Landrover series 3 off road potential?

[RPR]

Amen to James & Peter.

A friend once told me "You will never have more fun than your first off-roader, because the more you modify the less you have to think" and it's quite true. I took the Freelander marshalling and it was a hoot trying to get it round the site with skinny road tyres, no ground clearance and only front-wheel drive. Everything was a challenge, everything required more thought & skill to get through and you had to read the ground with a microscope.

Being stupid enough to have modified my 109 I find that, although the performance now is awesome (it's a far better truck than I am driver), everyone expects it to be awesome so you get people following you round hoping you'll get stuck so they can have a laugh. No-one is impressed by anything you do in it, because they (probably rightly) expect that it should be able to drive anything and it's just the idiot behind the wheel holding it back

As another portal V8 Series owner, I can only say you got that right. Every now and then, I take my stealth wheeler, a '99 Disco 1 on 235/85R16s, wheeling and it's almost as much fun as wheeling the Tonka. It weighs 12 tons, it's got a big fat arse hanging out and there's about 4mm under the diff (that's how it feels after the Tonka) and I have to drive so much more carefully and skillfully not to destroy it. It's a blast. And I'm often on the trail with people in stockish Series trucks watching that bump and grind wheeling that I remember so well and getting rather nostalgic - and even more so when I'm begging John to help me find Volvo hub seals made out of pure unadulterated unobtanium

An 88" on 235/85 MTs, some rock sliders, diff guards and a winch (maybe a tank guard) will give you five years of great fun and excellent education. Then you can do something stupid like put a massive diesel engine in it, Mog axles, and power steering....

[jmattley]

I used to have a series 3 as an everyday drive for a year (I too am a student), and it was fun, I only swapped for a disco due to every practical aspect, but still miss it. They're great offroad, I only fitted bigger tyres and a couple of spot lights. I used 750 avon rangemaster which were fine for me and I did give it some offroad in all types of situations. I imagine if it had parabolics it would have been even better. Theyre cheap, tiddle easy to fix and modify, only downside is the fuel bill and been **** on road. Other than that, go for it. I'm considering buying another when I can afford that and a road car and sticking a 200tdi in it.

I also never had an issues steering at low speeds on big tyres and I'm no body builder, my advice, go for it, starting with big tyres and better springs.

[landmannnn]

Grumpy old man mode on:

The Series III were never brilliant off road. The stiff leaf springs limit articulation to a few inches and the fragile overhanging body is easily damaged. Bigger tyres stop you getting stuck in ruts but then you are more likely to break things if the wheezy engine ever develops enough torque.

The design of the majority of components dates back to the thirties so it really isn't much more than a pre-war motor in drag.

Throwing in a V8, portals, 40" tyres and difflocks makes it close to unstoppable but if you do that it really isn't a Series III anymore.

On the road it is a dog.

Yes, it is good to learn on but no different from any old soft-roader you can find.

When I got my first 90 in the eighties it was a world apart form the old series, both on and off road.

Grumpy old man mode off

In all seriousness do not go and modify your series. Drive it as it is, that is an affordable classic with all it's faults and limitations. It is a simple machine that could be operated in virtually any country even with limited spares and servicing skills, opening up territories by allowing transportation where road infrastructure had not taken place.

[Mr Bean]

Just run the series as standard maybe just add some mud tyres but don't go massive.

If you want better off road performance buy a 90/110.

[FridgeFreezer]

Let me fix that for you:

If you want better off road performance, practice.

[Mr Bean]

I was referring to the vehicle performance....

But yes i do agree that the driver will make more of a difference!

[RobotMan]

It is also hugely satisfying driving a little old Series motor places where the tricked up catalogue specials can't loud pedal there way to

[xychix]

The only thing that messed with my mind a few times is the HUGE turning circle of the series. Once on a track forget about turning around unless you run into a footballfield!

[Anderzander]

I always think of those overland trips they did in the '50's in those standard 80" land rovers.

Driving through roadless Burnese jungles puts perspective on just how capable they are.

After having made a number of modifications on my last 90 - this time I'm largely focusing on making it nicer to be in - rather than more capable.

[=jon=]

It is also hugely satisfying driving a little old Series motor places where the tricked up catalogue specials can't loud pedal there way to

My old petrol 88" was a hoot off road - pretty standard apart from 235 85 mud tyres and some parabolics.. It would go pretty much anywhere round our local pay and play sites, including stuff that challenged some of the more modern machines that were there.. Successfully navigating a very muddy run and watching the SWB lifted trailer queen shogun get stuck made my day As said, bits were cheap, mechanically apart from a few teething problems it was pretty reliable and it was tatty to start with so I didn't mind some of the scratches I put on it (I didn't take my old 90 there as I didn't want to wreck it!)

I'd have another 88" as a fun runabout in an instant!

[Arjan]

We have been taking Series Land Rovers off Tarmac for too many years and they are just different from Defenders. And yes, we have a Ninety and a One-Ten, too.

You don't need many things to make them go almost everywhere : good driver and some decent tyres will do the trick usu.

This is the Mrs. one and a bit modified. Disc brakes are not a must but make behaviour a bit more predictable. Powersteering makes it easier for her to use after her illness. A 200 Tdi is to go in late this year because the 2.5 N/A is getting old.

Just enjoy the Series and learn from using it it.