Simply automatic
Demand is strong as ever for the Defender transmission option that Land Rover never delivered – and none is better than this 300Tdi conversion
Demand is strong as ever for the Defender transmission option that Land Rover never delivered
LAND ROVER is the great survivor. Since 1948 it has managed to avoid the pitfalls and blunders that resulted in the demise of the once-proud British motor industry.
Some say that’s because Solihull’s bosses were always tuned in to what their customers demanded, but in truth they were pretty deaf when it came to listening to the pleas of most Defender owners.
The evergreen Defender was in production 67 years (if you count its Series predecessors), during which Land Rover was happy to mainly ignore demands for comfort, rust-proofing, legroom, air conditioning and, of course, automatic gearboxes.
For almost seven decades, the company offered a wide variety of engine and manual gearbox combinations, yet stuck its fingers in its ears and hummed loudly whenever auto transmission was mentioned.
In truth, it wasn’t just Defender owners who suffered. Even Range Rover owners demanding an automatic option were treated badly.
For the first dozen years of its existence, from 1970 through to 1982, owners of Land Rover’s most prestigious model could have any gearbox they wanted . . . so long as it was a manual four-speed. When the clamour became too great, the company went shopping and bought in the dreadful three-speed Chrysler Torqueflite automatic gearbox as an option. It was thirsty and unreliable – and upgraded to the much better four-speed ZF box in 1985.
Yet still the Defender didn’t get an auto option. True, the North American market briefly got an automatic Defender – essential in the USA, where most drivers weren’t aware that there was such a thing as a manual gearbox – and a handful of special editions appeared in the UK with an auto option. But for the rest of the world, including Britain, an automatic gearbox was never available on standard Land Rover utility models.
I dread to think how many hundreds of thousands of potential customers Land Rover lost over the years by failing to react to demand. Luckily, of course, there were always specialist companies happy to fill in the gaps left by Lode Lane.
Even now, with the original Defender long out of production, aftermarket companies are still fitting out Defenders with automatic transmissions – and I have to admit that I’ve met none better than the stunning Sage Green creation that you can see on these pages.
This vehicle is the work of Terry Hayward – a Land Rover enthusiast and craftsman of rare genius who runs the company Hayward Revive. Why ‘revive’? “I hate the word rebuild,” explains Terry. “What we do is either refurbishment or restoration, or both. So I settled on revive.”
The Defender concerned is a 1991 Defender 110, originally fitted with a 200Tdi diesel engine and LT77 gearbox. A later owner replaced it with a big GMC 6.2-litre V8 petrol, who compounded his crimes against good taste by painting the unfortunate Station Wagon matt black. “It was a horrible thing,” says Terry, with a shudder.
But it mattered little. Terry had sourced the much-abused old Defender as a base vehicle for an ambitious project commissioned by a discerning customer, and soon the engine and transmission were removed, along with the matt black colour scheme and much of the bodywork, the interior (including Range Rover seats) and the rear half of the chassis.
“I like to keep as much of a vehicle as original as possible, but the back of the chassis – like so many older Defenders - was rusted beyond repair,” says Terry. “The bulkhead was also in a bad way, but I managed to repair that with some new panels.”
The doors were also replaced – the side doors with retro two-piece items, with removable tops, and the rear as a lower tailgate, with swingaway rear carrier.
This was all part of the spec ordered by the customer, who wanted a soft top to be used as a family fun wagon when his family were spending weekends on the North Norfolk coast, not far from Terry’s workshop at South Creake.
That same customer also wanted a 300Tdi engine. Like so many enthusiasts, including myself, he reckoned it was the finest engine Land Rover ever built. That bit was easy. But he also wanted an automatic gearbox – not quite so easy, but nor was it as difficult as some would have you believe.
“The engine and four-speed automatic gearbox came from a Discovery that, like so many, had suffered terminal rot to the bodywork, but was mechanically sound,” says Terry. “It dropped in easily and fitted like a glove. It makes you wonder why Land Rover themselves never did it.” It does indeed, Terry. The colour specified by the customer was a beautiful satin-finish Sage Green – an historic Land Rover colour reinvigorated by the company for its late production-run Heritage special editions and now hugely popular with enthusiasts. To complete the look, Terry also fitted a Heritage stainless steel grille.
The axles were rebuilt, all brake lines replaced with stainless steel items and new Polybushes fitted all round. The suspension and brakes are otherwise standard. It sits on Wolf-style steel wheels, painted body colour and shod with BFG all-terrains. Again, understated good taste.
The front bumper was replaced with a galvanised one. Terry has a hatred of all things powder-coated, which he says looks great for a few weeks, but looks horrible after six months when all the plastic has peeled off to reveal rusty steel.
Instead, he has galvanised all exterior steel parts that could be galvanised, including all cappings,
“I see my job as building the best possible Land Rovers I can – vehicles that will last”
pillars and mountings. Even the bonnet frame is galvanised – as can be seen when you pop the bonnet to admire the neat fitment of the 300Tdi engine and its ancillaries, including silicone hoses.
The seats are trimmed in a synthetic brown/ buff marine material usually used to upholster upmarket speed boats and which look and feel like leather. Terry made the door cards from the same stuff, bonded to fibre board.
The hood is mohair, which has no shrinkage issues and is harder-wearing and softer than traditional canvas. It was supplied by All Wheel Trim, of Oxford. The full tilt comprises heavy-duty bars. Meanwhile, rubber floor mats in a chequerplate finish are practical, look good and help with the sound-proofing. The stereo is standard.
“The whole vehicle is simple and not over the top,” says Terry. “It’s pretty standard. There’s no point in bolting on rubbish. That sort of thing was being done five years ago and it’s over the top. Luckily it’s going out of fashion these days.
“From the owner’s point of view it was important that it was reliable – hence the 300Tdi engine - and fun for the kids – hence the soft top. Besides the two rows of forward-facing seats, there are also dicky seats in the back.
“It was a pretty straightforward build and it took me about four months. The hardest bit was lining up the doors and getting the roof to fit.
“I see my job as building the best possible Land Rovers I can - vehicles that will last. Our typical customer is as much a classic car fan as a Land Rover enthusiast, but usually want a Land Rover that is both practical and will look good.
“They want vehicles that are drivable, so I will fit power steering and disc brakes to a Series I, if necessary. I like to do a modern take on old vehicles so that they are usable. Just lately we have been getting asked a lot for V8 petrol conversions. Petrol is making a comeback because of all the diesel scare mongering. Most of my clients aren’t bothered about the running costs of petrol.”
Terry has more fascinating projects on the go in his workshop, which I’m sure I’ll be back soon to check out. Situated close to Burnham Market and the increasinglyfashionable North Norfolk coast, he’s never short of wellheeled clients. He’s also full of practical solutions that turn the old Land Rovers we all love into viable and fun transport for modern traffic conditions. It’s a winning combination, all right.