What to expect after sitting for 18 months

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GrumpyGel

GrumpyGel

Well-Known Member
Posts
27,845
Location
Christchurch, New Zealand
I'm going to see a '99 L Series that's for sale on Saturday. The owner says its in very good condition and was driving fine before being parked up - but that was 18 months ago. It hasn't been started or even moved since then as the owners have been overseas. Its done 260,00KMs - 160,000 miles.

My main aim is to get the IRD off it and swap it for my 2WD one so I can hit the ski fields and beaches again :) I'll probably recondition it with new bearings - but assuming it hasn't had any major tyre/VCU issues - should the gears be OK in a IRD that's done 160K miles?

HTR has found a place in NZ that will open/drain/fill/seal VCUs - so I can either get my one reconed or the one off the 'new' car.

Having done this, I'll also swap some other bits off it for mine, eg wing mirrors, seats etc, and then rather than keep it as a parts car - I want to sell it as going 2WD and get what I paid for it back. I'm concerned though that bits like the ABS modulator may be siezed after 18 months inactivity. Even stuff like the immobiliser may be permanently locked out with no power for so long - the battery has long since offered any juice. Anyone got any other thoughts on what might have packed up, or is likely to pack up quickly after not being used for 18 months?

Although I can put a battery on it, I don't think I'll be able to test drive it prior to buying as I fully expect the rear brakes to be siezed solid.

It was advertised at $5,800 (3K UPK) and I've told the person that the max I'll pay is 1/3rd of that - and probably a bit less.
 
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I recently picked up an L series here in Spain that had been laid up for almost 2 years had to put new belts on it as they were missing but after an oil change and re fuel slapped a battery on and it started after a couple of turns handbrake had been left of so no seize and after riding the brake pedal for a couple of miles no problems.

Very little moisture where I am so almost no corrosion dont know if your that lucky but I had no real problems at all and am using it daily now even though the paint work is shocking Pink
 
I would expect a sore arse after sitting for 18 months!!!!!

Seriously though, I wouldn't expect a problem with the abs. Immobiliser shouldn't be an issue but I would gaerentee the back brake shoes will need changing. Discs may need replacement due to corrosion but may clean up.
 
Thanks all. Hopefully it is reasonably OK. Freelanders don't tend to rust here, reasonably dry climate (I say with forecast today of rain, hail and sleet!) so it shouldn't corrode through lack of use, its been sitting on concrete but outdoors. Probably more damage to the paintwork as the sun is a killer for that here.

Yeh, tyres could be a big cost if I'm just going to ping it on - probably 50% of what I'd be paying. Will have to check those. Just got new ones for mine so a swap and new ones for mine's not an option. If it needs things like disks, then mine will be getting new and donating to this one :)
 
Nodge68 said:
They are expensive over there. Would it not be cheaper to buy one over here and ship it out?
Click to expand...

lol, nah, the shipping cost is high and once its here it has to go through 'compliance' and every spec of dirt and rust has to be removed from it. I'm sure there's import duty as well. An F2 might be worth going through the process, definitely a Defender, but not an F1 these days.

Parts are the same, an IRD out of a scrapper over here is about 500 quid and they won't have checked it at all - that's about twice the price they go for on ebay in the UK.
 
Know what you mean about compliance friend of mine moved out to Christchurch and shipped his two pride and joy,s a Lambretta TV 200 and a Vespa GS 160, cost him an arm and leg to get them into the country. had to be stripped right down and cleaned to factory state
 
It is tough, there's quite often cars for sale here for parts that are perfectly good young & low-millage - but just the owners gave up getting them through compliance.

The compliance is a bit of a joke really. There was a lovely 'unmollosted' 'original' Defender 110 for sale here recently, the pics included one of it sitting for sale on the UK forecourt before import. Running its NZ plate through the public records system showed its VIN/Chassis number of an old military spec car - so it was obviously a stolen vehicle. Nobody picked up on it during UK export, NZ import or compliance. Ridiculous. I reported it to Landy Watch and they didn't want to know. So I reported it to CrimeWatch UK and they couldn't be arsed to follow up on it either. Absolute slam dunk stolen car with pictures of it on a UK forecourt and nobody wanted to know. Absolute joke.
 
Went and saw it this morning. What was supposed to be a "lovely car in really nice condition"... had broken lights, dent in the rear wing, mismatched tyres, broken wing mirror, undertray missing - and had been left for 18 months (at least) with a leaking sunroof. The steering wheel had mold all round it, the seats stained and most windows had condensation on - pulled back the sub shade and the sunroof frame was completely rusted all round - plus the roof lining was coming away. I'm sure more faults would have easily been found if the above lot wasn't enough to give a good idea of its condition. The sills around the jacking points looked decidedly dodgy as well.

So not so nice condition!

Had been left with the hand brake on - so as expected brakes siezed. Battery was flat so couldn't start it, and would have been pointless with siezed brakes, but coolant/oil was at right levels.

Offered $1K which the owner thought was a joke, but not so much of a joke as the $5,800 she's asking for all those problems on a '99 Freelander that's done 160K miles.

She also got me to help a gardener lift a tree onto the back of his truck, which she didn't want to pay him for disposing of, and was just as interested in selling us her house so she could move back to Sheffield! Very wierd woman - and wierd morning really. Nice walk with the dog down the Waimak on the way back though :)
 
No - she wouldn't accept my $1K. She's still got it listed - but has brought the price down.... to $5,600 ! She said that if it doesn't sell before she moves back to the UK, she'll give me a call.

TBH for a car that can't move, can't start, is nearing 'terminal milage', is filling slowly with water and is other wise in untidy condition - I thought I was doing her a favour a $1K. Still, nought so strange as Yorkshire folk.
 
I have though changed my mind on what I'd do with it if I got it. As ours is running fine now and we don't really need 4WD for normal use, rather than risking putting it back to 4WD, we'd keep it as 2WD and I'd pimp this up as my fishing/skiing/offroad truck. Might mean I have to lose the SIII though.
 
I am undecided as to what to do with my latest purchase.
I was intending to fix up and sell on. But I could break it and get a return. Alternatively I was just thinking about selling my 3 dr and using the 5dr myself. If they were both kinversand 3drs I would have no trouble deciding- base petrol vs better spec diesel.....
 
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