THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[dollywobbler]

The Land Rover is home! A few issues, but then I paid £1600 for a 90 with a V8, so that's expected. Don't think it's anything serious (well, I'm hoping the thermostat has jammed open and that it hasn't just been removed to mask an issue...). Because it's running cold, it's running crap at light throttle (carb freezing I imagine, or in need of a tune up) put pulls well when you drop your boot. Which I try to avoid as it's cost me £40 for a 120 mile journey...

 

Naturally, there's pretty much no snow on the roads at all, though I did find the odd spot to have a bit of a play...

 

Pics to follow.

[Tayne]

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[dollywobbler]

Chassis is ok, but patched in places (as is rear crossmember). Bulkhead upper corners have some 'interesting' repairs and what looks like an emulsion topcoat. One outrigger hasn't been that well attached, but it is at least new! No idea what tyres are on it (standard 'tiny' 90 size) but they seem grippy enough. Advert was posted in a Land Rover mag, but had an incorrect number. Had to do some digging but got a result!

 

Anyway, here's a sneak pic of the Landy outside my house. Not taking any more photos just yet!

 

I think I've made it look halfway decent in that shot... (she's a bit scraggy round the edges).

[Tayne]

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[warren t claim]

  dollywobbler said:

The Land Rover is home! A few issues, but then I paid £1600 for a 90 with a V8, so that's expected. Don't think it's anything serious (well, I'm hoping the thermostat has jammed open and that it hasn't just been removed to mask an issue...). Because it's running cold, it's running crap at light throttle (carb freezing I imagine, or in need of a tune up) put pulls well when you drop your boot. Which I try to avoid as it's cost me £40 for a 120 mile journey...

 

Naturally, there's pretty much no snow on the roads at all, though I did find the odd spot to have a bit of a play...

 

Pics to follow.

 

That must work out at about 18-20mpg! I think that's pretty good as it isn't even running properly!

[seth]

Well done LandyWobbler!!

[Jules]

Congrats. Looks brill.

 

Have fun

[Tayne]

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[dollywobbler]

Thanks folks. I'm not getting carried away. I'm already waiting for the first big bill (other than fuel...) Economy probably helped by the 30mph procession to Bewdley behind muggles in their 2WD cars...(actually, I would have been wanting to go faster than them if I was in the BX. There was actually a fair bit of grip!).

 

It is a 1988 - genuine County with headlamp washers! (which probably don't work). That should mean a 134bhp tune to the V8. To drive, it's rather odd. It feels like a big truck and a tractor all at the same time, but with some actual attempt at comfort lobbed in - though it's a bit like wearing hobnail boots for ballet dancing. Why on earth people bought these just for on-road duty beggars belief!

[warren t claim]

 

I know this is a bit of a repost but it seems pretty fitting for you new purchase.

[Albert Ross]

One thing that V8 Land ROvers are prone to is a high idle speed. "Some" throttle butterflies have small sprung valves in, which stay open with weak springs.... One way to reduce the idle speed is to solder up the brass valves. I'm mot sure when these were deleted from production though. Another mod is to remove a small baffle plate from the inlet tract. On the top of the manifold where both carbs bolt to the central "pyramid" there is a "fingered" plate fitted in line with the venturi. These were a sort of diffuser, but also restrict airflow. They can be removed... although restting the carbs afterwards is necessary.

[Shep Shepherd]

  dollywobbler said:

To drive, it's rather odd. It feels like a big truck and a tractor all at the same time, but with some actual attempt at comfort lobbed in - though it's a bit like wearing hobnail boots for ballet dancing.

 

I drive a shagged-out 1985 One Ten Hi-Capacity 2.5 diesel pick-up at work and I concur!

 

It's totally unbeatable in the snow, though!

 

[warren t claim]

Does anyone here NOT like Land Rovers? Ultimate Autoshite icon!

[michiel]

Nice one DW! I often see a new shiny black 110 with four yellow/brown leather highbacked sports seats, it should really have a V8 because the rattly diesel doesn't fit with the image it seems to project.

[Tayne]

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[Albert Ross]

  warren t claim said:

Does anyone here NOT like Land Rovers? Ultimate Autoshite icon!

 

I live, eat, sleep, and breathe them. Nothing else will cut the mustard.

[Shep Shepherd]

  warren t claim said:

Does anyone here NOT like Land Rovers? Ultimate Autoshite icon!

 

I'd go as far to suggest that they are the ultimate British automotive icon!

[dollywobbler]

NEW LAND ROVER SAVES THE DAY!

 

Many thanks to my new steed for dragging the BX off my driveway after I foolishly drove it down to the house (see Grumps...). It may run like a three-legged deer, but it pulls well enough! Reversing towards my own BX in a heavy 4x4 on slick snow, downhill was scary (low ratio gearbox helped!) but it got the job done. I've had a better look at the Landy and it really does seem pretty sound, though the welding isn't particularly pretty on the rear crossmember.

 

CX has sold and deposit received (see Grin thread!) so that sort of balances things out. A bit. BX now has a 750 mile road trip ahead of it after lots of snowy chaos. I've lost my faith in it a little - it was brilliant in snow last February, but it seems distinctly iffy this time - maybe because we've got shed-loads of it and it is only FWD with no special tyres or chains... (needless to say, the chains haven't arrived yet).

[Shep Shepherd]

Despite replacing TV2's defective tailgate support struts a fortnight ago and things in the load space department being hunky dory ever since then, every time I open the car's tailgate, I still expect it to come crashing back down on me, as I have painful memories of it doing just that...

[Rusty Pelican]

  Shep Shepherd said:

, I still expect it to come crashing back down on me, as I have painful memories of it doing just that...

Same with my E30 bonnet , man that hurts ,the One tiny gas strut on the thing is crap idea

[Shep Shepherd]

  Rusty Pelican said:

Same with my E30 bonnet , man that hurts ,the One tiny gas strut on the thing is crap idea

 

You'd have thought that BMW would have used two struts or, better still, counterbalanced hinges like Volvo did on the 740...

[pogweasel]

E30's don't have gas struts!

[Rusty Pelican]

  pogweasel said:

E30's don't have gas struts!

Mines an early one on a C reg , one gas strut on the drivers side only , I know this as ive just replaced it , its only 9 inches long FFS and goes from the inner arch to the front hinge , I think later ones had two so they odviously realised there was a problem.

[eddyramrod]

  dollywobbler said:

the welding isn't particularly pretty on the rear crossmember.

 

It isn't supposed to be; it's a Land Rover, ffs! This is a Proper 4x4, a Working Man's Tool for doing Working Man stuff like pulling FWDs out of snow-filled fields, etc. As long as you remember what it's for, you'll be fine. To those who've described it here as the ultimate British motoring icon, and suchlike terms of adulation: yes of course it is! They keep fiddling with the design, trying to drag it upmarket and all that, but be honest: what can possibly compete?

[trigger]

My dad's boss had a Land Rover 90 from new, (C200 KAR) my dad would often use it as it was a works vehicle, Even by the time it was 15 years old it had still only covered 32000 miles, I remember driving it back from the garage one day, It had awful steering, you was constantly steering left to right trying to keep it in a straight line.

 

In the end the local farmer was borrowing it and ended up rolling it down a bank totally flatting it, This was 2001 time, I've just checked the DVLA site and it's still listed as taxed but strangely it's now blue?, It was green with a cream roof back then.

 

The farm also had a 1964 Land Rover 109 7 seater safari for a while, but it was very juicy so they traded it in for a 'new' 1995 Jeep Cherokee 2.5 which they still have.

[Negative Creep]

Mr2 is now on the road - yay!

 

Idle is a bit lumpy which it wasn't on the drive home - hopefully just the result h=of having been sat around for a while - boo!

[dollywobbler]

It steers in a manner not disimilar to my old A90 Westminster. I got used to it quite quickly, because I'm used to that sort of thing, but it still took a little adjustment as I've driven mainly rack-and-pinion stuff recently. I'd say the Landy is better than my old W123 Merc, but I know that had a fair ol' bit of play in the steering box.

 

Got to play with the diff-lock and the low ratio gears today. Got back on to the road and kept in low (diff-lock out) as I wasn't going far. It was great! Sounded like I was tearing along at a right old rate! (25mph...). Really need to sort the engine out though - trying to gently tug another car with an engine that doesn't pull cleanly below 2000rpm is tricky!

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I've driven a few Defenders like the one trigger describes, but the 130 I've driven recently has relatively direct, precise steering. I think you have to keep on top of replacing/greasing the steering components to keep the steering precise

[dollywobbler]

  Leonard Hatred said:

I've driven a few Defenders like the one trigger describes, but the 130 I've driven recently has relatively direct, precise steering. I think you have to keep on top of replacing/greasing the steering components to keep the steering precise

 

It is what you're used to as well. Drive one for a bit and the steering feels nothing out of the ordinary. Jump in one after driving something like a 2CV or Mini and you will feel the weave! Worst cars I've driven on the road for steering have got to be Austin 7s. 40mph feels far too fast!

 

You do have a point though - a bit of wear in a steering box/components does seem to be amplified with box systems.

[Richard]

  trigger said:

I've just checked the DVLA site and it's still listed as taxed but strangely it's now blue?, It was green with a cream roof back then.

 

C200KAR would be a cherished plate I think.