Deeside based 4X4 specialists give Cery’s the NEWSAR Landrover a stunning makeover…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]An unexpected sprinkling of snow over parts of Flintshire on Sunday presented members of the North East Wales Search and Rescue (NEWSAR) team a fantastic opportunity to give their newly refurbished Landrover a run out following its return to active duty.

Cery’s, as she’s affectionately been christened came back into the NEWSAR fold last week after a being completely refurbished by Deeside Landrover Specialists Auto Defiance.

Our newly refurbished Landrover has been out in the Snow for the first time. Won’t be the last. #readyforanything pic.twitter.com/QGHYWeS6Wx

— NEWSAR (@newsar) March 5, 2017

The eighteen-year-old Landrover Defender was handed back to NEWSAR during an ‘unveiling ceremony’ at Auto Defiance’s workshop.

The Garden City based 4X4 specialists have been working on the refurbishment project for around five months rebuilding Cery’s from the wheels up.

[miptheme_quote author=”North East Wales Search & Rescue Team” style=”boxquote text-left”]The team at Auto Defiance Ltd have done a brilliant job of rebuilding our Landrover. This means that the life of the vehicle will be extended and that our volunteers can continue to respond to callouts. We would like to thank Auto Defiance and the other organisations that supported Carys’ rebuild. We really appreciate it.[/miptheme_quote]

Auto Defiance workshop manager Gareth Joseph who led his team on the project, is already familiar with the two Landrovers he is himself a volunteer driver with NEWSAR and has carried out maintenance on them in the past.

[icon name=”facebook-official” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] 360º Photograph of the handover: Facebook/AutoDefiance

We caught up with Gareth last week who told us the vehicles, which are on standby 24 hours a day, are in desperate need of upgrading, he said;

The Landrovers don’t do that many miles a year, around 2000 on average however, they do alot of standing which allows corrosion to attacked the chassis, and there comes a point where the two Landrovers become unfit for purpose.

The search and rescue team were left with a dilemma, buy a new vehicle which would have meant raising tens of thousands of pounds on top of the amount it costs just to keep the team running.

Or, embark on a major rebuild program with the two existing vehicles which would take around 10 months to complete.

NEWSAR doesn’t receive any money for their search and rescue services and needs to raise cash through donations and funding.

It costs around £25,000 a year to run the team, the money covers fuel and repairs for vehicles and buys the team’s protective equipment, ropes and stretchers.

Choosing to have their two prized 4X4’s overhauled and rebuilt, NEWSAR asked Gary and the Auto Defiance team to undertake the work.

Other companies who supported the rebuild include; Bearmach, DT Engine, RichardsChassis, Spraycraft (Deeside)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”nivo” interval=”3″ images=”48462,48460,48459,48458,48457,48456,48455,48461″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row]