Advice needed on purchasing a Landy

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J.A.Brumpton

J.A.Brumpton

New Member
Posts
5
Location
Lincolnshire, England
Hello everyone,
I apologise if this is in the wrong section - I have just joined.

I need some advice on getting my first land rover. I'm 17 and live in the countryside in Lincolnshire. I don't need it for commuting or anything, I've just always wanted one, I love them. My father had a series 3 for many years when I was a child and I've always wanted to get my own.
He bought his as an ex-military one and cost him just over £3000.

However, as I am 17 my budget is around £2500 and I was wondering what I could get for this? I am prepared to do work on it as that it part of the appeal - as you will have guessed I am not mechanically savvy at the moment but I hope it could be a learning experience. And my dad has worked on land rovers a fair amount so is on hand to help free of charge.

What would you say are the things to look out for the most? For that price - what parts of the car should you be willing to let be broken or rusted when buying? What is the insurance cost likely to be and should you get it from any specific insurer? What is the best condition you could hope for at this price? How much do parts cost and how hard is doing work on a land rover?

Ideally I'd like a 70's/80's land rover, and I do have vague ideas about the answers to the questions above - but all input is helpful. Thanks :)
 
A good deal depends on the time and resources you have available and what you're prepared to do. Most if not all components on a Land Rover can be replaced, so on some older ones there's very little of the original machine left. At that sort of age it is likely to have structurally significant rust in the chassis and bulkhead,which you may find people have already tried to repair more or less successfully. There are an awful lot of stories on here of people doing a good deal of welding on their chassis or bulkhead or both, complete with pictures. Or replacing them. The latter represents a significant cost though - probably getting on for £1.5 - £2K. Most mechanical bits can be replaced. Bearings, bushes, brake friction surfaces and the like. It depends how far you want to go. With the more complex items like gearboxes and engines there are some brave souls here who dismantle them down to component level, but a lot of people either find second hand ones or get exchange units from the various firms that refurbish them. If you're intending to take your gearbox apart for example it helps to have more specialist tools available like presses and pullers.

If you want to see Land Rover motoring on a budget with older machines, have a look at Min200's work on here. He's done a Series 3 and is working on an older 110 at the moment. This is useful because he's working on his driveway with the sort of tools a keen DIY person might have.

There's never a Land Rover that you absolutely must not buy, because most of them can be mended. It's just making sure that you make yourself aware of the kind of work it might need, and if it's extensive , that the price reflects this.
 
A series 2/3 or a lightweight, something like that would be ideal, cheaper to buy and (probably) cheaper to insure as you may be able to get a classic policy or something. I think your budget isn't go to stretch to defender 90/110 territory or if it did is likely to be a nightmare **** box.
Due to your age/lack of experience expect to pay heavily though - you could get some quotes off Internet insurance sites to give you an idea.

As for condition, the best you can, ideally with as minimal rust as possible - bulkhead and chassis need to be sound (unless your dad can weld!) - although for vehicles of that age expect to at least plate or replace part of it, I doubt you will find one that has an untouched chassis that doesn't need a plate here and there

Mechanics are pretty basic and they can be worked on with a decent set of sockets and spanners. If your dad has previous experience then he can help and a landy would be ideal to learn on.

I would maybe look for a 2 1/4 petrol SWB, but that's just me - quite fancy one!
 
I've read a lot about getting a galvanised chassis. Is this common? I know they weren't made like that. Do you know how much it costs or how hard it is to remove the chassis from a land rover?

Also, where would you recommend looking for Land rovers to buy? Posts online - certain sites? Or magazines or the papers?
 
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There are several firms that make replacement galvanised chassis. Richards and Marslands are probably the best known. Prices tend to be as I've mentioned above. But a lot of people patch their own at home with a welder. In addition, some manufacturers make pre-formed bits and pieces such as rear crossmembers and outriggers that can be welded to an otherwise salvageable chassis. if you have welding equipment to hand there's very little that can't be achieved with patience and skill. This guy made himself an entire chassis out of sheet metal https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/alrc-project.160626/ And built himself the shed to make it in. The major issue in changing a chassis is time. If you unbolt everything and bolt it back together it takes ages, so some people have devised ways of taking the body off in one piece. But drastic steps like that are usually a good opportunity to replace and renew other things as well so it might well be worth doing so. Here's somebody doing one at the moment: https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/rattlers-90-chassis-swap.292372/ The relevant pictures start about halfway down the second page.

Even if a chassis looks OK, it might need further investigation, because people often try and mend them as quickly and cheaply as possible by doing as little dismantling as they can get away with and just tack welding surface patches over the rust. Folks on here (at least those willing to write about it and show the world what they've done) favour cutting a hole so that the new metal can be recessed into the old and doing a continuous seam weld.

Anyway, wait until you have a specific vehicle in front of you before thinking too hard about a chassis replacement. After all, it may not need one!
 
Most would be... nice to see someone not told they are....

Thinking wrongly
Doing wrongly
Living wrongly
Dreaming wrongly
 
Well thanks haha. Do you know where might be the best place to look at land rovers for sale at this sort of price? I imagine proper genuine listings on the more well known sites are for more expensive ones. Do you recommend any sites? Or the papers or magazines?
 
Hate to say it but ebay is best place to look - being auction it tends to reflect exactly the price things are making - at present there are some ex MOD 110's going for a bit more than your budget - but might be worth beg, borrowing, stealing to be able to start off with something a tad better............................ Old series are great fun but probably different to anything you've driven - see if you can find someone to let you test drive one - you're polite - just ask, and you've still got some old airfields up there haven't you? A defender/90/110 are a tad easier to live with - I assume this'll be your only vehicle? Anyway welcome by the way.
 
@waldamar
Yeah I realise that the defender's are probably a good bet and would justify the extra money for my needs. It will be my only vehicle but like I say it's just for going round the village and countryside, not commuting or anything - I have that covered - so having a land rover for me will be for the love of it and hopefully to learn about mechanics more in a DIY sort of way. Which is why it seems a little tough to find a Land Rover around this budget that doesn't overwhelm me as a beginner and end up digging into my pockets as it spends time with a mechanic. But you have to learn somehow.

Yes there are plenty of old airfields and thanks for the recommendation I'll look into it. That being said - do you know the principal differences between the defenders and the series? I assume the mpg is similar but what would you say are the key differences?
 
Above all suspension, Series are on leaf springs [like a cart!] Defenders on springs - both have their supporters but springs ARE more comfortable. Power steering common or possible on defenders while rare or difficult on Series. Defenders just a bit more modern - mine is very early 110 so still has the agricultural "charm" Ex MOD are said to have better chassis.............................
 
waldamar said:
Above all suspension, Series are on leaf springs [like a cart!] Ex MOD are said to have better chassis.............................
Click to expand...

Wouldnt say that is always what I have seen.

Very much depends on what the vehicle did in the miltary. The one that the general used to drive round the base is great. The one used by the marines for wading exercises in the sea maybe not so good! ;)
 
waldamar said:
Above all suspension, Series are on leaf springs [like a cart!] Defenders on springs - both have their supporters but springs ARE more comfortable. Power steering common or possible on defenders while rare or difficult on Series. Defenders just a bit more modern - mine is very early 110 so still has the agricultural "charm" Ex MOD are said to have better chassis.............................
Click to expand...

Don't just assume ex-mod will be fine I saw plenty of cosmetically good up top but rotten as a peach defenders in withams yard.
 
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