Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2026 i Land Rover Monthly

I think a big part of why we love Land Rovers is an overall interest and inquisitiveness about how things work, and the practical side of owning a vehicle. It doesn’t matter if that’s dirt-under-the-fingernails work like servicing and mechanical upgrades, or figuring out how to best pack our camping gear for a weekend away; overcoming problems and doing stuff with our hands is such a welcome break from the digital day-to-day that it’s no mystery why so many of us can’t get enough. Someone who’s taking that philosophy to the extreme – and made a career out of doing so – is this month’s cover star, Joe Hewes. The son of a farmer in rural Leicestershire, Joe and his mates have carved out a niche from rescuing, fixing and…

Backstage pass Please find attached a photo of my 2002 Defender 90 at Solihull Land Rover Experience this year. I work for JLR and own the green 90 in the picture, so got chatting to the team when I was there and asked if I could bring my Defender along. They love the ‘old’ Defenders and took me around part of the Experience course in mine. I also got to take photos on the Jungle Track and in front of the original 1948 Land Rover head office at Solihull, taking full advantage of working for JLR. It was a struggle to know which photograph to send in. I’m at Land Rover Classic and SVO next week at Ryton as part of my job, which I’m excited about. I’m an LRM…

I was at the Dunsfold Collection on Tuesday 2 December, which is why I was oblivious to the texts, emails, WhatsApp messages and voicemails that were bombarding my mobile. Not because I had switched it off, but because the village of Dunsfold in the Surrey Hills is unbelievably one of the few places in England, and quite possibly the whole world, that doesn’t have a mobile signal. Which meant I was unaware of the most dramatic JLR news since, well, that infamous video campaign launched exactly one year ago to prepare the world for the new Jaguar Type 00. On my way home from Dunsfold I reached the invisible boundary on the outskirts of the village where the mobile signal leaps from zero to five bars, and my phone lit up.…

ONE of the many problems with my addiction to Land Rover sales listings is that I am constantly finding cars which I want to buy. Never has the temptation been stronger than this month. If the price of a car is so low that I can’t resist, I will occasionally take the plunge and run the risk of Mrs B’s wrath, but she already has her sulky face on this month because she’s seen some of the bills for my Ninety’s paint refurb. If I bought another car too, I’d probably find myself having to live in it. So, when a gem popped up in the BCA auction listings, I knew I was in trouble. It was a P38 which was described simply as a 1998 Range Rover Vogue 4.6…

I’M in deepest Leicestershire on a bright autumn morning, waiting outside a farm cottage in my Series III. The hillside rolls away in front of me and the sun is low in the sky, cutting crisp silhouettes of the barns ahead. I reach for my phone to ring Joe Hewes – the man I’m here to see – when he pops up at my window. It’s weird to see someone I’m more used to watching on YouTube appear next to my Land Rover. “That sounds nice! What engine’s in it? Doesn’t sound standard. Follow the track into the yard. I’ve got the Land Rovers together in a shed; it’s supposed to rain later. Well, the ones that are working anyway! I’ll show you around first.” Today’s visit is one I’ve…

THIS very distinctive Series I 80-inch field ambulance was assembled under licence by the Belgian firm Société Nouvelle Minerva SA, and converted to field ambulance configuration at the ABL (Armée Belge/Belgisch Leger – the Belgian Army) workshops, one of a remarkable total of 9905 80-inch and 86-inch Series I vehicles built by Minerva for both military and civilian use. Chassis number 2663 1963 was shipped from Solihull on 16 July 1952 in Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kit form and appears to have entered Belgian Army service in September that year, with the military registration number 15832. From 1986 it was in the Belgian Army Museum before being sold out of service in March 1995. It was acquired in 1997 by Mike and Padeen Hardiman and brought back to the UK…

RC4WD GELANDE II RTR WITH 2015 DEFENDER D90 BODY SET RRP: £599.99. Website: cmldistribution.co.uk LRM TESTED THERE are many ready-to-run (RTR) models on the market to suit all aspirations and pockets. Lightweight and flexible Lexanbodied models such as the FMS FCX10 range offer scale looks and performance at a more affordable price. We then move up to Traxxas and its TRX-4 Defender – again with a Lexan body, but boasting a higher spec and price. But to real scale aficionados it’s all about injection-moulded plastic hard-bodied models. They’re far more detailed and when allied with a solid twin-rail chassis, a single- or two-speed transmission, proper transfer box and driving solid axles, you find that sweet spot between scale looks and scale driving. They just look and perform more like the…

1985 ONE TEN 2.5D Mileage: 93,559 Power: 67bhp Torque: 114lb-ft MPG: 32 THERE’S only so many clichés one man can take. Whenever I’d mention the One Ten’s incontinent (if reliable) 2.5 non-turbo diesel engine, I could always rely on one of a few replies. “It’s not leaking, it’s sweating power!” Or “If there’s no oil under it, there’s no oil in it.” Or “It’s just marking its territory…” All funny the first time you hear them, but grow tedious after a while. The truth is, ever since I revived the old thing and started using it on the road, oil would depart from the back of the engine at an alarming rate once it was warm. At first, I hedged my bets on the oil sump needing resealing, as some…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH Call for a free quote on 01480 484 803 AS the 2025 show season draws to a close, there’s no need to despair – there’s plenty to look forward to, and you won’t have to wait long. On 1 February, we return to the Three Counties Showground in Worcestershire for our ever-popular 4x4 and Vintage Autojumble. If Santa didn’t quite deliver everything on your Christmas list, Malvern certainly will. Expect an extensive selection of new, used and obsolete parts, spares, accessories and motoring antiques, alongside tools, farm memorabilia, army surplus and equipment. There’s also tractor and machinery parts, stationary engines, camping gear, agri-jumble and vehicle sales. Back for 2026, the British Restoration Event returns to the Kildare Hall. Explore inspiring restoration projects, examine expertly rebuilt vehicles and…

SUPPORTED BY The quality pans for Land Rovers NEED TO KNOW TIME: 6 hours. COSTS: £2064 to £4752 depending on extent of work. DIFFICULTY: MODELS: Ninety, One-Ten, Defender 90, 110, 130. TOOLS NEEDED: Various clamps, pop riveter, pin and collar riveter, drill bits and electric or cordless drill, tape measure, sealant gun. WORK SAFELY: Always wear the correct PPE including protective gloves and eye protection. Support the rear tub securely on raised trestles. THANKS TO: Mark Cross, MD at Phoenix Automotive Evolution Ltd trading as Defender Rear Tubs and Rob Howard. phoenixautoevolution.com 07896 018270. PART 2 Assembling new sections from scratch WE’RE back at Phoenix Automotive Evolution Ltd for part two of our Defender rear tub restoration with Managing Director Mark Cross and his right-hand man, Rob Howard. In part…

LAND Rover Classic has expanded the appeal of its Works Bespoke Classic Defender V8 by introducing exterior colours and interior finishes inspired by the latest Defender Octa. Available as a 90 or 110 station wagon, or a 90 soft top, the Classic Defender V8 can now be commissioned in what up until now were Octa-exclusive shades – Petra Copper, Faroe Green and Sargasso Blue, alongside Narvik Black and Patagonia White. Each vehicle takes about 300 hours to paint. Exclusive exterior details include a gloss black radiator grille inspired by the Defender Octa, designed to maximise airflow for improved cooling, along with chopped carbonfibre bonnet script. As well as mirroring Octa-style paintwork for refurbished old school Defenders, Land Rover Classic has brought across the new flagship model’s lightweight Ultrafabrics PU interior…

EMAIL YOUR PICTURES TO MARTIN@LRM.CO.UK…

WE ARE back to being a two-Land Rover household, now the Fella’s Discovery has returned after its extended sojourn in the care of my brother. It hasn’t looked this pristine inside and out since the Fella first bought it, although that might be about to change as it is to be deployed on a little animal relocation mission. I have been on the look-out for an unwanted cat for my cousin Tom, who lives alone and who has been without a pet since his little dog died late last year, and finally I think I’ve found the right one. A comely, designer furball of a thing, aged eight, which doesn’t get along with other animals and likes attention. They sound like a great fit for each other. While Tom stocks…

BACK in 2003 I was working in a finance role for a precision engineering company. I didn’t especially enjoy the work but it paid well enough for me to afford the fuel bills for a very tidy Stage One V8, so I put up with the daily tedium of creating 12,000-line spreadsheets and attending endless meetings where the entire management team sat around a big table and showed each other our PowerPoint slides. My boss was an American car enthusiast so we had V8 engines in common and got on well. Life could have been far worse. Unfortunately my career came to a crashing halt when our company was acquired by a giant corporation which didn’t really understand our business, products, people or organisational culture. The upshot of this was…

Jack, who is Joe’s best mate and right-hand man, plays a huge part in keeping the numerous military projects rolling, both on and off-camera. “We always have around four to five main battle tanks on the go at once,” Jack explains. “There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that you don’t see in videos, like the countless hours of needle-gunning, prep and painting that goes into each tank’s hull. A whole week of prep might make 30 seconds in a video. It’s not exciting to watch, but it all needs doing.” While Joe is a big Defender fan, Jack much prefers his Discoverys. “The only thing a Defender does better than a Disco is look cool. Discoverys are so much comfier and better on the road. I’ve had a…

ANGOLA. After emerging from decades of isolation due to colonial rule, it slid into years of brutal civil conflict. The scars from this have long been visible stains across – and beneath – the countryside, with Angola remaining one of the most landmine-contaminated countries globally. Whilst images of a war-torn country remain dominant in many people’s minds, we believe it’s time for this to change, to make way for a new narrative. Angola is a land of untamed beauty and hidden wonders. It is an overlander’s dream, an adventure playground calling out to those who have a hunger for the unknown. Unlike its tourist-heavy neighbours, Namibia and South Africa, there is no ‘beaten-path’ and ‘off-the-beaten-path’ in Angola. It is all to be discovered by those intrepid enough to cross its…

ON the outskirts of Huddersfield is the small town of Brighouse, home to a company that’s been there since 1887 – Millers Oils. Set on the site of an old brickworks, as I open the varnished wooden door into reception, I’ve got no idea what to expect. I’m an existing Millers Oils customer – I’ve used its Ecomax diesel additive for years in my grey Tdi 90, so I’m interested to see behind the scenes. After meeting Gen Ackroyd from marketing in reception, we wind our way up the stairs, past endless doors, to a meeting room at the end of the long corridor. Mark Crossley (technical marketing manager) and Callum Cooper (head of UK automotive sales) join Gen and I in the meeting room. As I explain to the…

TAPO C410 SOLAR SECURITY CAMERA £74.99 (C411 kit), tapo.com Tested by: Neil Watterson Owned for: Eight months I don’t like security cameras; we should be free to have stuff without people trying to nick it. But if you do need a camera, a solar one makes sense – no faff with wiring and it can be placed almost anywhere. I bought the Tapo C410 kit to watch over my Land Rovers following an attempted theft. While the camera can be used standalone, recording footage to a MicroSD card stored in it, I’m using it in conjunction with one of the company’s H200 smart hubs (£29.99). Any events are saved to the memory card in that; you’re not tied into an annual subscription. It can be set to pick up different…

IT DOESN’T GET BETTER THAN THIS! Don’t miss out on the world’s best-selling Land Rover magazine – grab this amazing offer today Packed with greenlaning adventures, expert reviews, restorations, buying guides and unbeatable technical advice – all in one place. Start your subscription today bit.ly/lrmadventure26 or call 01778 392 033 quoting LRM/ADVENTURE26 Subscription offer is £20 a quarter after your first three issues. Offer open to UK residents for a limited time. SCAN ME PHOTO: PATRICK CRUYWAGEN…

SUPPORTED BY The quality pans for Land Rovers I’VE found a way to make servicing more expensive. I was driving to a Land Rover dealership to test a prospective purchase when I noticed my Range Rover Sport wasn’t braking with its usual enthusiasm. The pedal was getting progressively lower, so I limped slowly into the dealership, gingerly parked up, and decided this was a safe place to test my brakes to possible destruction. A press on the pedal with maximum force had the pedal slowly dropping to the floor as brake fluid was forced out of a corroded brake pipe and onto the tarmac. I wouldn’t be driving home. Credit to the dealership. They gave me a lift home and the pipe was fixed the next working day. I won’t…

SUPPORTED BY The quality pans for Land Rovers NEED TO KNOW TIME: 6 hours. COST: See below. DIFFICULTY: MODELS: Discovery 3, Range Rover Sport 2005 to 2009. TOOLS NEEDED: General workshop tools. PARTS AND COSTS: Britpart stockists, prices shown are typical. • Ancillary drive belt, Dayco PQS500370, £15. • Air con compressor, Denso LR014064G, £419, OEM £1380. • Compressor O-seal on condenser pipe, JUU500020, £5. • Compressor O-seal at return connection, JUU500040, £5. WORK SAFELY: • Disconnect the battery earth lead before starting work, and reconnect after reassembly is complete including all electrical connections remade. • Ensure the vehicle is safely supported and stable while working in the wheelarch or underneath. • Do not disconnect any air conditioning fittings until the refrigerant has been safely removed from the system using…

WE’VE all been there at some point: late for work because of ‘leaves on the line’. And that’s because when the leaves start falling, they get trapped between the train wheels and steel rails, creating a slick coating that not only reduces traction but can interfere with train detection systems – resulting in the aforementioned delays and safety hazards. Network Rail ordinarily tackles the problem with a fleet of 67 Railhead Treatment Trains (RHTTs) each autumn, spraying 200million litres of high-pressure water and a gritty, rail-gripping paste called Sandite. But there are corners of the network where the RHTTs simply cannot go. Enter an unlikely hero – a converted Land Rover Defender. Developed in collaboration with Aquarius Roadrail, this ingenious road-rail vehicle joins Network Rail’s autumn battle against the notorious…

E10-READY CARB £99 website: ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=glencoyne_engineering Unbranded replacement carburettors can have hit-or-miss performance, but these new Zenith 36IV copies, suitable for later Series IIA and III, have been stripped, inspected, adjusted and rebuilt with better components, making them much more reliable and fully ready for E10 petrol as well as being easier to maintain. SHOWER TENT €286.89 (approx £252) website: landroverpassion.com Expand your camping set-up with a shower room that can also double as a changing room. Featuring self-supporting aluminium arms, you fit it to your roof rack like an awning, and the grey and orange sides unroll to form the fully enclosed room. It has a front zip, roof and a couple of internal pockets for shampoo and soap bottles. RECEIVER HITCH £300 website: maer.com.pl Receiver hitches are very versatile…

I’VE had quite a run of maintenance on my Land Rovers lately, one of those fortnights where everything seems determined to remind you that owning old vehicles is both a privilege and a test of character. It started with my short wheelbase V8 IIA. On a recent trip down to the Gold Coast, the indicators fizzled out, the brake lights retired mid-journey, the alternator joined them in solidarity, and the brakes, though functioning perfectly, had developed an earth-shattering groan. You could practically see nervous motorists wincing in their rearview mirrors as I coasted noisily up behind them. The noise was driving me mad, and it conveniently coincided with my having recently replaced the front brake shoes. So, it was time to get it sorted. I’d heard good things about LOF…

Land Rovers may make up some of the content of the Mr Hewes channel as well as playing a big supporting role in the background, but the unique selling point and backbone of the YouTube video content is military vehicles. Tanks, lorries, armoured vehicles and personnel carriers all star in one way or another, from revivals to full-blown restorations, with each one overseen by the official Project Manager, Joe’s dog Ted. “We’ve not long finished a restoration on the FV4005 for the Tank Museum,” Joe explains. “That was one hell of a job. The timeframe was crazily short, but we got it done. It was designed to be the longest-range and most powerful gun ever fitted to a tank back in its day. We refitted the huge turret and gun…

ON 5 January 2015, the Hogmanay festivities were barely over when JLR announced that the new year would be dedicated to celebrating the Defender, kicking things off with a press release about the first of what would be many significant events that year. And that initial event was certainly a spectacular one – a massive drawing of a Defender on the tidal sands of Red Wharf Bay on Anglesey, the same beach where 68 years earlier Rover’s engineering director, Maurice Wilks, had sketched his original idea for the Land Rover and presented it to his brother Spencer, Rover’s managing director. In early October 2014 six Land Rovers, each towing a 12-feetwide agricultural chain harrow, had created the huge one kilometre (0.62-mile) outline of a Defender in what at the time…

Mark Crossley is Millers Oils’ Technical Manager, as well as being a true Land Rover enthusiast. These are his top tips for keeping your Land Rover’s engine in good health. 1 ALWAYS USE THE RIGHT OIL: Make sure the oils you use meet the correct Land Rover specifications from your handbook or alternatively, you can use the Millers Oils WHICHOIL? guide for a product recommendation. This will make sure you’re using the viscosity and type of fluid your car needs. This is essential to the performance and longevity of the engine or gearbox, whether your car is new and under warranty, older or higher mileage. 2 DON’T STRETCH YOUR OIL CHANGE INTERVALS: Service your car on time; it’s always best to do it sooner than required if possible. How you…

SUPPORTED BY The quality pans for Land Rovers 1984 NINETY CSW Mileage: 57,894 Power: 80bhp Torque: 129lb-ft MPG: 21mpg I know putting your Land Rover in the garage is supposed to be good for it, but sometimes I’m not so sure. Because I was worried about the rapid deterioration of my Ninety’s paint when it had been left out, I set aside a weekend and cleared away all of the bikes, broken Ikea furniture and other detritus of life which fills the space meant for cars, and drove the Land Rover in. And then I put the pressure washer and vacuum cleaner behind it, ‘just for now’. The flat wings became the perfect place to put tools and other stuff temporarily, and the inside was even used to hide Christmas…

2009 Defender 90 TDCi SUPPORTED BY The quality pans for Land Rovers MY name’s George Surgenor, I’m 26 and named after my great uncle who died at the Somme, 1 July 1916, aged 23. He was a Lance Corporal in the Royal Irish Rifle 36th (Ulster) Division. My Defender is called Mighty 90 most of the year, but each November a poppy goes on the front grille and it becomes George’s Defender – a tribute to my great uncle and the courage he showed in battle. Lance Corporal George McMurray led ten men across no man’s land and cared for countless others before he fell on 1 July 1916. In his memory I made sure 15 people got home safely; together across a century we have both looked out for…

SUPPORTED BY The quality pans for Land Rovers NEED TO KNOW TIME: One day. COST: See below. DIFFICULTY: MODELS: Ninety, One Ten and Defender. TOOLS NEEDED: Pliers, screwdrivers, trim tool, hammer, pick set, staple gun, wire brush, black paint. PARTS AND COSTS: • Front outer seat retrim kit black vinyl (DA5629E), £99.59; • Contact adhesive (DA6348), £8.29. Jgs4x4.co.uk. WORK SAFELY: Wear the correct PPE at all times. Wear eye protection when using a hammer or pick. ONE of the best things about Land Rovers is the ability to not just replace things, but breathe new life into them for often a fraction of the cost of a new part. The seats in Series Land Rovers, Defenders and, more recently, Discovery 1 and 2, lend themselves particularly well to being refurbished…

How long have you owned it? I’ve owned the Landy since I was just 12, so that makes it 21 years of ownership now. What a scary thought. What made you want to buy this particular Land Rover? I’d always wanted one from a very young age, and this was the right one for the right money – free – for a 12-year-old to have as a project. What’s the story so far? Upon stripping the 1984 Ninety it became apparent there weren’t many salvageable parts; unfortunately, all that I used in the end were the roof, van panels, windscreen frame and front grille surround. All the doors are new galvanised frame ones from SP panels and the rest of the bodywork is from a 1998 300Tdi 90 that I also own.…