Land rover

[artie]

I've been toying with the idea of buying an old Land Rover for a while.
The idea being strong work horse solid made minimum of electrics to go wrong.
There are down sides I'm sure, comfort economy, but I don't intend to travel far, 8 - 10 000 per year.
Anybody any experience, advice tips, insurance etc

 

[Droogs]

2nd worse driving position in the world unless you have short legs. great fun to do up and play with. Land cruiser a much better money pit more reliable and better condition usually, better practicality. less kudos tho

 

[artie]

That's bad news, I'm 6' 2" with long legs.

 

[Droogs]

I spent a damn good percentage of my time living from the back of one as a signaler in the army. Just not enough adjustment in the seat for long legs.

 

[akirk]

they are brilliant, (esp. if you are happy to do your own mechanics - 2 spanners and a hammer!) however, if comfort is a concern - and while I have driven them a lot I wouldn’t do long journeys in one - then there are alternatives in the discos or range rovers... depending on age / budget

I have owned 3 x series landrovers - all uncomfortable to drive though great fun and full of character, I have also owned 3 classic rangies and still have one - air con, heated seats, air suspension, etc

I would also look at discos 1 & 2 for cheapness, 3 & 4 for more comfort (but more electronics), or rangies - some of the L322 models are reasonably bullet proof...

 

[novocaine]

Assuming you are good with the hot metal glue gun and dont mind the smell of 15w40 or gearbox oil they can be a jolly good way to tip money in to a deep hole.
If you want an even bigger money pit then do as above and pick up a land cruiser. Fewer issues but when you want a part its more like hens teeth.
Late series 2 if you want super old. 90 or 110 if you want just old.
Early discos are fun. As are early freelanders but watch out for the petrol k series.
Anything before the td5 is easy enough to work on,after that they get a bit "Electrical".

 

[Trevanion]

Sorry to say but you've missed the boat by five years where you could pick one up for a reasonable price because they were, and still are, utter junk. Ever since they stopped making the original defender they've garnered cult status and a bit of popularity amongst the Chelsea Wagon lot so that they're just too stupid of a price for a practical vehicle whilst also being arguably one of the worst vehicles of all time to drive on any regular level.

What you need is a pre-2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, nigh-on indestructible, doesn't rust, brilliant engine, super comfortable, cheap as dirt, and pretty reliable, all the things that any Land Rover is not.

 

[Oddbod70]

The defender? You certainly need a sense of humour to run one, also pretty decent mechanical skills and a friendly chiropractor. AA membership helps too. TBH I think they've become a bit too fashionable and overpriced.

My first encounter with one was as a 12 or 13 year old on my godfathers farm. I have vivid memories of my left leg getting a bad case of the shakes as I tried to hold the clutch down. Gawd knows what the clutch spring was made from. A spare suspension coil probably.

for tackling the darien gap (or the Aldi carpark on a Saturday morning) yes please. Otherwise.....

Good luck!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I had an old Series 2a. Whereas other people carried spare wheels, I carried a spare half shaft.

 

[marcros]

Landrovers are a hobby as much as a vehicle. I had an old 110 for a while, but there was always something that needed fixing on it. The parts weren't expensive, but it wouldn't have been difficult to spend half a day most weekends sorting something.

I also had a discovery 3, and whilst it isnt what you described (minimal electrics), that was a great vehicle when it worked properly. It had one or two issues over the few years I had it, and they always seemed to be expensive to fix, but it was really comfortable to drive and a great family vehicle. Thirsty though.

 

[mynamehere]

I've got a 2010 90 with 2 seats in the back, Insurance isn't too bad but £550,- a year road tax.

It's by far the worst car I've ever bought by far, something big goes wrong almost every year and the overall build quality is just bad, I call it the clown car.

I love it though and wouldn't dream of selling it!

Cheers!

Ferenc

 

[clogs]

the saying in Ozz,
if u wanna go into the outback take a Land Rover...
if u wanna get back take a Toyota.....hahaha...

u'd prob be better with the 4x4 Lada......seriously.....

Now thats a vehicle made DOWN to a price.....

 

[Rorschach]

10k in a land rover is a lot of miles and a lot of spare parts. great if you live on a farm and have a good workshop but as others have said they are a hobby rather than a practical vehicle and you absolutely must have secondary reliable vehicle on hand.

EDIT: For clarity I should say I am a Land Rover fan and would have one in a heartbeat if I had the space and money but I would be under no illusion that it was anything other than a (useful) big boys toy.

 

[RogerS]

Forget Disco 3 or 4's.

 

[Mark Karacsonyi]

I’ve had Landies for the past 20 years, my final one which I still own is a TD5 Disco 2, which was prior owned by the German Forestry commission. Apart from the cosmetics it’s mechanically sound.

I have now a Ford Ranger as the workhorse. If it wasn’t for the wife I would have sold the Disco on.

 

[Suffolkboy]

I had a Defender as my first car.

It was excellent in that it taught me about welding and mechanics because there was always something wrong with the bloody thing.

It also taught me to always keep a ready supply of any and all of the fluids you might need to have to keep a vehicle running as it had a habit of "venting" oils onto the driveway when it felt like it.

To be fair I'm 6'2" and I found the driving position quite comfortable but I took the original seats out and bolted in the seats from a range rover.

I suppose it was on the road for 50-60% of the time I owned it. The rest of the time it was up on blocks with me underneath it swearing like a docker.

It wasn't any better off road than any of the subsequent 4x4's I've had, it didn't tow any better and wasn't any better on fuel. It was less comfortable and less reliable.

Basically a Toyota Hilux, old shape Ford Ranger, Nissan, Isuzu etc etc will do the same job better for less money overall and will keep you more comfortable while it does it.

I have no idea what the appeal of them is if I'm honest.

Oh and you'll be able to hear the radio over the engine and road noise too.

 

[SammyQ]

Like Droogs, I spent quite a bit of my life tearing around the remoter parts of our sceptered(sp?) isle in various marques. Thirsty, noisy, primitive,when they work, they're OK, just. I will never forget Southampton to Stranraer in the ambulance version. Going north of Liverpool with a Westerly gale was like tacking in a schooner.
Post WWII, when there was a glut of surplus, and farmers needed summat more versatile than a tractor, but equally powerful and dismissive of terrain? You can see the attraction, hence the legend, perpetuated by marketing and a fair bit of snobbery ( just as there is for say, Agas).
In real Life, they are an affectation, a pain to maintain, and undeniably a poor investment unless you are above 2000 ft with livestock to house, feed and transport.
Sam

 

[johnnyb]

for over 10 years I've had the dog of dogs....the p38 range rover. mines a v8 4.6 and you know what. i love it its so versatile. 100 on the motorway no probs...listen to the cd player....no probs
across a field...better than any defender.
5 seats....plenty of space.

 

[Nelly111s]

I have a 110. Great for putting 13ft lengths of timber on the roof rack. Have just driven from Lancashire to Islay and back with diesel being the only fluid required. Later ones are a Transit, so more reliable. You’ll sell it for what you bought it for if you ever get rid of it.

 

[johnnyb]

just don't expect everything to work all the time...it was made by land rover