Range Rover – A Classic Reborn

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Chris Pollitt

The world of the restomod classic – by which we mean a classic car with some modern features – is a busy one at the moment. There is a seemingly insatiable appetite for classic cars of all shapes and sizes that have been brought, just slightly, into the 21st century. We’re not talking about continuation cars from the likes of Aston Martin. They’re not updated, they’re faithful recreations of cars from times gone by. And we’re not talking about classic cars that have been fitted with electric powertrains. They’re a category unto themselves. No, we’re talking about cars like the one you’re looking at here. A Range Rover Classic

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Cars like the Range Rover have always and will always have a passionate, dedicated following. It’s that following that allows restorers and builders alike to experiment, to try and put their own mark on what is a beloved classic. Some, and we’re naming no names, go too far and rob the Range Rover of its essence. Others don’t go far enough, and fail to bring any worthwhile modernity to the fold. Then you have the new kid on the block, Gateshead based Range Rover Restorations. Akin to the favourite porridge of a certain blonde home invader, the RRR cars are juuuust right. Something this 1993 Range Rover Classic serves to prove. 

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While Range Rover Restorations is indeed a new name, that doesn’t mean the team is wet behind the ears. The man behind it, Andrew Long, has over three decades on the spanners behind him. He knows what’s what, what’s good, what the best way to go about restoring a car should be. But this isn’t just a job to Andy, this is a passion. These Range Rovers that he and his small team build are not simply products to be sold. They’re built with genuine care and enthusiasm. Each one – and we’re on six now with a seventh in build – wear a plaque under the bonnet. It read the number, which in the case of the two-door here is six, followed by ‘Lovingly Restored by A. Long, 2020’. Charming. 

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The builds are started for one of two reasons; it’s either a customer order or a bespoke design of Andy’s own creation. The two-door here is very much the latter. It was built not for a customer, but as a showcase to display what these builds look like when completed. It’s a beacon from which RRR is hoping to get a lot of attention. Build it well, send it out into the world, and then reap the benefits. 

The builds all start the same way, though. There’s an old Range Rover that would perhaps be facing the end of its days, and then there’s a plan. First, the car is stripped and every part is assessed. If it can be used again, it’s cleaned, painted or coated, and then filed for the rebuild. The chassis is fully refurbished and ends up looking better, outstanding in gloss black, than it did when it was new. New fixings, bushes, shocks, brakes, brake lines, springs, shackles and everything else that a chassis needs is fitted. Wheels can be alloy, steel or if the customer wants, bespoke. 

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What’s very, very interesting about RRR is that this chassis work is something they will sell to you. As in, you can order a freshly refurbished chassis with all the bits you need to get it rolling again. All you need to do is drop an engine, ‘box and body on it. While we were taking the pictures of this two-door, there was a chassis in the workshop for exactly that. Sitting pretty, with a pallet of ready to go parts beside it. It’s a way of taking the serious work out of a restoration. Being a body on frame design, the chassis and its integrity is the key to getting on the road. RRR will sort all that for you with, what is in effect, a brand new one.

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Then the engine goes in. In the case of the car you’re looking at here, that was a 3.9 Rover V8 mated to an automatic transmission. It wasn’t just plucked from a donor though. Instead, it was stripped, inspected and completely rebuilt. And we do mean completely. No hyperbole here, this is a full nut and bolt restoration. Transmission too, and axles, differentials, hubs, brakes, the lot. Nothing is missed. Nothing.

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This car is special in that it’s a 1993 while also being a two-door. People who like to start sentences with ‘ACTUALLY…’ will be keen to point out you can’t get a 1993 two-door in the UK. And to those people, well done, you’re right. However, you could get one in France, which is where this corrosion free shell came from. It was then, like everything else, stripped, painted and built back up. But of course, it was converted to right-hand drive at the same time. And now, sitting there and complete, it is a masterclass in how it should be done. Every nut, bolt and fixing is new. It is exquisitely detailed. Yes, the Range Rover is built to be up to its hubs in mud, but honestly, that would make us wince – it’s cleaner and better presented than some new cars! 

So that’s the ‘resto’ bit of it covered, but what about the ‘mod’? The engine, of course, makes this old Range Rover a bit more modern, being a later V8. However, you need to step inside to really see the modernity that’s been afforded to this old two-door. It’s a work of extremely comfortable art. 

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The seats and door cards are all trimmed in impossibly supple, high grade leather. The seats themselves, both front and back, are heated. The dash is largely familiar, but look to the right of the binnacle and you’ll see a screen for the reversing camera. In the centre console, a modern DVD, DAB and Bluetooth head unit with touchscreen functionality folds out and nestles into a recess custom moulded to the underside of the dash above it. There is ice cold air-conditioning for the occupants, too. In the back, the rear seat passengers have Pioneer wireless headphones connected to Xtrons HD screens in the headrests each with standalone infotainment. In the boot, you get deep pile carpets and USB sockets for charging your cool box on those sunny summer picnics. It’s not far off what you get in a modern Range.

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This Range Rover is a glowing example of just how right a vehicle can be if it’s built with honest care, thought and consideration. It still rides on the original (albeit completely refurbished) steel wheels. The bumpers are the same as they were when new. There has been no forced attempt to change the way the car looks. Instead, it’s been restored to a show-winning standard, and it has been made more usable than its original specification peers. It’s that bit more comfortable, that bit more pleasant to be in than standard. It’s been made into a classic that you will want to, and be fully able to use every day. That takes skill. 

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