Hi I am Mark from Essex & just over 2 weeks ago I picked up a tidy low mileage Defender Hard Top TD5 X-Tech or Larry for short.
My reason for coming back after so long?
After many years in the Subaru - modified - performance car scene I needed a van type vehicle for the next 18 months to 2 years to do a bit of ducking & diving that has bomb proof (I hope) depreciation combined with being a practical load lugger & with a hint of AWD for some fun. I could have gone the Caddy or Connect route but when I come to sell I want a quick sale & didn't want to lose a shed load of money just trying to shift it. Land Rovers seem to hold their value & the sites I have been watching have had a steady turnover of sales.
The last LR I had was about 20 years ago, an old petrol Series IIA, which bounced around on leaf springs belching smoke & leaving a trail of oil behind it. I was Chairman of the local CB radio Radio Emergency Action Citizen Team (REACT) which liaised with the local police & helped out as & when requested. Please excuse the grainy pictures they didn't have digital back then.![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Larry came from Land Rovers UK in Somerset with a full service history & although on a Y plate had only 58k miles under his Boost alloys. Pretty much everything had already been fitted that I would have had on my list of things to do. Traction control, ABS, full length side steps, rear step & hitch, A-frame & Spots, cubby box, locking storage box with drawer, dog guard/bulkhead divider, chequer plate protection kit, mud flaps, Alpine roof windows, sun roof & acoustic lined front rubber mat.
Coming from a modifying background & to give a bit more leg room the old steering wheel had to go & was replaced with 345mm of Italian leather loveliness
Before & Afters in the rear.
Just waiting for the weather to improve so I can stick the side pieces down as it's either too cold or too damp for gluing.
To keep the other half happy I let her pick the spare wheel cover design. Don't think she did too bad a job.![Wink ;) ;)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
To the mud plugging, bog busting rough riders Larry is probably way too civilised & sensible but please be gentle with me as I have just parted from my precious Stealth Wagon after 9 years of ownership & I am still feeling a little fragile. :cry:
![B.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2FB.jpg&hash=4595c9591941760576b1a3f205df9896)
![P.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2FP.jpg&hash=4eb8d2f941635ec3f1bda3b2f9e3ea6e)
![Q.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2FQ.jpg&hash=8f930e0e1fdc2acbf4a68c196547fe1e)
My reason for coming back after so long?
After many years in the Subaru - modified - performance car scene I needed a van type vehicle for the next 18 months to 2 years to do a bit of ducking & diving that has bomb proof (I hope) depreciation combined with being a practical load lugger & with a hint of AWD for some fun. I could have gone the Caddy or Connect route but when I come to sell I want a quick sale & didn't want to lose a shed load of money just trying to shift it. Land Rovers seem to hold their value & the sites I have been watching have had a steady turnover of sales.
The last LR I had was about 20 years ago, an old petrol Series IIA, which bounced around on leaf springs belching smoke & leaving a trail of oil behind it. I was Chairman of the local CB radio Radio Emergency Action Citizen Team (REACT) which liaised with the local police & helped out as & when requested. Please excuse the grainy pictures they didn't have digital back then.
![img002.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2Fimg002.jpg&hash=af38737884dd61fd73b261df0bae4d71)
![img003.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2Fimg003.jpg&hash=a5978e604b574328c3edc83ff6985f79)
![img004.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2Fimg004.jpg&hash=50aa60de1465ae864469581bc498ec67)
Larry came from Land Rovers UK in Somerset with a full service history & although on a Y plate had only 58k miles under his Boost alloys. Pretty much everything had already been fitted that I would have had on my list of things to do. Traction control, ABS, full length side steps, rear step & hitch, A-frame & Spots, cubby box, locking storage box with drawer, dog guard/bulkhead divider, chequer plate protection kit, mud flaps, Alpine roof windows, sun roof & acoustic lined front rubber mat.
Coming from a modifying background & to give a bit more leg room the old steering wheel had to go & was replaced with 345mm of Italian leather loveliness
![luvlove.gif](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.ibsrv.net%2Fibsrv%2Fres%2Fsrc%3Abbs.scoobynet.com%2Fget%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Fluvlove.gif&hash=17f52bb06c070a8a931106ffab4ccc2a)
![LARRY002Medium.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2FLARRY002Medium.jpg&hash=04e72d27fadb26daa14e7d68cdb9864f)
![LARRY.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2FLARRY.jpg&hash=5abf1309c068d2f9cab447f789e7d5f4)
![LARRY005Medium.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2FLARRY005Medium.jpg&hash=e98e1932564fd18848b1a3cc2e40ad36)
Before & Afters in the rear.
![REARINT2Small.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2FREARINT2Small.jpg&hash=e1a6e7f6140ef41c45a3c3562a2b9ec4)
![REARINT2ASmall.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2FREARINT2ASmall.jpg&hash=c0d19a69e88a539fd45140dccf70fd00)
![REARINT3Small.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2FREARINT3Small.jpg&hash=a8b4c62e61946b474a11e15eff980ba7)
![REARINT3ASmall.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2FREARINT3ASmall.jpg&hash=95e8cc6254050ea8df4e55061d3bea72)
Just waiting for the weather to improve so I can stick the side pieces down as it's either too cold or too damp for gluing.
To keep the other half happy I let her pick the spare wheel cover design. Don't think she did too bad a job.
![WOLFWHEELCOVER.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FLARRY%2520THE%2520LAND%2520ROVER%2FWOLFWHEELCOVER.jpg&hash=bdda7c3b2423eb230d6fc3cae28470a3)
To the mud plugging, bog busting rough riders Larry is probably way too civilised & sensible but please be gentle with me as I have just parted from my precious Stealth Wagon after 9 years of ownership & I am still feeling a little fragile. :cry:
![PBCARS9Medium.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FCAR%2520MEMORIES%2FPBCARS9Medium.jpg&hash=b31f4a0168ace0d38d564eb6b6a2f2e6)
![calender006.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FCAR%2520MEMORIES%2Fcalender006.jpg&hash=81e1edb6ac16aa17535654593eb25060)
![STEALTHONTHEROAD.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi284.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fll37%2FFlatEricIII%2FCAR%2520MEMORIES%2FSTEALTHONTHEROAD.jpg&hash=09c2cad32e5748515d085b6ea7adaea2)