View Full Version : just got a landy!
fast but dim
30-12-2008, 16:17
just got a defender 90 csw, most expensive thing i've bought off british blades!
what are the best forums to visit?
British Red
30-12-2008, 17:55
A useful link for you (http://www.toyota.co.uk/cgi-bin/toyota/bv/generic_editorial.jsp?navRoot= toyota_1024_root&navType=Internal&deepLink=LC5_experience_new&edname=LC5_CarChapter&catname=%2ftoyota_1024_root%2f main_nav%2fpageTopNav%2fZone+L andcruiser&menuid=10293&zone=Zone+Landcruiser&id=LC3_exp)
robin wood
30-12-2008, 18:16
just got a defender 90 csw, most expensive thing i've bought off british blades!
what are the best forums to visit?
And it's an Alan Wood so if you ever need some cash you get loads for it on ebay :lmao:
fast but dim
30-12-2008, 18:52
lol: i've got an alan wood bespoke gearknob, d'you recon it would sell.
does he count as a celebrity?
MartiniDave
31-12-2008, 08:39
Based on my own experiences with a Defender 90, fit a darn good imobilser or other security. Mine went right off the drive overnight. Truly heart breaking, but its not just the loss of the vehicle, if you're anything like me its all the handy odds and ends inside it too!
Enjoy the landy, they are the best!
Dave
tenderfoot
31-12-2008, 09:11
Congrats on becoming a landy owner.Lucky you're into bushcraft 'cos at least you should have lots of warm clothing,gloves ,hats for those winter journeys where it takes time for the heater to kick in......
what engine u got? petrol /diesel? tdi? td5? v8?
As a bushcrafter you probably already know the "only one knife?"/ backup / backup of backup syndrome.Are you aware that it also applies to landrovers?
penvisser
31-12-2008, 09:22
have fun with it, mate! I have a Defender 90 300 TDI
http://i40.tinypic.com/2hiazht.jpg
All the best,
Penvisser
Been using these for years
Forums
http://forums.lr4x4.com (this came from the old LRE forum, lots of the old members are on there but its not as good as LRE was)
http://www.lro.com/forum/ (these guys seem ok)
Parts
http://www.paddockspares.com/ (I get most parts from here)
http://www.johncraddockltd.co.uk/ (a little more expensive on some things but good delivery and sometimes better stock)
looks like I will be selling my SIII which is a real shame :(
fast but dim
31-12-2008, 13:24
it's a 97 300 tdi, so far i'm impressed with the ride and handling on road.
looks like I will be selling my SIII which is a real shame :(
I feel for you, used to have a Series II called Boris, sadly missed. Now drive a Volvo :yuck:
Would love to get a Defender , maybe some time in the future :rolleyes:
That's one :cool: looking Landy penvisser :p :D
Pete.
ust got a 90. Some one is going to have to change their username.
not so fast but dim
Keep on top of the service, change the oil every 6000 miles etc.
Best forum:
http://forum.difflock.com/
www.lr4x4.com is the best forum by quite some way IMHO.
pentrekeeper
01-01-2009, 18:57
Well heres my 90, unfortunately as it's our third vehicle I have had to take it off the road as we can't afford to run three, so it's confined to its natural environment.
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn302/pentrekeeper/Landrover90.jpg
The only advice I can give is to keep saving your pennies because it will definately eat them.:D
fast but dim
02-01-2009, 18:04
ust got a 90. Some one is going to have to change their username.
not so fast but dim
lol: i cant believe how fast it is! last landy i was in was over 20 yrs ago. cruises at 60/70 easily on m-way, fast enough for me!
queeg9000
03-01-2009, 21:56
Hello Fast But Dim
here's a useful site, it's got the workshop manuals free to down load............
http://www.landrover.ee/est/varia/downloads/cars.htm
or try:-
http://green-oval.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=13&Itemid=29
this second site has full landrover manuals including spare parts id etc.. but they're huge files (approx 5000mb!!) well worth it though if you've got the time to download.
I've got a TD5 disco and love it to bits! great cars and great fun too
fast but dim
04-01-2009, 08:18
ta mate
ian
robin wood
04-01-2009, 09:04
Have you noticed how all the landy owners is offering advice on spares and repairs? That would worry me a bit. :)
A very good place for info is defo www.difflock.com, usually very quick replies to post and generally very useful info although you do get the odd wally from time to time.
As said before, maintenance is key and also a fat wallet.
Enjoy!
ATB, Jon.
tenderfoot
07-01-2009, 06:55
300tdi eh? Has it developed that distinctive squeak from the serpentine belt yet?
Woodsman Ross
09-01-2009, 07:14
Hi bud, try UK LAND ROVER FORUM been with them for years ive got a defender TD5 shes sweat as a nut but you really have to keep on top with repairs, have fun.
Enjoy the landy, they are the best!
I suspect some may dispute that :D
Have you noticed how all the landy owners is offering advice on spares and repairs? That would worry me a bit.
*snigger*
fast but dim
26-01-2009, 22:20
300tdi eh? Has it developed that distinctive squeak from the serpentine belt yet?
yes.
today.
fixed it by turning up the stereo.
tenderfoot
27-01-2009, 15:49
yes.
today.
fixed it by turning up the stereo.
Yes The discovery has the squeak-. fixed it by passing it on to the wife (she always has the stereo on loud) I dont bother with the radio in the series:- cant hear it anyway!
Intertidal
27-01-2009, 16:47
I also have a 1997 300 TDi, but a 110 hardtop.
I tend to visit http://forum.landrovernet.com/index.php
Lurk on various Landrover fora from time to time,but take it all with a pinch of salt.
As someone else said - keep on top of servicing and contrary to popular belief - clean it! Especially underneath or the chassis will rot infront of you. Waxoyl it on a hot day in the summer.
Over the last 25 years I've had SWB Series 3, Defender 110 300 TDi, Disco 300TDi auto and now another 300 TDi 110 (should never have PXd the first one for a Disco).
In my opinion the 300 TDis are the best Defenders made - no engine management like the TD5. If yours has an EGR valve, blank it off or remove it and think about an Allisport intercooler for sweeter running. Use good oil too.
Intertidal
Claudiasboris
10-02-2009, 09:41
I've been desperate for a Defender for a long time now but never seem to have enough cash. I need one that's in good shape because I don't know how to do anything (and I'm idle...). One day.
Girlfriend's got a Jeep, 2 actually, and she's always on Difflock. So that's obviously the place to be.
Claudiasboris
Coolest motas ever
More badgers have been run over by Land Rovers than by any other vehicle ... :D
PS I made that statistic up!!
sandbender
10-02-2009, 10:57
I feel for you, used to have a Series II called Boris
This is mine, her name is Tess :D
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/sandbender/misc/tess.jpg
Lots of warm clothes for winter driving are a must, and a waterproof hat is handy for when it's raining :)
Tree bars are useful too, a Ford Sierra slammed into the side of Tess at high speed, she needed a new tree bar, tyre and wheel, much of the Sierra was left scattered about the road!
I've been desperate for a Defender for a long time now but never seem to have enough cash. I need one that's in good shape because I don't know how to do anything (and I'm idle...). One day.
Girlfriend's got a Jeep, 2 actually, and she's always on Difflock. So that's obviously the place to be.
Claudiasboris
You might want to re-think your choice of desired vehicle in that case as maintenace is key to keeping a good Landy in good shape and if your reliant on a garage to do jobs then your likely to be spending money regularly.
ATB, Jon.
Claudiasboris
10-02-2009, 14:08
Thanks Jon, it's something that I do keep reminding myself in my few rational phases. I just tell myself thatI'll have to learn.
I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty when needed and I can manage plenty simple stuff. My main concern is that we don't have much room outside the house for maintenance that involves more than lifting the bonnet, especially with two Jeeps already there
Being greedy really, aren't I?
Claudiasboris
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nsp1/page2/http://www.flickr.com/photos/nsp1/3941777800/http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2619/3941777800_d37792c673_b.jpg
my harold
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2738/4051963855_7e3233a7e5_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nsp1/page2/
Whittler Kev
04-12-2009, 16:49
Based on my own experiences with a Defender 90, fit a darn good immobiliser or other security. Mine went right off the drive overnight. Truly heart breaking, but its not just the loss of the vehicle, if you're anything like me its all the handy odds and ends inside it too!
Enjoy the landy, they are the best!
Dave
All 4x4's round this way are having the CAT's nicked (sawn off on the owners drive) as they are easy to get under without a jack and they are fetching £100 apparently:eek:
I love my 110, just wish they wouldn't rust so much...
and leak......heck.....the kids could drown in the back
Lardrover
04-12-2009, 18:44
and leak......heck.....the kids could drown in the back
Poor taste.
johnnytheboy
04-12-2009, 22:05
Priceless!!!!!!
A useful link for you (http://www.toyota.co.uk/cgi-bin/toyota/bv/generic_editorial.jsp?navRoot= toyota_1024_root&navType=Internal&deepLink=LC5_experience_new&edname=LC5_CarChapter&catname=%2ftoyota_1024_root%2f main_nav%2fpageTopNav%2fZone+L andcruiser&menuid=10293&zone=Zone+Landcruiser&id=LC3_exp)
m.durston
05-12-2009, 08:43
lol land cruisers are the dogs knackers.
over in Afghanistan the soldiers have knicknamed them taliwagons, on account of them being the vehicle of choice for the taliban.
but in all fairness i dont think land cruisers have the same character as the ever faithful landie:)
I call my leak, the 'rear wife wash'! There are several too!
I always take the disparaging remarks with a pinch of salt as you can easily get new parts within two days for a + 30 year old LR and I would like to ask Toyota owners to purchase replacement springs on a two year old Hilux. Eight weeks and more!! (that's my experience)The wheel rim design on a Hilux is also cleverly built to collect and retain mud. The resulting chronic front wheel wobble will keep your speed to less than 10 MPH when you go from your dirt track to the public highway! Mitsubishi is slightly better! Much washing is required to allow deliverys at a sensible rate.
There are two things to do in my opinion with your LR. First is what has been said security. Best is a fuel pipe cut off but this is difficult to fit. It can be done electronically using the stop wire but one in the pipe is best.
Second is the rust. Rear X member, bottoms of all doors and bulkhead. Waxoil is good and is best used during warm weather. You can access the top of your bulkhead through a little hole at its base with a long flexible pipe or drill a couple of holes at the top. These can be plugged with rubber grommets. Similar with your door bottoms, just ensure that the drips are free when you have finished. Rear X member, this rots from the lowest point and then upwards from there. More little holes where the chassis rails meet this. They are nearly in line with the rear door frame. The remainder can be reached from the factory holes, of which there are many!
I hope this helps you and the rust!
Swyn.
TallMikeM
05-12-2009, 18:58
I am constantly tempted to get a landy, but at 6' 5" I'm about a foot above the optimal height for one. Drove them a lot when I was with the NT, and they're great off road, but any drive on road that lasted more than 1/2 hour would leave me crippled.
fast but dim
05-12-2009, 19:11
here it is, 12 mo down the line, i'm still smitten with defenders!
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d144/fastbutdim/100_0781.jpg
with my superb oztent:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d144/fastbutdim/100_0763.jpg
i've got a disco 3 too, not a keeper!
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d144/fastbutdim/100_1017.jpg
, if you want a landrover, get a defender. if you want a luxury 4x4 go japanese:(
landyandy
06-12-2009, 00:57
here it is, 12 mo down the line, i'm still smitten with defenders!
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d144/fastbutdim/100_0781.jpg
with my superb oztent:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d144/fastbutdim/100_0763.jpg
i've got a disco 3 too, not a keeper!
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d144/fastbutdim/100_1017.jpg
, if you want a landrover, get a defender. if you want a luxury 4x4 go japanese:(
nice, you'll get another one you've got to have more than one..how do you like the tent ? i've been looking at a RV5 for a trip next year ,do you like it ? are they ok ..thank's andy
this is one of mine http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/2674/s7300895i.jpg
and the kids one
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/6706/kids006.jpg
timboggle
06-12-2009, 01:22
just got a defender 90 csw, most expensive thing i've bought off british blades!
what are the best forums to visit?
Mate, no sympathy, buy a vehicle off a knife forum and you'll get a spoon, lol...!
I had a Defender for years, it was a nightmare, wish I never bothered !!...not a fan - I've used them in other circumstances and they're not as reliable under pressure as the LR fans will shout about - give me a Patrol or Landcruiser any day, (I'll get my steel helmet !!)
Enjoy your new Landy - hope you've saved plenty of money or got a very good credit rating, you'll need it mate :)
........"what has a Defender and the Titanic got in common.....same turning circle,Titanic was more waterproof"
landyandy
06-12-2009, 09:30
Mate, no sympathy, buy a vehicle off a knife forum and you'll get a spoon, lol...!
I had a Defender for years, it was a nightmare, wish I never bothered !!...not a fan - I've used them in other circumstances and they're not as reliable under pressure as the LR fans will shout about - give me a Patrol or Landcruiser any day, (I'll get my steel helmet !!)
Enjoy your new Landy - hope you've saved plenty of money or got a very good credit rating, you'll need it mate :)
........"what has a Defender and the Titanic got in common.....same turning circle,Titanic was more waterproof"
I got a landrover series 2 in 1990 i have still got it (19 years) it have never broke down i drive it evey day and go over the place and go off road the landy was made in 1960 ,all you got to do is look after them if you looked after your landcruiser it might last a few years.. andy.:deadhorse:
Enjoy your new Landy - hope you've saved plenty of money or got a very good credit rating, you'll need it mate :)
Funny... people always level that criticism at Land Rover, yet it's the plastic fantastic Japanese tin that you see cluttering up scrap yards countrywide. Why is that?
fast but dim
06-12-2009, 18:46
landyandy the oztent is awsome!, got it off ebay for £300:lmao:
asked him how much to buy it now, expecting to pay £450 - 500.
he said £300 delivered!!!!! got all the sides etc too.
everyone who sees it is impressed
Funny... people always level that criticism at Land Rover, yet it's the plastic fantastic Japanese tin that you see cluttering up scrap yards countrywide. Why is that?
...because dead landys are all over the countryside cluttering up farmyards, gardens and fields. :rolleyes:
landyandy
06-12-2009, 23:16
landyandy the oztent is awsome!, got it off ebay for £300:lmao:
asked him how much to buy it now, expecting to pay £450 - 500.
he said £300 delivered!!!!! got all the sides etc too.
everyone who sees it is impressed
you luck.................... :banghead:
Ignore anything about unreliability... misinformation spread by Toyota fans - and i'm not knocking Toyotas.. nothing wrong with them really.
I've had Land Rovers for decades, Series Ones, IIs, IIIs, 90s, a Discovery 300TDI and currently a 110 300TDI and all have been utterly reliable... Ironically, the only vehicle i have had that was a total pile of rubbish was Japanese (Subaru Outback)!
People forget how long they last.... It's not exactly unnacceptable to have something fail on a 20+ year old vehicle!
timboggle
07-12-2009, 12:09
...because dead landys are all over the countryside cluttering up farmyards, gardens and fields. :rolleyes:
:lmao:
My mate has 4 different types of Landy in his drive - not one works, however, he's spent every spare penny and waking moment on them he's far too attached to let them go..he'd let the wife and kids leave first !!!
In fairness, if you look after anything, whatever the make, it will last. When I had my 110 every time I got a few quid put aside the clutch or gearbox, joints, brakes, something would pack up and rape my savings, a pattern emerged over 7 or 8 years and it had to go, I've had a VW for 3 years now without the attention seeking dramas the Landy subjected me to.
I did over 120,000 miles in mine up and down the country and once drove from Hereford to the Isle of Skye and back in the middle of winter with the usual lack of heating and leaking only a loving 110 can give, saying that, I was on a task recently and the client provided LR 90's with heated seats !!
:bigok:
Klenchblaize
07-12-2009, 12:35
You'll be amazed at what you put up with!
Cheers
British Red
07-12-2009, 13:05
I've had Land Rovers for decades, Series Ones, IIs, IIIs, 90s, a Discovery 300TDI and currently a 110 300TDI and all have been utterly reliable... Ironically, the only vehicle i have had that was a total pile of rubbish was Japanese (Subaru Outback)!
People forget how long they last.... It's not exactly unnacceptable to have something fail on a 20+ year old vehicle!
Me too. Series 11s through to 110 then the Defender. Then I went Toyota. Now, the LC is NOT as competent off road. Its very, very competent but not quite up to LR standards, BUT name me a Defender owner who can drive a car for 10 years, on road and off, and, beyond routine servicing, have a parts bill that amounts to change from a ten pound note (to be precise, two bulbs in 10 years).
The build quality on the Toyota is biblically superior to Land Rover. I like them both and if I could afford it, would own both. The Defenders are slightly more competent work horses, but, for most of us, the Yota wins on comfort and build quality (not to mention vastly superior handling on road). I don't mean people who want a hobby car, but people who use them every day. I had a long chat with the gamekeeper here once and his invective about the amount of time he had lost due to LR breakdowns was...startling. He also hated the inability to get warm when working offroad, all day, everyday. He now has pickups and plain wouldn't go back. As he says "if its that inaccessible, I'll take a quad or the Argo....they'll go places no car can go. I can carry more, more accesibly, in the truck, I can change backs to carry dogs, feed sacks or tools. MOst importantly, I don't spend days getting the bloody thing fixed all the time. I turn the key and it goes."
Love the LRs to bits, but they just aren't built properly. You shouldn't have to be a mechanic who can do a proper underseal just to own a car. It should be build properly to begin with!
I like the very reasoned argument put by British Red.
What he does mention is the superior capability 'off road' which in some, not all, cases is what swings the choice. The biggest for me was the 'biblical' price difference (I like that term!)of a Toyota against the LR.:D
If I had to pay £35k for a work truck I really would expect the two light bulb costs over ten years.
I admit that even my new 110 has had its faults but for a purpose built vehicle it is good value.
Finally, I truly dread long journeys in it! But it is a long way from the days when I had a 'Super Ser' four bar gas heater strapped in the back of a 1947 LR to keep dog and I warm.:rolleyes:
Laurentius
07-12-2009, 22:12
Been there done that and got the T shirt, used to have a series III now I have a Mitsubishi Pajero.
Well at least the heater works.
Mitsubishi Pajero.
They didn't sell well in Spain... not at all well in fact :D
Laurentius
08-12-2009, 00:25
They didn't sell well in Spain... not at all well in fact :D
Mi comprende, I'm not surprised.
Been there done that and got the T shirt, used to have a series III now I have a Mitsubishi Pajero.
Well at least the heater works.
The heater works in my 2004 defender too, but then it's not 40 years old. :rolleyes:
It doesnt leak either - perhaps I should send it back?
Why do people expect trucks built in 1965 to compare favourably against something built in 2005? Why are people surprised that a 20 year old truck with 150,000 miles on it, needs maintenance? Why do people expect a £20,000 farm tractor to be as comfortable as a £35,000 motorway cruiser?
Land Rover's are what they are. If on the road comfort is your priority, buy a Mercedes, if reliability is your priority, buy a Toyota, but comparing a Land Rover to these is a like comparing apples with oranges and moaning because your apple isn't orange enough. :rolleyes:
Land Rover's are what they are. If on the road comfort is your priority, buy a Mercedes, if reliability is your priority, buy a Toyota, but comparing a Land Rover to these is a like comparing apples with oranges and moaning because your apple isn't orange enough. :rolleyes:
What about comparing a 70 Series Land Cruiser to a Defender 110 that's a fair comparison surely?
I agree comparing a 80 series or 100 series landcruiser to a Defender is not strictly apples with apples...
What about comparing a 70 Series Land Cruiser to a Defender 110 that's a fair comparison surely?
I agree comparing a 80 series or 100 series landcruiser to a Defender is not strictly apples with apples...
Not really, not unless you are either comparing brand new vehicles, or vehicles that have had similar lives. A 10 year old land rover with 100,000 farm miles is likely to be in a very different condition to a 10 year old "company" land cruiser with 100,000 motorway miles. Even then, the purpose of the vehicle is different. You wouldn't buy an aeroplane and then complain that is doesnt make a very good boat.
Land Rovers are designed as off road vehicles before anything else. That is what they are built for. If you want to compare them with something, then you have to compare them as off-road vehicles. If you want to compare your Land Cruiser to something, then the nearest thing from Land Rover would be a Discovery.
I've got a defender county, well, i've got 2, one working and one not and thus it sits here for spares. It's a j reg, so I think that's 91? it leaks like a sieve and for the most part i don't care, the kids do sometimes when they're getting wet bums in the back but that's part of growing up, or so i keep telling them :D
I love my landy, i was thinking about selling it on last year until i had to pull a concrete lorry out of mud last year with my winch, doing that was brilliant and helped me decide not to sell it. But, if someone came along with a half decent older LC Amazon i'd probably go for it. The reason i say older is that i want a motor that we can walk all over without worrying about the paint, dents etc, for that the Landy is excellent, it's tough, rugged and who cares if i whack it with something i'm carrying. It pulls my big trailer without too much problem (it gets heavy :D)
if i could afford a newer one i'd probably stay with them, mine have been reliable and having the 200tdi's means i can do a lot of the work myself. Saying that the newer ones have less seats, we've got the full 12 whihc is a downside (having less seats)
My mate and i were laughing the other day because we both got out of the car with the same wet foot and we loved it.....bit weird i know.
So, i'm all for landies but i would consider a LC amazon.......8 seater.....Umm
just read Martyns post above, yeah, fair comparison would be the Disco or RangeRover, both capable but not quite as capable as the defender for the rough stuff.
timboggle
08-12-2009, 11:40
That sounds like my old J reg 110, allways had to carry a pair of dry socks in it !!
On average it cost me the best part of 1.5 to 2k a year to keep on the road, before fuel....apples, oranges, whatever mate....to me it was bananas !!
People buy Defenders for very specific reasons, either they want a peerless off-road vehicle, or they want to be able to strip them with a screwdriver and 3 spanners, or they want to pull something that weighs 3.5 tons, or they want an old beater to abuse and want cheap spares and home repairs, or they just love them and want one.
They are not all knackered though. Mine was 2 years old when I bought it with 13,000 gentle miles on it - it was almost new. In the 3 years I've had it, the only money I have spent on it is on after market bolt-on's and routine services. The heater works, as do the electric windows and everything else. It doesnt leak at all, either water in or oil out. I use it every day and it's been every bit as reliable as the mazda I owned before that.
The problem is, used Defenders hold their money stupidly well. That is a double edged sword. It's great if you are selling, but bad news if you are buying on a limited budget. People spend £3k to on an abused, beaten, tired old Defender and get upset when it breaks down and then start comparing it to £3k worth of "motorway" Toyota. If you buy an abused, beaten, tired old anything, it's going to break down. If you want something reliable, you have to pony up for a good one.
yeah, i've not spent money on mine for a while and if i need a part i'm likely to have it on my old one. I know though that i'll get back my money on it :D
timboggle
08-12-2009, 12:12
Martyn, funny how I wouldn't have a Landy now if you gave it me for free, paid it's maintenance and drove it for me......and those that know me, know I'm not kidding either, been there, got the T-shirt mate, got it well out of my system.
:bigok:
Martyn, funny how I wouldn't have a Landy now if you gave it me for free, paid it's maintenance and drove it for me......and those that know me, know I'm not kidding either, been there, got the T-shirt mate, got it well out of my system.
:bigok:
Just as well I'm not trying to persuade you to buy one. :)
Horses for courses. I love mine, so there ya go. :)
I've got two.........a 1977 series3 and a 1992 Disco.......
don't know where people get the idea they are expensive to maintain!....I buy new parts online free postage and they are cheaper than the local motor factors can provide and they arrive within three days.......
When ever I use second hand parts I have very little trouble finding them as not only are landrovers in general reasonably abundant compaired to other marques but many have interchangable parts which means I can glean parts from older or newer models, and an abundance of parts means they tend to be cheap.
Why anyone ecpects the series/90/110/defender models to be waterproof is beyond me...it's essintially an open vehicle, the roof is secondary, and if it was water proof below it, it would float when wading like the little Suzukis do!
Did you never wonder why the door has a latched open position?
I have to say that I find people tend to compare old hard worked land rovers with newer under work foriegn motors when it comes to reliability.....My landrovers do break down more often than any other motor in our street and some of them are x4's too, however, most are younger, don't cover the milage mine does (including towing the caravan) and don't venture over two foot rock steps through two foot deep rivers or onto the odd glacier every once in a while!
I unfortunately managed to pull a hose off in the Dales this year and blew the head gasket, managed to rebuild the head and get it running within a day on the camping field....I doubt I could have managed that with most other engines, as they would likely as not been totaled!
Land Rovers aren't everyones cup of tea, but a lot of what people say about them is unfounded and usually repeated from someone who has never owned one, and the myth of unreliability grows!
They are not the best off road all the time either, often a little suzuki will get where a LR will not.........but all in all, for those who's needs they fullfil, the only option is, another land rover!
Smoggy
I've got two.........a 1977 series3 and a 1992 Disco.......
don't know where people get the idea they are expensive to maintain!....I buy new parts online free postage and they are cheaper than the local motor factors can provide and they arrive within three days.......
When ever I use second hand parts I have very little trouble finding them as not only are landrovers in general reasonably abundant compaired to other marques but many have interchangable parts which means I can glean parts from older or newer models, and an abundance of parts means they tend to be cheap.
Why anyone ecpects the series/90/110/defender models to be waterproof is beyond me...it's essintially an open vehicle, the roof is secondary, and if it was water proof below it, it would float when wading like the little Suzukis do!
Did you never wonder why the door has a latched open position?
I have to say that I find people tend to compare old hard worked land rovers with newer under work foriegn motors when it comes to reliability.....My landrovers do break down more often than any other motor in our street and some of them are x4's too, however, most are younger, don't cover the milage mine does (including towing the caravan) and don't venture over two foot rock steps through two foot deep rivers or onto the odd glacier every once in a while!
I unfortunately managed to pull a hose off in the Dales this year and blew the head gasket, managed to rebuild the head and get it running within a day on the camping field....I doubt I could have managed that with most other engines, as they would likely as not been totaled!
Land Rovers aren't everyones cup of tea, but a lot of what people say about them is unfounded and usually repeated from someone who has never owned one, and the myth of unreliability grows!
They are not the best off road all the time either, often a little suzuki will get where a LR will not.........but all in all, for those who's needs they fullfil, the only option is, another land rover!
Smoggy
Hear, Hear!
Some very good points there... I have a friend who constantly compares the "reliability" of his 2 year old 10K mile - never goes offroad - Nissan Pathfinder with my 13 year old, 110K mile 110 County Station Wagon... and then berates me when i have to fit a new part!
Of course, the last laugh will be when he comes to sell it, and its worth shedloads less than he paid for it, and the 110 will depreciate hardly at all.
We sold my wifes 90TD for £4500, it was 20 years old, and we had the original purchase receipt, of just over £10K. It was in good condition, but i doubt there are many other 4x4s that would retain 45% of their purchase price over that time.