Selling my Landrover

[BogMonster]

As in not as good as having an advert top, middle and bottom of the page????

More meant as a health warning - as in - if the presence of a teeny little advert causes you to foam incoherently from the mouth to the extent that you risk obscuring vision of the PC screen and short-circuiting your keyboard thereby causing the distinct possibility of significant personal injury and hardware issues, don't go there

[GBMUD]

Porch Cayenne S, BMW esseX5 or a merc ML? ...

On a serious note a freelander 2?

Steady on, steady on, I am on a tight budget here - looking to spend no more than a few (4 at a push) grand!

SHMBO has expressed a keen desire to own an F2, and in many ways it would be great, towing and mile munching, but I will be too scared to use it off-road (even mild green-laneing) as even minor damage to paintwork and plastics will hit too hard in the wallet. An F2 and an old 90 would be an option, but I then have a 90 sitting around unused for 6-8 days a year.

What I am trying to do is to find a compromise where I can have one car that does everything without feeling too precious about it.

A F1 Td4 is tempting but I am sure someone must have had a problem with one and consider them unreliable/have a tale of woe regarding them?

Chris

[GBMUD]

Why not a Discovery? Same mechanicals with much better comfort and sound insulation plus faster, if only by a gnat's wotsit.

Disco1s are all either rusty or will be by the next MOT. (OK, that is a bit of a generalisation but finding a good one is tough, it would be mu ideal probably)

Disco2s are verging on being cheap enough (would want a post 02MY) but then I worry about all the electronics both in the engine and the body. I win all the same problems of a Td5 Defender - oil in the wiring, fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump etc. Are they getting rusty now too?

P38 rejected as I am terrified of all the electric, air, gizmos etc.

Shoguns out as I look enough like a Pikey as it is

Jimny is too small

Vitara underpowered for towing?

Chris

[GBMUD]

Choose me something from Brightwells.

Chris

[TJ101]

Chris

Is your poll a tad one sided,

Saying that, all the polls currently seam to be the same

[GBMUD]

What are you suggesting Tim? That I have already decided and just want the answer to be yes?

Chris

[cjmt]

3.1 Troopers are good but thirsty. 2.8 troopers are now v old and likely to be rustier than a Disco. 3.0 Troopers are great when they work, do 30mpg with 175ish bhp but are terrifying expensive to fix when they break, which they do quite a lot..

[nicks90]

Disco2s are verging on being cheap enough ..... Are they getting rusty now too?

Chris

yes they are...

mine has had several coats of waxoyl in its life and after having a poke about under it last month i have found rust in the chassis around the rear bump stops (holed ) and rear body mounts are well scabby and the left hand chassis rail where the fuel tank pushes up against is a complete and utter frikkin mess

when i say a mess, i mean once i picked the big scabs off that i could, i was left with a 6" long gash through the side of the chassis rail near the bottom and once i drop the tank i expect the entire side of the chassis rail along there will need replacing.

I havent dared to remove the plastic cill covers or the plastic guards under the wheel arches.

so landrover learned their lessons well from the D1.

avoid early Disco 2's - they are 10 years old and are therefore completely rotten or getting that way. Most dont go offroad and therefore dont get regularly washed underneath, that means 10 years of accumulated road salt and dampness. Les will be earning a fortune from welding these up shortly.

Nick

[FridgeFreezer]

...and yet both my freelanders (98 and 01) are completely rust-free. It's the future I tell yer! I'd happily take one to morocco, how much ground clearance do you really need?

[reb78]

how much ground clearance do you really need?

According to this months LRO, bigger rubber will give you an extra inch.....

[disco_al]

bigger rubber will give you an extra inch

so said the actress to the bishop

[RustyNissanPrairie]

P38 rejected as I am terrified of all the electric, air, gizmos etc.

I personally like the idea of the base spec P38 diesel with all the air system ripped out and coiled. Dirt cheap as well.

[LR90]

3.1 Troopers are good

Mine wasn't. Three engines IIRC

[Challo]

Going on past experience- stay clear of Freelander 1 for defo.

[David Sparkes]

I suggest trying a Freelander off road. Please bear in mind that you will have to 'break' all your years of experience because instead of keeping all four wheels on the ground, and letting lumps go underneath, you now have to pick a different route to avoid the lumps going underneath, but it doesn't matter if a wheel lifts off the deck.

Cheers.

[mickeyw]

Disco1s are all either rusty or will be by the next MOT. (OK, that is a bit of a generalisation but finding a good one is tough, it would be mu ideal probably)

Chris

What about some of the rather tidy ones being imported from Japan, or is it China? Where they use no salt on the roads...

[Challo]

Freelanders are ok off road in my experience, they just go wrong too often, and the bits aint cheap either.

[simonr]

I'd agree with avoiding F1's - except the TD4. I've not heard anything really bad about them. Even the VC & IRD seem to be reliable as the difference between the front & rear ratios was narrowed.

Like John - my F1 had not a bit of rust anywhere! Quite impressive for a 10 year old car. The original K Series engine was worst than useless power wise.

Si

[dirtydiesel]

The 2.7 terrano is a little agricultural, and the terrano II 3.0 more refined and very powerful but can have spectacular engine problems.

My choice would be a nice late 3.1 isuzu trooper swb, pull the 3.1 and bolt a 2.8 in it's place.

Mine went from 23 mpg to 33mpg.

One of the best tow cars i've ever owned fast, comfortable, very reliable, fantasic steering lock.

I've now got a 4.2 gq patrol, not as good a tow motor as the trooper. but the patrol is very good off road, lots of space, epic quality engineering, but absolutely terrible on fuel and mine had more rot than the worst 2 door rangy.

[Trevorevans]

Don't go for a 2.7 terrano my uncle has one and it's never on the road, electronic gizmos engine/fuling go wrong all the time. seriously he will get it sorted and within a month or so it will be broken again. I wanted a cheap off road toy and he offered it to me, I've only just stopped laughing when I see him and I've had my disco 6 months now. Needless to say the terrano is still on his drive not moving.

[dirtysouthUK]

Dare I say it, how about a paj or imported challenger (row shogun sport) :ph34r:

[nicks90]

What about some of the rather tidy ones being imported from Japan, or is it China? Where they use no salt on the roads...

extremely good idea, those imported D1 are nice looking rust free trucks in the main.

However there arent many coming over now, as they were all imported when they hit 5-10 years old as per that japanese rule thingy-me-bob.

So beware a 'japanese rust free import' that has been in the UK for 5-9 years, as it might now be a rusty heap. But there are still nice ones coming in occassionally, althought they tend to be V8s and fetch early D2 money. Although i think i would rather have a late d1 with no rust than an early d2, to be honest.

[Exmoor Beast]

for a does-it-all car a D2 V8 LPG'd would be my choice.

I prefer the look of D1s but having looked for months for a decent one a couple of years ago and failed I can't imagine it'd be any easier to find a unrotten one now

Don't discount Freelanders, we loved ours even though it was a 1.8, great fun offroad when you get used to the 'giving it the beans' approach rather than the traditional tippy toe approach.

You are right to discount the P38, I loved ours but the repair bills were crippling.

or lastly you could just give yourself a good talking to and keep the 110

Will

[GBMUD]

Well, three months on and I still have no idea what to buy but I do have a list of needs, wants and whims.

1. The car must be reasonably reliable - nothing is 100% but I do not want to spent all my time mending the damned thing.

1a. Must be more like a car than a Defender is.

2. Enough power/towing capacity to tow a 2 tonne trailer. More towing capacity would be a benefit but not essential.

3. Must be at the economical end of the 4x4 scale - so probably diesel or LPG.

4. Must be capable of light off-road duties and green laneing, to include trips across Europe and into North Africa.

5. Must cost no more than £2500.

6. Must be reasonably tidy but ultimately I am likely to dent/scratch it anyway.

7. I would really like an auto but will take what I can get.

8. A/C, electric windows and leather seats are all desirable extras, anything else I am not bothered about.

9. It would be nice to get a Maggiolina style roof tent on but not essential.

I have recently been looking at Freelander Td4s but they all seem to have too many miles on at my budget, or they have something terribly wrong with them. Oil consumption seems popular, possible from the turbo... 1.8s have a poor reputation and 2.5s have (I assume?) a drink problem. I will not consider an L-series TD.

I have been looking at P38 2.5s. They are really nice inside, have terrific presence and can tow lots but there is too much wrong with them all it appears and the 2.5 is looking to be under powered for my towing needs. They also have space shuttle mileage at my budget. I could look at a V8 but either fuel consumption is outrageous or they are LPG converted and too dear.

A high spec Discovery Tdi auto would seem to fit the bill but as discussed they always seem full of rust. In all other regards they seem a perfect match. D2s are either tatty high milers, V8s or out of budget.

Honda CR-Vs and Nissan X-Trails are known unknowns in that I know little about them but would consider them.

Mitsubishis are a last resort I am afraid. For me they have negative associations I cannot come to terms with.

Most Jap double-cab pick-ups are out of contention based on looks alone. A Ford Ranger 4x4 might be worth consideration though i know little about them and I have always had a 'thing' for Hi-Luxes - but not the imported 'Surf's.

Landcruisers and Patrols are just too big and, for the most part, expensive.

TerranoII still looks a good option on paper.

I am not sure I like the look of the Isuzu Trooper, though again, on paper they look pretty good. Perhaps they drive really well?

Suzuki Jimnys and Shogun Pinins (The only exception to the Mitsi rule) are just too small, however reliable or desirable they might otherwise be.

Your thoughts, ideas and suggestions welcome...

I am going to see if there are any Discoveries near here on eBay...

Cheers

Chris

[Anderzander]

Hmmm - £2.5k isn't much for a rust free, reliable and economical 4x4 ...