Thread: Suffering significant Withdrawal!!

Mate don't for a moment let people tell you that D3 is more comfortable. I have a well set up coiler D2 with Bilstein shocks and love it. I prefer it over the air suspended D3 and it goes around corners quicker despite the 2 inch lift. Go for a HSE (or earlier SE) because the seats are fantastic. Then buy my 16 inch mags that I have for sale or similar and take the 18 inch HSE wheels off and get max offroad ability.

The only place the D3 is better than a well set up D2 is on corrugations at high speed where the independent suspension provides a softer ride. Having said that I put up big day after big day driving on corrugated roads at Cape York earlier in the year in the D2 (with a D3 and D4 along for the ride) and it felt (at GVM) very planted and reliable and I never felt tired after 8-9 hours.

The tuning of the D2 was far ahead of its time. Personally I think the D3 is too harsh given its underpinnings (it should be softer) and I have been in a number including early and late model D3.


Most were indeed auto.

As for running and repair costs I would take a D2 with 200,000k any day over a D3 with the same mileage. Cheers

Maybe not what you want to hear, but going from a D3 back to a D2 will feel like going back to a Series!
I loved my D2a, but my D4 is better in so many ways....

Originally Posted by cjc_td5

Maybe not what you want to hear, but going from a D3 back to a D2 will feel like going back to a Series!
I loved my D2a, but my D4 is better in so many ways....

Exactly,after 3 D2's,all bought new,there is just no comparison with a D3/4.

Remember,D2's are getting pretty old,there aren't many that won't need continual repairs.

Service history is extremely important.


Good luck with your choice.

I used to have a D3 and now have a D2. Different animals, but same species.
D2 is just as comfortable as D3 ever was. But more easily worked on by the enthusiast. Perhaps a bit cheaper. Scroll a couple pages back and find the 'modern classic?' thread. Tells the story well I think.

I will be in travelling next year in said D2 and will be in Byron Bay for easter (Blues and Roots) after that probably heading north, so if you want a vehicle looked at, I can have a squiz and plug the Nanocom in. Service history and the sundry list of 200 000 km plus stuff that needs checking (head gaskets, drive shafts, auto box overhaul, suspension components, fpr etc. etc. etc.) is not too hard to address. Most things can be fixed pretty easily. I would still get a local LR expert mechanic to chuck it on the hoist (if nothing was overtly wrong), compression test (head gaskets are expensive) and do a proper inspection - worth the peace of mind.

I reckon the ZF auto is great, manuals are hard to come by...

I wouldn't go back to the D3.

I had an occasion to get back into a D2 (owned 2 manual TD5s from new from 1999 to 2009) after having the D4 for a couple of years and couldn't reconcile how cramped the D2 felt.

I have both, D2a is not as comfortable as the D3, but it’s not uncomfortable. I have a base model D2. If it’s not full of passengers, I have 3 kids, it’s still good for long range touring. But yeah heaps more room in the D3, which is why we got it. The suspension on the D3 feels a lot softer than the D2’s. But I love them both

You haven't said what you intend doing with it , whilst I fully understand the 'trauma' of being Landyless. I've just bought another D2 (petrol/auto) as my day to day driver, it's probably a 'little bit' different up your way.

Is this going to be your local delivery vehicle ?, urban (ha, ha) commute, transport into the big smoke (Burketown) or long distance transport to the coast ? Are the 'billy lids' of an age/ability to learn to drive and travel 'locally' ? Is having a built in immobiliser important ? Is Monte Carlo Blue your preferred colour ?

I would have thought you'd be 'pushing excrement uphill' to be looking at anything but a '70 series ute or Troopy (with my sensible hat on) I don't recall seeing a Landy dealer/service centre last time I was in Doomadgee.

Deano

If going the D2 option, I would be trying for a D2a , they are a better rounded car with enough extra's to make the few extra $$ worth the look. For the $$ you are talking, what about a petrol D3 , plenty of low km options for a lot less than the diesel version. Plus the 6 speed auto compared to the 4 speed = well there is no comparison.


For my 2c , after having the air suspension on dirt roads , it would be a big step backwards in ride comfort going to a coil set up. I am not saying there is anything wrong with coils, but the D3 air suspension on dirt / corrigations is second to none.


Cheers Ean