the kit. There are separate models to suit the Disco 4 and Range Rover Sport, with typical dealer prices in the region of £340 plus VAT. www.britpart.com
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Issue 10: December 2014
People sometimes say you should always spend up to your limit on your bed, because you’re going to be in it for such a large part of your life. Well, if you’re the sort of person who spends a lot of time behind the wheel of your Land Rover, logic says that you should spend up to your limit on its seats. If your limit is £1275 plus VAT, Exmoor Trim has the perfect answer. The company’s new Elite Seat Mk2 is finished in high-grade automotive Nappa leatherette and has perforated panels incorporating a new Tartan Stitch option. The latter features a design in black, red and green with contrasting white stitching. If that happens not to be to your taste, however, Exmoor can do you a seat in your own preferred hue – Cornish Hunting Tartan, for example, is red, yellow, blue and black, and there’s hundreds more besides (search out the Dundee District tartan online for proof that not all of them were designed by people with good taste…) When you’re spending this much on a car seat, you want to know that you’re doing the right thing. So if you’d like a free sewn sample of the tartan you would prefer, send a picture of it to Exmoor trim and they’ll look after you. www.exmoortrim.co.uk
Britpart has launched a new product designed to help you get the most out of the A-frame rear suspension used on the 90/110/130, Range Rover Classic and Discovery 1. The Fulcrum Bracket with High Articulation might not be the most snappily-named bits of kit to pass this way in the last few months, but you’re unlikely to be trying to guess what it is right now. The Fulcrum Bracket with High Articulation is, indeed, a fulcrum Bracket with high articulation. It’s designed to replace the A-frame ball joint, providing ‘significantly more articulation than the standard and most aftermarket joints.’ How much is that? Britpart promises 45° of movement in all directions, which is a 50% improvement over standard. That’s how much. Britpart says the bracket is easy to adjust using an everyday hex spanner. It has a grease nipple for convenient regular maintenance, too, and comes fitted in its mounting bracket – meaning you just have to bolt it on. If you’re fitting the sort of springs and shocks that mean the ball joint becomes the limiting factor in your suspension, this is definitely an answer worth considering. The bracket is exclusive to Britpart, and putting one on your truck will cost something in the region of £50-60. www.britpart.com
13
14 DADDY’S TOY w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
‘One Of my friends managed tO get stuck in 100k’s wOrth Of new range rOver, and i came up the hill and sailed On by!’
Mike Trott
An old Range Rover on the wrong side of a head-on crash sounds like an open and shut case for a write-off. But when that happened to Simon Burrough’s, his insurer reckoned without an owner who really cares for his car
One of the great things about having children is that they give you a great excuse to act like one yourself. You get to build Lego houses, play with train sets and chase a football round the park without anyone batting an eyelid. But then your kids grow up and fly the nest, and you can go back to playing with toys of your own. Like a Range Rover, for example. This one belongs to Simon Burrough, and it’s even known in the family as ‘daddy’s toy.’ Some toys are more precious than others, of course. The ones you really value are those that were handed down by your parents, and that’s exactly how Simon came to own the 1989 Classic. ‘The Range Rover was given to my father as a leaving present from
Whitbread for his retirement,’ he reveals. ‘He specified how he wanted it
and I’ve even got the note that said how much it was: £24,371.
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Issue 10: December 2014
15
Beneath its smart bodywork, the Rangey went in to Gumtree in a pretty rotten state. Simon wanted it to come home refurbished to the point where it would last him out – which meant lots and lots of welding was in order
‘My father passed away eight years ago and the Range Rover was one of the things left behind. We needed to decide what to do with it. Naturally, I said “I’ll take that!” ‘I’ve used it for the last few years when I go shooting and when I need to get about in the winter – I live out in the sticks down in Sussex, where there are a lot of single lane tracks and steep hills about. Without it I’d be completely stuck.’ Simon’s Classic isn’t going anywhere just at the moment, though, because it’s currently undergoing work done by a mutual friend of ours – John Bowden at Gumtree 4x4. ‘John and I went to school together, even if it was more of a nodding acquaintance. But since I’ve taken ownership of this Classic, John has been the man responsible for its general upkeep.’ The Range Rover has gone off to spend some time with John with a view to having one big final overhaul so that it lasts until Simon ‘can’t drive anymore.’ It has currently done just over 70,000 miles, but it hasn’t been plain-sailing all the way.
In 2010, a Citroen van representing the local ‘meals on wheels’ company managed to lock up its brakes 80 metres from Simon and plough into the Range Rover. Cue a set of bent wings, pillars and so on, requiring a major rebuild – or if you’re an insurance assessor, a date with the knacker’s yard. ‘Luckily, it was John who picked it up,’ explains Simon. ‘It was good to know where it was, rather than it being in some insurance compound somewhere. ‘The insurance company told me I could have £6000 and never see it again, or £5500 and I could do what I want with it. So John and I spent the £5500 doing it back up. ‘It’s had far too much money spent on it as it is – the body panels have all been resprayed at least once – but I love it. When you rock up in one of these to a shoot, it raises eyebrows and it looks so beautiful when polished up. ‘I spotted a Classic on the front of a shooting mag a few years ago with the headline “The Coolest Cars to Go Shooting With.” I copied the front and showed the PDFs to my kids and sent a copy to John. His reply was: “At least I have one cool friend!”’
Now that John is able to relax about his social life, he’s been busy sorting out the Rangey. While from the outside it looks very smart, underneath it’s a different story. John describes it as ‘a bit rotten.’ As a result, the sills, floor, crossmembers and so on have all been getting new steel welded in to replace the rusted old stuff. After that, they’re due for a proper coating in Waxoyl to stop them from turning straight into more of the same. ‘There is lots and lots and lots of welding to be done,’ John acknowledged at the start of the job. ‘But it’s worth doing because the bodywork is beautiful. Simon loves it and it will be good and solid again when finished. ‘The fuel pipes are rotten, too. It’s not an immediate problem but, seeing as we have the floor up, we may as well sort it out. They’ve been causing me a bit of aggro, actually, because I ordered the new pipes in from Land Rover and found that the ones used previously are different to the correct ones, so I’ll have to figure that out.’ With the work progressing nicely, though, at time of writing Simon is looking forward to getting back on board and taking his much-loved
Range Rover shooting again. At this point, he’ll be cool once more – not that his colleagues on the shoots have any doubt on that score. In fact, there have been occasions when he’s even left them flabbergasted at just how cool his Rangey is compared to their new ones. ‘One of my shooting friends had managed to get himself stuck in 100K’s worth of new Range Rover,’ recalls Simon, ‘and I came up the hill and sailed on by. That did make me laugh. I said to him about his vehicle depreciating and mine going up in value, and jokingly asked if he’d want to swap when they meet in the middle!’ We can guess the answer to that one.
Simon does around 2000 miles a year in his Range Rover, although he only uses it where it counts – for when only a Land Rover will do. So ‘daddy’s toy’ is a bit more than just a toy, really – it’s a toy, a badge of honour, the definitive shooting bus and a foolproof way of getting about the Sussex downland in winter. And, of course, it’s cool. Cooler than pretty much anything else Simon could ever imagine driving. Which of course means it’s cooler than everything. From retirement gift to heirloom, this is a Range Rover that’s going to be keeping it in the family for many, many years to come.
16 SPLIT PERSONALITY w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
News
Issue 10: December 2014
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
‘you might think it looks odd… but whatever, it sure looks’
You see work 90s, hardcore 90s, refurb 90s, bling 90s, adventure 90s… and then you see this 90. It’s not quite sure which of them it is… does that make it more or less than the sum of its parts?
T
here’s no vehicle with a greater spread of appeal than the Defender. It’s often said that blokes who muck out pigs drive them, and so does the Queen – which pretty much says it all. A result is that you see several types of 90: the farm hack, the bling wagon, the off-roader, the adventure truck… And most can quite easily be pigeonholed into one of these categories. But every so often, a Land Rover surfaces that takes what you thought you knew and stands it on its head – this 1991-vintage Defender 90, for example, which recently cropped up at used car specialist Salter and Selby. Operating out of a tidy barn on a farm in the North Leicestershire village
words Paul looe Pictures harry hamm of Plungar, this is the sort of outfit that makes you warm to the used car trade. Tom Salter and John Selby are both car enthusiasts – Tom’s the Landy fan, while John’s into old BMWs. They mainly sell one-owner repmobiles and family motors, but Tom says they always like to have a few Landys in stock. That may or may not be because he just likes having them around (on the day we visited, he’d showed up to work in his own ex-Army nat-asp 90) – but John confirmed that they always sell well, so either way it’s good for business. This 90 came to them from a fellow dealer. It was modified by a previous owner – but in a way which, though there’s nothing wrong with it, might leave you scratching your head a bit.
Let’s start in the obvious place. Mounted on the ends of the axles, using a giant set of ally spacers, are 20” multi-spoke alloys wearing 275/40R20 Continental SportContact tyres. The sort of thing you’d expect to find on a Range Rover Sport, but a Defender? You might well think it looks a bit odd, a bit wrong, a bit garish… but whatever, it sure looks. You notice this 90. A lustrous coat of red helps see to that, of course. This contrasts with the black of the wheelarches and bumper… and the wing tops… and the side steps and Front Runner roof rack… oh, and the roof itself, and even the bonnet. Somebody wanted to be noticed alright. That roof rack is one of the items that makes this 90 a bit unusual, though.
With vinyl seats (yes, they really are, despite appearances) and rubber floor mats, this is a true hose-out Land Rover. We can’t imagine many things with a Momo Nero steering wheel in them getting hosed out, but there’s a first time for everything. Tom Salter, who was selling the truck when we photographed it, says he assumes the dash is one that went on when whoever built the vehicle put it together – if it’s original, you’re looking at a 32,000-mile 90 here, which sounds a little improbable
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Things that would be useful tools on some Land Rovers but come across more like bits of bling on this one include heavy-duty steering bars and a Front Runner expedition roof rack. Those 20” alloys would struggle to look what you’d call ‘useful’ on anything with a Defender badge on it, but they definitely make a statement…
You’ve put it on massive rims and rubber-band tyres, making it look like some sort of hot rod on steroids, and now you’re bolting on an expedition accessory designed for mounting a tent? To most people, low-profile tyres like that say speed (until you drive something with them, at which point they start saying scary steering), and a roof rack – even one as tidy as this – say, well, the other thing. But this is a 90 with a handy turn of pace. That’s because its builder went shopping at Allisport, too, and came away with an armful of tasty swag including a full-width intercooler. Actually, we’ve skipped ahead. Matey needed something to intercool Continued overleaf
17
18
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
You couldn’t accuse the 90’s engine of being blingy, exactly, though there’s plenty of eye candy beneath the bonnet. The vehicle dates from the 200Tdi era, but it left the factory with something less exciting in there – this is a repower fitment using a 300Tdi. It’s boosted by a full-width Allisport intercooler, and further attention-grabbing stuff from the same company includes the header tank and PAS reservoir. You’ll have noticed the bright red silicone hoses, too, which can hardly help but add a bit of boy racer cred first, and a 300Tdi did the trick nicely. The 90 is from the middle of the 200Tdi era, but it started life with a non-turbo unit, hence the swap in – imagine driving something with a 2.5 n/a and 20” alloys… The intercooler was plumbed up using bright red silicone hoses (their colour seems relevant somehow), which jostle for attention under the bonnet with an Allisport PAS reservoir and header tank. Lots of eye candy, then – though the engine itself hasn’t
had any detailing, so the overall look is a bit hit and miss. And here’s another one to make you scratch your head. The suspension doesn’t appear to have been played with, so there’s no pretence at this being an off-roader. But look underneath its front end and you see a pair of heavy-duty steering bars. Maybe matey just liked the look of a gold passivated drag link, but surely no-one is going to be admiring the track rod unless you’ve actually run them over?
Inside, you might be expecting to see a pair of Corbeau buckets. But no, driver and passenger luxuriate on pure best vinyl. There’s a set of rubber floor mats, too, so this is a fully hose-outable Land Rover. A fully hose-outable Land Rover with a Momo Nero sports steering wheel, if you don’t mind. It adds up to a 90 that’s intriguingly mysterious, and more than a little baffling. No-one needs to justify their taste, of course, but you certainly don’t see many Landys like this which throw
Whatever this 90’s history might be, its past comes right up to the present – both propshafts have gone on very recently. The R380 gearbox is a natural fit with the 300Tdi engine, but check out that track bar – who would fit a heavy-duty one behind the axle when they weren’t planning on any heavy-duty off-roading?
together elements of the performance, style, off-road and expedition scenes. Modified Land Rovers are often a handful to drive, and on its low-profile tyres this 90 is very willing to follow contours in the road rather than going where you want it to. It’s surprisingly forgiving over the bumps, though, so even if the suspension height hasn’t been changed, its damping shows signs of having had money spent on it. With an R380 behind the engine, this is a 90 built to answer a question. What
that question is, and whether anybody’s actually asked it, is a different matter. But for as long as Landys like this are taking shape in people’s garages, trying to work out what was going on in those people’s minds will always be a fun part of examining the results. At the time of writing, the Defender was for sale through Salter and Selby for £6495. They’re between Grantham and Nottingham and can be found with a visit to www.salterandselby.co.uk
20
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
‘it’s really fun to drive,very involving, and has a perfect distribution of weight. and i just love the look of it!’
There are some very unusual Land Rovers in the world. But few can be quite as odd as the Defender-chassised Bentley tribute that was exported from the UK to Italy four years ago. It’s a vehicle to make purists scowl – unless they’re the kind who just love driving, or appreciate imaginative engineering. And now it could be getting ready to come home… Mike Trott Britain and Italy have a lot in common. Both have proud, if chequered, histories going back to the days of empire and beyond; both are home to some of the world’s most exceptional art and architecture; and either can, quite reasonably, claim to have made the greatest cars of all time. Britain gave the world the Mini Cooper, E-Type Jag and Aston Martin DB5, for example: Italy might counter with the Ferrari California,
Lamborghini Miura and Lancia Stratos. Definitely the work of two A-list carmaking nations. Now, you may think I’ve gone and overdone my medication this month, and forgotten that this here publication is about Land Rovers. But bear with me. I’ve recently been chatting with an Italian chap who goes by the name of Lucio Meneguzzo. And he has a thing for a classic vehicle or two, some of them more conventional than others. The show-stopper, pictured here, is his Land Rover.
No, it is. You see, Lucio’s Land Rover is a Land Rover Bentley tribute. Obviously, you don’t see so many of these things going about. When I say it’s ‘a’ Land Rover Bentley tribute, you might take it to mean that there’s more than one. So, to be more accurate, let’s confirm that this is the Land Rover Bentley tribute. To distil a great deal of headscratching down to just a few words, the vehicle was made by dropping a vintage Bentley body on to a 1983 Land Rover chassis. The driver sits centrally in the car’s only seat, and the 3.0-litre Ford V6 engine beneath the centrehinged bonnet drives a five-speed manual gearbox. Left: At first glance, you might be forgiven for wondering what on earth this is doing in a newspaper about Land Rovers. At second and third too, actually – because it’s not until you start looking for technical clues that you see what’s really going on underneath that evocative bodywork Right: It’s a centre-steer Land Rover, but not the one Series I enthusiasts dream of finding in a barn. It might look like an act of pure workshop folly, but the Bentley lookalike is actually a pure driving machine too
Who else but an Italian would dream up such a work of art? Well, actually, a Brit. The Bentlandy came from right here in the UK, which is where Lucio saw it advertised in 2010. Not unreasonably, he decided he just had to have it. So did quite a few other people, probably, but the difference was that Lucio could afford it. He could afford to have it trailered home, too, which, living near Venice, can’t have been all that cheap either.
‘I just love the look of it!’ says Lucio, by way of explanation. ‘It’s really fun to drive, very involving, because there are no ABS or electronics, and has a perfect distribution of weight. It’s also very smooth. I’ve driven it all over Italy and like to go down to Tuscany in it.’ You would too, though, wouldn’t you? And can you imagine pulling up to a petrol station on the autostrada? If we could only see inside onlookers’ heads! This thing looks like a proper
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
old race car from the 1920s, the kind Woolf Barnato, Tim Birkin and Benjy Benjafield used to pilot in the great days of Le Mans. And with all that open air above your goggles, you can enjoy every minute of the instinctive driving experience. ‘It’s unbelievable,’ confirms Lucio. ‘But I don’t like to go down the streets too much. I prefer to take it out into the countryside and down the lanes.’ Well, it is a Land Rover… Whether for turning heads or enjoying a driving experience like no other, this is quite a car. Or is it quite a truck? Back in the days when the Bentley Boys kept giving Bugatti a bloody nose at Le Mans, the exasperated Frenchman described their vehicles as ‘the world’s fastest lorries.’ So maybe putting one on a Land Rover chassis isn’t so outlandish after all, more of a nod to history. After all, the Bentleys of the day were powered by 3.0-litre engines, so the Ford V6 is more appropriate than anything fetched out of an old Capri ever has the right to be. And the good news? Four years of ownership has proved enough for Lucio. ‘It’s a very special car,’ he says. ‘But I don’t have as much time to drive it any more with other projects and so on.’ Which means it’s for sale. It’s more expensive than any standard Landy of its age would be, save perhaps for an unbelievably well preserved one with next to no miles, but then it’s a lot cheaper than an actual Bentley in any kind of driveable condition. Either way, when Lucio finds a buyer, this truly unique piece of work could be on the way home – where we can safely say it’ll carry on turning heads every bit as much as ever.
Issue 10: December 2014
21
22
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
WINTER? BRING IT ON!
‘IN WINTER,THERE’S NOTHING YOU’D SOONER BE IN THAN A LANDY’
D Left: A load tester is the belt-and-braces way of checking whether your Land Rover’s battery is on the verge of letting you down Above: The terminals on a battery will develop a coating of rust over time through the natural process of oxidation. This will ultimately interfere with the contact between the terminals and the leads; to counter it, give the terminals a liberal coating of grease
riving a Land Rover can give you a tremendous feeling of invincibility. Enjoying the security of four-wheel drive as you look down on the road from your lofty perch, you can cope with whatever the world throws at you. It’s true, too, at least to some extent. But as we all know, Land Rovers have a bad habit of throwing their toys out of the pram if you don’t look after them well. And as winter approaches, that means prepping them to deal with cold and potentially snowy weather. As everyone knows, there’s nothing you’d sooner be in than a Land Rover when conditions get nasty. All you have to do it make sure it’s ready for what lies ahead – because if it’s not, then neither are you.
Most people in Britain dread having to drive in winter. While owning a Land Rover doesn’t make you immune from rubbish traffic, though, the onset of snow and ice is when your choice of motor comes into its own. All you have to do is make sure you’ve got your Landy prepped and ready for action, and winter need hold no fear…
So here are some tips for preparing your Landy for the cold spell. It’s all pretty simple stuff – the sort almost everyone overlooks. And every year, it’s the sort of stuff thousands of drivers find themselves wishing they had bothered with. Over to you to make sure you’re not among them…
BATTERY
The colder it gets, the harder the engine becomes for the starter motor to turn over. This means that in cold weather, firing it up puts a much greater draw on its battery. Batteries have a limited lifespan. They become alternately hot and cold during everyday use, and this causes the lead plates which make up their internals to warp. After a while these
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk There are many different types of antifreeze tester. Any will work, but the kind that uses multi-coloured balls is as easy to use as they ever get. It’s as cheap as they come – we’ve seen them advertised for less tha a couple of quid – and has the advantage of being nice and pretty anything with the opposite polarity. Reassemble and spray, smear or paint with grease to stop oxidation on exposed electrical parts.
antIfreeze
plates can end up in contact with one another, causing a short. The other main problem is oxidation of the plates, causing an increasing layer of sediment to settle, which will also end up shorting them out. To find out whether this is starting to happen to yours, take it to a battery supplier and ask them to test it. They do this by drawing a high load with a battery tester monitoring the decrease in power. If the battery is on its way
out, this should give you early warning that it’s soon going to let you down. Also, don’t forget to check the levels in the battery: the fluid should reach about 10mm above the lead plates you can see. Top up as necessary, only ever using de-ionised water. Next, unbolt the terminals and give both them and their clamps a going over with a wire brush. Take care while you’re doing this, as the wire brush will cause a short if any part of it touches
Investing in an antifreeze tester is a good idea, not least because they only cost a few quid. There are various kinds: the ones with the coloured balls in are easy to read and understand, so that’s a good option. Consider what are the coldest conditions your vehicle is going to have to endure, not forgetting the wind chill factor. Check the level in your radiator (only ever release the cap when the engine is cold) and header tank, and top up as necessary with antifreeze. Add sufficient for the minimum temperature your vehicle will come up against, which could be minus 15-20ºC if you’re going skiing in the Alps but may get a lot lower if you’re planning an epic winter assault on the Nordkapp. If you have an aluminium engine, whether in whole or part, make sure your antifreeze has the necessary inhibitors to prevent corrosion and, if need be, is aluminium-safe.
fLUIDS
While you’ve got your bonnet open, have a look at your engine’s oil level, along with those of your clutch and brake fluid. And while you’re about these, look out for any sign of water in the fluid – which, if it freezes up, can push past the seals in the master cylinder, causing a total brake failure.
arOUnD tHe VeHICLe
On the subject of unwanted water, it’s a good idea to spray some WD40 or similar into your door lock mechanism, as this will help to prevent it freezing up. And while you’re about it, get some winter screenwash and increase the concentration before it gets cold, so as to prevent your washer jets freezing up when you need them most.
WInDSCreen
Finding signs of water in your brake and clutch fluid is like finding a ticking bomb under your bed. Because when that water freezes, it’ll bust open the seals in the master cylinder and you’ll be staring down the barrel of a fully fledged brake failure. When you’re checking the reservoir, look for cloudiness or even droplets of water in the fluid – if you see anything like this, a full flush and renew is in order, along with investigations to find how it got there in the first place
However well the jets resist freezing up, though, it’ll still happen when the water that comes out of them hits your windscreen. Because your windscreen is freezing, innit? There’s not a lot you can do about this short of actually warming your vehicle properly before setting off (do try not to get it stolen in the process), but take heed. If there are any cracks or chips in your windscreen and a little water gets in to them, guess
Issue 10: December 2014
23
24
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
If you use your Land Rover for playing off-road and have ever taken to wading it, drain the oil from the axles and check for signs of water ingress. If it’s still in good condition, you can just pour it back in: if it’s not, you’ve just saved yourself the cost of a full axle rebuild. The same might go for your gearbox and transfer case, too what happens when it freezes. Yes indeed, it expands. And guess what happens after that? Talking of frozen things, the way to free off your wipers when they’re frozen to the screen is not to just yank them off, ripping them to bits in the process. Give the blades a squirt of de-icer when you’re doing the rest of the vehicle and they’ll come away just fine first time you operate them. Do check their general condition before the onset of winter, too. Not just because cold conditions are hard on
them, but because a clear windscreen is traditionally much easier to see through than one with a load of grime being smeared back and forth as you try and see what’s going on up ahead.
TYRES
Contrary to what many people assume, aggressive off-road tyres aren’t that great on snow. That’s because they’re designed to be self-cleaning, which is the opposite of what you want. This is because snow is very good at sticking to itself (think about the way
you see thousands of tons of the stuff clinging to the side of a mountain, and you’ll get that). Unlike your off-road rubber, the winter tyres you can get for most cars are designed to fill up with the stuff – which is the next best thing to having chains on. Talking of which, chains and/or studs are required by law in some countries during winter, but it’s illegal to use them if they damage the road surface. That more or less rules them out in the UK, where serious snow is almost unheard of, but the fabric ‘snow
WHAT TO CARRY Once your truck’s ready, it’s time to think about what you should be carrying in it. Depending on the severity of the weather you might face, some or all of the following will be in order: • De-icer, spare screenwash and an ice scraper. Keep a can of de-icer in your house, too, in case your locks freeze up • A first aid kit, fire extinguisher and warning triangle. These are recommended in the UK and required by law in many other EU nations • Jump leads – heavy-duty and extra long, so you don’t have to manoeuvre so close to the dead vehicle in icy conditions • A snow shovel • A clockwork or battery torch (plus plenty of spare batteries, if appropriate), plus head torch • A tow rope and whatever other recovery gear you want to carry • Basic tools • A pin or needle for poking the ice out of your washer nozzles
• Spare clothes (several layers are warmer than one thick one), including a hi-vis jacket • A sleeping bag for if it gets really gnarly • Food and water for if you get stuck overnight • An emergency charger for your mobile phone • A battery-powered radio, for keeping up to date with traffic and weather news if you’re stuck in a dead truck • In America, you’re advised to carry distress flares in winter. A bit OTT in Britain, but some fireworks would be a cheaper alternative if you want it • Maps. Because when the main roads get clogged with stuck cars, your Land Rover is your passport to getting home on the little ones…
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk socks’ you can get are a pretty good alternative. Cheaper, too, and easier to take on and off. In the real world, whatever tyres you have on your Land Rover, simply letting some air out will probably make all the difference you’ll ever need. So long, of course, as you drive more defensively than you’ve ever done before.
EXHAUST
The realities of winter driving mean there’s a chance that you’ll have to spend time sat in your vehicle with the engine running to keep warm. In this case, its exhaust needs to be gas-tight or fumes could seep into the cabin. The MOT test should point up any leaks, but no harm in getting it checked again at the start of winter. Obviously, a proper replacement is the only cure.
MORE FLUIDS
Going back to the ability of water to get where you don’t want it, regular off-roading means it may have got into your axles, gearbox and transfer case. Rather than risking it freezing, drain your axle oil. If it comes out clean and water-free (use a clean bowl), you can just pour it straight back in. Some drain bungs have magnets in them, so check yours for swarf and clean away any debris before replacing it.
CAN’T BE BOTHERED?
It’s jobs like these that make it very tempting to turn your back on the idea of prepping your Land Rover for winter. But you’ll wish you’d made more of an effort if disaster strikes halfway across a bleak Welsh moor – and you’ll still not be best pleased even if the worst you have to put up with is a breakdown on the way to work. At the very least, working on your Landy is far more pleasant in a garage than at the roadside on a perishing winter’s morning. You’ve got the truck to do the job: sending it into battle with one hand tied behind its back wouldn’t make any sense, would it?
WINTER DRIVING
25
Being a Land Rover driver is always a good idea, but it gets better than ever when winter closes in. But though your Landy’s abilities mean you’re better equipped than anyone else to deal with extreme weather, it doesn’t make you invulnerable. You’ve got the best vehicle – and with everyone else struggling, it’s your job to be the best driver, too • Leave (much) more time for your journey. Warm your Landy before setting off, and make sure the lights and windows are clear of snow and ice. • If there’s a non-stop howling noise when you start your engine, the water pump is frozen up. If the temperature gauge starts climbing abnormally fast within the first few minutes, so’s the radiator. Time to scold yourself for skimping on the antifreeze. • Driving on snow and ice is a lot like driving offroad. Keep your speed as low as possible, drive as smoothly as you can and avoid sudden inputs on the gas, brakes or steering. Everything you do is a bid to avoid losing traction. • Low box is perfect for the speeds you’ll be doing on snow-covered roads. If your Landy is an auto, winter mode (or the snow setting in Terrain Response) is well worth using. In general, being in a higher gear means less chance of wheelspin, but take care not to let your speed build up. • Anticipation is key. As a rule of thumb, your stopping distance will be ten times greater in snow. Assume everyone else is about to skid towards you, and that there’s black ice round every corners. However well prepped your Landy is for snow and ice, drive like it’s not. • As normal, you control a skid by steering gently into it. Don’t stand on the brakes; once the wheels are locked, it doesn’t matter what you’re driving, you’ve got no-wheel drive at all. Fact is, if you’ve got into a skid it’s because you weren’t in control. Slow down. And it makes no odds if it was someone else’s fault. It was still your fault for not assuming they might mess up. • Climbing hills on snow is just like off-roading. If you’re going up, wait until the car in front of you has cleared the hill. Drive it in low box, but use the highest gear you can. Get moving, build up your momentum and keep it there. If you don’t make it, come back down in reverse. • Steep descents are definitely a case for low box. Use the lowest gear you think you can get away with, then just concentrate on steering.
If you don’t have low box, engage hill descent control if your vehicle has it, and first gear at any rate. You can cover the brakes to stop speed from building up, but don’t stamp on them – and if you start sliding, get right off them straight away. Finally, if some clown starts coming the other way and there’s any danger that you might collide, get on the horn and flash your lights like a psycho. He can stop and reverse, but you’re committed. • On a wet road, the borderline between wet and frozen might be very indistinct. It’s also the case that when it’s pitch black and everyone’s being dazzled by each other’s headlamps, a wet surface can make the white lines on the road far harder to see. It goes without saying that you’ll get less traction, but for this reason the traffic around you can be more of a hazard, too.
shovel and don’t mind half an hour’s back-breaking labour. But when you’re out and about, be very wary. Above: Four-wheel drive is very reassuring, but if you drive like you’re on a rally stage it’s just leading you up the garden path. What if you were giving it the beans like this and somebody came round the corner towards you in the middle of a full front-end wipeout? Below: Even in a Land Rover that’s been modified for off-roading, it only takes a suprisingly shallow depth of fresh snow to get you bellied out
• You get better traction in virgin snow than on a road with a densely packed covering that’s been polished by thousands of tyres. And driving in these conditions is one of the most joyous experiences you’ll ever have. But even in a Land Rover, you might be surprised by how little snow it takes to bog you down. Deep drifts can be a hoot, if you’ve got a
GOOD CITIZENSHIP, LAND ROVER STYLE Driving a Land Rover gives you an advantage when the weather gets bad. So, what better opportunity to do your bit for society by helping others? It won’t change the opinions of any dyed-in-the-wool haters, but so what? People do appreciate it – and anyway, it’s worth it just for the pleasure that comes from helping others: • If you’ve got elderly neighbours, stop by and ask if there’s anything you can do to help. Don’t assume there’ll be someone in their family doing it – they might not have a Land Rover, after all. It costs nothing to ask. • Most people who live in very isolated homes tend to have 4x4s these days, but there’s no harm in popping a note through the door to offer your help if things get bad. • Doctors, nurses and health visitors still need to be able to get around in bad weather. Local health authorities can’t always cope, and volunteers are usually welcome.
• When winter bites, you always hear stories about local Landy drivers helping out the Meals on Wheels service.
hate you for this, obviously, though at least they’ll get to turn up at school in a cool truck.
• Care homes get a remarkable number of daily deliveries, and some are in quiet rural locations. You don’t need to put on a full courier service, but being on hand to assist could make a big difference.
• The most basic form of volunteering comes when you stop to assist another motorist. They can’t move, but you can, so take a moment and put your rope to good use.
• Something as simple as offering to give your kids’ classmates a ride to school might stop them losing a day’s education and, if nothing else, do your bit to reduce the number of cars on the road. Your kids’ classmates will
• There are various 4x4 groups, including the National 4x4 Response Network, which the emergency services and voluntary bodies can call on to help them getting from A to B. Joining up is probably the biggest thing a Landy driver can do by way of being a good citizen.
26
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
News
Issue 10: December 2014
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
PICK THIS OUT OF THE
‘all the interior had been eaten by flies and maggots’
BONES
Land Rovers end up in all sorts of situations, but few can have suffered the ignominy that befell Ian Hitchen’s when it was stolen and used as a skip for dog bones. It went on to become the archetypal ‘unfinished project’, before Ian took it on – but these days, there are literally no flies on it
Words Paul looe Pictures harry hamm
Y
ou hear all sorts of stories about the state old Land Rovers get into. But few people can hold a candle to the horrors that befell Ian Hitchen’s 90 in the days before he turned it into the off-road machine it is today. Many of the familiar boxes are ticked. Police auction? Oh dear, yes. Unfinished project? Yes, that too. Massive infestation of flies and maggots? You what…? Let’s go back two years to when Ian bought the vehicle. ‘I bought it off a lad as an unfinished project. He had bought it from a police auction.’ Here’s where it gets haggard. The cops had recovered the 90, which happens – but when they did, it was full of dog bones. Picture it if you dare.
‘When he got it,’ says Ian, ‘all the interior had been eaten by flies and maggots. So, not a nice life for her.’ Indeed not. And things have become no less testing since then for an old Landy, albeit a whole lot more dignified. ‘From me getting it,’ says Ian, ‘I have fitted the lockers, built the winch trays, strengthened all the cage and basically made it the monster it is today for myself and my two sons.’ It’s no surprise at all to anyone who knows him that Ian built the Defender the way he did. Though you might possibly raise an eyebrow at the amount of time he took to turn his attention to the hardcore scene. ‘I’ve generally been into Land Rovers since I was a child,’ he says. ‘My dad bought me and my brother our first
Lightweight, a 2.25 petrol, when I was 12, and since then I’ve never looked back. I’ve had Series IIs, Series IIAs, numerous series IIIs, 90s and a Range Rover Classic. So I’ve always been off-roading, though I only recently got into winching.’ Having decided to see what all the fuss is about, Ian has quickly become part of the inner circle of Trans Pennine Off Road Club’s challenge faction. They’re a good bunch of lads whose motors are all about honest hard work rather than just spending huge wads of cash on the latest kit, and Ian’s 90 is typical of the trucks they run. Of course, matey with the maggot problem had already done some of the work before losing his appetite for the job, so what Ian took on from him was
A Superwinch X9 on a fabricated front bumper was among the very first mods the Disco was given. That and an internal roll cage were enough to see it through years of green laning – well, that and a diligent cleaning and servicing regime
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Above left: The front axle started life on a 110, which isn’t a bad start. Not that Ian was content to leave it at that. Inside, a Detroit Truetrac diff turns hardened halfshafts from Ashcroft, while bolted to the ends are enlarged calipers to keep three feet’s worth of Fedima Sirocco from getting unruly Above right: Resplendent beneath the rear tray and winch mount is the back axle from a TD5. This too is stuffed with hardened halfshafts, though in this case they’re turned by an ARB Air-Locker. Those Siroccos are a very, very popular tyre – one reason being that, although it says 35” on the case, the tread moulded on to them is so thick that they actually measure out at 36.5” much more (or less, if that’s the way you see it) than a standard 90 waiting to be built. It already had a cage and some handy suspension, which takes some of the hardest graft and biggest spending out of the equation, and just as importantly it had been left well alone in areas where trying to make sense of someone else’s mods can leave you in tears. The 300Tdi engine, for example, was unmolested, as was the rest of the drivetrain, though the axles are a 110 unit up front and a TD5 job at the back.
Which brings us up to the point mentioned above, when Ian rolled up his sleeves and started finishing off a project someone else had begun. Finishing it off and improving it, too, with the roll cage and its chassis mounts beefed up to give him the sort of peace of mind you want (we were pretty grateful for it, too, when he stood it on its nose at the bottom of a steep drop on our
You weren’t expecting to see a pair of namby-pamby trailing arms here, were you? Sure enough, these mighty great HD beasts, which are also cranked for more droop, come from Qt (as does the diff guard wrapped around the back axle). Between them, the axle pivots about a standard A-frame. Suspension is taken care of by +2” springs and +5” shocks at both ends, with Gwyn Lewis dislocation cones fitted all round
photoshoot with Yours Truly in the passenger’s seat…) As this might illustrate, Ian has a cheerfully gung-ho driving style. But, in keeping with most people you come across who’ll happily give it Continued overleaf
27
28
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
‘Pretty’ isn’t a word you often hear people using about challenge trucks. And you won’t hear it being used about Ian’s rock sliders, which he fabbed from sections of box and used as a mount for the rear hoop of a full exo cage. He describes this as ‘just generally a giant kids’ climbing frame,’ but not one bit of the body is left unprotected by tube – including the front wings, which aren’t so much protected by tube as made of it. Skinned out in chequer plate, they’re every bit as strong as the originals are vulnerable. Beneath the gnarly rock sliders, the fuel tank guard tucked just inboard of the nearside one is as neat a bit of work as you’ll see under a competition Land Rover – as is the rear winch mount, which Ian fabricated to replace the standard crossmember while also bobtailing the back of the chassis. It sits beneath what’s not so much a trayback as a frameback, with no surplus metal visible anywhere death off-road, they’re only like that because of the diligence they’ve put in back at the workshop. He’s more than a welder-upper, too, having installed a Detroit Truetrac and ARB Air-Locker in the front and rear axles respectively. There are people who basically do everything themselves, but draw the line at tussling with that job, so fair play to him. And then he installed a pair of winches. You don’t have to go far in the challenge world to come up against someone who’s spent more on one winch than you did on your entire car, but you won’t see any twin-tops here – just a good, honest 7.5-ton Goldfish with a Bowmotor 2 and narrower drum. How many off-roaders would at this point talk about how they’d like to be able to afford something cooler one day? Not Ian. ‘The big winch on the front will pull a house down,’ he says. ‘It’s just not the fastest. But, in general, it all works pretty well together.’ So much so, in fact, that there’s not a lot about it that Ian would change. Is there anything he’d do differently given his time again, we ask. ‘Get a cheaper hobby’ is the unequivocal reply. This is motorsport in the real world, where success means knowing what you need to do to have fun rather than dreaming about how you might be able to turn your truck into something you really know it’s not. Ian might not be able to winch as fast as someone with loadsamoney kit, but he’ll try pretty much anything in the truck he’s built – and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.
30 A DISCOVERY FOR w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
News
Issue 10: December 2014
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
‘it’s easy to get carried away and start bolting on all sorts’
DISCOVERERS The Disco 2 is rapidly gaining its place in the conscience of Britain’s off-roaders as a truck whose time has come. But even at 10-plus years of age, a good Disco is capable of being more than just a toy. For overland travellers, this might just be the answer to the enduringly high price of buying a Defender…
words gary noskill Pictures steve taylor
O
ver the last half a decade or so, Britain’s Landy-modders have been slowly coming to terms with the Discovery 2. It’s still not as popular as the Mark 1 model became, but with more and more kit available for it, the lardier, more complex D2 is starting to become a more common sight off-road. Quite obviously, that’s because its price is coming further and further down. Yet despite almost a decade having passed since the last one rolled off
the production line, there are still some sound examples out there. That makes the Disco 2 an increasingly tempting alternative to the ever-dear Defender – whether you’re looking to build an off-road toy or, as is the case with the one you see here, an expedition truck. This one was built a few years ago by Devon 4x4. Since then, Disco 2 values have only gone one way, so you could pick up a V-plate TD5 like this for around £2000-£6000, depending on its mileage, spec, condition and how much
you’re willing to believe what the dealer tells you it’s worth. It’s not a Defender, of course, and for many people that would be a deal-breaker. But a used Disco is a lot less likely to have been hammered off-road by persons unknown and, though it’s a more complex vehicle, is it actually any less simple than a Defender of the Puma era? Answers on a postcard. It’s certainly nicer to sit in for the odd 20,000 miles, anyway. Whether or not you’d take a Disco over a Defender for expedition use, this
One thing about modifying a Landy for overlanding is that you’re not looking to turn it into an extreme off-roader. When your life depends on your vehicle, after all, you go out of your way to avoid extreme terrain. So why, then, is it the Defender that everyone chooses without a second thought? The Discovery 1 and 2 were exceptionally capable off-roaders themselves, and arguably far better suited to being sat in for thousands of miles on end
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
For a Land Rover that’s been kept as standard as possible, there’s a lot of mods visible here. You’ll have noticed the Devon 4x4 steering guard and winch bumper, the latter housing a Warn Powerplant winch-cum-compressor. Behind these, a Safari snorkel leads you up past a bank of IPF spotlights to the roof rack, which is home to an ARB roof tent and the Trip-Net waste bag seen here. And don’t let’s forget the tyres, of course, which are 265/75R16 BFG Mud-Terrains in the original pattern (below) which you can’t get anymore truck makes a strong case for at least thinking about it. There’s stuff on it that you wouldn’t get these days – no doubt there’d be an LED bar instead of the IPF spots, and the old-style BFG MudTerrains are no longer available – but the bones of the build remain sound. Basically, the Disco is lifted by 2”, protected as much as possible underneath and fitted with a winch, snorkel, twin battery system and various camping and expedition gear. We’re skimming the surface there a bit, but in terms of deep technical stuff there’s very little – it’s not so much a modified Landy as an accessorised one. That’s as it always should be on an expedition truck, of course. The very last thing you want to be doing is making for-the-sake-of-it mods to a Land Rover you’re about to trust with your life. ‘It’s very easy to get carried Continued overleaf
Issue 10: December 2014
31
32
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Left: Something expedition vehicles have in common with the hardcore winch trucks Devon 4x4 is known for is that they need serious electricity. Two Odyssey PC1200s definitely take care of that. Charged via a Genesis system, these were chosen for their quality – but also for the simple reason that they would fit within the Discovery’s standard battery tray Right: This is why the extra juice is required. However up to the job a standard 4x4 might be, there’s no such thing as a showroom vehicle that was designed to be able to power a fridge. Add extra lighting, over-volting for the winch and the small matter of it really, really mattering if your engine won’t start, and you can see why this area is so important
away and start bolting all sorts of things on and stuffing things in places where they don’t really belong,’ in Devon 4x4’s words. ‘But it’s certainly not a successful way to build a vehicle. “Appropriate technology” is the best way to describe it; it’s making sure you’re using the right things and that they’re being done properly.’ Doing it properly is something Devon 4x4 has been famous for ever since the days when its proprietor, Simon Buck, was sweeping all before him in the fledgling challenge scene. And the expedition Disco was built to the same standard, if not the same purpose, as its competition cars. ‘It’s not just a vehicle with lots of stuff thrown on it,’ the company told us. ‘It has been prepped for use. It’s a balance between saying “These are all the cool products we do,” and “This is how we prep a vehicle,” – it’s got to be right and work properly when you need to depend on it.
‘There are a few things which are Devon 4x4 signatures. One is using quality products: it’s just not worth putting cheap products on a vehicle you’re going to depend on. ‘Second is simplicity. We’ll only ever put on a vehicle what we believe needs to be there. Attention to detail is the other key; it’s making sure that the job is finished properly; for example, that cables are fixed and routed properly.’ Something you might take from this is that bolting top kit on to a cheap old Disco might not sound like the best idea. And yes, it’s true. Experts at this sort of thing will always advise you that the best way to get a build underway is to start with the best base vehicle you can possibly afford. But what if that means your choice is between starting with a
late-letter 110 and only being able to afford cheap kit for it, or a Disco 2 that means you can afford the sort of kit Devon 4x4 sells? Well, the answer is probably that there are Disco 2s and Disco 2s: whatever you choose to go with, the trick is to make sure you get a good one. Doing that in D2 land no longer costs big money. And that’s why these vehicles are gaining in popularity all the time. As we said, there’s a way to go before they reach the level the D1 attained in its off-road heyday. But with builds like Devon’s around to showcase the possibilities, they’re well on the way.
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
34
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
ONE DAY
THE LANING ADVENTURE THAT MEANS TAKIN
OVER THE CHANNEL
Going abroad in search of adventure aboard your Land Rover is normally the sort of thing you set aside weeks, months or even years for. But there’s an annual laning event in the north of France that’s always attracted a swarm of eager Brits – who love being able to take their trucks somewhere out of the ordinary for just one day There are a lot of differences between Britain and France. Aside from the obvious ones like the language we speak, the side of the road we drive on and how willing we are to see garden pests as a foodstuff, the deeper you explore France the more you’ll find that’s similar-but-not-quite to the UK. French villages, for example. In Britain, a typical village these days is a cluster of houses that people come back to after working somewhere else and shopping somewhere else again. There might be a village pub, but in order to have survived it’s probably turned into a mock-restaurant by now.
In France, commerce still seems to work in the countryside. Even quite small villages always seem to have a shop and a café, which often doubles as a sort of village hall. Which is where Land Rovers come in. Every year, one of these cafés in a village in northern France (a different one each year) hosts the Triangle Vert. This is a one-day laning bash which has been going for about 20 years and always attracts a slew of Landy fans from both sides of the Channel. I’ve been going on and off for most of those 20 years, sometimes as a driver, sometimes as a navigator and, on one
painfully memorable occasion, as the thing bouncing around in the back of a Td5 Heritage 90. And ‘bouncing’ is the word, too. It’s not speed laning – the French are every bit as sensitive about looking after their rights of way as us, and the antis there are, if anything, even more scheming – but many of the tracks used in the Triangle Vert are the sort of unsealed rural rides you can take at a jaunty 20mph or so. Not a problem, though, for when you do hit a bump at that sort of pace, the poor sap trying to balance on a side-hinged jump seat in the back of a Defender is only ever going to suffer for it.
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Issue 10: December 2014
35
NG YOUR LANDY ABROAD AND BACK IN A DAY
Above: The booze-run stop-off on the way out of Calais is always an essential part of the French laning ritual. Rude not to and all that. Just beware of what a day’s bumpy laning can do to a crate of fizzy beer… Right: Brits roll up in all manner of lane wagons. This is the only P38 we recall having seen crossing the Channel, though
Nonetheless, this is a nicely relaxed, cheerfully take-it-easy kind of a lane run. You do a lot of miles (or kilometres, in which case you do even more) and ride a lot of trails, but you do it with a smile on your face. No wonder the Brits actually often outnumber the French (and occasional Belgian) vehicles in the entry list. As usual with these things, you tend to go every year in the same small group of friends. Ours has one or two perennials in it, as well as a few who, like myself, show up when they can make it. Possibly not surprisingly, it’s the guys who live in Kent that we see every year, while those from the Midlands, the North and even Scotland are more susceptible to the whims of real life.
Sadly, this does mean that some of the guys have missed out on the best events the organising Hors Macadam Club have put on. It does vary from year to year – sometimes it’ll just be a pretty straightforward lane run, but every now and again the route will include a section that brings everyone to a halt and occasionally it’ll take everyone to a playday-style site where we can all get into low box and show off what our Landies can do. Laning being laning, you don’t normally see many of the other vehicles on the event. So these site visits have always been a highlight, as they give everyone a chance to watch each other’s trucks in action. One thing we’ve always noticed is that while Brits who plan to do this kind of stuff will usually show up in a Defender (or maybe a modded Disco of a certain vintage), the French aren’t scared of getting in there aboard their daily drivers – even if that
means getting muddy behind the wheel of an unmarked P38. After the last Triangle Vert I attended, which included one of these playday routes, I was impressed by the unfussy way a local Rangey dispatched the course – and thoroughly entertained by the way Kit, one of the regulars in our group, laid into the mud run with all the success of the Light Brigade at Balaclava. Having said that, there was a British P38 there, too – albeit one with no bumpers and snorkel blown through its wing. Proof positive that this is an event to entertain the kind of people who like to go for it in the workshop, too – as is the fact that our group that year included winch challenge royalty like Andy Thomlinson and Darren McGuinness, as well as ace spanner man Marc Draper. It was a good year to be there, too. As well as the playday element and a seemingly endless series of rough farm tracks to enjoy in the gentle spring sunshine, this was a Triangle Vert whose afternoon leg took us along some muddy woodland trails peppered Left: As always with laning trips in places with trees, big roofracks are not your friend. The overhanging branch was winched out of the way by another Landy before the 110 could get through
with truck-swallowing bomb holes. These are the times when the whole field turns into a stationary queue of vehicles waiting their turn to battle through – it’s easy to let your inner rush-hour madman come out here and get wound up at having to wait, but remind yourself that you’re getting the chance to be a spectator and part of the show and you’ll soon chill out. The same goes for the way you treat the Triangle Vert in general, actually. Obviously this is a bit of a unique event in that it’s so close to home (normally, the start is within an hour’s drive from Calais), and plenty of Brits literally do it as a day, but for me part of the fun is treating your day’s laning as an excuse for a long weekend. Our routine tends to involve a mid-morning get-together somewhere near Folkestone, a good laugh on Le Shuttle, a visit to one of the booze warehouses on the outskirts of Calais, a laid-back cruise through the countryside to a hotel and more good laughs over dinner (fuelled by no shortage of local wine, obviously).
Some years, we’ve had to cut the last part of the course to catch our crossing home, but who wants to do that when you’ve made the effort to come this far? Better to stay over Sunday night, take a day off work and follow up your French laning exploits with a bit more R&R. The Triangle Vert is well suited to your average lane truck or daily driver, though for the gnarly bits I’d definitely recommend all-terrains at the very least. It helps not to be too worried about your paintwork, either; I’ve come home with dents a couple of times, though this is rare and neither was down to the route as much as to ham-fisted driving. The big French randonnées like the 1000 Rivières are incredible but gruelling and, by comparison, very expensive to take part in. The beauty of the Triangle Vert is that it lets you have a day out that’s fun, easy-going and, on account of being on the other side of the Channel, that bit more exotic than the average lane day. No wonder we all keep being drawn back again and again as the years roll by!
36
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
STOCKIST DIRECTORY
South-East England
West Midlands
South-West England
North West England
McDonald Land Rover Ltd
LR Centre Ltd
Land Rover Parts, Accessories and Servicing
“We Live and Breathe Land Rovers.”
Unit 18, Mile Oak Industrial Estate, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 8GA
Bridge Industrial Estate, Speke Hall Road, Speke, Liverpool, L24 9HB
www.mcdonaldlandrover.co.uk parts@mcdonaldlandrover.co.uk • 01691 657705
North East England
www.lrparts.net sales@lrparts.net • 0151 486 8636
South Wales
Foundry 4x4 Ltd
Cast Iron Quality & Service The Old Bakery, Rear of Vale Terrace, Tredegar, Gwent, NP22 4HT
Gumtree 4x4 “Independent Specialists in Land Rover, Range Rover, Discovery and Freelander.” Unit C17, Ditchling Common, West Sussex, BN6 8SG
www.gumtree4x4.co.uk admin@gumtree4x4.co.uk • 01444 241457
www.foundry4x4.co.uk
Importers, Exporters, Wholesale Distributors & Retailers of Winches & Accessories
info@foundry4x4.co.uk • 01495 725544 70,880 miles. £7950. Falkirk, Scotland. shanks188@ btinternet.com.
TDS Goldfish Winches - The Best! East Foldhay, Zeal Monachorum, Crediton, Devon, EX17 6DH Tel: 01363 82666 • Fax: 01363 82782 • www.goodwinch.com • sales@goodwinch.com
East Midlands
www.island-4x4.co.uk
Steve Parker Land Rovers Ltd
Online Land Rover Part Specialists Offering Worldwide Mail Order
Servicing, Repairs, Spares and Conversions
* Free Mainland UK Delivery Over £50 * * Delivery France, Germany and Belgium £10 unlimited weight and parcels *
www.steveparkers.com info@steveparkers.com • 01706 854222
LAND ROVERS FOR SALE
SERIES I
Series I (1956). Petrol engine. Restored approximately six years ago, fantastic condition, any viewing welcome. £10,000, 07973 131603
Series I (1955). Completely rebuilt with a Buick 3.5 V8 engine. Estimated to have cost £20,000 to build. Very fast, noisy, road-legal. Tax and MOT exempt. Leighton Buzzard area. £7750 (firm), 01296 668339
a beautiful marine blue Series IIA 88” soft-top. In excellent condition, fully serviced recently, newly repaired starter motor and 10 months’ MOT. No need for road tax! £3250 ono. 07966 242402, eccure@gmail.com
SERIES II
Land Rover Series IIA (1969). 2.25 petrol. 48,389 miles. This is
Defender 90Tdi. Late 1994. Pick-up with Truckman top and 5-speed gearbox. Low milage, new MOT. Nice condition throughout. £4995, 01420 473470
Lloyd Street, Whitworth, Rochdale, Lancashire OL12 8AA
sales@island-4x4.co.uk
Series II Land Rover 88” (1960). 11 months’ MOT. Range Rover V8 engine (fully rebuilt), galvanised chassis and bulkhead, stainless exhaust. Rover P4 diffs, Stage 1 V8 brakes,
Polybushed suspension, 205x16 Bridegestones. New wiring loom, original headlamp units with HID bulbs. Recently had a full external respray. £6250. Kent. 07787 177397 or barming@sky.com
SERIES III
green and black. Ex air support signals regiment, originally FFR but converted to 12-volt by a previous owner. Five new wheels and tyres (originals also included). Recon box with complete new clutch. Two new petrol tanks. Newly Polybushed. New rear halfshafts and drive members, rear shocks, brakes all round (new front drums) and exhaust. Canvas in good condition. All receipts are with the vehicle. Currently on SORN, MOT May 2015. £4250 ono. jufion@btinternet.com
90 Series III Lightweight, 1981, RHD. 31,625 miles. 2.25 petrol/ LPG, galvanised chassis, MOD
2000 (W) Land Rover Defender TD5 Truck Cab. 2” suspension lift kit, new condition
black modular wheels with Insa Turbo Special Track tyres, snorkel, heavy duty front winch bumper, CD player, grey techno cloth seats (3), PAS, towbar and alarm. Excellent condition. New cylinder head/water pump and all cooling hoses fitted due to cracked fuel lane. Custom tub cover and swing away spare wheel carrier. Straight through S/S exhaust. Driven daily, hasn’t been off-roaded... yet! MOT April 2015, tax September 2014.
all round, dislocation cones, fully Polybushed. Cubby box, full chequer plate, rear bump guards, CD stereo with Alpine head unit and aux lead. Great truck with strong TD5 and solid chassis. Last serviced in January, MOT 04/15, tax 03/15. £6750. andydownes13@hotmail.co.uk Defender 90 TD5, 2002. Drives
Defender 90 Heritage. Much loved but rarely used. Heavy tow pack, non-smoker, very well kept, good for insurance, reliable. Four owners. MOT Oct. Part service history. Manual sunroof, air conditioning, MP3 player, leather trim, folding rear seats, spare wheel (full), PAS, traction, alarm, immobiliser. £13,000. Call Pete on 07834 763919 or email pete.barlow@salixrw.com.
Defender 90 TD5 pick-up. 139,100 miles. 12,000lb winch (cost £500, new 2 months ago from Gigglepin), Devon 4x4 winch bumper (£800), rock sliders, snorkel and diff breathers, diff guards, front and rear sump guards, bucket seats, light guards
exceptionally well with lots of power, great gearchange and transfer lever action. 2” Britpart Super Gaz lift kit fitted. Boost Alloys (including spare) with Hankook Dynapro MT tyres. 30mm wheel spacers. Electric windows, remote central locking, heated seats, heated front and rear windscreen. Winch bumper with Warn winch, Kenwood CD stereo with aux input. Seats in good condition. NAS lights all round. Must be seen! £8295. joshbaker_uk@yahoo.com Limited edition 90. Over 40k
worth of receipts for work carried out and professional mods. Bespoke tuning, K&N air filter, Allisport intercooler, Hayward and Scott stainless straight-through exhaust, hybrid turbo. Recaro race seats (heated), uprated roll bars, lowered suspension. Boss wheels, LED lights, Alpine sound system, Bluetooth, sat nav, uprated cubby box. Brand new 13,000lb winch and front bumper. Momo wheel,
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk upgraded brakes. FSH. £20,950 tonyackerman2000@yahoo.co.uk
Recently built 300Tdi trayback. Very high spec. Only done one event since build. Custom interior, GP winches, Mach 5s, Ashcroft shafts/CVs. Please get in touch for full specification and work done. Hundreds of pics available. Offers around £10,000. 07841 193027
Defender 110 300 Tdi twin-cab pick-up (1996). Front winch, Four new tyres, new brake pads all round. Very well maintained. Excellent runner. Five alloys. Cam belt changed at 165,000 miles. MOT 05/15, tax 09/14. £5950. digroot@btinternet.com
Defender 110 XS Utility. Warn winch, full roof rack, steering guard, full set of Land Rover seat covers and mats, seats like new under covers. New tyres. Leather seats, heated front seats, air-conditioning, electric windows, CD stereo, traction control. MOT and tax November 2014. £15,500+VAT cwdm@ hotmail.co.uk
Range Rover
SpecialiStS in land rover, range rover, diScovery, freelander and all 4x4s servicing, repairs, conversions, rebuilds & chassis replacements. performance and off road modifications. established in 1981, located in mid-sussex
tel: 01444 241457 info@gumtree4x4.co.uk
Range Rover P38a (1996). 5.0-litre V8 engine built by JE Engineering with massive spec and extensive service history. Uprated rear brakes. Large front disc conversion. Air suspension working. Wheels recently powder-coated. Headlining replaced. Massive amount of car for the money. Removable tow bar, original tool kit. £2850. Kent. 07787 177397 or barming@ sky.com
Specials
Land Rover 109 200Tdi. Twin tanks, body-off refurb, chassis checked and no welding required, HD military style crossmember, new bespoke bumperettes, 3 coats of Shutz to chassis, tub and wings, galv bulkhead and front panel, Defender front wiring loom, professionally wired rear, new LED standard style lights, high level brake light, LED camping/reverse lights and internal strip lights, Pioneer CD, Toro overdrive, P38 PAS box on 12mm plate welded to chassis, safari roof, 5 General Grabber 235/85R16s, head skimmed and crack tested, timing belt changed, electric fan. Viewing essential. Must go to a good home. £6500 ono. Call Mat on 07908 582133 or email gondolamat@aol.com.
Wanted Series I or II for restoration. Anything considered. Preferably pre-1960. Private buyer. Cash waiting. Steve, 07970 102651, stephen.kuzio@live.co.uk
Parts Discovery clutch pressure plate (part #FTC575). Brand new, still in box. Herts area. £offers. 01992 465721 Range Rover Vogue SE 3.9 V8 Auto Pick-Up. Professionally converted. Tan leather electric seats,
37
GUMTREE 4x4
lockable pick-up cover on gas struts. Engine rebuilt with Viper Hurricane performance cam, polished and ported heads, K&N air filter. Milltek Racing stainless exhaust with tubular manifolds. 1” lowered suspension. Mountney hardwood sports steering wheel, custom headlining by Nationwide trim, 5 new Goodyear Eagle GT+4 235/70/16s on fully refurbished alloys. Bull bar and spots, rear light protection, full tow bar kit. West Midlands. £4500, 07734 599399, mikehayes_1@msn.com
110
110 2.5 petrol/LPG, C-reg. 121,000 miles, on SORN. Solid chassis, spot lights, chequer plate, rear worklight, tubular side steps, roof rack, fog lights. New alternator Feb 2013. Engine rebuild Feb 2011 including new valves, bearings and piston rings. MOT May 2014. This Landy is 27 years old and does have a few marks. £2200. cotton13@hotmail.co.uk
Issue 10: December 2014
Discovery Mark 1 complete front end, including lamps, grilles and templates necessary
for modifying to look like a Discovery 2. Offers invited. Herts, 01992 465721 BFGoodrich M&S tyre. 235/70R16. Only ever done 40 miles. Offers invited. Herts, 01992 465721 Land Rover spares for sale. Truck cab, £150. Bonnet, £100. Tailgate, £20. Doors, £20. Ifor Williams canopy, £80. Roll cage (brand new), £500. Call Claire on 07554 661053 Unimog axles. Pair of Mog portals. One complete, one part-stripped in prep for discbrake conversion. £1000, offers invited. 07968 960619
Advertising your Land Rover for sale is 100% FREE for private sellers. Just call Gemma Pask on 01283 553242
38
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
Leafers vs late Rangeys at Leics and Rutland LRC autumn trial
A weekend’s trialling action at a favourite site brings out all sorts from the old to the new – in terms of both vehicles and drivers alike!
It’s that time of year again, when you start to notice the days becoming shorter and that glimmer of sunshine seeming to sink beyond the horizon that little bit faster than it seemed to this time last week. But if your love of Land Rovers is the kind that sees you taking yours off-road at every opportunity, this might well be when it starts getting interesting. And in late September, as summer gave way to autumn, one club dedicated a weekend to getting as many vehicles out trialling as possible. The club was the Leicestershire and Rutland Land Rover Club, and
Words Mike Trott Pictures Tony Birch the venue was the ever-popular Eaton Lodge. The weekend started with a Tyro trial on the Saturday, 20
September, to whet everyone’s appetite for the next day’s RTV. Between the two events, the set of Land Rovers in attendance was particularly diverse. Alongside the usual mix of Defenders (some creaking more than others) and the odd Disco were an L322 Range Rover, a couple of P38s and a handful of Series IIIs. The great thing about a weekend event is that you can relax in the evenings, fire up the barbecue and enjoy some proper social time with your fellow clubmen. No need to set your alarm for the small hours when you’ve already got scrutineering out of the way the night before and all you have to do to get to the drivers’ briefing is crawl out of your nice warm tent for breakfast.
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Above: When did you last see an L322 having a go in a trial? We’re guessing never… Below: You’ve definitely never seen Jack Brewin in a trial before, because this was his first. Having just passed his test, his first Tyro experience was in his dad’s Disco 2: that’s a 100-incher running road tyres, on wet grass and a hill. Brave boy
Actually, the tents were a bit on the damp side by the Saturday morning, thanks to a refreshing overnight shower that meant there was plenty of slipping and sliding on the wet grass as the first sections in the Tyro trial got underway. Conditions had become much drier by the Sunday, though there was still plenty of opportunity to slip and slide on the new wet stuff that had appeared… slippy, wet and kind of brown. Lovely. Curiously, much of this was located between some of the canes, a few of which had been knocked over. Andy Lester, Chairman of the LRLRC, put this down to the sheep testing out the sections during the midnight hour. ‘Eaton Lodge is probably the best site we use,’ says Andy. ‘You can do any kind of trialling here. Our Saturday Tyro had a good range of scores from 2 to 30. It was Stef, an experienced driver but long-wheelbase
newbie, who claimed the 2 in a loaned V8 Disco. ‘At the other end of the scale, we had Jack Brewin in his dad’s Disco 2 on 30. He’d just passed his test and was a total novice.’ First time out, driving a 100-incher on road-going tyres in the wet… hands up any of us who could imagine doing even that well under those circumstances? Sunday saw the ‘pros’ come out for the RTV. The sections, while seemingly within everyone’s ability, ended up catching out a few competitors, with scores ranging from 4 to 78. There were no real dramas during the weekend, though. ‘TYROs and RTVs shouldn’t be a risk,’ says Andy. ‘With CCV, however, you can push to the limit – and sometimes beyond.’ Andrew Birch supplied some entertainment when he went the wrong way on Section 4 of the RTV.
Issue 10: December 2014
This is known as ‘Crispy’s Disease’, courtesy of Mark Crisp – who appears to have developed a bit of a reputation for navigational failures. Ironically, Andrew is Mark’s son-in-law. It was thanks to Kev Liquorish that the RTV went ahead in the first place as he stepped in as Clerk of Course, a position he’d never undertaken previously. At the end of the weekend, Chris Birch had come out on top, and Steve ‘Stig’ Limb was looking to be back on form after finishing 3rd overall in the RTV in a minibus. Sorry,
39
a Range Rover. A club in-joke, maybe – but Steve’s skills are deadly serious. ‘How he gets it round some of the sections amazes me,’ says Andy. The club has a few more trials left this calendar year, but Andy is already looking forward to next year – when he hopes to get numbers entering the club’s events back to where they were before the recession. The introduction of archery, clay pigeon shooting, Land Rover gymkhana games, treasure hunts and more green laning trips should help do the trick.
40
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
North v South in 2014 MSA Tyro Championship
Taster event gives junior and senior teams an introduction to the joys of Land Rover action Words Mike Trott Pictures Stuart Bernard This year’s MSA Inter-Regional Tyro Championship was held at Harbour Hill, near Alermaston in West Berkshire, towards the end of September. Designed primarily to show hormonal teenagers that there’s more to life than lounging around in a darkened room with a solid internet connection, this also appeals to grown men with a desire to wrestle a Land Rover through a bit of woodland. The venue has been popular as a trials venue and playday site for many years (part of our editor’s exhaust is still buried there today). Four teams of three drivers each showed up to compete against each other in a bid to become champions – not a huge
turnout, but very much in keeping with the organisers idea of growing this into something much bigger in years to come. With bragging rights on the line and teenage testosterone at an all-time high, it was clear in the faces of all the challengers that they didn’t want to end up as the guy going home with the wooden spoon. The event is still in its infancy, but with smiles all round it showed that this event is gaining popularity. It comes as a welcome change for members of the different MSA regional associations to be able to pit themselves against one another, too. On this occasion, it was Ian Joyce, Niall Banyard and Ashley Bartlett who gave up their time to put the seven sections together. Each was designed to provide competitors with a taster of what’s in store if they progress to RTV and CCV trials. There were three teams in the Standard class and a junior team as
well to make up the four, with each member of each team having to complete all seven sections. Steve Aston, Kevin Wood and Niall Banyard were generous enough to hand over their vehicles for the trial. Always risky with an enthusiastic teen about, for sure, but all these trucks had rubbed up against their fair share of bark before. After skimming canes, trees and even the odd photographer, it was the Association of Northern Car Clubs that claimed victory – congratulations to Chris Woodcock, John Hargreaves and his son Sam Hargreaves. Also in the running were the Association of North West Car Clubs, the MSA itself and the Hants and Berks ROC. Shaun Osborn, Morgan Banyard and Alex Butcher, also of the Hants and Berks, took victory in the Junior class and went on to be paraded around the corridors of their schools above the heads of their peers. Well, it could happen…
Below left: Standard Class was won by the Association of Northern Car Clubs’ team of Chris Woodcock, John Hargreaves and John’s son Sam Below right: Shaun Osborn, Morgan Banyard and Alex Butcher of Hants and Berks ROC took the Juniors class
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Issue 10: December 2014
41
As Dave Whormsley steps down after four years in the job, North Wales LRC says thanks in fitting style to a stalwart committee member
Words Mike Trott Pictures Kim Whormsley We all like to get out into the countryside whenever we can, and there’s no better way of doing it than to organise a nice green laning trip. Actually, there IS a better way of doing it. Which is to let someone else do the organising. You do have to applaud him or her from time to time, say thanks a lot and make sure they don’t have to pay for their own breakfast at the greasy spoon where you rendezvous (everyone does that, right?), but it means you can have a day’s laning without having to worry about where you last left your maps. Fact is, it’s easy to forget the effort that goes into organising trips like these. Even just getting enough people in the same place at the same time takes some doing. Well, the North Wales Land Rover Club managed it at the beginning of October when they ventured out into the countryside. It was to be the final green laning event for Dave Whormsley, who was stepping down
from his role as the club’s NonCompetition Secretary after four years. Armed with the customary flasks and snacks, the club departed from Pentrefoelas at around half nine in the morning as they headed for the lanes around the Betws-y-Coed and Llanrwst region on the edge of the Gwydyr Forest Park. The local wildlife may have been forgiven for thinking a party was brewing, courtesy of the great turnout – with a dozen vehicles all-inall splitting into two groups of six.
Out with the old (sort of) and in with the new: that’s what they say, isn’t it? Well, one club member, Chris Aldridge, was taking his Kawasaki green Defender out on the lanes for the first time – a ‘green lane virgin’ is the phrase that was bandied about! Fortunately for Chris, his truck survived the ordeal – unlike another
90, which sustained a broken fan belt. Not a big deal, that, and 15 minutes later it was bumping along the Welsh lanes once more. The club also managed to break in a couple of shiny vehicles, including a 2004 Defender 110 and another firsttimer in the shape of a 90 with a brand new paint job.
Wales was looking particularly green and lush (aka ‘wet’), with the brief Indian summer now long gone. Not that anyone really noticed it, which you certainly can’t say about Dave’s tenure on the NWLRC committee. As it turns to look into the future, the whole club is grateful for all his efforts over the last four years.
42
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
Stone Enduro brings down curtain on 2014 Interclub Championship
Words Sue Maynard Pictures Ian Horsman / Triple Effect Photography Main pic: Neil Rogers won the Class 6 title for production vehicles in his bright 110 Below: Equally bright, and successful, was the Lightweight in which Mark and Adam Woodhouse and Marc Cannop shared victory in Class 5
The Stone Enduro Comp Safari was the final event of 2014 for Staffs and Shrops LRC, and brought this year’s Comp Safari Interclub Championship to a close. Who would be the 2014 champion? It all came down to this one last event. The weather had been relatively decent in the run-up to the weekend and as pitches were being erected, the conditions for racing could only mean one thing… dust! For those who had pitched up near to the start line, their vehicles, trailers and caravans soon looked like something from a desert scene in a film. The Stone Enduro doesn’t have its name for nothing. It’s fast and flowing
– and certainly takes it out of your motor and your body. As usual, the Class 1 buggies went off first to prevent traffic jams, followed by the Class 2 coilers with 4000cc-plus engines. One of the latter, driven by Paul Shore, took the easy way at one point, missing out a steep drop and narrowly avoiding a penalty for cutting the course – to be fair, the route he took wasn’t taped off, though it was soon afterwards to make sure no-one else had the same bright idea! Lee Scally retired after the first run and Steve Strutt soon followed, having being put in the bushes and landed with a maximum time when his rear diff disintegrated into pieces.
Father and son dual drivers Mark and Jake Burgess lost their steering – fortunately this happened on the finish straight, meaning they only crashed through the bunting rather than anything more dramatic. Once back in the pits, they managed to beg and borrow their way back into contention, allowing them to complete the event without further incident. A popular feature of the Stone Enduro is that it’s run over two days – with four night stages in between. Crews were busily installing fancy light bars and pods as the daylight faded – with mixed results in the case of Steve Ham, whose engine petered out in the darkness, and Ian Chiles, who
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk was speeding up a fast straight when a melted wire caused his lights to fail without warning. Day Two started with Class 1 table topper Ian Roberts blowing his engine, allowing Peter Roberts to blast into the lead with the fastest time of the day. In the same class, Kevin Stubbs was left on three wheels with a failed wishbone – but rather than retire, he lined up to start the last run of the day so he could take a maximum time. In Class 2, it was a tight race between the Landies of Bert Bullough and Jeff Bazeley. In an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to claw back precious seconds, Jeff ditched as much weight as he could – including his navigator’s seat and therefore, obviously, his navigator! Class 3 (coilers under 4000cc), the largest in the competition, was again too tight to call. Simon Cooper and Graham Ponton finished within seconds of each other – Simon had a 10-second penalty added to his overall time, but still managed to take the win. With the clock ticking and the competition drawing to a close, Gareth ‘Gates’ Taylor (we call him that as he keeps running into them) was given a big cheer when he completed his remaining runs in the nick of time before the course was declared closed. This was a sad day, however, for a vehicle that’s been a regular at SSLRC’s events for a long time. Little Green Landy went out in style, suffering a broken front diff and rear halfshaft, broken accelerator cable, broken shock, a fire, lights going out and, to finish off, a broken chassis, on what was its last outing before being sent to the great Landy heaven in the sky. Farewell, LGL – we’re gonna miss you. In the final reckoning, Peter Roberts was first overall – but it was Ian Roberts who took the title at the end of the season. Bert Bullough won Class 2 and finished third overall, with Simon Cooper, Paul Mansfield, Andy Bayliss and Mark Amber victorious in Classes 3-6 respectively. Bert Bullough’s result was also enough to secure first place in Class 2 in the final championship standings. Steve Strutt topped the table in Class 3, with Colin Davies taking Class 4 (diesels), Mark and Adam Woodhouse and Marc Cannop sharing Class 5 (leafers) and Neil Rogers taking Class 6 (production vehicles). The Enduro was more successful for some competitors than others, but overall it was a fantastic event. Everyone left full of smiles – and dust, which had made its way into every available nose, ear and mouth! From a total of 50 vehicles starting on the Saturday afternoon, 33 were still running by the finish – even if they weren’t all on four wheels…
Issue 10: December 2014
43
44
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
Sun shines on Northern Run Words and Pictures Frank King
‘What is it with Land Rover owners? All they ever seem to do is follow on behind other Land Rovers owners!’ Well, that’s what it must have looked like if you were in Yorkshire on 12 October. Because there were no less than 45 Landies of various ages and descriptions enjoying the northern roads on this particular Sunday. Everything from Series Is, IIs and IIIs to Freelanders, 110s, 90s, Discoverys and Range Rovers were in attendance. That’s pretty much a full set of civvy models, one following another – and all because of the Northern Land Rover Run. As well as having a great vehicle turnout yet again on one of our runs, it was a dry day. This will probably jinx it, but we’ve never had rain on any of the runs we’ve put on in any part of the country. Photos were looking like they could be an issue thanks to the early morning fog, but it soon cleared – though not before keeping one side of the road clear and the other densely shrouded! Very strange. We stopped later on at the top of a hill outside Wass, where everything was going very smoothly. The finish was at the Ryedale Folk Museum, whose staff had kindly allowed us to
park between the buildings there. It’s a fantastic place and well worth a visit. After our own private drama, with a lost phone eventually being returned courtesy of some very honest people, we could conclude the run had been another success. Nobody got lost and everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves – well, that must be the case if they keep coming back! ‘Thanks to all those involved in organising the run,’ said Bobbi and Ian Milne, one crew from among the many happy customers. ‘It was excellent for showing off some of the fine autumn colours and the museum at the end was well worth the visit.’ Tony and Sam Cox are great organisers and always provide us with
interesting routes and finish venues. The entire route was around 40 miles long, as are most of the other runs we partake in. If you have not been on one of the runs put on by the Series III and 90-110 Owners’ Club, we have three every year. These are the Western Run, which in 2015 is planned to be in Gloucestershire; the Midland Run, which in 2015 is moving a little further north and will be in the Derbyshire area, more than likely taking in Tissington Ford; and of course the Northern run, whose location next year is still some way from being decided. You can look out for what we’re up to by keeping your eye on www.thelandroverclub.co.uk.
To advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242 w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k We’re on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
2014 Ultra4 season comes to a climax in Portugal Jim Marsden, driver of what may well be the most capable Land Rover of all time, finished the 2014 European Ultra4 Championship in second place after a battling performance in the final event of the season in Portugal. Marsden had opened the season with an utterly dominant victory at King of Scotland. But with competitors allowed to drop their worst score of the year, that counted for nothing as the USA’s Levi Shirley, representing the home of Ultra4 racing, won in Wales, Italy and Portugal to record an effective clean sweep. Shirley and Marsden started King of Portugal first and second on the ‘grid’ after posting the fastest times on the prologue, and the driver from Kansas was quickly into his stride on the parched Mediterranean terrain. Behind them, the home teams of Emanuel Costa and Paulo Candeias, first and second in last year’s event, were right on the pace too, on a course that was to claim high-profile victims in the shape of Walter Phillipo and Bailey Cole – son of Ultra4 founder Dave Cole. But Bailey’s race included a moment of great sportsmanship as he stopped to recover none other than Jim Marsden after the British driver had put his Landy on its side with no winch points to hand. ‘Portugal was very good,’ said Jim, ‘but we ripped the A-frame crossmember out of the chassis on the fifth lap and had to retire during the sixth. That forced us down to fifth overall, but it was enough for second in the championship so I’m happy. ‘It feels great, but I’ve got something to aim for next year now. It’s been a great season in Ultra4 and the Trophy Raid events. I’m looking forward to next season already – but have some upgrades to make first!’ If his Defender wasn’t already the most capable Land Rover of all time, it will be soon…
Pic by Thom KIngston / Spidertrax
Issue 10: December 2014
45
46
w w w. t h e l a n d y. c o . u k
Issue 10: December 2014
News
Products
Vehicles
Adventure
Workshop
Clubs
Loughborough LRC laning: it’s like a spa day for your Landy…
Words and Pictures Dave Bennett Forget going on a spa day. When you come laning with the Loughborough Land Rover Club, that’s definitely all the relaxation you’ll need!
Earlier in October, we went for another one of our many retreats, with three of the Club’s Defenders meeting up with a couple of 90s and
a big daddy 130 for a gentle trundle along the highways and byways of North-West Leicestershire. All the vehicles in the club have been enhanced to suit the task, so some light laning for them was just another stroll in the park. One of the joys of green laning is to take a bunch of friendly people along old and sometimes ancient tracks, deep into the countryside and as far from civilisation as you can get in a roadgoing vehicle. If you love being outdoors and love your truck, you’ll absolutely love green laning. It’s even better than being given a massage on the aforementioned spa
day, in fact. And we’re careful about the areas we touch… We try to drive lovely, unspoiled tracks and keep them that way by using them carefully and only in reasonable conditions. Our route on this particular outing took us along a whole series of different tracks, navigating through fords, along green and grassy byways and over hills in what would be our last trip of the year before the tracks get too wet to use responsibly. Every lane was different and each had its own character – as well as providing the occasional challenge, too. Our laning days always include plenty of chat and regular breaks for a brew – and of course we always stop for horses as well! Loughborough Land Rover Club follows the policy
set out by the Green Lane Association and Treadlightly for the continued and sustainable use of the rights of way. After all, this is how we want to continue spending our weekends! We try to run monthly green lane trips from April to October, as well as expeditions and camping weekends Ultimately, though, we just like to enjoy our vehicles, the countryside and off-roading – and wrap it all up in one great weekend!