Help and advice from the experts

I'm new here and I have a few questions Regarding regular to daily use of a classic, series II Land Rover.

I have a B7 RS4 that I'm really not planning on keeping and instead I hope to replace it with another usable classic to pair with my MG Midget. I use the Midget most of the time, year long and love it. Much like my thoughts of the Land Rover, I'm being told I'm mad but I'm used to the old, cold and uncomfortable environment and so far that's what I remember from my only drive in a Land Rover when I was about 17 (now 43!)

What I'd like to know is......
1 - Those of you who drive them regularly, do you have any niggles that really grate about the car in general?
2 - Not too bothered about fuel economy but are they generally reliable as a daily driver once all the little jobs are done?
3- I understand it's not going to be the most comfortable, fast or practical daily driver but can they be subtley updated to make them more user friendly?

More questions to come when I think of them.
Thanks in advance,
Mike.

i am 6ft tall with long legs and its uncomfortable after an hours driving; seat only goes so far back.
MPG is not good on my petrol
Worst bit is having to constantly find excuses to drive somewhere : )

All very familiar so far and I'm only 6ft so that's good yes?

It's my daily drive sometimes get shoulder ache if there's a lot of manouvering but the only thing that always annoys me is not being able to hold speed going up hills.

(earplugs come in handy as well)

SpringDon said:

It's my daily drive sometimes get shoulder ache if there's a lot of manouvering but the only thing that always annoys me is not being able to hold speed going up hills.

(earplugs come in handy as well)

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Petrol or diesel? Or is that a daft newbie question and real men know the right fuel type to choose?
I've seen some that have a 200 TDI conversion to aid power and economy or is that another stupid suggestion and it's purists only here?

petrol is better in the 2.25 forms ,tdi does give better economy and power

i've no real idea of the petrol engine as a daily but i did have the 2.25d for about 6-8 weeks in my 88" bitsa, much as i found it a fun motor to drive i felt i needed a bit more power and the need to keep the diesel economy, i fitted a 200tdi (i couldn't find a perkins prima and conversion parts) and 3.54 diffs, i then used that motor as a daily drive/workhorse/playtool for the next three years with minimal unexpected problems

i now drive a 1965 109, 200tdi powered with 3.54 diffs as my daily, i've had this one on the road for two years (i still have the 88") after having given it a full stripdown and rebuild with minimal problems since, it is now my daily and workhorse, i still go laning in it the only thing is i'm extra careful of it as it's pretty straight panelled so it's obviously not used in pay and play pits where i have been known to be silly in my 88

the 109 is roomier and has more legroom in the front than my 88, it's more comfortable on bumpy surfaces (i hate speedbumps in my 88), it carries more junk in the rear tub, for general daily use i'd always recommend a 109 especially for a bigger bloke (i'm almost a midget) just for the comfort/room in front (not to mention that a 109 doesn't pitch like an 88 does)

only downside with a 109 is trying to turn around in limited space especially if like mine it has a van panelled body (10 point turns) in narrow crowded roads

mine has gone just about everywhere that the 88s have gone with no more trouble/difficulty when i've had weekends away laning in wales with other leafers

just remember diesel engines are noisier than petrol ones

Excellent, thank you.
I've always desired the 109 more than the 88 but I'd be fine with either. I was slightly concerned about the length and maneuverability of the 109 but I'm sure I'd be fine with one.
You mentioning the handling was interesting, so are they considered 'more comfortable' or is that just a personal thought?

It's a landrover. they're noisy, ****e, unreliable, uncomfortable, and have crap fuel economy (actually forget economy all together.) You'll spend every minute in it, wondering what's gonna break or fall off next. And every weekend putting the bits, that fell off it back on it.

Buy a Nissan Micra. for ya daily driver. and have a landy as a weekend toy..

I don't want a Nissan Micra or some other standard metal box, which is why my MG is what I drive most.
Like the MG I'm sure a Land Rover, looks any other vehicle can be made reliable and then all the common issues kept on top of. They're not that bad are they?

parptoot said:

I don't want a Nissan Micra or some other standard metal box, which is why my MG is what I drive most.
Like the MG I'm sure a Land Rover, looks any other vehicle can be made reliable and then all the common issues kept on top of. They're not that bad are they?

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They commonly fall to pieces, After all they were built by a british car company... in the 60's/70's If you do a complete chassis up refurb you might get a decent one. But otherwise yes they're that bad..

Ah, well I was planning to buy one that had been fully rebuilt, hopefully with the 200 TDI engine already in.

Never plan on actually reaching your destination that's just a bonus. Just when you think you have it running sweet another bit will break or fall off. Previous owners mechanical ingenuity will be admired.
Anything can be made reliable if you throw a **** load of cash at it and time

But god they are fun, you really have to drive them (no driver aids)

The Dog And Lemon Guide sums up all you need to know about Series Waggons

Thanks, it's that fun aspect I was after. I get it with the MG and wanted another that would do the same for me.
If you know anyone with an RS4 you'll know they to understand the 'time and money' issue, I can't imagine the basics of a Land Rover could be more troublesome and I'm already relatively ready for the onslaught.

When I bought my MG I then went about making it reliable and ready to drive as a daily. I also have a local specialist who is more than capable of keeping it right. Surely I can do the same with the LR? They can,t be so much worse.

well there's a fair few folks on here think they're unreliable and they might be in comparison to a modern car but i've been driving mine for two years as a daily and so far the only failures i've had that wasn't my fault is ...

clutch friction plate had two shudder springs break up and a couple of weeks ago i finally had a halfshaft snap, this is in my 109

i've also had an engine develop a serious rattle in it so i swapped it before anything let go, this i believe was caused by an oilcooler line getting scrubbed through on the steering box drop arm and was my error rather than unreliability

the 109 is definitely more comfortable than an 88" but you still have to stick your elbow out the window

remember these motors are 30 plus years old they need cajoling and nursing, mechanically they need driving with sympathy, fit a tdi in front of a gearbox that's starting to tire and drive it like you stole it, don't expect it to last too long

my 2a gearbox is sweet as a nut, i keep check on the oil levels (barely breathes any out), i drive smoothly, don't let it labour and don't un-necessarily lay the power on in the lower gears

my bitsa has had nothing but cheap (sub 35quid) tired gearboxes in it (howlers) and i finished two off in three years, this included abuse in pay and play pits along with deep wading (sank it one year and had to be towed out of the river so properly got water in everywhere except the sump)

mechanical sympathy is really the name of the game with these motors, there are bits that are known to have rotted off and electrics that have an unfair reputation due to the age of these vehicles and PO bodges, a lot of people seem to think a 500quid Series should have the same basic usability as a 500quid Fiesta, the difference is twice the age and umpteen owners that have neglected and abused it off road along with bodging it back together at minimal cost (baling twine and spit)

buy or build a good one and you'll be pleasantly surprised, on more than one occaision i've done 350-400 mile (same day) round journeys in my landys, i certainly do not go out worrying about what will break or fail next and in 5 years i've only needed the AA the once when the timing belt snapped

i've had a volvo engine punch a rod out of the block and a Goldwing strand me in Wales and these are both supposed to be bulletproof

I always wanted a B7 RS4 but couldn't justify it as a daily car.
That and I'd lose my license in 24hrs...

This is all excellent stuff chaps, thanks very much.

I'm reading pretty much a repeat of what happened when I got the MG so nothing that really concerns me at all.

Reliability I'd imagine will be on par with the MG once sorted and looked after so providing I'm having fun in it that's it really.

The RS4 is a superb car in every respect but it doesn't give me the thrill and fun of the MG and that's why it's demoted to be the second car after the MG. It should be the other way round but that's just me.

My desires for the LR have been around for a few years now so I think I should go for it at some point.
I reckon it'll be a rebuilt 200 TDI engined 109, may be that may all change depending on what I hear on this forum to desuade me otherwise.

my '65 109 pictures, complete strip and rebuild

My 1965 109 Photos by NiteMare_08 | Photobucket

NiteMare said:

my '65 109 pictures, complete strip and rebuild

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Was all that DIY? Wow..... Hmmm although I'm capable, being a qualified mechanic, all that knowledge was long forgotten and most of my hands on life was in Motorsport and a lot of that doesn't transfer to road cars, let alone one designed decades ago.

Luckily I have a very helpful localish engineer who spent his military life working on Land Rovers and he also does my MG. I'm set for life or until he retires

yea all done by my own fair hands except for the media blasting of the bulkhead prior to paint

to be honest most of that work i consider to be pretty basic fabrication, the chassis is just four plates welded at the corners so easy to repair, bulkheads are a bit of a pain due to so many spotwelds and layers

i like squirting a bit of paint at stuff now and then, always buy more than the minimum required then you allow for mistakes and rectification

wiring these old beasts is the easy bit with a little thought and a diagram for basic guidance, most of the wires in there came out of the disco i broke for the engine and diffs and i just chopped out the lengths i needed, this along with a roll of black wire for added earths and a length of trailer cable, a couple of relays and a fuse box and i had a pleasureable couple of days of wiring it up (i find this kind of wiring relaxing due to the focussing of my thoughts allowing me to ignore everything else)

if you can look after your MG yourself you can look after one of these, i had the pleasure of looking after a 1958 MGA a couple of years ago, a couple of bodge repairs so the guy could drive it off the dock when he got it back home to Oz, it really needed a full strip and rebuild but his time and money was very limited so it was a quick temporary repair to get it home, the next MG was a Midget, by god can't THEY rot

p.s.
personally i'd like a Spitfire/GT6 hybrid