Newbie questions

Hello everyone - I am looking at getting a series III as a first car, due to the low insurance, my love of land rovers and the fact I enjoy 'tinkering/fixing' things.

I would like to ask a couple of questions:

1) What is 'real world' fuel economy like on the 2.25 petrol?
2) If I were to buy a landy with a different engine say a Ford 2.5 Diesle - how does this effect insurance - also any cheap insurance companies for a 17 y/o?
3) Reliability - I know from experience that they can be a pain in the ar$e but that was a knackard one! If it were a rebuilt/restored one how reliable are they as a daily drive?
4) Can a truck cab easily be converted into a hard top and add seats in the rear or is it a DVLA nightmare?

Thanks in advance!

I got one as a daily driver, it costs a bit to maintain but (touch wood) so far has not let me down.

I reckon it gets between 17 and 20mpg, depending on how you drive it.

About 15mpg for normal running, about 20 on a long run at a steady 45 - 50, can drop to 12 at 65 - 70. Assuming a well set up carb and ignition.
Reliability is usually a function of maintenance - keep them in good trim and replace bits before they completely wear out and they'll rarely let you down. I've had one for 20 years and I've needed one tow (dizzy failed) and one RAC callout (rear diff seized - my fault).
Any other failures have been fixable or haven't stopped me getting home.
tops aren't difficult to swap but I don't know what you have to tell the DVLA.

Hi. a series 2-3 with the old original carb fitted can get down to 12 mpg, fit a weber 34 ich and you can see 26 with care. these carbs can ice up a bit, but the economy is worth the fuss.

fitting the transit engine, the 2.5 di which is the simple low power one, is amazingly good compared to the 2 and a quarter land rover engine and didnt upset the insurers. and can nearly reach 40 mpg. it is that good.
The down side is a Lucas injection pump which can, and will leak and will not tolerate vegetable oils.

reliability; i agree with the previous writers. A vehicle is only as unreliable as you allow it to become.

changing the top? i don't see that as a problem. what about people who have canvas in summer and hardtop in winter? i am sure the dvla wouldn't want them calling twice a year...

Thanks guys - with regard to the changing the top question its more the fact that I would have to fit bench seats in the rear - thus enabling the car to carry an extra 4 people that I was concerned about, if I fitted a hood on the rear of the pick up could I carry people in that? So say I fitted a canvas/ifor hood on the pick up bit of the landy could I put 2 bench seats in and then carry people? Or is that illegal?

The ford 2.5d sounds perfect as thats the only problem I would've had justifying the >20mpg to my parents - my dad moans enough about my mums disco doing 26mpg! Is the 2.5d a bolt in swap, or do mounts have to be changed as it sounds as if its the perfect engine!

Thanks

oooo luvverlee

sitting in the back of a series3 under an Ifor pig-pen! I hope yu are supplying crash-hats.

The Mad Hat Man said:

oooo luvverlee

sitting in the back of a series3 under an Ifor pig-pen! I hope yu are supplying crash-hats.

Click to expand...

Hehe I have 'understanding' mates

But the ifor suggestion was because it would be more weather / theft proof than a canvas hood - so it could actually be used for leaving things in!

Max