Freelander 1 Later models

Would some later models have extras fitted?

Mines a 55 reg TD4 E 3 door. But has 5 seats (same as fitted to xei) E only came with 4 seats, Jungle cloth from the factory (and no options to change them).
Stereo a audio controls (weren't a option from the factory on a E).
Glass roof panels (were a option on a E).
Wheels are 17" alloys, but don't think many Freelanders have there original wheels.
That's the only things that had been changed before I brought it. Just seems a strange combination of parts to add.
Is there a website, where you can see the original build of your own Freelander. Like you can with Ford and Rover?

On the download version of microcat you can input the reg number or vin to get the build info, yours built 1/9/2005
Dealers often upgraded base models that LR had sent them for their stock.

longdog said:

On the download version of microcat you can input the reg number or vin to get the build info, yours built 1/9/2005
Dealers often upgraded base models that LR had sent them for their stock.

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Yeah, I thought that.....have you got access so I can see the build data? Cheers

Just checked my log book, is on there as a 4 seater. But on my insurance as a 5 seater. Will I have to speak to the dvla to change it to a 5 seater on the log book?

Telling the DVLA is probably a good idea.

The car does seem to have been upgraded at some point - perhaps by an enthusiastic owner rather than a dealer? Some of those items may make the car easier to sell, but unlikely to increase the sale price to cover the cost of retrofitting these items if not present from the outset...

My 05 3 door is an XEi but I have fitted, steering wheel with audio controls, nudge bar, front spotlights (LR frogs eye type) and lamp guards. It already had side steps and roof rails so by now its no where near an XEi but I like it. I didn't put these bits on to make it easier to sell or get more money for it - just because I liked them. The older a car gets then these sort of additions are going to be made by various owners and I think you are lucky if you get one that someone has bothered to make them provided that they don't detract from the original look of the car.

rob_bell said:

Telling the DVLA is probably a good idea.

The car does seem to have been upgraded at some point - perhaps by an enthusiastic owner rather than a dealer? Some of those items may make the car easier to sell, but unlikely to increase the sale price to cover the cost of retrofitting these items if not present from the outset...

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Going to ring them tomorrow, if I had upgraded the seats I would of found leather or part leather to fit. Just wanted to see the build data to see what it did come with.

enzoneo said:

My 05 3 door is an XEi but I have fitted, steering wheel with audio controls, nudge bar, front spotlights (LR frogs eye type) and lamp guards. It already had side steps and roof rails so by now its no where near an XEi but I like it. I didn't put these bits on to make it easier to sell or get more money for it - just because I liked them. The older a car gets then these sort of additions are going to be made by various owners and I think you are lucky if you get one that someone has bothered to make them provided that they don't detract from the original look of the car.

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Yeah, I've fitted spots, nudge bar, roof rails, light guards etc. Because I like them, not bothered if they increase the value. Just like having it the way I like it.

Same as you, if decent upgrades have been fitted. I just think it's a bonus.

Adding value only counts for those selling cars for profit. That doesn't count for the rest of us

I agree with you though: would have made more sense to fit leather/ 1/2 leather seats, but prices haven't always been as affordable as they are now

Thanks to a very helpful member, who checked on microcat. I found out my Freelander came from the factory as a 5 seater with that trim. So the V5 has been wrong since it was first issued.

JC600 said:

Thanks to a very helpful member, who checked on microcat. I found out my Freelander came from the factory as a 5 seater with that trim. So the V5 has been wrong since it was first issued.

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A friend of mine used to work for Nissan and apparently stuff like this is more common than you'd think, towards the launch of a new plate to "predict" demand manufacturers often pre apply to the dvla for new reg based on common specs..
I wonder if that's what's happened with yours LR pre regit a 4 seat then the dealer orders one as a 5 so the interior it was destined for is swapped out and no one thinks to tell DVLA, tbh it matters little to them as long as the details are correct with the insurance...

RallyHippo said:

A friend of mine used to work for Nissan and apparently stuff like this is more common than you'd think, towards the launch of a new plate to "predict" demand manufacturers often pre apply to the dvla for new reg based on common specs..
I wonder if that's what's happened with yours LR pre regit a 4 seat then the dealer orders one as a 5 so the interior it was destined for is swapped out and no one thinks to tell DVLA, tbh it matters little to them as long as the details are correct with the insurance...

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Yeah, more than likely. I'll just keep copies of the build sheets and make sure it's always insured as a 5 seater.

How interesting! Thanks for that update.

The V5 is not an infallible document: the chassis number recorded is frequently wrong: because they're sent to the DVLA (from the dealership I thought?) and with forms completed by hand, there is often human error in transcribing the number to the application form and presumably on transferring that data to the DVLA computer database. One often finds that "5" appears as an "S" and vice versa for example...

The relevant authorities over here have semi-public access to the NZ vehicle database. Although they do not give public access to it there are 3rd party sites that have a front end to it - if you pay a few cents they will give you the current details for a car, otherwise they will give you their last cached view of the car. You specify the car by its number plate. So for example I have used it to look up this Freelander currently for sale...

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/land-rover/auction-1203527437.htm

It is described as a 2002 Freelander XEDI (L Series), the lookup into the NZ system is as follows...

https://carjam.co.nz/car/?plate=arg950

This confirms it as a '2002' NZ new vehicle first registered on 31st May 2002 and its first WOF (MOT) check was done on 13th June 2002 when the car had 13km on the clock. It also shows the car's VIN which I put into this website...

http://www.vindecoderz.com/EN/check-lookup/SALLNABB7YA564490

That says that the car left the factory in 2000. It doesn't give much more info for this car, but often when I put the VIN in on that site (for Freelanders) it will come back with a comprehensive specification list down to the type/colour of uphostery, stereo, other options etc.

Incidentally, although the NZ database is accurate, I don't think I've come across a VIN that isn't correct, they do not validate that the model is correct - so there are lots and lots of "Freelander Sports" registered here when there are very few on the road - most Freelanders come into the country 2nd hand from Japan and the dealers importing them register them - they must feel that the "Sport" tag piggy backs on the RR Sport name to give a more desirable (higher value) product to sell !

Just done a job near a Land Rover dealer, so nipped in and they printed off a full build data for me. Only things that have been added before I brought it, are glass sun roof panels and alloy wheels. The rest is factory fit.

The "3 person rear seat option" was available on all 3 door FL1's as a factory fitted option. It's in the brochures if yer get problems with insurance. Other option was 2 seats and a centre console thing.

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/2004-freelander-1-sales-brochure-and-specification.197513/

Hippo said:

The "3 person rear seat option" was available on all 3 door FL1's as a factory fitted option. It's in the brochures if yer get problems with insurance. Other option was 2 seats and a centre console thing.

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/2004-freelander-1-sales-brochure-and-specification.197513/

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Yeah, I had another look through and saw that. Spoke to DVLA yesterday and they said a print off from a land rover dealer microcat isn't good enough. I need a letter from Land Rover directly. Spoke to them, quick email and will have a letter in the post by the end of the week to send to the DVLA to get it changed on the V5.

JC600 said:

Yeah, I had another look through and saw that. Spoke to DVLA yesterday and they said a print off from a land rover dealer microcat isn't good enough. I need a letter from Land Rover directly. Spoke to them, quick email and will have a letter in the post by the end of the week to send to the DVLA to get it changed on the V5.

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The DVLA can be a pain.
I have a 1972 Hillman Avenger GT that I will finish restoring at some point.
I recently spoke to the DVLA about it's pre 73 tax exemption. The woman I spoke to insisted that I'd need a letter from a relevent and recognised owners club or organisation, to prove the Avenger was made before January 1st 1973. The stupid thing is. The car's own registration document shows a registration date of 11 August 1972. Apparently the fact that the car was registered is August 72, isn't enough proof that it was made before 73. This makes absolutely no sense to me, but then it is the DVLA we are talking about.

O/T? Noticed my FL1 commercial's V5 states 3 seats, I have 2 seats and centre console. Best get that changed.

I've had a number of mistakes changed on the v5 including a totally different engine number, black to blue, correcting a few digits in the vin, and removing an additional digit in the vin. It came back converted to heavy fool (diesel) and a few other mistakes which weren't there before. So I changed it and sent it back and they sorted it. Each time just filling out the v5 with the change and signing etc. Admittedly this was 10 years ago but I've got others to do similar more recently and they just changed it. Never called them. Just mod the v5 and send oft with a hand written note of why I was changing it.

The pre tax thing won't be as easy as this. I came across a saab owner who had a saab he was rebuilding who was trying to prove similar. Owners clubs of older vehicles may be able to give advice on how they have proved similar events in history.

Nodge68 said:

The DVLA can be a pain.
I have a 1972 Hillman Avenger GT that I will finish restoring at some point.
I recently spoke to the DVLA about it's pre 73 tax exemption. The woman I spoke to insisted that I'd need a letter from a relevent and recognised owners club or organisation, to prove the Avenger was made before January 1st 1973. The stupid thing is. The car's own registration document shows a registration date of 11 August 1972. Apparently the fact that the car was registered is August 72, isn't enough proof that it was made before 73. This makes absolutely no sense to me, but then it is the DVLA we are talking about.

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There is a time-traveller scam going on, obviously... Difficult to know quite how a car registered in 1972 could have been made after 1972 otherwise...

rob_bell said:

There is a time-traveller scam going on, obviously... Difficult to know quite how a car registered in 1972 could have been made after 1972 otherwise...

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This was why I was so flummoxed by my need to get proof. The vehicle's own reg document clearly shows the registration date as pre 73. I'm sure you can't register a non existing vehicle. But then the DVLA is just your typical bureaucratic government department.