Buying a County V8 - why we shouldnt?

[DT-P38]

Hi,

This is not my usual AULRO hang out but we might be getting an opportunity on a unreg'd (but running) V8 county soon. It would make the perfect starting point for a replacement for the mrs landcruiser and should leave me change to fund a 101 itch I have been wanting to scratch for a while...

Anyways , I'm hoping informed regulars here might be able to tell me why we should or shouldn't take a chance on it?

And also what things I need to look out for if we want to spend minimal money re-registering it and setting it up as an 8 seater.

Any comment appreciated.

[justinc]

Do it. They are a fantastic drive, quieter and smoother than a diesel one but fuel range is the main reason they aren't popular. The little 3.5 pulls well actually as they are geared lower than the 4bd1 models.

Is it a 5 spd or 4spd?

I would just look carefully for rust in the bulkhead, rear crossmember and outriggers and door frames etc, mechanicals are pretty much under no stress with that engine but lack of maintenance can kill anything...:(

They sound great climbing dunes at 5000rpm too:twisted:


Pics yet??

JC

[DT-P38]

Is it a 5 spd or 4spd?

Pics yet??

JC

Yeah, have decided if I do add more LR's to the garage then they have to be V8's. Love the burble!

It's only a 4 speed, but thought there might be an elec OD avail. perhaps? Does 4 speed limit comfortable cruising speed? We often do interstate trips at 100-110km/h... do they drink a lot as a result?

Sorry no pic's... haven't even had a chance to go and eyeball it yet. Been told there is rust in the doors, would that indicate it might have issues underneath and in the firewall too?

Also wondering what would be a reasonable price for a low-ish kay's example? Remembering it is not reg'd or RW and has signs of cancer.

[BigJon]

... do they drink a lot as a result?

.


:Rolling::Rolling::Rolling:

If you have to ask how much fuel they use then you probably can't afford the fuel! :D

[DT-P38]

Thanks BigJon,

Glad you got a giggle, I probably could have worded that better hey?!?

SOOOO.... Do they drink a lot in comparison to the 5 speed when touring at say 100-110km/h?

We currently run a GEMS P38A (one of the reasons she has the word Pig in her name is due to her appetite) and a 100 series 4.5l petrol six (which often goes at it - petrol that is - harder than the P38). Both are on Dual Fuel LPG as a result, because I don't like throwing my money away!

The thing is, I had heard that the smaller rover V8's (the 101 I really want has a 3.5l too) could be quite economical in comparison... perhaps its a matter of tuning or something. I don't know or have experience with defenders, etc which is why I came here for some knowledge sharing.

Hope someone can help with "real world" experience.

[Avion8]

Hi Dave,

The Autocar test for the County V8 (109") in Nov 1982 lists fuel consumption as 20.3 ltrs/100kms overall 13.9 MPG - on road 15.7 MPG. Not too bad for a vehicle weighing in at 1800kgs or so. 0-60 mph in only 26.1 secs, to a top of 81 mph. I want one as well. LPG will sort the running costs out & it only needs 91 unleaded in anycase.

[justinc]

if it is an original 1985 engine still it will be a high compression one, much better on fuel and more torquey. Still expect a bit of fuel consumption but i reckon better than the LC 4.5:o, they ARE heavy on fuel. Should see mid teens (15 to 16l/100) on highway cruise, down to 20l/100 pushng it a bit.

4 spd high comp engine etc is a good combination, you can change high range ratio easily enough to suit your intended use IE highway vs heavy towing, from 1.4:1 to 1.113 and even 1:1 but that WILL be too high. I'd recommend the 1.127 or similar.

You'll find yourself driving it more than the LC as it has way more character:)

JC

[Sly]

Just buy it ! .
You know you want to :BigThumb:

[lambrover]

When i had my old county I was getting 25lt per 100k, that's why I pulled it out and put the Isuzu in it.

[p38arover]

I just checked my records and my 4-speed 3.5 V8 County averaged 20-21 l/100km. I wanted another to fit my spare 4.6 to.......




You'll find yourself driving it more than the LC as it has way more character:)


It's true. I only sold mine because I couldn't justify having two Landies. Mine was set up for trips away, the plan being to come home from work, put the food in the fridge and just go - everything else already being in the car. I now have my eyes on a 2-door Rangie which would suit me even more.

[BigJon]

I just checked my records and my 4-speed 3.5 V8 County averaged 20-21 l/100km. I wanted another to fit my spare 4.6 to.......

.

How long ago was that? Fuel isn't what fuel once was...

[PAT303]

LPG. Pat

[p38arover]

How long ago was that? Fuel isn't what fuel once was...

2005-2006 - probably still leaded Super?

[RVR110]

Hi,

I've had two 1985 petrol v8 County 110's, albeit 5 speeds. Expect 22-25L/100Km @100Km/hr on the open road. It's worse around town. When I say "open road" I mean "from Nyngan to Bourke". I put a performance exhaust on the second of the two and it sounded fantastic. Expect 350 Km per tank. Fortunately mine had an auxiliary 75L tank which gave me a respectable range of 700Km. Expect to have to use premium fuel. I was touring tassie in it and a guy come up to me and asked if I'd dropped a Chevy v8 into it :cool: I miss it and I wish I still had that second car, just for fun. Be aware though that the Rover v8 needs to be put in the "small v8" category. It simply doesn't have the horses to keep up with a puma.

[DT-P38]

Thanks for the feedback, I can't help myself with V8's just love that noise! So can they go on gas with the tank(s) safely under the vehicle (only seen them in the cargo area)?

And realistically, how does a well tuned V8 county on gas stack up against a diesel (were they all isuzu 3.9's?) county? I have always favored the petrol power vs diesel torque but am led to believe the small V8's may not stack up with a county, and besides I am getting older and my driving style is less power dependant these days.

Also, if its easy can you guys throw in some pic's of your various county's please.

[isuzurover]

I owned a 3.5V8 county for a short time. I also stored a 3.9V8 county for Offender90 for a while (disco 3.9 short motor fitted) - both 4-speeds.

During the same period I also owned a 3.9 ISUZU county. I was impressed at how quick the 3.5 was compared my (then NA) 3.9 diesel. By the time the 3.9 County arrived, I had turbo'ed my isuzu, and I couldn't believe how much of a slug the 3.9V8 was in comparison.

They sound good though. I have often though that a V8 county chopped into a cab chassis with the chassis overhang removed would be great offroad.

[85county]

We've had our 85 County V8 since 1986 and even now, with over 340k on the clock, it still runs smoothly and is a pleasure to drive. With Genie headers, a 2.5" exhaust and Luminition ignition, the power is adequate. Towing in hilly terrain means lots of changing down. With short runs around town we get about 18l/100km, on the open road 15-17l/100km and towing our Tvan camper trailer it's 19-20l/100km. It runs equally well on E10 or unleaded. Premium, whilst marginally better for power and milage, is too expensive and of course virtually unobtainable out back.

The extra fuel consumption and lower level of torque and power (compared to a TD5 or a Puma) is compensated for by the basic nature of the County. I have never needed rescue or been unable to get home from a trip. The handful of problems we've had with the car have been electrical and fixable using (inexpensive) replacements from my spares box. I now carry a spare Luminition module after the original failed after 20 years of reliable service.

If the chassis and body are sound and the engine and running gear are ok, go for it because IMHO it has to be one of the least expensive Land Rovers to run. And yes, they do sound good!

[lambrover]

I had 33's on mine and the v8 was a great little engine, it is very surprising how much torque they have for only 3.5lt. But a turbo on a Isuzu will leave a v8 for dead and although the sound is different it is just as nice when on song

[Tikirocker]

Love mine ... 4 speed V8, dual fuel/LPG ... :)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/03/314.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/03/1124.jpg

Tiki.

[jakeslouw]

The only thing the V8 County needs is.....

a top-hat linered 4.6 engine!

The low comp 3.5 is barely adequate. The twin carbs would be seriously iffy by now, and a nice Motronic EFI with Megasquirt ECU doing the sequential injection off the cam timing would improve the entire vehicle.

Just IMHO of course.....:D

Not biased, I just own one of the 3.5 V8 Counties.......

[wagoo]

They sound good though. I have often though that a V8 county chopped into a cab chassis with the chassis overhang removed would be great offroad.
Can't remember the standard 110 high range gearing,but if it is the same as Stage ones at 1.33:1, then swapping this for the 0.996:1 and fitting 4.7:1(ashcroft HD C+WP in front) diffs gives near identical high range ratios but real balls in low range with around 65:1 low 1st verses 48:1 standard. The Perentie 6x6s are geared this way.
As we all know now,the earlier posts, re converting to LPG have become rather moot in recent weeks. but the only way I know to get decent range with the gas cylinders mounted underneath, without compromising ground clearance too much is to modify the chassis behind the rear spring towers, similar to the Army Perentie 4x4s. On those the chassis mod was done to allow the spare wheel to be carried underneath, but would serve the purpose of mounting multiple gas cylinders equally well.If the proposed purchase has 'a bit of cancer' on the rear crossmember, it might be worth considering this mod. I have seen a Rangerover classic with similar chassis mod done by an LPG conversion company.
Bill.

[Tikirocker]

The only thing the V8 County needs is.....

a top-hat linered 4.6 engine!

The low comp 3.5 is barely adequate. The twin carbs would be seriously iffy by now, and a nice Motronic EFI with Megasquirt ECU doing the sequential injection off the cam timing would improve the entire vehicle.

Just IMHO of course.....:D

Not biased, I just own one of the 3.5 V8 Counties.......



Mines a 4.4 P76 ... has plenty of go. ;)

Tiki.

[jbell110]

Tikirocker your county looks very :cool: in dual cab form....

I just picked up an 85 4spd V8 2owner, just needs a tidy up, will
post a pick soon..

Jeff

[Carslil Jim]

I bought my 85 County V8 two years ago and I am still in love. I have the 5 speed gearbox, which is as slow as a wet week between changes. The v8 has 240k on it and is a little tired but no smoke out the back.

Mine is the model with A/C . The A/C doesn't work and most folks say its not worth the trouble making it go because they were very ineffective. Having the A/C installed means no front vents and that is a real drag.

Any work behind the dashboard is a nightmare so be prepared for that. Getting in behind the air vents is a real challenge. The air and heater controls are all vacuum operated, with plastic bits crumbling from age.

I get 18k/litre plain unleaded petrol driving around Sydney with plenty of stops and starts.

I neglect my 4.7litre LC in preference to the LR which has "character" and sounds great.

My chassis is good but I do have rust in the doors. It seems to me the previous owners washed underneath thoroghly after a drive in salt water but did not flush the doors out. I have cleaned them up but one day new frames will be the go.

I paid $4k for the County (unregistered) and thought I had a bargain. I have tripled that with a new clutch, rebuilt gearbox, rebuilt front and rear brakes and a heap of other bits and pieces...even new rubber hubcaps.

Here she is:(note the rear door mod.)


I have emptied the rear and turned it into a personal camper:

[Carslil Jim]

I bought my 85 County V8 two years ago and I am still in love. I have the 5 speed gearbox, which is as slow as a wet week between changes. The v8 has 240k on it and is a little tired but no smoke out the back.

Mine is the model with A/C . The A/C doesn't work and most folks say its not worth the trouble making it go because they were very ineffective. Having the A/C installed means no front vents and that is a real drag.

Any work behind the dashboard is a nightmare so be prepared for that. Getting in behind the air vents is a real challenge. The air and heater controls are all vacuum operated, with plastic bits crumbling from age.

I get 18k/litre plain unleaded petrol driving around Sydney with plenty of stops and starts.

I neglect my 4.7litre LC in preference to the LR which has "character" and sounds great.

My chassis is good but I do have rust in the doors. It seems to me the previous owners washed underneath thoroghly after a drive in salt water but did not flush the doors out. I have cleaned them up but one day new frames will be the go.

I paid $4k for the County (unregistered) and thought I had a bargain. I have tripled that with a new clutch, rebuilt gearbox, rebuilt front and rear brakes and a heap of other bits and pieces...even new rubber hubcaps.

Here she is:(note the rear door mod.)


I have emptied the rear and turned it into a personal camper:

[slug_burner]

V8 county a good starting point for a isuzu conversion, just look at rijidij thread on his conversion. Murray loved his V8 but would not go back now that he has gone to the turbo isuzu.

[Tikirocker]

I think you'd still be ahead with a V8 running on LPG over a Diesel these days ... costs alone are enough, and you still retain the power with a V8. Something to consider ...

Tiki.

[isuzurover]

...and you still retain the power with a V8.
...


:D:D:D

Take a properly set up 4BD1T for a drive...

[Tikirocker]

:D:D:D

Take a properly set up 4BD1T for a drive...


Would love to Ben ... next time you are in my neck of the woods please swing by! You can have a go with my 4.4 V8 County as well. ;)

[DT-P38]

Tikirocker your county looks very :cool: in dual cab form....

I just picked up an 85 4spd V8 2owner, just needs a tidy up, will
post a pick soon..

Jeff

Let me guess, it was a white one (blue stripes) from around the Healesville VIC area?

[isuzurover]

Would love to Ben ... next time you are in my neck of the woods please swing by! You can have a go with my 4.4 V8 County as well. ;)

:D So the "power" of the [3.5] V8 wasn't enough??? ;)

Meet you in the middle of the nullarbor for a race :D

[Tikirocker]

:D So the "power" of the [3.5] V8 wasn't enough??? ;)

Meet you in the middle of the nullarbor for a race :D

I bought it that way mate ... though I am happy as I have heard the 3.5 can be a bit limp at times. My point is that with the cost of diesel compared to LPG, setting up your 3.5 V8 on LPG would have you ahead in terms of costs and you still get V8 power into the bargain.

Tell you what, I'll meet you at the Nulla Road House and race you to Norseman! ;)

Tiki.

[isuzurover]

I bought it that way mate ... though I am happy as I have heard the 3.5 can be a bit limp at times. My point is that with the cost of diesel compared to LPG, setting up your 3.5 V8 on LPG would have you ahead in terms of costs and you still get V8 power into the bargain.

Tell you what, I'll meet you at the Nulla Road House and race you to Norseman! ;)

Tiki.

And my point is that "power" and (low comp) 3.5V8 is an oxymoron :D

The 4.4 is a great engine though - heaps of torque. The 3.9 disco motor goes quite well also.

As for LPG+V8 vs Diesel though... Depends - if you stay within a reasonable radius of the CBD... I think if we both travelled from Nullarbor roadhouse to Norseman - even at legal speeds - then I would be out in front $$$ wise.

What is your fuel consumption like on both petrol and LPG sitting at 110 km/h into a strong headwind?

At rough prices of ~$2/L for petrol/diesel and $1.50 for LPG, it would cost me $26 per 100 km. You would need to manage 17 L/100 on LPG (if available) or less to beat that.

On top of that, I could fill up with enough cheap fuel at the servo in Norseman town centre to make it out to Nullarbor and back safely, legally and cheaply.

I think the V8+LPG vs diesel argument falls flat for a touring vehicle.

[Tikirocker]

Ben,

It may be closer in terms of costs when touring - not sure on that - depends on capacity and type of vehicle, weight, engine + other assorted sundries. All I will say is when we toured up to Qld Xmas 2010 from Sydney - I was getting close to 300k's on an 80 ltr tank of LPG which cost me about $50 to fill up. The cost of LPG locally where I am right now is nowhere near $1.50 ... more like 75c/Ltr I think. On the Nulla, it will probably be pricier - but traveling the Pacific highway and other major hwy servo's would still have pretty cheap LPG - nowhere near $1.

So depending on capacity etc + cost of fuel I still think the LPG comes out in front - the range of diesel would be better ( fewer stops ) but I think my costs would still be lower in the long run. My truck is dual fuel also so I can flick to petrol should I need to in a touring situation and also carry additional fuel. It's all good fun and I merely put it out there as another consideration when you consider the costs of a conversion ... :)

P.S You ever chat to any of the old Stumpers?

Tiki.

[isuzurover]

Ben,

It may be closer in terms of costs when touring - not sure on that - depends on capacity and type of vehicle, weight, engine + other assorted sundries. All I will say is when we toured up to Qld Xmas 2010 from Sydney - I was getting close to 300k's on an 80 ltr tank of LPG which cost me about $50 to fill up. The cost of LPG locally where I am right now is nowhere near $1.50 ... more like 75c/Ltr I think. On the Nulla, it will probably be pricier - but traveling the Pacific highway and other major hwy servo's would still have pretty cheap LPG - nowhere near $1.

So depending on capacity etc + cost of fuel I still think the LPG comes out in front - the range of diesel would be better ( fewer stops ) but I think my costs would still be lower in the long run. My truck is dual fuel also so I can flick to petrol should I need to in a touring situation and also carry additional fuel. It's all good fun and I merely put it out there as another consideration when you consider the costs of a conversion ... :)

P.S You ever chat to any of the old Stumpers?

Tiki.

That is almost 27L/100 LPG!!!

Normally I average 13L/100 sitting on 110-120 fully loaded - even with a headwind. Lowest ever while touring ~9L/100 and highest close to 25L/100 while towing a 5m boat into 100 km/h headwinds between canberra and adelaide.

LPG was ~$1.30/L on the Nullarbor in late 2011. I increased P/D/L prices accordingly.

Apart from you and Irek (who is on here but hangs out in the FL section), I have trouble matching up old and new folk - plus the memory is fading...

[Tikirocker]

Ben,

Keeping in mind that Diesel and LPG are different fuels not sure the comparison can be made directly in terms of consumption per litre but we'd probably be better to look at range/distance covered on a full tank + cost to fill to that tank capacity. I must also confess that my 2010 mileage is set to improve since my Holly carb was a frankencarby when I bought the truck - previous owner had mated a few different series of Holly carb parts together and it was not running optimal at all! I have replaced the carby with a brand new Holly so the mileage will be way better than before as before it was sucking way too much LPG by far. I would suggest I'll be getting well over 300k's to the tank in future.

Re - Irek ... nice to hear he's still kicking around! He helped me out with some U bolts once upon a time. :)

Tiki.

[LRCounty]

Tikirocker your county looks very :cool: in dual cab form....

I just picked up an 85 4spd V8 2owner, just needs a tidy up, will
post a pick soon..

Jeff

Full circle hey Jeff? It'll be good to see you in a County again. Are you going to fit Q78's to this one too?

Cheers
Andre

[DT-P38]

So any guidance on buying a decent V8 County? We would like LPG (ideally with scuba tanks underneath vehicle), 9 seats and accessorized for family camping/4wding. Is A/C better than vents? Should we be looking for one already built up or is it better to go cheap and take it through the sorting process? What rust issues do I need to be wary of? Anyone in Melbourne know of good cars available at the moment? Who is a good LR expert in the East for PPI's on County's? I use AMV in Ringwood for my P38 repairs... Any feedback appreciated.