New to Freelanders

[HippoCrates]

Hello!

I picked up my new to me Freelander last weekend! It's a 54reg Td4 SE with about 78k on the clock, so it's nearly run in now. It's a bit scruffy on the inside, but the bodywork is very tidy & the engine & mechanicals are all looking & behaving nicely. So far, after just over 300 miles, I'm extremely happy! Of course, I've already started making a list of things to fix/improve/buy!

Although I'm a country boy and grew up around them, this is my first Land Rover of my own - in fact, it's my first 4x4 and my first diesel. I've had an MG TF 160 for the last decade, but I need something that can take me places it can't reach. I really hope I enjoy this car, as the MG has been a big part of my life and I'm going to miss it!

Anyway, that's my story - here are my first newbie questions:
- are the side steps original? I thought I was going to take them straight off, but have to admit they've grown on me this week, so I might leave them for a while, before I make a decision!
- what colour is my hippo?! It's a rather fetching dark green, but I don't know its official name.
I'm sure I'll have plenty more interesting questions as and when stuff breaks!

Cheers!
Dan

Here are my Rovers, MG and Land:

 

[Nodge68]

Use the F for summer fun and the Freelander for everything else.

The steps are LR and will fall off at some point as the brackets rust through.

Make sure you check the VCU and make sure all tyres are identical with the least worn on the rear.

 

[GrumpyGel]

Welcome to Land Rover and Freelander ownership and LZ.

FYI - the way the Freelander 4WD works is very different to other Land Rovers and there are some simple things that if not done right can lead to expensive problems. Its well worth having a read of this and learning a bit about how the transmission works...

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tests-new-freelander-owners-should-do-on-their-car.312863/

 

[HippoCrates]

Thanks for the welcome!

I've done a good bit of reading around so far, here and elsewhere, as I like to know what I'm getting myself in for! It's all part of the fun, too. The VCU seems in good order and it has four matching & evenly worn tyres, though I'll be replacing these shortly as they're too old for my liking and tyres always come top of my list - they're the only thing touching the ground, after all!

Thanks for confirming the steps are original, I'll leave them for the time being. I'd love to keep the MG but, alas, it has to go so it's someone else's turn to enjoy it now.

-5 where I am tonight, so I'll see how this fbh thing performs in the morning!

 

[Nodge68]

I love my FBH remote. Just about to get into a warm car with preheated engine.

 

[fatdisco]

I think you'll find that the colour of you're F1 is Epsom green ,as it looks very much like my first one....

 

[HippoCrates]

I love my FBH remote. Just about to get into a warm car with preheated engine.

That sounds like a nice mod! For the moment, I'm just happy that mine's coming on when it should - though I don't know if it's putting out as much heat as it should. And I need to take a look at the air flow through the vent system and ensure there are no obstructions & the pollen filter's clear, etc. It seems a bit feeble - though I am coming from a convertible with a fiery little heater!

I think you'll find that the colour of you're F1 is Epsom green ,as it looks very much like my first one....

Looking at pictures on-line I was thinking it was probably Epsom Green, but I'm a photographer and know not to trust on-screen colours so this morning I had a look at the VIN plate and the colour code shows as 904, which appears to be Tonga Green? Either way, I rather like it!