The notorious London Mud Club, getting a good deal with Larry the Land Rover and why BMW power is king with Johnathan East
The LRM Podcast
The notorious London Mud Club, getting a good deal with Larry the Land Rover and why BMW power is king with Johnathan EastThe LRM Podcast · Jul 22, 2026
They’re naming the person who built the Land Rover. It’s relevant because it gives you context for who did the work and why the car is considered well put together.
“Straight six” means the engine has six cylinders in a single line. They’re saying it’s a BMW engine, which matters because it’s a swap that can make the Land Rover feel smoother and more capable.
Term
get muddy
“Get muddy” just means driving in conditions where the car will pick up dirt and mud. In this context, they’re saying they actually use their Land Rovers for that kind of terrain.
Term
novelty tires
“Novelty tires” usually means tires that aren’t the usual everyday type. They’re often picked to help the car grip better for the kind of driving you’re doing.
The Land Rover Freelander is a smaller Land Rover SUV that’s meant to handle rough roads but is easier to live with than the larger Land Rovers. Here, they’re pointing out that you can enjoy Land Rover ownership even if you buy one for relatively little money.
They’re talking about what it’s like to own a Land Rover—how people can enjoy the brand whether they keep it mostly original or modify it. The episode’s message is that you can have fun at different budgets.
Air conditioning is what cools the inside of the car and helps keep the cabin comfortable. In older vehicles, it’s sometimes not present or not working, so it’s worth noting when it is.
Lift blocks are spacers that put extra height under the suspension. They can make the vehicle sit higher, but if you go too much, it can feel wobbly and less controlled on the road.
A lift kit is a set of parts that raises a vehicle higher off the ground. People do it for off-road clearance or bigger tires, but it can make the car feel less stable when driving normally.
Concept
precarious
Here, “precarious” means it felt unsafe or hard to control. When you lift a vehicle a lot, it can become more wobbly and less steady, especially when turning.
The Toyota Supra is a sports car made for fast driving and good handling. In the podcast, it’s brought up in connection with how a car can feel unstable if it’s lifted too high or moved in a way that changes its balance.
A “lift” means raising the car higher off the ground. A five-inch lift is a big height increase, usually to clear bigger tires and handle rough terrain better, but it can make the ride and everyday use worse.
Those are huge off-road tires (36.5 inches tall). They’re made for rough terrain, not for smooth daily commuting—so they can be loud and less comfortable for everyday driving.
A “green-laner” is someone who drives on legal off-road tracks in the UK (often called green lanes). It’s basically off-roading that’s allowed by the rules, not random trespassing.
“Green-lane” means driving on legal off-road tracks in the UK. It’s off-roading, but usually on routes that are permitted and meant for vehicles like 4x4s.
A roll cage is a strong metal safety frame inside the vehicle. It helps protect you if the car flips or crashes hard, and it’s often used on off-road or track-style builds.
Concept
camping setup
A camping setup is the way you arrange your camping gear so your vehicle can work like a base. Here it’s roof sleeping plus extra covered space for the family.
An awning is a cover that sticks out to make shade and shelter. It helps you sit outside without getting rained on or baked in the sun.
Car
Land Rover 110
A Land Rover 110 is a longer-wheelbase version of the Defender-style Land Rover. Longer wheelbase usually means more room for passengers or cargo, which is why people use them for utility and conversions.
Term
county station wagon
A “county station wagon” is basically a more comfortable, passenger-focused version of a Land Rover—closer to a regular family wagon than a stripped-down work truck. The idea is to make it nicer for everyday driving.
Term
utility
“Utility” here means it’s set up more like a work vehicle than a comfortable passenger car. It’s the kind of Land Rover you’d start with if you want to modify it into something more personal or family-friendly.
A Land Rover Defender 110 is the longer version of the Defender. “Double cab” means it has more seats in the back, so it’s not just a bare cargo setup—it can carry people and still be used for camping and off-road fun.
A dual-carriageway is a highway with separate lanes for each direction, separated by a barrier in the middle. The point here is that the Defender can still keep up with normal road driving, not just crawling off-road.
This is an automatic gearbox with eight gears. More gears usually means the engine can run in a better “sweet spot,” which can make the car feel smoother and more responsive.
The BMW M57 is a diesel engine. “Twin-turbo” means it has two turbochargers that help it make more power and pull harder, especially at lower speeds—useful in a heavy vehicle like a Defender.
TD5 is a specific diesel engine used in the Land Rover Defender. People mention it because it’s a common starting point before doing an engine swap or upgrade.
Here, “setup” means the whole conversion package—engine plus the parts needed to make it work together. The question is whether that full BMW swap works best in a Defender.
Concept
engine variants of engine
They’re talking about trying different engines in the same Defender. The point is that the engine choice can completely change how the truck feels and how dependable it is.
Term
606
“606” is shorthand for a Mercedes diesel engine (OM606). People swap it into Defenders because it can make strong torque and power for a diesel.
The 300 TDI is a diesel engine that was used in Defenders. It’s often chosen because it’s generally considered more straightforward and easier to live with than newer, more complex diesels.
A six-speed gearbox has fewer gear ratios than an eight-speed. They’re comparing it to show how the car’s response and “feel” changes with different transmissions.
Term
OM
“OM” is a Mercedes diesel engine family. They’re saying it didn’t have much low-end pull, so you had to rev it more to get the power you wanted.
Torque is the engine’s “twisting grunt.” More torque usually means the car can pull strongly at low speeds—useful for mud, hills, and slow technical driving.
A standalone controller is a separate computer that runs part of the car. In a swap, it helps the transmission or engine behave correctly even if the wiring isn’t stock.
“Shockloading” is when a car part gets hit with a sudden jolt of force. Here, the gearbox/shift behavior made those jolts happen every time they changed gear, which can be really hard on the drivetrain.
“Conversions” here means taking a vehicle and changing its main mechanical parts—like putting a different engine/gearbox into it. It’s a big job that can take lots of time and testing to make everything work together.
“Eight speeds” means the gearbox has eight different gear ratios. More gears can help the engine stay in the right spot, but it can be harder to fit into an older vehicle because the parts and electronics may not match.
Term
AHP
“AHP” is a code name for a particular gearbox/parts combination used in these swaps. The host is saying that pairing it with the BMW M57 diesel makes for a setup that works well in a Defender.
“Triple locked” refers to a Land Rover-style drivetrain setup where three different locking functions are engaged to maximize traction. Typically, that means locking the center differential and both axles, so the vehicle can keep moving even when wheels lose grip.
A manual transmission means you choose the gears yourself using a clutch pedal and a gear stick. They’re debating whether that’s worth it compared with an automatic.
Range Rover is a luxury SUV made by Land Rover. Here, they’re talking about whether a manual or automatic gearbox makes more sense when you’re driving off-road.
They’re talking about the big mechanical parts that make a car move: the engine and the gearbox. The idea is to find good used donor parts to replace worn units.
Global Water Parts is a seller the host mentions for used parts. They say the company is reputable and warranties its gearbox sales, which can reduce risk when buying used.
“Mileage” here just means how much the car has been driven. Higher mileage usually means more wear, so it helps them judge what parts are still in good shape.
A “donor car” is basically a second car they buy just to take parts from. They can check the engine works first, then use it in the customer’s vehicle.
“200 TDI” is a Land Rover diesel engine (a specific model of engine). They’re using it as an example of an older engine that people keep running by swapping parts or replacing the engine.
A “map” is the engine computer’s settings. It tells the ECU how to run the engine in different situations, and changing it can change how the car feels.
An engine rebuild means taking the engine apart and replacing or fixing the worn internal parts. It’s like a “major refresh” so the engine runs better and more reliably again.
Green-laning is when people drive off-road on rural dirt tracks and lanes. It’s a common hobby for 4x4 owners, but it can raise questions about protecting the land and whether access is allowed.
KM3s are a type of off-road tire meant for muddy, rough trails. The speaker liked them because they work well when you’re getting the vehicle really dirty off-road.
Horsepower is a number that tells you how strong the engine is. If someone says they’ll use all 400 horsepower, they mean they’re going to push the car hard.
A clutch is a mechanical part that helps transfer power from the engine to the rest of the drivetrain. If it fails, the car may not be able to send power to the wheels the way it normally should—especially important for getting traction off-road.
Two-wheel drive means only two wheels get the engine’s power. If you’re stuck in deep mud, that usually makes it harder to get moving again because you have less grip.
The Series II is an older Land Rover model that’s built for tough, off-road use. Here it’s being set up with practical changes so it can be driven daily.
The Defender is Land Rover’s rugged off-road vehicle. In this story, it wouldn’t start because something (a fridge) was left plugged in, so it needed a jumpstart.
The Isle of Wight is an island near the south coast of England. They’re talking about driving there and how the ferry trip affects the timing and cost.
LIVE
Well, here we are.
Back on the summer safe for where we belong.
Absolutely, yes.
For day two of the Big Land Rover Fest LRN podcast live from Newbury Showground.
And what better place to be.
We worried this morning because it was a bit nippy, but obviously the heat's come back.
Yeah, as soon as the sun came out it was pretty obvious it was going to be another warm day
and it sure it sure is that's for that's for definite.
Yeah, so you still loads in the offering round here.
So I know in the arena we've got some awards later and we've been judging everybody so far.
We haven't chosen every single one, but we've got quite a lot happening.
Absolutely, yes.
All of our awards are handpicked throughout the weekend.
So we've got seven awards in total, including best personality, best modified vehicle,
best original vehicle, best restoration and a whole host more sponsored by General Tires.
Yeah, always a happy face when someone wins an award.
And one thing I've noticed just going around the show is the presentation of some of these cars.
They're just next level and this show seems to have attracted guys and girls that really,
really spend time and effort on their cars.
Definitely, I think we've seen loads and loads of new people come through and I know we've
had messages through the LRN social saying I don't actually own a Land Rover yet,
but I'd love to come along to your event.
Do I need to own one?
And the answer is, of course, no.
Come along, but you will definitely want one by the time you leave.
Yeah, the minute you take one off road, it is the finest thing to experience.
And I don't know if anyone that's listening to this has been around your off road course.
Hands up.
Yes.
Yes, good.
And would you go around it again?
Hands up.
Excellent.
So 100% consumer advice there.
Everyone would go around.
We've enjoyed creating your off road course.
Absolutely, yeah.
I mean, it is a long time in the making really.
We started building it last year and then, of course, there was a series of test days
followed up by our sort of press day that we did for a bunch of our friends.
And yeah, everyone seems to be enjoying it a lot this weekend.
I know people that have gone had their two laps and then gone back and bought two more tickets.
So they've had six laps in total.
It seems to be going down a storm.
No, brilliant.
I mean, it's just so good to see.
I mean, obviously, we've got Eddie's bomb hole.
Who's been through that, anybody?
Yes, really.
I mean, quite an aggressive drop in, isn't there?
And then, obviously, you have to sort of come out the other side.
And we saw some videos, actually, earlier of a Series 1 island ravers on Instagram.
And that looked somewhat sketchy.
But again, it just proves that these vehicles are capable from 1948 all the way to 2026.
Absolutely.
80 inches isn't a lot of wheelbase for the elephant's footsteps.
It looked highly unstable.
But no, really, really good.
And check that out on Instagram.
He's obviously island ravers on that.
And yeah, really incredible footage, really.
Yeah, and talking about island ravers,
we know that he's a member of a club, the London Mud Club.
And actually, that segues very nicely into inviting our very first guests for today.
Lee and Rob, also known as Lord Trousers and Captain Ratty.
Anyone that's seen him on Instagram and social media knows that there's probably
one of the more eccentric clubs.
I think they'll enjoy us saying.
But let's have them up on the stage.
How are you, gentlemen?
Lovely to see you again.
Please do take a seat on the salmon sofa.
Oh, that's lovely.
Clear all the comfort.
This is the most snug it's been.
So how's your weekend been, lads?
Quite tired and emotional.
Tired and emotional.
So one thing you're noted for is being eccentric.
Was that fair to say?
I take offense to that.
Do you?
Yes.
Your shirt says otherwise.
It does, doesn't it?
Our reputation does go before us, Steve, some of the time.
And we like to do it a little bit differently and have a bit of a laugh.
We're not too interested in whether the size of that nut or bubble is exactly the right size.
And yeah, good to be a little bit relaxed about it.
Have a bit of fun.
Yeah, I know Lee, Lord Trousers.
His Lordship, do you?
His Lordship.
You came down to the media day that we had in your trusty Freelander.
And you made it onto YouTube with it.
You made it round the course.
You inspired Max McMurdo to go and buy one.
And that was really capable round there.
And you don't really care, do you, too much about whether you leave with damage or not?
No.
I mean, I won't go out deliberately to damage the car.
But if you get a bit of a mere flesh wound along the way, that's kind of what they're for.
You've just mentioned Conrad of Island Rovers.
I was in the back of that series one, yes, Steve.
Absolutely terrifying.
I did hear Tema coming from the surface of my phone when I watched it earlier.
And I mean, that is authentic off-roading, isn't it, in a series one where the door tops off.
It's absolutely what it's all about.
And someone said to us, we were queuing up there.
Are you really going to do it in that?
And what Conrad said was that's what it was meant to do.
Yeah, a lot of people forget that with Landraves.
You know, they wrapped them up in Cotton Woolen.
They were built and designed by some of the best engineers in the world to conquer world travel.
And London Mudcop, then, so you can't just join it, can you?
Well, there's a very, very long, complicated application process.
We rely Ratty and I on Maureen in the office, who's very lackluster and doesn't like to do an awful lot.
But we're aloof.
She is aloof.
In fact, there were rumors here.
She was last night propping up the bar drinking a baby shem, chatting someone up some fellow called
Martin in a green t-shirt.
No, I couldn't possibly comment.
She would be very grateful.
But no, so Maureen in the office sorts all of that stuff out.
And we're a little old fashioned in the fact that you request an application form.
Yes, in 2026, it is a piece of paper at which you can fill out and send off.
And the committee, the membership committee that meet every quarter will then decide whether you
are true and worthy to join the notoriously popular, but impossible to join London Mudcop.
You must be able to join because there's a few of the herbards down there, you see, in there.
You have a big fan base.
I mean, it's, um, so how did it start then?
So were you sort of, well, Landrave is always in, in the, the offering.
Was it always Landrave-based or?
It was always Landrave-based.
It actually started out of, um, through lockdown.
Trousers was posting pictures on Facebook about the end of the world and,
and Wilpaine Shedbingo.
I was wandering through the forest.
So that chap lives near me, bumped into him.
I'd met him in the pub a few times and, um.
I should do.
Never bought me a beer.
He's got very long pockets and short arms on the other way around.
He could peel an, an orange in his pocket.
He's that tight.
He's from the North.
And an onion.
Yes.
And I got a little Landrave and we got talking and then through COVID, Lee would hide
discreet bottles of beer under a bench and I would,
with social distancing while I was walking my dog and literally came on from there.
And then we set out driving the Landrovers.
Then his brother went out with, sorry, four before did a little tour and then they were all
London boys and we just picked their name up from there.
And literally it was just a group of guys.
We were going out having bacon sandwiches driving Landrovers and people said, can I come?
Yeah.
And that, that's it.
I mean, we, we hark on about community all along.
And, you know, to, to the level that you're doing it and the, the meats that you do.
I mean, clubs are often accused of being getting a bit sort of stayed and a little bit like them
and us, but you seem to be embrace, you know, people joining you and just getting
out there and enjoying life.
Well, it's like a well-being when you look at people, the outdoors are beautiful.
So we, if we can bring people together and just a sense of belonging,
people like to be part of a little club, but we don't take ourselves too seriously.
And you don't have to earn a Landrover, but it's good if you do.
Yeah.
Other four by fours are ours.
We have a member who, yeah, we have a member called Johnny Fartpants who
for a while drove a Jeep Cherokee.
A purple.
A purple Jeep Cherokee.
He's got other Landrovers as well.
But no, we listen, we like the green oval badge, but it's not a deal breaker.
Anyone that wants to have a little bit of fun, go off and get muddy.
And for us, the most, I suppose, important or special point is, is.
As a cheese board.
Ten o'clock.
Exactly. Weekends like this weekend, we can get together.
We got guys that were in Portugal yesterday.
Nick Plums come over from Adelaide for this and a bit of a summer fun.
And just to catch up with old friends, make new ones.
And as Raz, he says, sit around and eat cheese and smoke cigars is kind of what we're into.
Yeah, I noticed the ceremony of smoking a cigar.
I mean, obviously we don't condone smoking.
No, no, absolutely not.
The cigars down kids.
But when you come to the media day, you know, you had your not a smoking kimono,
but it's a carter.
No, it's a Yukata stick.
Yukata.
So it's the same same cut of Japanese ceremonial clothing, but made of cotton, not silk.
So I have a smoking Yukata and it's not quite nice at lunchtime.
Whilst whilst we were fixing Ratty's car that broke a spring on the course,
which by the way is fantastic.
We really enjoyed that yesterday.
It's nice to have a little cheeky cigar.
Yeah, no.
I mean, yeah, along with the various hats that you wear.
Yes.
Well, this one, I know I look silly.
We probably look silly.
That was something you said like see a few weeks back.
He said, I just want to look absolutely ridiculous.
Yeah, I'd say distinguished rather than ridiculous.
But that was, you know, that was Lee's words, not mine.
But but that kind of just to hell with it, you know, it's infectious, I would say.
We don't really care.
But it is functional on a day like today.
I think we're at 32.
So we keep a track of the temperature and a pith helmet on a day like today.
I might look silly, but I'm not going to get a red neck.
Yeah, absolutely.
So Ratty, your 110 that's been around the off road course, fair to say it's a decent build.
David would think all the while.
Yes, David Maker put together an ex-ministry 110.
Yeah.
And 2.8.
Is it 2.8?
Three liter.
Three liter.
Straight six.
Straight six BMW engine.
And you did the Santana trophy?
I haven't done it yet.
No, I've done Scram Africa.
Scrat, sorry.
I'll get those two mixed up.
So Scram Africa, are you planning to go back?
So me and David Maker are organizing a trip this August and of August.
We leave on the 29th of August.
And we're taking nine Land Rovers down to Morocco again.
Yeah.
I mean, again, you know, with the soft top and roll cage, you know,
you are exposed to the elements and just enjoying life.
And you went around here with no doors on.
It's part of the fun.
Feeling the sand and the heat.
I mean, we'll put my safari doors on and we will just drive without them off.
I'll leave them the doors in Marrakech, put the cage doors on.
And that's it.
We'll drive down to the Western Sahara border like that.
Yeah.
So who, when you go, there's three of you in that car.
Someone has to sit in the back looking backwards.
No, we had a bunny seat facing forward, but we've taken it out now
because I've converted the back into a camper.
But I can bolt it back in, but the third seat was facing forward.
And it was actually the comfy seat when we first did it.
Oh, OK.
So what does your year, what does the rest of the land of the year look like for the club?
What's planned?
There's a few things in the diary, Steve.
So we've got in a couple of weeks time, we've got a weekend in Wales, a long weekend.
So we'll be doing water breaks, its next start, the Florida and all of that really good, clever stuff.
So there's 22 of us going?
Yeah, 22 cars, 40, 50 people.
Obviously, Gareth, sorry, four before is kind of doing all the technical route checking,
which allows us to do, you know, enjoy the weekend.
We have then, we're talking about, in fact, through the fog of cheese and wine last night,
we were talking about a trip to, what's that?
What's the town?
France, yes, it begins with C.
Where did the ferries come into?
Cannes.
Cannes.
Anyway, we're going to do a cheese and France history trip next May.
And we've got a few other weekends as well.
So plus add to that, every quarter, we have a breakfast meeting at Blackbush Airport,
where members and non-members turn up and eat bacon, wrongs, drink coffee and talk about landrovers.
And next weekend, we're going to the, I believe, Render Classics New Workshop.
Oh yes, yeah, we've got that as well.
So lots of stuff in the diary and we do as much as we can.
But basically, we like to get muddy.
And as Conrad said yesterday, you said just now,
use the landrovers for what they were meant to do, which is get muddy.
Yeah, no, you've got to enjoy them.
So how many members does, you know, you mentioned there was people outside of the UK
that have flown in from Adelaide and worldwide reach as a club.
Yes, it is amazing that some people are members, just to feel sort of part of it,
live all around the world, really.
Lucky that some of them can come and join us.
And they've got that flexibility to come to the UK.
But we have 211 members.
Yeah, so quite decent size in terms of clubs.
I mean, obviously you're seeing growth and some clubs suddenly are seeing,
you know, declining membership numbers.
But yeah, you've reinvented the coming together as a club, I think.
And I think part of that, Steve, is my Freelander cost me 510 quid.
I bought it drunk on YouTube.
Well, I've spent more on it now.
The current lady trousers may listen to this.
So I knew it was going to be a back story to this.
That's right. Yes.
I'll be very vague and wishy-washy on the numbers.
But the only...
Spends you £500 car you've ever bought.
I just hope when I die, she won't sell it for what I told her I paid for it.
But I zip around in a 500 quid.
Okay, I've stuck some novelty tires on it.
But I've got a 500 quid Land Rover.
Ratty's got a spec custom build maker.
We've got everything in between.
And we don't really favour one type of Land Rover from another.
Some people are purists, so they want it to be exactly as it is.
That's fantastic.
Some people mod it up and put all sorts of great new gadgetry on.
But we're kind of all-encompassing.
And I think the fact that I drive around in a 500 quid Freelander
kind of makes that point loud and clear at the start.
It's very refreshing to see that and hear that, actually,
because you don't want to be left out, do you?
And you're having probably equal amounts of fun
at different price points in Land Rover ownership.
Steve, absolutely.
I mean, on the test day that we were lucky enough
that you guys invited us to a few weeks ago, Max in particular,
so he came around with me in the Freelander,
was quite amazed that put it up against some really other seriously
tricked-out high-spec cars.
It's doing the same thing.
It's going over the same course.
I suppose there's a few benefits.
And I've got series Land Rovers as well,
but they spend longer either parked in a barn
or parked at a garage than driving them.
That is relatively reliable.
I mean, saying that, I'm going to probably struggle
to get off the show later because of the internal light on.
All weekend, Steve, I've just found out,
so I've taken the bulb out.
Anyway, we might need to push everyone, someone.
But I love it.
It's got air conditioning and a CD player,
and it's relatively comfortable.
And you've been given a CD because they're not available.
I have.
I have not got a CD.
And someone pointed out that there is a CD player in my Freelander.
So Nick from Australia bought over a Scottish bagpipe greats CD,
but played on the accordion.
Go figure.
Wow. Have that on loop.
And will we play on that on the stand in the next hour
if anyone wants to come and have a boogie
to some mean accordion playing?
We love it.
No, absolutely fantastic.
I mean, gentlemen, it's been a pleasure
to get to know you over the last few weeks, actually,
because you've always been that elusive club
that you never sort of met you.
And you are a very, very fun gentleman to be around.
And yeah, good luck with the club.
Thank you for coming on the LRN podcast.
Thanks, guys.
Take care.
See you, folks.
See you.
Bye-bye.
Lord Trousers and Captain Ratty.
Thank you ever so much, guys.
From snorkels and roof racks to engine swaps and body kits,
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If you're struggling to get insurance on your modded Landy,
speak to specialist insurance broker Adrian Flux.
With light for light cover on both cosmetic and performance upgrades,
they'll help keep your pride and joy protected.
Call them directly on 03447280417 for a quote.
So, there we go.
Next up, we would like to invite on stage our friend.
Hang on.
Which way around are we going to do this?
Come on up, Jubilee.
It should always be ladies first, I think so.
Come and take a seat with us.
Thank you.
How are you doing?
I'm doing good.
Your fan club is over there, absolutely living the dream.
There's more treatment going on today than yesterday.
There was probably more people out there yesterday,
but I think it was just too hot yesterday.
Yeah, it was very, very hot, wasn't it?
And thankfully, not quite so intense today,
but you are here camping in your little green 90.
I've been catching up with the repairs and mods you've had to do
through it over the lead-up to the Big Land Rover Fest.
Tell us a little bit about how long have you had it?
I've had my truck seven years now.
Sorry, where am I?
I'm not close enough.
That's a better.
Yeah, I've had Larry seven years now.
It's been a big project.
Yeah, what was it like when you bought it?
Was it completely standard or was it sort of already quite modified?
It was more modified.
More modified?
More modified, yeah.
It had a two-inch lift kit and then it had three-inch blocks on it.
Nice.
So it was huge.
It just towered over me and I remember...
That's probably not difficult, to be fair.
How did you drive with three-inch lift blocks on it?
I didn't drive it like that because it wasn't on the road.
It'd been off the road for like five years when I bought it.
Probably for the best, to be honest.
I'd imagine five inches of lift on a 90 would be quite precarious.
It was bad enough being on the back of a trailer, to be honest.
Right.
It was like a boat on the back.
It'd just sway side-to-side around every corner.
Swaying in the breeze.
Yes.
It's really scary, isn't it?
Some of the modifications that people carry out back in the day that...
Yeah.
I mean, now that people are undoing modifications to make Land Rover's more original looking.
Yeah.
I think it's just like...
It's not suitable for road use.
Like, I daily mine and I couldn't daily it with a five-inch lift.
It just seems ridiculous.
As someone who's fitted 36.5-inch extreme tyres to their 19 the past,
when, you know, youth gets the better of you,
I can confirm they're not really designed to go to and from work and like ferry people around
when they're like that.
They're built for purpose.
So you kind of dialed it back a little bit and is it like a green-laner kind of camping setup now?
Yeah.
So it's...
I've not been able to green-lane it as much recently,
but I've sort of built it so that it will do a bit of both.
I put a roll cage in it, you know, because why the hell not?
Because I think it just sort of...
It's one of those things.
People even love it or they hate it.
Got you.
So I was like, do you know what would do it for a laugh?
Why not?
Fair enough.
Was it the colour that it's a lovely colour?
Is it was it that colour when you got it or have you painted it?
No, I painted it so not winter just gone the winter before I stripped it all the way down
to just a chassis again.
And then I sanded it all down, put a roll cage in, painted it all myself with a bit of help from
my brother and then I think it was off the road for like 545 months.
Okay.
Then I bought it back out on the road again.
So it was decided to do a really massive project and I don't know why.
What prompted that?
I was pregnant and I was like, if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it now.
So I was like heavily pregnant and like I had this massive bump just working on my truck
right to the very end.
Literally I was the day before I had my daughter, I was still working on my truck.
Amazing.
I can't imagine there's too many people out there that weren't right.
I'm expecting a baby.
Better rebuild the Land Rover.
There's always a target, isn't there?
Like people, you know, like yourself doing things mechanically just to get to a show
and make sure it's not going to let you down on, you know what, the off-road course.
You mentioned earlier actually you've still got the billing mud on it.
Yes, I've not washed it.
It's fine.
Badge of honour, isn't it?
It's like designing a mud, isn't it?
That's the thing.
Have you been around the off-road course here?
I haven't been around it now.
Oh, you must get around it before you go.
It's really, really good.
If I have time to, I will.
Definitely.
Yeah, if you could laugh, I think.
Yeah, absolutely.
So you were telling us a little bit earlier about the camping setup because you're here
with your family.
You've got a roof tent on your 90 but also you've extended it.
It's like a house extension with an awning on the side.
How do you find that?
Is that something you use a lot?
Used to use the roof tent quite a lot.
This is the first time we've all camped together.
So it's a bit of like a trial.
I think it went okay.
We all got some sleep but...
It's always pretty variable at these events, isn't it?
I know for a fact, I think because I never really know how well I've slept when I'm camping
until a couple of days after the event and then you're either fine or you crash.
Yeah, I think us this week and we might crash, you know.
Five nights of about five hours sleep.
I always feel like the longer you camp for the easier it gets though.
I find one night really difficult because you can't get that comfortable.
You're not used to your bed at home whereas by the second and third night you're like,
this is great, I'm used to it.
Yeah, you normalise it though, don't you?
You have a new way of living.
I think it'd be fantastic to live out of Orlando for a year and go travelling in one.
I really do because you'd take less equipment, wouldn't you?
When you come here you almost feel like you want everything including the kitchen sink but
really strip all that out and just live a nomadic, basic life.
You can do that.
Minimalist camping even just locally is really freeing.
Just take the very bare minimum, a sleeping bag, a tent and just that.
I find it's quite sort of overbearing when you do load up way too much stuff and I think
I've done it this weekend to be fair because you're like there's just too much clutter around.
Being out in the outdoors and enjoying that and taking that in is all about kind of clearing
your mind, isn't it?
It's hard to do that when you've got too much stuff with you.
I don't think I bought, I didn't even bring food with me.
Okay, so the other end of the scale.
Yeah, I think I bought a cool box with milk, Greek yogurt and alcohol.
Well, that sounds like a perfect mix.
What a combination.
That was all I bought with me and then my bedding lives in the truck anyway, you know,
in a bag and I bought a stove to make a coffee in the morning.
That was about as far as it went.
Coffee is very important and I actually haven't had one yet today so I'm kind of on the edge.
And do you know what?
I knew just doing this looking at Martin earlier.
I thought that man is devoid of coffee.
He's pretty obnoxious man.
I don't hide it well.
It's basically grumpy all the time so you know.
Thanks mate.
Yeah, what's next for you then with your Land Rover?
Well, I've got another one at home.
Have you?
This is the thing we were saying yesterday, one is never enough.
So I've got a 110 utility at home which I'm planning to convert into a county station wagon.
Okay, very cool.
It was too good of a deal to pass up on.
What age is it?
1989.
Okay, cool.
So it's a nice 200.
It starts better than my 90.
Right, okay.
It runs, it drives.
It's being used as a farm vehicle at the moment because I've just not had the time.
But yeah, I was like, I need another one and then I've seen that and I was like, yes.
You can't miss out on the deals, that's for sure.
You've got to strike while the iron's hot.
I literally turned up with the trailer and I said, I'll give you this and I'll take it now.
And the man said yes.
That is how you buy a car.
You go with intent.
Absolutely, it has to be done.
The only trouble is when you do that, you go with the trailer,
the guy's not going to drop the price much because he knows you don't really want to
go with an empty trailer.
I don't know.
I think that's less likely than you get people who turn up and go, well,
I'll have to think about it and then I'll let you know when I get paid and then blah, blah,
blah.
If you turn up with some money in a trailer, they're going to be much more amenable to a deal.
Yeah, it could work both ways, I think.
Yeah, I see what you mean.
Yeah, essentially.
So did you take in some of the entertainment last night?
Yes.
Yeah, we were down here dancing actually.
We were right at...
Oh, I saw you.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, we were down here dancing at a great time and it would have been nice for our music
to go on a bit longer.
I think we had like a proper vibe in and it was like, oh.
It built up and everyone was at like fever pitch and it was great and everyone was getting into it
and then because of noise restrictions, it was like, bam, 10 o'clock came and that was it.
But we're going to try and see what we can do in the future, I think, because everyone was really,
yeah, getting into their stride and then it kind of was a bit of a shame to knock it on the head,
but you'll see what we can do.
There is a reason why this basically sound goes out towards the M4 and not, you know,
let's be honest, the miserable people that live nearby that might say it's because obviously this
place doesn't just have Land Rover shows, it has other shows throughout the year.
So noise restrictions are quite important.
But yeah, I know what you mean.
The sticker swap, were you part of the sticker swap?
I was part of the sticker swap.
This has become a thing now.
Greg is wavy, frantic.
Yeah, I mean, I don't know where it kind of started.
Did it start with you, Greg?
Yes, is the answer.
All these crazes and memes and things like that, I'm blaming Greg entirely.
There's stickers of me all over the place with my arms out demonstrating which was filmed,
we was done here, wasn't it, when we were doing the off-road course and somehow
you were going through the elephant footprints like this, like you were flying a plane and
all the memes have come off the back of it.
Yeah, we spoke about it before and the blame rests firmly with Greg on that.
And the sticker swap was his idea.
And I've seen the picture of the turnout, it looked absolutely awesome.
Yeah, there was loads of us.
I think it just kind of caught on, I think a lot of us had FOMO and I remember seeing
everybody's stickers and I was like, I need stickers.
And I remember messaging the man that I think he did all of ours,
all of our little group as well.
And I think all of us messaged him like, can we have some stickers?
And he was like, yes.
And they came the next day.
Amazing.
Yeah, I want some stickers on mine now.
I feel like we kind of missed out because we've had Land Rover monthly and
Fest stickers on the stand.
Now I bought some down.
Did you?
I handed quite a lot out, yeah.
Oh, brilliant.
But just going on the back of that, so you know your little sticker of you during this?
All too well.
I was a bit concerned this morning.
My wife said to me this morning, first thing I heard was, I've just had a shower with Martin.
I was like, what?
And the next thing she says, there's a sticker of Martin in one of the
shower cubicles.
In one of them, I think they're in all of them, which is disconcerting.
It is.
You're going to be, you'll be discovered on things.
Yeah, this time next year.
I just hope the shower company doesn't send us a bill for extra picking off sticker time.
Yeah, well, we didn't stick them.
Yeah, shower comes right.
We can send the invoice straight to Greg and make it go away like that.
But no, this is all part of the community spirit really, isn't it?
People jump on these trends.
It's like, it's really nice to start a tradition early.
And I think the sticker swap is something that we'll build with time and, you know,
we'll continue doing it.
The other, of course, unofficial sponsor of LRM Fest is Lemon Fanta.
Everyone's been going mad about Lemon Fanta because one comment was made at LRM Live and
Greg ran with it and then it snowballed into the behemoth that it is now.
Yeah, Defender aims yesterday wearing a Fanta branded T-shirt.
You know, people charge a great lens.
Fanta top.
So I'm not sure if she's doing Karkana again later.
She's got to defend her second place and possibly take it back off of Nick.
Yes, she is.
Nick Dimbleby's back here today as well to...
Really?
Yeah.
Yeah, strong competition.
In his Range Rover.
So yesterday was pretty intense.
There was a lot of good competition.
But today is really going to, you know, that's going to be turned up to 11.
There's going to be that there's high stakes at a stake here.
So be sure to catch Karkana in a little while in the arena.
But in the meantime, Jubilee, thank you ever so much for joining us on the stage.
Thank you for having me.
Oh, no, it's always been a joy.
I'll see you again and enjoy the rest of the day.
Thank you, I will.
And yeah, see you at another event.
Yes, definitely.
Cheers.
Cheers, thank you.
Give it up everyone for Jubilee.
Thank you very much.
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So next up on stage we would like to welcome another star of the mud and media paddock,
which is right behind us as we speak, Mr Jonathan East.
Nice to see you.
Nice to see you guys too.
Ah, yes.
So I've followed you on Instagram for a while because you've got some really,
really cool Land Rover builds.
It's kind of what you do, isn't it?
Yeah, so full-time now we've been working on Defenders for 10 years at least.
And I like to play with them myself too.
They're based out on the Isle of Wight?
Yeah, down the Isle of Wight.
So we've spoken about it briefly before, but how do you build a customer base on such a small island?
Well, the current car that's set on my ramp has come over from Belfast.
Right, okay.
So not too much of an issue then?
No, I mean, when you live so far away from everything you used to do in some miles,
then we'll go and collect and pick up customers' cars from around the UK.
Good stuff.
And you're here today with your, this weekend in fact, with your lovely 110 double cab.
Yeah, so that's my personal dream Defender build, which is just a great all-rounder.
It's nice stuff that you go out for dinner in it inside, lovely interior.
It looks clean off from the outside.
It's not too clean.
I can't go around the off-road course.
But I can go camping in it.
I can tell the trailer of it.
The dog can go in the back and it's still fast enough to beat most things down the dual-carriage way.
I was going to say, I was annoyed when we had the open day that I didn't manage to go down the road with you.
But yeah, it's a serious build, isn't it?
BMW engine and eight-speed box.
Yeah, so it's M57 twin-turbo, eight-speed auto, and that is the best part about it.
I was more excited for the gearbox.
I think the engine, but...
They're really picking up speed now, aren't they?
A lot of people converting even TD5s and things like that to run them.
Yeah, I've had quite a few people inquire about TD5s and eight HPs this weekend.
Would you say the M57 setup is the ultimate engine for a Defender?
I've had Cummins.
I've had OM6 to 6s.
I've had all Defender variants of engine.
The 606 I did was 400 horsepower and I had it in there for two weeks before I removed it for a 300 TDI.
Really?
I removed it for a 300 TDI.
Yeah, wow.
And the car started as a TD5, then put a 606 in it,
took it out, and put a 300 in.
What didn't you like about it?
It was just unreliable.
It was an old, knocky engine, which I get fits the Land Rover characteristics,
which is why I was so dead set against an M57 at first,
until I drove one and worked out how perfectly it suits it.
Right.
It's just the driving experience of an M57 is almost a different league to anything else you can put in a Defender.
I have driven a few, not with the eight-speed, with the older six-speed, and the manual one as well.
And I have to say, what I always found with the OM, and it's nothing against anyone that's done it,
but it really lacks low down when you put it away.
You have to really get it wound up.
Definitely.
And one of the best things about that eight-speed box I've got in there is,
I'm running more torque in the M57 than I have in the OM6O build,
but I haven't broken any drive-like components.
I've done 45,000 miles now and only had to change the oil and a water pump.
That's pretty, pretty fabulous, actually.
You wouldn't be saying that about some of the other engines out there, like, you know.
Yeah, definitely not.
I mean, I did kill the alternator building in the mudrun, but that's not really down to the part failing.
That's more me getting stuck in the mud for a few minutes.
It's pretty rare to see an alternator survive the mudrun, even like TD5s and things like that,
people flushing them out with water at that rate.
I mean, there was people running around looking for them, but I mean, it's been so reliable.
I mean, if you said to me, can you drive several times and pick this up?
I would get in it tomorrow about even opening the bonnet and to have all the faith in it.
But then it's like, going back to 606, I had to do two diffs in the first 12 hours of having on the road.
Wow.
Was that with an auto as well?
That was with a Merc Auto, which had a standalone controller
and actually had a Thrustmaster PC gaming simulator shifter.
It's like, eventually shifted.
So it was the auto box that had to be manually shifted and being a mechanical pump
and a much older auto box, it just shockloaded the transmission so badly every time we changed
gear and it just absolutely ruined the drive line.
Got you.
Wow.
Okay.
Yeah.
I love speaking about this stuff.
Like conversions have always been a bit of a passion of mine.
It's, I find it fascinating because I know I personally couldn't do it.
I'm not that mechanically minded.
I understand how things work, but I'm always fascinated that
what goes through someone's mindset to be able to go, right, that gearbox,
that engine is going in there with those electronics.
And I just can't comprehend the thought process and the learnings.
And the patience you must have to sort of build something that may not work.
Yeah.
I mean, it's like with the eight speeds.
They don't even bolt up to the M57s.
You've got to adapt all of that.
So there's definitely a lot that goes into it.
I mean, there's a lot of companies now making it really accessible.
We've adapted play stuff like that.
But I think an M57 and the AHP is the ultimate usable combo in a Defender.
I mean, I go greenaning in it.
I do the off-road course.
It's quite a capable truck.
You know, it's triple locked and it does get used and abused.
As much as I do like to get it cleaned and have it looking as good as I can.
The combo just works everywhere.
It works for towing so well.
It works just motorway driving, daily driving around the town
and off-roading as well.
It's just always in the right gear and the auto box has become such a long way now.
Yeah, they are smart.
I mean, I don't think if I was to buy a modern car now,
I would opt for any sort of manual transmission because we are as a nation getting lazy, aren't we?
Oh, 100%.
I mean, it always confuses me when I see people driving a Range Rover that's got a vocal saying,
you've got a manual one and you've got a Range Rover and you've got to change gear yourself.
Yeah, yeah.
Why would you want to do that?
And actually, arguably, an automatic is better off-road, isn't it?
Because yeah, I mean, I've had multiple off-roaders manual and the AHP has been absolutely flawless
off-road.
I mean, I'd definitely have it as a preferable option.
How do you go about sourcing good donors for these gearboxes and engines?
So there's a company that sells a lot on eBay, Global Water Parts.
They're really reputable and they warranty their gearboxes.
So that's where we get those from.
Right.
You get all the information of the cars and pulled out of the mileage, stuff like that.
Registration number.
And then for the donor cars, we will just buy like this.
Depends really what the customer wants to do.
I mean, we'll build a brand new engine if that's what you want.
Or trying to keep it more budget friendly and accessible for more people.
We'll go and get like a decent facelift E53X5.
Yeah.
But we always buy a complete car because that way we can see it running.
We can test drive it.
We can make sure the engine's good before it comes out.
And that way we know we're not going to waste our time by putting something in that's...
Yeah, definitely.
I mean, you might well have heard my chronicles of my 200 TDI,
but even M57s, they're all 20-ish years old now, aren't they?
Yeah, that's the thing.
I mean, we are at the end of the day taking your old engine out,
but we're still putting a second hand engine in.
And it's...
I mean, they're good engines.
My ECU, we checked...
Wow, me and my friend Harry were playing around with a map at Billing.
And we looked at the ECU info and it was on over 500,000 miles.
Wow.
When I bought my engines.
Yeah, I mean, so they do go on.
They do last, but a rebuild is always going to be nice.
And, you know, you use that way, you've got the peace of mind as well.
But again, it's not cheap.
I mean, look at the maker stuff.
Looks pretty good.
And they're 35 grand-ish starting price, but you get a fully-rebuild engine.
Sure.
Yeah, I mean, it depends.
There's a lot of factors, isn't there?
Yeah, definitely.
One thing I do enjoy about what you do is you go green-laning.
Or go and help out on some land or whatever and absolutely coat the Land Rover in.
Because you used to have big KM3s on it, didn't you?
Yeah.
BFG, if you're watching, can you please bring those back?
Because you've discontinued them.
Yes, we had this conversation the other day.
But yeah, I mean, like you say, use it hard, use it.
Yeah, I will use all 400 horsepower.
And then give it to someone to clean it up.
Yeah.
You must have a very understanding detailer.
He wasn't very happy when I phoned him on the way home from the test out.
On the off-road course.
Because he cleaned it the day before.
And he wondered why I wanted to book it in again.
So it looked immaculate.
It looked absolutely spotless.
It did.
We had an unexpected downpour, didn't we, on that day.
And it changed his off-road course completely.
Oh, 100%.
It made it really, really technical in some places.
I know, I don't know if Amy's done the podcast this weekend.
But I was talking to her on the day and she was saying she was having trouble
with sliding sideways across the course.
Yeah, well, I mean, almost, you wanted it to rain today a little bit,
just to sort of dampen it down.
Because it's looking quite dusty as we look across here now.
Yeah, it's quite scenic with the dust going across it.
It looks like you're sort of watching a safari or...
It is so cool.
In fact, I want to go back round this afternoon.
I was going to say, what is lovely about it is,
because you're in and out with the trees,
you get the sun coming through the leaves,
and you feel like you could be anywhere.
You're not on the side of a showground.
Yeah, I mean, when I pulled into the showgrounds,
you were like, where's the off-road course?
And then you go down there.
It's actually quite big.
And the way it's been set out is really great,
because it sort of backs around on itself a few times.
So you get to really use the most of the space you've got down there.
And it's really, really good.
I spoke to one of the regular auto jumblers
that comes to one of the big auto dribble spares days that we have here twice a year.
And he's been coming down here for decades.
And he said, there's no off-road course at your show.
He said, there it is.
And he said, where?
I told him.
He said, is there?
I had no idea.
And he trades along there.
Yeah, I mean, I did wonder,
because I've been to a few of the auto jumblers here as well.
And so when I heard about the off-road course,
I was like, a bit confused by it.
Where is it?
Yeah, it's literally right there.
And it's great.
And the last section, especially, gets a bit technical.
And I think we'll probably catch a few people out over the weekend.
Yeah, the Eddie's bomb hole, as it's been named,
has washed out a little bit with so many vehicles going through
that towards the end of the day yesterday,
did claim some victims that dropped down in there,
lost a bit of momentum and then couldn't scrabble out.
To be fair to the one I saw,
actually it transpires that the clutch had gone on a Freelander,
making it just a sort of two-wheel drive.
And it was struggling to pull itself out.
There's been a few recoveries,
but we're trying to keep things moving.
And yeah, we've got a lovely viewpoint from here
on the main stage, looking over at the course.
We can see vehicles looping in and out.
And yeah, there's a bit of dust carrying around.
And yeah, it's just a really nice...
It was, as he's brought up already,
it was a challenge to pack as much as we could
into the space available.
But I think everyone I've spoken to is happy.
So yeah, I mean, there's a nice variation of everything.
And like you say, if you don't want to do the harder parts,
there's always bypasses.
So it makes them more accessible as well,
because you could take a brand new Range Rover around
if you want to.
And if you didn't really want to put it in the hole at the end,
you haven't got to.
Absolutely.
But you mentioned you've got a series as well.
Yeah, so I've got two series.
I've got a series two and A.
Good stuff for what sort of thing.
I think I've seen...
Have you still got the one that you put up recently?
Yeah, open one.
Yeah, so I've bought that as a hard top.
Changed wheels and tires, took the roof off.
I've been using that as a daily for the last few weeks.
I actually had to jumpstart the Defender
because I got home from billing, left the fridge plugged in,
haven't been using it.
And because I've just been in the series,
it's absolutely great.
Living on the Isle of Wight,
you don't need to go over 45 mile an hour.
And I can stick the dog in the back.
We can go anywhere and it's perfect.
Ideal sum of it.
As I say, yeah, in this heat is absolutely great.
So yeah, the speed limit on the Isle of Wight is 45, is it?
No, there is a dual carriageway.
So you can do 70 if you can get there
before the dual carriageway ends, which is...
Okay.
Probably the length of this stage.
Oh, wow, okay.
So obviously, you have to battle the ferry crossings.
It's not the cheap crossings, is it?
It's essentially like the most expensive stretch of water in Europe
or something like that, or half of this side of the world.
Yeah, yeah.
I presume there's quite a few Land Rover owners over there.
The Defender and series scene on the Isle of Wight is absolutely huge.
I don't think I've ever been anywhere and seen
like the Defender to Car ratio so high.
That's really interesting.
I've only been over a couple of times
and not that far into the Isle of Wight.
Yes, but great to hear that.
I believe there has been a club there for quite a while,
but I've never actually paid much attention
to the percentage of Land Rovers,
but it sounds like an absolutely awesome place to own one.
Yeah, it's great.
And there's some really scenic byways.
There's nothing too extreme over there,
but I mean, it's not too bad.
You've got a Slinden Panplay day.
If you want to go and have some fun,
or you've got Salisbury Plains an hour and a half up the road.
But the scenic stuff there is great.
You can drive down near the military road and over the hills.
Awesome.
Yeah, I always, like I say,
you're quite prolific on Instagram, Jonathan East.
You're always out and about doing something,
especially like canyoning up and down on the mainland,
collecting stuff with the 110.
And it's great.
Yeah, I mean, I've done 45,000 miles now
since I bought that last January.
Wow.
That's a serious mileage.
So yeah, great stuff.
And that's not including probably a two or three month stretch
where we did the M57 conversion.
And that was done in a very short space of time
to get it done for billing.
And I didn't wire the speed away
because it was one of the last things
that wasn't necessary to get there.
So that was meant to be a job when we got home
and we kind of ignored it for a while.
So the mileage is probably a bit higher.
Wow, seriously, that's really, really cool.
But have you enjoyed the weekend?
Oh, yes, it's been absolutely great.
It's been very hot, but the bar was great.
The music's great.
The show's great.
Auto jumble is really cool.
There's a few bargains over there as well.
Good stuff.
Yes, I haven't actually had the chance
to look around the auto jumble yet,
but yeah, everyone seems pretty happy.
There's plenty of trade, lots of variations.
Yeah, I've been talking to quite a lot of the traders.
There's been some really cool guys here,
some of some cool stuff.
So yeah, it's been a nice variety
and it was all laid out quite well as well.
You know, it wasn't all separated.
That's it.
Having, I mean, the huge bonus of the off-road course,
right where you can see it, nothing is super spread out.
You haven't got to walk far to get anywhere.
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, I think it's a really good size show
and I think the stuff that here is really high quality.
So it's, I mean, it's definitely not the biggest,
but the stuff here has been very selective well.
Sure, sure.
I mean, for a first year, we couldn't be happier.
Oh yeah, I think for the first year,
it's been an absolute, absolutely smashed it.
It's good stuff.
We'll do it again next year, shall we, Steve?
I think we should.
And funnily enough, we're already in the planning to do it.
So keep an eye on landroverhub.co.uk, our new website,
in fact, for the release of next year's dates
for all the events.
So we normally release dates around November for next year,
but you can pretty much, yeah,
but exclusively know that we will be back next July.
After the response, we've got very positive.
Obviously, we listen to some of the things that we can tweak.
Absolutely.
Always very difficult to know how it's going to run
until you're here on the ground.
But yeah, next year, bigger and better is the plan.
So yeah, watch this space.
Great.
And back next year for more bookheads as well.
I'll see you there.
Great stuff.
Jonathan, thank you ever so much.
Thank you very much.
For joining us on the stage.
You sounded like Elvis when you said,
thank you very much.
I just thought of Elvis, I don't know.
But yeah, good to see you.
Great stuff.
Cheers, Jonathan.
Well, that concludes the LRM podcast
for day two of the Big Land Rover Fest, Steve.
It does.
And for all those that are still with us,
looking at us, obviously, quite a few people
sitting out there in the shade,
be sure to check us out on Spotify.
Visit landroverhub.co.uk to download
episodes of the podcast.
And we're on YouTube as well, aren't we?
Absolutely, yes.
Yeah, subscribe to the YouTube channel
because we've got loads of great stuff planned
for this year as well.
So yeah, keep an eye on that.
And thank you ever so much for coming along
to the first Big Land Rover Fest.
And we'll speak to you very soon.
Yeah, enjoy the rest of your day.
Thank you very much.
Cheers.
About this episode
Day two of the Big Land Rover Fest at Newbury Showground kicks off with award categories and General Tires sponsorship, then dives into the off-road course—looping layouts, Eddie’s bomb hole, and how rain can turn it “completely” different. The London Mud Club takes center stage: its “authentic off-roading” Series 1 vibe, a long, complicated application process, and mud-as-credibility stories. Larry the Land Rover guest shares a deal-hunting 110 build and why BMW power is king with Jonathan East, citing M57 reliability and driveline compatibility.
In this week's episode, Martin and Steve are back on the Salmon Sofa at The Big Land Rover Fest. It's hot and sunny, the mics are on and the conversation is flowing.
First up to join the boys are Lord Trousers and Captain Ratty from the "notoriously popular but impossible to join" London Mud Club to chat cigars, stylish clothing and Land Rover-based shenanigans. The guys talk about future adventures and why Land Rover ownership doesn't have to be serious.
Next up on the sofa is Jubilee Lorne, the driving force behind the Larry the Land Rover social media account. From camping out of a 90 with her family to using techniques to get the very best deal when buying a Land Rover to her top festival essentials, Jubilee's enthusiasm is infectious.
Finally, Johnathan East joins the boys on the sofa to talk all things engine conversions and running a Land Rover business on the Isle of Wight. Johnathan explains the importance of the new generation of gearboxes when doing engine conversions to Land Rovers, sourcing donors, Series trucks and more.
As always, we love to get your feedback and questions, so send them over! We can be reached on [email protected] – enjoy the episode!
