La Poderosa is a key member of our team (and perhaps Sean’s other wife). Our Land Rover is a 1995 North American Spec Defender 90. She rolled off the assembly line in Solihull, England in May of that year, destined for the US market. Powered by a 3.9-liter aluminum block V8 based on an original design by General Motors for a Buick, Rover later purchased the deets on this bad girl and made their own adjustments.
While a relatively short wheelbase of 93-inches is great for accessing the nooks and crannies and better for gas mileage, it is not ideal for sleeping. We have some crazy plans to modify La Poderosa for long overland journeys, including a full-bed locked box that will double as a sleeping space …if we can fit! An innovative (as in made from our imagination …) snorkel, grill, and soft top, not to mention installing some electrical outlets and …who knows what else!
Stay tuned for the unfolding of Mad Max Rovermania!
Yeah, yeah, so when do we get to meet her, you ask?
You would.
To check her out in all of her glory, take a look at our Petrolicious short film, Freedom on Four Wheels, La Poderosa Lives for the Wild, shot by Valkyr Productions & Mattock Imagery on her stylish and foot-loose and fancy free life in Mexico.
We’ve been wresting with door sag on our Land Rover Defender for a while. The original cast aluminum Defender hinges have held up well for over 20 years but it’s time for an upgrade. We’ve opted to go with Offroad Monkeys’ heavy duty billet aluminum hinges and windscreen brackets. They’re beefy and beautiful....
New wheels are always fun. La Poderosa has had the same wheels for over 22 years. They’re aluminum alloys and they’re beautiful but flashy. It’s time for a change. The following is an account of our Land Rover alloy wheel refurbishment project....
Maintaining an overland vehicle - especially an older Rover - requires constant upkeep. And if you’re talking about vehicle-dependent travel as a way of life, preventative maintenance is the backbone of the whole operation. ...
Back home - with the damage done - we cleaned the ECU with PCB cleaner and still weren't getting any signal from the ECU to the injectors...
As we've taken a closer look at the engine and the electronics, we've noticed some faulty mechanical and electrical work - anomalies. We've always been eager to continue moving forward after something fails on the road in Mexico or Central America but some of these quick fixes may be catching-up with us....
Rover Maintenance: A/C Removed - 40lbs Lighter....
I overtightened an old, rusted door stud and it snapped - leaving almost nothing to get a grip on....
Rear crossmember repair: During this on-going Rover revamp, we took a moment to cut away parts of our badly-rusted rear crossmember.The salty roads of several East Coast winters too......
Thoughts about the unique innovations in these blogs? Perhaps a project of your own? Contact Sean here.