The Underpowered Hour

Pollyanna’s Great Tour: Barbara Toy Tribute Run to Texas + Land Rover News

Steve hosts without Ike  at first and checks in with Tom Pickford, Greg Fitzgerald, Bill Cooper, and Laura Stacey as they drive Pollyanna—Barbara Toy’s famed Series I Land Rover—across the southern U.S. toward the Texas Rover Club’s SCAR event honoring Toy. They discuss how the trip came together after Jaguar Land Rover brought Pollyanna to Pebble Beach, the convoy support vehicles, early mechanical quirks from year-old fuel, recreating Toy’s Jacksonville Beach moment with the mayor, and efforts to preserve and expand Toy’s legacy through barbara-toy.com, surviving letters, and the book The Free Lives of Barbara Toy, plus challenges republishing her out-of-print books (only In Search of Sheba is currently reprinted). Back in studio, Steve and Ike note Tim Slessor’s death, a Tom Holland Series Land Rover ad, and a Liam Neeson horror-comedy featuring Land Rovers. 00:00 Ike Is Out Today 00:39 Hotel Internet Fixes 01:32 Naming The Expedition 02:19 Meet The Pollyanna Crew 03:59 Why Recreate The Journey 06:52 Picking Up Pollyanna 07:24 JFK Versus Newark 08:49 On The Road Glitches 12:10 Laura Joins The Ride 14:45 Club Shirts And Walmart 15:56 Bill And The Support Cars 17:40 Writing And Publishing Plans 19:22 Saving Barbara Toy History 22:51 Recreating Jacksonville Beach 23:38 Family Ties And Legacy 25:16 Rescuing Barbara’s Archive 26:08 Letters Become a Book 26:39 Hunting Global Ephemera 27:41 Reprinting the Travelogues 29:27 Pollyanna and Lost Vehicles 31:32 Why the Books Are Rare 33:18 Secondhand Shop Strategies 34:24 Farewell and Modern Contrast 36:38 Land Rover News Roundup 38:02 Tom Holland Series Ad 39:36 Tattoo Banter Detour 40:42 Pollyanna Trip Check-In 44:16 Liam Neeson Zombie Film 46:35 Wrap Up and Next Check-In

New Freelander Leak, Defender Vigilante Video, JLR Sales Jump & Pangolin Shop Updates | Underpowered Hour

Steve Beres and Ike Goss discuss the newly revealed Freelander, debating whether the images show a real production vehicle or a concept pushed out after a crash-test leak, and they comment on its bold styling, screen-heavy interior, and unusual seating and door design. They cover Land Rover news including Tiger Woods rolling a Range Rover in an alleged DUI incident, a viral Sudbury car-park video featuring a machete-wielding motorbike theft and a Defender intervening, and a reported 61% jump in JLR sales alongside jokes about Jerry McGovern’s departure. Ike shares Pangolin4x4 shop updates on a repeatedly botched transmission rebuild and the importance of correct tolerances, plus progress on two Michigan Land Rovers bought sight unseen. They also preview Tom Pickford and Bill Cooper driving the famous Pollyanna to the SCARR rally and mention Steve’s new diode laser tool for marking parts. 00:00 Show Intro and Hosts 01:20 Freelander Reveal Buzz 01:52 Concept or Production 02:38 Wild Interior Tech 06:27 Design Stripe Debate 09:02 Can You Buy It 09:44 Tiger Woods Rollover 12:06 Defender Vigilante Video 15:33 JLR Sales Spike Talk 16:46 Pangolin Shop Updates 17:40 Gearbox Rebuild Autopsy 18:27 Bushing Failure Explained 19:29 Why Tolerances Matter 21:35 Customer Fallout and Fix 22:41 Dialed In Land Rovers 24:28 Michigan Barn Finds Update 28:16 Pollyanna Road Trip 30:08 New Diode Laser Tool 33:12 Wrap Up and Next Week

JLR Halts Range Rover Production, Crashed Freelander Leak, and the End of Land Rovers in the British Army

Steve Beres and Ike Goss cover a bleak week of Land Rover news, including JLR temporarily halting production at the Solihull plant for two weeks due to a supplier dispute affecting Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. They discuss leaked crash-test photos of the new Freelander (developed with Chery), noting its larger SUV proportions, bold Freelander branding, and a stripped, modern JLR-like interior, along with reports of a $58,000 entry price and plans for the UK rather than the US. They revisit the confusing status of design chief Gerry McGovern, with new reports saying he will step down at the end of March. The hosts also note the British Army retiring its iconic Land Rover fleet with replacement expected by 2030, speculate about surplus sales, debut a “Would You Rather” segment, and mention a new Anaconda film opening with a classic Defender scene. 00:00 Show Intro and Hosts 01:31 JLR Halts Solihull Production 02:37 Freelander Crash Leak 04:32 Freelander Design Breakdown 08:17 Pricing and Market Plans 09:19 Jerry McGovern Exit Saga 12:10 British Army Retires Land Rovers 15:17 Defender Import Dreams 15:44 Would You Rather Begins 16:55 Heater Core Nightmare 18:32 Creepy Seat vs Enya Loop 21:59 Viewer Submissions Call 22:24 Defender Spotting in Anaconda 25:13 Project Hail Mary Rovers 25:40 Where Is Jerry McGovern 26:25 See You Next Week https://classiclandrover.com/2026/03/20/british-army-to-retire-iconic-land-rover-fleet/ [https://classiclandrover.com/2026/03/20/british-army-to-retire-iconic-land-rover-fleet/] https://www.autonews.com/jaguar-land-rover/ane-jaguar-design-boss-mcgovern-starts-consultancy-0320/ [https://www.autonews.com/jaguar-land-rover/ane-jaguar-design-boss-mcgovern-starts-consultancy-0320/] https://www.autoblog.com/news/new-land-rover-freelander-leaked-after-crash-test [https://www.autoblog.com/news/new-land-rover-freelander-leaked-after-crash-test] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3931xz101do [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3931xz101do]

Defender Awards, Range Rover Branding Confusion & Joe Hesselman’s LR4 ‘El Camino’ Build

Steve Beres and Ike Goss discuss JLR’s new international Defender Awards and how they differ from the existing Defender Service Awards, including the judging-panel process and some winners. They review spy-photo news suggesting the Range Rover Velar is becoming a more wagon-like, road-focused vehicle, and debate why the newer Range Rover logo appears inconsistently on vehicles and the website. They cover controversy around a Chinese company’s Range Rover-like vehicle and ad copy. Steve then interviews Joe Hesselman of Lost Cause Ranch about his new car-wash-based shop with three-phase power and expanded CNC capabilities, plus his Land Rover projects including a six-wheel Discovery 2 and a Discovery 4 chopped into a tray-back “El Camino”-style pickup with custom aluminum flatbed and toolboxes. The episode ends with a brief film recommendation, "Sorcerer" (1978). 00:00 Show Intro and Hosts 01:20 Defender Awards Explained 03:53 Winners and Weird Highlights 04:57 Velar Update Wagon Talk 06:40 Range Rover Logo Mystery 08:27 China Copycat Ad Drama 11:02 Defender Lookalike SUVs 17:51 Interview Joe Lost Cause 19:15 New Ranch CNC Upgrades 24:35 Fleet Updates and 6x6 Disco 27:43 Chopping a Discovery Tease 28:13 El Camino Dreaming 29:38 Why Cut the LR4 30:37 Sourcing the Rear Cap 31:31 Slicing It in Half 33:53 Designing the Flatbed 36:28 All Aluminum Fabrication 39:58 Underbed Box Mastery 42:09 CNC Press Brake Talk 45:57 Future Ranch Projects 49:54 Utes and Car Culture 52:08 Sorcerer Movie Pick 54:23 Wrap and Next Week

Smurf-Blue Range Rover SVR, Chelsea Tractor Body Kits & Defender Trophy Updates

Steve Beres and Ike Goss open the Underpowered Hour noting a planned interview with Land Rover drivetrain expert Matt Jackson was lost due to a failed new “internet interview machine.” They cover Land Rover news, including the UK-only Range Rover Sport SVR Ultimate Edition with a 3.7-second 0–60 time, VIP handover, 500 units, and a £145,995 price. They discuss Chelsea Tractor Company expanding its signature body kits to vehicles like the Grenadier and Jeep, plus a line of pedal-equipped electric bikes and a heavily vented Defender build with an awkward fuel-filler tunnel. They preview the new Defender Trophy selection process in British Columbia, with 190 North American competitors and Jennifer Fibble competing for a finals spot in the UK. Ike also shares acquiring a recognizable 1950 Series I and a 1955 pickup from a Michigan estate sale and updates on a 109 wagon build with disc brakes and upgrades. 00:00 Show Intro and Hosts 01:19 Guest Interview Fails 02:02 Range Rover SVR Ultimate 03:28 VIP Perks and Tech 05:36 Wheels Seats and Pricing 06:49 Chelsea Tractor Body Kits 08:13 Chelsea Electric Bikes 12:28 Defender Guana Widebody 14:46 Design Details and Fuel Door 16:23 Chelsea Tractor Swell Kit 17:21 Defender Trophy Returns 18:37 Instagram Stage Training 20:42 Estate Sale Rover Haul 22:23 The Blue Series One 25:21 Shop Build 109 Wagon 25:54 Michelin XZL Tire Talk 27:04 Tractor Tangents and Tips 28:18 Busy Shop and UK Plans 29:56 Next Episode Tease