New to web site and possible 109 purchase

[bmwmotogreg]

I am new to the Land Rover world. Have been speaking with a local gentleman about a 5 door 109 series three that he is selling. It is my intention to test drive it Friday. Besides looking closely at the frame, where else should I look or be concerned? The vehicle has an overdrive installed. Does the overdrive require additional maintenance concerns? How does this function? The seller does not know, he bought the car thinking he was going to keep it but he has now decided to limit his collection to three Land Rovers.

[rwollschlager]

have a look see at some of the other threads such as http://roversnorth.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6412 or http://roversnorth.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6393

109's can be a lot of fun but as far as inspecting for purchase they have the same issues covered in the listed ^^^ threads. Check the frame, bulkhead (firewall to some), foot wells, door posts, top corners of bulkeads, check for rust on the radiator breakfast. Rust is car cancer, avoid it. Overdrive maintenence consists of checking the oil weekly. To use to overdrive operate it as an extra gear when your in 3rd or 4th. depress clutch, shift overdrive, let off clutch. Sometimes double clutching is neccesary but not always. This is only the tip of the iceberg to series ownership. Welcome to the forum!!!

-Rob
P.s.
Where is local for you?

[Jeff Aronson]

A 109" SW has some unique body parts, like the "T" that forms the rear door posts.

Which engine does the owner have in the vehicle? I ask because 109's were not imported into the US in the Series III form. While the standard 2.25 L petrol or even the 2.6 L 6-cylinder are simple to get parts for, later engines like the 2.5L are a bit harder. Regardless, you'll want to know so you can assess maintenance and repair issues in the future.

The 109 has twin wheel cylinders and larger drums, different than the more common 88" models. The Series III should have a brake booster, too.

As recommended by Rob, you should have someone familiar with Land Rovers with you to assess the car's condition. The price is up to you, but you at least want to know what you're getting yourself into in advance. Where are you located? Someone from this Forum might be able to help or recommend someone for you.

It's an odd thing with Land Rovers but they really prefer to be driven regularly. Seals harden up, rubber bits deteriorate, etc., if the car sits for a long time. Keep that in mind if you're planniing on using the car regularly yourself. It may develop leaks under initial use if it's been in storage as part of a collection.

Good luck - all of us would love a 109".

Jeff

[NickDawson]

bmwmotogreg - welcome! As rwollschlager pointed out, I've started a few threads on a similar topic.

Its been a learning experence to say the least but the group here is as good as it gets.

Good luck on the search and keep us posted.

[bmwmotogreg]

Below are pictures of the vehicle. I am very excited about the test drive....

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x210/photogreg_2007/Picturesof109002.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x210/photogreg_2007/Picturesof109003.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x210/photogreg_2007/Picturesof109004.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x210/photogreg_2007/Picturesof109006.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x210/photogreg_2007/Picturesof109001.jpg

[rwollschlager]

from those pictures it is visible that the truck is a 4 cylinder petrol (gas) so parts should not be hard to come by.
-RHD, not original seats (can be viewed as a + or - ), painted over galvy trim leads me to think the truck is hiding something, (as mentioned in another thread bondo can lurk anywhere on that rig) it looks like someone may have taken a truck in not so good condition painted it, threw in new seats, imported it, and made a buck at someone elses expense. OR IT MAY JUST LOOK THAT WAY and that might be a sound truck.
-I think is see a rust hole in the rear crossmember to the left side of the tow hitch. Not devistating, definatly replaceable or patchable, but make sure the rest of the truck is not infected. Check chassis outriggers and frame horns (front spring mounts) ,also replaceable but they give a indication of what the rest of the frame is like.
-Lots of people like dents and patina and do not wash they're rover, but im sure even they draw the line at mold/ moss growing on the roof, which is an indicator that the truck as been sitting for a while. Make sure the moss has not eaten through the paint on the roof if you are concerned about paint, that is.
Thats all i got for now.
Best of Luck with the test drive!

-Rob

[greenmeanie]

Rob, You missed the most obvious thing - that front bumper is mighty funky. You want to apy a loit of attention to how that is mounted and the consition and even form of the front frame horns. As a bumper it is useless and would need replaced.

The paint job can mean many things up to and including a cheap paint shop that didn't have a clue about series galvy and that it should be left bare. My one experience getting a quote the shop made a big deal of how the paint had come off the galvy and it would cost more to prime it and paint. I walked out around that point.

Spend lots of time on the chassis, spend lots of time on the bulkhead and sped lots of time on the T-posts (B&C pillar and rail along the bottom of the door). The T-post has two places it tends to go. The first is at the base of the B-pillar upright. Get underneath the truck and look up at that. The second is at the base of the C-pillar where it sits at the front of the rear wheel arch. THis gets all the crud from the rear wheel thrown at it. Look at the base of the rear door opening where the sloped surface meets the floor. If you see rust there the post is probably toast. They can look OK at first glance but dig deep.

[bmwmotogreg]

I thank you for all of the input and welcome more. I knew about the bumper and the seats but did not know enough to poke at the frame. I actually thought it was the original paint.... as it matched the interior and eng. compartment.

[kevin-ct]

Where is the truck...? If in New England, you can hire me to do a pre-purchase inspection.
This week, I have already done three it seems that people are buying Land Rovers.

[SafeAirOne]

There are other lists out there (they're essentially the same), but this is my favorite list of things to look for when buying a series Rover:

http://www.lrfaq.org/Series/FAQ.S.look_for.html