Hello all

I have owned a 2000 Freelander XEDI since 2004. My wife got sick and we felt we needed a younger reliable and tough vehicle. She really liked the car so I found a good one for 12k. We also kept our trusty 87 volvo 740 on the road and unbelievably it lasted another 6 years covering 223000 miles altogether. We hoped the Freelander might be comparable and see us through to our old age with similar tlc. It has not worked out that way but we do genuinely like the Freelander and so we are embarking on a basic restoration, which should keep it going for a few more years at least. It has just had a second new clutch fitted (first one lasted 5080 miles) but I wont name the autocentre chimps that fitted it until after the court case. They had not lubricated the fork etc and it partially seized and wrecked the thrust bearing. The job was done by an independant freelance specialist eventually and now it is as new again. Hope to contribute if I can and also gain a few reliable tips on who to use and maybe more importantly who to avoid out there. Seems that there are plenty of sharks waiting for the unwary.