Well, I didn't think it would last long to be honest. I used to enjoy my K series Turbo Freelander a lot.

I was offered the chance to buy a 50th anniversary edition XEDi 5 Dr Freelander for £200. How could I say no? It's going to be the mother in laws car, hopefully my inside knowledge and experience of the Freelander will help me get this one back up to scratch.

It's got the older L series diesel, which should be perfect for the mother in law to drive around in, and I actually really like the clattery diesel noise. Sounds proper Land Rover.

It needs an MOT, the engine timing belt has an issue, the idler pully bolt has pulled from the block, it still runs and it seems the L series diesel is a non interference engine so shouldn't have suffered any issues. It still runs as it is so no major damage done! I'll helicoil it back in and hopefully have it back to running condition pretty quickly.

Apart from a new coolant reservoir bottle, sagging headliner and some rough interior seats, it's fairly neat for a £200 car.

That is also my 1978 6.6 V8 Ford Bronco in the background doing the towing.

That's less than scrap value these days! Bargain for an L series.

monkfish24 said:

Well, I didn't think it would last long to be honest. I used to enjoy my K series Turbo Freelander a lot.

I was offered the chance to buy a 50th anniversary edition XEDi 5 Dr Freelander for £200. How could I say no? It's going to be the mother in laws car, hopefully my inside knowledge and experience of the Freelander will help me get this one back up to scratch.

It's got the older L series diesel, which should be perfect for the mother in law to drive around in, and I actually really like the clattery diesel noise. Sounds proper Land Rover.

It needs an MOT, the engine timing belt has an issue, the idler pully bolt has pulled from the block, it still runs and it seems the L series diesel is a non interference engine so shouldn't have suffered any issues. It still runs as it is so no major damage done! I'll helicoil it back in and hopefully have it back to running condition pretty quickly.

Apart from a new coolant reservoir bottle, sagging headliner and some rough interior seats, it's fairly neat for a £200 car.

That is also my 1978 6.6 V8 Ford Bronco in the background doing the towing.
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That's a cracking buy. Those 50th anniversary cars often had quite a few options specified to.

a few years ago I saw a 3 door K Series listed for sale on the other side of town. Went and had a look and it had the solid parcel shelf, twin back seats with cubby box in between and various other bits. Looked really smart. They guy said he was having the head gasket replaced and I never saw it come back onto the yard. He had sold it and next thing I knew it was listed for sale on Marketplace a couple of years later up in Auckland. Contacted the bloke but he never got back to me.

I'm pretty sure the L Series is an interference engine. Its what kills lots of L Series - the fan belt tensioner goes, the fan belt comes off and wraps itself round the main pulley which pulls the cam belt off and kills the engine.

When you do the belts, all 3 should be done at the same time - cam belt, fan belt (drive/aux) and the fuel pump. Not a cheap exercise, the most expensive bit being the fan belt tensioner - which is probably why they fail

Thanks for the heads up on the belts and tensioner, I'll replace all the belts while I'm at it then. I'll probably pull the engine out anyway to do the idler pulley bolt.

Understood on the interference, hopefully I won't make it any worse then!

For £200, it's a bargain.
I'd have another 50th anniversary in 3 door if I could find it.

Nodge68 said:

For £200, it's a bargain.
I'd have another 50th anniversary in 3 door if I could find it.

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Me too! (see profile pic)