MOTOR CHAT

[mattr]

Re: Re:

Any recommendations for someone dipping their toe into the Land/Range Rover pool for the first time?

Either get an old one with limited toys and be prepared to spend a few weekends a year underneath it hitting it with a hammer, or buy new with a warranty.

Modern ones aren't so much unreliable, as cripplingly expensive to fix. (probably not significantly worse than any other premium vehicle actually!)
Old ones are simple and agricultural.

I'd love to get a disco 3 or 4, but simply couldn't afford to run it, and the Volvo has more usable room inside. Plus, there would be no benefit for me doing the type of driving i do.

 

[Stick Legs]

Re: Re:

Any recommendations for someone dipping their toe into the Land/Range Rover pool for the first time?

Either get an old one with limited toys and be prepared to spend a few weekends a year underneath it hitting it with a hammer, or buy new with a warranty.

Modern ones aren't so much unreliable, as cripplingly expensive to fix. (probably not significantly worse than any other premium vehicle actually!)
Old ones are simple and agricultural.

I'd love to get a disco 3 or 4, but simply couldn't afford to run it, and the Volvo has more usable room inside. Plus, there would be no benefit for me doing the type of driving i do.

Actually, I bought a 1997 P38 Range Rover, converted it to coil springs and bought most of my parts from Bearmach and had a great time on a budget.
Coil spring conversion was about £500 and the other big bill was I needed a new key coding which cost about 120 including the key and had to be done by Land Rover but other than that it is still a simple vehicle underneath.
Mine was a 4.0 V8 Petrol and I found Range Rover Breakers in Tmnsbury to be useful and helpful.
I only sold it as my mileage was increacing and 14mpg is not funny.
Have a 530d BMW now which does everything a car can do brilliantly. The P38 did everything a car cannot do, I miss my P38.

 

[Once A Hero]

Re: Re:

Any recommendations for someone dipping their toe into the Land/Range Rover pool for the first time?

Do your research, find a trusted local indie, join forums (such as RRSport.co.uk or its sister sites).

I 'dipped' in to the tune of just over £40k with a 2011 3.0TDV6 Range rover Sport. Ran it for 4 years, and didn't really have any dramas to talk off. Ride wasn't as nice as I'd be expecting, but ultimately it had to go due to poor economy - achieving 23-28mpg typically and maybe 30mpg on a constant speed motorway run. Lovely motor however. Strangely the only things I really miss are the quality of the headlights - anything else I've driven seems to have candles instead, the heated steering wheel and I'm sure I'll miss the pre-heater for warming the car by timer in the winter months.

 

[mattr]

Re: Re:

Actually, I bought a 1997 P38 Range Rover, converted it to coil springs and bought most of my parts from Bearmach and had a great time on a budget.

Yeah, that's an old one. Most of the expensive bits are either bought in and very reliable (diesel engine, gearbox) or derived from far older stuff and relatively easy to fix (chassis, V8 engine, transfer box etc).
But as with all these things, YMMV.

The L319/L320/L322 and so on are into the cripplingly expensive to fix territory.

 

[Stick Legs]

Ahhh! See 'round my way them's still 'New*' Range Rovers.
Velar. Early
2 door. Classic
4 door. Old Range Rover
P38. Just a Range Rover
L322. New* Range Rover
The newest one is called the New New Range Rover. LOL

Land Rovers are either Series, Defender or New Defender (if it has a TD5 engine or later).

Disco's are Disco, Disco 2 or TD5 New Disco and Facelift new Disco.

 

[mattr]

Well. To put it into perspective the first project I worked on at LR was the T5 platform which became L319 and L320. It took about 4 years from when I picked it up as a few concepts and ideas and a bit of modelling to go to volume. Some people had been working on it on and off since the late 80s....... long cycle times.

The first project I saw from concept to volume here has already been updated, facelifted, new engine/ gearbox range and then discontinued.

LR are still tinkering with pretty much the same car as they were when I started there. 15 years ago.

And FWIW P38 was even older than that. From what i could tell, mostly late 70s tech........

 

[highlandsflyer]

Re:

I always find it strange when people spend 40k on a car, then worry about a few quid of fuel.

Dipping one's toe?

If you enjoy tinkering, and classic vibe, a Series is the way to go.

Late models, the last twenty years, are not real Land Rovers.

However, if you would be running it instead of your comfy saloon car, then a Discovery is just the ticket.

Range Rovers are sublime, and there are loads of low miles P38s with LPG for buttons.

If you can buy a car you know, all the better. Our D2 never towed, never set foot of road, and was meticulously maintained and upgraded.

The RR Classic, albeit 4 door, is a 'keeper', so I will happily spend money on it. Again it has had an easy life, less than 80k on it and garaged all the time. The issues it had have been sorted for the next 5 years, by which time it will most likely retire to the shed, with MOT for occasional outings. I plan a respray and moving the LPG tank meanwhile.

Goddamit they're British!

I see an early Series back in the fold by next winter too!

They are addictive.

 

[mattr]

Re: Re:

They are addictive.

You should see some of the collections owned by the guys that worked there.
One of the guys i worked with had 12 or 13 complete vehicles (not all runners) then enough spares to build another 3 or 4.
Apparently moving house to ensure you have space to store all these vehicles and build a full workshop is normal. :facepalm:
No idea what his poor wife and kids thought about it all.

 

[highlandsflyer]

I have a friend with around 10, including a couple of two door classics, one very early. Lots of farms have old Series sitting in a shed, most of which would make great restorations. I doubt the old Land Rovers will disappear anytime soon.

 

[Mr Panda]

Re:

Rob - I still have this =D



Only other LRs I've driven were Defenders and a V8i Disco. All have had issues,but most cars do. Fuel consumption, speed, comfort, corrosion......etc. think long and hard young man. However I must say I'm being tempted by a a 2003/4 vintage Disco 2 over recent months :facepalm:

Depends what you want it for really - 4wd on tarmac or serious offroading. If the former, I'd try for a low miles Subaru Estate again, despite my lack of luck with the last one.........if you wanna go down the 20mpg route.