New user (very new)

Hi there

just started looking for a Landy so i thought the best thing to do was to join Landyzone. im not really sure which model i want yet?? hopefully i will be pointed in the right direction by you guys.....
i really like the series 3 but am not sure if it will fit my requirements. It will not be my main car but a weekend toy!! i want to do some off roading (nothing too extreme) but will be doing some long trips (at least eastern Europe and Scandinavia)
i have a budget of around 7K.

any advise is welcome.

Many thanks.

Hello and welcome.
Mike

For that money you have a good choice, lateish disco td5, nice comfortable refined ( by LR standards) will do off road stuff if you don't mind a bit of damage to bumpers, series are great but I wouldn't fancy long journeys in one and the are BASIC or you could be a real bloke and just buy a td5 90 it will do everything you want to do with it and put a smile on your face when you drive places you never dreamt it could go.

Welcome .

IMHO, TD5 Defender or Discovery 2 all day long. Go for full service history

£7k will get you a solid Defender, or a really together Disco. A Series would be good, but less refined for the long trips - depends how hard core you want to be

Enjoy

Thanks for the reply guys

i really like the look of the "series" landrovers but your probably right it may be just a bit too hardcore for the long trips (or perhaps i should just man up). only problem is i need something thats over twenty years old so i can get it on a classic insurance policy as i have several other cars...... defender 90 200Tdi ???

Cheers

Welcomr

richfisher said:

Thanks for the reply guys

i really like the look of the "series" landrovers but your probably right it may be just a bit too hardcore for the long trips (or perhaps i should just man up). only problem is i need something thats over twenty years old so i can get it on a classic insurance policy as i have several other cars...... defender 90 200Tdi ???

Cheers

Click to expand...

You will be able to get a good renovated one for that money.

richfisher said:

Thanks for the reply guys

i really like the look of the "series" landrovers but your probably right it may be just a bit too hardcore for the long trips (or perhaps i should just man up). only problem is i need something thats over twenty years old so i can get it on a classic insurance policy as i have several other cars...... defender 90 200Tdi ???

Cheers

Click to expand...

For 7k you'll pick up a tasty Defender 90 200TDi. My red one LINKY was a 1988 model, and I loved it. I sorted the interior with sound deadening, new carpets, fold down seats in the back, centre cubby, loud sound system (it needs to be to hear it), and all in all it was a nice place to be/ SWAMBO even liked it, and we did some lovely trips in it.

Things to watch for are crossmember rot, bulkhead rot, bottom of doors rot. Buy on mechanical condition - cosmetics are much easier to rectify than a bad engine. A well looked after 200TDi is an awesome engine - not as perky as the TD5, but cheaper and more simple to maintain.

Perfect compromise between manly Landrover-ness and comfortable drive. My mate has a 2004 TD5 EX, with aircon, half leather sets, leccy windows, and I loved taking the mick - call it his Mandrover

Im thinking a 90 200Tdi is the way to go, think ill test drive a series first though just to satisfy my craving....

would a 90 be "big enough" for longer distance trips?

richfisher said:

Im thinking a 90 200Tdi is the way to go, think ill test drive a series first though just to satisfy my craving....

would a 90 be "big enough" for longer distance trips?

Click to expand...

there's not much room in a 90

that's why i got a 110 - i can sleep in it

110van said:

there's not much room in a 90

that's why i got a 110 - i can sleep in it

Click to expand...

you can sleep in a 90

welcome to OP by the way

richfisher said:

Im thinking a 90 200Tdi is the way to go, think ill test drive a series first though just to satisfy my craving....

would a 90 be "big enough" for longer distance trips?

Click to expand...

front is same size in both, depends if you need the extra space in the back

Chris W said:

you can sleep in a 90

welcome to OP by the way

Click to expand...

Depends how much of a midget you are Or build a bed over centre bulkhead.

Oh and :welcome: to the OP

aaronmorris said:

Depends how much of a midget you are Or build a bed over centre bulkhead.

Click to expand...

front seats fold flat, giving over 7 ft from rear to dash …. its what i'm planning to do

Chris W said:

front seats fold flat, giving over 7 ft from rear to dash …. its what i'm planning to do

Click to expand...

I'm a midget so I'd be fine doing that anorl

I'm a shortarse too so 7ft would be more than enough..

Let me share my experiences, having had a 90 & swopped it for a 110 for this exact reason:

Firstly, you will be looking at 2 configs in the loadspace of a 90. A TDi will look like this:



Which means you will have to either manufacture some sort of shelf over the middle bulkhead to give enough length for a bed, or fit a bulkhead removal kit, which will give you a similar layout to this, which is what you'll get in a TD5::


There is an interesting article on fitting a bed into a 90 here LINKY

A 110 on the other hand, will give you the extra space for the second row of seats, which could either be removed for long trips, or folded down flat (depending on what config you buy). This will give ample space for a bed, however, you will then have very little load space left, unless you raise the bed and have storage underneath it, or build storage on the sides, which brings you back into the 'fold-down bed manufacturing' scene - great if you're up for that, a right pain in the @£$ss or very expensive to get it done, if you're not.
Here's a thread you might find interesting LINKY


Now my opinion FWIW:
I had a 90 which I loved, but when we went camping, once I'd loaded up all the kit, SWAMBO, my son and our dog, there was nary enough room in the rear to take a deep breath. My options were:

- Buy a trailer
-Roof rack
- Roof-top tent
OR
-Buy a 110

I went for the last option and swopped my 90 for a 110. A decision I regret to this day. Yes it was more practical as a people carrier (took five adults plus luggage comfortably around the IoW - but we weren't camping). Yes it is still an awesome vehicle, but as hard as I tried to love my 110, it just never had that "je' ne se quoi" that my 90 had.

If you are gagging for a Series, and a 90 will be a compromise, then I don't think you'll ever be in love with a 110. And let's face it, these are vehicles you need to love.

When (not if) I buy another defender, it will definitely be a 90, and if I could take my decision to swop to a 110 again, I would definitely have kept the 90 and gone the roof-top tent and trailer option.

Been to look at some "series" landys over the last few days and was actually quite surprised to see how small the 88s are, if I go for one as opposed to a lwb then I think a roof rack will be a must. Have any of you guys had any experience with a roof tent? They seem expensive at around £1200 (I could by a really good Force 10 plus all the gear for that) !

Richfisher...

Just enjoy whatever you get!:welcome: