What to do and progress to date... Landy for Poland

[timmywo]

Hi all,

Been chatting with DiscoPol and looking at Landy (and other 4x4) for sale in Poland, to cut a long story short the secondhand car market in Poland is a joke and ill be purchasing for sure in UK. After reviewing far too many for sale in the UK I have the following options and looking for guidance...

My needs

• Local driving and can get us out of trouble in bad weather as we have only dirt roads up to our land
• Min 3 seats with ability to add at least 5
• Technically sound as I will be driving 1k miles from London to Krakow
• Happy for a project, cosmetic work and modest mechanical
• Air con, electric windows - not interested, I like it simple
• Must have valid MOT, ready to drive - I only have from 22nd to 30th Sept to buy, insure, etc then drive over
• Me: This will be my first Landy, keen to learn. No mechanical skills - yet

Option A

• DEFENDER 110 2.5 TD5 Hard Top Utility
  
• 3.8k
• 150k miles
• 1999

Current owner has had it for 5 years with modest use, new types, stated to be in good condition and MOT records back this up.
Pros:

• Size 110
• Reasonable price (I think?)
• New Cooper Discoverer STT tyres

Cons:

• Fuel gauge not working - read this could be due to wiring that I could review
  
• Only 2 seats - is it quick \ easy swap the cubby for a seat?
• Would prefer a CSW layout

Option B

• Defender 90 V8
• 4.7k
• 140k miles (100k for engine)
• 1985

Has been well maintained by owner and looks great condition for age. Can tell this has been a long-running project car with lots of work done. Runs on LPG what is nice a cheap in Poland.
Pros:

• Active owner maintaining the car
• LPG - cheap to run
• Already has 3 seats
• CSW

Cons:

• Size, while not put off by a 90, the two LPG bottles take up one side of the back
• Age - will I regret driving 1k in this!? Will I lose my teeth?
• Am I purchasing something that may be too much for me to handle mechanically?

Option C
Well, see what else I can find on eBay, etc! I wanted to make a WANTED post on landyzone but I have less than 50 posts so not allowed
Ideally, I want a project car, from an owner I know who has been proactive in its care, but not a final fully polished example. I can go up to 7k, but for that, I expecting galvanised chassis, mechanically sound with modest cosmetic work needed. Ideally I'm looking < 5k for something mechanically sound but needs work to get it to where I want (looks, number of seats, etc).
For the right car I'm willing to travel in the UK to collect and pay a reasonable deposit - I would love to buy from the community.

Admin: sorry if I should not be asking for offers here, but im not aksing for any cash and will take me awhile to hit the required 50 post

Really interested in any guidance, advice, etc - I am a complete novice. Can I have my cake and eat it!?!?

 

[waldamar]

Love a v8 on LPG [That's what I run] but the 90 is just too small I fear so option A looks like a goodun, middle seat easily reinstated.
I'll get shot for this but given your self admitted lack of skill/knowledge and your location are you sure a LR is wise?
Maybe a Land cruiser/shogun/trooper type jap thing might be better.................................
[now going to run away and hide!]
Good luck,

 

[timmywo]

Hey Waldemar,

Good points, as is a LR best, I'm keen to get something I'll be interested in maintaining - that's what I have been telling the wife!

Luckily there is an OK gauge just down hill from us to roll down to and also a more highly rated gauge 15mins away as and when assistance is required

 

[waldamar]

As Poland is so LPG friendly I'm sure you could get twin underslung tanks for the 90, thus getting your space back - I'd prefer a 110 anytime but V8 is way more fun.
As for comfort/distance either will nearly kill you!

 

[DiscoPol]

Just to throw my 2 zlotys worth in, lpg is king out here dont be scared of anything with gas as there is the skill and availability of plenty of service places and parts ie tanks to replace the internally mounted ones , are really cheap.

as for parts out here for landys i will hook you up with a decent supplier that speaks english and gives a decent discount once you are out here.

 

[timmywo]

Thanks both, the more I think about it the more sense a Defender 110 makes, I can justify easier to the wife if we can lug things around in it.

Agree with LPG, the 110 is diesel so no help there (from what I understand, LPG is best for petrol engines), we will need a smaller second run around at some point and that will deff be LPG.

Going to book in a view and test drive with the 110, been looking online for insurance and shocked to see how high it is as its classed as a van!

 

[DiscoPol]

Thanks both, the more I think about it the more sense a Defender 110 makes, I can justify easier to the wife if we can lug things around in it.

Agree with LPG, the 110 is diesel so no help there (from what I understand, LPG is best for petrol engines), we will need a smaller second run around at some point and that will deff be LPG.

Going to book in a view and test drive with the 110, been looking online for insurance and shocked to see how high it is as its classed as a van!

have you been looking at Polish or UK insurance? if it has one or the other its good to go in both countries and i can say the Polish one will be cheaper for sure

 

[timmywo]

UK, around £700 for the year inc EU cover. I only need it to get the car to Poland, register, etc - then I may exercise my 15 day cool off rights.

I believe a valid translated UK MOT doc will be valid in Poland.

Plan is...

• Buy in UK, get Insurance + EU breakdown
• Get to Poland, translate MOT
• Register car, change to Polish Insurance

Do you think I can get Polish insurance without the car registered first?

 

[DiscoPol]

UK, around £700 for the year inc EU cover. I only need it to get the car to Poland, register, etc - then I may exercise my 15 day cool off rights.

I believe a valid translated UK MOT doc will be valid in Poland.

Plan is...

• Buy in UK, get Insurance + EU breakdown
• Get to Poland, translate MOT
• Register car, change to Polish Insurance

Do you think I can get Polish insurance without the car registered first?

no, you will need to register it here first and that isnt going to be that straight forward , it might be easier to get a polish "badanie techniczne" technical test or "przegląd" polish mot before going to re-register it as polish.

 

[waldamar]

Thanks both, the more I think about it the more sense a Defender 110 makes, I can justify easier to the wife if we can lug things around in it.

Agree with LPG, the 110 is diesel so no help there (from what I understand, LPG is best for petrol engines), we will need a smaller second run around at some point and that will deff be LPG.

Going to book in a view and test drive with the 110, been looking online for insurance and shocked to see how high it is as its classed as a van!

110 is more practical - there are LPG "assist" systems for diesels but generally seem to be a good way of melting an engine.
The beauty of a Land Rover is the ease of engine conversions, so if diesel [the new poison] continues to go up in price you can just convert the 110 to V8, and therefore LPG.
Can you not just get one months insurance?
Good luck.

 

[timmywo]

The 110 was sold, day before I could get to it - feel like my heart has been broken

Im back on the hunt again, at least now I know I want a 110.

waldamar good point - I have heard rumours that LPG prices may rise in the next few years in Poland, so I guess it's one of those issues where we just wait and see. 1 month would be ideal, im guessing you have to call up to request that? Any recommended companies?

DiscoPol - polish MOT asap seems to be the way to go then

 

[waldamar]

@Lel is considering a V8 110 - if he doesn't go for it it'd be perfect for you........................ Hell I feel so badly for you I might offer you mine...........................

 

[timmywo]

Ahh thanks waldamar, i saw the tag - appreciate it.

I'm now starting to consider plan B... buy a LHD freelander and drive it over for the wife. Then get a 110 insurance write-off and a galvanised chassis and do a complete bottom up rebuild - guess it's the best way to learn!

Just means I will not have my pride and joy for a while...

 

[waldamar]

Plan B sounds ambitious, and a big project, problem with big projects is they tend to become abandoned projects................................. but good luck, keep us posted.

 

[GalpinZA]

Hey Tim, how is the project going? Just stumbled upon your thread and instantly relate to your quest. ( Souh African, married to my Polish kochanie, looking for a Landy that will travel to Poland, etc)

 

[timmywo]

Hey @GalpinZA , I had very little time and purchased an 110 - check out full details and what happened in this thread: https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/how-bad-are-they-really.305681/page-5#post-3851551

Are you moving to Poland?

 

[CymroSK]

Just to throw my 2 zlotys worth in, lpg is king out here dont be scared of anything with gas as there is the skill and availability of plenty of service places and parts ie tanks to replace the internally mounted ones , are really cheap.

as for parts out here for landys i will hook you up with a decent supplier that speaks english and gives a decent discount once you are out here.

Hello there! I realise this thread is a litte old, but I live in northern Slovakia, only 10km from Poland. Just brought a Disco 2 over from the UK and looking for some second hand LHD headlights. Disco is 1999, but been upgraded to uplift lights, so new ones are pricey. Any idea on scrappys who do a lot of discos? Thanks!