Which model to buy

[rsinden]

I'm totally new to Series Land Rovers and would welcome some advice/suggestions.

I am looking to spend up to £1500-£2000 on a series land rover. Use will be very limited...it might not be used for weeks...and then be used for a short local journey of maybe 10 miles. Essentially it's a vehicle to load up with stuff that I don't want to put in the 'normal' car; a vehicle to add a trailer to and most importantly, when the local lanes are flooded/snowed under we can get down to the shops.

So..which model? petrol? diesel? Am I right in saying that if it is of sufficient vintage then it is exempt from vehicle excise duty? Is there any current or impending legislation re exhaust emissions, for example, that will force these elderly stalwarts off the road or force through very expensive modifications?

Any good books or magazines to read?

many thanks for any advcie

[V8_Agro]

I would look at a series 2 or 3 if you are in the UK I think cars are tax exempt if thaey are made before 72 ( don't quote me on that ) and go for a petrol as they are easyer to maintain.

Look for rust in the footwells and bulkhead mainly and also the rear cross member.
There are plenty of 109inch ( long wheel base ) landy's for sale over there so should not be a problem getting one.
There are lots of landy mags around just go down to your local paper shop and see what they have there I buy the LRe and have sub-scribed to it I find that to be the best ( but there all pretty good )


Adam

[SimonArmstrong]

Adam is correct about the vehicles over here being tax exempt before 72

But think, and choose carefully your vehicle! cos once you get it you will fall in love with it and you may soon see the "normal car" taking a step back, and the landy being used all the time!

If its definatly a series you are after, then go for a series 2a or 3. And seeing as though you wont be doing much miles, then a petrol should be alrite, you just dont get very good MPG out of them!

Though, you can get a very nice RR classic for that sort of money....

where are you, btw?

[DanielWarden]

You won't find too many tax-free series IIIs, production commenced in September 1971, to be tax free it needs to be BUILT before Dec 31/1972.
Best bet, go for a IIa, you KNOW that will be tax free. A 109 pick up or hard top sounds most useful if you just want to shift stuff in it. Diesels are slow and noisy, but have lots of low down power, petrols much better on the mototrway or long trip but more expensive to run...

[SIIA-Pilot]

Ive just bought a late SIIA Diesel for £500 spent £250 on wheels and tyres, welded a crack in the chassis, and changed all oils etc £60, and im happy apart from my clutch problem see thread. Body is crap but i aint bothered, its my offroad and winter transport and like the earlier post said its nearly stopped me driving my car all together!

I would say spending 1500 to 2000 on one for an occasional vehicle is a bit excessive however I suppose it would be less hassle in the long run.

My advise would be ignore the body work if its scruffy and concentrate on getting one that runs, steers, changes gear well and has a solid chassis and bulk head. And use the negatives on the body to try and get it cheaper.

[onslow]

The tax exemption limit is an L reg the 1st 6 months of the registration are tax exempt the latter six months are'nt

I would spend no more than 1200 quid on a motor,for the use its going to get also this will leave you enough cash to sort out any minor niggles and upgrade and personalise your vehicle as you see fit,

A 2a 109 truck cab would even eliminate the trailer towing there aint much you cant throw in the back.As for power unit go for petrol if the additional fuel costs dont matter,diesel if you wish to be frugal.

Most importantly take someone with you who knows landrovers (in my experience not a car mechanic unless a landrover man),A friend of mine has been an MOT tester for 15 years and admits he knows very little about them.

The second hand market can be a minefield,but it works both ways I once bought a mint 2a due to "clutch problems" for 200 quid.the clutch problem was a jammed overdrive linkage.One tin of WD40 and 10 mins later one drivable 2a.But many have fallen foul of shiny series motors that are rotten underneath,it is important to look around before buying.

ONz out

[rsinden]

Many thanks, guys for the great advice..which I'll certainly take on board.

My conclusion so far is to go for petrol..partly because I always used to maintain my own cars (before they all went tricky-dicky with engine management units ). And it will be a Series II or IIA unless I'm really lucky to find a pre-1973 Series III.

Petrol - presumably it will need four-star...becoming more difficult to find perhaps at the pumps?

Silly question - do the gearboxes have synchromesh?

If there are any experts living around Worcestershire/Herefordhsire then I'd welcome any help in sussing out any potential purchase.

[onslow]

Series 2's Dont have syncro on 1st and 2nd,series 3's have synchro on all gears.Series 2 boxes are stronger.I would look for a series 2 I think they have more character and bulkhead repairs are easier as they arent covered in stuff that sets on fire.

Cheers ONz

[Snagger]

SII have more character, but SIII are more comfortable. The original gearbox on a SII wiill have no synchro on 1st or 2nd, and will have a mechanical clutch that allows water and dirt into the bell housing. A SIII has synchro on all fwd gears and a better hydraulic clutch. Late SIIIs have much improved dual line servo brakes.

Diesels are no harder to look after than petrols - it's just the injector pump that you can't fix yourself. They have more low down torque than petrols, but less top end power. So long as the oil and filters are changed on schedule, I have found the diesels require far less tinkering than petrol units (in fact, noe at all). They also have the benefit of doing 70% or more mpg and being waterproof (so long as you don't ingest water thrugh the intake), which is a huge advantage over petrol if you are frequently flooded. I much prefer diesel, and would never go back to petrol.

[DanielWarden]

[quote=Snagger]SII have more character, but SIII are more comfortable. The original gearbox on a SII wiill have no synchro on 1st or 2nd, and will have a mechanical clutch that allows water and dirt into the bell housing. A SIII has synchro on all fwd gears and a better hydraulic clutch. Late SIIIs have much improved dual line servo brakes.
QUOTE]

I find my series III hardly comfortable at all, can't see how it can be any different to a IIa, its slow,bumpy, noisy, smelly etc etc...and i have so far got through 2 engines in 18 months...

:-(

[Snagger]

But the SIII has a better heater system, better wipers than early SIIs, and a more user friendly dash and facia.

If you want it to be reasonably comfortable in modern terms, fit parabolics, ES3000s and Dfender seats. Makes a world of difference.