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Building the Ultimate


Dale Simpkins

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I was watching the Discovery channel early this morning. The programme that was on was called "Building the Ultimate", and they were looking at the developments that have been made in Armour plating cars. Quite interesting and enjoyable until they started interviewing a British firm that is testing a new type of material for absorbing the impact from an explosion. To show the benefits of this new material they perform a before and after type test by blowing up two cars, one unprotected, the other protected. What two cars do they wheel out, two early Range Rovers. It was obvious that the two cars were no longer roadworthy, but they did have on them some now very rare early parts, such as raised bonnet lettering.

I was absolutely dismayed to watch as they proceeded to blow both of the Range Rovers up with 2Kg of explosive each. The unprotected Range Rover was smashed to pieces, the bonnet along with the rare lettering completely disappeared in a fiery explosion. Then they test the protected Range Rover. Again, utter destruction to the front end, but the passenger area was left fairly intact.

Huge shame to see these two old Rangies go out with a bang, literally! :o

Why oh why, couldn't they have used a couple of old shoguns! :D

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people who want proper protection use rangies, and as the shape hasn't really changed that much I imagine its the next best thing to a 50K version - - but your right they could of trashed a jeep instead... never mind...

:D

I was watching the Discovery channel early this morning. The programme that was on was called "Building the Ultimate", and they were looking at the developments that have been made in Armour plating cars. Quite interesting and enjoyable until they started interviewing a British firm that is testing a new type of material for absorbing the impact from an explosion. To show the benefits of this new material they perform a before and after type test by blowing up two cars, one unprotected, the other protected. What two cars do they wheel out, two early Range Rovers. It was obvious that the two cars were no longer roadworthy, but they did have on them some now very rare early parts, such as raised bonnet lettering.

I was absolutely dismayed to watch as they proceeded to blow both of the Range Rovers up with 2Kg of explosive each. The unprotected Range Rover was smashed to pieces, the bonnet along with the rare lettering completely disappeared in a fiery explosion. Then they test the protected Range Rover. Again, utter destruction to the front end, but the passenger area was left fairly intact.

Huge shame to see these two old Rangies go out with a bang, literally! :o

Why oh why, couldn't they have used a couple of old shoguns! :D

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people who want proper protection use rangies, and as the shape hasn't really changed that much I imagine its the next best thing to a 50K version - - but your right they could of trashed a jeep instead... never mind...

Or a later Rangie - they're common as dirt.

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Raised lettering? Damn, I had three brand new ones just last week and thought they were worthless, so binned them. TSK, shame!! :P

I also had this old Land Rover with the steering wheel right slap in the centre - what a stupid idea!, where would I put the shopping?

Turning either left or right and overtaking anything (milk floats and invalid carriages then!) was an absolute nightmare. It's much safer in my Nova!

Sorry Dale.

Les. :D

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Raised lettering? Damn, I had three brand new ones just last week and thought they were worthless, so binned them. TSK, shame!! :P

I also had this old Land Rover with the steering wheel right slap in the centre - what a stupid idea!, where would I put the shopping?

Turning either left or right and overtaking anything (milk floats and invalid carriages then!) was an absolute nightmare. It's much safer in my Nova!

Sorry Dale.

Les. :D

It is a crying shame when stuff like this gets trashed because people think it's worthless! If only the guys blowing up the Rangies knew what some of the parts were worth, perhaps they'd be a bit more reluctant to blow them up (until they'd taken the parts off that is!) I watch fleabay for early Range Rover parts, and you'd be surprised what some of these bits sell for. There were recently two sets of early bonnet mirrors for sale. One set was damaged and needed repair. It sold for 100quid. The second set had new mirror glass and was in good condition. That set sold for over 150quid!!! Raised lettering sells well, and a brand new old stock 2 door rear wing sold for 200 quid!

So if any of you do have any early Range Rover stuff, don't just junk it, there's plenty of idiots like me that will pay good money for your old tat!!! :P

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Best thing for them IMHO early range rovers are pretty hideous! :ph34r:

coat on!

I do hope that coat has a hood on it :P

I am driving a Toyota (no choice) that they can have to blow up, not that it has ever done me any harm.

The prices you mentioned my garage must be a Fort Knox, better not tell the wife or she will "suggest" I start selling some of it :(

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Guest diesel_jim

The MoD do a lot of car blowing up.... up on salisbury plain last summer i stumbled across these 2 beauties....

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there would have been a few bits worth salvaging... axles maybe, and a gearbox. but other than that, as you can see, they've "been around the block" :D

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Guest diesel_jim

were they? this was last summer (2005), can't remember the month, about july-ish.

they were stuck up on a compound for months afterwards, i /think/ they're still there. big sheets of 2 or 3" steel plate stuck inside where the seats and engine would be!

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