|
 4x4's I have been a fan of Land Rovers for some years, currently owning a Defender 90. A brand new purchase so not much info yet.
This recently replaced a Discovery Series II TD5, which I bought as a compromise being to fill the role of everyday car and green lane tool. Sadly it turned out too expensive to run as the former and too big and shiny for the latter, so it was replaced by a Skoda Octavia TDI for everyday use and the Defender 90.
The Discovery II had replaced a Series 1 V8i which was quite heavily modified. The new Defender is in fact my seventh Land Rover having also owned a 1980 88" Series III, a 1984 Range Rover 3.5 V8, a 2000 Freelander Xi and a 1973 88" Series III in the past.
 Here is my second Discovery, It was a 2001 TD5 Automatic and is a 5 seat "S" model. This was a fairly basic spec but I thought it would give me lots of scope for improvement. Take a look at my other Discovery below to see what it could have turned out like had diesel not rocketed from 89.9p a litre when I bought it in August 2007, to 132.9p a litre in July 2008 when I sold it!!!
 Old and New!
 This was my first Discovery and Land Rover number five, a 1994 V8i Auto.
The picture was taken whilst working as Chief Commissaire on the 2006 TransWales Mountain Bike Stage Race. Check out more photos of the race here.
It had a number of goodies fitted including a 2" suspension lift with Scorpion Racing springs and Pro Comp ES9000 shocks. It also had 245/75R16 BF Goodrich Mud Terrains on silver modular steel wheels, so sat about 3" higher than a standard Discovery. Steering was kept in trim with QT Services castor corrected radius arms and it had Deflex polyurethane suspension bushes. Brakes were fitted with Goodrich extended steel braided hoses and EBC Green pads. The standard bumper and cut down valance in the photo were eventually replaced by a winch bumper from 4x4 R Us. For more photos click here.
 This is Land Rover number four, a 1973 Series III, 88" Pick Up. The picture shows it on a green lane close to home near the village of Datchworth.
Originally purchased from a member of staff where I worked, I eventually sold it back to him after I got fed up after a year long rebuild and it still wasn't finished. He finished it off and it is still going strong at 34 years old and now resides in Dorset.
It was fairly standard at the time of this photo but eventually ended up being converted into a station wagon and received a new coat of paint before it was sold on. For more pictures click here
 Prior to this I had this Freelander 1.8 Xi Hard Back. Here pictured at the opposite end of the same byway as above near Datchworth.
I owned this Freelander for two years and when people tell you they are unreliable.... they're right! In this time it had a new engine (the dreaded head gasket failure), a new gearbox and numerous other less serious replacement bits.
Although it must be said this was a lovely car to drive and a much more capable off roader than many would credit it, I eventually sold it when it went out of warranty! For more photos click here.
Prior to these three I owned a 3.5 litre V8 Range Rover and another Series III 88" Station Wagon, photos of these are proving elusive.
As well as just owning and driving 4x4s, I am the former Rights of Way Officer for the Freelander Club and a member of the Discovery Owners Club and the Beds, Herts and Cambs Land Rover Club.
   I am a member of the Green Lane Association (GLASS) being the County rep for both Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and in 2006 I was elected onto the Executive Committee and in 2007 became the Press Officer.
GLASS is a non profit, national user group dedicated to researching and protecting the UK's unique heritage of ancient vehicular rights of way and promoting sensible driving in the countryside. GLASS can be contacted at: PO Box 918, Peterborough, PE1 9DX Tel. 0845 8380617
Or click on the logo to visit the GLASS Website
To see some photos of the Hertfordshire GLASS Group out laning click here.
A lot of negative publicity surrounds 4x4's these days but much of it is quite simply false, get the true facts here:
|
