The LOST Classic Range Rover Conversions - Sheer Rover, Rapport Range Rover + More! 

I recall a custom 6wd version used as a fire tender at RAF Manston. Whilst the large fire trucks had to drive to a crash via runways and taxiways due to their weight, the Range Rover could drive in a straight line across the grass. The vehicle was stripped out with just a driver’s seat and behind this was a high pressure pump, a foam generator and a water tank. The driver, always on duty wearing a full aluminium fire suit had a simple instruction. “In case of fire drive straight towards the burning aircraft, when close enough start the foam gun on the roof but keep driving. When the windscreen cracks due to heat, jump out leaving the pumps running”. In service the vehicle was expendable and was expected to last about two minutes before it caught fire but this was enough time for the larger fire tenders to get to the scene.

In the early noughties, as a logistics driver, I was sometimes tasked to collect Overfinch and Kahn conversions and drive/deliver them to their new owners (or their shipping companies). It made a nice change from delivering the Audis, Fords, Vauxhalls, Hondas, Nissans, Toyotas, VWs, and Peugeots that made up our usual commissions.

I really love the honesty and simplicity of early Range Rovers, especially the grille design. Not keen on many of these conversions, a lot are straight proof that money does not buy taste, but i wouldnt say no to an Overfinch 570, as long as it was a two door shell. Great video again, and good to see you keeping the standard up 👍

Overfinch also built a v12 jag powered rangie which was facilitated by stretching the front end to accommodate the lump

It's a truly shocking indictment on the state of BL management and marketing that it took a full 11 years to launch a 5-door version of the RR!

Fantastic, and thank you! Bit of a RR fan here, first up in the '80's I saw on a farm in Wiltshire a 6 wheel trayback that seemed to be a professional conversion, although hauling hay round a farm seemed undignified- second there was a Farcel growing roots in the '90's near the Marcos works in Westbury ( I was powder coating the Marcos chassis at the time ), and finally this year in Witney Oxfordshire there is a 'Cosrover' which is an early '90's variant which appears yet again to be a limited run using Cosworth parts...

There are some hilarious cars made in the past. Great video! Thanks Tom.

The Huntsman convertible, as seen in Octopussy, looks fantastic. It's the only one I'd choose over the 3 door original.

In 1980 I worked with the daughter of the boss of BL East Africa. She had pictures of her dad's company car in Kenya, a Range Rover with an actual SD1 front end grafted on. It looked better than the SD1 conversions shown as more of the SD1 sheet metal was used. I think it was a local conversion done after a collision that damaged the original front end. There were many pictures of the car with various large animals in the background.

“I have more money than sense and want to make my Range Rover look hideous” Wood & Picket: “this way sir”

A company called Townley Cross Country Vehicles also created lots of conversions. They had a showroom in Mayfair. I own a 1981 Townley convertible with documents showing the original the sale. Although the docs show it was sold by Townley it looks exactly the same as a Rapport Starlight. I know someone else who also has a Townley Convertible but it’s not the same as mine. It’s a shame that a lot of the information has been lost in time.

The Glenfrome Facet looks like something out if Gerry Anderson's UFO! It speaks volumes about the integrity of the original Range Rover design that none of those conversions come anywhere near to improving its looks. Great video, must've taken some research.

Overfinch also offered a 5.0 V8 sourced from a Camaro aswell as the 5.7 Corvette engine

I'm still baffled by the history of my 1978 four door Range Rover, although the 'Special Vehicles' stickers could be the simple answer.

My sister used to be the secretary to Les Pickett in South Ruislip. As a teen I would often get to look around the workshops at the Range Rovers & Mini's. I was later offered an apprenticeship with them when I left school, but refused it to work at a Ford dealer instead.

Excellent stuff...v interesting....thanks for your efforts & research. 👍

Quick correction regarding Schuler, they used the Brock HDT engine from 1983. I had a chance to buy a very tatty one a few years ago but alas didn't have anywhere to store it. The seller claimed it was the Australian demonstration vehicle with every possible option. All I could confirm was it had a Holden V8 instead of a Rover V8, FF transfer case, Recaro seats and a 1 piece lift up tailgate. But it was all in boxes.

Land Rover Special Vehicle's has a massive portfolio of many specially converted Land Rover's. The forward control Land Rovers are a interesting topic as well.

Great informative film, thanks.

Great video 👍 I remember reading about a range rover with a open rear deck and single seat that at a push of a button go up or down for the sheikh doing a bit of falconry!

Interesting and quality as always. I didn't know any of these. Just rumors of a V12 Jaguar engine in *old* Range Rover. Thank You. 👌👌👌

i came across a beat up one with the two r’s removed…. ANGE OVER… best mod ever

Brilliant video, keep it up.

One of my favourite episodes of Minder featured in the intro. I recall many engine conversion companies, especially one offering the Mazda 3.5 4 cylinder turbo diesel engine. It was a great engine and suited the Range Rover, just as good as the V8 petrol in terms of power but more torque and better economy.

Great commentary on the fantastic Range Rover. I have a Classic in Canada that I fitted out for expeditions and is powered by the TD5 diesel. Hasn’t turned a wheel in a while but still looks good and likely a ‘one off’ conversion.

You look in to the interesting car's Most don't even know about 👍👍👍 And Also like the details of rare cars Most people don't even notice Unless you point it out to them

Possibly the most-produced modified Range Rover was the TACR2, an airport fire tended based on the Carmichael 6x4 design.

First time ever I know one of these conversions in advance: the Sheer Rover. I've got one issue of an Italian magazine with a service on that model

I had a 1981 Schuler Range Rover in Australia. It had the first automatic coupled to a Ferguson FF limited slip centre diff. It offered an early form of anti lock brakes. The engine had a different cam and a few more horsepower.

Great video, as always. Just one thing though........the 't' in Rapport is silent. 👍

I really enjoyed this episode, it was great to learn about some of the versions created. You did miss out the TWR specials.

please do some stuff about the Reliant scimitar GTE SE6, love the car to bits

The SD1 fronted option looks like they nicked the nosecone off Mad Max’s “last of the V8 interceptors”…….. 🤔🤔😆

My brother owned A Janspeed turbo SD1 Vitesse ,silver it was written off on the A303 near Andover . Reg was DDD***Y. The engine went in a 110 landrover.

Super vid mate. In my pointless and unnecessary opinion: I love the custom range's from that era and I always fancied making my own but each time I look again at the original design and think that any alterations spoil the original design. I need to look at a standard classic after this video to cleanse my palate!

Very good mate

Very interesting, thanks!

In the 80's in North Devon where i lived there was a local BBC Radio Devon DJ called Ian Brass and he drove one of the six wheeled Range Rover, Whether it was actually his or owned by the BBC i don't know but it did have the BBC logo over the vehicle. Always took a second look when it drove past.

awesome vid tom, delivered a few times to overfinch birstall

When I was 12 in '87 I had a rich friend at school... went to stay at his Dad's house for a sleepover and among other mind blowing rich people things was a 6 wheeled Range Rover parked in the courtyard, it had a big TV in the back and looked a bit sorry for itself, I just remember they had all this amazing stuff and didn't seem to care about any of it.

My late Dad drove V8 Range Rovers in the Oil fields of Saudi in the 80s , but over there as He said you filled it up to the Neck for £3.00 back then..He had the option of bringing it back to the UK but feeding it over here was out of the Question..

I recall seeing a Chevette headlighted white RR with black 5-spoke alloy wheels and bright red leather interior in a LR book. Can't recall the conversion name though.

Hint of L405 in the one with SD1 headlights.

My favourite vehicle was a 1984 , 4door range rover, with a 1990 , 300 tdi, retrofitted into it, what a beast, should have called it Christine 😊😊

Carmicheal produced the 6 wheeled fire engines based on their Range Commando conversion. The Brooklands Museum has one. I'm not sure but I think Boscombe Down might have had one when I worked there in the mid to late 1990s.

The HDT converted cars were rare even when new. You could buy a brand new HDT Commodore and a V8 Ford Falcon and have money left over for the price of a Schuler/HDT Rangie!

What about the two or three popemobiles? one was XDU 111X, can't remember the others

One popular conversion was replacing the v8 petrol engine with the Ford 6 cylinder "york" engine from the Ford A series light truck. Although it was adequate for the time, it was an indirect injection diesel as were most light diesels before TDI and common rail. The Italian VM engine was also used in later conversations and was far superior. Just imagine what could have been achieved with modern CR engines with 200HP.

My old [many years retired] mechanic worked at Lex Mead when the original rangey came out. He was not terribly complimentary about their build quality. Nothing changes, eh?

A StrangeRover with a plastic Holden engine. About the only one that made sense. 3.5 litre are gutless thirsty pigs. 4.4 P38 conversions only marginally better. But when in good order do drive well,, and sometimes the windows go up and down and very occasionally the a/c actually works. Bad vehicles that could have been good. These days a stupidly expensive boulevard cruiser. I go places that a 4wd is best suited,,, I once even saw a blingy black Strangerover towing a tiny caravan. He arrived about 4 hours later than us,[In a Landcruiser] over about 200 miles. And these were roads that I would [and have] take a normal passenger car carefully. This outback South Oz

The Range Rover was the grand dad of all the copy cat 4x4s you see today! It's just a shame it's not fully British anymore!

WP also offered gun racks and an engine swap to a big block Chevrolet engine.

In the auto trader in the late 1980s . Advertisement for ex OIL field Range Rovers convertibles with bench seats in back. Lots of then in sand colour £1500 each. I didn’t buy one . FFS I bottled it V8s

I'm sure these conversions were good cars but some of those nose designs really could have used some input from better designers.

There used to be a white 6 wheeled topless Range Rover in Birmingham in the early 1980's.

I have a Sheer Rover by Townley, I’m currently restoring it, when it done you’re welcome to take a look

I don’t think you pronounce the ‘T’ at the end of RAPPORT.

Some of those designs put me in mind of Wacky Races from the seventies. 🤣🤣

None of the custom creations were an aesthetic improvement on the iconic Range Rover fascia, although I completely understand why the monied set would want some bespoke. Rapport's Granada front end cheapened it, and the W & P SD1 fascia did not integrate well at all. Honestly, if you consider that the Range Rover is primarily horizontal and vertical lines, random angled lines look very awkward. All this being said, the 1970s and 1980s were great in that wit enough money, you could get some very unique, whereas today, most customizations need to be done at the point of assembly as manufacturers rather they made the profit from anything unique rather than aftermarket firms. The sumptuous interiors on some of these models are sublime, and where I'd want to spend the money. That is where I would be sitting and my vantage point most of the time, so I'd prefer to be satisfied than trying to impress others.

A friend of the family had an early 3 door range rover with Ferguson formula conversion Automatic gearbox it had a T shifter same as the ford Capri in chrome Bedford TK indicators/side lights Fitted in a horrible glass fibre mounted Same place as standard indicator position And Ferguson formula badge on tailgate It was white Maybe it was a prototype for police (My opinion) Or maybe it was a police range rover Don't no I'm guessing surmising Think it was a J or K reg 71/72

The first shear 75 range rover has mk1 Granada headlights and indicators

8:28 - Didn’t Anneka Rice ride around in one of these in ‘Challenge Anneka’?

11:34 has Escort RS Turbo bonnet vets thrown on the front wings lol could be worse though, someone could put an entire Ford front end on one, now that would be truly horrendous,,,,, wait a minute lol

I've seen a brock holden dealer team Holden 308 rangie in Melbourne. I thought they were for Australia. Given they were 4 door i thought they were 83 on? Actually. My mate has one also.

@3.49 Imagine a 6 wheeled range rover convertible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was the Huntsman (5:40) used in James bond?

Compliment your OTT 6-wheel Range Rover with a Laird Centaur, the bonkers half-track Land Rover.

Dont forget....Montevederdi Range Rover😊

8:26, that car was "designed"? by Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles?

Just give me the original 2-door CSK special edition.

The Pope's rover you forgot

Some properly ugly grille designs in this video, but fascinating as always!

Give me a bone stock base model any day! I see the conversions where the logo has changed as 'stolen valour'. It does not matter whether it is Overfinch or Brabus, you can't just take a car that has taken millions to develop, slap some carbon fibre on it and new decals to fool everyone all of the time. I would like a decent series on the whole history of this and how the psychology of it works. If I see a Range Rover with Overfinch on the bonnet, I still see it as a Range Rover. They really could just have a small badge on the boot but they can't do that because nobody would ever see it. Same with Brabus, it is just a fake logo for people that have more money than sense. But when did this start? Was there some dickhead putting his own logos on a Model T Ford just for adding some walnut to the dashboard? And when will it end? Is anyone doing this in the China market? How well do the like of Overfinch sell there?

How to make the wonderful Range Rover and make it look ugly. The front ends added to these classics made them look like a Halfords Saturday special. The person who thought of putting the headlights from an SD1 instead of the original front has no idea. As for the early 4 door versions looked ridiculous.

There's some very strange modifications here aren't there

That’s one bunch of seriously hideous cars 🥴🥴🥴

It's Jan/Speed not yanspeed thanks.

they should have allowed all these obnoxious conversions to be imported to the U.S. free of all taxes and fees. these are honorary 'Merican cars

This one brings back good memories when I was a lad, Parts man in a dealership in Bristol and Glenfrome(pronounced Glenfroom, don't worry the BBC always get's it wrong Frome is pronounced Froom locally) a customer of ours and I was given a tour of the factory when they were building the Facet, as a lad thought it was wonderful now as an old git all I can see is going A** over T** trying to get in and out of it, This was in the days far far away when working in the motor trade was fun now management treat parts staff as second hand citizens,