Landrover Styling - over fifty years

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Originally Posted by Vixen

Before 2007 ;) Gandalf, Numpty's 2006 defender has plastic front wheel arches

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Since JD started this thread about external styling, I am not sure how the INNER wheel arches are relevant (which I assume you are talking about). They are almost impossible to see when a wheel is fitted.

It is interesting that we are talking about the lack of styling change as a good thing, whereas most landrover detractors mention this as a bad thing...

I am fairly definite my father's 86 County (white, LT85/Isuzu, aircon) had painted rather than galvanised body trim, as my father wished his had the gal strips.

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Originally Posted by Vixen

Dunno...not sure what you mean by wheelwell liners ;) I am talking about the inner wheel arch, the bit you see if you stick your head up on top of a front wheel and look up :D It's plastic. :D

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Yep, that's them.

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Originally Posted by Vixen

VW's have little relevance to LR styling either but are still being discussed ;)

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Umm - did you read the original post?... The OP mentioned VWs, and the whole point of the thread was about comparing styling changes in LRs against other vehicles.

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Originally Posted by longing4alandy

I am fairly definite my father's 86 County (white, LT85/Isuzu, aircon) had painted rather than galvanised body trim, as my father wished his had the gal strips.

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From about 1986 they started painting the galvanised cappings - paint over the gal. Later on (1991 or slightly earlier) they started just painting them instead of galvanising then painting.

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Originally Posted by isuzurover

From about 1986 they started painting the galvanised cappings - paint over the gal. Later on (1991 or slightly earlier) they started just painting them instead of galvanising then painting.

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Correct. The galvanised strips on the doors were discontinued when the push button door handles came in with the new door structure, and at the same time the rest of the body capping was painted over the galvanising. I would have said that it was 1987, but probably my information meant the "1987" model, which started production after the northern summer break. Although Landrover has a long established habit of not making changes as a simple break, with both before and after being distributed at the same time to use up older parts stocks or to manage shortages of the new parts.

Not sure when they stopped galvanising the cappings, but I think it was after the Defender name change.

John

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Originally Posted by p38arover

Ahh. perhaps differing terms?

Are you referring to plastic wheelwell liners used in modern cars?

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I mentioned this very early on in the thread and as JD pointed out this isn't a visible styling of the vehicle.

To clarify though, in the Puma the actual front wheel arches aren't plastic lined they are plastic from the front of the wing to the firewall, they then have sound proofing mat over the engine side of them.

ONe thing that really makes me think LR missed the retro styling potential when they developed and then released the SVX for the 60th edition is the fact that with the Ford TDci motor there is a significant amount of room in front of the fan. They could have actually recessed the grill buy several inches and made the style more SIII like.

Anyway that's an aside to this thread, so now back on topic...

Re the arches, yes, I saw that but assumed you meant the flares.