Series Landrover Appreciation Thread

[doobie]

How great are series landys?? the forum is usually full of tales of series landy misery and woe, hows about some with a happy end?? here's mine:

I've spent the day clearing a field of the remains of a felled tree using a long suffering series 2a. This morning when i started the landy hadnt turned over in 11months, had no fuel, battery or water in the rad, had a birds nest in the engine bay (including ****e in the carb)......and thats on top of the fact that the engine has been run on unleaded for 20 years and had no maintenance for the last 5years!!

After i refilled the radiator, replaced a snapped hose clip, refilled the empty rad again, turned the partially seized engine over with a home made cranking handle, added some fuel and a charged battery the old lump fired up like a good un (with a jump start of course)! it ran well all day, pulling a big twin axle trailer full of tree remains through some boggy bits of field without any drama, even managing to get up to the dizzying speeds of 40mph while driving up a hill!!

it only seized up once (cranking handle and a jump start got that cured) and the birds nest remains that i never got out eventually caught fire but all in all it did really well for its age!! and i dont care how pish people say series heaters are, i was sweating like mad in the cab!!

 

[goonarmy]

My s3 broke its 4wd but i still mangaed to tow a hilux that was stuck with it in 2wd

 

[Qhriss]

How great are series landys?? the forum is usually full of tales of series landy misery and woe, hows about some with a happy end?? here's mine:

I've spent the day clearing a field of the remains of a felled tree using a long suffering series 2a. axle trailer full of tree remains through some boggy bits of field without any drama, even managing to get up to the dizzying speeds of 40mph while driving up a hill!!

it only seized up once (cranking handle and a jump start got that cured) and the birds nest remains that i never got out eventually caught fire but all in all it did really well for its age!! and i dont care how pish people say series heaters are, i was sweating like mad in the cab!!

Was what they were made for...........Q

 

[Mr-Tomcat]

I used to have a LWB Series 2 carried a load of logs in her one day also fitted with home made greedy boards, no second, fully loaded from first to third and she carried on going. The Vehicle is long gone the engine is still in the garage, but now not in good health.

Andy.

 

[metallicachick86]

love it, it may be fecked and i cant drive atm, its awesome and will never get rid of it until it dies!

 

[BeeBoy]

Got my 88" series 3 diesel over a year ago, after a few years of yearning. The ususal - thought it was all ok till i got it home and all the problems started. A year later and a complete engine and running gear rebuild, and its hauling timber, beehives, kayaks, and anything else that i can use it for, all over the place. Even if theres nothing to do i just get in and go for a spin.

Its probably cost 4 times what its worth just to get it to a point of vague reliability but i love it. I would not be without it. Every time i get in it i grin from ear to ear.

Its a classic piece of machinery and i have no intention of ever getting rid it - thinking of getting rid of the '08 suzuki swift and using the series all the time (but then common sense kicks in and i start to think about the next job on the series). Thats all part of the appeal.

 

[onelife]

A special vehicle, no other feels the same; and when you drive anything else (even a Defender), it doesn't always put a smile on your face.

It started! It made it!

Words taken for granted for too many vehicles. It makes you appriecate how far the love of driving has come!? Or has it?

 

[Mr-Tomcat]

Got my 88" series 3 diesel over a year ago, after a few years of yearning. The ususal - thought it was all ok till i got it home and all the problems started. A year later and a complete engine and running gear rebuild, and its hauling timber, beehives, kayaks, and anything else that i can use it for, all over the place. Even if theres nothing to do i just get in and go for a spin.

Its probably cost 4 times what its worth just to get it to a point of vague reliability but i love it. I would not be without it. Every time i get in it i grin from ear to ear.

Its a classic piece of machinery and i have no intention of ever getting rid it - thinking of getting rid of the '08 suzuki swift and using the series all the time (but then common sense kicks in and i start to think about the next job on the series). Thats all part of the appeal.

Get a Discovery as a first car instead of a Su****? what did you call it?

Andy.

 

[cao]

I paid what I now know was "top wack" for my series 3 LWB.
Since then I have fitted.
Gearbox
Brakes
Clutch
Door Tops
Petrol tank
Carb
Rear door
Windscreen washers/wipers
Lights
Exhaust
I have also fitted all of the general service items and done a couple of small welds to the chassis.
What a bargain vehicle!
Trouble is that I have enjoyed all of it and intend to do more next year.

 

[Mr-Tomcat]

Ha ha glutton for punishment next year will be upon you soon enough.

Andy.

 

[littlenip]

I have a series 2a 88 pick up some of my friends love it and some say its really rough and old I should get a hilux or a l200 but I dont mind getting greasy dirty and wondering when it will be back on the road again becuase if I had a boring jap modern off roader I would have to pay a garage to fix it every time i break it because I cant fix ecu's. I love the simplisty of a series land rover and apart from fuel economy and motorway comfort it does every thing 10 times better than a modern offroader. I doubt we will see 06 hiluxes or l200's driving about and earning a living in 2056.

 

[fenby1976]

I doubt we will see 06 hiluxes or l200's driving about and earning a living in 2056.

Old Land-Rovers are still capable of doing some very hard work. I used my 1970 88" IIA (original 2 1/4 petrol engine and gearbox) to tow a 1.5 ton mini digger from Liverpool to West Wales in 2002. I was a bit worried about my old heap of **** Landy overheating dragging 2 tons up the long steep hills in North Wales, but it was fine... didn't miss a beat. I then hired the digger out, using the IIA as a tow vehicle, for a couple of years.

 

[stalwart68]

Series Land Rovers............

I first met them in 1967 in the military in what was Western Germany. The poor bastards were murdered by us squaddies in the MT. But they never complained. I have never seen one broken down either. I hated the things then because if you were sent on a mission that was 300 kilometres down the autobahn it seemed that they were hardly moving compared to the other traffic. In the winter in Germany you had just as well had a candle on the floor to keep your feet warm so good was the heater, (nothing changed there then). We were sent to Libya for a stint in '68 and there were Land Rovers with so many different colour panels they looked like hippy wagons. But they all took a lot of punishment without moaning at all. About five years ago I discovered Land Rovers again only in a different light altogether. I have always done my own serviceing and repairs so taking ownership of a delapidated series three was right up my street. Of course I enjoyed the fixing up of it. Then it was put to work as my mule for all sorts of things that I was up to. After a while I got itchy fingers for some welding and spanner work as the old girl never went wrong. So I flogged it and that was the end of Land Rovers, or so I thought. Then I got withdrawel symptoms and got a series two diesel that had been rotting away in a field for ten years, but the chassis was as solid as the proverbial rock. So on it went, do another Land Rover up and flog it for another project. I have had a few. The last one before this was series three 109" ragtop which I converted to a tasty looking pick-up. After a while I needed something new, but there was a reason for getting rid of the 109". It had a 2.5 petrol engine in it so my wallet was moaning like hell. I flogged it and thought to myself that fuel is never going to get any cheaper so that was the end for Land Rover for me. But after a while I got the bloody bug again. But I was resigned not to buy another one. Then out of the blue I was given another one for free. It was a series three diesel which the bloke had paid £3000 for, (I kid you not). His wife hated the thing so he gave it to me. I was like a dog with many tails. I got it through the MOT and it is on the road. It is a bit smokey on start up but clears in a few hundred metres. Anyway I could have just said that series Land Rovers are a drug and I love them and I am aiming to keep this one. Sorry about the long story but long may they reign. But I would love a Defender..........

Stalwart68....good luck and thanks for your patience if you have read all this.

 

[ciderman]

good, enjoy life. it's the only one you get!

 

[ciderman]

Ps. i used to hate them in BAOR. but then i wasn't paying the fuel bills!