1986 Range Rover Classic
1986 Range Rover Classic
Engine - 3.9L V8 Petrol
Transmission - R380 5 Speed Manual
Suspension - 4-Inch
Tyres - 35inch Simex Centipedes
Equipped for - Off-Roading
Hey Cal, so you’ve had your Range Rover Classic for nearly 14 years? You clearly love it, what made you choose the Range Rover Classic in the first place?
You can blame my dad for that one, as a kid that’s all I was exposed to. First an ‘81 two door, followed by a ‘85 and ‘88 4 door. The first 2 were bought as rolled wrecks, repaired and rebuilt in the garage and put back on the road by my Dad as the family truckster to tour the Victorian high country. I grew up loving that classic shape, the ride, that V8 note through the hills! When it was time for me to get a 4wd it was always going to be a Rangie. As a teenager I’d been following off road racing events like the Victorian winch comps and local mud racing, early outback challenge and the Malaysian rainforest challenge, where a few Aussies in modified Range Rovers were among the front runners. I already loved Range Rovers, but seeing these modified ones do well and how good they looked and performed, not only did I want a Range Rover; I wanted a tough Rangie just like the ones I idolised!
You’ve done some serous modifications to the classic and you are based in Victoria where conditions are known to be wet and muddy. Can you run us through what you have done do it?
Yeah we are blessed with some great local tracks here in Victoria and during winter the snow covered high country makes for some epic driving and destinations. I wanted to build something inspired by the competition Rangies that I’d followed in earlier years that could get me out to these great locations with little fuss and be right at home tackling some harder local stuff.
The build progressed through a few different set-ups over the years to end up where it is currently. Suspension wise theres 4” custom rate springs and 11.5” travel shocks on extended shock mounts and custom made front shock towers. Heavy duty cranked rear trailing arms along with an extended wide angle rear diff ball joint helps with getting the rear end moving about. After bending a few steering arms Maxi-drive heavy duty arms were fitted. It runs Maxi-drive lockers and axles front and rear, as well as 35” Simex centipedes on custom bead locked 15x9 - 35 rims. I have a bit of a Rover rim fetish, there’s also 2 sets of factory Rostyle rims modified to 15x8 –30, 16x8 –25 Discovery steelies and some 15x10 Peco stars. I’m a fan of old school looking rims.
The factory range rover 3.5L v8 was swapped out for a later freshened up discovery 3.9L V8 and stronger r380 gearbox. The factory Lucas ECU has been ditched in favour of a megasquirt ECU which was installed and tuned with the help of my old man. ARB bars front and rear, LRA sliders and LRA bash plate help provide protection when things get a bit nasty. When things get real nasty a modified 6hp warn high mount is fitted up front to get the Rangie back up and moving again. A pair of Lightforce 170s fit snugly either side of the winch and a 42” lightbar on the roof takes care of night time activities. Interior is left fairly untouched with just the essentials added; compressor hidden under the seat, dash mounted winch controls, locker switches, UHF and Magellan FX324 GPS.
Do you own any other Land Rovers?
Haha well there has been a few come and go. I’ve bought and stripped many for parts to keep mine and mates classics going over the years. They used to be worth nothing but now the prices are on the rise as they become more collectable in standard form and harder to find, they’d cringe at the stuff we’d do to them! Apart from the ones bought to wreck for parts there was a ‘78 two door project before my silver one and a 1996 V8 discovery as a daily driver for a few years.
Currently I have a 2004 Discovery 2 TD5 as a daily/tourer which I really enjoy driving. Bought as a stock as a rock one owner low km ‘town’ car on factory 18” alloys it then received ARB bar and winch, 3” lift long travel shocks and extended sway bars, 33s on 16x8 steel rims, snorkel and some LRA sliders off one of my parts cars. Driveline wise its essentially standard running gear, however the factory traction control doesn’t do too bad of a job when on the tracks, plus anything harder and I really should be in the Rangie! It has done some great touring weekends through the VIC high country
I even managed to get my wife on the green oval bandwangon! Filling the last spot in the garage is her L320 Range Rover Sport. That ones staying standard though!
What are your future plans for the Classic? Will you hold onto it forever?
At the moment I’m happy with where it is, I don’t have any real plans to go too much further, I mean there are always little things here and there and maintenance to keep on top of. I have a braced front diff housing to go into it at some stage, some longer front shocks to play around with and wouldn’t mind setting up air freespool on the winch in the future but I’m happy with where it is.
Will I hold onto it forever? Well, that’s the plan. After growing up with Rangies, having it for so long and knowing all its quirks you, could say I’m fairly attached to it! Plus I enjoy driving it too much to even consider selling it!
Images by Brook James. Follow owner Cal here.