Flying Scotsman!
Active Member
- Posts
- 136
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- sunderland
My wife was having increasing difficulty getting out of her Beetle , and any low car, due to her arthritic knees.
So we decided to find something with more 'height' to it.
I spent 17 years in motor trade (parts) back in the 80' and 90's. Back when Freelanders were new. And lets be honest, the early ones weren't great. In fact they were s**t!
So my first instinct was to avoid at all costs. But she found one anyway , at a good price with good history, So off we trotted to look at it.
And having done my research (from here) on what to look for I was fully expecting to condemn it . But it had the head gasket replaced, correct matching tyres, correct coolant, good clutch, no noises and was low mileage and well cared for. So we bought it.
And I am delighted we did!
Its been reliable, practical, strong, easy to drive and fun. Also I cant believe how easy it is to maintain and do things on!
(Why use a circlip when you can use a 14mm bolt!)
No its not perfect. It needs a door solenoid, a window motor and ... well thats it actually.
But it is also 14 years old. Show me a car that age without a couple of things neededing done.
So I am a convert to Freelanders..or Hippos as they should be called apparantly!
With prices of 'real' Landrovers going up , the move towards more 'lifestyle' vehicles, and finding a good Disco more and more difficult for reasonable money, I suspect the last of teh Freelander 1's will be the way to go. Simple, easy to maintain, adequate off road performance, comfortable and still to be found at bargain prices.
If you are considering buying a Freelander, I would recommend doing your research, know what to look for , and you can find a good motor.
So we decided to find something with more 'height' to it.
I spent 17 years in motor trade (parts) back in the 80' and 90's. Back when Freelanders were new. And lets be honest, the early ones weren't great. In fact they were s**t!
So my first instinct was to avoid at all costs. But she found one anyway , at a good price with good history, So off we trotted to look at it.
And having done my research (from here) on what to look for I was fully expecting to condemn it . But it had the head gasket replaced, correct matching tyres, correct coolant, good clutch, no noises and was low mileage and well cared for. So we bought it.
And I am delighted we did!
Its been reliable, practical, strong, easy to drive and fun. Also I cant believe how easy it is to maintain and do things on!
(Why use a circlip when you can use a 14mm bolt!)
No its not perfect. It needs a door solenoid, a window motor and ... well thats it actually.
But it is also 14 years old. Show me a car that age without a couple of things neededing done.
So I am a convert to Freelanders..or Hippos as they should be called apparantly!
With prices of 'real' Landrovers going up , the move towards more 'lifestyle' vehicles, and finding a good Disco more and more difficult for reasonable money, I suspect the last of teh Freelander 1's will be the way to go. Simple, easy to maintain, adequate off road performance, comfortable and still to be found at bargain prices.
If you are considering buying a Freelander, I would recommend doing your research, know what to look for , and you can find a good motor.
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