thinking about 1970 IIA purchase

[Jeff Aronson]

Get in touch with Dave B on buying a Rover; he's very knowledgeable about all aspects of Land Rovers, and lives near you, too. Send him a PM - he's a worthwhile contact.

As Jaime said, an 80's Land Rover 110 would be a very good vehicle. East Coast Rover will be very, very careful to tell you exactly what the car does or does not need. An original Land Rover County 110 would be a better buy for the money you're talking about than a Series III with the "wrong" paint color and an unnecessary brush bar for urban commuting.

Send me a PM if you want me to look at the car for you. ECR is located in the same town where our island's ferry service lands, and I have some trips to the mainland coming up.

You could also consider letting the DC/Virginia area enthusiasts find you a good base Rover to which you could have some of the system upgrades made for you. In the end, you might wind up spending a similar amount but you'll know that the right work for your needs has been done to the car.

Jeff

[DCM]

This is great information. It sounds like for 15K there are better options. Ted W, I agree with getting the Rover and then a commuter if necessary later because it is much easier to justify than buying a 15K car as a 3rd vehicle.

My plan for the last 4 years has been to save up 30K and get one done by Lanny Clark but it seemed like this one at Copley might be a good short cut. That Defender at ECR is awesome but there is something about the simple, all metal, few electronics of the series that is great.

Thanks again for the comments.

[Blueboy]

there is something about the simple, all metal, few electronics of the series that is great

DCM,

The 110 with ECR is what you described.

This is not a 1993 110 with a 3.9 V8 that has fuel injection and all that goes with it.

It is a basic Rover that offers more room than a III.

If you haven't had a chance, scroll through the pics to see the engine bay - it will probably look familiar if you've been looking at Series Rovers.

And to confirm what Jeff has said, with ECR you will know very well what you are getting. Read Mike Smith's (owner of ECR) story on the site about his one vehicle buying experience and you will gain a better appreciation of ECR vehicle sales philosophy.

I have had a D90 and now have a 109 primarily due to the versitility of the extra room in the 109.

Again, just something to consider before you leap in.

Jaime

[StX_Rovers]

That 110 looks great. Another thing to consider is that it has a Salisbury rear, not the Rover rear, so no axle worries. The 2.5 litre four cylinder is just a development of the 2.25.

If you have kids, it has lots of room. If they are small kids the rear seat is going to work much better for strapping in car seats than dry wall screwing them to the rear tub of an 88.

The coil spring chassis have a reputation of being a much more comfortable ride. This is a consideration as your wife drives an Odyssey instead of a 67 88 like my wife does. However, we have found that as a family car our 109 diesel worked very well when my sister and her family visited. Something about the low frequency rumble of the 2.25 diesel just puts children right out. It was either that or the exhaust. A couple of trips around the block and they were out like a light.

Michelle uses her 88 as a daily driver here on St. Croix. Everyone on the island knows her, which is basically a good thing. It is currently down due to a blown head gasket and a valve job (waiting on the machine shop, island time you know).

Another thing very much in the 110's favor is that it is RHD. That alone is worth the price difference between the Copley 88 and the 110. If you do go the 110 route get the frame waxoyled internally. That might be something ECR is equipped to do. There are a couple of spots on the frame int he photos that bear beating on with a hammer to check for rust. it is important to find out when the undercoat was applied, before shipping to the states or in 1983.

I figure that you have to use your daily driver on a daily basis so it might as well be a vehicle you enjoy.

Whatever you eventually get, do follow Jeffrey Aronson's advice on the regular maintenance, which approach really is true of every vehicle from a Tata to a Rolls Royce.

[Bertha]

to throw something else in the mix, you might also want to check this out:

http://www.eastcoastrover.com/ecrforsale.html

"1983 Land Rover 110 County Station Wagon, 2.5 gas, 5 speed, RHD"

way cooler than the 88 you are considering imho.


Jaime

Nice but pricey for a RHD truck, not to mention RHD(in puke brown) is a pita for daily use. When I originally bought my truck 18yrs ago it was RHD and after the first 6k miles I put on it, the novelty quickly wore off(and has since been converted). I would not recommend it to a new LR owner wanting to use it for a daily commute.

[Bertha]

Another thing very much in the 110's favor is that it is RHD. That alone is worth the price difference between the Copley 88 and the 110.

Huh? Rhd trucks are worth less than left hand drive trucks-to most people in the states, it is a negative, not a positive.

[ktom300]

I'm curious why the bias against RHD rovers? I love mine and would never consider converting it over but I don't daily drive it. Visibility is an issue with the military top but I still wouldn't go LHD.

[Bertha]

I'm curious why the bias against RHD rovers? I love mine and would never consider converting it over but I don't daily drive it. Visibility is an issue with the military top but I still wouldn't go LHD.

see post #20

[ktom300]

see post #20

I read post #20 but is still didn't answer the question. Why did the novelty wear off?

[daveb]

Currently using a RHD vehicle as a daily driver. I could see a few reasons why it would wear off. Have all the parts here to do the swap but I am not planning to for quite a while.

I would get the engine serial number from that 2.5 110, I thought 83's were all 2.25's...

I read post #20 but is still didn't answer the question. Why did the novelty wear off?

[DCM]

Talk to Alan at Cityside garage yesterday. Mechanically, the truck is in good shape and has been serviced. He was confident that it could be used as a daily driver but was wondering why anyone would want to.

[daveb]

Obviously you just want us to tell you to buy that one. Go for it. It'll be great. When you are sick of it you can sell it for half what you paid for it. Then you can take that money and buy one that is twice as good. No good lesson is free....

If you just have to spend that kind of coin, then look here:

http://www.gettherats.com/rovers.htm

Ike Goss usually has some nice things for sale too, usually at more reasonable prices:

http://www.pangolin4x4.com/

Now you are armed with some basic information. Time for you to do some homework yourself.

Talk to Alan at Cityside garage yesterday. Mechanically, the truck is in good shape and has been serviced. He was confident that it could be used as a daily driver but was wondering why anyone would want to.

[Jeff Aronson]

LOL - Alan has asked me the same question about running a Series Rover daily .

When I decided to look seriously at a Series Rover as a daily car that I would have to rely on, I found a Land Rover enthusiast and "rented" him and his tatty Rover for several hours of driving on paved roads. We went to look at Rovers for sale and I drove about 10 hours that day.

The ride, noise level, "comfort" factors, etc., became very evident that day. I came away convinced that if a Rover as noisy, hard-riding and generally neglected as his could make it through 3 states that day, a Land Rover would work for me. It was a cheap investment in making certain that I was ready to move from old British sports cars as daily drivers to a Land Rover as a daily driver.

It worked for me, but not without the needs for tools, a Haynes manual, LOTS of phone calls to Rovers North, and hard work/money invested in the car's parts. You have to want to become self-sufficient in terms of maintenance and repairs on your car. You WILL have to make repairs - generally simple - and perform maintenance checks on the car when you use it dailly. Make certain you get to ride/drive in a Series Rover for a few hours straight before you decide on a Series Rover as your daily car.

Jeff

[Eric W S]

Obviously you just want us to tell you to buy that one. Go for it. It'll be great. When you are sick of it you can sell it for half what you paid for it. Then you can take that money and buy one that is twice as good. No good lesson is free....

If you just have to spend that kind of coin, then look here:

http://www.gettherats.com/rovers.htm

Ike Goss usually has some nice things for sale too, usually at more reasonable prices:

http://www.pangolin4x4.com/

Now you are armed with some basic information. Time for you to do some homework yourself.

Are those ECR rovers even for sale? I think that started as a rumour. Usually most of Mike's trucks are brokered through him if they are legit. Least that is what he has said on numerous occassions.

THe story I heard was that the affluent gentleman had a passion for rovers but has since passed away and that the rovers are for sale. I think it's a rumour at best.

[DCM]

[quote=daveb]Obviously you just want us to tell you to buy that one.quote]

Not decided at all, just posting info as I have it. I know to offer less if I do decide on that one, but I am looking around to see what is available at that price as recommended. Those Twin Springs Farm Rovers are amazing, especially the 1961 one. I sent them an email to see if any are for sale.

I think that as Jeff A said, it would be helpful to spend some time driving one since my last drive in a series was 14 years ago. DaveB: your series is not running now right? Is there anyone else on the board from the DC metro area? It looks like Land Rover Alexandria has a RHD series for sale, so I may go drive that one. Last time they had a series for sale, they were asking 88K.