Buying Ex Military!! Help me!

[Romey]

Hey guys,

After selling my defender 6 months ago and regretting it every single day since then. I am contemplating buying an Ex military LR at auction on grays. Solely to be used as a camping/fishing and bush bash truck. Can anyone tell me about them?

I have noticed they are 4 spd, Is it possible on the off chance that you find a LR country 5 spd and slip it in for more comfort? Or is there an alternative?

I am going to try and have a look tomorrow, what should I look for?


Thank you!

[Romey]

Oh and one more thing! Are they hard to get registered in QLD?

[weeds]

there are a few threads floating around already.........and this website could be helpful

buymilitaryvehicles.com (http://www.buymilitaryvehicles.com/)

[THE BOOGER]

Qland rego is no problem have a look through this thread its long but lots if info
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/military-vehicles-general/165101-army-vehicle-disposal.html

[Lotz-A-Landies]

They are rather high in the gearing so highway speed is not a problem and the 4 speed box is almost bullet proof, which you can't say about the land Rover 5 speed alternatives.

If you can get a Isuzu 4BD1 bellhousing on an LT85 it gives you the fifth gear, but by far the best option is "the Grubb's" Isuzu 5 speed gearbox conversion. You are looking at several thousand dollars to get all the bits for the conversion.

Diana

[Auxfire]

Hey Romey,
Registration in QLD is not a problem now as both the hard tops & soft tops have been added to the Dept of transport & main roads vehicle list. They do not require inspection on site either as long as your roadworthy is current.

Keep in mind when buying though that you will only get the vehicle registered for seating which is both forward facing & has compliant seatbelts. In most of the soft tops this is 2 seats only with the 5 door lightweight personnels being registered for 5 seats. ( side facing rear seats are considered non compliant.)

If you do intend to buy one the best advice I can give you is to research, research, research!
Check the log books & inspect them if you can.
Most importantly learn how the GraysOnline auction system works, it's not EBay, you don't win instantly if there has been bidding activity in the 10 mins prior to end of auction.
So find the one you want, bid on it with just under 10 mins to go & you might just pick it up for a song. Whatever you do don't get drawn into a bidding war when it enters the 'going, going, gone' frenzy :)

[Romey]

I was able to sneak in a quick look at a few today (was not able to take it for a spin around the lot :(). Found one that I like, the log book seemed i good order, plenty of work done on it recently belts, seals etc. The engine fired up first time (was a bit noisy/rough)! had the usual dints and scratched and all of the light worked.

My only concern was the front diff looked wet but I couldn't figure out what it was. I think im going to make a few bids on it tomorrow and see how I go!

Thanks for all of the info!

[isuzutoo-eh]

You were lucky to be able to hear it running, at Minto there are a lot of signs saying they must not be started.

[Barefoot Dave]

G'Day Romey, welcome to the Forum. :D

Stick with the 4 speed, the 3.9 litre Isuzu has the torque to pull you along sufficiently for an old 4wd. Remember, just because it has a soft top doesn't make it a sports car ;)
The gears are stronger and you can do some easy mods to get highway 'legs'.
You may want to change tyres anyway. if you go up to a 33 inch tyre you will pick up the higher speed enabling you to keep up with highway traffic, just buy some earmuffs.
No, seriously!
Not a lot of sound deadening in thin wall aluminium and canvas. quite the opposite!
Low down performance won't suffer thanks to the previously mentioned Torque mountain of the Isuzu donk.
Keep watch on the Buyers Guide site. I have the nose to the grindstone the next couple of weeks to get the Guide finished and checklists available.
I hope this helps.

[rb30gtr]

You were lucky to be able to hear it running, at Minto there are a lot of signs saying they must not be started.

Yep they told me due to being indoors and regulations etc etc.

For NSW below!

Viewing for the Auction is on the 12th - 8am to 4pm at Minto

Next auction sets run from the 10th through to the 16th.

Prices start for non complete around, 2 grand and you could get a decentish Parentie for around 4 grand.

They come with blue slips for NSW, super easy to rego!

Cheers,
Ben

[Bigbjorn]

If you are going to do a lot of highway touring then the 5 speed LT85 absolutely makes the vehicle. The gearbox withstands normal usage as well as any. Plenty of them around that did upwards of 250,000 k's before overhaul. In 5th, engine speed at 100 k's is 2,000 rpm and 2200 at 110 k's. governed speed is 3,200 so in o/d they are cruising well below max. revs which the engine doesn't have the power to achieve anyway. Mine runs out of puff at 125/2500. Don't use 5th. when heavy towing or under 80 k's.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

If you are going to do a lot of highway touring then the 5 speed LT85 absolutely makes the vehicle. The gearbox withstands normal usage as well as any. ....Brian

Sorry I can't fully agree with you on this one.

Yes the LT85 box (made by Santana in Spain) used on the late V8 and Isuzu 110s makes highway driving more flexible, however behind the 4BD1 the 5th gear can give trouble over time. They are also very expensive boxes to repair.

If I were going to convert a Perentie to 5 speed I would be looking to the Isuzu MSA/LT230 conversion. The Isuzu MSA boxes are designed to go behind the 4BD1, all the Land Rover boxes are compromises.

You can't do the normal MSA/LT230 conversion to a Perentie 6x6, as you are stuck with the LT95 transfer gears.

Diana

[isuzutoo-eh]

Yep they told me due to being indoors and regulations etc etc.

For NSW below!

Viewing for the Auction is on the 12th - 8am to 4pm at Minto

Next auction sets run from the 10th through to the 16th.

Prices start for non complete around, 2 grand and you could get a decentish Parentie for around 4 grand.

They come with blue slips for NSW, super easy to rego!

Cheers,
Ben

Hahaha a decent Perentie for 4 grand, who have you been talking to? Cheapest with a blue slip has been $5809+GST+buyers premium, and it wasn't a good example, bits missing here and there. Grays are doing their best to maximise profits so are endeavouring to not sell non-operational Landies.

Actually all auctions start at $9...

[ellard]

Prices start for non complete around, 2 grand and you could get a decentish Parentie for around 4 grand

I will be very surprised if they go this low.

Wayne

[87County]

I will be very surprised if they go this low.

Wayne

I think we'd all buy a couple just on spec if they were this low :D

I've noticed some of the asking prices for resales of ex-mil 110s from previous auctions match some of the on-line asking prices for Series LRs... where will it end?


(obviously on-line asking prices really have no bearing on what a vehicle eventually changes hands for)

[87County]

...........

Yes the LT85 box (made by Santana in Spain) used on the late V8 and Isuzu 110s makes highway driving more flexible, however behind the 4BD1 the 5th gear can give trouble over time. They are also very expensive boxes to repair.

..........

Interesting that you write that Diana (and I've been told this many many times by other LR experts). As the (hopefully) careful owner of a couple of functioning LT85s I'm naturally quite interested in the subject.

Ashcrofts quote £550 for a reco box .... this isn't all that much more expensive than their R380 reco price

Ashcroft Transmissions (http://www.ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=4)

Core value & freight costs need to be considered but I am still left wondering if there is any real substance to the LT85 rebuild cost tale. I guess I'll only find out if I have to eventually buy one.

Mind you, I'm not swapping the LT95 in the Perentie for one - it performs very well on the road.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Interesting that you write that Diana (and I've been told this many many times by other LR experts). As the (hopefully) careful owner of a couple of functioning LT85s I'm naturally quite interested in the subject.

Ashcrofts quote £550 for a reco box .... this isn't all that much more expensive than their R380 reco price

Ashcroft Transmissions (http://www.ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=4)

Core value & freight costs need to be considered but I am still left wondering if there is any real substance to the LT85 rebuild cost tale. I guess I'll only find out if I have to eventually buy one.

Mind you, I'm not swapping the LT95 in the Perentie for one - it performs very well on the road.You only have to do a search in the Isuzu Landy Section to see the dissatisfaction about the LT85 behind the 4BD1, they're O.K. behind the 3.5 V8 but not long lasting when used in 5th constantly behind the isuzu.

$1,000 + $400 charge for the lack of an exchange before a box is shipped to Australia I would say IS Expensive. They are often more expensive to get repaired here by less experienced workshops.

My argument is why would you spend better than $2K on an LT85 when you can spend about the same money to get a gearbox that is designed to go behind the 4BD1-T?