Potential buyer looking for advice

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richarduk

New Member
Posts
3
Hi everyone and thanks for reading this post,

I have recently taken a new job in Perthshire and move there soon. After taking peoples advice from the area with regards to the winter weather i have decided that i should find a vehicle that's going to be good in the snow and so far i think the Freelander fits that bill well.

My only worry is reliability as i would have this vehicle as my only means of transport and after a pricey divorce and moving away to start afresh money is a big problem. I have budgeted £1000 for a vehicle and im happy to do most jobs mechanically and have a friend that was a mechanic in the Army that could help.

An idea i have had is looking for a 1.8 petrol Freelander that would need some work and spend the rest of my money completing the jobs that are required to get it in a state that would keep me going through winter at least such as VCU, HG, drive shafts etc. Any advice would be a huge help and after reading a lot of threads on here you all seem a friendly and helpful bunch with a huge knowledge base.

Thanks for reading and helping

Rich
 
I personally wouldnt touch a petrol with the k series in.

I brought my L series diesel for less than £500. yes the VCU was knackered but if i brought one of them i would still have a reliable car for £750.

Bargins are about if you look hard enough and you have the time
 
richarduk said:
Hi everyone and thanks for reading this post,

I have recently taken a new job in Perthshire and move there soon. After taking peoples advice from the area with regards to the winter weather i have decided that i should find a vehicle that's going to be good in the snow and so far i think the Freelander fits that bill well.

My only worry is reliability as i would have this vehicle as my only means of transport and after a pricey divorce and moving away to start afresh money is a big problem. I have budgeted £1000 for a vehicle and im happy to do most jobs mechanically and have a friend that was a mechanic in the Army that could help.

An idea i have had is looking for a 1.8 petrol Freelander that would need some work and spend the rest of my money completing the jobs that are required to get it in a state that would keep me going through winter at least such as VCU, HG, drive shafts etc. Any advice would be a huge help and after reading a lot of threads on here you all seem a friendly and helpful bunch with a huge knowledge base.

Thanks for reading and helping

Rich
Click to expand...
hiya, & welcome to landyzone, i must agree with kizzeh, i think diesel is the way to go:), i have only been on here for about a month myself as only just bought mine, & i'm not going to pretend to be an authority on freelandres, however, my previous car was a my2000 mgf vvc, so i know the dramas of "k"series engines pretty well, may i suggest you look up wljayne's thread, page6, 10th august, he has a 1.8 "k" series and you will gain alot of insite into the problems he has had, have a read, & i hope it helps you, all the best, martyn ;)
 
Hi Richarduk,
I have had my td4 [diesel with bmw engine in] for 2 years and it does everything i want in a car/towcar/van/and winter transport, i was really surprised on how good it was in the snow over the last 2 winters.
My neighbour has a k series engine in his and as yet he has had at least 3 headgaskets done in the last 3 years............he is now looking for a td4.
So long as you look after them they will go on and on , check on this forum for things like vcu ,egr and the like .
The td4 are also pretty good on fuel too.
Alan
 
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Hi Rich,

I'm a K series petrol owner, and I'd say stay away from them. They're fun as a project car and have alot of potential but not if you're on a budget and need a daily runner. I too would say the L series diesel would be a good bet, that engine is bomb proof possibly more so than the TD4 and much cheaper to buy. If you can find one of those then it's likely that all you will need is a new VCU (£200) and some new tyres (£400 ish for a good set.) Also the fact that we're all here is a good thing, we know a great deal and if you're willing to get your own hands dirty then repairs are pretty cheap, every conceivable problem has a solution on this forum.

However, I'm probably going to get alot of stick for this but I woud also suggest you make sure that you reall, really do your homework on the other comparable alternatives. It sounds like you are not buying one because you are a LR enthusiast and will put up with anything so long as you're driving a green oval badge, like a great many of us do. Sites like Honest John are invaluable on providing no-bull**** reviews and owner feedback. The freelander, quite rightly, takes a real panning for reliability there. For your needs, it's possible you might do with with an older Rav4 or X trail. All can be had for about your budget in decent nick and generally are more reliable than the freelander. All I'm saying is don't believe any hype, go on cold hard facts and reviews and make the choice that's best for you - 1k is alot of money and you don't want to feel like you regret what you bought.

I'm going to go and whip myself now.

Will
 
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td4 auto or manual , forget about the others ! make sure you keep the tyres all same and at same point of wear. Obvioiusly the lower the mileage the better .
 
WLJayne said:
Hi Rich,

I'm a K series petrol owner, and I'd say stay away from them. They're fun as a project car and have alot of potential but not if you're on a budget and need a daily runner. I too would say the L series diesel would be a good bet, that engine is bomb proof possibly more so than the TD4 and much cheaper to buy. If you can find one of those then it's likely that all you will need is a new VCU (£200) and some new tyres (£400 ish for a good set.) Also the fact that we're all here is a good thing, we know a great deal and if you're willing to get your own hands dirty then repairs are pretty cheap, every conceivable problem has a solution on this forum.

However, I'm probably going to get alot of stick for this but I woud also suggest you make sure that you reall, really do your homework on the other comparable alternatives. It sounds like you are not buying one because you are a LR enthusiast and will put up with anything so long as you're driving a green oval badge, like a great many of us do. Sites like Honest John are invaluable on providing no-bull**** reviews and owner feedback. The freelander, quite rightly, takes a real panning for reliability there. For your needs, it's possible you might do with with an older Rav4 or X trail. All can be had for about your budget in decent nick and generally are more reliable than the freelander. All I'm saying is don't believe any hype, go on cold hard facts and reviews and make the choice that's best for you - 1k is alot of money and you don't want to feel like you regret what you bought.

I'm going to go and whip myself now.

Will
Click to expand...


Thanks everyone for your opinions and i think that listening to what you have said so far and after reading about the k series engines i may stay away from those and look for a diesel.

A bit more about me is that i have recently left the Army and after spending a long time there the first thing that came to my head when I was told of bad weather was Land Rover. After driving in some horrendous conditions i think i have never been let down by the green badge! Im currently scouring Ebay and Auto trader looking for a used bargain but ill be honest I'm struggling a little but ill persevere.

Rich
 
richarduk said:
Thanks everyone for your opinions and i think that listening to what you have said so far and after reading about the k series engines i may stay away from those and look for a diesel.

A bit more about me is that i have recently left the Army and after spending a long time there the first thing that came to my head when I was told of bad weather was Land Rover. After driving in some horrendous conditions i think i have never been let down by the green badge! Im currently scouring Ebay and Auto trader looking for a used bargain but ill be honest I'm struggling a little but ill persevere.

Rich
Click to expand...

Wise decision there Rich. Go for a diesel mate. ;)

Get yourself as young a TD4 as you can afford.

I've been running a TD4 back and forth to Bosnia and Kosovo for years and it's never left me stuck in horrendous winter weather yet. :D

As has been said if you check for the EGR, VCU, and pcv threads on here, and keep the tyres with most tread on the rear, you'll be fine.

Welcome to LandyZone by the way.

Singvogel. :cool:
 
If you only have a grand to spend and want a Landrover I would recommend a 300tdi Discovery...Big meccano kit and cheap for parts .. Cheaper insurance and 30mpg .... I have owned every type of Landrover over the years from seies ones to td5's. I have at the moment one of the last 2006 TD4 Freelanders, A 3.9 v8 disco on gas and am totally rebuilding a '96 300tdi Defender on a galv chassis ... so I have a broad view of Landrovers and can put up with all their failings ... but on your budget I would be definitely considering a 300tdi Disco.
 
out of curiosity i took a gander at 'autotrader' ..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
be two 'L' series hippo diesels on autotrader (nationaly) at the moment ..
both under £1k ( one has no mot or tax )
the other .. with mot .. at 160k miles .. be a 3dr with manual sunroof (twin panel type )
has 4 new tyres .. ..
( no td4's came up for under £1k ..
( be 10 diesel discos listed for under £1k
 
200/300 TDI Disco is probably more mechanic friendly as its along the bolt on/off style of most LR's also MANY more items available to add on. The 'Hippo' is monoque bodywork and fairly reliable as a later TD4.

That said, a Hilux or L200 Jap crap will probably suit your means too..... or buy a bloody good set of tyres for a FWD car ;)
 
I think your all secretly anti L series.
With budget in mind i would much rather a better L series than a dog TD4. The TD4's are a little more refinned but i wouldnt say there is anything wrong with the L series...tes just older thats all
 
Kizzeh said:
I think your all secretly anti L series.
With budget in mind i would much rather a better L series than a dog TD4. The TD4's are a little more refinned but i wouldnt say there is anything wrong with the L series...tes just older thats all
Click to expand...

I'd also worry about the condition of a TD4 bought for £1k or under. L series would be in better nick for the money I suspect.

Also pretty good advice on the Disco, I've never owned one but I've heard many people praise the DIY friendly 300Tdi. The only issue there is fuel economy, not as good as a Freelander. They suffer from rust when they're old so you might have to hunt down a good one.

A well maintained Freelander - of any age and engine type - can be a good work horse. They just vary massively in the amount of TLC required to get them to that level.

Will.
 
Hi everyone and again thanks for your help and opinions. I have looked at a few freelanders but still not found one i feel is good.

Im currently looking at a 1999 Xedi S-Wagon with 116000 on the clock on Ebay. Just waiting on some answers back with regards to prop shafts still being there and if the VCU has been replaced through servicing. Is there anything else that you would recommend looking out for other than the things that have been put in the other threads on here?

Thanks again for all the replies

Richard
 
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