Had a twenty year landroverless gap ( Peugeot diesel estates which were excellent) and then a four hundred quid 2.2 disiesel frontera ( gateway drug) got me needing another Landy so much. Went to get a 61 lwb series 2 from Somerset. Had a test drive of about a mile. It had smaller wheels on it and a steering damper fitted and the steering relay was dry as a bone. I did think I don’t remember them being this appalling to drive and steer. But I bought it anyway and drove it home a week later. Three years on I’ve fitted a 200 tdi and overdrive, sorted the steering and brakes, soundproofed a fair bit and made it into a good daily used motor. However I’ve had to redevelop muscle for steering and braking and gear changing! And a 750x16 wheel seems to be heavier than they used to be. I don’t keep it on the fecking bonnet anymore! I’m 58 now and more concerned about the amount of rolling about on the ground I have to do. Oh for a pit or a fourpost lift. Great video 👍👍
So true. I've driven both quite a lot and the 90 is actually not too bad. The 110 can lead to some awkward situations. When I first got mine I underestimated the lack of turning circle so badly I had to stop and reverse in the middle of a major intersection and people were having a good laugh!
Lol, My 1974 S3 is positively medieval compared, and being of the age you suggest for wheelchairs, I find daily driving great fun. She still does what she was built for, and works off-road helping me maintain woodland.. I can leave all the doors open all day and never get a flat battery, because the interior light has a simple switch and is not connected to everything that can open. Sometimes less is more. It all depends on your expectation and use I suppose. But a classic S3 does me just fine.
My daily driver is a 1972 S3 (Well it was until a core plug rusted away 2 weeks ago). The passenger side door top fell off last year, still not fixed it. Well there's no point, it's not on my side
I have one of the last 90 300 TDI’s in county station wagon Spec from 1999. I absolutely love it. Its in pretty much immaculate shape for its age though, no issues with it so far took it through the North York Moors on Wednesday never missed a beat.
I have one for winter use, as where i live none of our modern cars move in one inch of snow up and down the slight hills in the area. I normally have to turn the engine over a number weeks before to iron out all the faults. It regularly breaks down, but it moves in snow, yes the spare is in the back too. I will keep it until the day i die.
Had me in tears, very funny. So true, but love these cars. Mine 110 is sitting outside my house with broken engine waiting to be take on back of recovery truck to be fixed in new year. Wouldn't part with it for the world.
Great video mate, this is exactly what owning a Land Rover is like and why I now buy Japanese. Sometimes I wear my rose tinted spectacles while on Autotrader but then I look at the repair bills I had with it not to mention the running costs of having a Texaco tanker on hand for fuel...
@@TommyAutos They don't break that often, and easy to fix yourself for next to nothing. Looks like some of the comments here are from people that aren't practical enough to ever have had one in the first place.
You're kidding yourself. They are simple to fix... but incredibly awkward. Not to mention everything is always corroded. Buy a Landcruiser, then you'll understand what easy means.
@@TommyAutos What? These are works vehicles, keep things properly greased and maintained, no problems. Incredibly easy to work on, no ECUs and other unneccessary electical control systems to go wrong. And what makes you think I don't own a landcruiser or any other vehicle (including Audis which I've also rebuilt)? You haven't got a scooby.
ha ha great video! Why is it all us who have owned Landrovers still love them to this day even though the market is light years ahead?! Yes i still love my ol' series 3 landy! Coming from Australia
I am 74 and I have driven one since I was 56. No problem to me and it's never ever let me down, I will be buried in it. The one you have needs only a bit of TLC and it'll be fine and will go anywhere. But it was a TD5 afterall. You should've bought a 300tdi.
Absolutely brilliant, however my missus still wants one even after watching your entirely accurate review....at this stage I am questioning both of our mental states for different reasons !!!
Your off to a good start with that frame as long as it’s a whole new aftermarket frame they are much much stronger in areas that the original lacked but are bolt on replacement frames the galvanizing don’t even mean nothing to me I wash my undercarriage good and coat it with fluid film and and red cv axle grease around high wear areas such as shackle mounts rear frame lower parts where they hold water I live in the rust belt or slaty winter roads
I have owned a 1989 90 for 14 years, stuck a 300 tdi in it as the old 19j was an oil and diesel guzzler joke, and I also bought another for a short time and sold it on, I used to be obsessed with them, maybe I am thinking back to the thrill of the military ones I drove in my early 20's? who knows, and for some reason I still want to hang on to this one despite the fact the noise, the lack of comfort, the seat and steering position is cramped, no room in the back either, the ongoing repairs, esp rust, the cold, the lack of proper axle diff locking, the cost of spares these days, and most serious of all is I dread to think of how it would perform in an accident after seeing examples of this, it's frightening, lack of energy absorption and crumple zones to say the least. They were sold as a great British vehicle and now pushed as an icon and folks were brainwashed into believing they were the best on the planet, bottom line is they are a heap of alloy and rust junk, and the only positive is there is no technology to repair compared to most other vehicles.
I'm just a minute into the video and already object to what you are saying. Many farmers and shooters drive defenders all their lives. I have driven a Defender since the age of 40 ( I had a Discovery before that) and I am now 70 years old and find them very practical once they have a galvanised chassis and don't see any issues. I've driven from North East of England to south of Switzerland, (Ferry and one day driving) with a smooth ride as my Defender is well maintained and does not vibrate and shake. Mind you there are plenty of bad ones about and many drivers who don't know how to operate the low ratio box for climbing steep inclines and Diff lock for slippery surfaces. Some drivers just can't get away with a Defender, and that makes me smile. Even my wife loved a Defender in winter. No problem in deep snow or ice, the dogs in the back and just hose it out once in a while. Only real men drive a Defender.
He has ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! I am a Land Rover Defender owner for 20 years. The only good thing of this car, is that you have the base (chassis) to put anything on, choosing between in MILLIONS of parts (new & used) to do any conversion you want. Because its genuine parts are completely USELESS!!! Of course we talk for Land Rover Defender until 2017 and Discovery until 2005. Since then? You can not touch ANYTHING of the car (mechanical or electrical), so RUN away!!!
I really like the look of the defenders, in my opinion a well kitted defender has the toughest look. Just google Helderburg defenders. When it comes to reliability i keep hearing about them breaking down. Some people claim it's the neglecting maintenance. Any comment about that?
i hate the hazard light switch had to replace mine bout 3 times now thing just stops working and got 3 wrecks out back and all have broken hazard switch
Took my girlfriend out in my 90 a few days ago. She almost bust her appendix laughing so much. "Oh my days Phill, It's fucking awful, I love it!" Keeper.
If you do not like the old Defender don't buy one. You have taken a vehicle that is almost 30-year-old and who knows how it was used and maintained over the years and are judging it as if it left the factory a week ago. Furthermore, the Defender was it was and among other things it was a very old design so if it suited, you bought one if not you looked elsewhere. So, your criticism is out of place. I don’t think you ever owned an off-road vehicle made by Toyota, id did and if you think it is reliable and it will last 30 years without continuous maintenance think again.
Great film, really enjoyed it. Grew up with my dad's Land Rover series, they were awful, yet my school friends were jealous! How can engines that noisy be so pathetic? And who thought mounting the spare wheel on the bonnet was a good idea? Did he ever try lifting the bonnet? Half-shafts made out of marzipan and the long wheel base needs more room than the QE2 to turn around. I could go on....Yeah, they look good in a Tonka Toy sort of way which keeps seducing fresh victims to buy them.
I mean, if you wanted comfort you would have gone for a discovery or a range rover, defenders are 1st and foremost agricultural vehicles and pure utility vehicles, lots of them even came with truck beds installed and i'm pretty sure it's kind of easy to remove the roof on these and make them have a truck bed.
Defenders are fun to drive, unlike any modern car. I have modern cars and they are so boring by comparison. My Defenders have been very reliable from almost new. You need to use genuine or high quality parts and look after them, not ignore their needs for servicing. Most have been modified in some way, usually badly.