Hi guys

My wife says I should get a Landrover! I currently have a Transit (LWB Hi top) that I use as my race wagon and a run around for towing and carrying stuff, but she hates it and I don't really need anything that size although it's a great van and drives superbly!

We live in a rural area and are quite high up so we get snow bound a lot. Her family are quite remote as well so it would be useful to be mobile during the bad weather. So my wife has suggested I change the Transit for a Land Rover! We don't often agree on cars! My road car is four wheel drive but not ideal for snow and ice!

So, I'm going to start looking for a Land Rover - rough spec is as follows -

Budget £3 to £4k
Prefer diesel turbo
Must be a good tow car
Preferably long wheel base so that I can sleep in the back at hillclimbs and sprints (5'9" (it's always better than a tent!)
3 seats minimum
I don't want anything that requires a major rebuild or welding - small tidying up or relatively simple mechanical work OK
Nothing chavved up or with great big wheels and tyres and bull bars everywhere!

Any help much appreciated!

Regards

Wyn

As defenders tend to fetch a lot more, consider a discovery - you can get one in excellent condition for that money. Also opens the door to P38 range rovers, but you just need to be choosy.

To be honest at that price you can get a very usable nice one that needs no work, but you really need to shop around and buy purely on condition (ignore age and mileage). I wouldn't consider anything with any rust at all for that kind of money if looking at a Gen1 disco.

Not a good time to buy as everyone will be thinking the same and prices will push up..

Wait a month or two till everyones forgotten about snow

I agree, you will get a lot more for your money if you go for a discovery. Try and get a TD5, a 300 tdi is ok but the 200 was a bit gutless. Main things to look at are the sills and the boot floor which are prone to rusting and can be time consuming to sort. Personally I would stay clear of a P38 as they can turn in to a money pit due to the electrics and air suspension.

If you can I suggest you wait till the spring as this bad weather has increased the prices by about 20% for some motors.

Cheers

Stuart

quote:

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Originally posted by lsdweb
I don't want anything that requires a major rebuild or welding - small tidying up or relatively simple mechanical work OK

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Steer clear of P38's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whatever you do, don't get an Auto Discovery! Mine has been off the road for the best part of a year!! The autos have a system called EDC - Electronic Diesel Control. It is a real PITA! I am converting mine to non-EDC over the break to get rid of the electronic gremlins.

As already said, the 300TDi is a good power plant, but only the 'agricultural' version, the TD5 is even worse than the 300TDi EDC. They are meant to be functional in my book not delicate electronically controlled things!

All that said, I would get another Disco though as it really does cover all the bases.

i have a fwd transt with m&s tyres mud and snow winter tyres on the front i can drive np in the snow if its higher than the bumper i have to stop as it build up in front of the van.winter transit tyres are only £80 if you have a rwd transit you will need to get a few one.

i wouldnt get a landrover myself. Simply not worth the price tag, you can get more for less with other makes.

You assumedly dont need the 3500 towing limit, and the alleged offroad performance is unnecessary if you only want to manage snowy roads. I cant think of anything else they offer over other marques.

I spent £4500 on a 54 plate cherokee last year, had i bought a discovery it would have been about 1999 vintage for that money, and without heated leather etc. The cherry is good enough offroad that i was driving up 45 degree snow and mud earlier without slipping, and it still tows 2600kgs.

If you've not driven a Landrover much then I'd suggest you try a couple & go a good few miles before you waste much time looking for the one you want. Personally I like them & if I had the use for such a vehicle I'd probably go for one before a Jap 4x4 but they are well, er, VERY agricultural in the way they drive. You may think the same as me, but you may think the same as many others & find them terrible, one of the biggest gripes seems to be the driving postition.
I dont know that there'll be enough room in even a 110 to get properly stretched out to sleep, the dimesions are surely around on-line if you have a bit dig about the internet.
They do seem to benifit from a bit of TLC, keeping on top of little jobs but if you cant stand that in a vehicle then what are you doing on here?!

I get to work on an E reg 110 Hi-cap pickup now & again, it's not seen any cosmetic care in a long time but not needed any chassis welding, runs fine for it's age & has tons of character & looks great in its "working clothes". Recently it was in the workshop the same time as 10 reg Mitsubushi L200, which was light years ahead in pretty much every department but I cant see it running in 23 years! I think you'd be a fool to put much money on the old Landrover making it to the crusher first.

for that money i'd go diesel freelander, if your determined on Land ROver, if not go jap stuff.......................

i have a p reg discovery 300tdi not a bad jeep for the cash and a better drive than a 110 more car like a do like defenders 90 and 110 but they are silly money would could have a very nice discovery for that kind of money but will still pay to look out for better tyres for the snow not just road one's

I love my MKII Disco, had it from new, eight years old now and still look forward to my next drive. Mind you I've fitted 3" exhaust, Allisport intercooler, variable nozzle hybrid turbo and a remap. Runs just under 200BHP, will cruise at 95 all day, will deliver a surprise in the traffic light grand prix, and is awsome in the snow, particularly for drifting in empty car parks! It runs standard road tires but has not let me down in the snow, I carry chains, kinetic recovery rope and snow shovel but have never had to use them! They do have their imperfections and are not as reliable as Jap 4x4s but they get under your skin!

Thanks for the advice so far guys! I'm in no rush - I'd have to sell the Transit first - so I'd not be buying when there was snow on the ground!

I used to drive Land Rovers a fair bit in work and really liked the quirkiness of them!

My Transit is rear wheel drive - I'd promised to move my son's school's guinea pigs and hutch for the Christmas holidays and had to take the van out in the snow to do it - I got it more sideways than I got the Mazda in a season of hillclimbs!

Wyn

If not a Landy, then go for the wagon of the Third World. Toyota Landcruiser, used everywhere by the UN and other international organisations. Landcruiser is the vehicle of prference, next to the Hilux, in rural Aus. More dependable and cheaper parts out there, and here if you look.

Cheers,
Nev.

You've no chance of lying down to sleep in the back of a Discovery.

Plenty room in a 110 and if you remove the bulkhead you can even lie
comfortably in a 90. Slept in mine many times. Bit parky in the winter though.

Re:EDC on 300tdi, never had an issue with my Disco and its covered 260k

We picked up a 40k mile 51 plate Disco TD5 GS 5-seat (no air suspension to play up) 2 years back for £5k. Should be able to pick up a higher mileage example for £4k.

Its not what you'd call cheap or reliable though, but does all that is asked of it extremely well!

[Edited on 24-12-10 by phelpsa]