Freelander 1 Parting company...

[NeilTD4]

...after just over 5 years of ownership and 62000 miles I've taken the decision to part exchange my 2004 TD4 auto for something newer with less miles and not a Land Rover.
On the whole, I've enjoyed owning and maintaining it, but the maintainence part is getting harder for me as I now have arthritis in my knees which doesn't help and is annoying, as I generally like working on it.
I've also enjoyed time spent here on the forum gaining (a lot) and sharing (a little) knowledge with some like minded people.
So, it just remains for me to thank you for putting up with me and to say have a gander in the Parts for Sale section at the spares I have amassed in the last 5 years, some of them just in case...

 

[guineafowl21]

A few points:
1. If you move away from Land Rovers you will be shocked by the unavailability and expensiveness of parts.
2. You won't get much in part exchange for an 04 Freelander
3. Old age, and arthritis in the knees are a bummer, but I know an old boy who was nearly crippled in a quad bike accident - 70 years old - but he still potters about keeping his Ranger running. Most maintenance is about tyres, fluids and the odd oil change, hardly the Iron Man Challenge, and anyway changing vehicles will not change this. Freelanders don't require more attention than any other similar vehicle.
4. You'll miss that green oval badge and attendant character like crazy when you're driving about in your soul-less Jap/Korean automotive unit. Try finding a forum like this one for a Dacia Duster.

 

[Nodge68]

A few points:
1. If you move away from Land Rovers you will be shocked by the unavailability and expensiveness of parts.
2. You won't get much in part exchange for an 04 Freelander
3. Old age, and arthritis in the knees are a bummer, but I know an old boy who was nearly crippled in a quad bike accident - 70 years old - but he still potters about keeping his Ranger running. Most maintenance is about tyres, fluids and the odd oil change, hardly the Iron Man Challenge, and anyway changing vehicles will not change this. Freelanders don't require more attention than any other similar vehicle.
4. You'll miss that green oval badge and attendant character like crazy when you're driving about in your soul-less Jap/Korean automotive unit. Try finding a forum like this one for a Dacia Duster.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[fatdisco]

You'll be back.I left for 6 years,but I felt like I had a permanent itch that needed scratching.Had to get another one.

 

[NeilTD4]

You're right, I will miss it, and having just been out in it confirms this, especially as it seems to be running a treat. The work I have done has gone beyond general maintainence at times, though I have enjoyed it, despite suffering for a good few days afterwards. I've been dealing with our 'in need of some modernisation' property for the last 4 years too which probably hasn't helped the state of things.
I actually got a reasonable part ex price for it, and probably as much as I would have got privately considering the mileage. The new (to me) car will be serviced before collection and most likely serviced by the garage in the future. That's not to say I'll never look under the bonnet…
Plus I'll still have the wife's car to tinker with…
Natural progression would have been a FL2, but for what I'd want they are beyond my means and I'm returning to a petrol engine this time as I feel the long term future for diesels isn't as rosy as it once was…

 

[saxavordian]

Hotel California syndrome here.

 

[doodle bug]

Hotel California syndrome here.

Sure is ! you can check out any time you like but you can never leave

 

[guineafowl21]

Hotel California syndrome here.

Something familiar about this...

NeilTD4: "I'm leaving your group"
Landyzone: "You'll never survive outside it, you won't get parts, you'll be broke and have to pay BIG bills!"

Good old Eurozone... Sorry, Landyzone.

 

[Nodge68]

Natural progression would have been a FL2, but for what I'd want they are beyond my means and I'm returning to a petrol engine this time as I feel the long term future for diesels isn't as rosy as it once was…

Diesel will be around for a long time yet. Vehicle manufacturers are still putting hundreds of millions of pounds into new diesel engine designs. They won't do that if there's any forthcoming anti diesel legislation. The new Discovery 5 is only available with a diesel engine, as are most other LR vehicles.
I suspect that a ban on them in major cities would prompt a drop in diesel duty, reducing the pump price. Diesel definitely isn't a fuel of the past. Not yet anyway.

 

[NeilTD4]

What I should have said is diesels of a certain generation, I know newer diesels are better, but these are not in my price bracket unfortunately…