Series 3: Overdrive?? Your views/opinions

Well u've helped before, so looking for your views again.

Ive got a SWB Series 3 (2.25 Petrol) and am contemplating fitting an Overdrive to assist with the normal everyday driving. 45mph seems suitable for the car at present, 50mph getting just too noisey, stressful, and can tell engines working hard. So just asking for any advice or guidance with regard to:

1. Is overdrive worth it? Benefits? Does it make that much difference?
2. Ive seen them on Ebay for £100-150, does this sound about right?
3. How easy are they to fit? (I'm kinda at a lego/meccano level of mechanical knowledge)
4. Fairey or Bearmarch (or whatever it is)? Whats the difference other than manufacturer?

Any other views/opinions/advice on the matter would be much appreciated

Cheers

you'll not get a good OD for much less than £250 these days - unless you do lots of miles it's going to take quite a few before your saving money

you should be able to fit it within half an easy day, although as is normal on here someone will disagree with me and point out how they fitted one while watching points of view

what size are those tyres ? - you'll be supprized how much difference fitting a taller set makes - 750s suit the series very well

thanks for that

Sean said:

what size are those tyres ? - you'll be supprized how much difference fitting a taller set makes - 750s suit the series very well

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I'll agree with you this time 750s should increase the gearing by something over 10% if you've got 205 R16s at the moment. Other benefits are a couple of inches more ground clearance and to my eye, they just look better on a series Landy too. I've got them on mine and it will cruise happily enough at 55mph and top out at 78mph on a good day (Transit engine). Apart from on wide straight roads, I find mine enough of a handfull at 55mph with the standard steering and brakes the way they are.

i have 7.50 tyres on mine and cruise at 55 mph no problems......even whip it up to 65mph but that might be pushing it......me not the landy lol

fit disco diffs

on another note, i have hit 70 in my s3 109 with an overdrive fitted it was scary

Just did a trip of 300 miles while moving from Kent to Treuddyn in North Wales, used about 50 litres of juice, all A roads, seemed to be economical, im too thick to work out the mpg on that......

Series 3 fitted with a Daihatsu 2.8 TD, Overdrive, and 235/65x16's.

Stayed about 50 mph max where I could to save strain on gearbox.

mine had an overdrive before i got it,some git(i know who it was) broke into it and nicked it!,i'd quite like another seeing as it has a v8 in it but i'll be buggered if i'm paying all that money for one.we'll have to see what it's like when i get it on the road but i'm expecting scary mpg figures.

an overdrive will make a big difference to your S3 mate, but make sure you get a good'un, and like the others said ...check your tires too

hi all
i've 3 over drives for series 3. open to barter / exchange.
I'm in south ireland

Cheers Hippy, so you'd say they are worth it then? I'm sure the couple of hundred quid expense to provide a bit more bearable driving at speed is worth it.
Yeah I'll check my tyres too, but surely a set of 4 new tyres, once balanced and fitted etc would come close to £200 too, so an overdrive not really that expensive in comparison.

aihenderson said:

Cheers Hippy, so you'd say they are worth it then? I'm sure the couple of hundred quid expense to provide a bit more bearable driving at speed is worth it.
Yeah I'll check my tyres too, but surely a set of 4 new tyres, once balanced and fitted etc would come close to £200 too, so an overdrive not really that expensive in comparison.

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True enough that. Another benefit with sticking to the smaller tyres is that I find the Landy feels much better on the road. Fitting bigger tyres seems to make them feel more sluggish in accelerating and the cornering feels better with smaller tyres too. For me though, on balance I prefer the 750s and I'm planning on fitting a hydraulic pump onto the back of the gearbox anyway, so no room for an overdrive.

if yo fitted 750's, wouldnt this throw the speedo out abit? and not read true speed?

you need to replace the speedo head with one off of a 109" i used to have the part no written down but i lost me s3 geek notebook

or re-calibrate it with a satnav.

my option was easier

my option was cheaper (and more accurate)

my option comes with a pair of tits jiggled in your face....... ok so i would go to a strip club on the way to get the bits... don't judge me there is nothing wrong with strippers

My option is cheapest - just don't bother They don't check it in the MOT. Oh no I hope BoB doesn't read this!

<my speedo hasn't worked for the last year i use a gps speedo on my satnav>