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it had dONE lEss thaN 1000 milEs whEN i bOught itOne mans
lifelong relationship with a 1982 Series III 109 Hi-Cap and how its
now come full circle
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LANDYTHE
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ISSUE 18 AUGUST 2015
GOLDEN BROWN
The Arizona Tan colour you used to see on 110s has been compared
to many things.
Not many are very flatteringBut its rare to see one whose
paint hasnt suffered over time. After a decade-long restoration,
on the other hand, this 110 proves just how good a brown Landy can
look.Full story: Page 30
A tug from the police that turned into a three-year wait for a
DVLA inspection no wonder Shaun Carlin took the chance to make his
90 shine like new again Full story: Page 16
That remote-control Range Roverdead clever, but isnt the point
of a car for people to sit in it? Full story: Page 4
Which Landy would you choose for overland travel? Bet you didnt
say Discovery 3 Full story: Page 34
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3Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere on
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy,
call Ian Argent on 01283 553242Pre-Pros wow Dunsfold crowdA record
thirteen pre-production Series I Land Rovers came together for the
2015 Dunsfold Collection Open Weekend, a feat never achieved before
in Land Rovers history.
Over 120 of the worlds rarest, most obscure and most fascinating
Land Rovers were rolled out for this years Open Weekend, with the
pre-production Series Is stealing the show down in Surrey.
These pre-production vehicles have never been together before in
the
Marques history, as the vehicles will have been sent off to be
tested and promote Land Rover in destinations all around the
world.
Since the collections last Open Weekend, the Dunsfold-based
Green Oval nirvana has become a charity, and as such these biennial
and brilliant weekends have become a pivotal part of the
collections future.
And luckily, the trustees know how to put on a show for
enthusiasts!
Event organiser and trustee Philip Bashall commented: It was an
absolutely fantastic weekend and weve
had very good feedback, with everyone who attended being very
positive about the show.
Weve had comments such as best Land Rover show ever, as well as
a wonderful show, just like the old days, which all makes the hard
work worth it.
Its not difficult to see why this is one of the must-see events
for Landy enthusiasts the only thing missing
being buckets for all the drooling mouths. Phil admitted to us
that even the car park was a site to behold, with over 2000
visitors arriving over the course of the two-day event.
He continued: As a historian, its good to see all these
different Land Rovers, and as for the pre-pros, people were just
blown away! Having 13 of them there was a record which were very
pleased about, and Jaguar Land Rover, who were in attendance
throughout the weekend, said they were delighted with the
event.
People were very charitable and everyone dug deep into their
pockets.
The traditional auction on the Saturday night helped to raise
much needed funds for the collection which now consists of 123
vehicles, and it
will continue to grow under Phils watchful eye.
Whether its Range Rovers, Discoverys, Series Land Rovers, weird
and wonderful prototypes or military muscle, this remarkable
collection is well worth a visit.
If youd like to do your part in the preservation of these great
Land Rovers, you can become a Friend of the Collection for 35 a
year. This will entitle you to newsletters and regular updates on
the collection, as well as an opportunity to get up close and
personal by helping to set up for future Open Weekends and other
shows.
For more information on the Dunsfold Collection, or if you fancy
a look at some wonderful Land Rovers, visit
www.dunsfoldcollection.co.uk
Mike Trott
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Ever been a fan of remote control cars? Jaguar Land Rover may be
about to make your day.
The company has showcased some of the newest and most advanced
technologies to emerge from its UK research team. And the most
novel of these developments is the Remote Control Range Rover
Sport.
Designed to demonstrate the progress JLR has been making on
autonomous driving, the RC Range Rover Sport can be controlled by
the driver from outside the vehicle through the use of their
smartphone.
The idea is that you can control the vehicle up to a maximum
speed of 4mph via a dedicated smartphone app which gives you
control over the accelerator, brakes, steering and even the
transfer box.
So, whether its a tight multi-storey car park or a tricky rock
crawling section, this is probably an app youll want to purchase in
the future unless you actually enjoy driving, of course.
Drivers need to be within a 10-metre radius of the car for it to
work, so dont expect to be able to pull any hilarious pranks. The
system simply halts the car if the smart key is no longer
detected.
Jaguar Land Rover has also been busy working on the Multi-Point
Turn Range Rover Sport. It can sort out those three-point turns
with which some people often seem to struggle.
Dr Wolfgang Epple, Jaguar Land Rovers Director of Research and
Technology, commented: Getting a car out of a tricky parking
manoeuvre can be a stressful experience for any driver. A Remote
Control car, or a vehicle that can autonomously turn in the road,
demonstrates how we could use these new technologies to
reduce the tedious parts of driving and improve road safety.
Research into technologies like these wont only help us deliver
an autonomous car; they will help make real driving safer and more
enjoyable. The same sensors and systems that will help an
autonomous car make the right decisions will assist the driver and
enhance the experience to help prevent accidents. Autonomous car
technologies will not take away the fun of driving.
Now, not that we here at The Landy are particularly stubborn but
the day we let a robot do the everyday driving for us is the day we
all look for a new day job. Quite literally, in fact.
Fortunately, Jaguar Land Rovers vision is to give the driver a
choice between an engaged or autonomous drive. We know which
setting well have it locked into
JLR plans Pothole Alert
4 Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsJaguar Land Rover is
launching a new car technology called Pothole Alert.
The technology uses sensors on a car to identify the position
and proposed level of danger that approaching potholes will cause
as well as broken drains and manholes covers to share real-time
data with other vehicles and road authorities in order to help with
the prioritising of road repairs.
Currently, it is estimated that around 2.8bn in vehicle damage
is caused each year by potholes.
Dr Mike Bell, Global Connected Car Director, Jaguar Land Rover,
said: Our MagneRide equipped Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport
vehicles feature sophisticated sensors that allow the vehicle to
profile the road surface under the wheels and identify potholes,
raised manholes and broken drain covers.
Dr Bell added that the sharing of data could help prevent
billions of pounds worth of vehicle damage and make road repairs
more effective.
The companys research team has also been working alongside
Coventry City Council.
Councillor Rachel Lancaster, Cabinet Member for Public Services
at Coventry City Council said: We already collect lots of data
which we monitor very carefully ourselves. But having this kind of
extra information might allow us to further improve our maintenance
programmes, which would save the taxpayer money.
Taking the Land Rover for a walk
Above: JLR is planning to use GPS and to fit digital surround
cameras on the front of its vehicles to capture the exact position
of pot holes so they can be eradicated more quickly by local
authorities
Mike Trott
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6 Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsLR Run hits new heights
on way to Brugge
The Charity Land Rover Run has broken its fundraising record,
after a 41-car parade from Kent to Brugge.
Setting off from the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel le
Ferne on 6 June, the convoy of pre-1975 Land Rovers departed for
Brugge in Belgium, aiming to raise valuable funds for the Battle of
Britain Memorial Trust the charity of choice for this years
run.
The Trust has recently completed The Wing, a stunning museum
with its roof following the shape of a Spitfire wing, and
containing memorabilia and state-of-the-art interactive displays.
This, of course, all needs maintaining financially which is where
the 2015 CLR came in.
A traditional ferry crossing to France (this years run was the
sixth annual event) was followed by a negotiation of Calais many
traffic lights before a stint down to Ardres.
Driving the relatively empty roads through the rolling
countryside of Pas-de-Calais, and even cheered on by even a few
French locals, this was a journey of purpose and pleasure.
Climbing the steep and twisting roads towards Cassel, the
brigade savoured the 98-octane fuel at continental prices before
meeting up with a few Belgian friends for the last leg into
Brugge.
Now with a mix of Series Is and IIs, a Minerva, a Tickford and a
109, the Land Rovers reached the World Heritage city of Brugge in
time for that evenings gala award ceremony.
Throughout the ceremony, the Mayor of Zedelgem presented a
variety of awards to owners of different Land Rovers. The awards
determine the likes of who has the Most Original Land Rover and
Best Land Rover; who gets the Bent and Battered award and title of
Best Decorated Land Rover, while the Mayor was also able to choose
his own personal favourite.
Event organiser Peter Wales then presented a special Next
Generation award to Seppe Verhaeghe for his magnificent restoration
of the Series 1 80-inch he bought when he was sixteen and has just
finished after nearly two years worth of work.
The following morning brought along the Charity Auction,
conducted as always by the ruthless but mirthful Richard
Beddall.
In not much over an hour, some 55 lots had been sold and 2200
had been added to the funds raised.
Peter Wales said: It was probably the best CLR to date. Brugge
and the weather were fantastic; the champagne reception hosted by
the Mayor of Zedelgem was a highlight.
It was also a great testament to Solihulls finest that our
41-strong convoy made it home without a major problem. Maurice
Wilks would be very proud.
To date we have raised 7131, including 2200 raised during the
auction on the day in Brugge. This exceeds our original 5000
target.
Next years run will be supporting a charity very close to the
hearts of Land Rover owners, with the Dunsfold Collection set to be
the recipient of this noble event.
Left: The parade of pre-1975 Land Rovers makes its way south to
Brugge for what is the sixth annual Charity Land Rover Run. To
date, the event has raised a total in excess of 37,000, with a new
charity being selected each year. Next year will be the turn of the
Dunsfold Collection
Words Mike CooperPictures Phil Lightman and Jonny Stokes
AwardsMost Original: 1969 Series IIA 109 SW Dormobile Conversion
(Michael Siegers)Best Land Rover: 1951 Tickford (Mike Rivett)Mayors
Favourite: 1970 Series IIA 88 (Ryan Wright)Bent and Battered: 1957
Series I 88 (Kevin Leach)Best Decorated: 1963 Series IIA 88 (Chris
Nightingale)
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7Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere on
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy,
call Ian Argent on 01283 553242
One of the things people most often say about a new Land Rover
is that its like a blank canvas. You get a basic vehicle for your
money, and then you can start turning it into your own work of
art.
Of course, the analogy only goes so far, and if truth be told
almost all the unique Defenders we create are really only
variations on a theme. Still, given that this is what owners start
doing with new Land Rovers almost from the day they bring them
home, its probably in keeping, if a whole lot more controversial,
when people do the same thing with what are now considered
classics.
Take a look in the classified ads towards the back of The Landy
this month and youll see what I mean. Theres a Mk1 Rangey thats
been restored from the ground up and brought back together using a
suspension lift and other non-standard parts. An early Discovery
thats been turned into an Aussie-style ute. A 109 Series II with a
double-length bonnet (seriously). And, best or worst of all
depending on how you look at it, a 107 Station Wagon thats been cut
up and turned into a double-cab.
Needless to say, you wouldnt expect anybody to do such a thing
to a Landy that was already clean, classic and original. Though I
know someone who, way back in the mid-1990s, decided to cut up a
90SV because he knew how much it would annoy the anoraks. Anyway,
butchering a rare gem to create a flight of fancy would be a pretty
poor show. But with so many modding-by-numbers Land Rovers around,
youve got to admire the people who manage to retain their creative
vision in the face of so much uniformity.
The trucks they create are very good at dividing opinion, of
course. But when theyre so clever, so visionary and so well
executed, you can hardly help but cut them a little slack. After
all, theyre just the result of someone treating a Land Rover as
just what it is a blank canvas.
Alan Kidd, Editor
Comment
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8 Issue 18: August 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews
Land Rover has unveiled its new Heritage Driving Experience at
Fen End in the West Midlands.
Customers can now experience the thrill of driving Land Rovers
oldest and most treasured legends, thanks to the opening of its
customer test facility where models from the Series I to military
101 Forward Control and classic Range Rover will be lined up, ready
to head out in the hands of paying customers both on and
off-road.
Budding drivers will be offered a selection of packages which
will allow customers to drive vehicles from a specified era, or to
cover a range of vehicles to get a real feel of how Land Rover has
changed from 1948 to present day.
Informative instructors will provide direction, facts and
anecdotes to accompany your experience, while youll have to time to
test out Land Rovers heritage either on track or along the new
off-road course.
Vehicle exhibits will put the cherry on top of what should be a
memorable day of driving.
Packages start from 40, which will give you a passenger ride
alongside an instructor but youll surely want more than that.
For 85 you can opt for the Series I, II and III vs Modern
Defender package, which as the name suggests gives you the chance
to commandeer a Series I, II or III and compare it to a drive in
todays equivalent.
Other packages include the Land Rover Historic Drives (90) and
the Range Rover Then and Now package (125), before climbing to the
Land Rover The Collection, priced at 250.
This lets you drive all the best and most significant Land
Rovers, dating from the 1940s to the 2010s. Series Land Rovers,
military vehicles, expedition-prepped models and modern-day
Defenders and Range Rovers are all included. Surely thats got
birthday present written all over it
Further packages are available as well as a number of gift
voucher and special promotional packages as new models are added to
the experience. Visit www.heritagedriving.co.uk for more
details.
Experience the past Its tow so good for the DiscoveryLand Rovers
Discovery the Tow King has reclaimed its crown once again, winning
its class at the Tow Car Awards 2015.
The Discovery won its 1,900kg+ class to record an extraordinary
eighth win in the Tow Car Awards nine-year history, providing
further confirmation that the Disco remains the daddy of the towing
world.
Competing in the heavyweight towing category, the Discovery has
demonstrated its capabilities year after year, with no other
manufacturer able to boast such an impressive record.
A panel of expert judges voted the Discovery the victor, while
the awards were presented by The Camping and Caravanning Club, in
association with What Car? and Practical Caravan.
It was the popular 3.0-litre SDV6 SE Tech model that would face
the thorough examinations of this years towing tests, with the
judges commenting: The Land Rover Discoverys tally now stands at
eight
class wins in the nine years of the Tow Car Awards. New rivals
keep taking a shot at the title, but for now the Discovery remains
on top. Its an absolutely superb car to tow with.
Nearly 40 cars took part in this years event, battling it out
across all the various categories, with judges marking on a number
of points from acceleration and stability to slalom course
competence and the vehicles ability to deal with questionable
cambers and surfaces while hauling an appropriate load.
Practicality, running costs, reliability and safety were also
assessed.
Some of the Discoverys success is now owed to technological
enhancements, such as Trailer Stability Assist, which recognises
when a trailer is in tow and, from 37mph upwards, keeps an eye on
it for you to make sure things are in ship-shape. However none of
this would be any use without the underpinnings of a well designed
heavy-duty 4x4 which every Disco has been from the word go.
Telegraph for Land RoverLand Rover continues to bask in its own
success after being labelled Best Brand at the 2015 Telegraph Cars
Awards.
This is a first for the Solihull manufacturer, but an accolade
made even sweeter after the Discovery Sport was named Best SUV,
making it three in a row following success for the Range Rover
Evoque in 2014 and the Discovery in 2013.
Steven Huntingford, Head of Cars at Telegraph Media Group,
commented: This is the third year in a row that
Land Rover has won the award for Best SUV, each time with a
different car. Such consistently high standards explain why Land
Rover is our Best Brand.
He added: Above all, SUVs are bought as family cars, so the fact
that the Discovery Sport has seven seats to its rivals five is a
huge advantage. While its clearly a worthy choice, the Discovery
Sport is anything but dull, with tidy handling, nicely weighted
steering and a supple yet controlled ride.
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10 Issue 18: August 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsA brand new education
facility has been opened at Jaguar Land Rovers 500 million Engine
Manufacturing Centre in the West Midlands.
The new Education Business Partnership Centre, situated near
Wolverhampton, will cater for thousands of visitors each year in
order
to inspire young people into the world of engineering.
Jaguar Land Rovers Inspiring Tomorrows Engineers school
education programme has already reached over three million
youngsters to date and with the opening of the new 650,000
Education Centre, the company will strive to increase that figure
even further.
The project has been developed in partnership with Staffordshire
County Council, South Staffordshire Council, Wolverhampton City
Council and Wolverhampton College.
Dr. Ralf Speth, Chief Executive of Jaguar Land Rover, commented:
Jaguar Land Rover is a business driven by design, technology and
innovation. It is critical that we attract talented young people to
become the next generation of engineers to support our growing
business.
Im delighted to open the Education Business Partnership Centre,
which will play a key role in nurturing future talent and inspiring
more young people to pursue engineering careers.
The Centre utilises a wide variety of cutting-edge technologies
including a holographic table which projects images of the companys
Ingenium engines to illustrate how they are manufactured.
Students will be able to use iPad stations to complete bespoke
modules once returning from their factory tours, and they will be
able to try their hand at controlling scaled-down robots similar to
those used on the actual production lines.
Peter Bilson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Assets,
Wolverhampton City Council, speaking on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover
Education Business Partnership Centre partners commented: We are
delighted to work in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover to support
its school education programme. We are committed to providing the
best possible educational opportunities for local young people
across Staffordshire and the West Midlands and the Education
Business Partnership Centre will be hugely valuable, reinforcing
the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths)
subjects to modern industry, highlighting career opportunities and
helping young people strengthen their employability skills as they
prepare for the world of work.
For further information about the new Education Business
Partnership Centre, or to enquire about becoming one of the growing
number of young people reaping its benefits, contact Liz Love,
Education Business Partnership Centre Manager, on 07880 175 057 or
email [email protected].
Time to go to school courtesy of Land Rover Youre hiredFive
wounded or sick ex-Servicemen and ex-Servicewomen have completed
JLRs first Invictus Games work placement legacy programme and will
now start their new employment within Jaguar Land Rover.
Staff Sergeant Wayne Walker is one of the five who will join the
Solihull outfit after his time in the Queens Royal Lancers, where
he served in Iraq and sustained his injuries.
Having been medically discharged after a 19-year military
career, Wayne, 36, enrolled on the training programme last December
and will now take up the role of Process Leader at Jaguar Land
Rover.
During his military career, Wayne served in operational tours of
Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq the latter being where he was
caught in the detonation of an IED (Improvised Explosive Device)
which resulted in a serious knee injury that has seen him go
through more than twenty operations to date.
Speaking of this new chapter in his life, Wayne said: I was put
forward for this opportunity via the Armed Forces Motorsport
Charity, Mission Motorsport, which supports those leaving the
Forces. I wasnt sure what would come out of it, but Ive received
incredible support throughout the programme from my family and
everyone at Jaguar Land Rover.
I am delighted to have been offered this permanent position
which means security for my familys future and has been a great
confidence boost. I hope this will inspire others also leaving the
Forces.
Following Jag Land Rovers involvement in the 2014 Invictus Games
and the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant, the company is keen to
uphold its pledge and desire to work with Armed Forces
veterans.
Gregg Niblett, Defender Manufacturing Manager, who is
ex-military himself and will now be Waynes manager, commented: I am
delighted to welcome Wayne to Jaguar Land Rover. For someone who
has only spent their career in the forces, it is a huge step to
transition over to civilian life and Waynes can-do attitude has
enabled him to apply himself to the job. There is a thriving
ex-forces community at the Solihull plant and we get together
regularly to support new recruits transitioning to civilian careers
both within work and outside through community and charitable
initiatives.
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11Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy,
call Ian Argent on 01283 553242
Editor Alan KiddAssistant Editor Mike Trott
Admin and Editorial AssistantGemma PaskArt Editor Samantha
DSouza
Contributors Dan Fenn, Gary Noskill, Paul Looe, Mark Bailey
Photographers Steve Taylor, Russell Stevens, Jen and Noam Ben
Tsion
Advertising Sales Manager Ian Argent Tel: 01283
553242Advertising Production Tel: 01283 553242Publisher Sarah Kidd
Email: [email protected] effort is made to
ensure that the contents of The Landy are accurate, however
Assignment Media Ltd accepts no responsibility for errors or
omissions nor
the consequences of actions made as a result of these
When responding to any advert in The Landy, you should make
appropriate enquiries before sending money or entering into a
contract. The publishers take reasonable care to ensure advertisers
probity, but will not be liable for any losses incurred as a result
of responding to adverts
The Landy is distributed by Britpart. Details of your
nearest Britpart dealer can be found at www.britpart.comWhere a
photo credit includes the note CC-BY-SA, the image is made
available under that Creative Commons licence. Details are
available at www.creativecommons.org
The Landy is published by Assignment Media Ltd, Repton House,
Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road, Bretby DE15 0YZ
2015Assignment Media Ltd
01283 553243 [email protected] www.thelandy.co.uk
www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
NEXT MONTH
PLUS What happens when you buy a Range Rover Classic
thats had 3k spent on the stereo alone ?
NEXT MONTHS LANDY IS PUBLISHED ON 27 JULYYou can pick up your
copy of our September 2015 issue from newsagents or Britpart
dealers or read it online at www.thelandy.co.uk
Belgian Beauty: Peter Wales first saw his Minerva while stood in
the rain but with less than 15,000 miles on its clock, he was soon
dancing for joy
Dunsfold Dynamo we pull this pristine NAS 90 from the collection
and take a look at why the Americans were so lucky
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12 Issue 18: August 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews
Britparts range of replacement seals for the Range Rover Classic
continues to grow at a steady pace.
If youre rebuilding one, or just trying to prevent an old timer
from turning into something so porous it makes the Swindon Town
back four look watertight, the options now on offer include:
Rear quarter panel fixing plate Rear side window channel Front
wing seal Side window gasket Anti-rattle pads Rear lamp gaskets
Rear quarter window seals Lock and handle gasket Check strap seal
Bonnet lamp rubber
Prices range from a few quid to a few hundred, depending on what
it is youre after, but in general theyre pretty affordable meaning
you and your Range Rover neednt suffer for the want of something as
fundamental as decent seals.www.britpart.com
EXMOOR TRIMS already enormous range of Land Rover seats has just
expanded still further, thanks to a new range of sports seats.
These are designed to make your Defender a racier place to be while
also giving you all the usual Exmoor luxury.
The E-Sports seat, as its called, will be in stock from 16 July.
It will come supplied with runners including a popular riser option
which provides three-way adjustability.
Your choice of finishes will consist of Black Leather Match
Vinyl with White Stitch, Black Leather Match Vinyl with Black
Stitch, XS Black Rack Half Leather and Diamond XS. Were
struggling to picture what all these look like too, dont worry.
Anyway, the seats are part of Exmoors signature range, meaning
bespoke finishes can be ordered by request.
As these seats are a direct replacement part for the original,
all you need to do is remove the old front seats, whatever model
Defender you have, and bolt in your new one using the existing
points. Your swish new seats, which come as a pair, will recline
(assuming theres not a bulkhead in the way) and have a built-in
seat heater system to keep your behind warm.
The seats have been approved by the Vehicle Certification Agency
(VCA)
and successfully Mark 1 Impact Tested at Millbrook Testing
Ground. You neednt expect them to be cheap, then, and at about 1026
theyre not, but few things could be a wiser investment if you spend
a lot of time on board your Landy. www.exmoortrim.co.uk
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13Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy,
call Ian Argent on 01283 553242IT MIGHT SOUND OBVIOUS, but being
able to shed proper light on a dark situation can mean the
difference between life and death.
For example, while you may not die from this (hopefully),
stubbing your toe while trying to navigate your way through a
darkened room in the middle of the night will at least alert the
neighbours to whats happening, via the medium of shouting and
swearing.
The equivalent in the workshop could be a lot less funny. We all
know what dangerous places these can be, with plenty of hard,
sharp, abrasive, poisonous and otherwise antisocial items and
substances waiting to nail the unwary. No place for not being able
to see what youre doing.
Hence the new TruckMaster 8 LED Oval Work Lamp from Ring
Automotive. It has 8 x 3W LED bulbs, housed within an oval,
die-cast aluminium frame, which provide a hefty 2000-Lumens output.
In front of them, a clear polycarbonate lens shapes the LEDs beams
into a medium flood of light.
The bulbs are long-life jobs and the lamps body is sealed to
IP67, which is as good as most of the expensive LED lights you see
being used on challenge vehicles. With an M8 x 25mm mount and
pan-directional bracket, we could see these lights being pressed
into service on the front of Land Rovers as well as in the
traditional position at the back.
A three-year warranty should do nothing to put you off the idea
of doing this, and nor should a price in the region of
66.www.ringautomotive.co.uk
WE ALL KNOW ABOUT EGR valves annoying items to be removed and
disposed of. Standing for Exhaust Gas Recirculation, this little
gadget aims to reduce NOx emissions by recirculating some of your
trucks exhaust gases back into its engine. It works, but it
strangles your engine in the process and thats why so many of them
end up in the bin.
Simply removing the valve and blanking it off is considered
enough on the TD5, but on the 300Tdi it can be better to swap it
for a new one. Thats because carbon deposits can build up within
the EGR valve over time, and eventually this will start to affect
its performance. Fitting a new valve is like blowing your nose when
you have a cold the engine will instantly be able to breathe
better.
Bearmach is now offering a replacement valve for your 300Tdi at
the suggested retail price of 69. Thats a lot for a box of tissues,
but not much for a Landy that runs properly
again.www.ringautomotive.co.uk
Modern Land Rovers have excellent cabin space and a huge range
of seat adjustment. Defenders are not modern Land Rovers, on the
other hand, and they dont.
The actual seat position gives you an unbeatable view of the
road ahead, and the seats themselves are way better than the
average know-nothing would assume, but that doesnt mean youre
immune from backache and stiff knees after a stint behind the
wheel. Which is a shame, because who among us can honestly say that
behind the wheel of a Defender isnt their favourite place in the
whole world?
Well, 4x4 Overlander and Nakatanenga have rattled their brains
together to do something about this. And the result is here, in the
shape of these new Premium Seat Risers.
Suitable for all 90/110/130 models from 1985 onwards (except for
military vehicles and those fitted with retro-fit sports seats)
these seat rail extensions and raiser blocks give you a better
chance of finding a comfortable position from which to enjoy your
Defender. The rails, which are also compatible with original Land
Rover Recaro seats, offer three separate positions: 30/40mm (f/r)
higher,
30/40mm higher and 25mm further back and 30/40mm higher and 50mm
further back.
Using the original seat box threads and holes in the seat frame,
the rails are constructed from stainless steel with a black
powder-coated finish. If you prefer a more natural look, as seen in
these photos, thats available too to special order.
Either way, sitting down at the wheel of your Defender will
never have pleased your rear end more. Prices start at 75 including
VAT per seat, which is pleasing enough in its own way
too.www.4x4overlander.com
If you run a 200 or 300Tdi Defender, Discovery or Range Rover,
its probably occurred to you at some point that a heavy-duty clutch
wouldnt go amiss. Our own editor is prone to some very dark
mutterings when this subject comes up.
This three-piece OEM kit, made by Valeo and now available
through Britpart dealers, should do the trick. Including the plate,
cover and bearing, its also suitable for earlier petrol and diesel
Defenders as well as Range Rovers with the VM Turbo D engine. Shop
around and youll find one for about a hundred
quid.www.britpart.com
-
14 Issue 18: August 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsSOME PEOPLE SEEM to
have sold their soul to the devil when it comes to reversing on to
a trailer. But most of us
mere mortals need guidance which, if theres no-one else around,
can make things more than a little tedious.
Obviously, its easier if you happen to be Superman and possess
the ability to see through the layers of sheet metal between
yourself and your towing hitch. But as this is rather an unlikely
contingency, Demon Tweeks has just started selling this here nifty
gizmo from Swifthitch.
The One-Man Trailer Hitch Camera System (its a descriptive name,
youve got to give them that) consists of a camera (obviously) and a
wireless, hand-held display. Images from the camera are displayed
on a 2.5 LCD colour screen, allowing you to keep a watchful eye on
exactly whats kicking off back there.
The camera has a magnetic mount, so its not going to stick to
your Land Rovers aluminium bodywork, but weve no doubt at all that
youll be able to lash something up that keeps it in place. Rather
impressively, it features
a night vision mode, so you can use it just as effectively after
dark no small matter, especially when you consider what time the
sun sets in the middle of winter.
The camera and hand-held screen are battery powered and will
operate for a maximum of four hours and to a distance of up to 300
feet. As far as were aware, no-one has yet made a Land Rover with a
wheelbase that long, so you ought to be just fine and if it takes
you four hours to get hitched up, whether youve got a camera on
your side or not, then what are you doing trying to tow a trailer
behind your truck in the first place?
The kit comes complete with a 12v charger and Y-cable, allowing
both elements to be charged simultaneously, and costs an affordable
211.60 including the VAT.www.demon-tweeks.co.uk
dEfEndErS arE faMOuS for many things, but the quality of their
audio systems isnt among them. Theres no reason why you cant listen
to music properly on board Solihulls finest, though, and a good
place to start is by fitting a set of speakers that wont be
frightened off by the ever-present shaking and tinny din from the
body.
This often means needing a larger hole for your new speakers to
live in, and Mud UKs new Rear Speaker Panel gives you that extra
room without the hassle. The panels allocate space for 130mm
speakers, giving you far wider possibilities for your sound
system.
Though they look like factory items, the panels are thicker and
easy to fit using the screws provided. Presently they only fit
Hard-Top models, but theres a version on the way for those that
have rear corner window trims.
The panels wont fit on post-2007 Station Wagon and Utility Wagon
models, either although a small amount of trimming to the
factory-fitted panel would allow for bigger speakers here anyway.
Anyway, Muds panels are priced at 47 per pair including
VAT.www.mudstuff.co.uk
-
15Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy,
call Ian Argent on 01283 553242BLING IS THE THING in Defender
modding right now giving an unexpected new twist to a world most of
us thought would never be touched by the fickle hand of
fashion.
And few things say bling with more certainty than a nice set of
alloys yes, even on a 90. There are everyday designs which have
passed into Landy folklore, and there are lavishly flamboyant
efforts which frankly look a bit misplaced on anything with the
aerodynamics of a Defender, however nicely its painted, but these
new designs from Hawke Styling fall nicely between the two.
Available in Gloss Black, Black and Polished and Matt Gunmetal
finishes, these are definitely wheels for a style wagon rather than
anything designed to go off-road. The sizes on offer back this up,
too you can have them in 18x8.5 with an ET20 offset, or 18x9.0 at
ET25.
Lots of choices, then, so if a cool look is what youre going for
theres sure to be something here to suit whatever that look might
be. The same may not be quite so easy to say about budgets, though
with prices starting at 229 including VAT per wheel these are by no
means the most expensive option on the
market.www.hawkestyling.com
-
When youre pulled over by the police and told to park up your
favourite vehicle for what turns out to be a three-year wait, you
know youre going to want to make up for lost time. Shaun Carlin did
when he refreshed this 90 to make it look like new but giving the
vehicle the internals youd really want in the process
16 Issue 18: August 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews
No one likes waiting for any-thing, do they? Consider in-ternet
shopping, for example. You buy something off Amazon, or some other
vast jumble sale of a website, and then spend every next waking
moment sat by the front door, listening intently like a small yappy
terrier, preparing to rip the limbs from some poor, unsuspecting
postman who really didnt expect to have a six-foot human latched on
to his arm that morning.
Needless to say, my household has been blacklisted by UPS, Royal
Mail, Parcel Force and the rest.
Its the same when you order a new phone; or a car no one likes
waiting. At one point or another weve all been in a queue at a
coffee house, counting to ten as the worlds biggest imbecile umms
and aahs over which ridicu-lously-named beverage theyd like to
choke on (hopefully), and have felt like running head-first into
the nearest wall.
Can you imagine, then, having your favourite Land Rover parked
up on your drive for three years and not being able to drive it
anywhere?
They say good things come to those who wait (at least thats what
the guy on the Guinness adverts used to tell me).
No alcohol-fuelled beverage was going to satisfy Shaun Carlins
thirst for his Land Rover, though, after he was told by police to
park it up, not to touch it or drive it, but just wait for an
inspec-tion that, for a long time, looked like it would never
come.
This Land Rover was built in 1988, but started life as a truck
cab, begins Shaun. It spent most of its life at Buckland Manor,
being used around the estate. When I bought it, the truck had
bullets still inside from when they would have gone shooting.
I purchased it with the intention of converting it into a
soft-top version
Good things come to
those who
wait...Words and pictures Mike Trott
-
with a nod in the SVX direction; even bought everything to do
the job with, but eventually sold all the stuff because I just
thought to myself I was never going to have time to do it all.
That said, Shaun used his 90 every-day and it never let him down
from when he bought it in 1999 till about six years later when
those blue lights came up behind him.
I got pulled over by the police with them telling me that the
chassis numbers werent in line and that the numbers didnt look
level, recalls Shaun. The officer told me to await an inspection
and not to drive it anywhere but the inspection never came.
Three long years passed and after deciding enough was enough,
Shaun dusted down the 90, taxed, insured and MOTd it and headed
back out on the road. No point in wasting such a great vehicle,
after all.
Only when Shaun had done all this must the vehicle have flagged
up on the DVLAs system, because shortly afterwards, three policeman
appeared on the doorstep of his house.
Theyd finally come to do the inspection and they had a poke
round, but couldnt see anything wrong. The guy carrying out the
inspection said he was used to looking at Land Rovers all the time
and the original police officer must not have realised that a lot
of 90s dont have machine-stamped numbers.
So all was well and Shaun was able to drive his 90 again like
nobodys busi-ness except youre probably looking at these pictures,
thinking thats no truck cab. Youd be right.
Remember Shaun mentioned his admiration for the SVX Defenders?
He test drove a couple and was consider-ing buying one a few years
back, but as pleasant as they may have looked, Shaun knew that
there was no galva-nised chassis or bulkhead underneath and hed
soon be paying out to fix the same old problems that most old
Landies have.
17Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy,
call Ian Argent on 01283 553242
Continued overleaf
They had a poke
round, but couldnt
see anything
wrong
Left: The engine bay formerly housed a 2.5-litre TD 19J engine,
which produces as much power as a blender. For a real vehicle you
need a real engine, and thats what Shaun went and bought. A 200Tdi
sits pretty underneath the bonnet and we mean pretty! The engine
was stripped and rebuilt by Brian Tonks at Tonks4x4 and now gives
Shaun the boost in performance that every man deserves. For fear of
sounding like a viagra commercial, though, its worth continuing to
say that Shaun went for a 200 rather than a 300 because of the
points system now applied within the DVLA testsBelow: A galvanised
chassis AND bulkhead lurk under this Landy the former being painted
black to prevent those who lurk them-selves from thinking this is
indeed galvanised, and therefore likely to conclude that this is
just another rust-attracting Land Rover
-
18 Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsThe answer, however,
was already
parked on his drive. That old truck- cab 90 Shaun bought back in
1999 for 3000 would become the project it was always destined to
be. Shaun got his galvanised chassis and bulkhead, with the chassis
painted black to make any snooping eyes see nothing but a normal,
rust-prone Land Rover. A 200Tdi also sits upfront instead of the
old 2.5 TD (19J) which was sold to a guy in the US.
Its been through a complete nut and bolt restoration, says
Shaun, Every part is as-new, if not new. I went for the 200Tdi for
the better power and the little more refinement it gives you plus
it was better than the 300Tdi on the points system, which you have
to be wary of these days.
You may recall the epic 130 fire truck that graced the front
cover of our March issue earlier this year. That belonged to Brian
Tonks, the man be-hind Tonks4x4 and the person largely responsible
for why Shauns 90 is such a head-turner today.
Brian had never carried out a restoration to this standard
before, chuckles Shaun. In the end, he said
I was the pickiest customer hed ever come across!
Shaun cant have been too bad to often, though, because he and
Brian are now good friends. He also went up to the workshop when
time permit-ted, to help out in whichever way he could over the
course of the six to eight month long project.
As Shaun says, not one bolt nor screw was left untouched, with
every part galvanised or replaced with stainless steel where
applicable. The engine was stripped down and rebuilt by Brian; the
gearbox was recondi-tioned and the axles have been refur-bished, so
that this Landy looks like a brand new Defender yet its actually
running on all the parts an enthusiast would want.
At the back youll notice the panoramic windows, fitted by the
company formerly known as Landy-glass. Shaun spotted their product
at Peterborough and felt this was some-thing he needed to have.
This is my fifth Land Rover, states Shaun. My first was a
soft-top Series III 2.25-litre petrol which I really enjoyed. The
second... not so much. It was a
12-seater, 2.25-litre diesel with a 0-60 time of eventually,
laughs Shaun.
I think growing up, looking at Land Rovers, they were something
I aspired to own although if Id had that 12-seater Land Rover
first, Im not sure Id still have one today!
Shauns dad and uncle were always fiddling with cars and now even
his daughter, Kim, fancies being the proud owner of a Land
Rover.
My daughters always liked them, says Shaun, So I figured I might
give her this one when she turns 21. Ive changed my mind, though,
shes not having this one now, he smiles. Ive made it too nice!
Well, when youve waited so long for the perfect vehicle, why let
someone else have all the fun? You wouldnt hand over your prized
Amazon purchase or frothy coffee to someone else after all that
time, would you?
For Shaun, he now has the SVX-in-spired vehicle he always
wanted. And while it may have taken longer to get to this stage in
the first place, this is a Landy that has already served its time
in a workshop and you can be sure it wont be going back anytime
soon.
Above: This 90 is as fresh inside as it is on the outside. For
an interior that was first made in 1988, you would expect a few
changes over the years: the plusher seats; a cubby box for extra
storage and even brushed metal knobs to fit over your gear
levers
Below: As well as the panoramic window job on the rear, Shaun
has got a NAS rear bumper and LED loghts too. The exhaust is also a
straight-through affair with the rear section taken from a Td5
-
The early eighTies were someThing of a honeymoon period
Bernard Tomkins has owned his 109 Hi-Cap since 1982. He bought
it with less than 1000 miles on the clock, and its been a faithful
friend ever since. Now its time to say goodbye, though but its
going to be a very fond farewell
20 Issue 18: August 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsA Fond Farewell
words and pictures mike Trott
-
The early Eighties were something of a honeymoon period between
the pair, with the 109 living on Bernards farm in Buckinghamshire
from late 1982 onwards. The Land Rover has always been royally
looked after, always kept under cover and this workhorse of a Landy
has repaid Bernard over the years during a relationship spanning
more than three decades.
Of course, in any friendship there is the occasional moment of
friction, and there may come a time when you need to be there to
support those you care about with whatever issues they may be
dealing with.
After Bernard and the Hi-Cap had known each other for around a
decade, for example, it started to develop a bit of chassis rot and
failed an MOT.
Over several years, we patched her up here and there to prevent
it from getting any worse, he recalls. But even-tually we decided
to bite the bullet and have a galvanised chassis fitted
instead.
Now, thats not just the equivalent of buying your friend a
sympathetic beer. Its more like lending him your wife.
It hasnt been all take, take, take in this relationship, though.
Bernard has certainly called upon the Series III to do him a favour
or two as well.
Its always been used as general farm transport, he says,
carrying animal feed and towing trailers, that sort of thing. I was
also the local scout leader for many years. The truck has done a
lot of miles taking scouts to summer camps and on various
excursions.
Still, this rare piece of Solihull history hasnt just been
treated to a chassis up-grade then burdened with the duty of
transporting grubby young children to and from different adventure
grounds. Theres been a lot of work carried out to keep this
33-year-old looking as good as it does now, as Bernard reveals.
This includes new springs, while the 2.25-litre petrol engine
and gearbox are replacement components. That engine is also aided
by a new carburettor and ignition coil.
Theres a new battery and fresh tyres, the hood is new as are the
hoops and the original seats have been recovered, continues
Bernard. Its been properly prepared and painted in the classic
Pastel Green colour.
This surely must be one of the best-kept Series III 109 Hi-Caps
around not that theres much around in the way of competition,
obviously.
21Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy,
call Ian Argent on 01283 553242You should choose you friends
wisely, they say. While theyre at it, theyll tell you that a man is
known by the compa-ny he keeps. Certainly, good friends are hard to
come by.
If these adages hold any truth, surely the same theory can be
applied to the vehicles we choose to drive. Needless to say, to own
a Land Rover you must have pretty impeccable taste in the first
place but then to be seen in a new Range Rover says you mix with
the in-crowd, whereas a scary 90 on 35 Ferret Frighteners suggests
you like to run with a rougher set.
Much more than it is the case with normal cars, the
relationships we
have with our Land Rovers are similar to those we have with
other human beings. Some are dependable and trust-worthy, full of
character and packed with quirks you get to know and love.
Others will come and go in a flash, taking with them whatever
brief memories they may have given you. But there are some Land
Rovers that just stick with you through thick and thin, becoming
part of your life and a member of your family.
If you were to judge Bernard Tom-kins on his Series III 109
Hi-Cap, youd have to assume he looks after those who are closest to
him. On the other hand, youd have to say Bernard has been lucky to
find himself such a
great friend, because as of the start of 2015 this is one of
only 17 Hi-Caps left on the road in the country.
Whats more, Bernard has been the owner of this rare Land Rover
for the last 33 years almost from when it was first put together by
the toughened hands of the Solihull workforce.
Ive had this since 1982, says Ber-nard. I was the second owner,
actually. The first was a farmer from Hampshire. Hed bought the
truck from an auction as at the time they were all being re-placed
by the 110s, so they were selling them off.
It had less than 1000 miles on the clock when I bought it, and
still had the manufacturers warranty on it too.
Continued overleaf
-
22 Issue 18: August 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews
There is, however, something that has been playing on Bernards
mind for the last few years. And it means that soon, these best
buddies will be going their separate ways.
Bernard is rapidly approaching his 80th birthday, you see. And
sadly he admits that the poor Landy has done next to no miles over
the last few years. Besides, he says, if hes being truly honest (as
you should be with your best mates) he quite likes the luxury of
power steering now!
Ive had several Land Rovers over the years, including a 1949
Series I 80, a 1950 80 and a long-wheelbase 1960 Series II, Bernard
remarks. I also ran an 88 Series III Truck Cab, which is when I
visited the Bucks County Show and saw one of the Hi-Cap versions on
the Land Rover stand. I said that if we have another, we should get
one with a bigger body.
And thats precisely what happened. Bernard was a tender 28 years
of age when he bought his first Land Rover,
each of them coming and going until he found one that he could
trust to be a friend for life.
He used to run three different shoot-ing syndicates and has been
a keen marksman for many years. Owning the Hi-Cap gave him
something tough and ready for cross-country action.
Its been a good work tool and great off-road. There was very
little compe-tition back then. There wasnt all these Jeeps and
Japanese stuff being made. It was a time when Land Rover had the
market to themselves, he smiles.
Things do change over the years and when you look back, even
just at Land Rover, the company and its vehicles were much simpler
back then. To be fair, everything was.
As with all things, however, you need to take the memories from
the years gone by. And when Bernard finally sees his old friend
disappear down the driveway for the last time, it will be those
good times that come floating back.
Bernards pride and joy is now up for sale. He told me that hed
like the Series III Hi-Cap to go to an enthusiast and someone who
will appreciate the rarity of the ve-hicle, and hopefully get
another 33 years of enjoyment from this wonderful old Land Rover.
If you think its for you, you can contact him direct on 01494
837549.
-
the sva is hard work, but it must be a positive thing
Hybrid building went out of fashion a long time ago. But if you
want a 100 Defender, its still the only way and as it has turned
out for those whove dared to brave the SVA test, not even the man
from the ministry can change that
24 Issue 18: August 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews
People used to build hybrids because they wanted a 90 but
couldnt afford one. Nowadays, if youre willing to put that much
work into a project youll buy an actual 90 instead and do a
complete rebuild on it but theres still one very good reason for
building a hybrid.
This is, of course, that Land Rover never made a 100 Defender.
Well it did, but only ever as a prototype. Which is strange,
because with the 90 being too small to be practical for many people
and the 110 being too long for comfort off-road, youre never far
from someone whose ideal wheelbase would be bang in the middle.
Land Rover made plenty of 100 vehicles, of course to wit, every
Range Rover and Discovery over the course of many, many years. And
a lot of them ended up as chassis donors during the golden age of
hybrid building.
That age was over by 2003, when Jonathan Fearn built his 100
Land Rover. Youd started being able to get 90s and 110s at sensible
money by then, and something else had come along too the hated SVA
test.
This threw a huge spanner in the works for hybrid builders by
forcing them to meet a vast list of requirements when designing
their vehicles. The basic idea is that every car on the road
should meet certain standards for safety reasons, but of course
this is the world of bureaucracy and you wont struggle to find
people whove come away from the experience muttering about rules
for rules sake.
Jonathan isnt one of them. Working as a tree surgeon, he needed
a Landy that would get him into orchards all year round and give
him the space he needed for his tools, without carrying any
unnecessary bulk. Its never good to knock your clients apple trees
down while manoeuvring.
The 100 wheelbase was therefore perfect for him, so building his
own vehicle seemed like the obvious route.
A Happy Medium
words gary noskillpictures steve taylor
-
And while the SVA test wasnt going to make life any easier, he
wasnt grum-bling about it. It is hard work but I reckon it must be
a positive thing. After all, it gives a sure-fire way of ensuring
that your vehicle doesnt pose a threat to you or other road
users.
Thats a verdict you hear from most people whove been through the
SVA process and come out the other side: dont rush, dont panic,
just read what the rule book says and if you follow it youll be
fine. And, of course, youll have a better vehicle for your
efforts.
Jonathans efforts started with what was to become his trucks
chassis. As we said above, most hybrids (whether 100 or shorter)
were built on Range Rover or Discovery frames, but despite one of
these being exactly the right length for him he instead opted to
shorten one from a 110 which of course created a lot of extra
work.
Not that hed agree or at least, hed say he was getting the hard
work done first. I actually think its as difficult to fit a
Defender body to a Range Rover as it is to shorten a 110, he says.
The bod-ywork outriggers on the Range Rover are in the wrong place,
so youd need to weld regardless. Besides, Ive probably got a
stronger chassis as a result!
Of course, one thing about putting a Defender body on a Range
Rover chassis is that you have to cut off the back section and
finish it off with a new rear crossmember. Using a 110 chassis
meant that Jonathan had to do this anyway, because he wanted to
trim the departure angle by six inches. That was in addition to the
10 he took from the wheelbase, cutting it in the middle then
sleeving it with box section inside and out. Adopting a
belt-and-braces approach thats evident throughout, he then punched
holes through this part of the chassis and spot-welded them to make
the repair stronger than ever.
All of this was completed in a barn near his home, although most
of the work on the vehicle took place on his
25Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy,
call Ian Argent on 01283 553242
Continued overleaf
Above: A Fearn among ferns yes, okay, we know where the door
is
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26 Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews
front drive. Inevitably, the chassis mods represented the
biggest job of the entire build and, once completed, work on the
hybrid continued at a rapid pace.
The trucks body panels are made from shortened 110 parts.
Jonathan decided to paint them in NATO green to match the chassis,
because it makes for the easiest possible touch-ups. Given the
environment in which the car makes its living, panel damage is
inevitable, he observes. By choosing a colour that is naturally
quite dull, he was able to hand-paint the vehicle once a year and
not be over-burdened with
guilt every time a tree branch reached out to get him.
If youre building your own Land Rover, you have a free choice of
engines. Well, you do within reason, at any rate, and Jonathans
choice was very reasoned: a 200Tdi. I regard it as a much stronger
engine than the 300Tdi or 2.5-litre turbo diesel, he told us. And I
couldnt contemplate the expense of running a petrol.
Some would say the 200Tdi is less refined than the 300, but when
youre easing your way around an orchard thats not exactly a big
deal. The hybrid
does cover its fair share of road miles, though in fact, when we
met Jona-than he reckoned his average mileage was about 25,000, and
thats a lot by anybodys standards.
You need something reliable for that, and as comfortable as
possible on the road. The 200Tdi unit is perfectly refined for
Jonathans tastes, and he is a big fan of its performance off-road
no small matter, because thats a hobby to him and as well as being
a tool of his trade this truck is also a toy.
Installing the engine was less straightforward than it might
have
Above: I regard it as a much stronger engine than the 300Tdi or
2.5-litre turbo diesel. The words from Jonathan that suggest hes a
man whos happy with his choice of engine. This 200Tdi was taken
from a Discovery, a decision that is still popular today but then
you do need to do a little more work to slot it in, as the turbo
and manifold are positioned the other way round on a Defender
Left: Fairey by name, but not fairy by nature. This might be an
old-fashioned winch, however, it will call it a day long after
youve already gone to bed. This PTO-driven, front-mounted winch is
just what Jonathan needs for when hes out in the forests. Item can
also be used for off-roading
-
been, seeing as it came from a Discov-ery and needed all the
usual prep work doing. Actually, back then it wasnt usual at all,
it was just prep work, but even by that point in time Jonathan had
noticed patterns in Tdi values which went on to become firmly
entrenched.
There are a lot of early 1990s Discov-erys around that are
completely rotten, he remarked at the time, but their engines are
sweet as the day they left the factory. Defenders of that era, on
the other hand, are more often than not still going strong.
Obviously this latter fact has changed a bit, but it does very much
remain the case that if youve got a 200Tdi from a Defender itll be
worth plenty more than the same lump from a Discovery.
The engine is married to a standard five-speed LT77 manual,
behind which Jonathan chose the transfer case from a 110 on account
of its lower ratios.
He uses the truck a lot for towing, often in tough off-road
conditions, so deeper gearing is an asset.
So too is the PTO-driven Fairey winch mounted on the front
bumper. This is slow but extremely strong and can be used all day
without any danger of overheating perfect for heavy-du-ty forestry
work. Beneath the winch mount is a steering guard that was
purchased from eBay: I bought three
of them, laughs Jonathan, and sold the other two to fund
mine!
Covering so many road miles, anything more aggressive than a
typical mud-terrain would be worn away to nothing in the blink of
an eye (as well as being a loud, skittish handful at speed), but
anything less would be use-less at the business end of the journey.
Hence the 235x85R16 Colways you see in these pictures thats a brand
which ages the story a bit, but theres an inter-esting bit of
thinking behind the use of remoulds here. Basically, Jonathan told
us that on his many road miles, any mud-terrain is going to wear
quickly so, since hes going to be replacing them frequently come
what may, he might as well fit ronnies to keep the cost down.
Keeping the tyres pressed to the ground, on went a set of
heavy-duty Bearmach +1.5 springs. These are fitted at the back
using spacers to keep the ride level. In fact, the extended springs
were chosen not to give the vehicle a lift, but simply to
compensate for the weight of the winch. Thats one reason why they
were fitted next to standard shocks another being that Jonathan
likes to renew these regular-ly, so going with everyday parts was
cheaper than fitting anything trick. The whole suspension is
polybushed, which keeps it nice and tight.
Turning the front wheels is the PAS set-up that came with the
Tdi engine. Jonathan reckons this is actually an-other bonus gained
from deciding not to base the hybrid on a Range Rover chassis, as
he thinks the turning circle on his truck is tighter as a
result.
Also nice and tight is the closed-cell foam padding sandwiched
beneath alu-minium chequer plate in the cab, which provides ample
soundproofing while still being easy to hose down. Jonathan made a
box to house his stereo and CB, as well as various switches, and
fitted a turbo gauge and a rev counter.
The great beauty of this vehicle from Jonathans point of view is
that because he built it himself, hes well placed to repair. I know
how it all fits together, he said, which makes it a lot easier to
identify faults.
Building a hybrid is not easy, and doing it with the SVA on your
case is enough to put many people off forever. But Jonathans become
living proof that you can create a unique work truck that follows
the rules but still stands out. Why would you do it these days?
The answer, of course, is that you wouldnt. Not unless you were
after something out of the ordinary, at least and that, however
much it hides its light under a bushel, is exactly what this Land
Rover is.
27w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kIssue 18: August 2015To
advertise in The Landy, call Ian Argent on 01283 553242Were on
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyuk
Above: Its a hybrid and, to Jonathan at least, 100-inches of
pure perfection: a 110 chassis shortened to produce the holy grail
of wheelbases. Throw in a 200Tdi, but keep all the charm of your 90
and pretty soon the horror of the SVA, soon goes away
I know how It all fIts, whIch makes It easIer to IdentIfy
faults
-
We all have our dreams especially when it comes to which Land
Rover wed like in our garage. Thats why Steve Jones didnt need to
think twice when he spotted his dream on eBay
28 Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews
Back when I was a whip-persnapper and still had something called
playtime, I would often spend my days pretending to stage
motorsport events by using my bedroom floor as some sort of stadium
or track.
It was jolly good fun and I can recall some of the best and
favourite car models I had. Needless to say, they were the best
until a new one magically rocked up, courtesy of Mummy and Daddy,
when the now ancient model would be cast aside like one of my
soiled nappies.
While I may have been playing the role of Bernie Ecclestone in
what seemed a grand event at the time, I always knew that driving
one of these models for real would be on another level to what I
was involved in at the time that being lobbing a Hot Wheel across
the floor before sauntering off to find the next toy to preoccupy
me for a further five minutes.
Coppers Delight
Words and Pictures: Mike Trott
You cant have lost the buzz either, I mean I still get the buzz
from the smell of petrol every time I fill up thats just me, right?
The point is that youre here because you love Land Rovers;
something about them draws you in and it might be the reason
you
Youd think most people would lose that buzz as they get older
not for Hot Wheels but for the love of four-wheeled glory but I
certainly havent. That probably has something to do with the reason
Im sitting here typing these very words.
Edition model cost 71,000 the most expensive Land Rover ever
made, at the time.
Back when Steve was still a copper, he probably imagined hed
have to catch someone off the Most Wanted list or to resort to bank
robbery himself in order to gather enough funds to buy one of these
things.
Happily, there is something called depreciation and P38s have
plummeted in price like real estate in Greece. In fact, these days
you can pick up any sort of P38 for a couple of grand though theres
an obvious reason why you wouldnt. Even so, special edition models
are not much more
This was another one of those classic eBay buys; I bought the
Range Rover around four years ago, back in March 2011, states
Steve. I like owning differ-ent vehicles, he continues, nodding to
a Proton lying in the driveway.
I hate them in one way; years ago, if your car didnt run it
would be because of one of two things either the spark plugs were
dodgy, or the fuel was dodgy.
bought your Land Rover or why you never thought to get rid of
it.
Some people will have their ideal Land Rover, too. Others cant
make up their mind like me Ill take one of each please! Its all in
the daydreaming really, just like when I was a kid.
Happily, though, when it comes to police officers you have a
breed who spend a bit of time with their heads in the clouds as
well. Or at least, that can be said about what Steve Jones did when
he first laid eyes upon the Range Rover P38 50th Anniversary
Edition.
I remember when this edition of the P38 was first launched and
thinking to myself, I will never be able to afford one of those,
says Steve, with a slight grin playing across his face.
There is a very good reason why Steve, and probably the majority
of the
UKs population, felt that they would never own what was the last
vehicle ever developed by Land Rover before the company was taken
over by ze BMW boffins in Germany.
From launch, this Range Rover P38A 50th Anniversary Vogue 50
Limited
Yep this is No. 6 of 100. A rare car this... The Duke of
Edinburgh has No. 1, dont you know
-
On my first run back after collecting this P38, I got in and
went to move the seat and the fuse blew! And it wouldnt engage gear
from Park, exclaims Steve.
Trouble-free motoring is not what you should expect when the
three symbols P, 3 and 8 are involved. Steve tells us that the air
suspension can take ten minutes to settle properly before he can
actually begin his journey.
Youd think with all the grief from this Rangey and the fact hes
had three more P38s previously that Steve would be sick to the back
teeth of this model of Land Rover, never mind smiling.
Well, while he admits he probably wont be replacing this with
another one, Steve is quick to reaffirm that hes never regretted
owning this one of only 100 50th Anniversary models made.
Owning a P38 is always going to be a bit hit and miss Ill admit
this one has been the most troublesome. It was my daily runner up
until about six months ago, Steve explains. My missus would refuse
to drive it, purely because she was never sure if it would get her
home!
In the midst of all the Rangeys gloomy tantrums and Steve
cursing the thing to hell in return, there have been moments when
the two have been in harmony and those rain clouds have soon melted
away.
The feeling of owning it and driving it is fantastic. I remember
the first time I drove it and the feeling was just how I imagined
it would be when I first saw it all those years ago, enthuses
Steve. Its like living out one of those boyhood dreams!
The attraction to this particular P38 model #6 out of the 100
produced (HRH Prince Philip owns #1) was the LPG conversion that
came already installed keeping the wonderful 4.6-litre V8
soundtrack, but allowing Steve to travel around on 45p-a-litre of
juice.
People will comment on it, especial-ly people with Land Rovers.
They say, Oh thats nice, repeats Steve. If you drive round in a
Land Rover it nor-mally means youre into your marque except for if
its the newer stuff.
Im sure when Steve set eyes on the Atlantis Blue paintwork four
years ago, he wouldnt have cared that the Range Rover was now 13
years old. And thats often the reason we dig our vehicles. It
doesnt matter how old they are or how many years have passed since
we first fell for them: if you yearned for a vehicle earlier in
life, it will still draw you in today.
Its an oxymoron, this car: the most problematic Range Rover Ive
had, but the best by far, adds Steve. I had a Land Cruiser before
and although that was a better vehicle more power and better at
towing it just wasnt as good. It didnt feel as special.
Steve has driven and now owns what he would have perceived to be
the most luxurious car hed ever witnessed back in 1998. He doesnt
dream anymore hes done it.
And if you ever get a chance to live out a childhood fantasy
too, do the right thing and capture it that is, of course, unless
you own it already. In which case I, for one, envy you.
The feeling was jusT
how i imagined iT
would be
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Right: Cream leather with blue piping, a wooden steering wheel
and electronics that still dont work would you pay 71,000
today?
It may have taken 13 years to get to the point where Steve could
actually sit and drive his dream machine and yes the leather has
probably seen better days. But when he found this Range Rover on
eBay, his heart will have skipped a beat and his wallet come out of
his pocket faster than you can say, er, air suspension
Above: Ahh, the scene of Steves first problem with this P38. A
blown fuse - moments after he collected it...
-
There is nothing wrong with admiring a good tan. And when
Russell Stevens showed us the brilliant brown hue of his 110 County
Station Wagon, we cooed over this Landy like no other
30 Issue 18: August 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
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Brown is one of those unusual colours that can in the right
shade look completely fan-tastic. On the other hand, get that tone
of brown wrong and the only thing people will comment on is how it
resembles the colour of skid marks and not the rubber kind.
I think it would be unwise to pro-gress any further without
giving some necessary examples. Of different tones, I mean, not
(ahem) skid marks.
Jennifer Lopez possesses a rather admirable complexion (among
other things) and Id be surprised if anyone
would debate that this good use of the colour brown. Chocolate:
thats another one we can put a big desirable tick next to, along
with conkers and the grizzly bear of North America, even.
Although, if you had to choose whether youd like the grizzly
around for dinner, or J Lo, it would be the quickest decision made
in the history of the world. I digress.
Its not always a pleasant colour, however. In terms of cars
especially, it can be a cesspit (theres another brown thing) of
catastrophes. Consider some of the vinyl interiors from a few
of
British Leylands more disastrous creations, for instance.
Even Land Rover had a dodgy tan moment or two a few years back;
the Land Rover 110 County Station Wagon came in an array of colour
schemes, but who could forget the Arizona Tan option that would
allow any owner to blend in with the stuff on the bottom of their
shoe?
Now, I must confess, Ive never really fancied that colour and
have indeed as-sociated it with pig muck more than the glow of J
Lo. However, Im open-mind-ed and as such I can gladly say I
have
Getting the right tanWords and beauty tips: Mike TrottPictures
and make-up: Russell Stevens
-
Theres no doubt someone felt this 110 was very special; at least
special enough to warrant such time and effort on making it more
wonderful than ever.
The quality of its tan isnt the only special thing about it
either. Being built in 1983 means this County Station Wagon was one
of the first 110s to emerge from the production line. How-ever, the
story could go even further than that
The seat box-mounted transfer box lever and the sliding windows
indicate that this might possibly be a pre-pro-duction model, notes
Russell.
Although it cant be confirmed, its early ownership history is
thought to have been with a landowner in Scot-land. It then came
south and found a number of previous owners in Middle-sex before
passing to the restorer and finally, to me.
been converted, mainly thanks to a man called Russell
Stevens.
He owns this 1983 110 County Station Wagon with the 3.5-litre V8
engine. And its the reason I now want a brown Land Rover just look
at it!
The Land Rover has only been in my possession since the start of
this year, says Russell. I was looking specifically for a V8
Station Wagon and came across this one by chance. The owners son
was advertising another Land Rov-er which I missed out on. He sent
me a photo of this one, which his father, a well renowned vehicle
restorer, had lovingly carried out a nut and bolt rebuild on over a
ten-year period.
Lovingly is one word for it. The paintwork looks like its had
the finest cocoa mass in the world carefully smeared over every
crevasse.
Although it was off the road when I bought it, the truck has
only covered about 100 miles since the restoration was completed
and had been undercov-er since 2009, continues Russell.
Hes carried out a few bits of work himself to get this
chocolatey goddess back to its very best. All the oils and fluids
have been changed and Russell has seen to a noisy pinion in the
front diff by replacing it with a new one. One MOT ticket later,
and this Landy is brownie heaven.
All is now excellent and the V8 sounds amazing with the tubular
manifolds and stainless steel exhaust, beams Russell.
This was a labour of love by a real professional, classic car
restorer who
had done a lot of work on vehicles for collectors, including
Rolls-Royce.
Theres a touch of Rolls-Royce about this Landy, too. Youll find
its not ac-tually one of Land Rovers own colour codes on this truck
no, the Arizona Tan has given way to Rolls-Royce Nut-meg Brown
instead. Not that Ive been trying to deceive you or anything.
This 110 did start life out of the fac-tory in Arizona Tan, a
colour politely described by Russell as somewhat dull. To be fair,
most of these murky brown Land Rovers you see from the Eighties
have been left in a field to fester and the paint looks about as
fresh and youthful as the crowd at a Rolling Stones gig.
But when someone comes along and actually gives the poor thing a
bit of moisturiser and sends it for a day out at the spa aka a
proper body shop, not the kind that sells lavender and ylang ylang
shampoo you can have yourself quite the head turner.
The beauty is more than just skin-deep, too.
A Richards galvanised chassis has been fitted and all the
suspension and drivetrain has been replaced or restored, declares
Russell. The new Rover V8 engine was provided by Dunsfold Land
Rover and upgraded with Edelbrock carbs, Mallory ignition, tubular
manifolds, an SS stainless exhaust, high-torque starter motor and
twin Kenlowe fans, he adds. Admit it, youre jealous.
All the brakes, hubs, hoses and the wiring loom have all been
replaced. The original seat cover material was tracked down and the
original head lining is still in place.
I have receipts for around 20,000 for the restoration and that
doesnt include the hundreds of hours of dedi-cated labour!
I also own a Defender 110 that is not yet a year old and the
factory panel-fit and finish is nowhere near as good as on this
County.
31Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere
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Continued overleaf
Above: Another tone that is equally satisfying to see is the
silvery shimmer of a galvanised chassis in this case from Richards
Chassis. Its not just the chassis that has received a new look
either, with the suspension and drivetrain being completely
replaced or refreshed, to make this 32-year-old vehicle feel like
its back in the Eighties
Above: Thats not a style of interior design you tend to see
anymore! And often for good reason too though when its in this good
condition, would you really care? It would be warmer than leather
in winter anyhow and keep you cooler in the summer, because you
wont have leather seats that have been heated up to the same
tempera-ture as the surface of the sun
-
32 Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNews
This is a truly extraordinary vehicle in a condition that would
make it very hard to be used off-road. Land Rovers should be used
for what they were intended of course, but in this case, highly
capable as it might be, I just dont think that is an option. That
beau-tiful Nutmeg Brown finish just does not lend itself to green
laning.
The man knows whats good for the skin of his 110. Ladies,
perhaps Russell may even have a few cosmetic tips for you, too not
running your face along a holly bush would probably be a helpful
one.
On a more serious note, I wish this Land Rover were in my garage
at home. If it was, then I could spend my days
sitting on a chair nearby, gawping at the brown splendour, then
take a break by looking at that magnificent engine bay.
A tip from me though: while staring for hours at your Land Rover
could result in you being called eccentric, dont do it to celebrity
women. Or else you will be called something entirely different and
you dont want that.
Above: You could be forgiven for thinking this is a peek under
the bonnet of some rip-roaring V8-powered American muscle car, but
youll find its actually the best of British or it was anyway. The
Rover 3.5-litre V8 has been given Edelbrock carbs, tubular
manifolds and a Mallory ignition system, a high-torque starter
motor, twin Kenlowe fans and an SS stainless exhaust. Sweet
Even though Russell has only had this vehicle since the start of
the year, hes already getting swallowed up in other projects, and
as such, hes looking for someone to give this brown beauty another
home. If you appreciate a fine body... step this way, and call
Russell on 07788 148504
-
Overlanding is all about prepping a 110 and roughing it around
the world, right? Maybe, in the classic image of a basic Land Rover
with a tent on the roof. But instead of that, Jen and Noam Ben
Tsion hit the road in a completely standard Discovery 3 and enjoyed
a world-class adventure in style
34 Issue 18: August 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsPosh Way RoundWords
Mike TrottPictures Jen and Noam Ben Tsiom
Ask any overlander, and theyll tell you that the simplest
vehicles are the best. Theres less to go wrong in the first place
and if the worst should happen, the simpler the vehicle is the
closer youll be to someone who can make it right.
Thats why overlanders choose De-fenders to trust with their
lives. Every so often, youll see someone doing it in an early Disco
or Range Rover. But a Discovery 3? Thats just asking for trouble,
right?
Well, Jen and Noam Ben Tsion are both very keen travellers. They
wanted to set off in a Land Rover and go where they pleased, not
where bus tours and trek leaders wanted to take them. And in April
2011, they left their jobs, left home and set out to do just
that.
My main concerns were getting arrested, being locked up
somewhere truly awful and, worse, not being able to find vegetarian
food for Jen! says Noam. Nothing about needing univer-sal-jointed
wrists to change a timing belt, then.
Fortunately, they planned to go further than France, so
vegetarian-ism wasnt a problem. The pair also escaped the wrath of
the Australian desert (just) and the wildernesses of Mongolia,
Russia and many other places along the way.
And yes, they did it all in an actual Discovery 3. Boudicca, as
she was named. Not only was she a Discovery 3, she was a 2006
Discovery 3 so, one from early on in the production run. And you
know what they say about those.
We wanted it to be a nice experi-ence, explains Jen. So why not
have the heated seats for Siberia and the air-con for Australia? We
also wanted the added security of being able to sleep in the
vehicle if necessary, so the middle row of seats were removed and
we created a sleeping platform we got ourselves an IKEA mattress
and fashioned some curtains with Velcro drawbacks. It was
homely!
The pair were even able to fit a small kitchen in the back of
their Discov-ery, too. Their own kitchen at home, meanwhile, had
become like a scene from an FBI thriller, with pins dotted all over
a world map. It was, as Jen put it, like a game of dot-to-dot,
trying to formulate some sort of route by connecting them up.
Speaking of routes, Jen and Noams time in Europe was as much
about adventure as it was a test run for the more remote regions
they would encounter next. Lets run you through: UK, Holland,
Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey,
Russia and Kazakhstan.
You want more? Onwards they went to Siberia and Mongolia before
turn-ing south through China and working their way through Laos,
Cambodia and Thailand, then finishing off their expedition in
Australia. What youre feeling right now, thats called envy.
The time we spent in Europe did allow us to test all the gear
out, continues Jen, who did most of the driving. Once you get east
of Italy, going through the likes of Albania and Turkey, it changes
very quickly.
-
35Issue 18: August 2015w w w . t h e l a n d y . c o . u kWere
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelandyukTo advertise in The Landy,
call Ian Argent on 01283 553242Posh Way Round South Cape Bay -
Tasmania
The Outback Way in Oz
Mmm me hungry!
We didnt really encounter any problems. Boudicca was no trouble
at all; we had the odd flat tyre, but not much else.
While the pair did stick to mainly existing routes on their
travels, as we all know there are plenty of places in the world
where that still means youre off-tarmac. Not that even that was
enough to keep Jen happy. Laos was particularly nice, and good for
a bit of off-roading, she says. There was lots of red mud to go and
play in!
Another overland rule flouted, there seasoned travellers will
tell you that you should never subject your truck to unnecessary
hardship. But what do they know anyway? Enough to tell you not to
drive a Discovery 3, obviously.
With so many exotic lands on the itinerary, it must be hard to
pick a fa-
vourite. For Noam, though, the North of Mongolia was the perfect
area for an outdoor enthusiast.
People in Siberia were always happy to help if you needed it,
adds Jen. We found Russia quite isolated at times, but then youd
come across a truly amazing oasis out of nowhere.
At night, Jen and Noam were able to camp next to deserted
lakesides, barren landscapes or at the foot of vast mountain
ranges. That tailgate certainly came in useful anyway, not least
for cooking on or, if the weather wasnt matching the backdrop, they
could use it to plan the following legs of the journey.
Going back to the Discovery 3 once more, the truck may have been
embarking on a goliath pilgrimage but there was nothing goliath
about
-
36 Issue 18: August 2015www . t h e l a n d y . c o . u k
ClubsAdventure WorkshopProducts VehiclesNewsits modifications. In
fact, there werent any. At last, conventional wisdom is being
followed. Boudicca managed the whole trip on standard road tyres
and even helped out a couple of other Landies along the way.
We had to use the Terrain Response system and Hill Descent
Control at different points, and the car coped very well, recalls
Jen. There was a 110 with us at one stage of the trip and Boudicca
did everything that it did.
Whether it was terrain they were taking on or cultures they were
taking in, Boudiccas occupants came away with memories from so many
different settings. Even here in Europe, people can forget how
diverse cultures can be even between places as close together as
the UK and France, never mind Al-bania and Montenegro. So on a
proper long-haul journey like this, you really are going to
experience places that are a world apart in every sense.
Heres a snippet from their journey that you probably wouldnt
hear from someone visiting the UK, for example. While searching for
a route in Georgia, Jen and Noam, were stopped quite literally for
a tea party.
Theyd stumbled across a village called Kalicaya, a place they
will re-member for its hospitality like no other. Locals, mostly
old men, were sitting outside around wooden tables, playing cards
and sipping tea, says Noam. We were passing slowly when one of them
spotted us, walked into the road and signalled us to pull over.
When we did, he started to fire orders to his friends and
immediately our table was ready with chairs, tea, sugar and
cookies.
Every overlander has stories like these. And everyone who has
never overlanded doesnt. Reasons to go overlanding, part 47b
Ayutthaya
The Twelve Apostles
Farming in Dali
-
China was a rather different expe-rience. Here, Jen and Noam
were met at the border and guided through youre never alone in
China. Thats not to say they didnt get to enjoy it, though there
are always surprises with trips like these, some good and some bad,
but hopefully the latter is outweighed by the former.
Tuva, for example, has a bad name. Before Jen and Noam went
there, they were warned they could be knifed or even stoned by
drunken locals. One of the most southerly regions of Siberia, its
considered particularly dangerous.
This place is famous for throat sing-ing; theyre really big on
their music, says Jen. People in Ky