Accountant’s love for Land Rover Defender builds him profitable business

In Kenya, the classic four-wheel-drive off-roader symbolised authority for a long time, a preferred car for government officials during the Moi era. Enthusiasts such as Johmark Ndetto, mourn the classic Defender’s nostalgic architectural design and practical functionality that can only be likened to a military vehicle. The Defender is admired for its legendary power and performance, and rightfully so, after all, it was initially built as a war machine.

For this reason, motoring enthusiasts are working to keep the vehicle on the road through restoration, which involves repairing and rebuilding old and damaged car models back to their (almost) original form.

Vehicle restoration

Moran Defenders, a garage based in Kingo’ong’o, Nyeri County, is one of the enterprises that specialises in restoration of this vehicle.

Ndetto is the man behind this initiative, the idea, obviously emanating from his passionate desire to keep the classic Defender firmly on the road.

“My dad used to drive one. I loved everything about it, especially the sound of its engine revving. I knew I would own one of my own one day,” Mr Ndetto says.

The 28-year-old accountant would spend his free time researching and studying the car, and in 2014, he bought his first of the classic model from a businessman running a towing venture in Nanyuki. At the time, the Defender 110 pickup was operating as a towing vehicle.

“Initially, it belonged to the British Army based in Nanyuki before it was decommissioned and converted into a breakdown. The owner was not getting enough towing business, so he put it on sale,” he explains.

Barely running

Ideally, most vehicles that undergo restoration are usually damaged and barely running — this was the case with Johmark's first Defender.

“The engine was still running with a few hitches here and there, but the body was quite damaged,” he explains, saying the old car cost him Sh250,000 in repairs.

With the help of his trusted mechanic, he began working on his first Defender’s restoration by dismantling it and rebuilding it from bottom to top.

At first it was a tedious process since he could not find all parts while some did not fit right.

 “To get the results I desired, I was forced to improvise. For instance, we had to build the roll cage from bending the bars ourselves, but sometimes it just did not work, forcing us to start afresh – while restoring, you end up with the desired product at the end and some experience on the side,” he quips.

Back on the road

After struggling with restoring the car, the raggedy former tow vehicle was back on the road with a fresh look. The jungle green Defender 110 pickup now stands as the first of Ndetto's successful restoration and served as the blueprint to the establishment of Moran Defenders as a business venture.

The auto garage officially opened its doors for business in 2018, primarily focusing on restoration of the iconic vehicle, even though the garage does repair works for other car models as well.

“By the time we finished working on the 110 pickup, we had gained enough skills and understanding on the build of the Defender. Even though it started off as a hobby, we decided to capitalise on the skills and started Moran Defenders,” he explains.

At the garage, located at the industrial estate in King’ong’o on the outskirts of Nyeri, Mr Ndetto and his lead mechanic Felix Ochieng have captured a unique specific market with a desire to preserve the classic car.

Five mechanics

On any given day, he is usually working with up to five mechanics who help in stripping down and reassembling the Defenders that are brought to the garage.

Usually, the process begins with stripping the vehicle down to every component and inspecting it for damages.

“In restoration, the most important aspect is rebuilding the body to its original form. This starts with fixing the chassis,” he explains.

Since the car was built for stability and strength, it is imperative for the chassis to be restored to the original fit, ensuring it is not bent, broken or rusted. Part of this process involves galvanising rusty spots and giving the chassis a fresh coat of paint.

The second part of the process is the body work. At this point the customer can choose between restoration to stock format or a customised fit for the exterior and interior.

Cost

Ideally, restoring a Defender to the stock look at Moran Defenders will cost a customer between Sh70,000 and Sh100,000 depending on the extent of the damage on the body.

A custom job with customised fittings to the exterior and interior can raise the cost up to Sh150,000.

“The work that goes into the body work depends on what the customer desires. Some want it fitted with a roll cage, soft or hard top roofing and others want to fit different seats, dash, stereo systems and other components. However, the idea is to have the final product come out looking as authentic as the classic Defender,” Johnmark explains.

Some customers usually request for custom paint jobs and a change on the bonnet design and tires. Most of the customers who ask for a bonnet change are usually owners of the Series lll, whose original design is characterised by a retracted radiator grille.

At the same time, the garage also works on fixing and tweaking the engine of the car, usually to fix pre-existing problems or give the vehicle more power.

“The Defender is loved for its unique design as well as performance and power, so it is only logical that some customers would want to give their vehicles more power besides a fresh look.”

Engine work

For the engine work, customers usually choose between four-cylinder petrol engines and four-cylinder and five- cylinder diesel engines. While the two classes were the original versions of Defender engines, others were adopted with the advancement of technology, like the Ford-built Puma engine and the Rover V8.

According to Mr Ndetto, the cost of fixing and tweaking of the engine also depends on the customer’s desires.

“Custom work will vary in price depending on what the customer wants. Usually, we advise those that bring their cars to us to purchase the parts that will be needed, but for those we can design in our garage, we usually factor in their cost in the final billing,” he says.

He notes that the restoration process to stock fit usually takes a minimum of two weeks depending on the extent of damage to the vehicle and availability of parts.

“Unlike what is portrayed in some automotive television shows, restoration is not as fast. This process requires patience.”

Their biggest challenge, he adds, is that scarcity of key parts and components of the Defender.

In-house builds

“Once we study and understand the features of some of the components such as the seats and seat covers, we have been able to design our own in-house builds at way lower cost compared to what one will find in shops, this way we can save the customer some money and also create jobs for artisans around Nyeri Town,” he explains.

The garage's latest component build is a race car seat and custom tailored seat covers which were built by a local welder and tailor.

“Nyeri has very talented people and we are learning this by outsourcing some of these services,” he added.

A common concern for car enthusiasts looking to restore classic cars like the Defender has always been the cost and availability of parts. However, Ndetto says that the cost of restoration is affordable and a pocket-friendly exercise, particularly to the customers.

The business has over time focused on networking with classic Land Rover Defender owners and builders, a factor which the proprietor says has made it easier for builders and customers to access parts as well as share ideas.

No fixed timeline

“You do not have to restore your Defender on a fixed timeline. We are open to working on the vehicle gradually depending on your budget. Also, we have created a wide network with the Defender family which makes it easy for our customers to connect with buyers, sellers and spare parts dealers across the country.”

Since its establishment two years ago, the garage has restored 12 of these classic cars. With a profit margin of up to 25 percent, Mr Ndetto has managed to turn his love for the iconic vehicle into a business venture that creates employment for up to 15 workers at any given time.

Currently, Johnmark is working on his second personal car, a double cabin Defender 110, 300Tdi.

In the near future, he plans to expand his restoration venture into a large-scale business with outlets countrywide.

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