Boss Todd’s Garage, Episode 15: The 1983 Glenfrome Facet

Camaro Burnout pics only!!! - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards
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[A 1985 Camaro IROC-Z squeals its tires, bursting onscreen to the sounds of Judas Priest’s “Breakin’ The Law”.]

BOSS TODD IS FUCKIN’ BACK, BITCHES!

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WE ALMOST HAD THOSE FUCKIN’ ASSHOLES LAST WEEK. God, I fucking hate all of Philly’s guts. Every last one of ’em. God DAMN, I am gonna rip Brady White’s head off for not getting that final pass off. D gets five sacks and those motherfuckers can’t do a goddamn thing to help out their teammates. Son of a BITCH. I am gonna borrow a car this week to go bury Brady’s head in some godforsaken patch of desert somewhere. Can’t believe we have nine more games of this fucking shitdickery.

1983 Glenfrome Facet (619 x 336) : r/carporn
[source]

THE GLENFROME FACET

Model Year: 1983

Total units produced: 8

Vehicle type: Targa-top, 2-door, 4-wheel drive SUV

Engine: Rover V8, 3.5 L, 114 hp

Drivetrain: Selectable 4WD

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Gross weight: est. 3799 lbs. (original Land Rover Defender 110)

0-60 time: possible, but exact times are unclear

Top speed: 81 mph

Vehicle cost: £55,000 (in 1983 – equivalent to $66,462 then or $205,118 in 2023)

What makes this car interesting?

The original Land Rover earned its stripes for being one of the most capable (if notoriously unreliable) offroad vehicles of all time. British Leyland made quite the splash when the first one rolled off the lines in the late 1940s, and with their ruggedness and simplicity, it’s no wonder they quickly gained international renown. Indeed, many custom builders used Rovers as donor cars for their projects – and Bristol-based Glenfrome was right out at the forefront of this zaniness. Besides Rovers, they also did Jags, Rolls-Royces, and Mercedes, but their work on the Facet – a custom design based on a Land Rover Defender 110 – is what gets them a mention on the show this week.

1983 Land Rover Defender 110 Newcastle, California | Hemmings.com
Timeless and rugged. Reliable? Debatable. But an absolutely classic vehicle that should never have been tinkered with in the first place. [source]
The Glenfrome Facet is – well – unique, in a word. The bodywork is all custom, but the internals remain largely unchanged. With wild, angular lines, it’s a far cry from the boxy feel of almost every Land Rover produced before the new millennium. It still has the same five-speed and V8 of all the top-end models of the ’80s and ’90s, but the creature comforts of the cabin are notably stepped up. There’s air conditioning – a nice addition when off-roading! – as well as a walnut dash and leather seats – perhaps not so good for off-roading on those hot days. The targa top can also be raised and lowered through an electric hydropneumatic attachment – a nifty little design.

So who wanted to buy these? Saudi royalty, it turns out. I guess this tracks with their long-running obsession with Euro luxury models – although today, it certainly feels like Ferraris, Lambos, Bugattis and G-Wagens are a much more common sight on the streets of blood and oil money cities across the Middle East.

If you had the coin and wanted something special – well, you were definitely getting it. There were supposedly only 8 of these built between 1983 and 1987 – and some are still on the road today, including here in the US. Other Glenfrome models are still out there, too – this wasn’t even as upscale as they got. More elaborate Rover builds – including some with six-wheel drive, fridges, and TVs were also manufactured in the ’80s – but those are even more difficult to find today.

Glenfrome Facet
[source]
What makes this car stupid?

THIS IS FUCKIN’ UGLIER THAN AN ARENA LEAGUE CHEERLEADER. Good fuck, we’ve said for years and years that money can’t buy taste, and this is exhibit 302496 of how that’s true yet again. Why the fuck are you reducing cabin room on a giant-ass ride like this thing? Completely counterintuitive. People who buy Rovers are fucking gluttons for punishment, which probably explains why I seem to so many driving around Cleveland. Why in the fuck do you want an even more fucked-up Rover – with a lot more potential failure points added? The UK should be razed to the ground.

It looks like it was designed by one of those assholes who decides to bring children’s drawings to life for internet clout.

Dad Turns His 6-Year-Old Son's Drawings Into Reality | Bored Panda
[source]
CAN YOU GET PUSSY IN THIS CAR? 

If you’re a Saudi royal driving around in this thing, you can whatever the fuck you want. Money – and morals – are no object whatsoever. God knows it’s got the suspension to handle whatever you want to get up to inside it…

How can BOSS TODD fix this thing? 

Well, it’s British, so it’s irredeemable right off the bat. But at least it’s a targa top. You have to permanently cruise with the roof down to at least try and salvage some of the vibes. So we’ll rip the electricals out and keep the wind tickling our nuts forever. Only other thing I can think of to do is to rip the back seats out and replace ’em with a big cooler. Remember – can’t get in trouble for breaking driving laws when you ain’t even on the road in the first place. Shit, maybe those rich oil assholes have a point about ripping around in these fuckin’ things. At least you can run over your underachieving players to send a message and not have to worry about getting an alignment done every time you do it.

BOSS TODD out, bitches. See you in hell.

[The Camaro burns out again, with “Breakin’ The Law” blaring once more.]

***

Information for this article taken from here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Banner image by The Maestro. 

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The Maestro
The Maestro is a mystical Canadian internet user and New England Patriots fan; when the weather is cooperative and the TV signal at his igloo is strong enough, he enjoys watching the NFL, the Ottawa Senators & REDBLACKS, and yelling into the abyss on Twitter. He is somehow allowed to teach music to high school students when he isn't in a blind rage about sports, and is also a known connoisseur of cheap beers across the Great White North.
https://www.doorfliesopen.com/index.php/author/the-maestro/
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BugEyedBoo

Happy 4/20 Day, from the master of Champagne Music! Wunnerful!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8tdmaEhMHE&t=5s

2Pack

I’d like one of these. Civ cousin to Mongo here. But as pointed out if I go back to a Brit vehicle I’ll need to start claiming my mechanic as a dependant again.

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LemonJello

“That’s the kind of car every American should be able to own!”
-the NRA, probably

LongtimeLionsLoser

“It’s for self defense and deer hunting. SECOND ALMONDMINT, Libtard.”

BugEyedBoo

Mossberg 500 or that Carl Gustaf, decisions decisions.

WCS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr8YI9xaRNw&ab_channel=NoelTolosa

I mean, I wouldn’t mess with a transporter of gods…

BeefReeferLives

“CAN YOU GET PUSSY IN THIS CAR? 
If you’re a Saudi royal driving around in this thing, you can whatever the fuck you want.”

Well then, I suppose the more salient question might be:

“CAN YOU KILL AND DISMEMBER A PESKY JOURNALIST IN THIS CAR?”

LemonJello

“How many dead hookers can it fit?”
-Craig James

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

“I HAVE SEEN THAT MANY LIVE ONES BEFORE THOUGH YEE-HAW I AM FUCKING CRAZY!”

WCS

“….and twice as many dead ones.”

— anonymous Dallas-area professional football franchise executive vice-president

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

The first looks like what an art AI program would produce given the prompt “a car seen through Aaron Rodgers’ eyes while on ayahuasca” and the second looks like something pinned to the fridge in the Manning household.

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Happy Stoner Day Everybody!

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blaxabbath

We all know history’s greatest geniuses had their rockets blow up at launch.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Don’t believe the headlines, it was actually a fairly successful launch – they expected it to blow up (possibly even sooner) and would have learned a lot in the process.

blaxabbath

Admittedly that was a knee-jerk response to the news.

I don’t change my opinion but this isn’t the explosion I’m waiting for.

BugEyedBoo

That’s not the ugliest car I’ve ever seen. It is reminiscent of the Lancia Stratos, which I would buy if I hit that $1B lottery.

1974_Lancia_Stratos_HF_Stradale_15_q83jhm.jpg
Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I remember Choose Your Own Adventure had a book where you could drive one of those in a race.

LemonJello

“I totally remember that book!”
-Lea Michelle

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

“It was called ‘The Race Forever.” – Olivia Manning, lips thinly pressed together remembering how Eli refused to get in the car for a week after he arrived at an ending where he crashed into an elephant

LongtimeLionsLoser

“THIS IS FUCKIN’ UGLIER THAN AN ARENA LEAGUE CHEERLEADER.“

Counterpoint: arena league cheerleaders need love too. Especially this Spokane one (center left).

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2Pack

They all look like fun. Talented too.

Game Time Decision

There were supposedly only 8 of these built between 1983 and 1987

So, production was based on DFO 40 yard dash times?

LemonJello

“HEY! Thems fightin* words!”
– LemonJello

*tries to get off couch, gives up with a shrug

ballsofsteelandfury

Okay, can someone talk about the difference between a Land Rover, a Range Rover, and a Toyota Land Cruiser?

LongtimeLionsLoser

The Land Cruiser doesn’t have $100,000 of repairs in the first three years of ownership. The other two do.

BugEyedBoo

Land Rover is in the picture, a Range Rover is more like a fancy grocery getter SUV than the Land Rover, and the Land Cruiser is Toyota’s answer to the Land Rover. Spare tire on the hood, looks a lot like that, the whole nine yards.

The neighbor down the street with the Highland Cattle in his yard has a Toyota Land Cruiser. That dude hit the lottery somewhere, because new cars like that appear in their driveway all the time.

I’ve heard this one – you could make a good living buying used Toyota FJs on the East Coast and selling them on the West Coast/Rockies.

LongtimeLionsLoser

Please post pics of the Highland Cows. I love those things, but wolves can get them here (our neighbors had a farm outside of OKC, and wolves got theirs).

BugEyedBoo

https://www.mojicafamilyfarm.com/highland-cattle . Right down the road from me.

Don T

Them’s cuddly steers! I like them a lot.

LongtimeLionsLoser

Your neighbors did it right. Donkeys protect highland cows from wolves and mountain lions.

BugEyedBoo

Mountain lions are scarce here in Columbus, but coyotes/coyowolves are common.

LongtimeLionsLoser

Then perhaps there is an opportunity to become Columbus’ leading mountain lion dealer.

BugEyedBoo

“We got your coyotes! We got your bobcats! We got your MOUNTAIN LIONS! Plus we got balloons for the kiddies!”

In the “that sucked” department, about ten or so years ago some guy was raising large predators on a farm out between Columbus and Zanesville. He committed suicide, but before he did he let all of his animals run free. Lions, tigers, leopards, bears, etc. The local cops had to hunt them down and shoot them all.

LongtimeLionsLoser

I remember this. I was living in perrysburg st the time, outside Toledo. My wife did her residency at University of Toledo.

Last edited 1 year ago by LongtimeLionsLoser
LongtimeLionsLoser

Coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, and a petting zoo (wear long sleeves).

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

The easiest way for me to remember which one is the Range Rover is that it’s what Tim Robbins’ character drove in The Player.