On your marks. Get set. Go
Dave Tindal from Tayside in Scotland combined his love of Land Rovers with extreme off-roading and created this very cool high-spec Defender pick-up buggy
This very cool high-spec Defender pick-up buggy is the result of a Landy fan who loves extreme off-roading
Carnoustie is a seaside town located on the shores of the North Sea. It is also one of the regular homes of Golf’s premier tournament, the British Open. Once the golfing circus has packed its bags and moved on, the only birdies you are likely to see are flocks of seagulls. But if eagles are suddenly thin on the ground, the same can’t be said for Land Rovers.
Dave is a mechanic by trade, and owns Carnoustie Tyres based in Barry Road, close to the town centre. He was born and bred in Tayside, and has lived in the Carnoustie area since he was 17 years old.
“I started the business back in 1993, and my aim was to offer a one-stop garage for all vehicles including Mots,” he explained. “We stock over 500 tyres, and can order any other make within 24 hours. We also offer a full range of repairs, diagnostics and servicing for most types of cars.”
Dave has been fond of Land Rovers for many years. His first vehicle was a tired Defender 90, which his father bought at a farm sale.
“Looking back, the engine was a bit knackered,” he recalled. “I had really been hoping to get my hands on a Series III, thinking it might cost less money. But all said and done it was my first Land Rover and things progressed from there.”
Dave’s enthusiasm for Land Rovers really went into overdrive, when he acquired a Series I.
He said: “I bought GSV 244 ten years ago from the late Dave ‘Kyddie’ Kydd, an enthusiast in the Tayside area. He was the one who introduced me to the local Land Rover scene. Dave had discovered the Series I, and had already carried out most of the vehicle’s restoration. I had been nagging him for ages to sell me the Land Rover and he eventually gave in. He was looking at taking on other projects, and agreed to sell me GSV 244 provided I didn’t move it on.”
The Series I was built in 1951, and Dave believes it is a local vehicle.
“I’ve been told that the Landy is wearing an old Kinrossshire number plate,” said Dave, who is a member of the Tay 4x4 and Series I clubs. “I was approached by an enthusiast at the annual Transport Extravaganza at Glamis, who recognised the registration. Kinross-shire used to be one of the old counties, and dates from the time before Scottish local government was re-organised in 1975.”
Dave is keen on the club scene and has been active with Tay 4x4 for several years. The club has been running since 2002, and currently has around 80 members. It is open to all owners and 4x4s, although most of the vehicles are Land Rovers. The club runs various events throughout the Tayside and Fife region, and is backed by full MSA insurance. The members hold regular meetings on the last Sunday of every month. Because the membership covers a large area, these take place at different venues. In recent years the club has also been one of the main attractions at the Scottish Transport Extravaganza. The event is held every July at historic Glamis Castle, and is one of the top classic vehicle shows in Scotland.
“Our display at Glamis all really happened by accident,” Dave explained. “The show attracts a lot of different car clubs and Tay 4x4 had been going there for many years. The event is spread over two days and features lots of entertainment and vehicle displays.
“A few years back one of the exhibitors pulled out at the last moment, and we were asked to fill in. We put on a brief display of off-roading and this seemed to go down well with
the crowd. We’ve been invited back ever since, although we’ve had to up our game every year to keep things fresh.
“I usually act as compere in the show ring, while the rest of the members go through their various routines. In 2017 we brought along a climbing skip, some logs and ramps to put the 4x4s through their paces. The club puts on two shows – one on the Saturday morning, and the second in the afternoon. One of the features is that the members offer free rides to children, and the kids love it. Who knows, these could be the Land Rover owners of the future.”
Despite his passion for off-roading, Dave was not keen on using the SI to go off the beaten track. He kept his eye open for a suitable vehicle and five years ago came up trumps.
“I got offered the buggy back in 2012,” he recalls. “The owner was actually one of my customers, and he came into the garage looking to sell the vehicle. He told me that J413 PEC had originally started life in 1991, as a standard Defender van. The early part of the vehicle’s history is a blank, but at some point it was acquired by one of the staff at Strathearn Engineering in Auchterarder. Apparently, he does up Land Rovers in his spare time. He had already made lots of modifications to the vehicle, including adding a Warn winch.
“Although the vehicle certainly looked the part, it wasn’t really suitable for my customer. What he was looking for was a normal spec Defender to use for his hobby, which is target shooting. He explained that although he generally liked the vehicle, because of the modifications it was too high for his dogs to jump in.
“My son and I already owned a competition buggy. We wanted to move this on, and were in the market for a new project. I could see the van had a lot of potential, so we came to an arrangement. We then sold our existing 4x4 via ebay, to a buyer from Romania. He must have been keen, because he brought a trailer all the way over from Eastern Europe.” Having bought the Defender, Dave gave the matter some thought. He eventually decided to convert the van into a pick-up, and give the vehicle a total rebuild.
He said: “The guy at Strathearn had done a good job and added a lot of kit. I decided to take things a stage further. The first thing I did was ditch the van body, in favour of a pick-up. I then shortened both the back and front of the vehicle, for better approach angles. I also fitted another Warn winch on the rear, and added a set of larger Silverstone Extreme tyres.
“The buggy is still equipped with its original 200Tdi engine and gearbox. The engine was in good condition, given its age. I uprated the turbo and fitted new injection and lift pumps, a 150 amp alternator, new Bosch starter motor and timing belt, water pump and an uprated intercooler. In addition, I added Ashcroft air locking differentials, Gwyn Lewis differential pans, hydro-assist and steering, along with a tubular galvanised bumper, a new gearbox and transbox, propshafts, and a new clutch. The brakes were also renewed at a cost of £1000.”
Having got the bit between his teeth Dave then turned his attention to the body, which has also been revamped.
“I felt it was important to make sure that the body was completely galvanized and this was one of my priorities,” said Dave. “I also wanted to renew a lot of the parts. Once you start replacing individual items, the cost soon starts to mount up. I added lots of equipment, including a Safari snorkel, front spotlights and custom exhaust. I’ve also fitted a set of police-spec springs and replaced the wiper motor.”
Dave made a careful calculation of the costs as he went along. He replaced over 100 items and the final bill including the initial cost of the Defender was upwards of £20,000.
He said: “The resto took a lot of time and money, but it was worth it. Once the work was completed, I started taking it on the off-road circuit. The buggy competed in the Scotia offroading event, when it was still on the go. It has also taken part in Mud Mayhem down in Dumfries. Tay 4x4 has access to their own off-roading sites where the buggy can be put through its paces, too.”
The buggy certainly looks the part, and I was interested to find out how the vehicle performed.
“The Land Rover seems to have the right combination of traction and power,” said Dave. “The vehicle has also competed well at the Club’s winch trials. The buggy hasn’t been caught out yet, although you always have to treat offroad courses with respect. Looking back, the last few years have been a lot of fun.”
Ironically, Dave is now considering selling his mean machine, if the right offer comes along.
He said: “Like everything else in life, things move on. I’m not getting any younger. My son used to act as co-driver, but he’s now 18 and has his own interests. I’m also very busy here at the garage, and most of the time the buggy is just sitting idle. I still sometimes use it when I attend the club’s monthly meetings, but that’s about it. A lot of time and effort went into the buggy, and it’s far too good to be sitting around gathering dust. If any enthusiast wants to give it a good home I might be interested.”