Series 3 Petrol vs Diesel...what's the verdict?

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Having always been a diesel man I've become a big fan of the 2 1/4 petrol.

The only downside is it's thirsty but the diesel isn't much better, not quite so much low end torque but it's not a problem with a slight change in driving style and they'd both be next to useless working hard without low box.

The petrol is far more usable in modern traffic, so much quieter and smoother.
 
mines a diesel, noisy at speed but I like it. get around 25 mpg mainly town driving

can only see the flak diesels get increasing so petrol is probably a safer bet long term
 
My landy was fitted with a 2.25 diesel. It was a cantankerous smokey bitch which was difficult to get through an mot. I switched it for a 2.25 petrol, got the head redone and it’s proved reliable. As posted a wee bit thirsty but nice n smooth. I do light to medium weight towing, off road logging and pootering around. The only thing I wouldn’t try would be a long distance journey but that’s nothing to do with the engine.
 
Having bought our 2.25 petrol SWB and had a 10000 mile service done, our first trip was Tavistock to the Midlands via back roads, around 200 miles. Overdrive made a real difference, something like a 28% reduction in revs meaning 50mph cruising is not uncomfortably noisy. 6 hours driving time, 30mph average and 20 mpg. We'd have been deaf in a diesel! Or sickened by the fumes
 
I think its really 3 choices, orginal petrol, orginal diesel and later diesel. Orginal petrol is smooth and quiet, all the diesels are noisy and with no sound insulation this can get tiring. Later diesels (Rover, Perkins, Jap, Ford) all have their fans and each is differernt but you will get more power and much better economy. For drivability a later diesel is hard to beat. In fact mine is a contemporay diesel (170 Series 1969 engine) but its 3.3L which make s a big differnce to drivability. I've driven old vehicles all my life and there is an increasing probelm with the speed of modern traffic, I think a loaded 2 1/4 diesel is marginal on safety here in the SE. I stopped riding a 60yr old BSA that had good performance in the 1950s when I was nearly run into a ditch by a bus that out accerated me. I also think the low power of the 2 1/4 diesel hurts economy as its haveing to work so hard, my 3.3L returns 30 mpg on a run in a lodaed LWB. They key to a conversion is that it can be reversed - no cutting of the chassis or panels, then you can always swap back if orginality becomes an issue.
 
I ran a two and 2 1/4 petrol as my work vehicle for many years [ general farm duty's ] and would get 22/24 mpg. Things that helped were keeping the engine well serviced,running road biased radial tires and not thrasing it down the road at 70 mph.

I once loaned it to a mate to fetch a boat from the west country back here in Pembrokshire.The trip went well and he returned the landy after a couple of day's but complained about the horrendous fuel consumption of less than 10 mpg. It was a couple of weeks later I called at his place and saw a huge two ton yatch :eek: on his yard!
 
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Much as I love my Perkins diesel we do keep ear defenders in the cab for any speeds over 40mph. IA while ago a series pulled up and parked next to me and we got chatting, the owner opened the boonet and I was shocked to find the 2 1/4 petrol was running. Its was so smooth and quiet. We have to turn the engine off to have a conversation!
 
Although I have never owned or driven a petrol, so possible cannot make a fair comment I like the diesels. I know the petrol is supposed to be more powerful and refined but something about the agricultural rumble and a puff of black smoke when working hard just feels right to me.

P.s if you have the "correct" tyres for an old land rover fitted (eg SAG/xtragrip/ZXL) the engine noise makes no difference to the overall noise anyway, so all the petrol refinement is wasted!
 
dag019 said:
Although I have never owned or driven a petrol, so possible cannot make a fair comment I like the diesels. I know the petrol is supposed to be more powerful and refined but something about the agricultural rumble and a puff of black smoke when working hard just feels right to me.

P.s if you have the "correct" tyres for an old land rover fitted (eg SAG/xtragrip/ZXL) the engine noise makes no difference to the overall noise anyway, so all the petrol refinement is wasted!
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rob1miles said:
Good point, the diesel is the best way not to hear the overdrive!
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All depends on what sort of usage you intend. Most of my own landrover mileage has always been off road, very low speeds,low revs, soft surfaces, and short distances.
So noise becomes a bit irrelevant.

For on road, journeys over about 30 miles or a few hours, I find a car preferable to a old landrover.
 
For the last few months I've been doing near weekly drives from Slough to Bath and back with an overnight stop. Its 100 miles each way and because my Merc is off the road I've been using the 1970 Series. I've got used to it, my Series had been driven to Turkey and back by a previous owner so its up to long distances. I've got miltiary headsets rigged up so I can hear the radio, an overdrive and plenty to eat and drink. Cruise at 55/60 and I get out feeling OK. Find the hardest driving in a seris is twisty hilly lanes, no room to wander, and losts of gear changes. Bypasses with lots of roundabouts are hard work too, but the motorway is OK. I've had it full to the top with funiture and tools and its driven just fine, it hardly seems to feel the load. main worry is making sure I check the fluids really often inc the box and O/D. Before I bought the series I have now I test drove a 2 1/4 diesel LWB safari with non-servo brakes. It had come from a boat club in Surbiton and the guy selling told me 4 of them had driven it to the Costa del Sol for a holiday, there and back at 45mph flat out. Don't be soft!
 
rob1miles said:
For the last few months I've been doing near weekly drives from Slough to Bath and back with an overnight stop. Its 100 miles each way and because my Merc is off the road I've been using the 1970 Series. I've got used to it, my Series had been driven to Turkey and back by a previous owner so its up to long distances. I've got miltiary headsets rigged up so I can hear the radio, an overdrive and plenty to eat and drink. Cruise at 55/60 and I get out feeling OK. Find the hardest driving in a seris is twisty hilly lanes, no room to wander, and losts of gear changes. Bypasses with lots of roundabouts are hard work too, but the motorway is OK. I've had it full to the top with funiture and tools and its driven just fine, it hardly seems to feel the load. main worry is making sure I check the fluids really often inc the box and O/D. Before I bought the series I have now I test drove a 2 1/4 diesel LWB safari with non-servo brakes. It had come from a boat club in Surbiton and the guy selling told me 4 of them had driven it to the Costa del Sol for a holiday, there and back at 45mph flat out. Don't be soft!
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When I was on forestry work in my Twenties, I often used to drive to Scotland from Hampshire in my Series, stay up there working for a few weeks, and then drive back. And when I was looking at farms in Cornwall, I used to drive there from Hampshire in my 109, stay a few days, and then return. And regular 50 mile commutes in various Series.
Now I am in my Fifties, I find I have less and less appetite for Landrover mileage. Much prefer my Mondeo, or even better, my boat! :)
 
i too like comfy seats and other refinements for longer trips, an hour is about my max in the series. I'm sure the landy could go all day long I'm just getting soft
 
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