Howling Mad Murdock Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 I'm now the proud owner of my first Freelander (and my first 4x4). What can I say, she exceeds expectations by a mile. Took her out for a quick spin and ended up doing 65 miles lol. What a lovely car to drive. So comfortable and the engine is so quiet I can't hear it even stood beside the bonnet. I'm very surprised at the performance too. I was pootling about getting used to it but got it on the local bypass and gave it a good boot, it sure can shift a bit when it wants to. Being a petrol I won't make a habit of that though, it'd cost me a fortune but having said that 65 miles and the fuel gauge didn't move that much so it's not bad at all going steady. I found out by chance whilst buying it the guy selling it is the partner of my best mate's cousin. He said the seller is a genuine Landrover enthusiast and really looks after his cars. I've got stacks of receipts, all the official Landrover paperwork etc. 5 new tyres on it, propshaft bearings done in May, expensive Pioneer head unit and professionally fitted hands free kit with the mic in the ceiling etc. Inside is spotless. Outside the paint is good, a few minor scratches that can be sorted easily, the plastics are faded but that can be sorted easy enough, The only visible rust I can find is on the rear brake drums and the front towing hook, a bit of rust treatment will sort that out. Bit of flaky paint on the front alloys but that's no big issue either at that age. Once the cosmetics are done and it's nicely polished up she'll get some side bars, spot lamps, a discreet lightbar put in the recess below the bumper, Already got a proper dog guard lined up as well as a folding ramp for my huge Akita. Speaking of which, that electric window in the boot will be a Godsend for him in summer. Overall I have to say I'm very impressed with the Freelander. It does what it says on the tin only better. In this condition I'm happy to throw a few quid at her and keep her for a long time. Here's the ultimate praise for the car. My girlfriend hates big cars and 4x4's. She was grumbling "Look at the size of that thing" as the seller arrived. She asked me to give her a lift to the local shopping centre as soon as the insurance was done and in literally 1.5 miles she was saying "I love this car!". If it can impress her it can impress anyone. I've also just been offered a set of brand new off road tyres ridiculously cheap ( a garage clearance) so I'll have those and buy a spare set of rims to put them on. Could come in handy for the treacherous snowy roads I'll be using in winter and for when I save up to get my alloys refurbed. Guys if you're not bored of reading by now may I ask what is the best way to properly blacken up the plastics? I don't want to paint them if I can avoid it. Suggestions please. Once again, thanks for all the previous feedback. I'm a very happy boy tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatM Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 Love your enthusiasm for your new car! I had the V6 Sport for 10 years and traded it for an RRS. I couldn't find any of my circle of family/friends who wanted it- and i miss that car. i only covered 35k in all those years- hit had 43k when I traded it- its got about 53k on it now (I look up my old cars as they became a part of me and i knew them back to front) Having said that- in 10 years i had no major issues. 2 sets of tyres, oil and filters each year, that was about it. I had a road-wheel sensor fail- diagnosed this on my OBD2 and replaced it. the water-pump leaked, but that was repaired and i replaced plugs and leads. a bitch on the mighty KV6 die to access to the rear bank. I presume yours is a 1.8k series-engine. Just keep an eye on the coolant level- if it leaks, find out form where- repair and don't leave it- OAT doesn't evaporate! Ive got an MGTF160 as a daily run-around (and my wife uses the RRS). So i know a bit about that engine! General maintenance is whats required and it will be a good car. You asked about dealing with the bumpers?- Ive the same on the underside of the RRS (but the F/Lander was colour-coded). i just apply a bumper gel and do it often. Mind your head getting in and out! if you are below 5'8, its probably not an issue- you will find out sooner or later! Freelanders can consume window-regulators- which are a bit of a git to fit but doable- just take the door panel off and wedge the glass up with some blocks of wood- then read up and do it on a dry-day! I upgraded the lights to HID as we go down to the M-I-Laws in Cornwall and although its not off-road, its steep, tight and dark- HDC used to be tested regularly! Enjoy. If Id had the space, Id never have sold my KV6 as it was perfect and a mechanic from the Dealers brought it (Barretts of Ashford) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilkyWilkie Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 (edited) Glad you're in love with it, I only picked my TD4 up on Wednesday so I fully understand your enthusiasm! Looking to get some ATs and steelies on her double time, and then get out and about with the family. Though I'm contemplating preemptively replacing the VCU first as she's on 102k I did go out for a little bimble to Okehampton Ranges today with my 4 year old and as you can see we found somewhere for a little bit of a mini adventure! Edited June 25, 2017 by MilkyWilkie Added pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilkyWilkie Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 Fair disclosure though, on closer inspection it was only just over a foot deep so not exactly extreme off-road ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garrycol Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 (edited) Just put All terrains on your current rims. The plastic trim is not actually black but is a darkish grey - any plastic bumper refurbisher works well. Edited June 25, 2017 by garrycol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howling Mad Murdock Posted June 25, 2017 Author Share Posted June 25, 2017 I've just been donated a genuine Landrover dog guard tailored for the FL1 and some newish AT tyres for free. A mate contacted me and said they're just sat in his garage gathering dust so can take them away this week. The dog guards are 2 parts I'm told, fit just behind the rear seats, full height, and a grille for the rear window so Riggs can have fresh air. Remains to be seen what I actually get lol but no complaints at all on a freebie. We were up at my other half's aunt's today in was used to be a heavy mining area (stunning now) so the roads are very uneven due to subsidence and where my beloved old 206 would have rattled your teeth out at 20mph the Freelander flew through that mile at twice the speed and barely felt a thing. A friend who sold me my puppy 8 years ago is the owner of the area's biggest scrappy (his pack of guard dogs are where my Riggs came from) so I'll be able to get a set of rims for the AT's at some point this summer. Question on AT's.... How much bigger are they than normal road tyres? To the naked eye they look huge but is that just an illusion? Car crime is rare here but I have to love the little security feature on the boot window which means it can't be opened without the key (apparently). I love the little lockable compartment for the toolbox in the boot too, space for anything valuable to be hidden away. My one and only gripe so far has been when changing to 2nd or 4th gear I sometimes hit the box behind my elbow but I'll get used to that. But it's a handy box to have, handy for drinks and stuff. Now this might seem a very minor thing but one of the things I love is that tiny little recess on the dash beside the driver's door pillar, the little triangular one with the rubber mat in it. We use the Tyne Tunnel a lot when driving down to my native Yorkshire to see family and it's perfect for tunnel money, very handy indeed. I love the little pockets all over the dash area too. Brilliant for hiding a phone as the stereo does it all, just pop the phone out of view and forget it. Not that I ever use it whilst driving, as a former truck driver it's my pet hate. Milky is yours a FL2? Your dash looks very different to mine. And yeah I have loads of places like that around here, it's gotta be done mate And Garry I love that big A-bar on the front of yours. I think they're still legal on the age of my car in the UK. Where can I get one? I don't mind paying shipping costs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilkyWilkie Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 It is the face lifted fl1, I guess an FL1.5? Still has the super handy triangular recess on the dash though! On the subject of ATs, I do roughly 1000 miles a week, mostly motorway. So the plan is to keep road tyres on the 17s for week time use and swap the wheels at the weekends. It's ~£500 for a set of 5 steelies with Insa's on - I tried one with MTs before I got mine and after 4 hours on the motorway the noise would start to grate ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garrycol Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 The bar on mine is a genuine Landrover item so should be available from Landrover parts suppliers. The AT tyres on my car are BFG ATs - same size as my original road tyres - quite suitable for everyday use and I used them as such - ATs are not noisy. My car is an L series so the first version of the FL1, your black car looks like the first update and Milky's looks as if it was the last version before the FL2 was released so his description of a FL1.5 is probably close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 You will find swapping wheels every weekend gets old very quickly... Just get some ATs and be done with it, a Freebie doesn't need much more than that to get where the suspension and TC finally run out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 Nice truck - you'll find the 1800 petrol won't change MPG much if you zip about or if you drive carefully, it only really drop if you're doing 90+ on the autobahn for long periods. As others have said - sling some decent AT's on and you won't notice any problems on-road, I did ~30k on General Grabber AT2's as a daily 100 mile commute and they were great, gripped better than some of the road tyres I've had. Swapping sets of wheels gets old really quickly and saves naff all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howling Mad Murdock Posted June 26, 2017 Author Share Posted June 26, 2017 To be honest I'll only be changing the wheels twice a year when the horrible weather comes in. Unless I decide to go party a little lol. Mr Freezer it seems ok on petrol so far and as for doing 90+ the insurance is enough as it is without me getting points lol. And to be honest the other half loves how quiet that petrol engine is. The road tax isn't too bad, only a tenner more a month than the 206. Under advisement from several sources I'm going to have the oil changed religiously and watch the water levels closely. Just been for a quote for a few scratches sorting out and it'll be £150 to make the paintwork perfect (mates rates as he's a good pal of my boss). Can't grumble at that. The guy at the bodyshop also said Bodyline texture spray is brilliant on the faded plastics, he said that's not cheap but it's a simple spray it on with excellent results. Anyone used it? Engine bay is to be cleaned up and the bulkhead painted so it'll look mint. To be honest once on top of the cosmetics it'll be a mint car. My boss has a mobile valet do his BMW X5 for £20 each month and I don't mind that, he does a cracking job inside and out. I was advised to avoid using the sunroof excessively but when the boot window opens and put the front windows down a touch there's no need for the sunroof to be open. It's like a wind tunnel ha ha ha. I'll only ever use the air con if the dog looks a bit warm. I'll have to check out the legality of a metal A-bar on the front. Some sources say they can be used on vehicles up to 09 reg, some say 02 reg. There's a Vitara on my street with a an A-bar on it and that's a 53 plate and with her being a school teacher I can't see it being a problem but I'm going to check it out properly. I'm aiming for the rugged but tasteful look. Nothing too OTT, it'll just have that X-factor that makes people look twice. To be fair to the Mrs she didn't want a 4x4 originally but she loves it so the least I can do it make it look special for her since she gave in to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 I would get the coolant changed to be honest, it will help stop corrosion, which is partially the cause of the head gaskets going on these... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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