Back to LR after a long time, and going all-in.

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Blob

Well-Known Member
Full Member
Posts
361
Location
Maidstone, Kent
Hi all,

My name is Richard and I have a problem... :) (I do but that's not the point of this post).

Almost 12 years ago my then fiancee convinced me that she needed a Freelander and so we bought one. It was a 2004 HSE TD4 which I scoffed at and then sold after about 9 years of largely trouble-free motoring, on many occasion being made to eat my words from my initial comments about it. There's no two ways, it was simply an excellent little car for a family and we were all very fond of it.

In February this year, Claire finally wore me down (after 10 years) with her desire for a Discovery 4, I caved and bought it. 4 days later, it was riddled with Air Suspension faults and I was cross having bought the best one I could find, 1-owner, always garaged, full history etc. Well, it was actually just a broken wire on the ride height sensor that took me a while to diagnose successfully and was fiddly to repair. Other than that, she adores her Disco and it's been fantastic. I've done preventative maintenance and had it fully serviced including a gearbox flush, 4 new Conti tyres, alignment etc.

A pic of the Disco and some of my others
IMG-5222.jpg


(One of the) problems I have is that as much as I didn't think I would, I utterly adore that Discovery especially the way it drives and that got me thinking; "I can't really use and leave my little C43 outside all winter can I? No, that's not fair. I should definitely buy another car. But what? I want a Disco but I don't really have budget for another nice one and it wouldn't be fair on Claire... Ooh, Range Rover... Full fat. Yesss!!!"

In my eyes, the RR represents far better value for money than a Disco in real world family life (i.e. no further off road than a village fete grass car park or garden centre). So l started looking around and then made the smartest move EVER and bought one from an auction. Yeah, I'm a genius! It arrived 10 days later and here is my stupid prize:

IMG-5716.jpg

IMG-5719.jpg

IMG-5720.jpg

IMG-5722.jpg

IMG-5724.jpg

IMG-5725.jpg

IMG-5780.jpg


So far, I have done a full service (aside from gearbox but it's booked in), all filters including fuel filter, new battery as well as bonnet and tailgate dampers & lower tailgate straps. It smells like wet Labrador inside and I've been wet vac'ing the carpets and scrubbing furiously, it's slowly getting better, sadly we're on a hosepipe ban in the SE so I can't clean the outside to the standard I really want to right now.

IMG-5734.jpg

IMG-5745.jpg

IMG-5746.jpg

IMG-5747.jpg


The side steps were rotten so they've been removed. I have a snapped bolt to deal with before they can be replaced but I need to concentrate on the running of the car first but I'll come to that bit later.
IMG-5761.jpg

IMG-5762.jpg


That's it for now, I need some technical advice but that will go in a different section of course.

Nice to virtually meet you and I look forward to being an active member on here as I work my way through my RR.

All the best
Richard
 
Welcome Richard
Not so mad iv got 1 of each nice place this the wife runs a D3 I got an L322 recently purchased a rrs to replace the d3 if the ulez gets extended here which is looking likley.
Broken wire on the rear height suspension is a common issue they do repair kits but you have sorted it now.
:)
 
Welcome:)

You have a fine looking pair there:D.
Oh and you are not alone in the problem you have;) so you are in the right place:D.

Also dont be shy of showing pics of the Mustang hiding in the garage:D.

Good luck with both but you sounds hands on and handy with spanners which certainly makes them friendlier on the wallet:).

J
 
Thanks All.
I am so cross with how much I bloody love this stupid car already but I'm sure I'll get over it as I dig in :). I am relatively handy with them and not scared of having a go, these like all cars have their issues and whilst on the face of it, they seem really unreliable or expensive it feels to me that the biggest cost is in time accessing the part to be replaced.

@marjon - thank you for the compliment on my fine pair :). Here are a few pics for you and some of the others in the fleet.

media-50-A46936-73-CF-4-C76-8-D30-0-B83-FB1-E3-BCF-b9ae8d63-6125-4fa5-822b-e3826be1cc75.jpg

media-C7-DD9-E62-1-DC1-431-D-A54-D-E89-BA66-E9-CB7-f85992eb-fcd7-49a3-ad33-992c0c6a104e.jpg


media-0-B46-DC53-BA37-4-B95-B9-F5-0-DCD70-B7679-E-17e287ff-bb89-45ff-b079-3f7caebf8d7c.jpg



IMG-5569.jpg


IMG-5570.jpg


IMG-0029.jpg


IMG-5657.jpg
 
Hi all,

My name is Richard and I have a problem... :) (I do but that's not the point of this post).

Almost 12 years ago my then fiancee convinced me that she needed a Freelander and so we bought one. It was a 2004 HSE TD4 which I scoffed at and then sold after about 9 years of largely trouble-free motoring, on many occasion being made to eat my words from my initial comments about it. There's no two ways, it was simply an excellent little car for a family and we were all very fond of it.

In February this year, Claire finally wore me down (after 10 years) with her desire for a Discovery 4, I caved and bought it. 4 days later, it was riddled with Air Suspension faults and I was cross having bought the best one I could find, 1-owner, always garaged, full history etc. Well, it was actually just a broken wire on the ride height sensor that took me a while to diagnose successfully and was fiddly to repair. Other than that, she adores her Disco and it's been fantastic. I've done preventative maintenance and had it fully serviced including a gearbox flush, 4 new Conti tyres, alignment etc.

A pic of the Disco and some of my others
IMG-5222.jpg


(One of the) problems I have is that as much as I didn't think I would, I utterly adore that Discovery especially the way it drives and that got me thinking; "I can't really use and leave my little C43 outside all winter can I? No, that's not fair. I should definitely buy another car. But what? I want a Disco but I don't really have budget for another nice one and it wouldn't be fair on Claire... Ooh, Range Rover... Full fat. Yesss!!!"

In my eyes, the RR represents far better value for money than a Disco in real world family life (i.e. no further off road than a village fete grass car park or garden centre). So l started looking around and then made the smartest move EVER and bought one from an auction. Yeah, I'm a genius! It arrived 10 days later and here is my stupid prize:

IMG-5716.jpg

IMG-5719.jpg

IMG-5720.jpg

IMG-5722.jpg

IMG-5724.jpg

IMG-5725.jpg

IMG-5780.jpg


So far, I have done a full service (aside from gearbox but it's booked in), all filters including fuel filter, new battery as well as bonnet and tailgate dampers & lower tailgate straps. It smells like wet Labrador inside and I've been wet vac'ing the carpets and scrubbing furiously, it's slowly getting better, sadly we're on a hosepipe ban in the SE so I can't clean the outside to the standard I really want to right now.

IMG-5734.jpg

IMG-5745.jpg

IMG-5746.jpg

IMG-5747.jpg


The side steps were rotten so they've been removed. I have a snapped bolt to deal with before they can be replaced but I need to concentrate on the running of the car first but I'll come to that bit later.
IMG-5761.jpg

IMG-5762.jpg


That's it for now, I need some technical advice but that will go in a different section of course.

Nice to virtually meet you and I look forward to being an active member on here as I work my way through my RR.

All the best
Richard
Claire has fab taste, is her disco in Baltic blue??
 
And the fairing fell off :eek:
Actually, it was a pristine bike when I sold it to my brother-in-law but it then lived for a few years in Dulwich where it was neglected and then some youths liberated it, stole the fairings, scratched the stickers off, covered it in primer etc and destroyed it evading the police. I have it back and am doing what I can with it without spending too much money in the hope that I will pass it on to someone for what it owes me and get them back on the road on two wheels.

I appreciate it may not be to everyone's taste but as the bike is green on the V5 it can still be green now, and it's more of a homage to the Street Triple as it's now naked and I don't think the British racing green would have suited it at all. A belly pan definitely would have helped the cause but they are silly money too. The exhausts are cleaner now and I have three little jobs to complete before it can go for MOT and then be up for sale or ideally swap for a 600 that I can pass on to a friend looking for their first "proper" bike.

There is method... It may not be obvious :)

P.S. I hate the seat cover but it was £25 rather than £100+ to do it nicely and at least it's not covered in hostage tape and full of water now. The new owner can do all of those things to suit their taste. It is ghastly though isn't it?
 
Yea everyone's taste is different. I'm not a naked fan.. someone said to me the other day.. they thought fairings were just to make a bike look sporty!! They had no clue about the weather protection you get
 
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