Learner wanting a Landy

Hey all, new here as you can presume quite easily.

I'm 18, and I've been riding a bike since I was 17, about a year and a half now. I have a full bike license and am about to start driving lessons, and I didn't want to be one of those teenagers who go out and get a Corsa or similar "regular" car because I'm just not that kind of person, and have since last night been looking up other cars not quite the norm.

So I've found a few! Landy's! And to be honest, I desperately want one. I've found a few good ones in my budget of £5K and am leaning slightly toward series II models or Series III at a push. Infact only one Series III, a 7 seater diesel '74 model on ebay, but that's a dream away at the moment.

I find myself at a loose end though, obviously having no actual license, so far no insurance company will insure me on one provisionally! Does anyone know of a company that would? I'd like to pick one up soon and work on it a bit at the same time as learning in it (alongside my instructors car). Adrian Flux won't, and neither will Footman James, although Footman james did give me a brilliant quote on it and I didn't even mention my bike license for that!

Thanks in advance for any advice you give me and I hope to be owning one soon if I can find a company that'll let me...

series landy is a good choice, if its hard to insure why not buy one to fix up and then insure it when you pass your test

try looking at a pre 2001 2l diesel freelander,or a td4 .your not going to have much change of 5k after insurance and tax ,whatever you buy.
welcome btw.

Well that was the plan originally but where I am, I don't have much access to the tools etc but it's still an option for the time being, main thing was to be able to learn in it, somewhat.

And I think I'm ready for the counting of the pennies in all honesty I really am obssessed at the moment.

I'd like to add this isn't about "i want cheap insurance help me please because I'm young and dumb" It's more of "I'd like to be able to drive one, even with my dad next to me just for the sake of driving one"
I've already read the threads for cheapo insurance and that's how I got the lovely quote, but we shall see

Get a 90 or early defender, 1980-85ish. Footman James will insure it as a classic vehicle so you don't need no claims. Then you can learn not only how to drive a landy, but also how to fix one. Easy engine to work on. Get a 2.5 N/A diesel to start with, for insurance etc...then after a year put a 200tdi into it for more power.

Good thing with the 90 is theres lots of cheap parts available and you can do some basic mods yourself for laning or off road.

Good luck....2 grand ought to get you something reasonable.

Hiya Nitro, I found that Lancaster insurance were pretty good and were even willing to add me little bro to the insurance as a learner named driver they won't give you a qoute online but if you give them a call I'm pretty sure they can sort you out with something.

In regards to a series, we have a series 2a 109" and a series 3 88", my personal choice would be the 2a but as a 88" they are really cheap on insurance and you can pick up a half decent one for less than £1500 that will need a little work doing to it leaving you a few pounds for insurance and doing bits on the motor. If you learn to drive in a series landy I'm pretty sure you'd be able to drive pretty much any motor only thing you may find hard is going from the series into your driving instructors modern motor as everything will be different from handling and positioning to points of turns and capabilities. your driving instructor may even advise you not to drive an older motor until you've passed your test as my instructor did.

Best of luck and I hope you find your Landy soon



edit: If you do decide to go for a gaylander make sure you get a free make up bag included in the deal

Nitro159 said:

Well that was the plan originally but where I am, I don't have much access to the tools etc but it's still an option for the time being, main thing was to be able to learn in it, somewhat.

And I think I'm ready for the counting of the pennies in all honesty I really am obssessed at the moment.

I'd like to add this isn't about "i want cheap insurance help me please because I'm young and dumb" It's more of "I'd like to be able to drive one, even with my dad next to me just for the sake of driving one"
I've already read the threads for cheapo insurance and that's how I got the lovely quote, but we shall see

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driving a landy, you might want to invest in some tools aswell, for the inevitable repairs and add on bits
ive got several mates who drive series, many have had them since they were 17 and cant bare to part with them

P.S. as you haven't got a licence yet, get your dad to insure it so you can drive on l plates with him in it (if you can still do that in the UK). Shouldn't be more than £100 for him.

storm99 said:

P.S. as you haven't got a licence yet, get your dad to insure it so you can drive on l plates with him in it (if you can still do that in the UK). Shouldn't be more than £100 for him.

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This woud be known as "fronting" which would invalidate the insurance which if you get stopped or your involved in an accident could end up with you losing your licence, getting a hefty fine and any future insurance being skyhigh.

Although If he was to be the registered keeper/owner of the vehicle on the V5c and was the main driver of the vehicle with you as a named driver and he's use of the vehicle exceeds yours then this might be legal as long as he is the main driver.

jaycraft21 said:

This woud be known as "fronting" which would invalidate the insurance which if you get stopped could end up with you losing your licence, getting a hefty fine and any future insurance being skyhigh.

Although If he was to be the registered keeper/owner of the vehicle on the V5c and was the main driver of the vehicle with you as a named driver and he's use of the vehicle exceeds yours then this might be legal as long as he is the main driver.

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I wasn't encouraging him to do anything illegal...just find a way to legally insure the vehicle so a learner can use it. If this means his dad is the owner on the V5 then so be it.

I know Storm wasn't implyng that you were suggesting anything illegal, Just thought I would mention it just incase it did happen, Wasn't trying to make you look bad mate just being careful incase it was taken the wrong way by anyone

How would that be illegal? makes no odds on the V5 thats just the keeper not the owner
'not necccassarilly the legal owner' or it was last time i looked

nathan5346 said:

How would that be illegal? makes no odds on the V5 thats just the keeper not the owner
'not necccassarilly the legal owner' or it was last time i looked

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Illegal or not, the insurance company may invalidate a policy if they feel it is being misused or they have been misled..normally by 1st time drivers using their parents to insure a vehicle then allowing their kids to be sole user...

storm99 said:

Illegal or not, the insurance company may invalidate a policy if they feel it is being misused or they have been misled..normally by 1st time drivers using their parents to insure a vehicle then allowing their kids to be sole user...

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I see, So policy holder has to be main user feckin insurance eh lol

insurance fruad warning - Fronting - claim rejected

This link will explain all, insurance fruad for new/young drivers

I shall definitely be investing in some tools, and am leaving a "grey" area of my budget for "Miscellaneous" things such as that, incase things crop up.

I am aware of fronting and I don't think I want to do that really, would prefer to get a policy for myself for the meantime and learn that way, and I do agree that while switching cars from instructor to my own will be awkward at times, imagine the transition I'm already making from Bike to Car? Not being poncy but my friends who've attempted Car to Bike have had alot of difficulty switching over.

I'm yet to ring Lancaster (once my phone starts working again) but I shall try and get myself a reasonable deal, I know it's a longshot at best due to the size of the engine and possibly liability but in all honesty I'd be supervised and presumably less risk to the road than when Unsupervised for a modest 1K.

In regards to choice; I've got all the time in the world it seems so am in no rush (reality sets in). I'll scour sites and mags for a good deal and then we'll see how it goes. Main thing at the moment, my goal if you will, is to have insurance on it for myself so then I can actually buy one! Get to work on it and then pass my test and enjoy it freely

jaycraft21 said:

insurance fruad warning - Fronting - claim rejected

This link will explain all, insurance fruad for new/young drivers

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Cant see the problem with doing it for a learner driver meself

nathan5346 said:

Cant see the problem with doing it for a learner driver meself

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I don't personally see a problem with insuring my motor to help a learner driver out like I've done for me younger brother. He can drive my motor under mine or dads supervision as dad is also a named driver, he cannot go out and buy a motor and drive it on my insurance though.

But I wouldn't risk my licence and charges of fraud or aiding and abetting an uninsured driver points and possibly even a ban for me if I did, wouldn't risk that for anyone.

Nitro, I'm glad to see that even though your young your being sensable about the legalities of driving and owning a motor unlike some of these wazza's that go out and act like assholes, glad your taking it seriously

After many years of biking I finally learned to drive in a Reliant Robin (great laugh to drive - ignore Clarkeson, I never got one to tip 'cos I knew how to drive it) and an 88 S3 with all the windows. A bit more manouvreable that the LWB and great visibility too. I've still got it, currently fitting a new chassis, can't wait to get it back on the road.

my son at 17 had an S11a insured through Footman James and after joining the Series 11a club his insurance cost was £650.00 tpft