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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
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