S 1, 2, 2a or 3.... Whats the difference?

Series 2's are my choice. The series 2 gearbox is arguably stronger (and i say arguably) and on the farm in 4x4 you will have no issues with axles or diffs if you have a standard engine. If you maintain the vehicle then you should have no issues as they really are bullet proof.

I am not a fan of the "plastic looking" interior of the series 3s, but basically the series 2 and 3s are essentially the same vehicle, with just a few things here and there changed over the years. As said in an earlier post, the early series 2s are closer to a series 1 sharing the same 2l engine and the later series 2a are closer to a series 3.

My PERSONAL choice for a farm hack, occassional camper and general recovery and play vehicle would be a Forward Control, with the following attributes:

- rear flatbed with ISO container holding mechanisms, so that I can swop between dropside, camper body, etc reasonably easily and quickly
- 3.9 EFI motor on LT95 or Auto box, or else a large TDI on a 6-speed manual box
- ENV axles or at the very least Salisbury
- lockers front and back
- double batteries
- monster winch cabled for front & back recovery

Which FC? Well, that depends what you can source where you live. We can't get the FC101 without importing, so for me a FCIIB.

Why flatbed with ISO? Well, for playing around, the biggest issue with an FC is the weight and height. If you remove the rear tub/body, you reduce weight and lower the CoG. You can still carry stuff using discreet tie-down points and ratchets.
Why FC? It's a personal thing. Maybe I'd also like a Mog in the yard. Or a Volvo C303 if I can find one. A Pinzgauer. Ah, so many big 4x4s, so little time and money.

This is the rear loadbed arrangement I mean:

Google Image Result for http://www.military-today.com/trucks/samil_20.jpg

Google Image Result for http://www.army.mil.za/equipment/vehicles/Pictures/service_truck_lad.jpg

Google Image Result for http://www.alsgroup.co.za/Portals/117/images/ALS%20Companies/ALS%20Manufacturing/Vehicle%20Range/Farming/Full_Scale_Samil_20_Utility_Truck.jpg

Jeez, those are long links, I hope the bulletin board software doesn't crunch them...

Ive seen a few Forward control Landies and they are a rare beast here as well, last one I saw was at Freds workshop in Bayswater and it looked pretty good but I suspect the center of gravity is higher than the standard Land Rover which makes it impractical for my place.

I was also looking to use the PTO capabilities for some basic implements such as a small slasher or similar so Id need the rear chassis crossmember hole for the drive shaft but this is a secondary consideration.
Failing that id look into fitting a hydraulic live drive to run, raise and lower a slasher deck.

I remember seeing one on a website somewhere years ago that had been used instead of a tractor on small acreage and it struck me how versatile the things are.

Obviously id have to be careful of the gearbox with a mech PTO drive or keep a few spares.

Interesting that the S II has a better box, my old 2A was quite a nice box to drive and being a LWB I used to cart a bit of stuff around up hill and down dale and the box never gave any indication of popping out of gear and it always sounded pretty good under load.
I went from that to a Diesel Troopy Tojo and it was awful in comparison especially gearbox and transfer case wise.

Worst change I ever made.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seriestwo

Series 2's are my choice. The series 2 gearbox is arguably stronger (and i say arguably) and on the farm in 4x4 you will have no issues with axles or diffs if you have a standard engine. If you maintain the vehicle then you should have no issues as they really are bullet proof.

I am not a fan of the "plastic looking" interior of the series 3s, but basically the series 2 and 3s are essentially the same vehicle, with just a few things here and there changed over the years. As said in an earlier post, the early series 2s are closer to a series 1 sharing the same 2l engine and the later series 2a are closer to a series 3.

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Id prefer the standard LR engine, some liked the holden option but I always prefer to keep it original, anyway ive seen the axles on Landies and they always struck me as needing a bit more beef.

Besides that im rarely in a hurry and if I do want more than 55 Mph then I guess an overdrive is always an option or a later model 5 speed box.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tony66_au

Id prefer the standard LR engine, some liked the holden option but I always prefer to keep it original, anyway ive seen the axles on Landies and they always struck me as needing a bit more beef.

Besides that im rarely in a hurry and if I do want more than 55 Mph then I guess an overdrive is always an option or a later model 5 speed box.

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An overdrive is not likely to increase the maximum cruising speed, just reduce the revs at that speed. There is no five speed box that can be fitted without major modifications.

Most varieties of the Holden engine need an overdrive or some other method of changing the gear ratio, as, unlike the Rover engines, they are not happy cruising at high rpm for long periods.

A couple of further differences worth noting. Landrover 80,86 and 88" models have ten inch brakes. 107 and 109 have 11" brakes, and in the case of the six, V8, Isuzu engines, and very late 2.25 engines, the front brakes are wider. Most models have no power assistance on the brakes, although this was optional on Series 3 and late 2a 109, and boosters were fitted after market on some. Converting an 88 to lwb brakes is a worthwhile improvement, as is converting the narrower 11" brakes to the wider ones. If you like very light brakes, adding a booster is worth it, but it is probably not really necessary for most people. A late S3 dual circuit brake system can be fitted to any Series 2/2a/3, although 2/2a will need panel modifications to the inner mudguard.

John

Any of the S1, 2 or 3's would suit your needs Tony, but as I am in the middle of restoring a S1 and tinkering with a S3 (with a view to having a scruffy but legal ute) I can say that the availability of parts for the S2 and 3 is much better, and common service items are as cheap-as-chips. S1 parts by comparison are sometimes harder to find and definitely more expensive.

Whatever you pick, take your time and find one that is more-or-less complete; has little rust and you like. As John points out, they are easy cars to modify to suit your taste,

Cheers Charlie

Here's my .02 worth... All just opinion, so no flames please!

For my money the IIA is the pick of the bunch for an all-rounder. The SI is just a bit too agricultural for everyday life (would you drive a '53 ford or holden as a daily driver?), the SII headlights are practically useless for night driving on main roads and the SIII gearbox is made of cheese (and has a plastic dash that is usually buggered).

The IIA has the best gearbox, lights on the guards so they work well at night, proper metal "dash" facia that doesn't crack in the sun and is still a "hose-outable" proper 4x4. You wont feel like you're driving a museum peice either, which is nice if you want to knock it around. Parts are still easy to get and everything from a SIII bolts right on if you are caught short. The very late ones had the dual circuit brakes from the SIII too.

Cheers,

Adam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by akelly

......., the SII headlights are practically useless for night driving on main roads ........

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??? The headlights in Australian Series 2 and 2a are identical until late in S2a production. And the problem is not the lights themselves, but the wiring, which has not improved yet. Adding headlight relays is a major improvement to all of them.

John

Im a bit anal about original light positions remaining original but owning a few older vehicles that are not LR or RR Ive done the relay upgrades before for a few reasons, Original Wire gauge is minimum, looms and earth points are usually 20 plus years old (In the case of the Val's 40 years old), switch gear is well used and the whole lot is NOT well fused and protected.

I usually upgrade sealed beams to Halogen H4 inserts with 60/55's with a relay per unit and per filament so 2 relays per side with the original cabling being used to trigger the relays instead of supplying the lights.

Im also not a fan of over wattage on 5 or 7 inch headlights although Ive run 100/55's in the past I now stick to 60/55's and just use plain white (Not blue) globes and leave Xenon's to new cars lol.