ECR... We build your dreams
DEFENDER 110 Safari Car or Game Viewer
The images below document one such build up of an ECR Safari
Car / Game Viewer.
This photo was supplied to us by a customer who had recently been in Africa. The instructions were to build this type of vehicle for them using the photo as a basis for the project. This wild looking creation will now be custom built at ECR for the customers to use at their home in Texas. Outfitted with everything from underbody protection, SSR radials, Warn 12,000 lb winch, ECR4.6 EFI V8, R380 5 speed and much more this "Safari Car" will be able to handle anything the new owners decide to throw at it. The idea spawned a new line of Defender 110s and 130s from ECR. We call them Safari Cars or Game Viewers and they can be custom built for many uses in many configurations.
As always, an ECR Defender 110 starts off as a new heavy duty galvanized frame, the back bone for long life. The frame is then set up with the drive train of choice. In this case a heavy duty Salisbury rear axle with disc brakes will be at the rear, with a 24 spline axle at the front. The frame will be supported by Old Man Emu springs and LTR remote reservoir Nitrogen shocks. Next up is the install of the Stage II 4.6 and R380 5 speed. The Safari Car can also be built with direct injection turbo diesel power and your choice of automatic or stick shift.
As the frame and drive train are assembled in the workshop, ECR's in house paint shop works on a museum quality finish for the new panels (Check out that reflection in that paint!!). The flawless Coniston Green paint work on the body tub really shows when viewed in our new paint booth. A dust free, 1,000,000 plus BTU bake booth that can handle any of your paint needs, large or small.
Now with the body painted and the drive train assembled we will start fabricating the custom seats and top.
Badger Coachworks will be handling our special soft trim needs as usual.
Here is the completed ECR4.6 Rover V8 installed and ready to put out massive torque, through the R380 5 speed and LT230 full time 4WD transfer case. Notice the LTR shocks and galvanized chassis.
In this image the 110 sees the light of day for the first time as we clean the shop for the next phase of assembly. With nearly all the mechanical systems done, it will have the nose installed and then be road tested. After the tests are complete the "Safari" part of this 110 will be hand crafted by the staff of ECR.
Here it is again, ready to go back into the shop. Notice the galv. trim so no rust will occur, the SSR radial tires and other options. The ECR Safari Cars are built to give you many decades of faithful service.
At this point the 110 is a fully functional Defender. We will next be installing the options and fabricating the seating and body protection bars. Here you can see the ECR swing out tailgate, lamp guards and more.
The front of the vehicle is complete as well. Next we will be installing the ARB bull bar, Warn 12,000 winch, turn signal conversion kit, tracker seat and much more. This 110 also has a lot of items you can't see. Such as: a HD drag link, tie rod guard, diff. guard, Dual Optima batteries and much more. All the details are what make an ECR 110 such a special vehicle that is available nowhere else in the world.
At this phase you can see the perfectly set up Defender 110, with all its additional extras in place, from the 12K winch to the Hella 4000 lights. Now it is on to the custom safari car additions.
The safari car package means full off road protection in the form of an external cage. Here you can see the front fender guards that we have fabricated to protect the fenders. This will slide into our modified ARB bumper that is currently being powder coated the correct color.
In this image you can see the ECR ROX sliders have been installed and modified to be wider as they will double as a step into the raised seats as well as rocker protection from off road obstacles. The rear body protection around the wheel opening can also be seen.
here you can see the side step, the first grab bar in place and the side rear tire mount. The body protection on this 110 goes from front to back to allow this 110 to handle all manner of obstacles and brush.
Two of the 3 elevated seat frame have now been constructed and the ergonomics are being worked out. The seat frames are made from one piece of seamless tubing for strength and so they look good. ECR's fabrication department can handle anything you can imagine.
In this image you can see the basic seat system has been fabricated and installed. Next the seat frames and body protection will be removed and will go to our in house paint dept. for painting. The seat bases will be sent to Badger Coachworks for covering in tan canvas and the fabrication of the sun canopy will continue.
With the fabricated parts now painted the correct satin black and re-installed in the 110, the attention turns to soft trim. Badger Coachworks pulled out all the stops and made these beautiful seat covers for us in a heavy duty waterproof canvas. Comfortable, heavy duty, long lasting and gorgeous to boot.
Check out the stunning front seats. These aren't seat covers, we had Badger Coachworks recover the seats for us in the correct tan canvas, state of the art work and a handsome addition to any ECR Defender 110.
In this image you can see the sun canopy has now been fabricated, painted and fitted and its canvas cover installed. The Safari Car is starting to take shape, a work of art, all hand built by the ECR team.
Here it is, the completed ECR Defender 110 Safari Car. Custom built by ECR at the ECR facility in Maine. It will now be shipped to its owners in Texas for use on their ranch.
The ECR Safari Cars are shipped in enclosed transports to your desired destination. ECR can also arrange personal delivery of your Safari Car/ Game Viewer so that the ECR staff can go over every aspect of the Safari Car with you personally, as was the case with this Safari Car that the ECR staff delivered to Texas in August of 2000. In this image the Safari Car is being tucked safely inside the protective shell for the 2400 mile trip to the owner's ranch. We also offer Land Rover Certified Off Road Driving Instructors on your site to show you everything your ECR Defender 110 is capable of. We cover everything from helping you sort through the endless option lists at the start of the project, to making sure your delivery goes smoothly and on time.
ECR is your only needed source for all your Defender needs.
Here are some glances at some of the details on this amazing vehicle, as well as some other items we can incorporate into your own Safari Car/ Game Viewer...
Here you can see the tracker seat back in the folded position so that the driver can have full visibility. You can also see the Warn 12,000 lb winch in the unlikely event the Safari Car gets stuck you'll have no trouble getting back on the track, the Hella 4000 driving lights for night driving, and the fender guards for added body and paint protection.
This image shows the tracker seat back folded up and ready for your best guide to lead you to the game. It has a seat belt and can easily be removed if you desire.
Inside the Safari Car you'll find all the comforts of a modern Defender and more. In this image you can see the integrated safari cage and grab bars as well as the elevated seating for up to 9 adults. The first safari hoop also contains an interior light so you can read your maps and see clearly at night to exit or enter the Safari Car even though it has no real roof.
The safari cage system can contain a number of options. In this Safari Car we installed a built in gun rack for the customers. We can also install camera mounts, tripod bases and padded camera cases depending on your passion.
The rear of this Safari Car has a swing out tailgate, a custom mount for a Hi-Lift jack as well as a simple cooler mount to keep your drinks cool on those long drives in the bush. We can also install a fully functional built in refrigerator system so that you won't need to carry ice. You can also see the rear bumperettes and tail lamp guards in case things get tight in the woods. The custom side spare tire mount means easy access to the spare if need be, but with the Super Swamper SSR radials we doubt you'll have a flat, these are some of the world's toughest, most aggressive tires.
Here you can see the full body protection offered by the Safari Car. The ECR ROX frame mounted rock sliders are expanded to double as side steps as well as bullet proof body protection. The wheel arch tubes extend down the entire length of the body to help keep brush away from the vehicle and they double as steps for access into the 2nd and 3rd elevated seats. All the step areas are epoxy primed and painted with non-skid materials for safe entry and exit into the vehicle. The step system has been tested on all types and sizes of people from young men to grandmothers, and all find easy access into and out of the Safari Car.
Safari car/ Game Viewer front view
Safari Car/ Game Viewer rear view
The Safari Car makes a welcome addition to your ranch, zoo, hunting lodge, tour company or ?? It can be custom built in any way that you can imagine from a game viewer with multiple camera mounts, to hunting vehicle or guided tour vehicle that is capable of going where all other tour vehicles can't. Contact ECR for details.
If you have Land Rover dreams you would like to see come to life, contact ECR, we can make them all come true no matter how mild or wild.
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