Land Rover Owner September 2021

‘Get out and have some fun’ I’m writing this just after coronavirus restrictions have been lifted in much of the UK – and things will, hopefully, return to something approaching normality. But that doesn’t mean you have to go back to what you did before; you can do new things, or do things in a new way. That’s exactly what we did with the Straightline Challenge on p44. Like many, we know our local off-road site – Tixover in our case, which is used as the off-road course for the LRO Show – like the backs of our hands, so we decided to mix things up and set ourselves a challenge that meant engaging with the site in a different way. And it proved to be a great day, with…

‘Get out and have some fun’ I’m writing this just after coronavirus restrictions have been lifted in much of the UK – and things will, hopefully, return to something approaching normality. But that doesn’t mean you have to go back to what you did before; you can do new things, or do things in a new way. That’s exactly what we did with the Straightline Challenge on p44. Like many, we know our local off-road site – Tixover in our case, which is used as the off-road course for the LRO Show – like the backs of our hands, so we decided to mix things up and set ourselves a challenge that meant engaging with the site in a different way. And it proved to be a great day, with us working…

It’s a typically dull British summer’s day but there’s nothing dull about the gleaming Santorini Black beauty I’ve come to see; it’s a stunner. As an example of what can be achieved by transforming a well-loved but tatty Defender into a better-than-new machine, Dan Clark’s handiwork gets top marks. Its new owner, Neale Johnson, is blown away by the quality of Dan’s work too. CLOSE COLLABORATION Dan and Neale have known each other for several years and already had a strong mechanic-customer relationship well before Neale took the plunge and asked Dan to find a suitable Defender for his long-planned project. Initially, the idea was to find a 90. But with prices soaring and good examples hard to find, the target became a 110 station wagon. After looking for more than three months,…

It’s a typically dull British summer’s day but there’s nothing dull about the gleaming Santorini Black beauty I’ve come to see; it’s a stunner. As an example of what can be achieved by transforming a well-loved but tatty Defender into a better-than-new machine, Dan Clark’s handiwork gets top marks. Its new owner, Neale Johnson, is blown away by the quality of Dan’s work too. CLOSE COLLABORATION Dan and Neale have known each other for several years and already had a strong mechanic-customer relationship well before Neale took the plunge and asked Dan to find a suitable Defender for his long-planned project. Initially, the idea was to find a 90. But with prices soaring and good examples hard to find, the target became a 110 station wagon. After looking for more…

Dan Clark is a 31-year-old mechanic with eight years’ Land Rover main dealer experience behind him, but he’s been working with Land Rovers since leaving school. He’s recently set up his own business, Dan Clark Services (danclarkservices.co.uk), based in Ripon, North Yorkshire. ‘It’s mostly servicing and repairs but I also run restorations alongside,’ says Dan. ‘I’m usually returning them to standard spec but with a few upgrades – just like this 110.’ Neale Johnson has known Dan for about six years; Dan used to look after his Range Rovers when they came in for servicing at the main dealership. About a year ago, Neale decided to put into action a plan he’d had been discussing with Dan for about three years; to find and restore his ideal Defender. This stunning 110…

Dan Clark is a 31-year-old mechanic with eight years’ Land Rover main dealer experience behind him, but he’s been working with Land Rovers since leaving school. He’s recently set up his own business, Dan Clark Services (danclarkservices.co.uk), based in Ripon, North Yorkshire. ‘It’s mostly servicing and repairs but I also run restorations alongside,’ says Dan. ‘I’m usually returning them to standard spec but with a few upgrades – just like this 110.’ Neale Johnson has known Dan for about six years; Dan used to look after his Range Rovers when they came in for servicing at the main dealership. About a year ago, Neale decided to put into action a plan he’d had been discussing with Dan for about three years; to find and restore his ideal Defender. This stunning…