Volusia
Active Member
Hello. Been a club member for about two weeks now! Freelander Td4 HSE. Moved to South West France about 7 years ago.
I have owned a series 2 and a Defender in the past. Christine, the lady wife, always liked the look of the Freelander.
So, almost anniversary time, I thought I would surprise her with a Freelander as a present. Two problems, we live in South West France, which in itself is anything but a problem, but she does not like driving LHD vehicles which is.
I looked around for a RHD over here and, just as with any other French second hand vehicle, the sky is the limit on prices.
Along came a Td4 facelift HSE on ebay with all the mod cons which I won in the auction. I then booked a Ryanair flight to Stanstead under the pretext I was going for some boating bits from a chandlery.
Once there, and liking what I saw I bought the car via PaPal. and drove back to the hotel in the car I had hired for the one way trip. Later a quick look through the vehicle documents turned up everything on the cars history but the current MOT.
Now I had insured the vehicle before seeing it, I had done all the usual checks online. I knew it wasn’t taxed and was prepared to run the gauntlet on that, but not the lack of the MOT. Result I was up until 4 in the morning texting the vendor who insisted it was among all the others and that he didn’t have it but said he would look again.
He hadn't got it!
I set the alarm for 7 but overlaid till 1015. So much for a leisurely morning. Panic, had to get the hire car back before 12 as the shut on Saturday at that time.
Suffice to say I managed it with about 20 minutes to spare and got a taxi back to the hotel.
The sad part now; I had to phone home to get my wife to try and sort the test certificate problem out, which meant I had to let her know about her present.
Before telling her though, I posted some photos on FB and told her to open the page. It came as a pleasant surprise for her but sadly, not the same as rolling up in it!
Suffice to say, online,it was found to be tested until December this year.
The 600 mile or so journey back through France was great and the car performed well, other than a stiff clutch problem, now sorted by fitting a new master cylinder.
LHD Headlamps fitted too at a cost of £484 a pair, half that for the earlier version I’m told.
I took it for it’s CT on Wednesday (MOT French equivalent lasting two years) and it failed, but only on the new headlamp alignment which has now been done and retested .
Now to get it’s French reg, and number plates changed.
I have owned a series 2 and a Defender in the past. Christine, the lady wife, always liked the look of the Freelander.
So, almost anniversary time, I thought I would surprise her with a Freelander as a present. Two problems, we live in South West France, which in itself is anything but a problem, but she does not like driving LHD vehicles which is.
I looked around for a RHD over here and, just as with any other French second hand vehicle, the sky is the limit on prices.
Along came a Td4 facelift HSE on ebay with all the mod cons which I won in the auction. I then booked a Ryanair flight to Stanstead under the pretext I was going for some boating bits from a chandlery.
Once there, and liking what I saw I bought the car via PaPal. and drove back to the hotel in the car I had hired for the one way trip. Later a quick look through the vehicle documents turned up everything on the cars history but the current MOT.
Now I had insured the vehicle before seeing it, I had done all the usual checks online. I knew it wasn’t taxed and was prepared to run the gauntlet on that, but not the lack of the MOT. Result I was up until 4 in the morning texting the vendor who insisted it was among all the others and that he didn’t have it but said he would look again.
He hadn't got it!
I set the alarm for 7 but overlaid till 1015. So much for a leisurely morning. Panic, had to get the hire car back before 12 as the shut on Saturday at that time.
Suffice to say I managed it with about 20 minutes to spare and got a taxi back to the hotel.
The sad part now; I had to phone home to get my wife to try and sort the test certificate problem out, which meant I had to let her know about her present.
Before telling her though, I posted some photos on FB and told her to open the page. It came as a pleasant surprise for her but sadly, not the same as rolling up in it!
Suffice to say, online,it was found to be tested until December this year.
The 600 mile or so journey back through France was great and the car performed well, other than a stiff clutch problem, now sorted by fitting a new master cylinder.
LHD Headlamps fitted too at a cost of £484 a pair, half that for the earlier version I’m told.
I took it for it’s CT on Wednesday (MOT French equivalent lasting two years) and it failed, but only on the new headlamp alignment which has now been done and retested .
Now to get it’s French reg, and number plates changed.
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