Chieftain Range Rover - anyone come across them?

[Happyoldgit]

I love the Classic Range Rover. That said I think the majority of the great unwashed will just see an old Range Rover - albeit one that's to all outward appearances has either been kept in good nick or smartened up. When told the £££ paid the same great unwashed are likely to ask why not just buy something newer as that would instantly be more familiar as something that has cost a goodly chunk of currency.

[ThreePointFive]

I quite like these. For the numbers they're actually going to sell, the price is sort of what you expect to pay for such a bespoke thing.

I doubt they're taking the best examples to begin with so it's probably keeping a few that would otherwise be scrapped on the road.

Much less offensive than the tart jobs done on so many Defenders in the last 5 years. People paid £60k for a few bits of baggy leather and some wide alloys without blinking. Those same cars being a struggle to move on at 25k now, though...

These Range Rovers have actual work in them at least.

[ThreePointFive]

Besides, it's a British designed, British-built 4x4 being made in Britain by British craftsmen. 

Someone should give Jim Radcliffe a look at how it's done.

[ThreePointFive]

 

The guy is slightly annoying in talking at the camera but the tech here is very interesting.

I was surprised by the Range Rover Sport chassis option.

[smallfry]

I still think the RRC is the best looking. Three spoke wheels ? Come on. It needs a modern take on the original rostyles.

But how on earth can this possibly keep the original registration number as claimed. Points just don't stack up, even if they do have an original "unmodified" chassis.

If it can, why on earth am I worrying?

[FridgeFreezer]

2 hours ago, smallfry said:

If it can, why on earth am I worrying?

Anyone at VOSA/DVSA/DVLA who cares or even understands seems to have left years ago from my experience... guess they figure other people are paid good money to care about the provenance of rare classics and the rest of them are MOT exempt so who cares - your problem if/when you have an accident.

[ThreePointFive]

I get the impression from the US that as long as you have the VIN plate, you can do practically anything you want to the rest of it. That seems to be the market they're aiming for.

Still, to use parts of a Rover live axle to make fully indepedent suspension all round, and that propshaft jiggery is really something. I only wish the camera had picked up more of what they were talking about at the same time they were looking at it.

[landroversforever]

1 minute ago, ThreePointFive said:

I get the impression from the US that as long as you have the VIN plate, you can do practically anything you want to the rest of it. That seems to be the market they're aiming for.

Still, to use parts of a Rover live axle to make fully indepedent suspension all round, and that propshaft jiggery is really something. I only wish the camera had picked up more of what they were talking about at the same time they were looking at it.

Look at Mike Finnegan's tri-five chevy, Blasphemi. That was literally just a rusty shell, yet gets the original ID. 

[elbekko]

54 minutes ago, ThreePointFive said:

I get the impression from the US that as long as you have the VIN plate, you can do practically anything you want to the rest of it. That seems to be the market they're aiming for.

Still, to use parts of a Rover live axle to make fully indepedent suspension all round, and that propshaft jiggery is really something. I only wish the camera had picked up more of what they were talking about at the same time they were looking at it.

I don't really get why they went that route instead of putting the electric motors on an LT230 PTO. Especially since they had to run a V drive to offset the prop anyway.

[Snagger]

On 6/18/2023 at 10:16 PM, smallfry said:

I still think the RRC is the best looking. Three spoke wheels ? Come on. It needs a modern take on the original rostyles.

But how on earth can this possibly keep the original registration number as claimed. Points just don't stack up, even if they do have an original "unmodified" chassis.

If it can, why on earth am I worrying?

In this instance, the car would not be legal for UK roads on an original VIN, but this was going to California (which explains the double orange side light/indicator lenses and the LHD).  Different countries, different rules.  They have a lot of different options, per the video, with live axles or independent, modern engines or the electrical conversions.  So, it seems there is capacity for a UK car with fewer mods to be legal, but they said most UK cars are done on the Sport chassis, and might retain enough of the donor chassis , suspension and other components to keep the RRS VIN.

I’’m not fond of three-spokes either, and these are way too big, but it’s big problem is the bumpers, especially the rear being so deep.  But that seems to be an option.

 

[Snagger]

15 hours ago, elbekko said:

I don't really get why they went that route instead of putting the electric motors on an LT230 PTO. Especially since they had to run a V drive to offset the prop anyway.

It’s madness.  Apart from being so much more difficult to synchronise the torque and rpm when engaging or disengaging a drive system, it swaps the car and its handling between FWD, RWD and 4WD.  It also puts all the torque through one end in most conditions, so would increase wear.  They must have a reason, but without knowing it, this seems to me the worst possible solution.

[Anderzander]

On 6/18/2023 at 6:14 PM, ThreePointFive said:

 

The guy is slightly annoying in talking at the camera but the tech here is very interesting.

I was surprised by the Range Rover Sport chassis option.

I missed this had been shared and posted it in the video forum …

I thought the level of engineering was surprising and very interesting.