ChrisV8

My stepbrother was offered £7500.00 for his 54 plate D3 HSE with 80k on the clock, by the Stealer against a new one so that's hellish expensive to me !! Lots of issues starting with the electrics now definitely need a computer to fix them, then there's the famed how do you change a turbo issue....................... believe oit or not you have to take the body off workshop time is 18 hours without the cost of the turbo. Me I am staying with Classic RR and rust.

The major problem we have is no one has the guts to TRO a footpath due to erosion, the TRF rep on the Lakes Access Forum has been asking for TRO's on some footpaths for ages, he just gets a blank stare !!! As far as using routes on your own land, the Bobblies object to that as well, I lived in the Dales at Kettlewell and had the misfortune to have to use an access track along which the Dales Way runs, there were many occasions when I was told "you can't drive up here" by indignant Bobblies whose tiny minds cannot grasp the idea someone owns the land and has every right to drive, ride etc etc on their own land. As far as I see the Dales will be closed to us very soon if the LARA High Court action does not overturn their TRO actions they are challenging.

Just got the same problem at the new house we are moving to in March, but have found out that there are some new planning rules where we are going. If you use an "impervious surface" tarmac or concrete etc you need Planning Permission, but agregate and gravel is deemed pervious so no planning needed, might be worth checking if you decide gravel is not going to be the answer. As it suggests we will be having gravel to put the Rangie on !!

Would concur with that daughters 86 four door had a welded floor and seat mounts, my 82 four door has bolt in floor and seats.

Well back from the day at LRE Skipton, superb day with really good instructors so thanks to Ronnie Dale, Adrian and Glen McKeith really knowledgeable and calm guys whilst we did stupid things in 110's Freebie 2s, D3's and a RR Sport. I am still astounded how capable they all are, the electronics make them so easy to drive and hilarious when you can get wheels 2 feet off the ground and just drive on, even in the Freebie. We all learn't a lot of how to drive a LR and also how to get the best out your road cars ABS, ESP etc etc. Worst bit was this morning when one of the group went out to his 11 day old diesel V8 RR, to just get a click on turning the key, so he rang LR Assist "Sorry sir we have no records of your car " But then the troops arrived, LRE to the rescue their RR Sport and aset of jump leads !!! But for a £50k plus car after just 11 days not good !!!!! But he did say he got a huge discount on it

They are superb off road and extremely nice to drive on the road, I am off to Land Rover Experience at Skipton on Wednesday and as it's a return visit I am sure they will be able to show me something new. I was well impressed with it when I drove one last year, especially when I balanced it on two opposite wheels and then just drove off, the electronics are superb and its capabilities on road tyres awsome. My concerns are with Land Rovers legendary poor electrics, you only have to have a look on the D3 Club forum to see that electronic glitches are beginning to appear with a vengeance. My stepbrother has an early one which gave him a torrid first few months of ownership, with computer and sensor issues, but since it has been superb for him, apart from humungous servicing bills, until he got a horrible shock with the depreciation, it's not a Company or lease car he paid for it. Off road prowess, just watch this http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=38103

I used to work in the Dales and the place there had a proper snow plough aand attachments for their 90, it did a good job on the few occasions we needed it and we actually ploughed the lane down to the village a couple of times. I bet it is still in the back of the barn there ! I have seen a few ex mod ones advertised at various times.

Do the lockers work, Ronnie might be worth a discussion with as he was having some issues when we last were out.

The story on the D3 turbo is evidently they don't do a lot over 100k before they go phut so there are a few now needing replacements and it's an engine out job with all the resultant cost The few that the lease Companies have that have got to that problem are disappearing very quickly, be careful if buying secondhand I think.

I have been told that to change a turbo on a D3 involves taking the engine out !!!! Sounds like Issigonis had a hand in the design he was the master at making the simple maintenance job a nightmare, Mini (proper one not the Beemer one) engine mounts and Minivan points replacement !!! Then of course there's the well known diff problems on the RR and numerous elctickery issues with sensors etc etc. I shall stay with trusty 200 tdi RR thankyou and eventually replace it with galvy chassised Defender 200 tdi, that should see me out

Thanks for all the responses, I think the guy is stuffed basically, doubtful if the seller will repay, "buyer beware" etc and if he takes it for an MOT then the garage are likely to uncover the whole sorry issue. I didn't inspect the vehicle in detail but I hazard a guess there will be problems. He has a few options I think, try and get his money back, doubtful : get in touch with DVLA etc etc and take the hit if it is a ringer : or SORN it and just use it on his own land and eventually dismantle it. My option I think would be the latter but I think a salutory lesson has been learnt all be it totally innocently.

My view over priced, but they have huge amounts of toys which won't be much good for the good old boys when they do become afforable !! I honestly believe LR have totally cocked up by moving everything up market constantly with ever increasing prices and complexity, I decided way back in April that I needed to replace my road car and seriously considered a Freebie 2 until I drove one and realised how big it is, the electronics are scary, LR have a carp reputation with electrics longevity, it is very expensive and lastly it is heavy on juice. Added to which the local LR Dealer was completely disinterested in a deal with a trade in and totally pooh poohed any sort of discount. So I went and bought a Jeep !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Paid £5k less, got a good trade in, it has all the attributes for gentle laning of a Freebie 2, has a VW engine and drive train, returns well in excess of 40 mpg and so far has been absolutely 100% reliable. Local paper had a hilarious advert from Kentdale this week offering £5k off a Freebie 2, sorry to late for me !!!!

Any secondhand chassis will get you a Q plate, no option I am afraid, the only thing is to use a new preferably galvy chassis.

Been asked this question ..................... An illegal tax exempt 90, normal problem has tax exempt nr plate and nothing else from the original vehicle, 90 chassis, tdi engine, gearbox, axles etc etc. Bought in good faith to use until I told him I thought it was totally illegal from a registration and VOSA/DVLA point of view. Is there any legal way he can now approach VOSA presumably to get this declared as a Q plate special ? My knowledge is very sketchy, he hasn't built it but can it be SVA'd ? I assume if it has a VIC check he has to take his chances on them finding stolen bits etc etc and may well lose the vehicle ?

Lots learning the hard way that ABS will not stop you on snow and ice, all it does is keeps the wheels turning, so 2 tonnes of metal needs a loooooong way to stop in!!!! 4 wheel drive is great for the going bit but doesn't help stopping much at all. Quickest way to stop is to deliberately spin the car, not advisable in a 90/110 but soemthing I have done way back in the past driving Cortina's and Anglia's.

My stepbrother was horrified with the offer made by the garage for his 54 plate V6 td HSE D3..................................84k on th eclock one owner from new.......................................£7500.00 Early petrol L322 RR are about the same now, saw one go for £8500.00 but with all the problems just about to start I think !!

For those planning trips to the Lakes this summer, be aware that LDNP are about to place a motorised prohibition for the next six months to allow repairs and the suface to recover from the winter damage. A "repair day" will be being organised probably early April, a good turn out will help ensure that this superb route stays open for our use.

In my opinion if it's green and slimy it is unlikely to be good bodily, did you take the plastic cills off ? Check the front floors and bulkhead closely, take the front carpets out and have a good prod, is the rear x member OK. I have renovated two for daughter which looked OK but were wrecks in reality be careful ! My garage gave me a 2 door which had stood out the back for a few years it looks Ok but is rotten in reality and worth nothing ! A good one is worth something but rotten ones abound hope you have been lucky. Has it a 4 speed gearbox cos the tdi is not easy to mate up so not an easy conversion in some ways, my 82 has a 200 tdi in it which is great.

Just put a 200tdi in my RR replacing the mighty Nissan Patrol six cylinder diesel, but the 200tdi is as economic has a five speed Disco box and has made it a very nice machine to greenlane in. It wasn't very difficult just using Disco parts radiator intercooler etc, cut the engine mounts off the Disco and weld onto the RR chassis.

Put a 4JB in my old 110 but that had an LT85 box no spacers needed, no probs with slave, I used 200tdi clutch with Isuzu cover all worked fine. The conversion kit came from C&P

Basically yes but it will quickly make the fluid thick and stop working properly, if you want one with rubber in it instead of the fluid i have two seized ones in the shed you can have !!!

as Les rightly said the oil pump in the box will be knackered, the oil is too thick when cold and the gears are very weak as it's only fibre or plastic. So best would be to take the box out and change the gears very soon, my old RR has had the same problem with the gears in the LT95 box and the idler shaft bearings went very quickly after the oil had been replaced with the correct stuff (20/50 engine oil in that gearbox. Best oil to put in them is synthetic in my opinion anyway.

Matt is correct a Disco axle is not rated high enough.

Sorry but my answer was to go and buy a Jeep Patriot 100% reliable VW mechanics As Les says sounds like a goosed alternator boiled the battery not nice or good.

Have a look at the diesel section on here lots of info, sounds like a wire broken in the engine harness which is quite common. http://forums.mg-rover.org/forumdisplay.php?f=104