SERIES 1, ISSUE 8
SHOP NOTES
What’s in the Bay This Week?
A Back-Dated Classic Beauty
A stunning black over tan 1993 Range Rover Classic rolled recently, and this one has a story. A previous shop replaced the engine after causing a massive oil leak that seized the original unit, and the truck hasn't run right since. We're doing a thorough check-over to find out why.
Beyond the mechanical drama, this one is just a beautiful example. The backdated front end with period-correct grille, lights, and wheels suits it perfectly. Black over tan is about as classic a combination as it gets on these trucks, and the earlier front clip gives it a cleaner, more purposeful look that the later bumpers never matched.
We'll get to the bottom of what the last shop left behind and get this one back to where it should be.
Lock, Stock, & Range Rover
A gorgeous green Holland & Holland Range Rover came through the shop this week.
The Holland & Holland editions have always been a favourite of ours. A collaboration with the legendary British gunmaker that produced something genuinely special. It's always a good day when one rolls in.
We've got a full plate: exhaust swap, fresh brakes front and rear, oil service, tune-up, rotate and balance, alignment, and tracking down a brake fluid leak that's been keeping the owner busy with the top-up bottle. We're also sorting a small window rattle on the left front.
It'll be here for a little while, and we'll be sad to see it go.
Revisiting Custom Built Perfection
A brand new Defender V8 visited the shop this week for some cosmetic and performance upgrades. Because apparently 523 horsepower wasn't quite enough.
On the outside, we added new fog lights, step rails, wheel spacers, and body trim work to sharpen the stance and fill out the wheel wells. The V8 already has presence to spare, but the right modifications make it look as purposeful as it performs. On the mechanical side, we followed it all up with an ECU tune to extract even more power from that supercharged 5.0L. Because if you're going to drive a V8 Defender, you might as well do it properly.
The result is a Defender that's equal parts brute and bruiser. When one comes in for mods on day one, we know we're going to get along just fine.
FIELDCRAFT TIPS
Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Make It Yours
Body modifications are one of the most personal expressions of what you want your Land Rover to be. Done well, they sharpen the truck's character. Done poorly, they create new problems while solving nothing.
Before anything goes on the truck, think about the full picture. A set of wheel spacers changes the stance, but it also changes scrub radius and puts more load on wheel bearings. Step rails look great and add real utility, but mounting points matter, especially on trucks that see rough terrain. Every modification has a downstream effect, and the best builds account for that from the start.
Fitment is everything. Aftermarket parts vary wildly in quality, and a component that looks right in a product photo doesn't always translate to a clean, rattle-free install in the real world. Take the time to dry-fit before committing, check clearances, and make sure nothing is going to contact, flex, or wear against something it shouldn't.
Paint and finish deserve the same attention as the parts themselves. New trim and body components often need proper prep before they go on. Bare metal needs protection, and mismatched finishes end up looking worse over time.
The goal with any good build is that it looks like it came that way from the factory. The trucks that turn heads aren't necessarily the most modified. They're the ones where every decision was made on purpose.
Take your time, do it right, and the truck will show it.
ROVER CULTURE
Events and Land Rover News
Sport Turns 20. The Trophy Is Back. It’s A Good Time To Be A Rover Fan.
Hard to believe, but the Range Rover Sport is officially two decades old, and Land Rover is marking the moment properly. The TWENTY Edition looks back as much as it looks forward: design cues from earlier models, an interior borrowed from the flagship SV, and powertrains at the top of the current range. The signature colour is Sanguinello Orange, an ultra-metallic finish tracing its lineage all the way back to the original Range Stormer concept, though Santorini Black and Ostuni White are there if you prefer to keep things understated. It's a limited run, so if it catches your eye, don't wait around.
And while the Sport is looking back, Defender is throwing open the doors to something new. The Defender Trophy, spiritual successor to the legendary Camel Trophy, is back and bigger than ever. Competitors face a series of driving, engineering, navigational, and physical challenges across some of the world's most difficult terrain, with the whole thing culminating in a Global Final in Africa this October, focused around conservation work with TUSK. The sixth annual Defender Service Awards are also open for submissions, continuing a programme that has given away over $1.5 million and 30 Defenders to worthy non-profits and community organisations across America. Go to landroverusa.com to apply, it won't be for everyone, but then, it was never meant to be.
AGULHAS UPDATES
Current Builds
Agulhas At Radwood
We took Agulhas 1, our hand-built Hi-Cap pickup, down to Radwood in North Carolina recently, and it did not disappoint. The response was overwhelming. So many passionate people, so many great conversations, and a genuine appreciation for what goes into a bespoke build done the right way.
Moments like these are a good reminder of why we do what we do. Meeting people who connect with the work and who understand the craft behind it makes the long hours in the shop worth every one of them.
