New tractor ...

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Vinlander

Well-Known Member
Posts
695
Location
Kent
Hello :)
Day-old Disco owner here ...

Bought the old heap ('93 Tdi) for cheap off a lovely bloke at Rossendale Land Rovers in Lancs : "It is what it is. Normally something like this would be spares or repair, but it's got an MOT, so knock yourself out, and try not to hurt yourself.", or something to that effect. Honestly, I'm stunned by the honesty and hospitality shown by these fine folks.

Never drove a Landy before (old Austins, Morriseses etc), hopped in this one after picking the hay out of the wheel arches, and drove it across the country happily ever after. The End.

Nowhere near that simple, of course. Ended up on the hard shoulder once when I couldn't find 4th, or any other gear. Swam around in the gearbox for a bit, and took off again ... down the wrong motorway. What's life if not an adventure, right? Got home around 3 in the morning, ready for work at 7. 24 hours older and wiser, all the gears are redundant anyway. Makes sense, really.

Starts on the button, runs like a dream for about 700 miles (probably 800 if I can resist) before it needs a drink, and the frame is straight, but ...

Outstanding :

Before I get into this, let me just say that the rest of the motors sold by these guys are clean as a whistle, mostly Defenders, and, honestly, just a little out of my price range. This one was taken PX and sold as seen, and does not represent their usual standard.

- That heap of rust and carpet where there should be a boot floor. Very comfy to sit on, but I'm pretty sure this part should be steel? Seems connected to the nest of repair patches making up the rest of the underside.
- Anger management : may look into this at some point, but need some sills welded first. Its "happy place" seems to be around 60 behind a lorry on the motorway, so I'll be sure to take it there regularly. Is it spewing or just caked? Time will tell.
- Has every window and skylight imaginable on a Disco, and not one of them leaks. Also, pretty much all the electrics work. What's that about?
- Weird crack in the gear knob. Not the world's most comfortable thing. Should be top of the list, really.
- Is three different brands of tyre enough? So far I only have Goodyear, Pirelli, and Goodride (?!) Must collect the rest of the set.
- Bumpers. They're not called that because they have bumps, are bumps, or hang off. Might need a winch anyway. Also a towbar. Why don't I have this?

So there you have it. Looking forward to starting the new gardening business with a reliable motor under me, just need to get the floor straightened out. Plenty of parts places around Ashford/Maidstone area, but will anyone do the job at a reasonable rate? I've done a bit of welding, but don't really have the time. Any recommendations?

Cheers :)
 
Your adventure sounds sorta familiar, I has a leap-of-faith (& new rac cover) over a 500 mile roundtrip with half in an Ebay bargain o_O

Although I had prior knowledge of d1 gearchange issues so only minor crunching :oops:

If you've got one that (mostly) works then you're lucky, rust is standard, grey hair & high blood pressure comes with ownership :p

Rich.
 
Hello!

Any pics of the motor?

Starter died this morning, so once it was running I reversed it up a couple of 4x4s to make it easier to push next time. Had to put it in the fire pit to line it up with a decent run-up. Maybe it can take a hint. Probably not.
Here's a pic anyway. In all the mess I forgot to get the engine bay (which might be what you're asking?), but that looks pretty good, and smells even better.
Underside is fairly standard stuff, pillars and arches been patched in the past and I want to have it all straight, but I failed to get a pic of that too, because I'm an idiot and late for work .. tomorrow's another day.
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Your adventure sounds sorta familiar, I has a leap-of-faith (& new rac cover) over a 500 mile roundtrip with half in an Ebay bargain o_O

Although I had prior knowledge of d1 gearchange issues so only minor crunching :oops:

If you've got one that (mostly) works then you're lucky, rust is standard, grey hair & high blood pressure comes with ownership :p

Rich.
"mostly works" is about right, although it threw its starter out of the pram this morning, which was a bunch of fun :oops:
 
Got my roof bars sprayed up, looks a bit like arse but it'll do the job.
Can I chuck the roof rail cover strip? Seems to me all it does is trap water against the rail, and it's blistering away anyway.
 
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