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T1G UP

Member Since: 08 Dec 2009
Location: Bath
Posts: 3101

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Orkney Grey

Earlier this month i took a D4 round eastnor.

Now i know its non scratchy and designed so they can get round without bottoming out etc but i was very impressed with the GUBBINS on the D4.

with the locking rear diff and in the right setting i couldn't get it stuck! It would certainly beat a puma on some of the sections.and definately beat it for comfort

28th Jun 2011 7:37am

DefenderOfTheEarth

Member Since: 09 Nov 2010
Location: Cornwall, UK
Posts: 1304

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Tonga Green

AndrewS - are big roofs lights and stickers not considered "heavy modding" then?

No doubt the Disco is good off road and sometimes "better" than a Defender but I still don't want one. I believe that's not called being "wrong" it's called "having an opinion."

You CANNOT get up our driveway (150 yards, 1 in 3 slope) with anything other than a decent 4x4 in Winter or even a heavy downpour. Even our "garden/smallholding" is a challenge for any 4x4 (yep - we regularly drive around it!), we tow a boat with it, pull trees across our land, fill it with logs, grit, building stuff, drag cars out of ditches, green lane it in numerous areas of Cornwall and Devon and even some of the surf spots we access need a good 4x4. Sure I don't stop and take a photo every time we "use" it - that's because I'm busy USING the 110, not desperately trying to tell my suburban mates (proper rural here see) how "extreme" I am like some of you seem so keen to do.

I taught new staff members the basics of off roading when a Geotech engineer where we pushed our 110s to extreme limits - if we got stuck, a JCB would pull us out. Yes some (or probably many) here are more experienced but I notice most of them don't shout about it - just stick up some great pics of a major trip after the event and let the pics do the talking. These are the people I want to listen to. I would name names but then some self proclaimed off road God would get uppity and feel left out.

There's a small group on here that need to look at themselves very carefully - the ones that insult constantly, the snidey ones, the patronising ones, the ones always trying to one up everyone else - most live in the Home Counties, most probably think extreme off roading is a pootle around Leith Hill. Get real, enjoy your LR (whatever it is) and try to control the vitriolic guff spewing from your gobs.

The internet is full of keyboard warriors trying to one up each other - it takes seconds to work out they are seriously insecure, have no "real" mates and cry themselves the sleep every night. Defender 110XS SW gone... now VW California 180 4 Motion.

28th Jun 2011 8:36am

ken

Member Since: 18 Aug 2009
Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !!
Posts: 4328

DotE

Just out of interest have you tried wintertyres for your BMW it may surprise you

28th Jun 2011 8:59am

AndrewS

Member Since: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3709

2013 Defender 130 Puma 2.2 SW Rimini Red

Winter tyres what are those then

130's have feeling's as well you know

28th Jun 2011 9:03am

DefenderOfTheEarth

Member Since: 09 Nov 2010
Location: Cornwall, UK
Posts: 1304

ken wrote:
DotE

Just out of interest have you tried wintertyres for your BMW it may surprise you

Ken - I haven't but I have tried a 320d with them fitted - definitely work very well.

Because we have the 110 and it hardly snows much here, I'd rather just leave the BM on the driveway in snow and ice! The Conti SC3s are pretty good 95% of the time but I have had some cringeworthy moments in it - the worst being parking nose into a fence on the slight (VERY slight) downhill incline in a grassy car park. It was slightly damp but I thought nothing of it - reversed and ...spun the wheels. Disable traction (which has got me out of a few dodgy areas) - no joy. I had to be pushed out by two slightly sniggering blokes - ARGGGHHH!!

Not sure if it's worth changing the rubber for just a month or so? Assume you have some? Vredesteins seem highly regarded. Defender 110XS SW gone... now VW California 180 4 Motion.

28th Jun 2011 9:08am

ken

Member Since: 18 Aug 2009
Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !!
Posts: 4328

Without starting a debate I'd recomend then (they arnt snow tyres they are Winter tyres both very different)

Give them ago from Oct onwards to Mar they will work

Those dutch tyres well lets not go there BMWs work well on Contis / Pirelli

28th Jun 2011 9:13am

DefenderOfTheEarth

Member Since: 09 Nov 2010
Location: Cornwall, UK
Posts: 1304

I might well do - did seriously consider them last Winter but left the icy driving to the 110.

It is quite warm down here - next door has palm trees in the garden and they used to grow grapes outside on the land here (ex working nursery - Queen Victoria apparently bought some!). We tend to get a few days ice/snow then that's it - but aware that Winter tyres also work well in generally poor conditions. Defender 110XS SW gone... now VW California 180 4 Motion.

28th Jun 2011 9:16am

scotty38

Member Since: 21 May 2011
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 571

2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Aintree Green

DefenderOfTheEarth wrote:
ken wrote:
DotE

Just out of interest have you tried wintertyres for your BMW it may surprise you

Ken - I haven't but I have tried a 320d with them fitted - definitely work very well.

Because we have the 110 and it hardly snows much here, I'd rather just leave the BM on the driveway in snow and ice! The Conti SC3s are pretty good 95% of the time but I have had some cringeworthy moments in it - the worst being parking nose into a fence on the slight (VERY slight) downhill incline in a grassy car park. It was slightly damp but I thought nothing of it - reversed and ...spun the wheels. Disable traction (which has got me out of a few dodgy areas) - no joy. I had to be pushed out by two slightly sniggering blokes - ARGGGHHH!!

Not sure if it's worth changing the rubber for just a month or so? Assume you have some? Vredesteins seem highly regarded.

Vredestein Wintrac Extremes on my 530 last winter and an absolutely amazing difference. Never got stuck once although the very poor ground clearance was a limiting factor if I wanted to keep my bodywork in place.....

28th Jun 2011 9:27am

NoDo$h

Member Since: 18 Aug 2007
Location: Buried in deer guts in Dorset
Posts: 972

DefenderOfTheEarth wrote:
AndrewS - are big roofs lights and stickers not considered "heavy modding" then?

Err, no. Modding is usually taken to mean changing the physical abilities through lift kits, extreme tyres etc.

But to challenge your assumptions:

Stickers - Andrew was taking part in a well publicised charity event. Pretty much mandatory to slap on the stickers. A good example is my D3 shown here on the Help for Heroes European Rally I did last year. The first hour at the start is spent applying a huge bag of sponsors stickers. Works too - we've raised over £250k in just two years with that rally.

Click image to enlarge

And here it is in a more "vanilla" guise, on my back from 12 hours on call with Wessex 4x4 Response, helping keep the main county hospital open, ferrying staff, medical and path. supplies around the county.

Click image to enlarge

As for lights - Andrew's car has been to North Africa more than once, where such lighting is rather handy

Mine certainly helped on the rally, primarily when helping set up camp in the twilight. Also proved useful when we had to shut the Autobahn after a serious RTA happened practically under our front bumper.

Winter tyres are a definite bonus - I run them on my D3 from October to March

54 Freelander modded for mud
2008 D3 SE
2010 90 XS SW
1978 88 Series 3 undergoing surgery with a new owner
2007 90 County Truck Cab - gone
2006 D3 SE - gone
2004 Freelander Sport - gay
1999 Disco V8 ES rotted to bits

28th Jun 2011 9:34am

ken

Member Since: 18 Aug 2009
Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !!
Posts: 4328

AndrewS wrote:
Winter tyres what are those then

You cheat you use Chains

28th Jun 2011 9:43am

NoDo$h

Member Since: 18 Aug 2007
Location: Buried in deer guts in Dorset
Posts: 972

Chains are quite heavy

They are a modification

It must be heavily modded

28th Jun 2011 10:04am

discocuzzy

Member Since: 16 Jul 2008
Location: surrey
Posts: 1200

Is this enough for you my little cornish pasty?

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge You cannot teach stupid people to do clever things

28th Jun 2011 10:08am

Zagato
Site Supporter

Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Billingshurst West Sussex
Posts: 5013

Blimey Leith Hill is looking good nowadays

Your all probably old hands at this but apart from pay and play sites etc there are some great runs out in North Kent. Gentle non damaging scenic routes to pure mud wallowing bliss. I was told one of the sites we went through had been dug up using diggers by the regular 4x4 users, LRO mag took pictures of the site in a recent mag - never mind your wheel ruts this place now has 5' deep troughs on places

Not so good and without permission apparently

28th Jun 2011 10:38am

discocuzzy

Member Since: 16 Jul 2008
Location: surrey
Posts: 1200

Some good stuffround Surrey as well Zag

I dont like to damage vehicles so i dont enjoy pay and plays, but i do enjoy more of the expedition stuff, Prepping the vehicle so your self sufficient for a couple of weeks is great fun and highly enjoyable if your away with a group of mates. You cannot teach stupid people to do clever things

28th Jun 2011 10:42am

DefenderOfTheEarth

Member Since: 09 Nov 2010
Location: Cornwall, UK
Posts: 1304

NoDo$h wrote:
DefenderOfTheEarth wrote:
AndrewS - are big roofs lights and stickers not considered "heavy modding" then?

Err, no. Modding is usually taken to mean changing the physical abilities through lift kits, extreme tyres etc.

But to challenge your assumptions:

Stickers - Andrew was taking part in a well publicised charity event. Pretty much mandatory to slap on the stickers. A good example is my D3 shown here on the Help for Heroes European Rally I did last year. The first hour at the start is spent applying a huge bag of sponsors stickers. Works too - we've raised over £250k in just two years with that rally.

Click image to enlarge

And here it is in a more "vanilla" guise, on my back from 12 hours on call with Wessex 4x4 Response, helping keep the main county hospital open, ferrying staff, medical and path. supplies around the county.

Click image to enlarge

As for lights - Andrew's car has been to North Africa more than once, where such lighting is rather handy Mine certainly helped on the rally, primarily when helping set up camp in the twilight. Also proved useful when we had to shut the Autobahn after a serious RTA happened practically under our front bumper.

Winter tyres are a definite bonus - I run them on my D3 from October to March

NoDosh - I was being daft having realised that what looked (to me) like a modded Disco was simply one with it's air suspension fully raised (I think)...

Looks fun - I'd struggle to get enough time off to do a proper Overlander type trip but still enjoy the odd offroad mini jaunt once in a while. Defender 110XS SW gone... now VW California 180 4 Motion.

28th Jun 2011 10:54am

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