Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2021 i Land Rover Monthly

BUYING a Land Rover is without a doubt the most orgasmic experience possible for the true Land Rover enthusiast. Like all of your Christmases have come at once. We literally explode with joy once the money has been handed over and the deal has been concluded. And it applies to the purchase of any Land Rover. It can be one that you drove past every day for several years on the way to work and every time you knocked on the door the owner said it was not for sale, but then finally says it is, and you have been given first refusal. Or it could be a Land Rover that you or your family have a special connection with? Maybe it used to belong to your dad or your…

ELECTRIC conversions for classic cars seem to be de rigueur nowadays and it’s easy to see why, unless you’re a classic car expert and think that removing the original combustion engine threatens the status of historically-significant vehicles. There’s an argument to that and Silverstone-based Lunaz says that “as an industry and as a collective, we must respond to a changing world,” and that “offering an electric powertrain solution to those that desire it will ensure the cars we love remain a relevant and present proposition for many years to come.” They are right, of course, and there are many advantages too, including enhanced performance, better economy, reduced maintenance costs (fewer moving parts) as well as being compliant with modern emissions legislation and, of course, not forgetting the environmental benefits of…

IT isn’t often Land Rover gets it wrong. Since 1948 there have been very few failures. Even models with widely-reported problems, like the P38 Range Rover (reliability) and Discovery 3 (electrics), still sold well. But the latest incarnation of the Discovery has proved the exception. The model that saved Land Rover from going under in 1989 is now the family flop. The original Discovery was created in the 1980s to plug the gap between the Range Rover, which was heading ever further upmarket, and the workhorse One Ten/Ninety models. Land Rover at that time was so strapped for cash that it raided the BL parts bins, but the new model with Morris Marina door handles and Austin Maestro light clusters was a massive success because it was exactly what the…

I am always on the lookout for 200Tdi engines: they are getting much harder to find than they were a few years ago, and even rough ones usually yield some useful bits. One thing I keep noticing is adverts for 'Gold Seal' 200Tdi engines. Gold Seal was the brand name used by British Leyland and later Unipart to promote its factory rebuilt engines, available through the BL dealership network to fit to your MGB GT or Morris Marina 1300. They were expensive but had a good reputation. Sadly, your 200Tdi is not a Gold Seal engine. The Gold Seal brand was phased out long before the 200Tdi first appeared. Land Rover was never part of the Gold Seal network and all 200Tdi engines were painted pale gold from new. The…

WELCOME to LRM Classics. This month we visit Nick Parr to discuss his wonderful collection of Land Rovers. Nick is a passionate enthusiast and a real gentleman. He’s also a perfectionist, as his collection ably demonstrates! Although his love of the marque began early in life it was many years before he was able to buy his first Land Rover in 1998, although choosing a Defender 50 V8 was an inspired move. Since then he has added many more to what must be one of the best private collections in the country. We hope you enjoy finding out more about it. Our second feature this month is on a very special Range Rover: TRW 425R, which was driven by Tony Howard on the infamous Paris-Dakar Rally in 1980, 1981 and…

PC: Tell us how and why you bought it.. Lewis Onions: My connection with Range Rovers began in 1987. My boss at the time had just purchased his wife a new Range Rover and he instructed me to tart up the old one and sell it. He was offering me ten per cent of what it sold for. That was in the days when they weren’t selling, so I got to drive it for a few weeks before it eventually went. That was the start of my love affair with Range Rovers and I’ve owned several since. This one was advertised on eBay. I was looking for something to do my tip runs in. A friend of mine had an ex-military Defender and I wanted something similar, but I saw…

BEAUTY is in the eye of the beholder, so they say, and if your idea of the ideal Land Rover is a workhorse stripped back to its bare necessities, then an ex-military Lightweight could be the perfect match for you – and none could be more beautiful than this stunning example from vehicle restorer extraordinaire, Terry Hayward. In an age when all vehicles, Land Rovers included, are getting too complicated, and styled to within an inch of their lives, the leaf-sprung Lightweight is the perfect antidote. More warhorse than workhorse, it was created for the British military to be slung under a helicopter and dropped on the frontline. To make it as light as possible for its airborne role, every unnecessary frill was stripped out. The end result was the…

Sun 3 – Fri 15 Jan 2021 DAKAR 2021 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia https://www.dakar.com/en Sat 2 Jan - Sun 3 Jan 2021 AWDC TRIAL Shepton Mallet, https://www.awdc.co.uk Sunday 03 January 2021 NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS 4X4 TOUR York https://ardventures.co.uk MINCE PIE DRIVING DAY Newbourne, Suffolk http://www.slroc.uk.com 4X4 CLUB TRIAL Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire https://www.pembsmudslingers.co.uk PAY & PLAY DAY Bolney https://www.piccadillywood4x4.co.uk Sat 09 Jan - Sun 10 Jan 2021 4X4 TRIAL Dersingham, Kings Lynn http://www.suffolk4x4club.com Sunday 10 January 2021 GREENLANING TBC, Dorset http://www.dorsetrover.co.uk LAND ROVER FOREST DRIVE Londonderry http://www.landrover-club.com 4X4 PAY AND PLAY DAY Canewdon https://www.4x4er.co.uk Satu 16 Jan - Sun 17 Jan 2021 ELRC EVENT Essex https://www.elrc.info Saturday 16 January 2021 DAVID BOWYERS SOCIAL MORNING & 4X4 DRIVING Credition https://www.4x4adventures.co.uk LAKE DISTRICT 4X4 TOUR https://ardventures.co.uk Sunday 17 January 2021 Explore off-road 4x4 Pay & Play…

“Buy the book, buy the truck, and have fun” SELF-INFLICTED unreliability used to be a dark issue on Land Rovers. Technical questions and discussion has always been a hot topic, and it started long before I became involved in Land Rover journalism back in the early 1990s. Then, the marque was suffering a diminishing reputation for reliability which had kicked off during the 1980s and, courtesy of the then-complex P38 Range Rover, lingered on into the 2000s. The numerous running problems were easily blamed on Land Rover and, fair enough, there did appear to be inherent reliability issues with the brand at that time. But much of the blame rests on the vehicles’ great DIY accessibility. It’s what led to Land Rovers being repaired and serviced by absolutely anyone, such…

IT goes with the territory of working on or rebuilding Land Rovers that I get called out from time to time to recover stricken Defenders. On the evening when I was called to this particular vehicle, the owners told me on the telephone that they were on their way to collect their touring caravan when suddenly, a “horrible squeaking noise” developed from below, and they subsequently discovered the rear lights were no longer working. On crawling underneath the stranded Defender with a flashlight, the problem was immediately apparent. There was a total mess of wiring wrapped around the front propeller shaft. The Land Rover was duly winched onto the low loader and taken to my workshop for further investigation and repair. What initiated the ripping of the chassis loom from…

The best show in town LIKE Dave Phillips (LRM, January) one of the things I missed most during the coronavirus-affected year 2020 was the outdoor Land Rover events that were cancelled. For most of my adult life these shows have been the highlights of my summer. The Billing Show was always my favourite. I started going there in the 1990s and even booked my summer holidays so that I could camp at the Aquadrome for a week and immerse myself in all things Land Rover, with the best people in the world, who of course were – and still are – Land Rover fans. To spend a summer’s evening chatting into the small hours with enthusiasts sharing the same love of Land Rovers was – and still is – magical.…

WITH the UK Covid-19 vaccination programme underway hopefully we can look forward to a fairly normal 2021 – a year where we can meet up with more than six people and perhaps enjoy a show or two. This being the case, the Land Rover Legends’ team has confirmed their return, with the third edition of the show due to take place at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire, on June 12 and 13. With the added bonus of the event sitting alongside the Thruxton Historic race meeting, you can also take advantage of the venue’s extensive facilities, including a dedicated campsite, kart track, skid pan and, more importantly, a superb 4x4 course. Showcasing the very best examples of the marque, including several rare and unusual vehicles from the Dunsfold Collection, you can…

RICHARD HALL bought his first Land Rover, a Series III, just after his 18th birthday and has since owned, maintained and restored these vehicles for over 30 years now. He runs a small Land Rover repair and restoration business in Norfolk and every month he lets off steam in LRM. ELECTRIC cars have been much in the news lately, with the government announcing its intention to end the sale of conventional petrol and diesel engine cars just ten years from now. I was talking to Dave the landlord and he suggested I should try building a battery-powered Series Land Rover. I’m probably too old a dog to start learning new tricks at this stage, and in any case I can’t see classic Land Rovers being legislated off the road in my…

THE first Paris-Dakar started on Boxing Day 1978 and finished on January 14, 1979, at Dakar after 10,000 km of tough driving through Algeria, Niger, Mali, Upper Volta, and Senegal. The first car home was the Range Rover of Alain Génestier, Joseph Terbiaut and Jean Lemordant. Five more Range Rovers were also among the finishers, together with two Land Rover-based teams. All were French entrants, but the Paris-Dakar had captured the attention of the world’s media, and suddenly the Range Rover was a rally-winning superstar. The level of interest in the UK was more muted than in France, but this changed for a while during the 1982 event when competitor Mark Thatcher, son of the UK’s Prime Minister, got lost in the Sahara for six days, but the Paris-Dakar never…

THE story of the Lightweight is one that begins with failure. In the early 1960s, the British military – particularly the Royal Marines – required a vehicle that could be carried by air to replace its ageing fleet of Austin Champs. It needed to be slung under the military’s Westland Wessex helicopters, which could carry a maximum load of 2500 lb (1134 kg). Solihull took up the challenge. The lightest Land Rover available at the time was the Series IIA 88 inch short wheelbase, which at 2906 lb (1318 kg) was too heavy, so in 1965 work began on creating a lightweight version. This was done by stripping out all nonessential panels and components and making the vehicle four inches narrower than a standard Series IIA. This was done by…

DURING the pandemic, motor vehicles in Northern Ireland that have a current MoT in force are being issued with automatic extensions to their MoT expiry date. Initially a six month extension was added, and now a second six month extension has occurred in some cases. This means that a motor vehicle being offered for sale with a valid MoT in place may not have been officially safety inspected or tested for more than 18 months. The Land Rover Defender 90, which is the subject of this short series, is just such a vehicle. It possesses a current MoT, yet it has been off the road due to various issues for quite some time. While the Land Rover is definitely not for sale, and was booked in to my workshop by…

IN the typical arsenal of tools required for maintenance and repair, the humble pair of pliers probably receives more abuse than most other hand tools. We’ve all turned to them in desperation when additional grip or reach is required on broken or stubborn fittings. They can be used for metal forming, picking up hot metal work and if needs be (and no one is looking), a last-ditch-attempt hammer. Their versatility is their demise too, putting them in the same list as No 10 and 13 spanners for inevitable replacement. Choosing a set, especially for first-time buyers, is a worthy exercise in finding at least three of the most likely pliers required. Combination pliers, long nose and side wire cutters are usually the bare minimum, so begin there. For regular use,…

"I see the forecast is for deep snow and impassable roads… so what have they got to smile about?" Ian’s been driving Land Rovers for over 40 years and drawing for LRM since issue 2. He lives on the coast of East Anglia and drives a Freelander 2 DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publishers. Every care is taken to ensure that the contents of the magazine are accurate but the publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors. While reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions. They will however investigate any written complaints.…

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HAVING successfully driven the Lightweight back to London, on the last day before Lockdown II, I’m enjoying the small freedom of sitting in a pub garden, typing away in the autumnal sunshine, with the Lightweight out in the car park. It’s something of a locals’ pub, and a couple of regulars, who I know by sight and polite nods of acknowledgement, come out for a smoke and stand beside the gate overlooking the car park. I hear the Irish regular say to an English regular: “What I really want to know is who owns that Jeep out there?” I stay silent while they discuss the Lightweight in admiring tones whilst continuing to refer to it as a Jeep, which is most unacceptable. “C’mon guys, it’s not a Jeep, it’s a…

THERE are a few jobs on old Land Rovers which take far longer than they have any right to do, and one of these is overhauling the drum brakes fitted to a huge number of Solihull’s finest between 1948 and 1993 when the Defender finally went over to disc brakes on the rear axle. Excluding the (now almost extinct) rear brakes fitted to long wheelbase Series Is and very early Series IIs there are three basic designs: 10 inch single leading shoe (SLS), 11 inch SLS and 11 inch twin leading shoe (TLS), the latter available in two widths. All have design quirks which can make working on them a frustrating experience, even if you are familiar with them. For the DIY novice there are very many ways to assemble…

YOU don’t need us to tell you that 2020 was a disaster of a year in many ways. But there have been some positives which have come from the seismic changes brought about by being locked down. For a start we are all commuting less (and not going out as much), which means we don’t spend as much time in traffic and get to be with our families more – or an extra hour in bed. We’ve not been allowed to go abroad as much either, which has meant there could suddenly be a large chunk of holiday money burning a hole in your bank account, earning very little interest. Perhaps now is the chance to use all of that cash you have saved to buy the Land Rover you…

OVER the past 22 years, Nick Parr has gathered together an impressive and quite probably unique Land Rover collection, and it all began with the happy coincidence of a bonus burning a hole in his pocket and a nearly-new 50th Anniversary Defender 90 on the forecourt of his local main dealer. In 1992 I'd just received a cash bonus from my employer for completing 20 years of service,” says Nick, “and by coincidence it happened to be equal to the price tag on a stunning Atlantis Blue special edition Defender. My wife, Lyn, rather helpfully pointed out that what we’d never had, we’d never miss, and so the bonus was handed over and the 90 came to live with us. And that’s how my passion for station wagons began. I…

NOBODY knows more about Defenders than Greg King. He started at Solihull in 1993 as a 16-year-old Land Rover-mad apprentice, having moved up from the family farm in Devon where he had been driving Land Rovers since childhood. During his time at Land Rover Greg worked on the 50th anniversary 90, Storm Defender, Tempest (Disco 2), second-gen RR Sport, the Paul Smith Defender, 2 millionth Defender and Defender Autobiography. He then moved to start with JLR Classic on Land Rover Reborn and Defender Works V8. “I had a Series IIA on the farm as a boy and, over the years, I’ve had at least 14 Series, Ninetys, a One Ten and Defenders (excluding company ones). I loved my job with a passion!” says Greg, who left Jaguar Land Rover in…

PATRICK CRUYWAGEN EDITOR 1999 Defender 110 2.8 DAVE PHILLIPS CONTRIBUTOR 1984 Ninety 300Tdi ED EVANS TECHNICAL EDITOR 1976 Series III 88 soft top 1989 Ninety Station Wagon 1998 Discovery 300Tdi 2000 Freelander 1 L-series 2000 Defender 110 Td5 2006 Range Rover Sport TDV6 TREVOR CUTHBERT CONTRIBUTOR 1984 Land Rover 90 Mazda 3.5 Tdi automatic soft top (rebuild project) 1990 Land Rover One Ten LHD V8 soft top 1994 Defender 130 Tipper 300Tdi 1998 Defender 90 Station Wagon 2.8i BMW six-clyinder petrol 2002 Discovery 2 Td5 Adventurer 2004 Defender 90 Td5 hard top…

THIS 2013 Freelander 2 with 75,000 miles on the clock had no signs of overheating, just a puddle of leaked coolant under the front while parked up and a ‘low-coolant’ warning message on the dash. A pressure test confirmed a leak from the bottom edge of the radiator where corrosion could be seen, confirming a replacement radiator would be required. The last radiator I replaced in a car took around 15 minutes – just two bolts and two compression clips to undo, lift the old one out and drop the new one in – and the radiator cost about £40. I was shocked that almost the complete front of the car had to be dismantled on this Freelander 2 to replace the radiator. The radiator isn’t overly expensive but, if…

PRICE: £7.19 CONTACT: machinemart.co.uk Item 040212910 RATING: CHEAP as chips set of three pliers for most basic tasks. Moulded handles with slip guards. The wire cutters are adequate for small diameter wires and the Linesman pliers have an additional serrated jaw grip behind the pivot. KEY FEATURES 175 mm Linesman combination pliers 150 mm long nose pliers 50 mm side cutters All pliers have drop forged hardened jaws Pivot rear serrated grip Handle slip guards “No-frills basic pliers you won’t feel guilty about abusing”…

IT’S only when you try consecutive pliers or wire cutters in a test situation their strengths and differences shine through. A case in point is the difference in wire cutting ability. The Sealey cutters are excellent and even managed to cut the black 16 square mm battery cable seen in the photos without fuss. Silverline’s wire cutters also managed this tall order, whereas all the similarly-sized other pliers couldn’t. The smaller precision pliers of Siegen and Draper performed well, although certainly going on jaw finish, the Siegen pliers are more accurately manufactured which can be critical for holding very thin wires or snip away using just the jaw end, for example. Kamasa’s handles’ design is worthy of an honourable mention for its excellent slip guard/thumb stop feature. The Kamasa jaws…

How did you get hold of this rarity? I had been trying to purchase this special Defender for a few years; last year the owner contacted me to let me know R172 CDU was finally for up for sale. The reason he gave me was that he did not have the time to enjoy it any more. I had to have it. So I immediately sold off all my other Land Rovers and purchased it the very next day. Tell us about its history… This 1998 Defender 110 was originally built for and used on the 1998 Tierra Del Fuego Camel Trophy event in South America. After the event, R172 CDU continued traversing many different continents, including Africa and Europe, before deciding to call the UK home once again. Here…