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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