Which LR to buy?

[rstl99]

Hi all,
I've owned a 110 diesel before (sold it in a fit of insanity to a guy from Tofino - I live in Ottawa and was city-bound at the time, I now own a country property in addition to my city house).
I've also owned a few diesel Land Cruisers, mostly rusted away on me, though I sold a very nice one to get a Dodge Cummins truck and camper (long story that didn't work out).
I've always had a longing to own a series LR (owned a '66 project vehicle at one time, never got it running).
I like wrenching though approaching 60 I'm not as keen to crawl under a truck wielding wrenches any more. I like the simplicity of the series trucks obviously.
I live in the city, and own a cottage about 70 highway minutes outside of town.
Ideally, I'd like to be able to drive the LR from city to cottage in reasonable comfort, which sort of rules out the Series LR, though it would be fun as heck to drive a Series on the backroads and trails around my cottage.
Other option would be to by a Series and leave it up at the cottage, and use my city car to get there and back.
Yeah, I know the sensible thing would be to buy a nice 4Runner and use it for everything (city, highway, exploring back roads at the cottage).
Or just keep using my 83 Mercedes diesel station wagon to go back and forth, and get a 4wheeler to explore the back roads and trails!

On the LR side of things, would a Series or Disco make more sense for me? Disco would be more finicky and maintenance heavy, costlier on gas, but nice ones can be bought for cheaper than a decent Series truck with good frame etc. A series truck will likely hold or increase its value, and there is a certain fun factor in a Series that you probably can't get in anything else.

Thoughts, suggestions?
Thanks.

[Bill E.]

Well you've pretty much nailed down all the questions we all toss around on the "what to do" front. There is obviously no one answer to your dilemma. My vote is for buying the nicest series truck your budget will allow and leaving it at the cabin for fun in the country. You'll love your little truck if all you ever ask it to do is trundle around at low speeds and help you build your local persona as the curmudgeon in the old "jeep". Then you'll be able to hop back into your comfy citi-folk car and drive back to the center of the universe. The country locals will just think you've gone to ground for a while, further enhancing your quirky image. Just my two cents :wink:

[red90]

I'm with Bill. Series trucks on the road are not enjoyable. Series trucks on the dirt are one the the greatest joys in life.

[rstl99]

Thanks Bill and Red. Bill you've pretty well nailed it and confirmed my leaning in that direction. Will give me something else to do when I go up to the country place, keep the old girl running and ready to take on the back roads and trails up there. And as Red said, series trucks are built for dirt and wooded paths.
I suppose the only thing I'll worry about is some curious passersby pulling souvenirs off the series when I'm not around. I don't have a shed or barn to store it in so it will be sitting on the gravel driveway (unless I decide to build a lean-to for it or buy one of those ugly car shelters for the winter.
Best regards

[camo388]

If you buy the nicest Series that you can afford, hopefully you won't have to spend too much of your free time keeping it in running condition.
I'd do as the others suggest and leave it at the cottage. Series are not up to modern day traffic either in acceleration nor short stopping distances and you would quickly frustrate yourself and drivers around you.
They were build as primarily a farm vehicle and likely just adequate in performance back in their day, 50/60 years ago!
Rather than leave it out in the open or in a shed, why not consider buying a used shipping container? Sure they are an ugly, boxy thing but with a decent lock you would have no danger of things going missing and probably less wildlife damage.
A mouse or squirrel with a craving for electrical wiring or rubber hoses will bring your exploring adventures to a quick halt.
The difference in a container compared to a shed big enough for a Series, may not be all that much if you add in the peace of mind that the security of a container will give.
Around Edmonton where I live, there are several businesses selling used containers and they come in different lengths.
Down side is they are not wide enough to be used as a garage. Do you have a welder friend?? willing to cut and re-weld a container into something wider? :lol:

Bruce

[rstl99]

Thanks Bruce.
I think I've found a decent one in running condition, solid where it matters, and road-worthy and licenced. And reasonably affordable, as I didn't want to spend a lot for a vehicle I'll have to leave at the cottage.
Yeah, the LR will need to survive out in the open out there, but at least parked on a gravel driveway. I'm thinking of keeping it in the city during winter, driving it out to the cottage in the spring and driving it back in the fall. We'll see if I can make it happen.
Nice suggestion about a container, but I don't think that will work for me.
Regards.

[camo388]

The idea of using a container is food for thought. They are becoming more popular as affordable lock up storage for quads, dirt bikes, snowmobiles, etc.
With less oilfield work available, thefts go up. I have an old steel oilfield boiler building, about the same size as a container, just nicer to look at if you disregard the flaky paint. All it cost was my time to cut out the boiler.

Bruce

[Rob]

A turbo-diesel 110 might suit your needs, I find the longer wheelbase provides a nice ride and a 200/300 tdi or similar motor will give you decent power for the highway and in addition the defender is also very good off-road and has the "cool" look of a Land Rover, of course the down-side is that these trucks tend to be expensive to buy due to demand. I drive a 110 and it keeps up with traffic nicely and rides well, though it is a little noisy inside as it could use more sound-deadening. A long wheel-base series , especially one with parabolics, would give a decent ride but speed and fuel economy wouldn't be very inspiring, these tend to be expensive as well if in decent condition. A Range Rover Classic or Discovery is a good alternative, very nice highway ride, good speed and comfort, pretty good off-road even in stock configuration, lots of power for towing a trailer but usually hard on fuel and no classic "land rover" look. These V8 trucks tend to be under-valued so you get a lot of bang for your buck as they tend to sell cheaply compared to some other Land Rover models (my Range Rover in good condition cost less than a rusty "restoration project" series rover) . I had a disco 2 for 5 years and currently have a P38 Range Rover, both have been great, not that hard to work on and have towed alot of other rovers around on trailers over the past few years. It is pretty hard to beat the magic carpet ride of a P38 as long as you don't mind the fuel bill :D

Cheers, Rob

[Crs]

There's been some pretty good advice here.

Series and Defenders are great off road. Get one and keep it at the cabin/cottage. Your Merc estate is going to be a much nicer place to be out on the highway, anyway.

If you want something that will do offroad and onroad cheaply, try a Disco 1 or 2. They're nice on road and off. D1 is nicely 'old school' in the repairs department. The D2 is a bit more 'techy' but after a decade since the last one, they're now known and catered to. The RR Classic also fits the bill, but prices on those are heading up if you want a nice one. They are far more collectible.

If the budget allows, LR3 and Range Rover Mk3 are very nice and very capable. The LR3 will carry the most stuff and people, then the RR. The Sport is also good, but again even less cargo space. Running costs will be higher with these than the other choices mentioned, but they are NICE places to be.

Now, if you go Series or Defender and that means leaving the car at the cottage, seriously consider a barn, shed, carport, or lean-to. Any precipitation within 100 miles and they start rusting like mad! They're an appreciating asset, so a little money now to keep it out of the weather should pay off later. You want to drive it, not just fix it.

[rstl99]

Thanks for the added thoughts and advice folks.
Indeed a 110 diesel would be nice to own - I used to own one!!! Mine was rust-free but had the rather anemic 2.5na engine. Anyway, I sold it for financial and lack-of-use reasons (didn't have a cottage close to trails at the time, and wasn't the most practical vehicle around the city). Yeah, if I had my choice a tdi 110 would be on top of the list, but it's more money than I'm willing to throw at an occasional-use vehicle.
I've thought about Discos but always figured they were maintenance nightmares and that finding one in good condition would be hard. The price is certainly right on them, but as was stated they don't have the "look and feel" of a Series LR.
Ditto for a RR. And not to ruffle feathers, but if I was going to buy a more "luxury" and pricey 4x4, I'd likely go back to owning a diesel Land Cruiser wagon, or even a Mercedes G-wagen diesel.

So I suppose that's why I'm attracted to the late Series III 109 ex-mod I've seen locally. It runs, it's solid, it needs a bit of TLC, and it's right-priced for me.

I agree that ideally such a vehicle should be stored in a dry space when not in use. I have a one-car garage in the city but that's over an hour on the highway from the cottage and trails, and I won't subject myself to such drives in a Series LR. The lack of such a space at the cottage gives me pause.

[rstl99]

Now, if you go Series or Defender and that means leaving the car at the cottage, seriously consider a barn, shed, carport, or lean-to. Any precipitation within 100 miles and they start rusting like mad! They're an appreciating asset, so a little money now to keep it out of the weather should pay off later. You want to drive it, not just fix it.

I thought that Series Land-Rovers were quite happy to be stored outside in rain/snow, as long as not parked on dirt or grass. I'd likely park mine on my paved driveway with a tarp over it, as I've done to many cars over the years without serious problems. I might even be able to store it inside my house garage if I can lift the hardtop roof off (low clearance because of garage opener) but that would prevent me from parking my winter car in there...

I figure I would drive it up to the cottage in the Spring, and bring it back to the city in the Fall.

[red90]

Just get a high quality car cover for it.

[rstl99]

Yeah well someone sniped the Series truck from me while I was out of town for the day. I was going to go do a final inspection with cash today, but it's gone. Darn.
Will give me time to better figure out what kind of 4x4 vehicle I'll need in the longer term. Ideally, one I can highway drive to the trailhead and back, which is obviously something a little challenging in a 4 speed 2.25L LR series truck.

[Dave_F]

Yeah well someone sniped the Series truck from me while I was out of town for the day. I was going to go do a final inspection with cash today, but it's gone. Darn.
Will give me time to better figure out what kind of 4x4 vehicle I'll need in the longer term. Ideally, one I can highway drive to the trailhead and back, which is obviously something a little challenging in a 4 speed 2.25L LR series truck.

I drove a bone stock Series 3 109 over 5000km up to the Yukon/NWT back in 2009. A well maintained 2.25 gasser will definatley get you to the trailhead and back. You won't be driving much above 90kmh, and it will be noisy, but they were never built for today's modern highway speeds anyway...just slow down and enjoy the ride.

[rstl99]

Yeah well someone sniped the Series truck from me while I was out of town for the day. I was going to go do a final inspection with cash today, but it's gone. Darn.
Will give me time to better figure out what kind of 4x4 vehicle I'll need in the longer term. Ideally, one I can highway drive to the trailhead and back, which is obviously something a little challenging in a 4 speed 2.25L LR series truck.

I drove a bone stock Series 3 109 over 5000km up to the Yukon/NWT back in 2009. A well maintained 2.25 gasser will definatley get you to the trailhead and back. You won't be driving much above 90kmh, and it will be noisy, but they were never built for today's modern highway speeds anyway...just slow down and enjoy the ride.

Thanks, you're right, secondary highways and enjoy the ride!
I'm still miffed about losing out on this 109, gotta let it go, breathe, ahmmmm....
(my GF always tells me when something doesn't go our way, it means there's something better coming, we'll see)

Here's a pic of the "one that got away"

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(75.91 KiB) Downloaded 4234 times

[Dave_F]

Here was mine...now sold.

The only problem I had during the entire trip was that at some point I impacted my rear gas tank popping the fuel sender out allowing water and guck into the tank...luckily I had a underseat tank that I was able to run home on.

it wasn't only secondary roads, as we ran the highways up from BC to the Yukon. My engine was the later 5 bearing 2.25 with a Petronix Electric Ignition setup.

Great Trucks those old Series.

[rstl99]

One heck of a trip you had Landy Man! If you've written about it somewhere I'd love to read it.

I myself took a flight up to Goose Bay Labrador to buy my 110 diesel some years ago. Had been bought and used by the RAF pilots on R&R from the NATO air force base up there. Only 50,000 kms or so, no rust at all, spartan but solid. Drove it back across the barren trans-Labrador highway, than down the equally barren in Quebec to the St-Lawrence then following the long river back to Ottawa. I always wanted to go back up North, fell in love with those 100's of kms of desolate gravel roads, the quietness up there. Never managed to do so with the 110 or any other vehicle I've owned since. I always saw that drive back from Goose Bay as being a race back to civilization because it was a new-to-me vehicle and I was afraid of breakdown somewhere on those barren roads, but in hindsight I wish I had taken the time to enjoy it more.

Cheers.