And my first 4x4 and Land Rover!

And almost wishing I hadnt bought it!!!

my car background includes building two kit cars and restoring a classic mini from a nut and bolt rebuild including welding and spraying, so it's fair to say I know a bit about cars, but am on a big learning curve on 4x4s

We have bought a 2001 X plate TD5 manual with 143k miles which drove OK for a week or so before we were greeted with a graunching noise with the clutch down. Happily nothing more than the spigot bush at £2.49, but adding a new clutch and flywheel, and curing an oil leak on a par with the Torrey Canyon, it comes to around £1000!!!

The garage have noted that the rear of the chassis had been welded (and I thought Land Rovers didnt rust much.....) which I had noticed but this had been done so well I wasnt sure whether it was original or not! The car has running boards and the box sections are absolutely rotten, but this again seems "normal"

We paid £3000, which seemed about par, only time will tell whether we have a good one or not.

I intend doing much of the work myself, but in my late 50's I simply dont want to be lifting heavy gearboxes about. The plan is to get the car into good reliable condition, and I am planning the following jobs when I get it back

Oil/filter change
Remove EGR valve (if not already done, vendor is a trader and he reckoned this one pulled better than others he had had)
Front Discs and pads (MOT advisory, rears are scored as well)
Check the propshafts and renew UJs if required
re wire radio/cd to cure cutting out (sounds like Norma Collier!)

I have found with previous cars that once I get them sorted they become reliable, and this is what I am hoping here.

The car will be used for towing a horse box and two horses, so I'm not especially keen on the car breaking down!!!

I live in Newick in East Sussex if there are any members nearby........

Anything else I need to check or do to this car, or any advice much appreciated!!!!!

Oh if anyone has a horse box for sale or wants to buy a 94 MX5 with 60k miles only get in touch as we cannot get all 6 cars on the drive.........

Land rovers dont rust much?

I chortled.

Oh, and a grand for a clutch change is a very good price. For the garage.

Give you £500 for the mx5

Welcome, nice introductory post, enjoy the forum and remember the flack jacket and hard hat

Oh, £550 for the mx5

No ta I'll extend the drive onto the grass!!!!

Lagina Blue, 12 months MOT no advisories perfect hood etc, ABS and LSD etc stainless exhaust talk £1800 and we are in!

Yes I actually phoned another "well known" LR specialist in the area and they quoted £911 for a clutch, £1500+ with a new DMF.

Garage I went with are also curing the oil leak and replacing a corroded brake pipe. I think their pricing is fair, and if all works out OK will use them again........hoping I can do the rest of the work myself.

Note the £1000 includes the DMF........

Why are you using specialists?

Why are you using specialists?

Click to expand...

TBH simply because I am new to LRs and just finding my feet, if you have any local mechanics that anyone uses please let me know. It's another reason for joining the forum

I'd imagine specialists and/or LR dealers are around £100 per hour plus Vat..I'm not in your part of the country but a good independent here is half that.

Post in the defender or disco section.

For clarity the garage is Maresfield 4x4 solutions and their labour rate is £59. The other garage also charge £59 an hour yet it seems to take them far more hours to do the same!!!!

They are not LR dealers but do specialise in 4x4s of all types but primarily LRs

Clutch change is 6 and a half hours.

6.5 x 60 = £390, parts inc DMF. new clutch, spigot and release bearing and a pair of oil seals for the gearbox/transfer box around £400(?) £790 + VAT = £948 plus fluids etc.....Certainly the £1500+ (without curing the oil leak) from the other independant seemed a complete p155 take and I was advised to stay away from them by a friend who runs an MOT station.

As I said I think their price seems fair, I am hoping to find a local independent mechanic at some point, but this job had to be done as it may have done damage if left.

I got the car expecting some pricey bills, its very rare any of our other 5 cars go to the garage, as I do it myself!!!

Clutch is £80

True, but the DMF isnt cheap......think £200?

Ah, true.

:welcome2:

OK so here we are now approaching £1500 on repairs after the clutch master cylinder sprung a leak when they bled it, have done the slave cylinder as well. Oh and also the propshaft donut.......

With the £3000 purchase price I am now in for £4500, but the garage have confirmed the car is pretty sound and no issues with ujs or sills (just the rear part of the chassison this vintage it seems)

I am viewing the £4500 as "I could have bought better" but equally I now have a tow vehicle that hopefully I can rely on. At least when we turn up at a horse show it looks the part there's an amount of street cred attached to the Land Rover that you dont get in other 4x4s

I saw an 07 Disco 3 up at £21000 and considered the following:

- Road fund licence is £460 instead of £215
- in 5 years time it will be worth maybe £5000 (based on current 10 yr old Discos) so depn is £3200 a year

Given this I am not feeling too bad about our Disco, time will tell!!!!

Next jobs (which I will do myself!)

- Paint the chassis and waxoil to stave off corrosion
- remove EGR
- New air filter
- Oil and filter change
- New discs and pads all round
- Install new feed to cd player to cure the NormanCollier effect
- new gear and handbrake gaitors
- replace headlamp fixings
- Buy Horsebox trailer!

Looks like I have a new hobby, just as well our two MX5's dont take too much maintenance !!!!!!