Thinking of swapping my series 3 for a range rover classic.

Greetings range rover people. I usually hang around in the defender and more recently, the series forums. I've got a lovely little series 3, but I'm thinking that i might let it go so I can get a range rover classic. I've always loved the classic. I was wondering what people thought of them after owning them, and whether there was anything that was a recurring frustration with them? I want something that will do occasional towing of horse trailers, but it'll mainly be a general non-daily runner. I won't want to use it for any extreme off-roading stuff, as I've got a 90 if I want to do that, so I'm just hoping to find something that's fairly unmolested (although, I have to say that I love the look of bob-tailed classics with lifted suspension and massive mt tyres hehe, so that's a complete and utter contradiction!).

I've heard that the 3.9efi is capable of 25mpg on a run, which sounds pretty decent. Would that just be with the manual gearbox? I'd probably rather get a diesel, but I don't think they're so common.

Anyway, the gist of it is that I'm wondering what I should be looking out for if I do start looking at classics, and also, if there's anyone who fancies a change and they're near the forest of dean, then they might be interested in my series 3

I am feeble minded so take my words with that noted.

I drive my '92 LSE over 600 miles a week as my work vehicle. It also is my recreational vehicle, having done several 500 mile weekends in the mountains and the desert. And I get my firewood in it. It's had issues, but so do other cars.

Oh, it's also got a great stereo.

Thanks for the reply. keep on coming at me with the encouragement. I'm feeling easily seduced right now btw, what is the lse? is it like the vogue se?

The LSE is a 4.2 V8 with eight inches extra rear legroom, £39,995 new, only 2000 made, DVLA showed only 550 on the road as at December 2010 and I think that overstates it since many were exported. The engine was developed by Jon Eales to give 200 bhp. I`ve had both standard Classics and an LSE and in my opinion if you get a good LSE and can stand the fuel consumption or get an LPG conversion there is nothing to touch it for the money. It is however a reasonably complex car, think of it as Land Rover practising for the P38...............................
i`ve had a series as well, they do different things so unwise to compare but its a completely and utterly different experience. Maybe have a look at the Range Rover Register to see if the branch near you is particularly active, do some basic research on the net and in books and look at a few cars before you buy, be prepared to travel for a good one, I looked for my LSE for 6 months and finally bought it 150 miles away.

Just for an outside opinion. I'll second the vote for the LSE. I get the extremes of weather here - sub zero in winter and 40+ degrees C in summer. I use mine every day for both short and long bitumen distances as well as bush work and it is great. A big shopping trip is a return trip of around 200 kilometres- say 120 miles - and I don't have a gas conversion and don't want one. I run it on Premium 95 Octane. Just for interest Australia only got 150 LSEs all up and all of them had the 3.9V8 - no 4.2 Litre for us - I'm a bit envious of that 4.2 engine. One plus for us here though is that rust isn't a big issue unless the car lives near the coast. I'm well inland and am yet to see any rust in any Rangie. Even the old two doors are still rust free.

Thanks guys.

You've certainly whet my appetite. I'm going to put a little patch on my series 3 gearbox x-member tomorrow, and then take it for the MOT. Will see what I've got to play with once that's through, and I've put it up for sale. Will hope to join you more frequently in this area of the site soon

Thanks again. Tom.

prob as good as a 90 offroad, comfortable too . people talk bollix about mpg.

18 on a non to carefull motorway run and 11 round town. thats with a 3.9

get a 91/92 vouge se , all the toys , no cats to worry about and cheap to buy.

rust is the problem with all of them- along with hgf and slipped liners

i was getting up to 25 mpg on a run in me 3.9

yeah but you drive like a gay granny

and that was auto.Do it their nice motors, off roading or staying on.

fett said:

yeah but you drive like a gay granny

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yep on long runs i did.ANd i tried to run it on premium when funds allowed.

no fun in that, may as well have 4 cylinder

We'll just have to see what my series 3 sells for after the mot tomorrow

Another vote for the LSE. I'm really growing to like mine and with the LPG conversion I'm getting the equivalent of 25-30 which is more acceptable.

EAS is good and whilst it isn't quick it barrels along nicely. I wouldn't swop it for a newer model but maybe a Chevy engine!!

toyota 1uz-fe engine and supercharge it..