HELP! I'm in love but is this all but a dream?

[benjaminshirley]

Hello all,

So, I have a real love for these ex military, olive green land rovers. I think they look the business. I really want to get one but is this just a crazy dream? realistically I know its not the cheapest vehicle to run but it has everything and does everything i need and want from a 4x4 which is to have it support my adventurous hobbies (climbing, yomping, camping, power kiteing.. and many more...) and aid me with work (I'm an apprentice carpenter). After all it looks the nuts too.

Could somebody please try and make me see sense, is it sensible for me to get one? as I'm sure you are all aware being an apprentice in any trade isn't great pay. So what am I taking on? responsibilities etc.. realistic cost's. Any help would be really appreciated I would love to see myself behind a wheel of one.

kind regards.

Ben

[disco2hse]

Your salvation may be found here: https://www.facebook.com/rugged.guide

[Maverik]

HAHAHA asking on a rather devout Land Rover forum whether or not you should buy a Land Rover...

A bit like a woman, if you really want it, then you make the time and find the money! but take note - it will torment you, make you cry... possible bleed... it will take the tiddle, it will flout your sensibilities and rip the heart out your body (every time the temp gauge hits the red)...

but she'll make you grin every time you get in and start that dirty beast up...

[Nigelw]

Suppose it just comes down to realistic costs, we all love Land Rovers here and it is simple, buy the one you want and we are all here to help you keep it on the road with advice and tips.

But then there is the cost side of it, not a cheap vehicle to run and keep running unless you spend quite a substantial amount in your base vehicle that needs next to nothing bar basic servicing to start you off, the less you spend on the base vehicle the money quickly goes on repairs and upkeep just keeping it mobile.

I recently walked away from the Holy Grail of Discoveries, a Camel Trophy truck and a genuine one at that, the mist was up and I wanted it, but came to my senses when poking around it an it was a big bump when I hit the ground and actually saw it for what it was, just another tired and rotten Discovery with a roll cage and not a straight rot free panel on it.

If you really want one then buy a good one, unmolested examples are not cheap but far better than a badly abused cheapie that costs more in the long run.

There is a lot of help to be had here with advice on where and what to look for when viewing vehicles, best of luck with your search.

[GW8IZR]

you can run them for very little money *if* your willing to patch them up just when needed and accept faults as a way of life.

Lights that don't work unless you get out and hit them, oil leaks everywhere, odd loud noises that change constantly - yet in the less developed areas of the world they run like that for years.

On the other hand, get attached to it, start fixing everything in the hope of getting a nice reliable motor - that can cost a fortune.

Somewhere between those extremes is where most people are and an ex mod landrover is not a bad base vehicle for that.

[Anderzander]

If you wish to add 'mechanic' to your list of hobbies - then it sounds like a goer ?

[miketomcat]

The only reason to buy a land rover is if you really really want one because if you look at it with sensible eyes.....buy jap. You will learn loads and love it/hate it till the end of the earth.

Mike

[Mo Murphy]

The only reason to buy a land rover is if you really really want one because if you look at it with sensible eyes.....buy jap. You will learn loads and love it/hate it till the end of the earth.

Mike

Or look at it with japs eye and buy a land rover

Mo

[Early90]

Or look at it with japs eye and buy a land rover

Mo

Class

[PaddyMac]

The key is to understand that it is nothing like any other car you have driven. It will be slow, noisey, cold and will not handle like a sports car. you will have to change your style of driving to suit but at the same time you will bond with the vehicle, get to know each quirk, trust it in nearly any condition that you would think twice about putting a conventional car in, as the bumper sticker says "you can go fast I can go anywhere" . They are cheap to service and simple enought to allow you to do most of it yourself (Landrover making mechanics since 1948). The parts are readily available in most parts of the world and what you can't find can be adapted to suit in most cases. The key as said earlier is to find a good one to start with. Research where rot takes hold on each model and while looking for you new landy remember that a replacemet chassis is big money to get fitted. each engine has pro's and con's and each example has a potentail history of care or neglect so look for as many papers showing work carried out servicing etc. then take a drive in one, if your still smitten at that stage spend your money wisley and you will never look back....

[FridgeFreezer]

So, I have a real love for these ex military, olive green land rovers. I think they look the business.

1st mistake.

It's a paintjob, usually applied by a squaddie using a dead cat on a stick, over the 10 previous coats. Ex-MOD kit is VERY variable, it can have spent its entire life on standby in a heated garage, only coming out for servicing and the odd practice drill, or it might have been dropped from a helicopter into the sea whilst being shot at and ragged senseless across rough country by bored squaddies every day of its life.

The cosmetic appearance of it may completely mask the truth of this.

Do not be taken by the cool factor of having a pickaxe mounted to the bonnet or whatnot, if that really floats your boat you can buy one for £20 at Sodbury and bolt it to the bonnet of your Mondeo and save a hell of a lot of pain and expense.

Some MOD stuff goes cheap, other stuff (mostly the "cool" stuff like Wolf Defenders) is vastly overpriced as it's either cool or collectable or both.

Mind you, Defenders in general suffer the same problem - they are worth significantly more than other vehicles of similar age/condition which do the same job but provide more comfort or economy, and there are some REALLY shagged ones out there being sold by overly optimistic idiots to other misty-eyed optimistic idiots.

Sensible says buy jap, failing that buy Freelander. If you buy Defender, remember you're sacrificing sensible for cool, and allocate ~10% of your budget (buying and ongoing running costs) for tools & parts and you won't be disappointed.

For all that, of course Defenders are a classic, have character, are unique to drive/own, great fun, and all that.

Almost as much as Series.

Almost.

[tacr2man]

you need to drive a reasonable example first so that you get to understand what sort of transport the look you like will be giving you .

If you still want one then , take your time looking , dont rush in , as there are a lot of traps out there for the unwary. Whilst you are doing the looking , you need to do a basic mechanics course so that you can do the basic maintenance yourself , and learn to fix the more complicated things as you go along . If you are thinking to run one and put it in the garage whenever something crops up , you will need deeper pockets than being an apprentice will supply . They make an excellent long term proposition , if you like to change cars regularly then they are a very expensive short term deal . HTSH

[CwazyWabbit]

Also the ugly truth is they get stolen a lot ..... the standard security is rubbish so you will want to allocate some money to that.... you'll also want to do your research to make sure you aren't buying a stolen one

[GW8IZR]

he doesn't actually say an ex mil coiler, just a land Rover, a series might be a better proposition... of course with the caveats above.

There are some nice series motors about that have been in private ownership with lots of time and money spent on them.

I saw a really nice Lightweight the other day, owner wanted circa 3K for it.. a similar priced defender would have been a real nail.

[smallfry]

You will soon forget about your other hobbies.......you won't have the time.

Personally, I would not by choice use one as a daily driver. I COULD, but I don't like the pressure of having to get it fixed to use for work tomorrow morning, If you understand what I mean.

It ISNT because they are are unreliable per se, but I think most here, if they are honest, would agree that there is ALWAYS something that needs doing, however, an awful lot of that is down to choice, and the inability to leave it alone. When you have one, you will understand the meaning of that statement

Budget for around a realistic 27/28 to the gallon, (consider any more as a bonus) assuming you are going diesel. Get a quote for insurance, and if you can afford it, then go for it.

You WILL get to love it. And hate it. And regret it. And love it.....................................

And its almost impossible to escape

[Diff]

My 110 csw is 28 years old and is my daily driver.

It has the 'patina' of those 28 years, it has never been restored.

I give it a service once a year, keep a good eye on it regularly and fix anything that needs fixing as and when it needs doing.

I would have no hesitation in jumping in it right now and driving to the other end of the country.

If you buy one 'as a project' you will spend a fortune on it. I have rebuilt/'restored' various Land Rovers in the past and it gets expensive. Buy a decent one and DON'T buy loads of accessories or non standard parts if you are on a budget. Save your money for fuel and maintenance.

If you keep it in reasonable standard order, it won't cost you too much to run and it will not suffer from too much depreciation.

Be very wary of buying a 'restored' one from a Land Rover specialist. Most of them are tarted up cheapies and the word 'restored' is meaningless.

Make sure you get a chance to view a few to get a feel for what is good and what is not. Preferably take a Land Rover enthusiast with you!

Make sure you really can afford the fuel. If you did 8,000 miles a year at 28mpg you would spend approx £1800 on diesel.

If you had a petrol hatchback car 8,000 miles at 40mpg would cost you just under £1200. So just over £600 difference per year.

Hope this helps,

Regards, Diff.

[Pinkrover]

or you can be totally un realistic and go with your heart, how about a 101 ?

room for all your gear/bikes AND you can live in the back if it Anywhere :-)

photos by Tim Jowett by Pinkrover, on Flickr

And up she rises..... by Pinkrover, on Flickr

[CwazyWabbit]

What sort of mileage do you get out of the 101 ?

[Pinkrover]

What sort of mileage do you get out of the 101 ?

As I said , it is totally unrealistic as a daily runner, a good 101 V8 will get up to 10-12mpg on petrol or the equivalent of 18-20 on lpg. There are a lot of 101's with 200/300 tdi conversion's and I have heard many mpg figures claimed for these, but I can't comment on the accuracy of these.

I do know of guys who use them as daily drives for their businesses, a plasterer and a guy doing stone walling for example, and for that they great due to the large load carrying space. For someone who enjoys adventurous pursuits in remote places the ability to go anywhere, camp out in the back and carry all their equipment makes them very suitable.

But for pure miles per smile they are un beatable.

Photos by Nick 90 by Pinkrover, on Flickr

[CwazyWabbit]

Cheers for that, was genuinely curious I would love to have one .... one day

[GW8IZR]

Just as life is sitting stable state.. along comes someone with a picture of a 101.

It stirs up unusual feelings in your subconscious mind leaving you asking "I wonder if....."

[CwazyWabbit]

Yep.... just been looking at the 101 as well

[pete3000]

Also bear in mind a standard 90/110 wont go into your standard car garage (but neither will a mondeo estate) on height alone. If you stray into 101 country, then think I might get a DAF MJ/MK all your car tools suddenly look a bit underpowered and need replacing , i.e trolley jack, axle stands, that selection of 3/4" sockets and a mac tool box.

All depends on your licence as well, you can only load it up till it reaches 3.5 tonnes on a post 1997 licence, not sure of the kerb weight of a defender 110 close to 2.5t maybe? disco3 hse is around 2.7t

I thought about a mj/mk for a while then thought errrm no.

[mickeyw]

Some good words written above.

Don't go anywhere near a 101.

In spite of many shortcomings and impracticalities, they are possibly the most infectious vehicle you will ever drive. I borrowed a mate's 101 for a weekend once, and didn't want to give it back, until I had to fill it up

One thing to consider on the whole reliabilty issue though, is that many people don't use their Landies daily. Infrequent use can be a reliability killer for any older car, especially in cold weather. Trucks I know that only get used at weekends for mud plugging sessions, and see little care in between are constantly giving their owners grief.

On the other hand, use your Landy daily like I do, and service it in a scheduled way rather than when it breaks, and you can enjoy some quality time driving it.

Similar to Diff above, my 90 is 27 years old (I've owned it the last 19), has all it's original panels, and looks a little tired outwardly. However the underpinnings of it are in pretty good shape, and hence provide me with a reliable motor. There are lots of things I might tidy up if I had as much time to tinker as I used to, but we are talking non essential items.

So what I am saying is, don't ignore a slightly scruffy truck, give it the time of day and you might be rewarded. I think I'd be far more wary of polished turds!

For your stated usage I'd also look out for a vehicle that is as standard as possible. Buy a highly modified one, and at your young age you may well find difficulty insuring it. Lots of unnecessary bolted on goodies also add to the overall weight and will hit you in the pocket each time you fill up.

[Pinkrover]

I totally agree with MickeyW,

I only went for a test drive 3 years ago

now I am poor, permanently busy fixing it and grinning stupidly all the time

Watch this space, Shrek is off to Llanerchidda for a weekends laning