Series 3 A foot in both camps

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Which is appreciating better

  • 90

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • Series III SWB

    Votes: 5 62.5%
  • Total voters
    8
gold rover

gold rover

Well-Known Member
Posts
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Location
Scotland,
Evenin' folks As per my thread over on the Defender forum, at #33 I came up with a question that straddles both camps. So,thought I would try here as well, and get the benefit of the knowledge from this part of our little world :)
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-ro...h-it-on-a-defender.361258/page-2#post-4914997
The question being :
Series III or 90 , which is going to be the better financial investment. I know both are appreciating, but........
Let's work on the premise that both are average price for model, at moment. Both have any work needed done, and we can accept are solid. Both are also original, without mods
I can spanner, to a slight degree, ( due to physical issues) , on both, as neither are as complicated as Range Rover. Heavy lifting, twisting into a pretzel, work, will be done by friends, and indy.
If the emotion, and nostalgia, is removed, which is appreciating better.

Thanks in advance
 
Good series 3s are getting hard to find. A few years ago collectors wanted series 2As as they were tax exempt, series 3s were shunned or even ringed as series 2As.. Remember the fields full of ex MOD 109s in the early 90s? Where did they go? Scrap? There are plenty of 90s about and people know what they are and have saved them, the series 3 was the unwanted model that is rare and now gaining favour.
 
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A lot of Series are now "historic" so tax exempt, this makes keeping one a lot cheaper. This adds up. Rarity favours a Series too. Defenders will not be rare, but there will be a bigger market for them, Series are old, and not easy to drive, so there is a limited market. Defenders are more accessible / acceptable to a much larger group. Series and early "Defenders" (90/110) are easy to do up. Cheap if its you doing it, too much competition if its others. I think you have to look at what has gone up - early Range Rovers. What will follow? RRs will top out well above Series because you can drive them faster and further. My guess? Very late Defenders, top spec. Early Disco? - perhaps if is special - Camel replica, a real long shot. But they are being cut up like early RRs were a few years back. Or why not get one of the last top spec Rover 75s off the line? My bet is that will go up quicker from a lower base.
 
Get a really early 110 you'll have 3 years to get it done up and then it should be tax/mot exempt.......get one now cos I bet the prices will only be going up to stupid heights.
 
barleywine said:
This is currently listed on Facebook market place.
From what I can see you can have the best of both worlds, Series in name and 90 in looks.
Click to expand...

Or the worst of both worlds, it's neither one thing or the other so purists of either marque will hate it. Rivet counters in the series corner will see a good series ruined, the 90 brigade will see it as something trying to be something it's not.
 
I posted a thread a year or two back about a Series 3 that had been restored to as new condition and was on sale with an asking price of £35,000. I said that I didn't think Series 3s were that sought after, but they must have thought there were potential buyers out there.

I would also say that now is a good time to buy an early 90 before they become exempt from tax, MOT and emissions tests. Prices will likely increase significantly once that happens.

rob1miles said:
Or why not get one of the last top spec Rover 75s off the line? My bet is that will go up quicker from a lower base.
Click to expand...

Slightly off topic, but the problem with the 1990s/2000s Rover cars is some original parts are drying up and there is nobody making pattern parts.

I spoke to someone recently with a more obscure model with a Rover designed V6. The car they had used a particular water pump which they have been unable to find in stock anywhere.

I have also read that new coolant hoses, especially for the diesel models, are now almost non-existent.
 
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rob1miles said:
A lot of Series are now "historic" so tax exempt, this makes keeping one a lot cheaper. This adds up. Rarity favours a Series too. Defenders will not be rare, but there will be a bigger market for them, Series are old, and not easy to drive, so there is a limited market. Defenders are more accessible / acceptable to a much larger group. Series and early "Defenders" (90/110) are easy to do up. Cheap if its you doing it, too much competition if its others. I think you have to look at what has gone up - early Range Rovers. What will follow? RRs will top out well above Series because you can drive them faster and further. My guess? Very late Defenders, top spec. Early Disco? - perhaps if is special - Camel replica, a real long shot. But they are being cut up like early RRs were a few years back. Or why not get one of the last top spec Rover 75s off the line? My bet is that will go up quicker from a lower base.
Click to expand...
Oddly enough, someone asked me today if I wanted a Disco , done up for 'the desert', in his words. Not sure whatbthat actually means, and as not looking for a disco, didn't ask any more.
Rover 75? Not even a 4x4, so not sure how it comes in to the "Series III SWB or 90" question.
I have a Range Rover, not looking for another one.
But thanks for the input :)
 
gold rover said:
Oddly enough, someone asked me today if I wanted a Disco , done up for 'the desert', in his words. Not sure whatbthat actually means, and as not looking for a disco, didn't ask any more.
Rover 75? Not even a 4x4, so not sure how it comes in to the "Series III SWB or 90" question.
I have a Range Rover, not looking for another one.
But thanks for the input :)
Click to expand...
what are you looking for exactly, a classic that people will come and look at for high days and holidays,or a practical motor
 
For investment i would have thought a Series. For a more comfortable ride then a 90.
But if you are going for investment then keep it standard!
It does annoy me when you see a Series with a Defender front end asking for top money. And even worse when it's on coil suspension/chassis with a V8 in it. AND they have the cheek to claim historic tax...
It's a Q plate nominee!
 
rob1miles said:
Here's the perfect investment; a tax exempt historic 1972 Defender, how rare is that?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defender/164272507296?hash=item263f6789a0:g:kfkAAOSwaKFe~drU
Click to expand...
tenor (1).gif
 
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