The first time Tom sat in a Helderburg, his knees were nearly touching the dash.
That Defender had been built for someone my height, five foot eight. Tom is a lot taller than that. He looked at me and said, “This is really tight.” I told him that was exactly how it should feel, because every Helderburg is built for one person. His would be built for him.
In this video, Lucy and I walk you all the way around Senderra, the Defender 110 we built for Tom. In the shop we just called it Tall Tom’s Defender. See Senderra’s full build details.
You’ll see what it really takes to make a classic Defender fit a tall driver. We built the seat frames around his body, changed the steering wheel diameter, adjusted the pedals, and moved the second row back so his family has room too. Almost nobody does this, because it means reworking the rear tub and testing every seat belt mount.
You’ll also see why I say a Helderburg isn’t a restoration and it isn’t a restomod. I explain the difference, and what we mean by re-engineered.
Then we get into the details that you can only appreciate up close. The Mark 3.5 Td5 turbo diesel. Our monolock beadlock wheels and why we never use wheel spacers. More than 300 hours of paint. A buckskin interior where nothing fights for your attention. Glass roofs built for a Texas summer.
I’ll be honest, this one runs a little over half an hour. Grab a coffee. If you’re thinking about your own Helderburg, I think it’s the best picture you’ll get of how we think and how we build.
And if there’s something you want me to talk about next, tell me in the comments. I read them all.
Every Helderburg is commissioned to order. The only one that exists is the one built for you.
