Disco FXi spec

[DaphnesDad]

I'm toying with the idea of a Disco 'FXi' - apparently some sort of export model? Does anyone know where I can find the full spec for these, and what was different on them? If it's made for hot weather, it's no use - I need a heated screen here! :D

[streaky]

As far as I know, the FXi was for export to the Gulf Markets (possibly even further afield to Asia?). It was available in 300TDi and 3.9EFi configuration.
It has dual air-con and was quite nicely loaded with accessories, alloys etc.
It may have been offered to UK as well...but seeing as I haven't lived there for 18 years I couldn't say for sure.

I doubt very much if the FXi has the heated windscreen fitted but my 3 door Disco is also Gulf Spec and it still has the duel 60 amp loom connections ready to plug into. I used them as a supply for the roof mounted driving lights by way of a relay to the multi function unit.

Perhaps send an email to Land Rover Middle East? or the 'Al Tayer Group' who act on their behalf.

Hope this helps.

[DaphnesDad]

Fantastic Streaky, cheers; I'd searched on the Forum, and the internet, and found nothing except a few news references to FXi's in Dubai, so was beginning to conclude that's where they all headed. So long as it's nothing drastic - I suppose that means they might have some mods to help keep them cool then? Poor thing, Saudi - England - Poland - won't know what's hit it.
I've been tryng to find Land Rover Saudi, will try Middle East - Solihull even.
Cheers for the help, at least I know something now. Ta.
Ian.

[streaky]

Ian.

The original FXi didn't have the Gulf Campaign cooling system (Saudi Grill) fitted as standard. It was only fitted on the owners request...so yours may or may not have the modifications done.

They were not modified for the cooler weather thats for sure!...but apart from not having the heated front wind sheild the heater system remains the same as a standard Disco.

The connections for the heated screen should be prensent but you'd need to activate it via the MFU.

[MarkWillenbrock]

Sorry to wander off the thread, but HOW are you converting your 130 into a Phantom!? I've had several RR's and love my Land Rovers; but combining the two would be excellent!

[DaphnesDad]

Ian.

The original FXi didn't have the Gulf Campaign cooling system (Saudi Grill) fitted as standard. It was only fitted on the owners request...so yours may or may not have the modifications done.

They were not modified for the cooler weather thats for sure!...but apart from not having the heated front wind sheild the heater system remains the same as a standard Disco.

The connections for the heated screen should be prensent but you'd need to activate it via the MFU.

Cheers; any idea how my cousin, who knows cars but not Landys, can tell if the rad, or whatever, is the hot weather one? Not woorried about any other mods for 'cold' weather - I reckon they can all cope with the snow! But... what's the MFU? Is this a main dealer / guy with a laptop thingy? :s

[streaky]

You would have to compare a hot weather rad and a standard to see the differences in the number rows. Sorry I don't know how many each variant has.

With ref to the Rolls Royce Phantom IV.
I'm not doing much of the work on this....just some design engineering.
I sold my 130 to HRH Sheik Hamad Bin Hamdan Nayan...more commonly known as the 'Rainbow Sheik' of Abu Dhabi.
He is probably the most avid collector of weird cars on the planet and a close friend of mine for a few years now. He's also one of the worlds richest people:rolleyes: which helps when building a car such as this.

Sheik went to Rolls Royce in the UK and asked them to build him a Luxury 4x4 Roller for his desert hunting and falcon trips. Rolls turned around and applogised for not making a 4x4 in their current range..... to which Sheik replied "Okay, no problem I will make my own then".

His vision needed a base vehicle for the project and also one with a very long wheel base. He asked if I wanted to sell him my 130 as the donar vehicle....he'd need the 130 chassis, the axles, the doors, the roof and the highlt tuned 4.6 engine that I'd had specially built in the UK a few years earlier. I didn't want to sell my pride and joy but he made me such a generous offer I simply couldn't refuse. 130's arn't readily available here so I had the only one available really!

It's already stripped down and things are taking shape. When it's done the final car will resemble a 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom IV...a bit like the old Bugsy Malone gangster vehicles with the long sweeping running boards down the sides.
I have sourced a Silver Spirit grill and Silver Lady emblem from the UK and we also bought another running Rolls Royce to take the interior from. We would have liked to use the grill from that but it was the wrong size to suit the enormous aluminium radiator and twin oil cooler that I had fitted to the truck some time ago.
The LT85 gearbox has been removed in favor of an automatic 4 speed which has to be spaced 60cm further back in the chassis.
The wheel are custom made to suit the model year.
The vehicle now has 6 doors, custom made aluminium bonnet & panels etc and will be absolutly stunning when it's finished.
I'm also working on a PTO driven axle for the trailer. This is proving to be a headache though because the only company I can find who made such a driven axle for the 101 have long gone out of business. We may end up using hydraulic drive to the trailer axles instead...it's only for slow reversing work in the sand dunes.

Once the car is finished we'll fly Bob Morrison over from Land Rover Monthly to do the write up and take pictures.

I did really well out of the deal. Not only did I receive a huge cheque for my car... I also got to keep many of the bolt-ons like the winch, winch bumper, twin batteries, Wolf Rims and tyres, Stereo CD changer, overhead radio console and a whole bunch of other bits.

[MarkWillenbrock]

Wow. Shame we don't have a few Rainbow Sheiks over here in Morocco!

Someone put a fibreglass replica Corniche shell on an American 4x4 chassis once, I seem to remember.

I think it was the Sultan of Brunei's brother who commissioned some Bentley 4x4's from Crewe (this was pre-takeover).

They also explained that, like now, there was no 4x4 in the range, but he persisted. It was explained that it would be impossibly expensive to commission one, but it turned out that it wasn't impossibly expensive for him!

I think the cars where based on a Range Rover chassis, but with the 6750cc Bentley turbo. Coachwork and interior where bespoke.

Other weird and wonderful creations in his garage were four door Ferrari's.

What I'd really like are some moulds taken from the latest Phantom series; only problem is that it has a 140 inch wheelbase! Power should be either the Rolls/Bentley V8, or perhaps a BMW V12 as per the current model. Perhaps the old Overfinch or Schuler auto transmisson and...

[MarkWillenbrock]

Aha: http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://images.worldcarfans.com/articles/2006/7/26/6060726.001/6060726.001.1M.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.worldcarfans.com/6060726.001/spy-photos-more-new-bentley-4x4&h=375&w=500&sz=33&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=iqbKhOQKBNOh-M:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3DBentley%2B4x4%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26s afe%3Doff%26sa%3DG

Seems Bentley are at it, he should have asked them.

This is the Bentley Dominator, built on the Range Rover chassis http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://images.worldcarfans.com/articles/2006/7/26/6060726.001/6060726.001.1M.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.worldcarfans.com/6060726.001/spy-photos-more-new-bentley-4x4&h=375&w=500&sz=33&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=iqbKhOQKBNOh-M:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3DBentley%2B4x4%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26s afe%3Doff%26sa%3DG