Defender “Black” 110 county station wagon.
This Defender was not built just for show. Since it was bought new in 2003 this Defender has been on many off-road trips around the U.K. including Wales and The Lake District. More recently it has been on a trip deep into Namibia with Impala Adventures taking on the formidable “Van Zyl’s Pass”. It is now being made ready for its first trip into Morocco. As well as being used as a true off-road expedition vehicle, its owner, Paul also uses it on road trips to follow Formula 1 to Silverstone and The Le Mans 24 Hr. With both of its fridges and Solar power Paul doesn’t have a problem keeping his beer cool.
You can see a full article of this Defender in the August 2004 edition of Land Rover Monthly.
Showing off its accessories after part 1 of its upgrades:
A fuel tank guard and rear diff guard/slider was fitted to help protect the under side whilst off-roading on its future expeditions.
Since this picture a Mobile Storage systems drawer and chest has been added along with an extra fridge. The Dog guard has been utilised for extra carrying and storage with bespoke made elasticated netting.
A bespoke Rear Winch Bumper (the predecessor to the “Tech 7000 series”) was manufactured from 8mm/6mm steel to cater for a rear mounted hydraulic winch. The bumper also gives massive protection to the rear of the Defender. Whilst it does increase the rear overhang, this hasn’t been a problem.
Pro-comp 6” and Pro-comp 8” stainless steel spot lights adorn the front of the roof rack giving fantastic night drive lighting.
Specialist sand ladders from Impala Adventures are mounted to one side of the roof rack. Defender anti-loose pins have been used to make the sand ladders easily accessible but secure.
With all of the suspension upgrades the break over angle is now a lot better and improves the off-road performance and ability.
Suspension travel is restricted very slightly by anti-roll bars but as this shows it still has enough to keep most of its feet on the ground. T/C also helps greatly in this department.
Front steering guards help in extreme off-road conditions. It also has fitted the Bearmach heavy duty Drag link and Track rod which flex if bumped.
The Hydraulic front winch is mounted in a Bearmach heavy duty front winch bumper with integral A-bar, which houses a couple of Pro-Comp 6” Stainless Steel spot lights.
Specially mounted rock sliders have been mounted further out to give better body side protection. This proved useful on its first out, saving the body side from damage. Also visible is the Tank guard which protects the hydraulic tank mounted und the sill. This tank provides the hydraulic fluid for the P.T.O. hydraulic pump used to power both the front and rear winches.
Roof mounted Solar panels (these have recently been upgraded to 2 massive panels) provide extra battery charging for the auxiliary battery. Useful if the vehicle is parked up for a while with fridges or external lighting being used. These solar panels are very tough and can be walked on.
Not forgetting creature comforts on those long drives. A 7” flip power out screen provides all the info for the C.D. Stacker, Digital Radio and Sat Nav system which will take you anywhere in Europe. The A/C and leather heated seats are both factory fitted though are still available aftermarket.
All of these modifications make this “Defender Black” not only a formidable off-road and expedition vehicle, but also a dream to use with exceptional comfort.
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