To buy or not to buy??

Also, do some cars have PDC, without having the PDC button down on the RHS? I have seen a few with the sensors (or looks like) in the bumper, but no button?

2004MY on Factory and genuine Land Rover accessory parking sensors had a switch on the drivers side dash panel to turn them off.

They may be non genuine parking sensors fitted without the switch

Possibly, I have seen a few now though..

Also is the wiring for steering wheel controls fitted to all cars? Seen a few without, but that would be handy.

I have a 3dr 1.8 pre-facelift. I bought it "Spares or Repairs" off the bay of fleas as a project, still with all the props fitted and with just 82k miles on the clock.

£275.

Naturally, the head gasket was FUBAR'd. As was the cylinder head, but putting all that right was very straightforward: the FL1 is a pretty simple car to work on and a pleasure too (I come from MGFs mind... )

My FL1 doesn't set the world alight with acceleration, but it isn't that sort of car. It'll cruise pleasantly all day long. To make up for the relative scarcity of torque, the gearing is quite low. Which makes for decent take off from the traffic lights if you're in the mood, but a slightly noisy companion on the motorway. Fuel consumption takes quite a hit above 60-65mph too. But otherwise, I love it to bits.

The interior is brighter and more "fun" on the pre-facelift 3-door. Being able to take off the hardtop in summer turns it into a nice "convertible" for the whole family.

Would I recommend a 1.8 FL1? Yes! The fact that many are scared off by K-series nay-sayers just means you buy more car for your £££. Plus you'll find it remarkably good off the road too

Nice little insight there Rob, cheers!

I wonder if the td4 would be a bit more comfortable on the motorway? I rarely see myself above 65 on motorway anyway now!

The k series does scare me.. I'm happy changing head gaskets and stuff, but it appears to be far from that simple. I have seen some superb 1.8's for sale at bargain prices, but just can't bring myself to take the gamble! What sort of mpg do you get btw?

What scares you about the K? The only real risk is that the previous owner has cooked the cylinder head. Then you have the inconvenience of locating and buying a replacement. My "build" thread is on here - and the K-series doesn't really hold any real fears

I have the same M47R in my MG ZTT. It's a good engine, but the bits attached to it can cause problems. Usually the bits branded "Bosch" . Plus, you may wish to fit the in-line thermostat mod to get it to run at the right temperature in the winter

Already sussed that thermostat mod! Haha

Exactly as you mention is what scares me.. finding a known good head to replace the potentially cooked soft cheesy one. I would have to assume it has been cooked at some point in its life...

I have read a fair chunk of your thread, it did scare me off the k as you are well up with them and their foybles and what to look for and it still didn't look simple/easy!

Finding a replacement is not as hard as you might expect - what many folks don't realize is that the same 16-valve cylinder head casting is used on the 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 litre K-series. They're all interchangeable. This is good, as you can find either just a head or a whole engine without having to pay the "1.8 litre tax" lol

I won't talk you out of a Td4, but you should test drive a 1.8i

I think I would be a fool not to!

That's also good to know.. what sort of mpg are you averaging?

Around 30-ish: mixture of urban and motorway

BTW, is it me, or are cheap Freelanders getting more expensive? Cheapest I can find on flea bay is £400!

Really tempted by this one - only 80k miles and a 2.5L KV6 (head gasket issues): https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-Lan...h=item33f5ae4118:g:~rgAAOSwVnFbUdsc:rk:6:pf:0

I'd get shot if I got another car though! Might be a good one for Nodge, except its in Essex lol

Karlos28 said:

I have read a fair chunk of your thread, it did scare me off the k as you are well up with them and their foybles and what to look for and it still didn't look simple/easy!

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In my experience, a poorly TD4 can give much more heartache and expenditure than the 1.8 K series HG problem. The rest of the K series is extremely reliable and very long lived.

rob_bell said:

BTW, is it me, or are cheap Freelanders getting more expensive? Cheapest I can find on flea bay is £400

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It's that time of year Rob.
Come spring, the prices will drop again.

rob_bell said:

Really tempted by this one - only 80k miles and a 2.5L KV6 (head gasket issues): https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-Lan...h=item33f5ae4118:g:~rgAAOSwVnFbUdsc:rk:6f:0

I'd get shot if I got another car though! Might be a good one for Nodge, except its in Essex lol

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I've seen that one. It's a bit far from me, although I've just returned from visiting family in Sussex.
As it happens. I am currently looking for a 1.8 Sport Hardback as a replacement for the wife's E46 BMW convertible. It must be cheap and in perfect condition bodily with clean interior, but preferably with a clutch or HG problem.

Yeah I'm trying to wait out till spring. Just praying I don't need to put new discs and pads on my bmw before I get one!

I guess it's just a case of assessing the general condition to give indication of how well its been looked after.

Sometimes buying a total duffer at the bottom of the market can be the better way forward - at least that way there are fewer things that will crop up to surprise you! LOL However, this only works out if you are doing the spanner work yourself.

Yes, general condition. Prod about underneath, inside and around the engine bay. The latter is often a really good indicator on the condition of the car: shouldn't be oily, just covered in road dust. Check coolant (should be clear and pink), check brake fluid (light caramel colour), check oil (it'll be black, but thin and not covered in mayo!)

Check that there are no clonks from the driveline forward or reverse. See how much the car slows on full lock (backward and forward at idle). It will slow down but not stall. If you can, do a one-wheel-up test (hard on an inspection visit!) and obviously check that the props etc are all connected. Walk away from any car where its been disconnected "to save fuel". It doesn't save fuel to do this, unless the VCU is FUBR'd.

Oh, and check that all the warning lights come on and go off as they should. The ABS/ TC/ HDC lamps should do a little dance (all come on, ABS goes out, all come on again, TC and HDC go out and ABS stays on - and won't go out until driven above a certain speed. If this does not happen (1) someones disconnected a bulb for a reason and (2) it'll fail the next MoT.

Happy hunting!

Good info on the lights! Didn't realise they did any dancing about!

I am perfectly handy with spanners and happy to do abit. It is really tempting to buy something that is cheap as possible and keep some cash back for fixing. Only issue as it will by my daily car and I need it to be reliable when I get it (no back up car till I get the Jag!).
The larger reason is that IRD scares me quite a lot.. however as I'm typing this, nothing really makes a difference to that other than the VCU condition, which could be good/bad in a vehicle of any state!

I have seen a few local (ish) for about £2500 ish.. nothing for much less (want a facelift really)

Couple more questions;

Clutch change, is it full engine/gearbox out job?

Is there some kind of mod for the front grill/bumper in the facelift that people bolt in over the stock set up? Seen a few, I think they look awful, but if it can be removed easy then no bother..

Finally, how come some have fog lamps further inboard on the bumper and on long stalk type housings?

Basically the one attached..

The piece in grey is a nudge bar, fitted as an option. I believe the fog lamps are on stalks to ensure they offer enough light spread.

Ah ok, is a nudge bar removable?

And I .Guessing the fog lamps will be a new bumper, if I wanted the normal type ones.

Karlos28 said:

Ah ok, is a nudge bar removable

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It can be removed, but many large holes are left in the front bumper. IMO it's the best looking accessory for the facelift FL1, but that's just me.

Karlos28 said:

And I .Guessing the fog lamps will be a new bumper, if I wanted the normal type ones.

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They are flush mounted, so you just cut holes in the bumper to accommodate them. The fog light switch is expensive though, as are the fogs themselves.

TSR2 said:

I believe the fog lamps are on stalks to ensure they offer enough light spread

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The lights are in those housings because there's no space under the bumper to accommodate them. There's a large and safety critical crash beem under the bumper shell behind the lights, so the just sit on the bumper. They can be spot lights or fog lights, depending on which kit was fitted.