Wildtrackers VampyreBATT

When you see custom builds in the mags, they throw words around like 'beast' & 'monster' far too often, probably to try and liven up a run-of-the-mill project. This Land Rover is no run-of-the-mill project. And it's not even a monster. It's an out-right, titan! The vehicle was originally a Land Rover 130, so it started out quite big. There's not very much Defender left though, the underwhelming and noisy diesel engine swapped out for a 410 Horsepower Chevy Engine, straight from a corvette. This thing will shift like a Bat, hence the name!

• Roll cage...fully demountable in 3 sections depending on what is required.
• Tilt cover over cage for weather protection. Removable in 3 sections as per roll cage.
• 12 volt on board power to front and rear platforms
• 240 volt on board power...(underslung/removable 2.1KVA generator.)
• Roof mounting points for Pursuit Arm crane or Russian Arm.
• Extra platform for front and rear.
• Extra plating for bonnet and roof to enable them to be used as platforms.
• Scaffold fittings for rear deck when roll cage is removed.
• Peltor Wireless Dectcom intercom system linked to unit radio comms.

• Front mounted winch to enable vehicle to act as re-positionable crane base for difficult locations and for self loading of kit onto rear.

The mods didn't stop there though, The Land Rover axles were swapped for Dynatrac replacements, brake calipers from an Aston Martin were fitted and to add even more class, a Rolls Royce Merlin engine starter button was thrown into the build. Wildtrackers describe this as a rally raid vehicle built for filming and from the brands and specs they've used, you can see why.

The cab of the 130 remained, though a custom dash was installed which houses all the connectors and inputs for directors to sit in a co-drive seat and monitor what's being filmed. The back of the Land Rover has a large custom aluminium bed which will provide a good base for crane and jib shots on the move. The landy has more connectors and power outlets fitted around the back. Twin shocks have been added on all four corners to help maintain the shock performance when seeing heavy, aggressive use.

The rear load bed has been cleverly designed to offer lot's of set-up configurations. Seats can be attached using a neat cargo rail mod. The entire rear flatbed can be enclosed with a cage, which offers both protection and more camera mounting options. The cage has been shaped so a platfrom can be bolted over the bonnet for a camera operator to sit on.

Not content with having the ability to mount the camera almost anywhere on the vehicle whilst being able to carry half a dozen burly TV crew, the designers went one step further. The VampyreBatt also doubles as a transporter for the smaller VampyreQuad vehicle. What a Land Rover!

Camera Tracking's Land Rover 127

Off-road tracking

Anybody know which beach this is?

And it keeps going on the rougher stuff, even with those A/T tyres.

The 3.9 V8 127 tracking a Datsun

Either they've been pulled or they're filming for The Interceptors on Channel 5.

The crew plot their next move

Here's a 110 Pick-up that's been converted to run on rails - interesting.

It would appear this vehicle has now been retired, after clocking up around 200,000 miles. This vehicle is based around a 3.9 V8 127" chassis. In the cab you find LCD monitors for the driver & director as well as a 4-way walkie talkie system with 6 portable walkie-takies linked into that.

All rigged up with a large crane and what appears to be ballast / storage on the front.

The vehicle has 12V ports around it's body and the camera can be mounted in a variety of positions due to the roll cage and rear-low-level-platform. This can be lowered to just 8 inches from ground - which is close enough on the rough stuff. Unfortunately, this Land Rover has now been retired - but if it's for sale, please do contact us

Seen any unusual Land Rover conversions? Email us: hello@funrover.com

eBay

When researching products and parts, eBay is usually one of the first places you should stop. There are several custom made snow ploughs (though you may have to search for the american-english snow plow, notice the spelling!) that have been designed to fit 4x4's, if not specifically Land Rovers. They look to be very high quality, usually finished in a fluorescent yellow for safety reasons, but the designs vary from supplier to supplier.

Monty007cat

Monty007cat builds some seriously high quality snow ploughs for Land Rovers. They manufacture 2 different types, a manually operated model, or a plough that can be adjusted via a winch.

Manual

The design of the montycat stuff is excellent. It's elegantly simple and looks brilliant. The manually operated plough mounts to adapters that literally bolt straight onto the Defender's chassis. This design should fit any 90, 110, 130 and Series 1, 2 & 3 models. The only slight caveat is Defenders with Air-con fitted will require the A-Bar modifying slightly due to the grill which is placed further out on these models.

The plough itself is made of sturdy 4mm steel, which is obviously very strong and rugged. You needn't worry about accidentally scooping up rocks. With 5 different positions for the blade, this plow is extremely flexible and will suit most surfaces and ground undulations. The blade is locked in place using a removable pin. The best part of this design is that it uses 2 tow balls mounted to the A-Bar brackets, allowing the whole thing to pivot up and down, as well as 'floating' with the surface it is ploughing. Using tow balls means removal of the entire blade takes less than a minute, but the fixing remains in place for a quick re-fit. The two caster like wheels are attached to adjustable hacks, again given more flexibility for the area being cleared. Along the lower edge of the plough sits a rubber strip (that is removable and replaceable). This strip flexes along with the ground, creating a snug fit and peeling snow up to the cutting edge of the actual plough. These strips should be viewed as consumables due to contact with the ground.

Driving with a plough on the front of a Defender is quite tough, as the edges could be obscured when the plough is lowered, so each end has a marker for the driver (and other motorists) to clearly see the sides of the blade.  Adjusting the up and down position of the manual blade is done via ratchet strap, though a small winch could be fitted to this model for remote adjusting (for example, from the cab). The whole unit is finished in a high-vis yellow coating for protection, as well as to help keep the plow surface clear of snow.

Winch-Operated

There are numerous advantages to the winch powered Snow Plough. Firstly, you can raise the blade remotely. This makes the blade much easier (and warmer) to operate. Secondly, the winch model fits to a Terrafirma winch bumper, and as such, should couple to the Discovery version of the bumper too. Thirdly, it means you won't have to remove any winches currently fitted to bolt on the plough. Montycat are able to supply the bumper in question separately, should your own winch bumper not be compatible. It appears to be the very same plough design as the manually operated model, with slight variations due to the winch bumper mounting.

As before, the plough mounts using two tow balls and can be adjusted to five different positions. It has the same adjustable wheel jacks and side markers, as well as the leading edge rubber strip. The only difference is the a-bar has gone, replaced with an a-shaped yoke on top of the blade which the winch hook attaches to. The blade is then able to raise and lower with the power of the winch, whilst removal will be no more complicated or lengthy. A great design and 2 excellent looking products!

Bunce Snow Ploughs

Bunce (Ashbury) Ltd are Britain's oldest manufacturer of snow clearing equipment. Founded in 1896, Bunce are now offering a lightweight 4x4 snow plough for clearing 'light snow'. This lightweight plough will suit only Defenders as the suspension fitted to standard Discoveries and Freelancers is not robust enough.

The Bunce blade is actually made of a lightweight polymer skin, bolted to a steel skeleton that keeps the blade light but very strong. The leading edge is fitted with 4 sprung wearing squeegees. The plough has a hydraulic lifting arm and stabilizer bar, for remote operation, and the unit can be manually angled left or right using a hand pump. To keep the whole plough moving, behind the blade sit a pair of heigh adjustable castor wheels. The Bunce literature however states this is only ideal for light snow. A number of optional extras are available, such as rubber squeegees, a safety guard and an electro-hydraulic power pack to replace the hand pump

Jake Wright Snow Plough

Jake Wright Land Rovers sell their own 2 metre wide snow plough. There's not a great deal of information on the site, but it appears to include an a-bar for fitting to the bumper and the plough can be made to raise or lower with an optional hydraulic extra.

Here's some Land Rovers fitted with ploughs:

FunRover reader Bill from 4x4 Scotland sent us this shot

Bill's using Snow Way 22 Series ploughs which look fantastic!

Update: Snow Plough Legalities

We couldn't find any specific legal information on the use of snow ploughs. Nothing about side markers, using amber lights e.t.c or atleast nothing specific. So one of our team sent an email off to the the Department of Transport in the UK.

Here's the reply we received:

Thank you for your email of 10 November regarding the use of a snow plough fitted to the front of your vehicle.

Although the regulations in the Construction and Use Regulations 1986 (as amended) do not explicitly specify a ban on a detachable snow ploughs, there is a regulation (No 100) that prohibits anything which might be dangerous. Regulation 100 states:

(1) A motor vehicle, every trailer drawn thereby and all parts and accessories of such vehicle and trailer shall at all times be in such condition, and the number of passengers carried by such vehicle or trailer, the manner in which any passengers are carried in or on such vehicle or trailer, and the weight, distribution, packing and adjustment of the load of such vehicle or trailer shall at all times be such, that no danger is caused or is likely to be caused to any person in or on the vehicle or trailer or on a road.
(2) The load carried by a motor vehicle or trailer shall at all times be so secured, if necessary by physical restraint other than its own weight, and be in such a position, that neither danger nor nuisance is likely to be caused to any person or property by reason of the load or any part thereof falling or being blown from the vehicle or by reason of any other movement of the load or any part thereof in relation to the vehicle.
(3) No motor vehicle or trailer shall be used for any purpose for which it is so unsuitable as to cause or be likely to cause danger or nuisance to any person in or on the vehicle or trailer or on a road.

In our opinion, a detachable snow plough for the front of a Land Rover Defender is unlikely to be considered a danger. However, this is our view of the regulations and it should be treated purely as advice since it is ultimately for the courts to determine whether or not the legislation has been breached. Enforcement of these regulations is a matter for the Police and/or VOSA. If you remain unsure of your compliance with the law we recommend you seek independent expert (perhaps legal) advice to assist you.

So, fundamentally, a plough should be fine. Just make sure to take pre-cautions i.e. make sure any plough or make or purchase is high-vis yellow, has proper side markers and if you are travelling at slow speeds, consider using amber beacons if local legislation allows.

In part 2 of this post, we'll look at salt gritters, and then in part 3, we'll design our own plough that could be built with some simple DIY tools.

You may have seen these before as metal MOD parts fitted to Wolf Military Land Rovers, but MUD have reworked the design to create their very own ABS vent.

These vents stop snow, mud & water from entering the win-top heater intake, maintaining optimal heater performance, which is crucial when the mercury heads below zero. MUD's snow cowls will also help prevent a sludgy build up (and eventual blockage) in the bottom of the heater inlet pipe.

The MOD cowls are much more susceptible to damage, as MUD made their cowl from a flexible, tough ABS plastic. Supplied with extra long, stainless steel screws to cater for those with chequer plate kits, these vents are available now for both RHD & LHD models.

MUD Snow Cowls are available now for only £35.00 inc VAT. Check it out on MUD STUFF. We'll be purchasing one soon for review. You can view our reviews of other MUD products here & here.

As part of our commitment to continued public service, we're looking to procure a workshop in 2012. We want somewhere we can work on the Landy, but more importantly, that can be used as a photo studio at the same time. We've searched high and low for something suitable but are really struggling. So, we've decided to ask the FunRover community for a little help. If you own or know of a yard, lock-up, workshop, unit or similar that suits the below, please get in touch with us.

Here's what we're after:

• A lock-up, yard, workshop, unit, double garage, corner of a warehouse or similar (even a piece of land or field will do)
• Somewhere we are able to work on the Land Rover - so any buildings must have reasonable access for a vehicle
• We have a budget but will discuss this via email
• Somewhere within range of the following:

Cleckheaton is the centre-point of this map roughly

If you, or anyone you know can help, please contact us here

FunRover Reader Jame's gives us a run down of his Project 90 respray

I had been looking for a 90 for a while. I have had Range Rovers, and a Disco but still wanted a 90/Defender, so when this one was offered to me I thought....why not?

In a way, I kind of wished I had bought another disco or RR, but then I would have still wanted a defender! It had 6 moths MOT, and was priced at £2999, I took it for a test drive and it seemed to drive ok, I had a good look round the chassis and spotted a couple of holes.

Just to make sure, i got him to put it through another MOT, just to see what it threw up.

The holes in the chassis were not a fail, but he welded them up anyway as they came up as an advisory, the top mount on the front shock was a fail, so that was replaced, it threw up a couple of other advisory issues, seat belts frayed, and other small items.
But other than that, 12 months MOT.

The previous owner had a "squabble" with an ex and it had some paint stripper poured over the side. So that will need to be sorted.

I have decided that I like the satin black look

So thats what I am aiming for.

First job was to check out the rear x member, as it had some suspicious looking checker plate

All clean, so a coat of satin black to cover up any bare metal and result

I will be taking it back to bare metal and giving it a proper paint job.

I decided to start on the black paint job, this will not be a pro effort, It's a small budget project so the less I can spend the better.

Had a bit of a reaction I need to take back and re-do.

I found a good set of checker plate on ebay, and that will be shot blasted and sprayed black.

I am still looking at a long list of jobs, but I will take them one day at a time

It will make a good project I think.

What do you think to James' 90 Project?

Not sure what's going on here, but they've taken the time to remove snow from the windows, registration plate and main car body but left half a tonne of snow on the roof?

A really well timed picture, an LR22 Range Rover Vogue sits stranded whilst a P38 toodles past. Driving in snowy & icy conditions requires extreme concentration, not paying attention for a few seconds can be the difference between driving and sliding into a rather deep ditch.

Another angle. That's quite a drop and would have caught the driver by surprise no doubt!

This Range Rover Classic was parked up on a beach and before

There's a rather interesting story behind this stolen 110 Hicap. Apparently the drunken miscreants stole the vehicle, took it onto a golf course, where they promptly crashed and were found the next day asleep in the back, dressed as pirates (ED:???). Explain that on the insurance form.

Here's a Freelander that found itself victim of a tide and soft sand. Needless to say, the vehicle was written off.

The incident happened back in 2006, and the Freelander was brand new at the time. That's £20,000 stuck in the mud and totally ruined. Ouch! The tracks leading up to it are from an attempted rescue team of trucks, who themselves became stuck.

Unfortunately, the vehicle couldn't be rescued in time and spent a whole day in the drink, before it was rescued the next morning.

This pool is very deceptive, it looks like a nice shallow puddle, but in actual fact can swallow an entire 110 whole. Rule number one, if in doubt, get out.... and walk the route. Muddy water is always an unknown quantity due to zero visibility.

Not sure about the details here, that ground looks pretty solid under the truck, so it's going to take a large amount of digging and scraping to get this trailer free. Let's just say, the newness will have well and truly worn off.

Another 110 get's stuck in a soft pond bed. Mud at the bottom of these tends to be super slick and often just straight-up clay. You need to keep forward momentum, otherwise, you'll find yourself paddling like this owner.

If you've ever wondered what JATE rings are for on military Land Rover's, they can be used to lift the vehicle, complete with a trailer already attached if needed. If only we had a chinook, the practical jokes you could play...

Have you found yourself in a tricky situation with your Land Rover? Ever found your Landy stuck in an 'inconvenient development'. Feel free to share it with the FunRover community.

That said, the initial concept isn't really winning many admirers. We've sifted through countless FaceBook, Twitter & forum posts, all in an effort to try and gauge the reaction of Land Rover owners to the DC100. The overwhelming response? We've found maybe 5% of the Land Rover world like it. That's not exactly the best start. So, why exactly has this new design been such a controversial move? The DC100 doesn't relate to the current Defender design in any way. It's like the designers just started from scratch. 60 years of history have seemingly been wiped out and a vehicle that will sit within the current Land Rover line-up has been made.

So, we've assembled the most iconic shapes and panels of a Defender, to try and help Land Rover incorporate a little more of the past and hopefully win over Landy nuts.

Front Wings

The front wings of a Defender are almost irreplaceable. Unless of-course, you really want to replace them, in which case the whole thing separates into two parts and they simply bolt on with a few nuts.

This design is brilliant. It means removal / repairs are very speedy and also allows for swapping simply the side panel if needed. The flat shape is perfect for attaching accessories and chequer plate for example. Unfortunately, the new Defender seems to lose this practical, chunky design in favour of a more rounded (granted, aerodynamic), shaped and formed wing, which looks like it will be quite a pain to remove with basic tools.

Side Doors

Just like the first ever prototype Land Rover, the body panels of a 2011-Plate Defender are simple. Simple in construction, appearance and function. There's no complicated trim on the inside either, meaning doors can be swapped out in 10 minutes. The hinges are designed to set the alignment of the panel, but these do tend to corrode.

The DC100 lacks any kind of body furniture (such as the sticky-out, almost useless door handles & locks) or the chunky, blocky hinges that sit proudly just behind the wheel arches.

Windscreen

The design of the Defender is quite complicated, with rain gutters, seals, seams, hinges, rivets, door mirrors and general screws dotted about and yet it still manages to look quite minimal and simplistic. We love the subtly curved windscreen mounts and that rain gutter (complete with a tiny, pizza shaped notch to drain water). There's nothing on a Defender that doesn't perform some sort of function, or at least offer practical value.

Bulkhead

The bulkhead corners are one of worst places to get rust, but they are also one of the most intricate and detailed. Lot's of curves meet here to create the sub-structure. The Defender designers clearly were inspired by Land Rovers of old.

Rear-Tub

Finally, the rear tub. The capping on the end of the bodywork help to add rigidity and also mean the tub can be part disassembled to replace panels. However, with this sort of edging, complete with rivets, the designers created a really industrial look and feel. The raised bar that sits just below the rear panel is the surface that soft-top roof hooks are mounted.

Putting it all together

So, now to put it all together. The DC100 is perhaps just a bit too far ahead of it's time. The Defender has, and always will be, 20 years behind in terms of design. The jump Land Rover have made is too big, but there are changes and tweaks they could make to the new concept car to reflect more of the vehicle's past. So, we've incorporated everything that makes a Defender into the PR photos.

Here's the changes outlined. Click the image for a higher resolution sample.

What do you think to our "Defender 2", based more upon the original Defender? Would you buy it? How would you design the Defender's replacement?

Here's a video of it in action against a standard, heated windscreen:

And in general use

Note this is at -18 degrees celcius, more than cold enough to freeze your door locks and doors themselves shut. Don't forget to check our winter prep guide for Land Rovers

Heatshot is a windscreen washer fluid heating system. Essentially, you hard-wire the 24 or 12V device under the bonnet. Start your engine (or just the ignition) and 30 seconds later, you have fluid that has been heated to a pre-determind temperature (between 125 – 135°F). Integrating with your existing washer system, it can be used when the vehicle is stationary or in motion, by using your existing washer jets. The benefits of this system are you can simply jump in your cab, wait 30 seconds, clear your screen and set off on your winter adventure! Plus, when travelling on the roads, the heated solution is much more effective at clearing grease, oil, bird droppings and insects that normally present quite a challenge for the Defenders wipers.

Heatshot has been designed to not crack the windscreen, damage paint work or raise potential burning issues and so it's very safe. The Heatshot site says it's an easy DIY fit and offers various advantages over using De-icer, screenwash fluid, heated windscreens e.t.c

• Cleans the windscreen
• Releases stuck wipers
• Clears frozen nozzles
• Prolongs the life of the wiper blades
• Uses heated fluid
• Heats quickly and efficiently
• Functions at a standstill and on the move
• Works in all types of weather

For more information, check out the Heatshot site. We'll try to pick one up for review soon.

Our first thoughts are to work on a steering guard, but we want to know what you'd like from a steering guard. Our guard will be entering the design process over the weekend and we have some ideas of unique features, but what would you like to see from a new steering guard? We've been thinking about integrating perhaps light mountings, heavy duty jacking / recovery points, but what else? Should a guard do anything more than protect your crucial steering component? Do you prefer more aggressive looking designs? Or more practical, rugged even road biased looks? Would you even consider purchasing products from a FunRover brand?

You can let us know by filling in the below form and sending us your opinions. By the way, we've got lots more exciting new updates for you all on the way! Stay tuned.

I put together a brief write up about my time yesterday at the LA Auto Show, and I thought you and FunRover readers might find it a fun read!

I was at the LA Auto show today for about the half the day, during press days before it opens to the public on Saturday. I spent an hour one-on-one with Richard Woolley, Studio Director of Advanced Design at Land Rover, discussing the DC 100 while looking over the actual car. (see attached images below)

I let him know that I wasn't talking to him as a professional, but as a Series Rover owner, and one who loves the Land Rover marquee. He was very excited to talk to me, and I think the amount of time we spent together during the opening day of the show, one-on-one, bears that out.

I talked with him about the front end, and how to turn the rounded shape into something that resembles the iconic defender/series front end. I talked with him about making some changes to the area under the wind screen to mimic the scuttle vents, and complimented him on the re-worked roof including lines resembling the ribs in the original series roof. I suggested alpine windows, and several other areas to tie the design into the iconic series/defender design ideal. Richard was incredibly receptive and appreciative throughout, indicating that they had a couple of the same ideas on other DC 100's back in the studio and were working to incorporate them into further design studies for upcoming shows. He is really keen on making sure that the re-engineered DC 100 directly incorporates the heritage, design status, and utility of the series/defender models.

On that note, after nearly and hour, I told Richard I wanted to get down to brass tacks. I asked him if this was intended for the north american market, and he told me that yes, they are going to focus on the US. He also said that the model will scale to a LWB version(regular, station wagon,double cab), diesel, and that he in particular is focused on delivering what the rover community in the US is asking for: Manual transmission, diesel, CDL, and an interior that you can clean with a hose. He said not only would this be good for the enthusiast community in the US/Cananda, but would also be a great update for developing countries as well. He owns a series rover himself, and understands. Granted, he isn't the president of the company, but he firmly believes in Land Rover, what they have stood for, and what they can CONTINUE to be. We even talked about birmabright and continuing to use the same sized brass drain plugs in the 3rd members!

All in all, I left the conversation incredibly heartened. I think Richard actually has a clue, and is endeavoring to carry on the design and utility legacy of the series/defender land rover marquee that we all care so deeply about. He asked me to stay in touch with him directly to continue our conversation, and I have to say I'm pretty excited about that!

What do you think to the DC100?