Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Hi all,

There appears to be much excitement today as the new L-R "Defender" is officially unveiled, although unlike the original the new car is built in Slovakia. So to balance-out all this new Defender talk across the internet, who here is a fan of the original Landies - Series 1/2/3/90 and so on, excluding Discos and Range Rovers? Have you owned one, or used one in relation to work?

They're not something I've had much involvement with to be honest, although I could happily owned a Series 1/2 for pottering-about duties.

RJ
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[MikeEdwards]

Looking around the shed at Brightwells last week they had quite a few very early ones, ranging from "very clean" to "dare you to blast this" condition. And the same with half a dozen or so early Range Rovers. They also have lots of ex-MOD LRs in their compound, presumably for a forthcoming sale.

Some of the projects were quite tempting.

[emmerson]

Lots of them in my younger days, Rick, but not for a while now.
We had two series 1s when I was an apprentice in late 50s, which of course I thought were wonderful. last time I drove one, about ten years ago, i thought it was dreadful!
As I worked in an Austin agency I had more to do with the Austin Gipsy, which was intended as a LR competitor, but was killed off by British Leyland.
We did sell a few Gipsys to local farmers, and took a couple of Land Rovers in part exchange.
I rekindled my affair with the Gipsy for a year or two back in the 80s/90s, when my daughter married a fellow enthusiast, and they still have a couple of them lying around the yard.

[alastairq]

I spent the last 20 years of my working life as a military driver instructor...so spent a fair amount of time being involved with the Defenders [of one form or another]...
Comfort-wise, [for me, over 6 foot tall, not slim in any sense of the word..but not tubby by the same criteria either] the Defenders [both NA and 300tdi versions]..were the more suitable....their seats had an element of adjustability in them.
Whereas, my good chum has both a series 3 and a series 1......whose seats have no rearwards adjustability.....and I cannot even get behind the wheel of the series 1, and struggle with the series 3.
Which is all a bit disappointing for me.

I also found, by experience with the Defender range [we also had some new ones 'on hire' now & again]....that the 'civilian' versions, with their gucci internal plastic paneling and 'comfy-wimpy-snowflake' interiors, had less room for a well padded individual, who might be wearing wellies, heavy duty waterproofs, etc....than the military versions.

The lack of interior trim in military versions made them much more roomy in the cab.

As for the LWB station wagon types? Rear seat [cross bench] room was deplorable....only suitable for those with thighs no longer than 6 inches!
For someone like me....the only way I could travel in the rear seat was to have it all to myself, and sit myself crossways.
So, for me, the LWB [110] station wagon was more of a 'show' vehicle...looks nice at the local gymkhana, in other words.

My daily runabout is a Daihatsu Fourtrak.....a vehicle which became the 'alternative' in the land rover series/defender marketplace [in the UK..& I suspect elsewhere too?]..probably because it was rated to tow heavier loads than the Defender [legally,]....or series.....and was equally suitable for sticking the odd sheep in the back...so became the farmers' darling.

For me, it is what the Defender should really have been....in terms of pulling power, and, more importantly, comfort.

I can still scratch it, dent it, stand on top of it [to paint things, etc] much as I would do if I have a Defender/series....washing it is an accidental event [as it would be for a series, etc]....yup, it rots for Japan, much as a Land rover does for England.....but, like the Land Rover, it is eminently mendable should things bust....especially when nowhere near anything that resembles a workshop.
It regularly rescues pals' land rovers...and its engine is sought after by Land Rover enthusiasts, wishing to replace their own engines [with something more reliable than what Land Rover offered, perhaps?]

However, if I ever were to consider getting a Land Rover..it would have to be an early defender...ex-military, normally aspirated 2.5 diesel engine, 90 inch wheelbase...preferably with a 'hard top' [UK east coast weather]....

LAter military defenders [Wolf] had power steering and 300 tdi engines...the power steering was way far too light for security at speed....and the tdi engine added complexity.
Besides, the early military defenders [no power steering, narrower wheels/tyres, reverse to left & forwards] always felt a lot more stable at traffic speeds....just took longer to get up to those speeds, tis all....
Probably would get one, serviced, registered, but not 'tidied up'....for around 6k.....[I am often in Blanchards of Market weighton]...
But, could I put up with the inherent Land Rover unreliability? Yup, things do bust on them..they are not as 'strong' as they look [when scrapped, the bodies will cover the Xmas turkey, the chassis being the tin it's roasted in?]

Plus, keeping them running...the spares situation is quite nicely comprehensive, but full of quality and longevity pitfalls....lots of parts made in India just don't have the quality or long lasting serviceability of genuine Land Rover parts, for example....yet..there is little [other than dedicated forum advice] to help distinguish them...aside from price.

As for the new one??

My instincts say Land rover has totally discarded the original defender brief.

perhaps that is intentional....but I don't see the new defender being treated by farmers like an old wax jacket, or pair of wellies?

I don't see, a lack of worry about bashing one about in day-to-day chores?
I don't see, a farmer worrying about carrying a sheep in the back?
I don't see, an owner who doesn't think twice about driving through the undergrowth to get a job done?

The new Defender is a car...a fashion statement, tis all.

Forget it's driving capabilities.

For that was not what the old defender/series was all about.
The new Defender has ceased to be a 'tool' for a job.

It's not even got anything associated with being 'British' either......aside from the name...which has become like Bentley and Rolls Royce...a bit of plastic without real meaning any more.

Bring back the Willys jeep, I say...
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Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Mog]

I had 3 Landrovers , 2 SWB series 2 and one LWB series 2A . All had 4 wheel drum brakes and no power assist . Other bad point was no back up on the brakes except the hand brake . I did drive across the Sydney Harbor bridge with no brakes except the hand brake ....... Had to get back to Terry Hills to fix the brakes .

[badhuis]

Never had a LR but helped finding one for a friend. This Series 2 was much modified with parts from a 90s Defender (the Turbo Diesel, gearbox, springs and seats). After he bought it I drove it a few times. Good fun but what I remember most is how very uncomfortable it was - compared to my Austin Champ.
As with some other cars I like the LR when I see one but I do not think I will ever own one.
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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment

[roverdriver]

The weed-spraying contractor for whom I worked for a while in 1963 and again in 1964, when in New Zealand, had, first a Series 1 canvas topped one and later a brand new hard-top one. Six of us would head off to work in the LR each day. The hard top appears in this film which depicts the 'fleet ' heading off to a new job, and a very young yours truly featuring in the film. We would leave the trucks on the farm while 'commuting' in the Land Rover. Many was the time that I had to drive the Land Rover, and on one memorable occasion, (not in the film) on a worn slippery farm track, the sideways slope threatened to make the vehicle slide sideways and into a creek. Five members of the team walked alongside holding the car onto the track . Being the lightest member I was given the job of driving it! That was just one of many exciting times on that job.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZlO7ZvnGk
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