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Following on from previous suggestions, It seems a good idea to get an pre 73 SWB Landrover, but I'd sooner pay enough to get a really nice(restored?) one, so as not to have to spend hours fiddling, cursing and swearing at it . No VED and Classic Car insurance and little depreciation appeals, as does not having to worry about dents in Supermarket car parks. There's a confusing amount of websites devoted to them, any suggestions? or do you go straight to a dealer (as exists for Morris Minor's for example). Does it make much difference if you get a petrol or diesel? Thanks for the idea anyway, I'll listen to any advice with interest.
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Now you've gone and done, DW can get any conversation to Landrovers, and you've actually started there !!
BTW, David, went for a walk with the Mutts at the weekend, round the back of my house is a Landrover garage, absolutely full of new, real landrovers. Not a diesel amongst them.
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Try belday-workshop@supanet.com
Friend of mine and land rover expert. Get a petrol one, fit new head and run on LPG.
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KB,
This is a huge issue and I could do you a few pages!
I am/have owned/restored/looked after....
1960 Series II Petrol SWB
1968 Series IIA Petrol SWB
1972 Series III Petrol Safari SWB
1980 Series III Diesel SWB
1984 90 SWB Petrol
1985 90 SWB 2.5 Diesel
If you think you might like one do a load of research, have a ride in a few and think about it really hard.
I'm sure Richard's contact is good but bear in mind there will be part of the cost wrapped up as profit, and for a £1200 vehicle that element may be better spent on parts/repairs.
I wonder where you are, half an hour looking at the two I have here in Cambs would tell you a great deal (neither for sale).
Have a look at the Land Rover Forum I use (posting as LRDave)
lrenthusiastforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
Try the UK Forum and Series Forums. I would register to post and put up an enquiry on the Series Forum telling them what you want to buy and do with it, you'll get loads of good advice (and perhaps a couple of jokers).
I'm not going to bore the pants off everyone here so mail me with any real tech queries.
Oh yes...Petrol vs Diesel. Petrol engines are often in better nick for a given age/mileage but the fuel they use...boy oh boy.
David
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watvh where you buy it, because if you are buying one from the country side, remember it will have been used off road. the ones up north are quite cheap, but its an agricultural area, so not many people buy them, one with tax and mot costs about £500, going upto £1200 for one with FSH.
here is an example... land rover 2 1/4 litre, petrol engined, SWB, pick-up, from 1960, with rollover bar, tax exempt, but no mot. £500 ono,
tel 01665 713296, the problem is that its in morpeth, which is an agricultural town.
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Many thanks, all, for your advice and thanks in advance for any more, yet to come. Tried the supanet site but just got supanet home page & subsequent search of site didn't show 'belday'. Will look at 'lrenthusiast' shortly.
Regards,KB
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PS Re. Where are you.........I'm in that quaint, sleepy backwater where Essex meets London - hence wanting to move out at the first opportunity.
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KB,
If you meant me we're in North Cambs.
As this is an issue of serious interest to me a couple of comments that I wouldn't usually bother with following LAC's post.
There is off roading and off roading. Farm use is usually OK (ish) because a farmer is using the thing and not looking for trouble, he may have collected a few dents but not wilfully abused the thing (a bit of neglect not being in the same class as abuse). Now take an off roading enthusiast, they can wreck them.
Here is a bit pasted from a mail I sent on LRs just last night......
"There is a huge difference between what any vehicle might do in a dire emergency and what will be good for it long term. I have two land Rovers at present, one is ex-farm and 40yrs old the other 20yrs old and ex-off road enthusiast owned.
Just doing the wheel bearings and brakes on both. The off-road trialling one is absolutely wrecked in every respect when you look at the drivetrain and brakes, far too much time spent in deep muddy water. The farm track one thought is excellent because they were relying on it so they never went looking for trouble."...........
One with oversize tyres, a roll bar, big spots and so on will often have spent a great deal of time splashing about in the "pits" for fun and to impress friends.....avoid!
The value of one with no MOT is nearer £200 - £300, it can take a year of DIY and £600+ in parts to get these back on the road.
I've never ever seen a 20+ yr old Land Rover with FSH so don't expect it, they are completely different to cars in that respect.
£1200 is a good starting price as you will avoid rubbish and get something worth investing in without it being worked on every weekend.
Who will use this as a second car and for what use, how many miles might it do?
David
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you say you cant get an old FSH one, well you obviously have not been up north, as i have seen many in the local papers which are pre 1973 with FSH.
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LAC,
I will allow myself this small straying from my usual discipline here.
KB is asking for advice here. You post something that you know (and that we don't) about Land Rovers from your ownership/technical/buying experience, and I mean something useful that isn't pulled from another source......then you'll be helping him.
It isn't any help just to make glowing claims for all vehicles up North, I know about "up North".......I've been to Lincolnshire.
David
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lincolnshire is middle england, when you think there is about a couple of hundred miles more above lincolnshire. have you ever been to yorkshire, durham county, northumbria, cumbria, tyne and wear, or any of scotland???
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David W wrote :
> .... I've been to Lincolnshire
Went there once, but couldn't understand what the natives were saying, it was very cold and they robbed the wheel trims off my car.
Never again....
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They told me it was like that up north and now I believe it.
David
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Lee H wrote:
>
> David W wrote :
> > .... I've been to Lincolnshire
>
> Went there once, but couldn't understand what the natives
> were saying, it was very cold and they robbed the wheel trims
> off my car.
>
> Never again....
Thought that also applied to another place begiining with L, and I dont mean Leicester!
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I would go for a late Series 2A (1968-71). Better electrics, and some mechanical components are stronger than the older vehicles, but less likely to have the gearbox problems that can afflict Series 3 vehicles. Also the build quality went steadily downhill after British Leyland acquired Land Rover. My inclination would be go for a petrol vehicle, with a Weber carburettor and ideally an unleaded cylinder head conversion. The diesels are very slow, noisy and have a few nasty habits (like breaking crankshafts if worked too hard). Chassis and bulkhead condition is crucial - any mechanical problem can be fixed (usually very cheaply with second hand parts) but major structural repairs will cost you more than the vehicle is worth. Many vehicles this age look like a patchwork quilt underneath, which is not good.
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Thanks again..... Re. usage, if the good lady and I just ran one car, my logic was - something for normal road use with ability to have 4WD for the reasons mentioned, as well as longer trips as & when. However, I'd wondered if an alternative might be to run - say, my Yaris, plus keep the (low annual maintenance) L/R for winter obstacles and occasions when we both need wheels at the same time. Hence only a low annual mileage. Hopefully, the VED/Insurance/depreciation aspect would mean that it wouldn't be sitting there doing very little but costing a fortune.
As has been said, I'm probably making too much of an issue of this weather thing, but things go through your head don't they, I've obviously got too much time on my hands! I've seen a couple really immaculate old L/R's and I have to admit they've caught my eye, however a mate of mine had a LWB one a few years ago and he was always underneath it, hence thinking of paying more for a good one. (not that paying more guarantees anything). A win on the lottery would solve all this, but not much chance of that, as I don't do it.
Rgds.
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Offroad and offroad.............
I once worked on a civils/tunnelling contract where the record for "wearing out" (NOT writing off) a site Landrover was 2 weeks, with a couple of also rans at about the one month mark!
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Chris,
Set irony=on
Mark what's VMS BTW?
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> Mark what's VMS BTW?
May you be forgiven for such heresey !!!!
It is the operating system originally offered by Digital Equipment for use on VAX base computers.
The finest operating system of our time which suffered only from two factors - it took a ton of diskspace and it was slow. Sadly, neither performance or diskpace would be an issue today, but its too late.
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