allinger Posted October 8, 2009 Posted October 8, 2009 Hi all, Some three years back when I realised that the huge German-made buggy I bought for kid #3 didn't fit in the trunk of my "reasonable japanese family car" I started shopping around for a better kids n' luggage-kind of car. The obvious choice would have been a Volvo v70 (I'm in Sweden after all) or on of those horrid plastic minivan contraptions - but as luck would have it I managed to score a perfectly clean -99 110 that had been living on Gotland (island in the Baltics, uses no salt on the roads in the winter, hence no rust. Anywhere...) it's entire life. A bit of test driving, some scorn from the Mrs and I'm a Landy owner! Now this rattling, freezing squeeky feat of engineering has cast it spell on me and so I have to have another. Or it could be that spending a lot of weekends driving through ruts, mudpits and assorted hard stuff made me realise that wrecking the daily driver would be a Bad Thing... So I recently started looking for a second car. Sorry, second Landy... And being a glutton for punishment, a Series motor would just fit the bill. Only thing is that for some reason everyone up here seems to think that their non-registered, non-starting, see-the-tarmac-through-the-floor, piece o' rust is worth one Billion Trillion dollars! Item: this poor thing http://www.blocket.se/stockholm/Land_Rover_Serie_1_23893577.htm?ca=11&w=3 has had a Volvo-motor dropped in, hasn't passed the SE version of a MOT since -84, been off the register for road use since -90 and has an asking price of £1067... Go figure... So, my question to you, the knowledgeable forumite, is where to turn for a decent (I'm thinking well worn, in need of some TLC but not a non-starting rustbucket that needs driving a trailer halfway through Europe to collect) LHD Series II/IIA or III, for my own personal use when out and about in the woods, i.e. doesn't cost a pint of blood and my firstborn? So far I've been looking at eBay, the usual ex-MoD dealers etc, but either it's a über-restored trailer queen, outrageously overpriced (we're talking about a 30-35 years plus old vehicle here!) or it's standing in a field in Surrey without roof and tranny... This really turned into a rant, didn't it? Sorry... All I really meant to ask was "where's the best place to source a decent, working, affordable Series motor"? Quote
plasticbadger Posted October 8, 2009 Posted October 8, 2009 Excellent rant, I love it! I know you said you've tried ex-MOD dealers, but have you tried L Jackson / Evems? They had a large stock of rougher series 3s until recently and are advertising LHD Lightweights and S3s? I think Brooklyn 4x4 still have some LHD ex-MOD Series 3s, but probably want silly money for them! Alternatively could you live with / legally use a RHD model? My buddy just sold his ultra clean, low mileage, original Series 3 88" hard top for £2000 and my brother his tatty, but solid, MOTed and running Series 2a 109 for £950. Quote
mickeyw Posted October 8, 2009 Posted October 8, 2009 Keep checking the private ads, look at the various series club websites, the LR comics too. I think I sold your ideal Landy earlier this year. I advertised it on here and some kind chap mentioned it on the S2 forum too. Sold it within a few days. The ones worth having are certainly becoming quite sought after. Good luck with your search. Quote
allinger Posted October 8, 2009 Author Posted October 8, 2009 Thanks for the input - keeping tabs on the classifieds in the Landy mags as well as networking a bit with some select dealers is probably what I ought to do, its just that once the idea forms... Let's say that patience was never one of my strong sides... L Jackson I did have a look at, but judging from the pictures of the EXTREMELY tasty Dutch LWs that they have 30 of - on pallets, in dry storage - I was to intimidated to even get a quote... And now that I think about it the RHD option is getting increasingly appealing:-) Do you know if there's any way of getting information on previous owner etc from the DVLA? I had a quick looksee at their site but couldn't make heads or tails of the info. Reason for asking is that there's a SIII 88" on the market here, still with UK plates on it and it'd be nice to know that it has been exported in a proper fasion. Again, thanks for the input! Quote
ejparrott Posted October 8, 2009 Posted October 8, 2009 Series III's are great for doing RHD to LHD conversions, you really dont have to do that much work to them!! Theres a few bits you need to buy, but if you're prepared to drive it as RHD for a while so that you can collect the bits then great. Quote
ctb Posted October 9, 2009 Posted October 9, 2009 Thanks for the input - keeping tabs on the classifieds in the Landy mags as well as networking a bit with some select dealers is probably what I ought to do, its just that once the idea forms... Let's say that patience was never one of my strong sides... L Jackson I did have a look at, but judging from the pictures of the EXTREMELY tasty Dutch LWs that they have 30 of - on pallets, in dry storage - I was to intimidated to even get a quote... And now that I think about it the RHD option is getting increasingly appealing:-) Do you know if there's any way of getting information on previous owner etc from the DVLA? I had a quick looksee at their site but couldn't make heads or tails of the info. Reason for asking is that there's a SIII 88" on the market here, still with UK plates on it and it'd be nice to know that it has been exported in a proper fasion. Again, thanks for the input! Hi I've got exactly the same problem as you do. I live in Slovakia and can't find a decent LHD S2 or 3 for the life of me! The ones I see in Hungary are way overpriced for the rusted out pieces of scrap that they are. Unlike you, however, I did e-mail Jackson and those lovely S111's in the picture cost 3750. plus vat!(pounds - don't have a pound key on my keyboard). That's more than three times what I can afford for a military 109, which is what I really want. Realisticly I'm now looking for a cheap 109 with a short MOT that's RHD that I can drive 1000 miles back to Slovakia before I can rebuild it to LHD - assuming it makes it. Unless, of course, anyone knows of a better alternative? Quote
tuko Posted October 12, 2009 Posted October 12, 2009 Reason for asking is that there's a SIII 88" on the market here, still with UK plates on it and it'd be nice to know that it has been exported in a proper fasion. Is that the one on Blocket? I would suggest that if you were going to look at a vehicle that is here in country but not registered, get the owner to get all the leg work done before consider buying. The additional costs from SBP just to register have jumped considerably over the years and I'm willing to bet that why it's for sale as is, un registered. Check at SLRK.org, there are a few series vehicles for sale and as I have witnessed RHD vehicles are becoming more popular within the club. As you have already hit the nail on the head, the fantasy prices here are being ignored in favor of buying in England. Cheers, Todd. Quote
allinger Posted October 12, 2009 Author Posted October 12, 2009 Thanks Todd, SLRK is obiviously on the watch list (member since some years, do recall your car from your avatar...) as is the Norwegian and Danish sister sites. However it's more and more becoming clear that LHD comes with a hefty premium. Perhaps I'll just get a pair of wellingtons, a tweed cap, a RHD 88" and call it a day:-) All kidding aside, I'm seriously entertaining the idea of sourcing on eBay or a UK dealer and taking the import myself. I just had a look at the import procedure today and it (surprisingly) only comes to about SKR 2100, provided it's intra-EU and a production model that doesn't need additional testing etc. Now to clear with the Mrs and find a suitable object :-) Quote
plasticbadger Posted October 13, 2009 Posted October 13, 2009 Has any body actually asked L Jackson if they have any of the 'restoration project' S111 109s left recently? They were pushing them pretty cheap a year or so ago (£350 to £750), but I can't believe every last one has gone. If they have some left they may even let you mix and match bits for a premium price?? I have to say though, if I was going to the efforts to import a car I would get the best one I could afford and the £3750 for those lovely S111s on the website seems like a deal when you look at the cost to bring a rolling project up to that standard. ctb, was that price a 'from' price, or was it as the the web describes - re-painted, serviced etc. IE, could you get one in as-released condition for less if you asked nicely? Quote
allinger Posted October 13, 2009 Author Posted October 13, 2009 was that price a 'from' price, or was it as the the web describes - re-painted, serviced etc. IE, could you get one in as-released condition for less if you asked nicely? Now there's a thought! I'm still really only looking for a motor to bang about the woods in, so am prepared to do some work myself. I'll have to contact them to see what, if anything, of that sort is available. Quote
seriebil.dk Posted October 13, 2009 Posted October 13, 2009 Hi Allinger I follow your idea on importing LR from UK, me just to Denmark and for the spares - Disco 200TDI or 90 200TDi for my 109/88 projects. well, if you need help regarding any danish based LR's for sale just ask/PM me, I might know the seller or the car. Sorry, i'm fresh out of spare LR's myself:D Lets hear what kind of quote you get from the UK dealers. Quote
Jurriaan Posted October 13, 2009 Posted October 13, 2009 Try ex Dutch army. For example mr. Bolleboom at email address: info AT ronbolleboom.nl . You can tell I've send you, don't know how his English language is though? In Belgium the Series vehicles are even cheaper. Or try Germany? Quote
allinger Posted October 14, 2009 Author Posted October 14, 2009 @ Seriebil.dk - thanks! I'm keeping and eye on DLRK.dk, but if you have input on any DK specific online sites that could be of interest, please let me know. And on the UK side I'm out of luck so far - PA Blanchard had no 88" at all for the moment. Am waiting for a quote from L. Jackson presently. Will keep informed. @ Jurriaan - I'll give Mr Bolleboom a shot. Potentially there ought to be a decent supply in Benelux/DK given history of military usage. Germany seems 100% depleted - have so far been unable to source anything... On the upside though; the longer time it takes, the fatter purse I'll have (given that said purse stays out of sight of the dear Mrs...) once the right object turns up:-) Quote
allinger Posted October 14, 2009 Author Posted October 14, 2009 Heh... Just received a reply from L Jackson - ex works the LW are £6,250 + VAT They're nice, but that's sort of outlandish. Or? I'll pop off an email on the availability of "project state" SIIIs, but I'm not exactly holding my breath:-) Quote
henk Posted October 21, 2009 Posted October 21, 2009 Try Belgium, prices are more reasonable than Holland forum: www.lroc.be adds: www.kapaza.be and www.2dehands.be reseller: www.lrg.be (worked years for the British army in Germany) Quote
seriebil.dk Posted October 22, 2009 Posted October 22, 2009 try this place - the price is 30.000 - 35.000 DKR http://www.staaling.dk/default.asp?pageload=salgsliste&id=27763 they are former Missile launch or what do you call it. so there is no hood or sticks, but they are in real good state, the clock says 20-45.000 km Quote
motom Posted November 1, 2009 Posted November 1, 2009 Have you tried finn.no/bil (go to land rover / andre category)? Plenty of S3s at the moment. The nlrk.no marketplace s#$ks, but there are a few gems on there once in a while. t least all the cars are lhd -anders Quote
allinger Posted November 5, 2009 Author Posted November 5, 2009 Thanks for all the ideas and input! My participation in this thread is now officially over, as I managed to source a nice little truck just yesterday. With that I bid good night and skip over to this thread, where the progress of Safari Truck will be on show. Again, thanks for all input! /F Quote
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