Series 2, land rover, soft top

[nickds1]

25 to 30k sounds reasonable. There are plenty of Land Rover Facebook fora where you can get a more informed answer.

I'm restoring a '93 200Tdi 90 SW at the moment.

Mechanically it's sorted.

Cosmetically, a criminal offence.

However, with the important (below the waist) stuff done, the rest can wait (for the budget to recover).

What's the old adage? Don't look at the mantelpiece whilst stoking the fire?

 

[hairy]

I had a series 3 lightweight petrol soft top from about 1991 to 2002. Some of that was 2 years as a daily commuter from Ongar to Lakeside mostly via the M25, with one six week trip around the perimeter of France with the sides rolled up, some off roading but mostly daily use throughout. It was fab. I waded too deep once putting gritty water in the standard air intake and in my ignorance still drove home to Ongar from near Reading on the M25. that engine rebuild was the only major work it had. The only time it let me down was parking at the end of a days driving on a side slope with an empty tank. The next morning I had forgotton about fuel level and was confused why it wouldn't start until I swapped to the full tank.
You dressed as if you were outside. The heater was ok, but you would have to scrape ice off the inside till the engine got warm.
It did have 7.50R16 mud terrains which meant you could cruise with the lorries. Drive slightly slower than that and it couldn't stay there. Maybe 18mpg.
A series 2, with deep sills and inboard headlights can be a pretty thing, but I wouldn't pay more than 10K for one however shiny it was.

I also had a 93 200Tdi 90 which was more capable but not as fun

 

[doctor Bob]

Do you think your lotus will depreciate?

I doubt it unless you let it go to pieces.

Possibly the most iconic sports car of its day after the e type, gt40, Ferrari testarossa etc.


Cheers James

Thanks James, I think my JPS is probably one of the best out there, prices have risen very quickly on these. However, ask a 30 year old bloke about an Esprit and they have never heard of it, the 40 year olds are buying capri's, cosworths, golf GTi's, 3 series. The esprit is a generation car in my opinion and once the 50+'s stop wanting them the market will go down, just look at pre war and a bit post war cars. The land rover on the other hand is an icon and my son at 20 still thinks they are very cool.

Heres mine, always like a pic

 

[Jameshow]

Well that's good cause I'm up for an esprit once the kids have flown the nest!!

That's if the gov allows us to drive them!!

Cheers James

 

[novocaine]

I looked in to a EV conversion for the mk1 golf, I stopped looking when I reach 10k and no guarantee it would even be doable. it has been done. twice apparently, which leaves me somewhat nervous of doing it. even better, I'd still have to pay RFL on it. pipe dreams, who knows, one day. I reckon your door wedge would be a car I'd considered it on, as long as I could return it to a burner still.

lovely car. but I'm 40 soooooooo.

 

[1steven]

Go for it

 

[hairy]

Thanks James, I think my JPS is probably one of the best out there, prices have risen very quickly on these. However, ask a 30 year old bloke about an Esprit and they have never heard of it, the 40 year olds are buying capri's, cosworths, golf GTi's, 3 series. The esprit is a generation car in my opinion and once the 50+'s stop wanting them the market will go down, just look at pre war and a bit post war cars. The land rover on the other hand is an icon and my son at 20 still thinks they are very cool.

Heres mine, always like a pic

I just turned 50 so maybe I must buy one immediately?

 

[dickm]

Totally irrelevant, but nearly 60 years ago, where I worked we had an early Landrover to get to out-of-the-way experiments. One of the habits I and several other drivers developed when the LR was idling was resting hand on the flat top of the gear lever, ready to put it into gear to start off. One cold winter's morning (we had winters then!) three of us were sitting in the front seats waiting. The guy who was driving was wearing thick gloves, and put his hand down on top of the gearlever as he thought. Only when the "gearlever" moved did he realise it was the knee of the female colleague in the middle seat. Good job we were a friendly lot.

 

[Spectric]

Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious.

But you are overlooking what makes a LR a LR and that is they are nothing more than a big mechano set, everything bolts together and is simplistic, no electronic's and basic engineering. Biggest enemy is corrosion but apart from that parts cheap and easy to fit. I intend to put my LR90 with a 300TDi back on the road soon and get some use out of her.

 

[marcros]

But you are overlooking what makes a LR a LR and that is they are nothing more than a big mechano set, everything bolts together and is simplistic, no electronic's and basic engineering. Biggest enemy is corrosion but apart from that parts cheap and easy to fit. I intend to put my LR90 with a 300TDi back on the road soon and get some use out of her.

Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious is an acronym for LOTUS not LR!

 

[doctor Bob]

Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious is an acronym for LOTUS not LR!

It is but it's a bit of a myth.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

But you are overlooking what makes a LR a LR and that is they are nothing more than a big mechano set, everything bolts together and is simplistic, no electronic's and basic engineering. Biggest enemy is corrosion but apart from that parts cheap and easy to fit. I intend to put my LR90 with a 300TDi back on the road soon and get some use out of her.

L . O. T. U. S. ....

Sorry, posted before reading Marcross.

 

[Spectric]

Been so long since working on a Lotus I forgot that one but cannot recal them being that bad, no worse than other manufactured type kit cars like the De Tomasso Pantera and such. I do remember though that the gearbox/transaxle is french, they fitted it in the front and Lotus stuck it towards the rear. Also it was a shame that although it had Italian looks like a Lambo they did not use something like a V12 but then the Lotus is better as an all round car even in towns.

 

[doctor Bob]

Also it was a shame that although it had Italian looks like a Lambo they did not use something like a V12

The point Colin Chapman wanted to prove was that lightness meant you didn't need to bang in a V12.
Although is was far from super car performance, I think top in mine was about 130mph where as the lambo's etc were nudging 170mph

 

[powertools]

As someone who has spent his working life in the motor trade and has had many classic cars pass through my hands and have restored many others for other owners I am just wondering what is your motivation for wanting to own more than 1 classic vehicle.

 

[doctor Bob]

As someone who has spent his working life in the motor trade and has had many classic cars pass through my hands and have restored many others for other owners I am just wondering what is your motivation for wanting to own more than 1 classic vehicle.

I don't know really, seems harmless and fun, I can afford it, no debts, business flying.
Sometimes you don't need a reason, to be honest I'm looking at 2 motorbikes as well this weekend.

 

[mikej460]

A professionally restored Series is a joy but don't expect too much from it and use it for local trips and country shows (oh and pulling cars out of snow drifts). I have a lovely TD5 Defender which was a 60th birthday present and I absolutely love it (see my avatar). Mechanically it is rock solid but the bodywork soaks cash, mostly galvanic corrosion.. and it leaks like a sieve no matter what you do but it's great fun; a little more refined than the Series mind you.

Buy Landrover mags with a For Sale section to gauge prices but given the effort and obvious expense he's put into it I suspect the price will be very high, more than a TD5 Defender and that's saying something.

 

[Jameshow]

The point Colin Chapman wanted to prove was that lightness meant you didn't need to bang in a V12.
Although is was far from super car performance, I think top in mine was about 130mph where as the lambo's etc were nudging 170mph

Turbo / V8 must be much more competitive?

Although would be a toss ups with a gt40 if I could afford one!!

 

[doctor Bob]

Turbo / V8 must be much more competitive?

Although would be a toss ups with a gt40 if I could afford one!!

Yes but the turbo's and V8's were later than mine, turbo's were about 83 and v8's mid 90's, I'd take a GT40 as well

 

[novocaine]

fix or repair daily (FORD)

Id take an AC Cobra (or quite a few of the kit versions) if you dont mind. Won't happen. So ill stick woth me little mk1 goof.