Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2018 i Land Rover Monthly

I have just done the 55-mile Tour of Cambridgeshire bicycle ride on my classic 1986 Raleigh racing bike. It still has all the original components and downtube shifters. No carbon frame or disc brakes for me. In fact, my bike is 12 years older than my 20-year old Defender 110, which is what I used to carry myself, my London family and a couple of bikes to the event. You can fit loads into the back of a 110. The start and finish of the ride was at the East Of England Arena and Events Centre, home of the Peterborough Land Rover Show. I had happily paid over £50 for the privilege of riding through the local countryside on closed roads so you can imagine my shock when they wanted…

Send us your shot email patrick@lrm.co.uk  to feature your photo in LRM…

HUB HOLDING TOOL PRICE £32.16 You need an extra hand when trying to hold a wheel hub steady when working on a driveshaft. Not so if you have the wheel hub holding tool. Just bolt it across a and it will hold the hub steady. Made for use on vehicles with four-stud, five-stud, six-stud and eight-stud patterns. lasertools.co.uk INVERTER GENERATOR PRICE from £215.98 Need power when camping but don’t have a dual battery system? Try the Clarke Power Inverter Generator. Available in the following max power options: 800 W, 1100 W and 1800 W. Delivers clean and stable power which is vital if running sensitive equipment. Light and compact, includes sturdy case. Can obtain super low noise levels and will run for almost six hours at ƒ load. machinemart.co.uk HARDCORE…

Richard Waite is an internationally-renowned photographer. The London-based snapper completed his photography degree at the Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design and since then he has been commissioned by some of the biggest national newspapers such as the Telegraph, Sunday Times and the Observer. He found his passion when shooting for Conde Nast Traveller and House and Garden magazines and today he is highly sought after by people who need images of luxury yachts, beautiful hotels, exclusive destinations and exquisite architecture. Despite all of the above Richard is at his happiest when visiting faraway places and beautiful landscapes in his Defender 130 Double Cab demountable camper with his partner Carolyn Boult and Wheaten Terrier Betty. His Land Rover story began when growing up in Folkestone. His architect dad…

CHANGE IS afoot in the UK car market. Figures suggest one in every five cars sold is an SUV. The demands on car manufacturers continues to grow, as it also does with the tyre industry. Goodyear continues to ramp up its range of SUV tyres, with summer, winter, all-weather and off-road tyres alike. Its latest effort is, deep breath, the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV, a tyre aimed squarely at the on-road user. Which is why I find myself at Goodyear’s test facility, just outside Montpellier, behind the wheel of a box-fresh Velar. Goodyear’s Miravel test track is a remarkable place, boasting mile after mile of track, for a variety of purposes, across more than 370 acres. Overlooking the Mediterranean, the scenery could barely be more idyllic – although it’s…

“The interest so far has been phenomenal” AID ORGANISATIONS, farmers, tree surgeons and gamekeepers are all crying out for the same thing. A reliable utilitarian pick-up that can carry a seriously heavy weight, is capable off-road and is not made in Japan. Sadly, since the demise of the Defender, we have started to see an increase in the number of the above-mentioned folk who have started to look (and buy) utility vehicles from the east, while our friends at Jaguar Land Rover have directed all of their attention and efforts to the upper end of the market. Fortunately there are a group of four mates on the Isle of Wight who have just come up with a cheaper and more Land Rover-like solution. They call themselves Rotodama and their creation…

OVER THE years LRM has taken part in several trips with Ardent Adventures (previously Yorkshire 4x4) and now we are proud to announce our latest venture in association with the highly professional 4x4 tour guides – LRM Tours. From tackling UK greenlanes to traversing Moroccan desert dunes and exploring the Balkans, it all takes time to prepare and plan, but we are offering you the opportunity to take away that stress and leave it all to the experts. All you have to do is arrive in your reliable Land Rover and the Ardent team will take care of the rest. Our tours listed on these pages cater for everyone; all you have to do is pick a place and we will take you there. We have camping-only trips and hotel…

July14 Relaxed and Scenic North Yorkshire Tour Trails & Tracks 4x4 Adventures are running one of their most popular tours on Saturday 14 July. In keeping with their other relaxed and scenic tours, you will get stunning views as you cross moorland and dales, historic railway lines, a ford or two and some beacons. The tour starts and finishes in Stokesly, North Yorkshire. For further details of this and other Trails & Tracks 4x4 Adventures tours, together with booking details, can be found on its website.trailsandtracks.co.uk…

LAST MONTH’S initial engine build at Land Rover engine specialist, ACR, in Deeside, resulted in completion to the so-called short engine stage – a re-manufactured cylinder block complete with pistons, crankshaft, camshaft, tappets and timing gear. In this session we’ll complete the engine, building up from the cylinder heads and installing most of the ancillary components. Those ancillary components include the twin carburettors, which I’ve been rebuilding in my own workshop, together with the various brackets, pulleys, power steering pump and alternator which have been de-rusted and re-painted. Items missing from our spare parts engine have also been sourced – special bolts, brackets and connectors, which we suspected might be no longer available, have all been purchased after trawling the aftermarket parts suppliers. Via eBay I also bought a pair…

Why should we feature your project? Henry is a 1971 Series IIA with two sets of headlights: two next to the grille and two on the wings (from a Series III, of course). What makes my project different from most is that with Henry I am on the tightest of budgets. I’ve done nearly all of the work myself except for the welding and installing the new gearbox. Parts have all been sourced via eBay, Gumtree and auto jumbles. Would you describe your family as Land Rover fans? My family just loves them. I was born in Tanzania and Dad used to have Series Is and IIs; he now has a Defender while my brother has two Defenders and a Freelander 2. I also have a Freelander 2. How did…

THE LAND Rover movement is in total and utter shock at the news that the manufacturer is to move Discovery production to Central Europe. The Lode Lane factory in Solihull has been the home of the Discovery ever since it was launched in late 1989. Around 45,000 of the fifth-generation models are currently built there every year, but Jaguar Land Rover is to cut more UK jobs as it moves all production to Slovakia at the end of this year. The news has been confirmed by the company, who have announced that moving Discovery production will slash costs as well as free up space at Solihull for future production of electric vehicles. But insiders are alarmed that no mention has been made of provision at Solihull for a production line…

HOT OFF the back of announcing its attendance at the Top Marques event in Monaco, Twisted Automotive is set to invest £100,000 to expand its capabilities. Up until now, the Thirskbased Defender specialist has relied upon third-party companies to undertake bodywork and paintshop processes, but now it has its own LR (Land Rover) coachworks division to bring everything in-house. Along with dedicated workshops to undertake the paint and bodywork processes, Twisted has also recruited an experienced team of ex-Land Rover technicians to undertake the work. The business has made four new appointments in total. Chris Johnson joins Twisted as the new Floor Operations Director, to co-ordinate all processes within the workshop, while the new, dedicated LR coachworks team consists of paint sprayers Paul Thomson, Eddie Doyle and David Douglas, recruited…

AS WE toast the 70th birthday of our favourite vehicle this year it is easy to forget that the success story that is modern Land Rover wouldn’t have happened but for another significant vehicle launch nearly 30 years ago. I’m talking, of course, about the Discovery. The most-important date in Land Rover history was April 30, 1948, when the 80-inch Series I made its debut at the Amsterdam Motor Show. But the second-most-important was September 12, 1989. The Land Rover legend was built on solid foundations in 1948, but without the launch of the original Discovery at the Frankfurt Motor Show the company would probably have collapsed. Back in the mid-1980s, Land Rover was in imminent danger of going the same way as companies like Austin, Morris, Wolseley, Hillman and…

Goodyear says there are three clever technologies engineered into the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV tyre, which are primarily aimed at answering its customers’ biggest concerns: wet grip and high-speed braking. These technologies fall broadly under three umbrella terms: Grip Booster and ActiveBraking, which are derived from the passenger car version of the tyre, but it’s the SUV Optimised Construction that’s specific here. In order to improve high-speed stability, cornering stiffness and improved tread wear, the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV features layers of cords, including nylon and strong, heat-resistant aramid fibres. These take on different characteristics: nylon has better elongation, the aramid fibres are stronger. These are in addition to a Cool Cushion Layer, which as you might guess, works to reduce the tyre’s temperature. Grip Booster is all…

THE TREND FOR vintage food trucks are taking the festival scene by storm. They are also fast becoming the must-have accessory at weddings, but what about a mobile DJ service? You do not see many retro vans from the likes of Citroen, Fiat or VW with someone hanging out the back beat matching, mixing and scratching, but surely, the best music venue is one that can go anywhere? That was certainly the thinking behind Liam Elliott’s new business venture – a Defender pop-up DJ booth. “The benefit of a portable DJ booth is that I can be so versatile. I can play at corporate events, action sports competitions, weddings, birthdays, festivals, you name it – there are not many places I cannot access in the Defender,” says Liam. The 32-year-old…

HOW EXCITING it was to see the world celebrating Land Rover Day on April 30, exactly 70 years since the original vehicle was first shown to the world at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show. In the French Alps, a 250 metre outline of a Defender was imprinted on the snowy slopes of a mountain, but in Africa we had something different planned. I firmly believe that the heart of Land Rover belongs here in Africa, so my son and fellow adventurer Ross and I celebrated the 70th anniversary in a totally unique way with our friends. This is what happened… The fun begins at Stonehaven – an old stone-built castle deep in the Shongweni Valley near Durban, where Landies of every shape and size turn up, most of them members…

THIS YEAR marked the third outing for the largest Land Rover gathering north of the border at Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Centre. There was the usual eclectic mix of displays and trade stands and fun and games including the popular Knock Down Land Rover, while Emrys Kirby stepped in as compere in the main arena. The star of the show was undoubtedly the Series I Reborn No 9, a 1948 model rescued from the Australian bush and returned to factory-fresh condition. As usual there were plenty of Defenders to admire and this year all utility Land Rovers were parked inside the show ground for added security. Meanwhile the trade stands were back in force with contributions from Flatdog, Beaumont’s, Get Off Road and local Land Rover specialist Engine710 amongst many others.…

July 27 – 29 Kelmarsh Land Rover Show Following its move to Kelmarsh Hall last year, and after feedback from visitors, the Kelmarsh Land Rover Show has a new date. That means this year it takes place when the kids are off school, and over three days from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 July, so you can make a real getaway of it. The Northamptonshire-based show will continue to be a one-stop shop for every Land Rover enthusiast, with a host of exhibitors and trade stands located on the massive Trade Village. It will also showcase the best Land Rover clubs with around 80 clubs exhibiting, together with a jam-packed live action arena with off-road and technical challenge demonstrations running over the three days. Further details of all activities and…

THEY SAY that with age comes wisdom. To that I’d add forgetfulness. I rang my mate, Norfolk Nigel, for advice on a broken bonnet catch. He gladly supplied that advice, along with a timely reminder that the MoT was due on my Ninety. Hence, a few days later, I was making my way to his workshop near Fakenham so that he could give it the once-over before its test. I was fairly confident it would pass apart from one nagging doubt. It had started leaving small pools of oil beneath the engine and I couldn’t work out where it was coming from, as I couldn’t see an obvious leak anywhere. It was worrying, because I’d heard MoT testers were getting much stricter about fluid leaks. Nigel’s first job, though, was…

FOR A few years I’ve put up with my Defender Td5 110 banging and shuddering over poor road surfaces. It’s not a concern off-road because that’s all low-speed work, but on the road you really know about it when the vehicle hits a pothole at anything over 20 mph. It’s not the suspension that’s at fault; the springs and dampers are all good, and it’s all tightly bushed. The racket and stiff ride is down to the BF Goodrich AT tyres. I’m a fan of BFGs, and our Freelander 1 rides superbly on them. But the Defender’s are quite old and although they still have serviceable treads, they’ve hardened with age and lost their compliancy – they’ve gone bone hard and the rear pair, which don’t have a lot of…

WINDOWS IN cars used to be sliding affairs, as found in Series Land Rovers. Simple in operation and very little to go wrong with them, but they don’t look neat for car designers obsessed with lines. That’s probably why the later system came in, whereby one single pane moves up and down in the door top, controlled by a mechanism inside the door cavity. Originally a manual winding lever controlled the mechanism; later, an electric motor. Either way, over the many years of this system, a myriad of designs, solutions and ideas have been tried to control the movement of the window glass. Channels, cables, gears – eventually they all suffer a few problems involving motor or mechanism failure. A window regulator is a complicated solution which has to balance…

IMAGINE THE Oscars if the same actor or director won the top gong every year for a quarter of a century. There would be an outcry and the movie world would cry “fix!”. But when it comes to automotive awards it is a given that the prizes for tow car of the year will inevitably go to the Discovery. Nobody complains because there’s nothing to compare to the Disco. That’s the way it’s been since Land Rover’s famous middleweight burst onto the scene late in 1989. It’s been punching above its weight ever since and the fifth-generation model, launched last year, has proved to be a worthy successor to its illustrious predecessors. The Disco keeps picking up those awards because it is the darling of the caravanners. According to the…

Gearbox repair ALONG, long time ago, when I had only just started repairing Land Rovers for a living, a customer asked me to drop a Rover V8 engine into a Ninety in place of the 2.5 petrol lump with which it had left Solihull. I was delighted to be entrusted with such an interesting and frankly lucrative job, and set about the task with some enthusiasm. The job was complicated by the fact that the Ninety needed a new bulkhead. I had bought it unseen via an Internet auction site, bid good money on the strength of a few photographs, which made it look much better than it was, and then not been nearly brave enough to walk away when confronted with a Land Rover with the vent flap hinges…

WHITESTONE IS a brilliant greenlane in North Wales that runs between Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog and Plas Nantyr, Llangollen, but it hides a very dark secret. This scenic track has everything – from stream crossings and stunning views to places where the bedrock will tip you sideways towards an adjacent stream if you take your eye off the ball for just one second. It’s a popular lane with walkers, mountain bikers, horse riders and 4x4 users alike, but over the past few years some locals have resorted to unlawful methods to deter lawful users of this pubic right of way. A handful of local residents would like to see vehicles banned from this lane and have taken matters into their own hands. At first, the action taken was fairly low-level, with…

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We are celebrating the second anniversary of the start of Op Long Drive. On June 1, 2016, we left Greenwich, excited about the prospect of travelling the world but also a little apprehensive. It’s not every day you quit your job, pack up your life and put your trust in a Land Rover to get you around the globe. But two years on, here we are in the USA and the abnormal has become normal. Our approach to distance has changed. We now think nothing of driving six hours to spend an hour at a destination, while back in UK it would have been unthinkable to drive more than three hours without at least spending a night. We feel more comfortable cooking outside on our two-ring Coleman stove than on…

As vehicles arrived on Friday evening there was a buzz around the museum grounds, especially from the large contingent of Dutch enthusiasts that arrived in a wide array of Land Rovers from almost every decade. They also had with them an advertising banner from the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show for the new Land Rover, which back then was properly the first time most people would have seen the name Land Rover. Saturday’s activities started by celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Series II, then by commemorating 50 years of the Lightweight, with an array of fully-dressed military Lightweights. A few of Land Rovers rivals made an appearance in the arena in the form of Jeeps and Russian Gaz and UAZs too. I, like a lot of people probably, now know…

The Alps 4x4 Tour is quite a trip, with four days of off-road tracks which ascend the peaks, take you through tunnels, track high mountain paths and pass Napoleonic Forts as we travel the Fort Central Route and negotiate the Salt Road along the Italian border. You’ll get the chance to drive some of the most amazing roads in Europe. Including the Col Du Galibier, famous for its part in the Tour Du France, the Col De La Bonette, the highest tarmac road in Europe and, of course, the Col De Turini, the Monte Carlo Rallye stage and voted by Top Gear as one of the top ten roads in the world! What more could you ask for? As always in Europe, there will be no more than five participating…

I’VE HAD UAO on the road for five months now, and during that time I’ve ticked more and more off my list of driving firsts with it. That list started modestly, with me simply driving it home. Then I completed a round trip to James Holmes, then it got rained on for the first time, then a first wash, then trying a full tank of fuel, then on and on and on. Each step got bigger as I learnt more about driving the car, and growing my confidence and increasing the distances. There’s been some great times; the first time with the roof off collecting my sons from school in searing heat, and the first time in the dark, loaded with my drum kit to play in a jazz band,…

Land Rovers again starred in the latest big Royal occasion: the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle. The bride arrived at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in a maroon 1950 Rolls-Royce Phantom Mk IV, belonging to the Queen (Like all Her Maj’s official cars, it doesn’t carry registration plates). It set off on its journey accompanied by a Range Rover, a Range Rover Sport and two Discoverys, no doubt bristling with armed Royal protection officers. But two and half miles from its destination, at the sharp bend at the top of Windsor’s Long Walk, there was a quick shuffle of the pack of cars and one of the Discos dropped out. No, I don’t know why, either. I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing the young couple all the best.…

THE LAST couple of months have been very busy here on the farm, with lambing in full swing and, as I write this, we have just released the last ewe with her three lambs out into the fields. Lambing this year has been a struggle; the weather was totally against us, with a mix of rain, wind and, of course, the white stuff! We ended up with several days of snow, which created havoc with all the water pipes in the lambing sheds freezing throughout the day and night. The next issue we then had was the lambs that had been born early and were ready to go outside, but couldn’t so had to be kept inside for far longer than normal. This meant we had a backlog of sheep…

THE VERY first phase of the project involved lifting the 88-inch body in one piece from the chassis. Since then, our efforts have been concentrated on producing a complete new rolling chassis, while the body was up on the ramp out of the way. Now it’s time to check over those elements of the body that were going to be fitted to the new chassis, to ensure everything was in good condition. The right-hand footwell and lower bulkhead area – a region often most prone to rust attack – was thankfully in great condition. However the left side – the driver’s side in this particular Land Rover – was not so good. A small amount of floor rust had been evident from inside the cab, but with the body clear…

USING A cleaning wipe is one of the easiest ways to get your interior clean. There are specific wipes for glass and leather, but we concentrated here on those suitable for dash/plastics and/or fabrics. The benefit of a wipe over a spray is that you get the cleaning power exactly where you want it. Plus you don’t have to dirty another microfibre cloth. Sachets containing 10-30 wipes are easy to pop in a glovebox or door pocket while tubs, typically 30-plus, are more bulky but cost less. So which cleaned up in our test? We got to work with eight products. DRAPER Tuff Texture Hard Graft Heavy Duty Wipes 84712 PRICE: £11.22 No of sheets/price sq mtr: 90/£2.40 RATING: ★★★★★ A HEAVIER-DUTY version of the original Hard Grafts, they had…