 | Home > Defender Celebration Series & Classic Works > Birmingham airport to Solihull factory |
 
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| Kitoper Member Since: 07 Dec 2012 Location: Geneva Posts: 204  
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Thank you Ada. Looking forward to meeting you. You will be the first person I meet working for LRE in Solihull. Cool!
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4th Dec 2015 7:17pm |
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| ericvv Member Since: 02 Jun 2011 Location: Near the Jet d'Eau Posts: 5816 
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Ada, don't worry. Take care of the Mrs. We will take a cab in that case.
Eric You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation. http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I https://vimeo.com/201482507 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw |
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6th Dec 2015 2:26pm |
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| adafish Member Since: 30 Mar 2009 Location: atherstone Posts: 1381  
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Update....I've just come in from overtime at work and I've been asked to work in another part of the factory next week..Means I'm on days and start at 7am,so would mean I can't get to the airport anyhow. I might be able to pop over to the BIW area of the tour and say hello...Sorry chaps...I'll try also to pop into the pub on way back home for a quick drink...It's only a stone throw from work anyhow....Enjoy tour and look out for all the limited edition 110/90s in car park on left when you drive in... Putting Dreams on Drives at JLR Solihull..
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6th Dec 2015 6:11pm |
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| ericvv Member Since: 02 Jun 2011 Location: Near the Jet d'Eau Posts: 5816
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Ada, no problem at all. Would be nice if we could see you in the afternoon after the tour for a drink together with LR90XS...
Just to make sure, if we tell a taxi driver to go to postcode B92 9EH, will that be clear enough for him to get us to gate D2? Eric You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation. http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I https://vimeo.com/201482507 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw |
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6th Dec 2015 6:19pm |
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| adafish Member Since: 30 Mar 2009 Location: atherstone Posts: 1381
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Just tell him gate D2 by Solihull Moors they'll know .... Putting Dreams on Drives at JLR Solihull..
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7th Dec 2015 9:38am |
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| ericvv Member Since: 02 Jun 2011 Location: Near the Jet d'Eau Posts: 5816
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Ok, right now exploring Solihull a bit... You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation.
http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I https://vimeo.com/201482507 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw |
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7th Dec 2015 10:46am |
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| Kitoper Member Since: 07 Dec 2012 Location: Geneva Posts: 204
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And pleasantly surprised
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7th Dec 2015 10:48am |
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| Kitoper Member Since: 07 Dec 2012 Location: Geneva Posts: 204
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Rob - Just a quick note to say thank you. It was a pleasure meeting you and seeing your 90. You look after her as well as we look after ours
Greatly appreciated the lift to the airport and be assured of a warm welcome to Switzerland and in the meantime enjoy the Swiss cow milk in the form of chocolate.  |
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8th Dec 2015 1:33pm |
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| ericvv Member Since: 02 Jun 2011 Location: Near the Jet d'Eau Posts: 5816
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Adding to kitoper comments. The tour was really a great experience. We had already a decent idea of what to expect as Land Rover have posted a multitude of pictures and movies of the production on the web, but seeing it first hand was even much better. The production line is a well trained people run logistics chain, everybody knows exactly what and when to do, but it is easy to understand that even this well trained group means that there is room for error.
We also learned a lot, for instance... A 110 SW has about 2360 spot welds, a 90 a few 100 less, a 130 a few 100 more. 
First thing that is bolted on to the chassis frame is the tow bar, last thing to be installed is the steering wheel, most difficult part to make is the bulkhead, and most modern panel construction technique is the rear quarter window panels which are made by a similar production technique as used for a RR today.... And somewhere around 15.00 hours the production line goes quiet (= full stop) for 10 minutes or so, as the entire gang goes to have their tea break. Not sure if they serve sandwiches and scones with the tea though. 
Further, the bottom of the doors and some panels after having been painted are injected with rust proofing wax which we could see leak out of the various painted panels sitting on the skid waiting to enter the production hall. Now why have I been Dinitrolling my truck already twice? Looks like overkill after this visit. 
Also according to our tour guide, the Defender goes in between the Range Rovers and the D4s on the very same paint shop line, so our Defenders are now as well painted as a D4 or a RRS, now you know it from a first hand source. 
Another interesting thing, our guide was adamant that there is no Defender that leaves the premises with a leak. If there would be a leak discovered it will get resolved prior to leaving the plant. Point was made multiple times that it is us here who with everything we later do with/to the trucks, are the cause of eventual leaks. Point well taken.
What was interesting is that since a number of years there is no more direct contact between steel and alu panels, we indeed saw that where panels of different metals would get welded into one unit, there is a kind of rubber greyish insulation strip put between the parts of different metals. Our guide did not exactly know when this started, I guess at least from the beginning of the Puma, maybe even later Td5 years already. Anybody know? The fact that production got extended well into January seems not because of an increased amount of orders, but more because of a number of delays in the subcontractors supply chain which have caused the production line a few times to come to a halt. They are producing about 120 Defenders per day monday to friday, believe in one single day shift (with at least one tea break as we saw first hand ). The daily rate seems not to have been increased because of extra orders, feels like they set a quota for this last year, and no more.
There was no risk to go nuts in the souvenir shop as some had forewarned us about, frankly apart from a poorly organised collection of jackets and T-shirts, and a few model trucks, there was not much more. At least would have expected a good collection of LR books, key chains, etc... Oh, and the auction next week of the 2.000.000th Defender is expected to reach a selling price of as high as 2.000.000£. Very interesting day which won't forget easily, and very nice to have met LR90XS Rob afterward. Eric You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation. http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I https://vimeo.com/201482507 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw Last edited by ericvv on 16th Dec 2015 8:02pm. Edited 4 times in total |
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8th Dec 2015 5:13pm |
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| LR90XS2011 Member Since: 05 Apr 2011 Location: bickenhill Posts: 3641 
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Gents
I'm pleased you enjoyed the tour and it was great to meet you both and have a chat, it was just a shame you didnt have more time to see the local sights. Thanks for the chocolates the Mrs had taken control of them so I'm unsure how many I will get to eat. all the best Rob DEFENDER 90 TDCI XS, I hope everyone is well and your land rovers make you happy |
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8th Dec 2015 5:54pm |
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| mse Member Since: 06 Apr 2008 Location: UK Posts: 5035 
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glad you had fun...it is good to see at least a little bit of blagging to make the tour experience real Mike
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8th Dec 2015 6:12pm |
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| Romadog Member Since: 07 Jul 2011 Location: Powys Posts: 1749 |
Well on friday........the original final tour date, myself and other 50th Anniversary fans will be there.
Bringing the old V8s back to Solihull...........mine could do with joining the production line by the rain tank to get a door fitting properly. An area LR dont like customers to see (mainly because RR customers dont understand that a hand built vehicle sometimes needs a manual tweek here and there )  |
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8th Dec 2015 7:20pm |
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| adafish Member Since: 30 Mar 2009 Location: atherstone Posts: 1381
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was there myself on the Friday and spotted all the 50th Defenders in car park at LRE. The black 110 had a nice plate on it to,was going to take a photo but Micheal BIshop usually does and then posts them on Solihull's FB page... Putting Dreams on Drives at JLR Solihull..
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13th Dec 2015 6:25pm |
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| Romadog Member Since: 07 Jul 2011 Location: Powys Posts: 1749 |
Thank you for your comments
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15th Dec 2015 7:00pm |
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