WHAT’S IN THE BOX

MUCH like manufacturers develop lines of vehicles like the Defender, they develop lines of engines and transmissions, too, which is where you get catchy names like Powerstroke and Duramax. In many cases it’s simply a marketing ploy, with the engines having very little compatibility between different members of the same family. Other times, they’re near identical. This gets even more confusing when manufacturers do joint projects like the BT-50 and Ranger and start interchanging various components.

Ford’s 6R80 transmission is one of its most popular lines of automatic shifters used in everything from F150s to Mustangs, as well as the current generation Duratorq-powered Rangers. With a reasonably compact footprint as well as a low first-gear ratio of 4.17:1 and a long-legged 0.69:1 in top gear, it’s got an impressive take-off and helps lower fuel usage, making it a perfect match for converting into Duratorq-powered Land Rovers.

In stock form they’ve been known to handle up to 1000hp, and with the OEM tiptronic shifter make a useful tool off-road, allowing you to dial in the right gear for the task at hand.

THE BACKBONE OF THE CONVERSION IS FORD’S 6R80 TRANS, ONE OF ITS MOST POPULAR LINES