Well, I finally did it. At age 41, after passing my driving test only last year, I've got a Land Rover. My first car. Its a SWB S3 station wagon with the standard diesel, overdrive, FWH.

Currently Liveridge4x4 are sorting out the little problems with it (some new springs, new door) but then I'll be able to take my 2000lb bouncing baby (bouncing a bit better with the new leafs) home.

So, where's the manual? Where's the 'read this first' guide? What should I carry with me apart from the spare wheel, spanners, water, oil... The plan is to use it for little expeditions occasionally (no commuting or school run) to Scotland (250 miles from here) or Wales (same dist) or Ireland...

Insurance to sort out now. Any reccomendations? Shouldn't be doing too many miles but I have zero no claims...

And doubtless I'll be posting on here every time I hear a strange rattle or see something drip that didn't drip before - which will be every time I drive it...

Ah, can't wait

Barry

well i hope you have driven one before as they are a little different to a normal car and i really wouldnt too that long trip in it unless u got real comfy seats and ear defenders

Ow do Bazza, best thing to carry with you is yer breakdown cover card.

Try Sureterm fer Insurance - they understand Landys.

If you are coming to Scotland let me know.
We have lots of space and are handy for motorways and Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Are you camping ? B&B-ing?

Sounds like a lot of fun ahead!

CharlesY

thehulkowner said:

well i hope you have driven one before as they are a little different to a normal car and i really wouldnt too that long trip in it unless u got real comfy seats and ear defenders

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Dont listen to such drivel...regularly drive mine 200 miles, she's my only transport and I love her to bits......mind you I do have comfy seats and a LOUD sound system.....and in what other vehicle would you ever hear the driver yelling at the kids in the back to SHOUT LOUDER!

Dont worry about asking stupid questions here, (I do all the time) you'll get about a dozen stupid answers but 1 will be what you need to know.

Oh...and if you do an insurance phone around make sure they'll quote for a vehicle of yours age before you spend 40mins giving them every detail of your life, experience, partners experience, dogs experience, gerbils DOB, sofas immagration status............

Welcome to the proud and slightly suspect world of Series motoring

thehulkowner said:

well i hope you have driven one before as they are a little different to a normal car and i really wouldnt too that long trip in it unless u got real comfy seats and ear defenders

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Well, I originally learnt to drive in a 1953 Morris Minor (in 1983), so I had the joys of double-declutching, torsion bar suspension, and of course rust, to deal with then. Hopefully I'll only have rust to deal with in Boo (yes, she's got a name already). I relearnt and passed with BSM in a modern diesel vauxhall, then had an afternoon's treat off-roading in a LWB Santana. I've been to Morocco in a Defender 110 as navigator/back-bench counterweight which was fun. I've also bounced around the back of various National Trust landies when I did volunteer work for them - including one afternoon getting hurled about a Sankey trailer with four other volunteers as we rumbled down Wasdale Beck in search of walling stones...

I don't need a daily runabout (the bicycle and trains do me nicely) so this is my mini-expedition vehicle. Perhaps in a couple of years I'll get a newer Defender, but I'll see how things go in this one first!

The high viewpoint and the fact that nobody cuts you up (like they do BSM learners on roundabouts) should be a plus. As is the fact that Dad was a mechanical engineer and I know one end of a spanner from the other so doing jobs on it shouldn't be a problem.

Its got comfy seats in it - head restraints and all - and the rear seats are fold-ups so I should be able to sling the bike and a tent in. Perhaps if taking bikes on trains wasn't such a hassle then I wouldn't need the vehicle, and also if I don't have a car I'll forget how to drive and all that money spent on BSM lessons will be wasted...

Spose I should join the owners club as well. Oh, and I've told my friends that if they refer to her as a 'J**p' then I'm kicking them out of the back and they can hitch home. I wrote to the newspaper once to complain about them referring to British forces' Land Rovers as J**ps....

Have driven mine 1876 (yep, that's one thousand eight hundred and seventy six) kilometers up to Newman in the NW of Western Aus AND back the 1876 km's again,(20 hours each way) without so much as a flat tyre. The last 6 hours driving up and first 6 back out were in conditions you would only describe as a blast furnace. 40 to 47 degrees C, not a breath of wind.

What I did do though, was to rig hessian cloth over the outside of the vents, and added a couple of windscreen washer nozzles to the bonnet that kept them wet, coupled with the 90 kmh it maintained a nice cool(ish) airflow into the car.

Congrats on the buy, you won't be dissapointed. Yes indeed series probably WON'T be like anything you have ever driven or been driven in before, but that is not a bad thing. Once in good order, You will NOT find a tougher or more reliable vehicle. I drive in some of the harshest terrain and conditions on earth, literally. Right nto the very dead heart of Australia, and I have ever only, and will ever only drive a Land Rover to do it,particularly a series. If it can take what I ask it to do without complaint, I doubt there is much that will trouble it!

Cheers

Kris

Hi,

Enjoy her, just brought my 1st landy at 45, S111 LWB and loving it, now's it back from the garage.

Have fun, Mark

quote ...Have driven mine 1876 (yep, that's one thousand eight hundred and seventy six) kilometers ... unquote

How come you Oz guys use heathen measures like that, when we taught you all about decent Christian Imperial MILES long ago?

I bet you don't even know what a meter is or why when and by whom it was devised, or that the stupid bastards (the French) got it wrong anyway.

CharlesY

CharlesY said:

quote ...Have driven mine 1876 (yep, that's one thousand eight hundred and seventy six) kilometers ... unquote

How come you Oz guys use heathen measures like that, when we taught you all about decent Christian Imperial MILES long ago?

I bet you don't even know what a meter is or why when and by whom it was devised, or that the stupid bastards (the French) got it wrong anyway.

CharlesY

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HEH, You wouldn't believe it!! - I was actually born and bred with Imperial!
did my time as an Aircraft fitter, in Imperial.....then moved down here and
am now a thoroughly sad bastard who uses Kilometers and calls football soccer, which used to make me CRINGE evry time I heard it.....BUT.... I still only drive green oval AND still only drink Bitter (When I can get it!)

Just for the record, 1876 km equates to 1172.5 miles

Kris

Down Under Drover said:

HEH, You wouldn't believe it!! - I was actually born and bred with Imperial!


Just for the record, 1876 km equates to 1172.5 miles

Kris

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Is there any way you can re-educate those antipodean strays, and return them to the paths of Truth, Righteousness and Imperial Christian measures?

CharlesY said:

Is there any way you can re-educate those antipodean strays, and return them to the paths of Truth, Righteousness and Imperial Christian measures?

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m'fraid it's a lost cause old chap, these fellows don't even DRINK by the pint and worship the Toyota Landcruiser for some unknown reason.

I spend a lot of time with Cruisers, usually with them firmly attached to my snatchem strap as I pull the blighted things off the beach!

(Just out of interest, I hail originally from Cheshire)

have fun with your old girl, she will do you proud and she will keep on running and running & running (theres a pattern emerging here) & running & running etc etc etc.