Looking to buy Freelander, owner states vehicle needs a turbo to drive it, car is local, can you get away with stripping the turbo then cleaning, or do they pack in usually and need replacing,

From your intro, it appears the car is a 2005 Sport (presumably TD4).

Have you heard the engine running?

Is that the one on EBay in Bristol?

If it's the turbo, then it needs replacing (listing is rather vague) as to the real problem.
However unless you really know the quirky Freelander? I'd avoid buying an unknown that can't be test driven properly. They can be a money pit, especially if it's been driven with odd tyres like that one.

Walk away save up the extra cash and buy an F2

Madmustang said:

Walk away save up the extra cash and buy an F2

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Then keep on saving in case anything goes wrong with it.

At least with an F1, if it does go wrong, you can usually keep it on the road for not much $$$.

I think I've seen prices for recon TD4 turbos floated round the forum, and they don't sound that expensive. But it depends how handy and eager you are with a spanner I suppose. Might turn out to be just the vac hoses, or it might be its over run and totalled the engine. That said, I think you can pick up complete TD4 engines reasonably cheap in the UK.

I know @Nodge68 has said to avoid it - but I bet if it was close and cheap enough, he'd take a punt on it

GrumpyGel said:

I know @Nodge68 has said to avoid it

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I didn't quite say avoid it.
But I do think caution should be use before splashing out or paying over the odds for it. It's worth £800-£900 as an unknown, which could need transmission work along with 4 new tyres.

It's got 115 K miles on it, which in itself isn't a problem. However how much of that has been driven on an odd mix of Chinese tyres, will govern the condition of the transmission. The original OE Michelin latitude tour are still available, so I would have been more happy to the them on there. If an owner cares for the car, then they'd read up about it and so find out about how important tyres are. The car in general appears ok, although I'd not describe this particular listing as very informative, almost vague in fact (potentially deliberate?). At 115K miles, the clutch is about due, if not already done and the clutch pedal is definitely lower than the brake pedal, indicating a potential problem.

GrumpyGel said:

I bet if it was close and cheap enough, he'd take a punt on it

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Oh and if the price was right and I was in the market for a low spec Sport, then yes I'd take a punt, but I do know the Freelander and it's pitfalls.