Inside The 32-Year-Old Defender That Refuses To Die

Meet “Monty” the Overland Land Rover Defender: Desert Adventures, Breakdowns, and London Streets. In St. James’ Daniel Welling meets Ric McCorriston to tour his Land Rover Defender, “Monty,” named after Field Marshall Montgomery and shaped by extensive desert travel. Ric recounts a six-month 2009–10 overland drive from Shepherd’s Bush to Cape Town via Africa’s east coast, living self-sufficiently with a roof tent, jerry cans, fridge, shower, and cooking kit. He explains dents and repairs, including a tree impact in France fixed with a rope, and discusses key overland features like a raised air intake, long-range fuel tank, dual batteries, water tank with pump and filter, and a rear camera mirror. Ric describes carrying spares, rare flat tires, but multiple breakdowns (prop shaft in Tunisia, gearbox failure in Libya leading to temporary 2WD and three days’ house arrest), a hyena scare in the Serengeti, and later theft and recovery of the stripped vehicle, plus technical notes on diff lock, low range, and the 300 TDI engine’s reliability despite frequent gearbox issues. 00:00 Meet Ric and Monty 00:34 Desert Overland Adventure 01:25 Dents Scrapes and Fixes 02:36 Snorkel and Spares 04:02 Breakdowns and Libya Drama 05:27 Hyena Night Scare 06:32 Overland Kit Tour 08:47 Diff Lock and Low Range 11:17 Stolen and Rebuilt 13:43 Under the Bonnet 15:20 Privacy and Hitchhikers 17:48 Driving in St James's 19:28 Dashcam Mirror and Quirks 21:45 ULEZ and Bus Loophole 22:29 Wrap Up and Subscribe This is EP035 Channel Cars - Ric McCorriston with Monty a Land Rover Defender Channel Cars features guests from the IT Channel showing their car to Daniel Welling, including; • Car history run through • Walk around car, talking informally about how acquired, likes and frustrations • Shots of car start up, engine, exhaust, driving inside and drive by roadside • Dream cars and what’s next If you are part of the IT Channel and would like to take part, please get in touch and thanks for watching 👊 #Monty #LandRover #Defender #ChannelCars