Range Rover Classic is a great vehicle for owner modifications

Range Rover Classic – Popular Modifications

First let me begin by saying just about everything on the Range Rover Classic can be modified or enhanced in one way or another. This versitility, combined with the relative low cost of the vehicles, means that with a little bit of work you can get a lot of off road vehicle for relatively little amount of money.

So what type of modifications do people make to their Range Rover Classic? The modifications range from small enhancements such as fitting mud tyres to large scale project such as turning the Range Rover Classic into a shortened “Bob Tail” vehicle for use during off road trials.

The sections below give a (very brief) high level overview of the main modifications which some owners have undertaken on their Range Rover Classic. Each modification area will be discussed in more detail in the Range Rover Classic Modification Pages on the website.

Range Rover Classic – Off Road Modifications

Given the off road ability of the standard production variation of the Range Rover Classic, there is little wonder that owners have tinkered to gain that little bit more ability when taking the vehicle off road.  Probably the easiest modification which can be fitted to the Range Rover Classic is to fit more aggressive tread tyres such as Mud Terrain. These tyres will give the Range Rover Classic a better grip and will allow the vehicle to drive through obstacles which would have previously stopped it.

Other more basic modifications include things like fitting a snorkel to allow the Range Rover Classic to go wading through deep water or fitting a winch to assist in recovery when your (or a friends) vehicle gets stuck.

Range Rover Classic – Bob Tail

One of the more extreme modifications that an owner of a Range Rover Classic can undertake is to create a ‘Bobtail’ version of the vehicle. As its name suggests, Bobtail Range Rovers have been shortened in length in order to create a more extreme off road vehicle (shortening the vehicle length increases the departure angle). There is no standard amout that the Range Rover Classic is shortened by, but the convention is that only a short overhang is left behind the back wheels. This could mean removing up to 20 inches from the rear bodywork and original 100 inch chassis.

As you can imagine, altering the vehicle by this much transforms the Range Rover Classic into a dedicated off road vehicle, something which retains its internal luxouries but is well suited to trail competitions.

Range Rover Classic – Non Off Road Mods

In addition to the various off road modifications that an owner of a Range Rover Classic can make, there are some changes that they can carry out to improve the on road experience also.

These modifications include things such as increasing storage capacity within the Range Rover Classic by converting the empty seat bases found on model vehicles into storage lockers by adding a few pieces of aluminium plate (although you may have to re-locate the ECU first if its still in its original position). Other examples of increasing storage capacity include more mundane things such as adding a roof rack.

A cost saving option which is becoming more popular with owners is the conversion of the vehicle to gas by fitting a LPG tank to your Range Rover Classic. This means that your Range Rover  Classic has a choice of fuels to use. Obviously this has the downside that it can only be applied to the Petrol models, however with the current cost of fuel, it is easy to see how why this is so popular.

If LPG isn’t an option (maybe  you own a diesel version of the Range Rover Classic) then there is always the ability to increase the range between fill ups by adding a second fuel tank. Whilst this may seem like overkill to go to the shops and back, if you are going on an overland trip with your vehicle then it may be a good idea…

Range Rover Classic – Summary

So hopefully you can get the idea… Like any Landrover, there are enough after market products available for the Range Rover Classic to mean that it can be customised to suit just about any need.

This website will carry a series of article documenting the modifications and accessories available in more detail so keep checking back. In the mean time if you are seriously thinking about altering your Range Rover Classic and you have found this page whilst looking for ideas and inspiration, I would suggest the following book.

Land Rover Discovery, Defender & Range Rover: How to Modify for High Performance & Off-Road Action

It covers the Range Rover Classic modification scene very well and best of all it is currently available from Amazon.

The text below is a summary from the book description on the Amazon website and I believe it explains its appeal to any Range Rover Classic owner.

“This book shows the possibilities available to the owner, from big wheels and suspension lifts, under-body protection and tuning ideas, right up to how to convert the car into a high speed racer or an international expedition vehicle. With clear, jargon-free instructions, advice on events like family weekend green-laning, international expeditions and full-on competition, accompanied by colour photographs throughout.”

Filed Under: Range Rover Classic Modifications.

Range Rover Classic – History

Range Rover Classic – The Birth of a legend

The Range Rover Classic was an idea conceived by Landrover in the late 1960′s to make their somewhat utilitarian vehicle brand appeal to a different demographic. Whilst the somewhat ‘agricultural’ series landrovers had been hugely popular since their conception by rover in 1947, one word which could never be associated with them was luxourious. This was to change with the introduction of the new flagship brand – The Range Rover Classic.

By the 1960s Land Rover were starting to become aware of the popularity of the  Sports Utility Vehicle in North America which offered a different blend of on road comfort alongside off road capability. Rover acknowlged this demand for recreational off-roaders and in 1967 set up the progamme to build what would become the Range Rover Classic.

Range Rover Classic – The King had arrived

The ’100-inch station wagon’ programme (as Rover called it in 1967) was headed up by Charles Spencer King.  Spencer King had previously worked on various truimph projects such as the TR7 and Stag and brought this knowledge and expertise with him to the Range Rover Classic programme.

Spencer King quickly set about defining the basic layout of the Range Rover Classic. It was Spencer King who introduced features such as coil springs and a permanent 4 wheel drive system to the vehicle. This decision, to make the Range Rover Classic a permanent 4 wheel drive car, required a completely new transmission unit to be built as part of the project.

By the time the Range rover classic was introduced to the world in 1970, it sported other additional features such as all round disc brakes, lightweight aluminum skin for the body, an8 speed permanent 4 wheel drive gearbox  and a v8 engine. It was formally launched to the press on June 17th 1970 with the market slogan – “A car for all reasons”.

Range Rover Classic – The early years

It seems that almost imediately after it was launched people began modifying the vehicle. Originally sold as a 3 door model, by the late 1970′s a number of companies had sprung up to offer owners of the Range Rover Classic the option of converting their vehicles into a 5 door. This option was so popular that in 1981 Land Rover introduced the 5 door option for the Range Rover Classic and within only 3 years had discontinued the original 3 door model.

Range Rover Classic – Time for a change

By the mid 1980′s the Range Rover Classic was due a re-style and in 1986 it was given a significant re-vamp. A new gril complemented the re-styled front end which also sported a valance with optional fog lights. The mirrors were also moved, from their original position on the doors to their new position on the door pillars. Also altered was the position of the seat bases, which were lowered in order to make it more comfortable for taller owners to drive the vehicle.

1986 also say the move away from carburetters and the engines included new Lucas built fuel injection systems to assist in fuel economy and performance.  The engine re-design also saw the introduction of a diesel option which was supplied by VM diesel and were to be superceded by the TDI model diesel engines in the early 1990s.

The petrol engine within the Range Rover Classic also changed during the late 1980′s and early 1990′s. It started out as a 3.5 litre engine before growing to a 3.9 litre in 1990 and on to a 4.2 litre in 1992. This last engine was still in use when the Range Rover Classic was finally retired in favour of the new P38 model in 1996.

Range Rover Classic – Legacy and Accomplishments

Given the off road prowess of the Range Rover Classic there is no wonder that it was chosen as the vehicle of choice for many of the toughest feats of endurance at the time. The Range Rover Classic has been credited with winning the 4 wheel drive class (twice) in the Paris-Dakar endurance rally, once in 1979 (the first rally) and then again in 1981. The Range Rover is also one of the first vehicles to cross both American Continents from North to South during the Darien Gap expedition in 1971 and 1972.

All these acomplishments as a little suprise given the Range Rover Classic’s reputation for poor build quality and unreliability however if you are looking for a final piece of proof of its legacy its worth mentioning one final thing. The Range Rover Classic was the winner of the ‘prestigous’ 2009 Top Gear Bolivian Challenge, beating a Suzuki and a Land Cruiser to drive the 1,000 miles through Bolivia. It was noted that the coil springs in particular gave the Range Rover Classic the edge in comfort over the other two (leaf sprung) vehilces.

Range Rover Classic – Additional Reading

There are many books out there about the origins and history of the Range Rover Classic, so why not visit our Range Rover Classic Book Pages to see which ones are worth looking into and may go well in your collection. Alternatively Amazon is just about the largest book store in the world and contains a number of great (and sometimes hard to find) books on the Range Rover Classic. You can click on the image below to be taken directly to their site.

This link will show all Range Rover Classic books available via Amazon.

Filed Under: Range Rover Classic Info.