Landcrabs- Any Good?

[64A60]

Hi, I'm considering a BMC 1800 as my next old motor, what do I need to look out for apart from the usual rust, high quality* BMC/BL workmanship and OMG HYDROSPASTICS problems. Any shiters have/had one? Thanks in advance. 

 

Pictures related.

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Hey that's my old one!!

[Sigmund Fraud]

'Crabs are absolutely amazing - a really well engineered car that drives wonderfully, especially considering its age.

 

The 1800 version is the one to have, it avoids the overheating problems (and poor access for maintenance) that plague the inline-six 2200, but is still powerful enough to cope with modern traffic.

 

Rust can be an issue, but the hydrolastic system is marvellously simple and you can buy rebuilt displacers off the shelf nowadays. Some parts are unfortunately unobtainium, but most important stuff is shared with other BMC/BL products so keeping the car on the road is not a problem.

[dollywobbler]

Great cars, helpful club, I really should have owned one by now. They're ace to drive.

[Angrydicky]

Incredibly comfortable cars and compared to a lot of their competitors, not horrendously rot prone and still relatively cheap to buy. The hydrolastic suspension is superb. The transverse engine means there's a massive amount of interior space in a Landcrab.

 

Only thing I should mention is on the B series (and the E6 as well I would imagine) it's an engine out job to change the clutch.

 

There are Austin, Morris and Wolseley versions in MKI, II and III flavour. My favourites are the SI Morris', I love the strip speedo and horizontal rear lights on them. Later cars suffered from BL cost cutting and gained seats trimmed in cheap nylon, which although comfortable, is not very durable and most have holes in by now. Earlier interiors are pretty tough. Wolseley dashboards usually delaminate but that's par for the course with old veneered dashboards.

 

Best of luck!

[quicksilver]

Nah, what you really want is a Maxi - like a Landcrab but better Seriously though, Crabs are great too - think of them as an enormous Mini with similar ride and handling and cavernous interior space. Much better than some of the bilge Ford, Vauxhall and Rootes were making at the time. 

[Eddie Honda]

Had one (Austin Mk3 with PAS), great old bus. Mahoosive inside.

 

KJN 67L is on SORN somewhere.

 

Mk3s are rod change boxes, IIRC.

 

Only thing I should mention is on the B series (and the E6 as well I would imagine) it's an engine out job to change the clutch.

Nah, car up high, right hand engine mount off, drive shafts out and dangle engine down at an angle enough to clear things. In effect, it only needs to come half out.

[Angrydicky]

Had one (Austin Mk3 with PAS), great old bus. Mahoosive inside.

 

KJN 67L is on SORN somewhere.

 

Mk3s are rod change boxes, IIRC.

 

 

Nah, car up high, right hand engine mount off, drive shafts out and dangle engine down at an angle enough to clear things. In effect, it only needs to come half out.

I stand corrected! KJN 67L is a Southend reg, probably came from SMAC (local Austin/BMC/BL/AR dealer) like my Wolseley I used to own, BHJ 55K.

[Eddie Honda]

1800 by E Honda, on Flickr

1st registered 1st July 1973 and built in 1973. And if I had a pound for all those breathers on the phone asking when it would be tax-exempt (this was c.2004) I would have been a milliner.

 

The previous owner had a 10" Mountney wheel on it and lived in MK new town.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Incredibly heavy steering - a conversion to PAS transforms them. I'd sidestep the poverty models and reach for the Wolseley* 18/85. PAS on many and a lovely interior. Wolseley Six for std PAS and an engine smoother than a cashmere codpiece.

 

 

*Buy wisely.

[richardthestag]

I really like these but can never get path the 3 litre Land Lobster that I saw recently

 

Want level exceed but too many projects on at the mo

 

Europe car of the year in 65 after the P6

 

What was the issue with the crab back in its day? i seem to recall that they were not popular, i.e. sales cannot have covered tooling costs

[Dan the van]

Dad had one,'73 in Harvest Gold like pic 3.He taught me to drive in it and I thought it was awesome.Issigonis's fav of all his designs,basically a massive Mini.Limo levels of legroom in the back.Crayford did a few hatchback conversions in the seventies making it as practical as a Maxi but bigger.Turning circle of a supertanker,rides like an ocean liner.Landcrab moniker came from them being perceived as a bit slow but they're fine really.B series quite torquey old lump,easy upgrade to twin carbs from MGB for more oompf or get the Wolseley.Twin carbs as standard and dead cow seats pre 1973.(went to velour after).Usual BL rust traps,sills,front floorpans,top of wings around headlamps and rear subframe but one of the better cars we made back then.

[Junkman]

1st registered 1st July 1973 and built in 1973. And if I had a pound for all those breathers on the phone asking when it would be tax-exempt (this was c.2004) I could buy me an Olympic at Little Chef now.

EFA

[Dan the van]

Oh and I think one won the London to Sydney marathon in 1968 iirc.

[Junkman]

i seem to recall that they were not popular, i.e. sales cannot have covered tooling costs

Going by the number sold in Austria alone they must have been a rousing success.

Snowy mountain roads made them very popular there due to OMGFWD, which most other family cars didn't have yet.

 

Interior space, ride and handling were virtues commonly praised by owners. So was parts availability, due to

sharing many oily bits with other BMC chod of the day, something you couldn't always expect from English wares

abroad.

Commonly criticised was the price - they were expensive in .at at the time.

 

How all of this could possibly have any relevance for buying a half century old car is beyond me, though.

 

If I ever buy one, it must be a six, but considering P6 V8 values, it's not likely going to happen.

[Richard]

.

[Lankytim]

I had a Wolseley crab, they drive a bit like a modern car rather than something from the 60s but just beware of rot!

[flat4alfa]

Nah, what you really want is a Maxi - like a Landcrab but better

 

Owned both

 

Landcrab is the nicer drive, it also had more presence on the road 

[flat4alfa]

My old 18/85

 

 

Sold it 7 years ago.  I do miss it.  

 

One day I will have another Landcrab.  Not quite so bothered about having another Maxi and mine was one of the cleanest

 

 

I chased that Stondon Museum Morris 2200 I pawed over during the closing weekend, but they never got back to me - despite plenty of email and promises.  It went to auction months later (unknowingly).  MOT expired Oct 2016 so it was only on the road a year if that

 

 

If anyone knows of its whereabouts, please let me know.

[flat4alfa]

Hi, I'm considering a BMC 1800 as my next old motor

 

Before I go any further - have you driven one yet?  It's an acquired taste what with the upright driving position and wonky column

[dollywobbler]

Oh and I think one won the London to Sydney marathon in 1968 iirc.

 

Nope. That was a Hillman Hunter, after the leading Citroen DS was destroyed in a crash with 98 miles to go...

 

But a Landcrab did finish third, so that's pretty good going. Paddy Hopkirk at the wheel no less.

[tooSavvy]

..... ahhhhhh

 

https://youtu.be/XoVFUDqJHNg

 

 

TS

[Eddie Honda]

But a Landcrab did finish third second, so that's pretty good going. Paddy Hopkirk at the wheel no less.

FTFY

 

https://www.ewrc-results.com/final.php?e=15556

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

 

 

What was the issue with the crab back in its day? i seem to recall that they were not popular, i.e. sales cannot have covered tooling costs

 

 

Early reliability was one but that never hurt the Mini or 1100. The crab was too big, too expensive and too basic inside, heavy steering and belted up, you couldn't reach the dash switches. It was ahead of its time - if only they let Pininfarina finish it off. An alternative was to discontinue the Farina and replace it with the 1800 but price it at Oxford/Cambridge levels.  It was a very good car that just missed the target.

[dollywobbler]

Early reliability was one but that never hurt the Mini or 1100. The crab was too big, too expensive and too basic inside, heavy steering and belted up, you couldn't reach the dash switches. It was ahead of its time - if only they let Pininfarina finish it off. An alternative was to discontinue the Farina and replace it with the 1800 but price it at Oxford/Cambridge levels.  It was a very good car that just missed the target.

 

Yup. Woeful ergonomics and Issigonis's idea of luxury was winding windows I think. Fine for a Minor, not so much when you're after sales by executive types. Also, let's face it, FWD is STILL seen as wrong for an executive car even 50 years on. (even though I far prefer it)

[Stevebrookman]

Father Brookman had a Wolseley Six auto in about 1978/79- OHJ 917M- Damask Red.

 

Extremely comfortable and smooth-but did like a drink.

 

Alternator went once or twice-had to access it from a side panel in the inner front wing-used to take hours to change.

 

I used to drive it around where he worked (I must have been around 15 at the time)-slid it into a banking once in the snow-not a mark! If it had been a Cortina I would have caved the front wing in.

 

Replaced it in '82 with an R reg 3.0 Granada manual-RTG 260R-Stratos Silver.

 

That was an "interesting" car for a 17 year old!

 

Steve

[doobietoo]

Third car I remember as a kid,FOR808D Morris S1 with the horizontal rear lights as was mentioned by someone else, by far the best looking IMHO. Father doobie had it for years, taught mother doobie to drive in it. very comfy for us kids as dad put a piece of wood with some foam on it between the front and rear seats so both us kids could sleep on long trips. Try doing that in a modern car. Owned a couple myself and the handling is surprisingly good for a big car used to get left in a straight line but would catch up with almost anything in the corners. Initial cost and crap image accounted for lack of sales mainly... I will own another one soon hopefully before they go through the roof price wise...

[richardthestag]

re the Hopkirk Crab did I dream it or was there a resto feature in Craptical Prassics?

 

I seem to recall being amused that the only thing on the engine that was actually 1800 was the badge! every bit of it was stretched a little

[Paul Dupart]

Not a crab but my dad had a Princess 2200, the engine was so smooth and quiet, you couldn't hear it or feel it at tick over from inside the car.

I think they were only about 110bhp though?  

[STUNO]

Another ex owner. I had a 1971 Morris 1800 S. Twin carbs, large bore exhaust and PAS. It was only a couple of years old when I bought it and never gave any problems apart from the fuel system. It only ran well on the 5 star gas and would clag up and misbehave in London traffic if not given a regular Italian tune( M1 at 70-80 in 3rd gear followed by clouds of clag worked well). Loved it !!

GMC331J is long gone. A Wolseley GMC330J belonged to the landlord of my corner pub !

Experience one, they are a good drive.