Good Budget

Hi Guys and Girls

Whats a good budget to set for a Series SWB landy in good enough condition it wont break down all the time.

Im thinking Max £1500 but am i being optimistic?


Cheers

Its a land rover dunt matter how much you spend its gonna keep breaking down

haha understood for sure, but i dont want something that i will struggle to drive 3 miles with, i want to do greenlaning etc, drive down teh allotment drive to work in it knowing tis going to be ok(ish)

dont worry fella with the resies landrovers they have their own little way of telling their owners theyre not well usualy a noize you dont normally hear when driving such as whining noizez the clutch singing rattles and clunks these noises usualy turn up between 4 and 10 days before something seriously goes wrong with it
if interested theres a couple of good uns on ebay (classified ads) around the £1250 mark just wish i had that kind of money for one im currently looking for a series 3 £250 banger restoration to rekindle me old passion

£1500 should get you a decent example...should push for one with a galvanized chassis at that price.

You ought to be able to get a very decent series 3 for that money. Don't think that laying out more cash automatically means it'll be a good one though, you still need to check it over properly there's some ridiculously over priced junk out there too.

There is indeed a lot of junk out there with a new coat of paint so that it looks pretty, selling for wayyyyy more than they are worth!

I think saying you can get a good one with a galv chassis for £1500 is optimistic myself. Sure you can get 'em with galv chassis for that price but the rest of the vehicle will be a dog. I saw a couple that were going for £15-1700 due to the chassis but they had tired engines, tired gearboxes and scruffy interiors. I'd sooner get an overall decent truck without a galv chassis. You're looking at well over £2k for a sorted Landy with a galv chassis....unless you happen upon a bargain.

I'd rather stay optimistic

The way I see it...I paid not a lot for mine...even if I added the cost of a galvanized chassis on it, would be far less than £1500! So I would not expect to pay anymore than that.

rustyrhinos said:

I'd rather stay optimistic

The way I see it...I paid not a lot for mine...even if I added the cost of a galvanized chassis on it, would be far less than £1500! So I would not expect to pay anymore than that.

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Again though, it's not just the cost of the chassis is it? You'd then have to pay someone over a grand to fit it! Not everyone is a mechanic, has tons of time on their hands and has helpful mates prepared to waste their entire weekend fettling my vehicle.

What do you want it for?

Obviously you need to look for different things if its a green laning toy compared to a sunday driver to a shiny rivet counters dream.

sunking101 said:

Again though, it's not just the cost of the chassis is it? You'd then have to pay someone over a grand to fit it! Not everyone is a mechanic, has tons of time on their hands and has helpful mates prepared to waste their entire weekend fettling my vehicle.

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You are probably right! Just in my mind there is no way I'd fork out more than what it would cost me to do it. There are still bargains out there if you are prepared to wait for one to come up .

rustyrhinos said:

You are probably right! Just in my mind there is no way I'd fork out more than what it would cost me to do it. There are still bargains out there if you are prepared to wait for one to come up .

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Thankyou for everyones input! Its between this and a disco. Reason for disco as its newer so assuming it will be more reliable but I love the ruggedness of the series!

Basicly I want something I can use for work when I fancy but mainly a toy for greenlaning. So hope that helps for any more advise going to be given as I never have had a landy so all help is needed and taken in!

What's peoples views between them both considering my budget/first landy and for best money to be spent!

Well I've had Defenders, Discos and Series so I'll give my experience...

For £1500 you will get more ruggedness and nostalgia for your money with a Series *but* it will be an agricultural drive - ie slow and noisy, with no luxuries (electric windows, radio, carpets, glovebox etc)...plus you will need to do more routine maintenance as they leak oil from everywhere! However, parts are incredibly cheap and if you get a good one, it will go on and on and on. Not really suitable for everyday motoring, unless you don't go far.

£1500 will buy you a reasonably tidy Disco but it will have starship mileage, rust (yeah they have aluminium panels but the chassis and where it meets the ally rusts...and the boot floor). Gearboxes are weak at high mileage so you'll have whines, clunks and maintenance/parts are expensive. On the plus side they don't let in water lol but the rear sunlights do leak. Capable of being driven like a car and at motorway speeds, plus they have decent brakes! Just don't have the character of a Series and they do cost much more to fix.

I like 'em both but for a second vehicle I'd rather have a Series than a £1500 Disco....if it was my one and only vehicle then I'd rather have a £2500+ Disco.

If I had to use it everyday, for work and so on, it would have to be the Disco, because I do quite a few miles and I cant hang about waiting for the gradual increase in speed accellaration of the Series hehe. Actually, I would not have a disco, I would have a RRC, in my opinion they have much more character.
If you intend to get more into Off roading, there is more off-the-shelf uprated equipment available for the Disco. Not saying Series are not capable, but I am sure folks know what I mean.

rustyrhinos said:

If I had to use it everyday, for work and so on, it would have to be the Disco, because I do quite a few miles and I cant hang about waiting for the gradual increase in speed accellaration of the Series hehe. Actually, I would not have a disco, I would have a RRC, in my opinion they have much more character.
If you intend to get more into Off roading, there is more off-the-shelf uprated equipment available for the Disco. Not saying Series are not capable, but I am sure folks know what I mean.

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So you would recommend the disco. Personally speed to work doesn't matter I drive a crappy slow van and it only takes me ten min! But over all as a starter u would recommend the disco?

green lanes are not "serious" off road. Any mechanically sound series will handle green lanes, and quite a lot more, with no modification.
If it's a toy and not going to be used for work much, a series is probably cheaper and you have another vehicle for when you are repairing the series......yes, repairing will be required. But i think it would be for a disco as well.

I know some serious looking lanes

Oh it's a landrover I'm expecting to
repair it anyway! Either way I want a toy which is going to last me I don't want to have to repair it every time I come back from a trip! So basicly I would get a good enough series but disco be a bit more practical?

A Discovery will be MUCH more practical! It's a 1990's vehicle versus a 1950s vehicle. More expensive to fix and maintain though.