Which Landie for a 17-19 year old Son/Daughter?

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bluebossa

bluebossa

Member
Wanted a few opinions.
Both my kids are learning to drive - 17 and 19 and I'm trying to talk them into starting their motoring career with a Landie as we had an SIII Lightweight for 15 years (pic attached) plus a few other Series Landies.

I'm just surfing eBay and looking at options and am considering these options:

1. Another Series III Lightweight - Tax Exempt, basic, soft top, rugged and rough - £7k
2. A 1990 ish Defender 90 - County or Expedition version £5-£7k
3. A 1990 GS Military 90
4. A 90 with Power Steering!

Any views? Which years had Power Steering, never owned one...
Which ones are cheapest to add your son/daughter to the Insurance?
Which ones best and manageable for young folk?

I'm open minded and genuinely just want some ideas and thoughts from you Landie folk. Thanks in advance.
I also promise to let you know which version I buy! and post pictures..
 

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Get some insurance quotes they can differ massively with leaner/young drivers. Put the details of the ones you are looking at into compare the meerkat.
To put my two (18yr old leaner & 25yr old full licence) on a 1L corsa/fiesta/Tupperware as a named driver added about £900 to the policy but to add them to my 90 would be about £230.
 
Jam1 said:
Get some insurance quotes they can differ massively with leaner/young drivers. Put the details of the ones you are looking at into compare the meerkat.
To put my two (18yr old leaner & 25yr old full licence) on a 1L corsa/fiesta/Tupperware as a named driver added about £900 to the policy but to add them to my 90 would be about £230.
Click to expand...

Hey that's good news - points too any 90 then from an adding to Insurance point of view.
Now what about the Vehicle preference?
 
Unless your kids are the very strong and determined sort, I would go for the power steering option. I love the originality of my series 3 but I sometimes yearn for power steering, especially when parking. Insurance is anybody's guess. Might just be better putting them on your policy as a named driver for a couple of years.

Col
 
If money (on insurance) is no object, just go for the safest, slowest, then easiest to repair (in that order)

My first car was a 54 morris minor. My old man thought it wouldn't go quick enough to cause harm. I proved him wrong with a couple of weeks in hospital, some brain scans, and a spell on a ventilator.

Modern hatchbacks are not so cool, but have crumple zones etc.

My second car was a 101 fc. I dread to think what crashing that would be like.
 
Colthebrummie said:
Unless your kids are the very strong and determined sort, I would go for the power steering option. I love the originality of my series 3 but I sometimes yearn for power steering, especially when parking. Insurance is anybody's guess. Might just be better putting them on your policy as a named driver for a couple of years.

Col
Click to expand...
Yeah that was my thought, my Sons a brute he'd be fine but Daughter would struggle though she did drive the SIII offroad a couple of times... tricky for parking though so PAS was what I was thinking..
 
julianf said:
If money (on insurance) is no object, just go for the safest, slowest, then easiest to repair (in that order)

My first car was a 54 morris minor. My old man thought it wouldn't go quick enough to cause harm. I proved him wrong with a couple of weeks in hospital, some brain scans, and a spell on a ventilator.

Modern hatchbacks are not so cool, but have crumple zones etc.

My second car was a 101 fc. I dread to think what crashing that would be like.
Click to expand...

Thanks Julian - yeah kind of agree, my first car was Viva Estate - 1972 to be precise - loved it... Sorry to hear about the Accident, bloody hell - I owned a Minor once! I'm leaning towards TDi with PAS now that I've read a few comments. Any views on TDi v Normally aspirated?
 
You say "1990" but also use the word "Defender" so im not sure if youre looking at 200s, or 300s?

Replacement 300 turbos are cheap enough, so that's not really a consideration. So, again, its speed etc. What would you consider least likley to work out with your kids in a box? Its not clear cut, but i would expect a well set up turbo to be marginally more likley? Maybe, maybe not.

Sadly, that really is pretty much all that i would be thinking of. Statistically young drivers crash cars. I know there are some who dont, but a whole load do.

My morris minor crash was listed as "not at fault" but it still happened. Same crash in a modern car, and id have cursed and walked home, instead of being cut out of the wreck by the fire brigade. But then, maybe, in a faster car, id have been going faster anyhow. Who knows.
 
julianf said:
You say "1990" but also use the word "Defender" so im not sure if youre looking at 200s, or 300s?

Replacement 300 turbos are cheap enough, so that's not really a consideration. So, again, its speed etc. What would you consider least likley to work out with your kids in a box? Its not clear cut, but i would expect a well set up turbo to be marginally more likley? Maybe, maybe not.

Sadly, that really is pretty much all that i would be thinking of. Statistically young drivers crash cars. I know there are some who dont, but a whole load do.

My morris minor crash was listed as "not at fault" but it still happened. Same crash in a modern car, and id have cursed and walked home, instead of being cut out of the wreck by the fire brigade. But then, maybe, in a faster car, id have been going faster anyhow. Who knows.
Click to expand...

You make a good point Julian. Non TDi slower.
TDi quite quick off the mark I'm guessing and easier to roll.
My daughter has no concept of speed, she'd be the one to roll it... 17 year old boys, yep - I was one once so know what you're saying...
I got myself into Opel Mantas pretty quickly.. Had one accident, but my mate was driving a Ford Cortina and he wrapped it round a lamppost after hitting ice - lucky to walk away with just seat belt bruising...
 
The MM had no seat belts (which is legal on a '54 that did not have them from factory) but the body (im told, i never saw the wreck) just tore apart.

I still have the hub caps. My brother pulled them off at the pound, when he went to collect my personal effects. He said there were bits of jagged metal with blood and hair stuck to them.

I don't even remember being in hospital!


This was all years and years ago though, but its made me think a little more about what id put my (imaginary) kids in!
 
julianf said:
The MM had no seat belts (which is legal on a '54 that did not have them from factory) but the body (im told, i never saw the wreck) just tore apart.

I still have the hub caps. My brother pulled them off at the pound, when he went to collect my personal effects. He said there were bits of jagged metal with blood and hair stuck to them.

I don't even remember being in hospital!


This was all years and years ago though, but its made me think a little more about what id put my (imaginary) kids in!
Click to expand...

Thanks buddy - interesting tale... just been on Comparethemarket and no quotes available even adding my 19 year old on a Defender so not as easy as I think anyway...
I passed my test without belts - I'm 52 years young. Trouble is with kids these days they have such high aspirations... my daughter thinks she would look great in a BMW 1 Series !! so that's the competition..

Maybe might stand a better chance with Classic insurance and the lightweight after all... slow too.. Tricky
 
bluebossa said:
Wanted a few opinions.
Both my kids are learning to drive - 17 and 19 and I'm trying to talk them into starting their motoring career with a Landie as we had an SIII Lightweight for 15 years (pic attached) plus a few other Series Landies.

I'm just surfing eBay and looking at options and am considering these options:

1. Another Series III Lightweight - Tax Exempt, basic, soft top, rugged and rough - £7k
2. A 1990 ish Defender 90 - County or Expedition version £5-£7k
3. A 1990 GS Military 90
4. A 90 with Power Steering!

Any views? Which years had Power Steering, never owned one...
Which ones are cheapest to add your son/daughter to the Insurance?
Which ones best and manageable for young folk?

I'm open minded and genuinely just want some ideas and thoughts from you Landie folk. Thanks in advance.
I also promise to let you know which version I buy! and post pictures..
Click to expand...
i wouldnt try and talk them in to having a landy as a first car, you have to really want to drive an old landy as your daily transport
 
This may be a silly question but what do they want? If it is a car they want to drive they are more likely to look after it and drive sensibly. When I was 17 I got a twenty year old golf which I never really liked and promptly rolled it a couple of months after passing my test. However a couple of months after that I bought my 110 which other than not being a canvas top was the vehicle I had wanted since I was about 10 year old. Needless to say I was then far more careful and looked after it because it was what I had always wanted.
Other than that I would make sure it has power steering, whether that is a later model or and early one that has been retrofitted.
 
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