What to do with my 109

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Gentlemanjim

Gentlemanjim

Member
Posts
21
Location
Cork, Ireland
I've just acquired a very good low mileage 1980 Series 3 109. It's a soft top ffr petrol version.I can't make up my mind whether to try to return it to original equipment standard or maybe to convert it to more general or even camper style. Any views out there?

Jim
 
Welcome to the forum, just because the speedo shows low mileage it does mean that the engine hasn't been sat in a field somewhere with the engine running for days on end recharging the radio batteries :p.
 
It's your motor, do what you want with it. Just make it so that you're comfortable with it. Doesn't really matter about originality, it's still a Land Rover.
 
Definitely leave it original, I had a 12 volt GS which I put on disco wheels and gave it a truck cab and an Ifor back, and regretted it almost immediately so reinstated it - after a couple of years of frowning- and treated it to a new tilt, it just felt better.
 
Marmaduke said:
Welcome to the forum, just because the speedo shows low mileage it does mean that the engine hasn't been sat in a field somewhere with the engine running for days on end recharging the radio batteries :p.
Click to expand...
I've got an extensive history for it and it's condition backs up that detail.
 
Gentlemanjim said:
I've just acquired a very good low mileage 1980 Series 3 109. It's a soft top ffr petrol version.I can't make up my mind whether to try to return it to original equipment standard or maybe to convert it to more general or even camper style. Any views out there?

Jim
Click to expand...
Well the 'leave it original' view is clearly predominant and that more or less accords with my own view. Maybe I should turn it into an SAS gunship? But probably not!
 
Cabbie said:
^^^ Yes, really. Read the first three words.^^^
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1st 3 words are crap - it may be in his keeping now, and for the foreseeable future - but actually he's just it's custodian - it's a potentially rare vehicle and it's his responsibility to care for it - not screw it up with "conversions" - even if only because he'll be a lot happier if he doesn't actually make it worth less.............................
 
waldamar said:
1st 3 words are crap - it may be in his keeping now, and for the foreseeable future - but actually he's just it's custodian - it's a potentially rare vehicle and it's his responsibility to care for it - not screw it up with "conversions" - even if only because he'll be a lot happier if he doesn't actually make it worth less.............................
Click to expand...
Yes I get that point
 
Potentially rare vehicle! Listen to yourselves it's a Series III 109. The Army would have had thousands of them in service!

As for static running, almost certainly. There is no where near enough generators to charge radio batteries. All to often FFRs are left running for days or weeks at a time.
 
Gentlemanjim said:
I've just acquired a very good low mileage 1980 Series 3 109. It's a soft top ffr petrol version.I can't make up my mind whether to try to return it to original equipment standard or maybe to convert it to more general or even camper style. Any views out there?

Jim
Click to expand...

Depends on what you are going to use it for. If you want to go rallying, keep it original. If you want to drive it, make a few subtle mods to improve liveability. Maybe power steering and better seats, things like that. I would try and keep it so you can put it back the way it was if you want to sell it, original usually makes more with old vehicles.
Quite a lot of work in a camper conversion, and that will really ruin any collectors value. If you want/need a camper, it might be cheaper and easier to buy one.

Pillar said:
Potentially rare vehicle! Listen to yourselves it's a Series III 109. The Army would have had thousands of them in service!
Click to expand...

Sure they did, maybe tens of thousands.
But having seen the way squaddies tend to "look after" a vehicle, it is possible not all that many are in good condition now! :D
 
Turboman said:
Depends on what you are going to use it for. If you want to go rallying, keep it original. If you want to drive it, make a few subtle mods to improve liveability. Maybe power steering and better seats, things like that. I would try and keep it so you can put it back the way it was if you want to sell it, original usually makes more with old vehicles.
Quite a lot of work in a camper conversion, and that will really ruin any collectors value. If you want/need a camper, it might be cheaper and easier to buy one.



Sure they did, maybe tens of thousands.
But having seen the way squaddies tend to "look after" a vehicle, it is possible not all that many are in good condition now! :D
Click to expand...

"Hire car mentality"
 
As above it's your landrover so do as you please with it ....

My FFR get used for camping duties on a regular basis and is standard barring a set of 900's on wolf rims ....It's still all 24v (Far superior system) and the radio batteries run an inverter via a voltage dropper .
Dogs go in the back and camping stuff goes in the Sankey .









IF you do decide to modify YOUR landrover then try to do it in a way that is easily reversed ...
 
Pillar said:
Potentially rare vehicle! Listen to yourselves it's a Series III 109. The Army would have had thousands of them in service!
Click to expand...
Exactly they had thousands of them, therefore no-one cared much about them thus plenty were trashed or converted and therefore an original is a "potentially rare vehicle" The Army had thousands of series 11/11a's as well....................................................
I believe all the army stocks of series have been released by now and the last were built in 84/85 so already unmolested examples aren't common...................................
Just to further make the point - there were thousands of Mk 1 Transits produced - when did you last see one?
 
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