GrumpyGel
Well-Known Member
The main issue I have with my L Series Freelander is that it is to boringly reliable.
Doesn't give me the opportunities to get the spanners out often enough.
I really need to sell the Starlet (our backup car) and get me another Freelander that I can tinker with.
Weldy
Well-Known Member
Toyota starlet!! Now that’s a car that never needs fixed.. my mate had one with 280k on the clock and put 100 on himself !!! Just breakpads and tyres .. don’t know if he was lucky! But I was impressed ! Anyhoo .. if you want something to fix constantly
Get a disco !! Lol
Stuart hall
Active Member
Blimey that will upset disco dave and his merry men !
I'm on your side you know ! After all I was until recently driving about in a 73 Buick !
I agree re new car costs to manufacture etc BUT if it's run by the state as a massive employer and balance of payments etc they can do what they like be it false information or regulations to
force us off the road.
I think I'm the last generation to enjoy motoring as it is now, I mean who wants a driverless car ?
No as said strange laws here, I couldn't just come to your house and by your car. I'd need to employ a solicitor for the reams of paperwork etc.
Same when it finally dies, have to go to traffic dept file as off the road pay lots in unpaid fines etc ! ( plus interest )
It's like uk with their wonderful ideas of closing rubbish dumps and collecting rubbish every three weeks, people fly tip
Now noticed here, people just leave old cars in carpark etc.
They just remove no. Plates and hope plod dont check vins !
GrumpyGel
Well-Known Member
Its a '92 Starlet 1.3 and (probably one of the first) EFI. Originally a Japanese car, came to NZ in 95 when my cousin bought it. He sold it to us in 2003 for $3K (about £1K then). In our ownership its always been the '2nd car' and at times it doesn't accumulate may miles, but others its seen lots of use. We lived out in the country for a year and it would ferry the kids into and home from school in town, for 3 years our daughter used it to go to and from Uni each day (probably a 40 mile journey) and its currently our son's car used for work and what ever he wishes. It hasn't had 100% reliability - 1 morning the battery was flat
Other than servicing, pads, tyres - I've swapped out wheel bearings and starter motor - can't recall much other than that - but its had a knocking CV for a couple of years, front passenger window is broke, drivers window only works when its warm and its generally pretty tatty these days - up to about 250k kms IIRC. Still starts on the button, drives great and passes its WOFs without hassles. I don't have much interest in it though - which is why its become tatty.As for Discos - been there with a 300TDI in the UK for a few years and a V8 over here for 7 years. I know how much effort they can take to keep on the road and money it costs to run them.... its why I don't have one now! I do have a bit of a hankering for another one - but it would have to be a TD5 as its based on the good old L Series I have in the Freelander
There again the D2 transfer box is pants - I couldn't entertain a Disco without a locking diff as it simply wouldn't work well on the beach and I wouldn't trust it in other places. The late Classic/P38 transfer box setup of 'traditional' LR permanent 4WD with Freelanderesque viscous coupling is probably my ideal. So my ideal LR would be a Freelander with a Disco's TD5 engine and a transfer box from a RR I'm probably an ideal candidate for a D-Lander - only problem is I hate the things
You should seriously consider one for Mrs Weldy. If you want one that's got the best chance of not going wrong and with oodles of British engineering character, get an L Series. If she likes her creature comforts, a more refiined ride and an auto box, go for a TD4. If you don't mind the prospect of a HG change and want to save a few quid, go for the 1.8, available throughout the trim range but only in manual. The only problem you'll have is that you're likely to be quite impressed by it! You could get into a position where you're throwing eggs at yourself
If you do go for one, read up on how the VCU works - its a completely different animal to other Landies and can/will destroy the transmission if not looked after (much more so than the RR), and definitely have a read of this...
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tests-new-freelander-owners-should-do-on-their-car.312863/
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tests-new-freelander-owners-should-do-on-their-car.312863/
There endeth the sermon from the Freelander and Rover diesel engine evangelist
GrumpyGel
Well-Known Member
Why do governments have to meddle with ridiculous legislation!
They never appear to do things for good reason, just seen to be doing stuff for the sake of being seen doing stuff.
Stuart hall
Active Member
Yep dead right, I think new car's are much cheaper here than UK . Obviously most are used and abused for the rental market, then they seem to ship them back to mainland spain so used cars here are expensive.
My neighbour drives an elderly Corsa which would be £200 tops in UK, here he paid 1700 € for it !
In good order Phoebe would be worth nearly 3000 € ! ! !
Weldy
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that.. interesting read.. One thing you said that I didn’t agree with.. British engineering!!Its a '92 Starlet 1.3 and (probably one of the first) EFI. Originally a Japanese car, came to NZ in 95 when my cousin bought it. He sold it to us in 2003 for $3K (about £1K then). In our ownership its always been the '2nd car' and at times it doesn't accumulate may miles, but others its seen lots of use. We lived out in the country for a year and it would ferry the kids into and home from school in town, for 3 years our daughter used it to go to and from Uni each day (probably a 40 mile journey) and its currently our son's car used for work and what ever he wishes. It hasn't had 100% reliability - 1 morning the battery was flat
As for Discos - been there with a 300TDI in the UK for a few years and a V8 over here for 7 years. I know how much effort they can take to keep on the road and money it costs to run them.... its why I don't have one now! I do have a bit of a hankering for another one - but it would have to be a TD5 as its based on the good old L Series I have in the Freelander
I'm probably an ideal candidate for a D-Lander - only problem is I hate the things
You should seriously consider one for Mrs Weldy. If you want one that's got the best chance of not going wrong and with oodles of British engineering character, get an L Series. If she likes her creature comforts, a more refiined ride and an auto box, go for a TD4. If you don't mind the prospect of a HG change and want to save a few quid, go for the 1.8, available throughout the trim range but only in manual. The only problem you'll have is that you're likely to be quite impressed by it! You could get into a position where you're throwing eggs at yourself
If you do go for one, read up on how the VCU works - its a completely different animal to other Landies and can/will destroy the transmission if not looked after (much more so than the RR), and definitely have a read of this...
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tests-new-freelander-owners-should-do-on-their-car.312863/
There endeth the sermon from the Freelander and Rover diesel engine evangelist
When isambard kingdom Brunel made bridges. That was British engineering
When BL made the maestro. British engineering was embarrassed !!!
And it never recovered !!
But i can see where your hybrid d lander comes from.. best bits of everything.. but defo going to get one for Mrs weldy!! Cheap to run and reliable..
and I can throw eggs at her .. for owning one lol
Stuart hall
Active Member
Weldy
Well-Known Member
I can see the simalarities lol...
Stuart hall
Active Member
It outscores the hippo ! Lol
Ps sorry not very good at tech !
Ps sorry not very good at tech !
GrumpyGel
Well-Known Member
I thought the embarrassment was well and truly established with the Allegro?
I drove a Maestro with the digital talking dash for a while, was quite novel. Can't remember if I thought it a thumbs up car or thumbs down - so it must have been pretty bland till it rusted away.
I think the best part of the Maestro was the Perkins Prima engine. Seen as quite a good repower option for the Series trucks I believe. Also the engine that the L Series was based on and therefore the TD5 also. So LR's Disco 2 was powered by a BL Maestro engine
I can't believe the Maestro scores higher than Freelander. Reviews of Freelander are very polarising. The Dog & Lemon guide really hates the car! If you read it, they are quite right about some things, but on lots of things it is obvious they know nothing about the car.
I drove a Maestro with the digital talking dash for a while, was quite novel. Can't remember if I thought it a thumbs up car or thumbs down - so it must have been pretty bland till it rusted away.
I think the best part of the Maestro was the Perkins Prima engine. Seen as quite a good repower option for the Series trucks I believe. Also the engine that the L Series was based on and therefore the TD5 also. So LR's Disco 2 was powered by a BL Maestro engine
I can't believe the Maestro scores higher than Freelander. Reviews of Freelander are very polarising. The Dog & Lemon guide really hates the car! If you read it, they are quite right about some things, but on lots of things it is obvious they know nothing about the car.
Weldy
Well-Known Member
Wait till I post that on the disco forum!!!
bait!!!!!
How do I post your post in the disco forum????
Weldy
Well-Known Member
I didn’t even know they had a talking maestro!!! Bet that’s a rare thing now!! As it probably only worked for 2 years then lost its voice!!I thought the embarrassment was well and truly established with the Allegro?
I drove a Maestro with the digital talking dash for a while, was quite novel. Can't remember if I thought it a thumbs up car or thumbs down - so it must have been pretty bland till it rusted away.
I think the best part of the Maestro was the Perkins Prima engine. Seen as quite a good repower option for the Series trucks I believe. Also the engine that the L Series was based on and therefore the TD5 also. So LR's Disco 2 was powered by a BL Maestro engine
I can't believe the Maestro scores higher than Freelander. Reviews of Freelander are very polarising. The Dog & Lemon guide really hates the car! If you read it, they are quite right about some things, but on lots of things it is obvious they know nothing about the car.
Allegro vandam plas 5 speed box..
it was a hot hatch in those days.. 3 bhp and no body could catch you as they couldnt breath for all the smoke they belted out!!
I’m glad I have a good old British Rover V8 in mine .. a mans engine!!
Oh it’s American !! Buick!!
Bugger!! Did Britain do anything good???
Oh yes .. they sent all the convicts to Australia!!!
GrumpyGel
Well-Known Member
The MG Maestro and Montego Turbos were rapid cars. 150hp Turbo charged versions of the 2L O Series that they put in the Discos as the MPI - mind you, less aid about that the better!I didn’t even know they had a talking maestro!!! Bet that’s a rare thing now!! As it probably only worked for 2 years then lost its voice!!
Allegro vandam plas 5 speed box..
it was a hot hatch in those days.. 3 bhp and no body could catch you as they couldnt breath for all the smoke they belted out!!
I’m glad I have a good old British Rover V8 in mine .. a mans engine!!
Oh it’s American !! Buick!!
Bugger!! Did Britain do anything good???
Oh yes .. they sent all the convicts to Australia!!!
They developed that into a T Series Turbo which my son has in his Rover 220 Tomcat - 200hp and 150mph - but he can't be arsed to fix a brake light so it won't pass a WOF and he's driving the Starlet.
The V8s have 1 thing in common with my L Series - the accelerator does not really appear to be connected to the amount of power the engine produces. With the V8, it appears to just control volume - ie how much sound the engine produces - and I have to admit, it is a lovely sound
With the L Series, it appears to just control the amount of smoke produced 
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
The MG Maestro and Montego Turbos were rapid cars. 150hp Turbo charged versions of the 2L O Series that they put in the Discos as the MPI - mind you, less aid about that the better!
They developed that into a T Series Turbo which my son has in his Rover 220 Tomcat - 200hp and 150mph - but he can't be arsed to fix a brake light so it won't pass a WOF and he's driving the Starlet.
The V8s have 1 thing in common with my L Series - the accelerator does not really appear to be connected to the amount of power the engine produces. With the V8, it appears to just control volume - ie how much sound the engine produces - and I have to admit, it is a lovely sound
I used to love my Montego turbo. It was one of the more reliable modern vehicles I owned. Apart from the persistent oil leak it the head joint, I loved the thing. The Freelander front suspension is very similar to the Monty too.
The most reliable vehicle I've owned was my Ford Maverick (rebadged Nissan Terrano 2). I did 100K miles in that thing with little more than serviceable items needing replacement. I even drowned it in 4ft of water and she kept going. Absolutely remarkable vehicle, but sadly it rusted through faster than a Discovery and so it got replaced by a rust free Freelander 50th Anniversary model.
Weldy
Well-Known Member
Most reliable thing I had was my Lada riiva.. could I fek kill it... the timing chain was that fooked it had wore a hole through the casing!!
Do you mind if I use your words on future postings???
I’ve got a son like that... think they a collectively know as lazy T wats.... I love the reference to volume Peddle on the V8..hahaThe MG Maestro and Montego Turbos were rapid cars. 150hp Turbo charged versions of the 2L O Series that they put in the Discos as the MPI - mind you, less aid about that the better!
They developed that into a T Series Turbo which my son has in his Rover 220 Tomcat - 200hp and 150mph - but he can't be arsed to fix a brake light so it won't pass a WOF and he's driving the Starlet.
The V8s have 1 thing in common with my L Series - the accelerator does not really appear to be connected to the amount of power the engine produces. With the V8, it appears to just control volume - ie how much sound the engine produces - and I have to admit, it is a lovely sound
Do you mind if I use your words on future postings???
Stuart hall
Active Member
I don't think most of the old cars we owned were that bad ?
I'm in a way proud of the British car industry who soldiered on for years with no real investment and ****s like red robo at the helm.
Progress marches on and it's only when you drive an old classic you realise how terrible they all were.
As mentioned meastro turbo was far superior to fords xr3i just had a dowdy image, and if rover and triumph were friends at the time the tr7 would have been launched with a v8 and been a world beater, the Lynx would have followed ( gorgeous car ) and we might be sitting here praising our past ?
With a tad more dosh and a bit of luck we could be still up there ? ?
I'm in a way proud of the British car industry who soldiered on for years with no real investment and ****s like red robo at the helm.
Progress marches on and it's only when you drive an old classic you realise how terrible they all were.
As mentioned meastro turbo was far superior to fords xr3i just had a dowdy image, and if rover and triumph were friends at the time the tr7 would have been launched with a v8 and been a world beater, the Lynx would have followed ( gorgeous car ) and we might be sitting here praising our past ?
With a tad more dosh and a bit of luck we could be still up there ? ?
GrumpyGel
Well-Known Member
Anyone can quote anything I say, I have no publicist or copyright lawyers.... and I usually talk rubbish
Yeh, while the workforce was being 'empowered' and the bosses not bothering to invest, the Germans, then Japanese went about their clinical way and took over the automotive world. Very sad.
I was not a fan of the TR7. I was a great fan of the Herald/Vitesse/Spit/GT6 cars (owned a Vitesse) and the Dollies (owned an 1850) and aspired to a Stag or TR6 (still do!) - but the TR7 didn't do it for me. Looking at those Triumph and MG prototypes of the era there were some smashing cars. Not so sure the morph of a TR7 and SD1 is particularly attractive though!
Funny you ( @Weldy ) talk about the Lada Riva. My brother had a Lada Niva when he was younger and raved over the thing. He acknowledged its deficiencies but overall a great little fun car. The chassis snapped in half though 1 day when he hit a bump - and that was the end of that. In the last 30 years LR cars have gone more and more up market and become more expensive. Even the Freelander suffered the same withe the F2 and D Sport really becoming upmarket cars. There's been nothing that I could aspire to to buy new because they've all been way to expensive. Something like a Jimny or modern day Niva would be great. It'll be interesting if the Autocar 'scoop' that there's a new 'baby' LR on the way is true.
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/freelander-3.325037/
Yeh, while the workforce was being 'empowered' and the bosses not bothering to invest, the Germans, then Japanese went about their clinical way and took over the automotive world. Very sad.
I was not a fan of the TR7. I was a great fan of the Herald/Vitesse/Spit/GT6 cars (owned a Vitesse) and the Dollies (owned an 1850) and aspired to a Stag or TR6 (still do!) - but the TR7 didn't do it for me. Looking at those Triumph and MG prototypes of the era there were some smashing cars. Not so sure the morph of a TR7 and SD1 is particularly attractive though!
Funny you ( @Weldy ) talk about the Lada Riva. My brother had a Lada Niva when he was younger and raved over the thing. He acknowledged its deficiencies but overall a great little fun car. The chassis snapped in half though 1 day when he hit a bump - and that was the end of that. In the last 30 years LR cars have gone more and more up market and become more expensive. Even the Freelander suffered the same withe the F2 and D Sport really becoming upmarket cars. There's been nothing that I could aspire to to buy new because they've all been way to expensive. Something like a Jimny or modern day Niva would be great. It'll be interesting if the Autocar 'scoop' that there's a new 'baby' LR on the way is true.
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/freelander-3.325037/
Nodge68
Well-Known Member
Anyone can quote anything I say, I have no publicist or copyright lawyers.... and I usually talk rubbish
Yeh, while the workforce was being 'empowered' and the bosses not bothering to invest, the Germans, then Japanese went about their clinical way and took over the automotive world. Very sad.
I was not a fan of the TR7. I was a great fan of the Herald/Vitesse/Spit/GT6 cars (owned a Vitesse) and the Dollies (owned an 1850) and aspired to a Stag or TR6 (still do!) - but the TR7 didn't do it for me. Looking at those Triumph and MG prototypes of the era there were some smashing cars. Not so sure the morph of a TR7 and SD1 is particularly attractive though!
Funny you ( @Weldy ) talk about the Lada Riva. My brother had a Lada Niva when he was younger and raved over the thing. He acknowledged its deficiencies but overall a great little fun car. The chassis snapped in half though 1 day when he hit a bump - and that was the end of that. In the last 30 years LR cars have gone more and more up market and become more expensive. Even the Freelander suffered the same withe the F2 and D Sport really becoming upmarket cars. There's been nothing that I could aspire to to buy new because they've all been way to expensive. Something like a Jimny or modern day Niva would be great. It'll be interesting if the Autocar 'scoop' that there's a new 'baby' LR on the way is true.
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/freelander-3.325037/
I spent 15 years of my life restoring and modifying small chassis Triumphs GG. I stopped doing them when the bottom fell out the classic market in the late 90s. People didn't want to spend large amounts of money restoring cars that wouldn't be worth the investment. I then had to get a proper 9 to 5 job which just isn't the same. I'd like to return to that sort of thing, once the kids have flown and the mortgage paid off.
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