Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2018 i Land Rover Monthly

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“There was a lovely mix of Land Rovers in attendance, from an early Series to the latest Range Rover Sport” “Judging by the smiles everybody had a muddy good time!” Land Rover owners are simple people. They like to take their Land Rovers off-road. It makes them smile and it makes them happy. Then when they drive home in their mud-covered Land Rovers, other people just jealously stare at them. This is why the second-ever LRM Off-road Day (in partnership with Heritage, the 4x4 Insurance Specialists) held recently at Experience the Country near Milton Keynes, was a rip-roaring success. Special thanks must go to Mark Stopps and his top team from Experience the Country who set up the course and hosted the participants. The day would not have been…

“In Brazil, only a few Land Rovers are in totally original condition” It’s only once a year, but worth waiting for. Always in different places and with different activities, plus the opportunity to meet friends and, of course, compare Land Rovers. This year we gathered together almost 500 Land Rovers and over 2000 passionate visitors for Land Brazil 2017. Sadly the economic and political crisis that has plagued Brazil in recent years showed no signs of abating, yet even with all this adversity 439 Land Rovers attended, including one from Germany and another from Holland. This year’s chosen city for the event was Barretos, the Brazilian Capital of Rodeo, which boasted excellent infrastructure to welcome the visitors. The extremely hot and dry weather reminded us of a desert climate, but…

“People started building their own bodies from sweet tins” It may seem like a new idea but Scale Off Roading has been around since the early 1980s. In fact, if you look back into the history of radio control cars many people will just think of a four-wheel-drive crazy off-road canopied buggy that careers over jumps and ends up bashing people in the ankles. While a lot of those models ended up that way, one manufacturer was changing the game. Tamiya are probably the best-known name on the planet when it comes to radio control cars and they produced a vehicle that changed RC history: the Toyota 4x4 pick-up, which came equipped with a fully-functioning three-speed gearbox that could be shifted in motion. It also produced a scale replica hard…

The opening day of the Rugby Premiership season started with a double header at Twickenham, the home of English rugby. My good mate Nekkies Smit (a Land Rover nut) was here from South Africa and we decided to drive there in my Defender. Chairs, BBQ, cooler box and my Land Rover-mad four-year-old son Isaac were all loaded up. This would be the first time that I would be taking it on a trip of over 100 miles. Nekkies owns two very successful independent Land Rover workshops in Cape Town, making him the perfect man to have along, just in case… The drive to Twickers was lovely, I just cruised along the M25 at about 55 mph, the sun was out and the air con was working well. Once parked up…

Working for Land Rover Monthly can be a costly business, especially when you have a Land Rover addiction. When editor Patrick and I sat down to plan new content for future issues, the subject of the Discovery 3 kept popping up. Now, this model divides opinion more than most as it is loaded with components that are more costly to fix than its predecessor. So, it was while we were planning the July issue we decided to dispel some of the myths associated with owning a modernish Land Rover. To recap, we invited along Andy Logsdail from the Discovery Owners Club and Phil Evans, chairman of the G4 club to a photoshoot to show us what their cars could do at the off-road course near Billing. I went along for…

Being involved in other forms of motorsport outside of cross country and driving a Land Rover you get asked to help with many events. Mostly to help when other drivers manage to get their cars stuck or drive them into ditches. You also get asked to help because you can get lots of gear in the back of a Defender. One event I’ve been involved with for the last few years is the Colmans Tyres Navigation Road Rally. We get the job of sweeper car following the rally route behind the competitors for the reason we can pick up and carry all the various route markers and control boards on the 120-mile route. This includes several miles over the tracks on the Army Ranges at Catterick and the odd white…

This 2008 model year L322 Range Rover was suffering from a very bad vibration which seemed to get worse the faster the Range Rover was being driven. The owner checked the tyre pressures thinking a tyre with reduced air pressure could be causing the problem. He also checked the wheels to see if any of the balance weights could have dropped off a rim and caused a wheel vibration, but all was in order. So he decided to have the Range Rover looked at by someone with specialist knowledge of the vehicle. Once in the workshop and raised up on the lift, an inspection of the drivetrain revealed a problem with the rear propshaft (propeller shaft assembly). The rear propshaft centre support bearing assembly was severely worn, with the rubber…

With Land Rover ownership comes the need to be aware of just how vulnerable your vehicle is to theft. Regardless of whether it’s a runner, long-term project in storage or a daily-use workhorse, your vehicle is desirable. Stolen to order, stolen for spares or ringing purposes – it makes no difference; Land Rover thefts are regular, nationwide. So how do you deter thieves when, according to Thatcham Research, police only recover approximately 43 per cent of all cars stolen? First of all, your attitude should be one of defence, and assume that given the right opportunity, your pride and joy could be gone in seconds. Let’s be honest, Series and Defender models can be accessed with a tin opener while newer vehicles’ locks and immobilisers are no guarantee either due…

If you love everything off-road and Land Rover, then clear a space in your diary for Saturday June 30 and Sunday July 1, for that is the weekend that the Billing Off-Road Show is set to take over the famous Lakeside and Riverside Course in Northampton. The plan is to make it even bigger and better than 2017 with trade stands and entertainment aplenty – and the big news is that the organisers are planning to set a world record for the biggest-ever off-road Land Rover convoy on the Saturday afternoon of the show. For those interested in participating, and being recognised by the world’s authority on record-breaking achievements, it will cost five of your finest English pounds, but that does include your own unique sticker with the number of…

THOUSANDS OF children will explore the vast Jordanian desert and learn about water conservation thanks to a unique Land Rover Discovery expedition. Administered by the Royal Geographical Society (with the IBG), and supporting the recipients of the 2017 Land Rover Bursary, the so-called Water Diaries expedition will cross one of the driest countries on the planet to investigate how the population manages water. The three-man team, including field scientist Dr Shane McGuinness, documentary film-maker Temujin Doran and geography teacher Fearghal O’Nuallain, were waved off by year 11 pupils from St Peter’s Catholic School, Solihull. The pupils will follow the month-long journey via regular online broadcasts (thewaterdiaries.com/) to support their geography studies, together with thousands of other children across the UK and Ireland. Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) fitted the…

“She passed from Bowler Motorsport into a private Land Rover Collection” “Land Rover asked if she would return to the rock-and-roll experience of a world tour” In 1992, rock legend Ozzie Osbourne announced his retirement – he’d had enough of touring and looked ahead for a quieter life. But within three years, showing true heroic panache, the former Black Sabbath frontman was back on the road with his Retirement Sucks tour. Some legends just don’t know when to retire, and this is the story of another Midlands legend, one particular Land Rover Discovery 3, that spent its youth as a hard-rocking press car, and then came out of retirement in 2016 to tour with the Lode Lane factory all over again. It is a rock-and-roll tale of flamboyant behaviour:…

Land Rover shows come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, offering something for just about every interest. Besides the big commercial shows that attract large numbers of visitors there are some smaller shows that are also well attended, plus a number of general vehicle shows that have a dedicated Land Rover section tagged on. Apart from them there is also a growing number of what could be described as special interest Land Rover events, gatherings or meets. One such gathering is the Leafers at t’Pit – which, as the name implies, is a gathering for leaf-sprung Land Rovers at a pit. It’s for any Series vehicle and held at the National Coal Mining Museum near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, as it has been since it was started back in 2006.…

With the introduction of the Td5 engine to the Defender and Discovery the fuel filter was moved from the engine bay to under the right rear wheel arch. On Defenders the fuel filter housing and the fuel filter are located just forward of the rear wheel, while on Discovery Td5 they are just behind the rear wheel. Defender models have a protective cover over the fuel filter, often referred to as a mud shield, whereas the Discovery is not fitted with this type of cover at the factory. This location is very exposed on both vehicles, but Defender is arguably worse because road dirt and water are being thrown directly at the fuel filter by the rotation of the road wheel. The decision not to fit a fuel filter cover…

This is an exciting moment. The dismantled vehicle and all of the bodywork sections are back from the paintshop and we’re about to assemble them into something that will resemble a Land Rover again. It will also give us the first proper impression of the new paint job. But all that new paintwork means we’ll need to be ultra-careful during the build, to avoid marking the fresh paint – it’s going to be a surgical operation. We’ll also be taking great care when fitting the new body seals. When we took this vehicle apart, we found the seals between the rear tub and the body upper sides had been badly fitted, even twisted, and had been responsible for long-term water ingress into the vehicle. We’ll be making sure the Ninety…

EVER WONDERED what it would be like to step back in time and drive a 30-year-old Range Rover just off the production line? Well the successful bidder for this 1988 Range Rover Efi will be able to do just that, because it has covered a mere 5500 miles during its three decades on the road. The post-facelift soft dash model featured the newly-introduced Lucas electronic fuel injection for the 3.5-litre V8 petrol engine and was sold by dealers County Motors in Lincoln on August 1, 1988, to a Mr M J Evans. Amazingly, it has stayed in the same family ever since. The family clearly looked after it, because the striking Portofino Red paintwork is unblemished, with a deep, rich shine. The vehicle’s service book show five stamps – the…

MOBILE MECHANIC In general I try to avoid working on vehicles away from my own workshop. I know from bitter experience that if I try to do a job on a customer’s driveway, then no matter how many parts I take with me I will always end up having to return to the workshop for some obscure special tool which I last used about 30 years ago, and now turns out to be absolutely essential if my customer’s vehicle is ever to move under its own power again. Occasionally I allow myself to be persuaded to leave the comfort of the Norfolk Garage, usually when I am being asked to deal with a fairly simple and obvious fault that has immobilised the vehicle, can easily be fixed without needing the…

“Most of the world’s Defenders are powered by diesel engines” HERE IN the UK, the vast majority of Defenders have a diesel engine under the bonnet. And with Defenders in production for so long – from 1983 to 2016 – that means there is a bewildering number of diesel options to choose from. This special feature is all about helping you choose the right diesel for your needs. We’ll make that easier by comparing them and awarding points for Performance, Reliability, Availability, Value and Iconic Status. But before you make your choice, you need to know a little bit about their history... Today we take our diesel engines for granted. Most Land Rovers in Britain, and most of the rest of the world, are powered by oil-burners. But it wasn’t…

“There were no further incidents other than multiple river crossings” “All their belongings, their children, dog, parrots and station wagon were shipped from Mozambique” Bill and Daphne watched from the quayside at Matadi as their Land Rover, shackled to a pallet, was craned out of the ship’s hold. Their luggage was stowed separately and it took several hours to gather everything together and find the relevant customs official to sign their entry documents. They needed to arrange for their battery to be filled with acid and water, and it was only then that Bill realised there was something wrong with the steering. The 109 had been tied down for the 16 day voyage, but someone in the docks at Antwerp had used the steering rod rather than the axle,…

With time on his hands now, Geof threw himself into a number of initiatives, not least of which was the chassis-up rebuild of his Velar, which took him some eight years and was finally completed in 1995. YVB 163H then returned to caravanning activities and club events with the Range Rover Register and the Midland Rover Owners’ Club, but this time in the classic vehicle and display arena rather than the off-roading course. The club scene has long held interest for Geof and Pat, and they have held committee roles and been marshals, competitors and event organisers for many years. Geof also had an 88in project on the go for several years. He had owned the vehicle since the 1960s and rebuilt it with a 3.0-litre Rover engine and significantly…

My wife Me-An is about to rejoin our overland adventure and is flying in to Cambodia. I’m off to the airport to pick her up and the journey is hectic, but that’s to be expected from the Phnom Penh traffic – and something I quite enjoy. No matter where you go in a Defender, it always feels like an adventure, even in the morning traffic, driving on my own. A break in our travel has given me a renewed sense of adventure, which had been slightly lost as we got used to life on the road. Me-An emerges and we head straight to the border from the airport. No time for sightseeing for Me-An. It's a bloody long way and it feels so refreshing to be cruising along with the…

NOVEMBER 11 USA – Arizona Land Rover Owners Club, Box Canyon of Hassayampa Trail Runs Wickenberg, AZ azlro.org NOVEMBER 11 – 12 Essex Land Rover Club, RTV/ CCV Trial Gateway, Thurrock elrc.info NOVEMBER 11 – 12 Lincolnshire Land Rover Club, Malachi Team Comp Safari Wickenby Airfield, Lincolnshire llrc.co.uk NOVEMBER 11 – 12 Netherlands - Euro Off-road Racing Haedenberg, Holland facebook.com/eurooffroadracing NOVEMBER 11 – 12 BORG 4x4 Response Group, Laning Weekend TBC borg4x4.tidyblog.co.uk NOVEMBER 11 – 12 Atlas Overland 4x4 Adventure Tours, Wessex Wanderer Tour Wessex atlasoverland.com NOVEMBER 12 All Wheel Drive Club, Trials Oswestry, Shropshire awdc.co.uk NOVEMBER 12 East Midland Off Road Club, CCV/RTV Trial Wickenby Woods, Lincolnshire emorc4x4.net NOVEMBER 12 Isle of Wight 4x4 Club, RTV & Mod Trial Knighton Sandpit, Totland Bay iow4x4club.co.uk NOVEMBER 12 Pennine Land Rover…

There is something about Land Rovers, and in particular Defenders, that always have me thinking about the next one. I am not alone in this – far from it – and I believe that it must be some type of addiction. It is not long since I finished the major rebuild of my 110 V8, I have another involved project coming up – along with my everyday Land Rover workload – and yet I think I am in the market for another Defender 90. The brand-new and complete soft top conversion kit for a Defender 90 that I have on the shelf does not make me think of an opportunity to cash it in and put some money in the bank. No, it makes me ask: “What could I find…

We’ve reached an interesting point with the project and have achieved our initial aim, with the chassis solid again and the front and rear axles refurbished. We split that work into three, dealing first with the centre of the chassis, then the rear, and finally the front. It worked well for us, and now we’re able to move the car around again as we need, which is a real morale boost. That is where our original plan ended, so we needed to think about the best way forward from here. There’s still plenty of work to do, involving detailing to the chassis, plus brackets, ancillaries and bodywork, and more work on the engine. With plenty of thought and talking through, James and I decided on a plan. We boiled it…

Fitting the high-capacity sump is easy, mainly involving swapping the standard cover for the high-capacity sump – although on some Land Rovers (including the Discovery 2 shown here) the gearbox crossmember has to be removed first. The sump was fitted while the transmission brake was removed for last month’s brake overhaul feature, giving better access for pictures, but the job is equally simple with the transmission brake in position. My Discovery 2 serves numerous purposes, from being an everyday family car to being employed for business use, which can involve heavy towing. It often tows close to the maximum rated weight of 3.5 tonnes, such as when hauling my low-loader vehicle transporter with a Discovery or 110 aboard. With this fairly heavy use in mind, I am always on the…

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