Defender for Life
Meet the future-proof Defender that’s been built with an adventurous lifestyle in mind
We shine the spotlight on a future-proofed Defender 90 that has also been modified for an adventurous lifestyle
Just about every enthusiast has been accused of loving their Land Rovers too much. But in the case of the stunning Defender 90 you see on these pages, its doting owner can’t imagine ever being without it – and is future-proofing it to make sure it will be.
“The whole point about Land Rovers is that they go on forever – they are unique,” he says. “So I am future-proofing it, accordingly.
“There are so many reasons why Land Rovers are special to me, but top of the list is that you can personalise them, like I have my Defender. I am personalising mine to fit the lifestyle of myself and my wife at present, as well as plan the changes it will need to accommodate our future plans.”
Owner Perran (we can’t give you his full name, nor photograph him with his Defender, because he has a sensitive military job) grew up in New Zealand surrounded by Land Rovers and a mechanic father.
“My first car was a 1974 long wheelbase Series III,” he recalls. “It was an exNew Zealand police hard top and I learned to drive in it.
“Then I joined the New Zealand military and drove Land Rovers every day as part of my job. Sixteen years ago I moved to the UK.
I’m 40 years old now and Land Rovers have become a very important part of
my life. That will never change.”
It is a life that Perran and his wife Gina enjoy close to the coastline of Cornwall, which is the perfect location for their watersports hobbies, including surfing. But in five or six years time they plan to return to New Zealand, via Australia, which they will be exploring in their beloved Defender 90. By then it will be converted into an expedition-prepared overlander. The vehicle you see here is very much a work in progress.
Perran explains: “It’s a 2006 Td5 Defender 90 that had 113,000 miles on the clock when I bought it in 2014. It had been well maintained – I have folders detailing its entire service history – but had probably been driven off-road quite a bit, judging by the amount of dried mud I found when I went underneath and cleaned down the chassis to Waxoyl and underseal it. There were also a few dents and dings in the bodywork, but it was in very good mechanical order. The engine, transmission and running gear were just middle-aged!
“The long-term plan is to take it to New Zealand via Australia and enjoy some great overland adventures, but in the meantime we will be exploring the British Isles and Europe in it and we wanted it to suit our immediate needs, which included making it more comfortable. This was to be phase one of several phases I had planned over the next few years.”
Phase one – getting it ready to tour Europe
To do the work, Perran chose bespoke specialists ACHSV 4x4, of Silverstone, Northamptonshire. “They were recommended to me by a colleague who had his Ford Ranger worked on by them. I was impressed, so I went to visit them.”
ACHSV’S David Atkinson takes up the story: “The original idea was to just change the wheels and tidy it up a little, but after Perran’s visit to our showroom things began to develop.
“Perran decided he quite liked the idea of a Gunmetal Grey wrap instead of a respray. I then suggested a few ideas and the whole thing got a bit out of control, but in a good way. There was always going to be a budget to work to, so we couldn’t go mad in some areas, but Perran trusted our judgement and he went away working, leaving us with a budget and some of the ideas he liked.
“The car came in in a very used state, with a horrible roof rack, dents in most panels, bent tailgate and most of the body problems synonymous with Defenders over five years old. We started by stripping all the ancillary parts and glass, and inspecting it.
“The body had to undergo some straightening before we thought about the wrap. Quite a lot of old filler was discovered in the process, so the bodyshop took care of that. All window and door seals were replaced, and a heated windscreen fitted. We were replacing the old cracked one anyway, so why not!
“Next came the front bumper. The old tubular bumper was hopeless, so on went a Terrafirma one. Perran wanted a winch fitted, as this car will be used off-road, but the budget wouldn’t allow the likes of a Warn, so we looked at the Terrafima 12,000 lb winch with synthetic rope. At £520 fitted that was great value – and for occasional use, it’s perfect. The bumper also carried a new ten-inch Wilderness Duplex fiveLED Bar.
“The old roof rack had to go and was replaced by an excellent Front Runner rack, coupled with a 40 inch curved wilderness duplex five-led light bar, and a six inch rear flood. Oh, and beer opener… oh, and a Hi-lift jack!
“New 18-inch sawtooth alloys with Cooper STT Pro 275/70r18 tyres were fitted – they are great tyres with excellent road manners considering they are a mud terrain. We were going to opt for Spectre arches, but they were too expensive, so we needed a lift to fit those big wheels and tyres. The original shock absorbers were completely knackered, so once again we took the budget option and Terrafirma springs and All Terrain shocks proved great quality for the money – so on they went.”
Other work included soundproofing the front of the cabin and removing the bulkhead to accommodate comfortable new Exmoor Elite Mk2 heated seats, which also provided more legroom. A mobile storage slimline locker and cubby box were also fitted.
Outside, the Defender was treated to a new rear tailgate and trim card, plus new wheel arches. “We went for Genuine Parts, as the aftermarket alternatives are all terrible – they just don’t fit,” says David.
There were also new headlamps, a Mantec Swingaway spare wheel carrier, stainless bolts all round and vent pins, an LED number plate light and a set of new air horns.
Perran was delighted with the work. “The whole experience with David and ACHSV was very accommodating,” he says. “They didn’t need direction; they got on with the job and actually came in under budget, which was a welcome surprise.
“Gina and I considered a roof tent, but we weren’t keen. We want the roof rack to accommodate our surf boards and stand-up paddle boards, which go everywhere with us, plus there will be room for storage boxes in the future. There wouldn’t be that freedom if there was a roof tent up there.
“I hadn’t thought about a wrap until I went to ACHSV and saw how good it looked. It seemed a great way of transforming a vehicle and is less expensive than a full respray. I realise it may not last so long in the Southern Hemisphere, where UV light levels are higher, but the whole point of it is it’s relatively easy to change, to keep it looking smart. I went for a matt Gunmetal Grey and it is a great improvement on the gloss black finish it used to have.
“A winch was top of my list because I have a lot of experience of driving over terrain where self-recovery or recovering other vehicles is important. I doubt if I’ll need it on road trips in the UK, but when driving across the soft sand of the deserts in Australia you’re going to get stuck from time to time.
“This is only phase one of a long-term project. Over the next few years we’ll be taking off on adventures in the UK and Europe as a sort of shakedown to help us decide what we’ll need to do in the future. For example, I am sure I will eventually go for a galvanised chassis as that is the ultimate in the future-proofing I’m looking for. I will also be ensuring that all metal parts susceptible to rust in the UK, where so much salt is used on the road, will be properly treated and Waxoyled regularly to keep corrosion at bay.”
As for phase two, ACHSV is going to be picking up the vehicle again soon and improving the handling by fitting anti-roll bars, new steering dampers, new steering box, A-frame ball joints and Polybushes all round. “They are all parts required for its longevity,” says Perran.
In the meantime, and in keeping with the couple’s outdoor lifestyle, Perran has fitted a Spare Wheel Braai Gill BBQ from Front Runner that is attached to the spare tyre with a ratchet strap. “We took it down to a local beach the week after I got it and it was brilliant. We had great fun. It will be getting a lot of use in the future!” says Perran.
He certainly can’t imagine life without his Land Rover. “It is in my blood,” he explains. “When I got my first Series III back in New Zealand all those years ago, my dad used to sweat it when he helped me work on it, but he must have got some affection for it because he now runs a Series II himself and he loves it.
“Every time I drive my Land Rover, I’m aware that I’m driving a brand that’s uniquely British and iconic. The name is synonymous with exploration and adventure. It conjures up images of Series Land Rovers driving across Africa in the 1950s and 60s. And did you know that Che Guevera was driving a Land Rover when he was captured and killed, in Bolivia in October 1967? There’s real history there.
“A Land Rover is like a giant Lego set. You can take it apart and put it together how you want, to suit yourself. You can even do it yourself if you have the time and skills, but I prefer to leave it to experts like ACHSV.
“My Defender is now perfect for our immediate needs, but I will change it in the coming years to accommodate what we need from it, until eventually we set off back for the Southern Hemisphere. Then I will ship to Perth, in Western Australia, from where we’ll explore the whole country before then shipping it home to New Zealand.
“By then I expect I will have converted it to meet the needs of independent travellers, with compartmentalisation accordingly. We’ll need lots of storage, with a long-range fuel tank, water storage, cooking facilities and refrigeration, for example.
“This really is a long-term project – after all, this is my Land Rover for life.”