CohPC

Well-Known Member
Summary of my first 6 weeks of owning a landy

The boss likes land rovers, specifically lwb later defender hard tops, so of course I bought a 1974 swb soft top series 3. She is beginning to like it especially after I took her to the seaside topless (the car was topless, not the mrs)

Miles driven 350, this has given me an insight into the best driving positions in a series land rover, the options are:
"The Safari" can only be used with door tops removed, you drive nonchalantly with the right elbow on the door imagining yourself wafting through the savannah despite actually being stuck in traffic in the middle of Essex.
"The Praying Mantis" hands on top of the steering wheel elbows rested on bottom of the wheel, used on straight roads when door tops are on as there's no other f*cking place for you to put your elbows.
"The chiropractor" used when manoeuvring with door tops on, the edge of the window channel on the door top gradually removes parts of your elbow as you turn the wheel.
"The silencer" left knee positioned gently against the gear lever to stop the annoying rattle that happens between 47 and 50 miles an hour when the vibration causes the gear lever to rattle - think this may be a design feature warning noise to remind you to grip the steering wheel tightly with both hands.

Things that broke - the brake light switch - of course this stopped working the morning i needed to do an 80-mile round trip to pick up a door the mrs had bought. contact cleaner got it working for that trip but replaced it any way - 5-minute job.
Reversing light switch - knew this needed replacing when i bought it - 5-minute job to replace it - that's 5 minutes after removing all of the floor and gearbox cover. of course, being a land rover, it worked perfectly until i had replaced the floor - had to remove the floor again just to replace one of the connectors.

Most surprising thing - the windscreen wipers actually do manage to remove some of the rain from the windscreen, i find the windscreen wipers particularly amusing - especially the way they both manage to start and stop at the same place and time despite seeming the move at completely different speeds.

All of this just makes me love it even more.

Topless photo for you all to drool over:

IMG-20221029-WA0003.jpg
 
Glad you have learnt to love it:).
It will be the focus of your hate at some point so remember the good times:p:D.

J
 
Excellent choice....and excellent sense of humour (muchly required methinks)
Welcome!
:D
Thanks, I've either got a good sense of humour or going mad cos I'm happy every time I drive it.
Just a couple of things I need to do to it though
Put the spare on the bonnet just to make it even more impractical
Add bench seats in the back just so there's people in it that are more uncomfortable than the driver
 
Welcome. If your stick rattles, the end may be worn. Mine was all over the place when I got it, I was never sure which gear I had selected until I took my foot off the clutch. I replaced the gear lever and the two little springs that fit to the reverse gate flap and it transformed it into summat orrible instead of really orrible

Col
 
Welcome. If your stick rattles, the end may be worn. Mine was all over the place when I got it, I was never sure which gear I had selected until I took my foot off the clutch. I replaced the gear lever and the two little springs that fit to the reverse gate flap and it transformed it into summat orrible instead of really orrible

Col
It goes into gear fine, it's just when I get to around 47mph it vibrates its not a loud noise and only around that speed. Think it must vibrate at exactly the right frequency to make an annoying sound. Probably designed by the same bloke who managed to design a speedo that's accurate over 30 miles an hour but jumps around from 0 to 25mph at speeds under 30 mph (checked using phone speed app and speedo is accurate).
 
It goes into gear fine, it's just when I get to around 47mph it vibrates its not a loud noise and only around that speed. Think it must vibrate at exactly the right frequency to make an annoying sound. Probably designed by the same bloke who managed to design a speedo that's accurate over 30 miles an hour but jumps around from 0 to 25mph at speeds under 30 mph (checked using phone speed app and speedo is accurate).
My speedo is surprisingly accurate. From 0 to about 45 it matches my gps really well and it over reads by about 5 mph at about 60ish

Col
 
My speedo is surprisingly accurate. From 0 to about 45 it matches my gps really well and it over reads by about 5 mph at about 60ish

Col
To be honest you don't really need a speedo, if you can have a conversation at normal voice level with your passenger your doing under 30, if your shouting your some where between 30 and 50, if your passenger looks like they are screaming in fear but you can't hear a scream over the noise of the engine your at 60 mph
 
To be honest you don't really need a speedo, if you can have a conversation at normal voice level with your passenger your doing under 30, if your shouting your some where between 30 and 50, if your passenger looks like they are screaming in fear but you can't hear a scream over the noise of the engine your at 60 mph
You've really got the hang of this very quickly. :D
 
On my old series 2a for some time until fixed I had a couple of strong rubber bands from the gear stick base to the yellow knob to keep it quite.:D
 
On my old series 2a for some time until fixed I had a couple of strong rubber bands from the gear stick base to the yellow knob to keep it quite.:D
I will add elastic bands to the list of essentials you need to carry in your landrover,
 
The ball that fits in the bracket that fits to the gearbox that the gearlever actually pivots on has a small flat spring that stops the gear lever rattling, most people do not know the spring is even there.
 
The ball that fits in the bracket that fits to the gearbox that the gearlever actually pivots on has a small flat spring that stops the gear lever rattling, most people do not know the spring is even there.
Thanks lynall, wish I'd known that when I had the floor up doing the reversing switch, I'm not taking the floor off again till I really have to so it will have to wait
 
On both my series and Ninety stainless screws and electric screwdriver means not much time needed to remove floors/tunnel.
 
On both my series and Ninety stainless screws and electric screwdriver means not much time needed to remove floors/tunnel.
Mines same but its still faffing about for something that's really not much of an issue
 
Thanks lynall, wish I'd known that when I had the floor up doing the reversing switch, I'm not taking the floor off again till I really have to so it will have to wait

I hate taking the floor up, even though the screws/bolts are stainless it is still a pita.
 
I know what you mean, I didnt even bother replacing the screws in mine.

Col

The thought has crossed my mind, but then it is only something else to rattle.

Line the screw holes up for the range change gaiter pita.
Rubiks cube the drivers side floor plate in and out, gets me every time.
Never enough odd shaped screwdrivers for all the weirdly placed screws.
 

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