YouTuber bought a crash-damaged Range Rover SVR to rebuild and then drove it to the Sahara desert to check if it was a success

What better way to put a brand-new engine to the test than an off-road trip through the Sahara Desert? Well, that was the spirit for this UK YouTube mechanic and his newly purchased crash-damaged Range Rover SVR.

Having once been in a crash, this Range Rover was in dire straights.

Now a UK-based mechanic has vowed to give it a new life.

But its baptism of fire would be no ordinary road trip…

Crash-damaged Range Rover SVR needs a mammoth fix

The Range Rover SVR is quite an animal.

Despite having competition from China as one of the leading sports SUVs in the world, the British-engineered car is a step above the Rolls Royce Cullinan and other European competitors.

But rebuilding one can be tricky, tricky business, just as Mat Armstrong found out.

The UK YouTube star and trained mechanic bought a crash-damaged SVR from an auction site and was set to rebuild it before going on a trip to the Sahara Desert.

However, just as the rebuild had its final touches added, the engine blew.

Replacing the engine meant taking the entire car apart, rather than lifting it out like a typical European car.

The car needed stripping down entirely, removing the wheels, brakes, and exhaust, disconnecting everything from the engine including the fuel tank and air-con, and then yanking it free from the sub-train and radiator.

The Range Rover rebuild was no easy feat.

They tried two different second-hand engine replacements. The first was found to be water-damaged. The second appeared fine, leading them to work until 1:00am to put everything back together, which ultimately ended in disaster with a bottom-end bearing fault.

Finally, the original damaged engine was welded back together with some expert assistance, and the Range Rover SVR was put back together for a third time.

With a fully functioning restored Range Rover, it was time to test it on the dunes.

UK man takes rebuilt Range Rover on ultimate Sahara Desert test

Many off-road vehicles have felt the wrath of sand dunes. Even the monstrous Jeep Wrangler needed rescuing from Utah’s deserts, and they’re nothing on the African heat.

Having ported the Range Rover SVR through Spain, over the Alboran Sea, and into Morocco (with some rather dubious Police spot checks and fines), they made it to the Sahara Desert to put it to the test.

Aside from getting beached on one occasion, the Range Rover SVR powered through the offroad circuits and the thick dunes, smashing it around a self-made race track with ease.

Given this Range Rover was once destined to be nothing more than scrap metal and distributed for parts, it’s quite a revival.

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