Thread: Why You have A Land Rover, What else have you had?

Suzuki TS100 (Pre Licence)
Honda XL185 (Pre Licence and got my bike licence on this bike, vey reliable and nimble)
Suzuki GS250X
1976 SS Torana (Still have awaiting funds to restore)
1973 HQ Panel Van (great party wagon with a 186 and a 3 on the tree and vinyl roof too boot)
1984 Nissan MK Patrol SWB (great ultra reliable truck, underpowered though)
1977 Nissan Patrol 327 V8 LWB (could not bog this thing)
1981 VH Commodore
1977 BJ45 Toyota Landcruiser Soft Top (great for shooting and the dogs)
1980 XD Falcon Ute (Piece of crap)
2 x XR 250 Hondas
1 x XS 400 Yamaha
1984 Mitsubishi Pajero Highroof (Comfortable but not the best 4wd)
1982 GSX 1100 (Fastest production bike of its time, I had up to 245kph then chickened out)
1989 XR 600 Honda Ballards Kit (Great bike, too heavy for throwing around in the bush though)
1983 XE Ford Fairmont (Piece of crap)
1997 Land Rover Discovery Tdi (price, options chucked in and style) (Best 4wd I have owned just a little underpowered)
1998 VT Commodore Wagon 225 KW (Best road car ever driven)
1984 Range Rover Series 2 (Cheap and a V8) Current
2000 Land Rover Defender TD5 (Space, Liked Shape) (Great 4wd)Current
1998 Ducati 900 SS (What can I say its a DUC and I can see my licence going bye bye) Current
2000 YZ426F Yamaha Current (Great bike, scares the hell out of me, I love it).

Why did i buy a Landy?
Question is Why do you want one?

My answer to why i have 2 and total of 3 that i've owned.
They are the Best.

No Toymotor, Bitsumishi, Hissan or Zook can do what a Rangie/landy can out of the Box.

NOTE i said out of the Box. Not kitted up this 35" tyres, lockers and other crap.

Horse Power is useless in a 4wd unless you plan to tow with it.
LR may not be the fastest streeters but the engine is as it was designed, to be used in the Bush.

Do you buy a 4WD for 4WD use or the reason my Wife loves her Disco?? (toorak tractor)

Think about the reasons you want a 4wd then work out what you need?
Do you need to have the towing capacity and HP to match? then you need a V8 Landy, Diesles will tow great but struggle at high speeds, unless its a TD5? Do you need comfort? reliabilty? Economy? Brand name?

Negatives of Land Rovers.
You WILL get picked on... "It leaks oil" you will hear.... it sounds like a tractor....
Dont expect to go out with Toyo drivers and not cop flack. you will get hassled.
Reliability is a question of Love.... if you think you can treat a British engineered Car/4WD/Bike like a jap one you are wrong. LR need love and lots of care and maintenace. Look after it and it will work, neglect it and it will fail... LR's wont run forever with no maintenace. Why... Its British...
Parts are not Cheap and not that easy to get.
Walk into Repco and ask for a V8 Disco water pump..... you will get laughed at... do the same for a Cruiser... they will have one...

But they are Tough, great to drive, brilliant in the bush and fun to drive. V8's sound tough and the look great.

I've had 2 toyota 4wd's and now 3 landys, currently with 1 Defender and 1 Disco. Toyo's are good, but not as good as a landy.
Defenders are Harsh and the ultimate 4WD.
Discos are refined and smooth. but just a notch lower in "Bushability" its due to the clearance and that is all it is.

Test drive every 4wd you can get hold of. Problem is you cant test them in the bush.
Dont rely on the fact that Freds 80 series cruiser with 35" muds, winch, lift, lockers will be like Leo's Stocker.... they are Vegemite V Cream.... Nothing a like.

Keep asking and testing and then work out what your budget is.
LR's that are 10 year old are not cheap compared to some other brands.

My mate just bought a 80 Series Cruiser. He loves it. Cost him $25k its nice but he gets dirty as my $12k Defender runs rings around his in all ways except comfort. Both are Stock.

I come from a Background of Volvo's. They are built fantastic, dont leak oil. Reliable, strong and can be treated like crap and still run..... LR are the opposite if you neglect them. Why... The Brits forgot to over engineer everything......lol..
I'm used to getting crap hung on my cars, so i laugh at them. If Volvo built the LR it would be the most awsome 4WD ever built..... But it would not be a LR also.....
LR's have Character and destinction.
Rangies are the Ducks guts in comfort features.... drive one and you wont buy anything else..... you will pay highly for one... but they are worth it.

My 2 bob...

Hi Hatchy,

Im just gunna list them in order including the "cars" that Ive had since 1983 :roll:

Holden HT Premier 307 Chev and Powerglide Dragbox :wink:

Ford XB GT Sedan 351 Cleveland and Toploader 4 slot got into too much trouble in this one ops:

FJ55 Tojo Wagon, 3in lift, 33in muddies, B/Bar, Ciebie spots, CB, Fairy O/Drive(my first experince with British engineering, great unit but leaked like a seive)

85 VK Commodore GRP A Brocky, and I thought I got into alot of trouble in the GT 8O 8O 8O 8O either everyone wanted to steal it it, or they wanted to race you :roll: what was I suposed to do :wink: this thing nearly put me in jail and the grave :roll:

FJ40 Tojo SWB 3lt Diesel, susp lift & Koni's, 32,s, full roof rack and bars, B/Bar, Hella Rally 2000's, roof lights, CB, Stereo, O/Head Console, Recaro Seats

Mitsubishi L300 4x4 Van, 2.6lt sigma motor, 2in body lift, 2 in susp lift, Koni's, dual batteries, custom rear bumper with wheel carrier, B/Bar helle Rally 2000's, CB (nicknamed the MOONBUGGY)

VP commodore Wagon, yeah so what

VS Commodore Aclaim Wagon, worst car I even owned, was leased as a work car and spent more time in the workshop with warranty issues than on the road things that gave greif with this POS were, engine oil consumption approx 1 lt per 1000km, bad transmission backlash, cluncking from rear diff, faulty pwr windows, faulty a/c, dodgy ABS, last straw was the stereo, had to make 3 visits to dealer to get it replaced they had to disassemble dash just to get s/n of unit to send to GMH for approval to order replacement, then 2 more visits to finally get it replaced

95 300Tdi 110 Defender, ex LRA company car, ARB winch bar, Warn XD9000, IPF's, Safari snorkel, 2in spring lift and shocks OME, cargo barrier, home made storage system, 40lt engel, Graeme Cooper wheel carrier(thanks LR), full ARB roof Rack, CD, 27meg and UHF, dual batteries.

76 Rangie 2dr, Motor work, susp lift, B/Bar, CD and CB, dual Batteries, B/Bar, rear wheel carrier, cargo barrier, Long Range tank(still not enough, thirsty bugga) 33's, snorkel.

97 300Tdi Defender 110, ARB winch Bar, Warn XD9000, Safari snorkel, 3in spring lift and shocks OME, cargo barrier, home made storage system, 40lt engel, Kaymar wheel carrier, Rhino roof Rack, CD, 27meg and UHF, dual batteries, tinted glass, maxi drives, side awning, 32in BFG's, checkerplate guardtops and rear quaters. MY favorite, still kicking myself for selling it 4yrs ago

93 NJ Pajero GLS V6 Auto, ARB B/Bar, 2in susp lift inc cranked torsion bars, XGS shocks, CD and UHF, custom cargo drawers, 40lt Engle, 31in Coopers [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img] , tinted glass, good tourer great up the beach :wink:

2000 Rodeo 4x4 V6 Dualcab, aluminium tray, CD and CB, ladder racks, straight out work truck

99 300Tdi Discovery SE7 Series 1, Auto, 7 seater, ABS, Dual Airbag hayman reese towbar, and that it, till I can get it off the missus.

Looking back at the list and its no wonder I've got no money left :roll: :roll: :roll:

But have had some great times and lots of stories and experiences.


Glen.

Sorry forgot to say why I have Landies, they are unique, and more capable stock than anything else, they are designed to go offroad and not sell to the masses, they are one of the only manufactures to make 4wds only, I think Jeep are the only other one to do it. The people that buy them are usually great and understand you better without judging.

Although they arent perfect the basic design principles are great foundations to build on. But if they were perfect they wouldnt be any fun.

Glen

XB Falcon Ute (was really Dad's but I LOVED that car. Still want one again)

Datsun 180B (Dad sold the Ute and bought the Datto for me when I got my licence. Bastard ).

Hionda CD250. Great little bike, and in Norton colours with spoked wheels and all.

VB Commodore, (crapheap - a loaner from the folks).

Original Mitsu Magna. (even worse crapheap. It was Mrs Vlad's)

Early Mazda 323 Station Wagon. (Inherited from Grandmother when she stopped drivng at age 92. Great little car - but little).

EB Falcon. (Not bad when it worked, quite zippy)

1994 Defender Tdi Ute. (Because I'd always wanted a Landy. Still happy with it too).

Sold the Falcon to Mrs Vlad's sister and bought:

1995 Range Rover Vogue LSE (has all the fruit. VERY nice car).

So now we have 2 landy's including one V8.

So I'm poor but happy. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]





Why :?:

Why the hell not :!: [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

well im only 26 but i too have had my fair share of toys.
austin A30
100e prefect(for about a week)
mk2 escort
countless amounts of EH holdens all except a pan van.
G60 nissan patrol
VR commodore
and now my 93 vee8 disco.
i bought the disco cos i was in need of a tow car for speedway.
now i was not anywhere LR inclined, and looking at many 4x4's.
but i came to the conclusion...... why would i want to spend nearly
twice the money on a nissan/toyota with sometimes 3 times the klm's
and 10 years older than the 4b i bought.

well all i can say is from that day ive been a convert. it has been
the best and sometimes the worst thing i have bought.
but life wasent ment to be easy, thats for the average joes of the world
i wanted to be different, have my own personality

so i drive and experiance Land Rover every day of the week.
even if she is a fuel drinking monster.

phil.

First car to last car(4WD):

1972 Datsun 180B SSS - stock then built into a club rally car
1968 Datsun 1600 - 180B motor etc.... CIG locker, 240K struts/brakes, rally tyres for bush bashing. Eventually written off by T-boning a Corona
1972 Datun 1600 - 180B motor etc.... CIG locker, 240K struts/brakes, rally tyres for bush bashing and getting around then turn into a sprint car for club sprints.
1986 Toyota T18 - Group A rally car - all the bells and whistles for rallying
1989 Honda CRX (Brand new)
1991 Subaru Liberty GX4WD wagon (Brand new)
1995 Subaru WRX (Brand new)
1995 Honda Civic VTi (Brand new wife's car)
1999 Subaru WRX STi 2 door (Brand new)
2002 Subaru Outback H6 - 3.0 (Brand new)
2004 Mazda 3 SP23 Hatch (Brand new wife's car)
2005 Land Rover Disco 3 TDV6 HSE - Cost bloody heaps of money

Why I bought a Landy - they are the best 4*4*far and I want to go 4WD'ing

And yes if I never spent my money on cars I'd be a millionarie but then I wouldn't have had any fun because I love cars.

Chris

I'm very much a petrol head but an explorer too..... So, I usually have a Landy for my outdoor activities and something quick & hot for the road. 8)

1976 Sunbeam Rapier Fastback
1973 Sunbeam Rapier Fastback
1988 Vauxhall (Holden) Cavalier GLS
1989 Vauxhall Cavalier CD
1984 RangeRover InVogue (3.5 V8 Manual)
1991 RangeRover Vogue (3.9 V8 Manual)
1995 RangeRover Vogue SE (3.9 V8 Auto)
1996 Camel Trophy Defender 110
1998 Camel Trophy Freelander
1996 Westfield SEiW 2.0 (Big grin factor & donut machine 8) )
1996 Westfield SEiW 2.0

I also usually have 4-5 cars on the road at any one time! So... Yep, I'm perpetually poor!

Mark.