Owning a Series Land Rover means...

[cousindave]

Fixing the leaks in the transmision only to have the rear main start leaking 10minutes after putting everything together.

[smukai]

having to explain to guest drivers how to double clutch.

Then watching them get frustrated and telling them to drive my automatic car instead.

[ghettoct]

For me means crawling under it or at least opening the hood every trip over 10 minutes to check out a new noise, vibration or to ensure its all still there...

iam always retightening most of the bolts, esp the disributor hold down which caused all my other problems in a previous post. (locktite is now in my tool box and carry on tool bag.)

[mongoswede]

having to explain to guest drivers how to double clutch.

Then watching them get frustrated and telling them to drive my automatic car instead.

Just put it in Dumb and go.

[TeriAnn]

Best description I have ever heard of a Rover's steering is 'Vague'

I have to disagree there. "vague" is only for worn out of spec steering in need of refreshing or adjusting.

"Vague" steering is what someone gets if they don't maintain their truck properly. If everything is in spec and adjusted properly the steering is good for a peg and worm steering box truck with manual steering.

And for the person who puts their head under the bonnet every few minutes to figure out what a new noise is: "Take care of your Land Rover and it will take care of you". A truck that is mechanically in spec is reliable and robust as long as you follow the factory maintenance recommendations, adjust parts as needed and replace any parts that go out of spec.

It just seems like so many of the fragile trucks that always need something being done on them are really a collection of worn out parts that are miraculously still sorta working. A truck in spec, with proper maintenance ever four thousand miles should be very reliable with the exception of 10 spline rear axles. The only time you should break something is when you over stress it.

I guess I hopped up on my Series truck reliability soapbox again. Sorry if I offended anyone. But I'm a firm believer that the best break down is the one you prevented by properly maintaining your truck and that the trail is the wrong place to perform delayed maintenance.

[Cutter]

I guess I hopped up on my Series truck reliability soapbox again. Sorry if I offended anyone. But I'm a firm believer that the best break down is the one you prevented by properly maintaining your truck and that the trail is the wrong place to perform delayed maintenance.

TeriAnn, you are a great fountain of knowledge and a resource for the LR community, but I also can't help but chuckle about your comments on series reliability when your truck has had most of its key mechanicals upgraded or replaced from stock in the decades of your ownership.

I think the series reliability comes directly from its simplicity, and yes, when properly maintained, will go forever. I think most of us are driving vehicles that we are the last in a long line of owners, and for me in particular, I'm learning as I go (thanks to that aforementioned simplicity). Thankfully my truck isn't a pile of worn out bits, and in fact is in great shape, but I've had my share of problems since I've owned it. That said, I'm not looking for a Toyota here, half the fun is figuring things out.

[TeriAnn]

TeriAnn, you are a great fountain of knowledge and a resource for the LR community, but I also can't help but chuckle about your comments on series reliability when your truck has had most of its key mechanicals upgraded or replaced from stock in the decades of your ownership.

OK so maybe I'm "spitting into the wind".

But I do think that except for the 10 spline rear axles and 109 front brakes, a Series truck can be very reliable if maintained within spec per the factory maintenance schedule and replacement of any part that goes out of spec.

My truck is a result of 2 things: Exceeding the truck's stress parameters on a regular basis and my desire for comfortable driving and inside camping experience.

The drive line has been modified with a V8, a gearbox that can stand up to the V8, a Salisbury in back and 24 spline front axles. I used to try ascents that were too steep for my 8:1 SIII 2.25L petrol to pull my overweight camper up the hill. Failed hill climbs are always an adventure, especially since my view of the trail behind the 109 is so limited. Also I tended to go on trips that were 1000 or so miles from home before I started my off road driving. I noticed that the coiler LRs made the same trip a day less each way and I wanted more time on the trail and less time getting there.

So I got the V8 conversion to get to distant trail heads sooner and to get my 5700 lb truck up steep inclines. With the V8 came a stronger gearbox and power steering. The power steering was needed to get the stock steering box out of the way of the exhaust and to allow me to change spark plugs.

My truck already had the Salisbury, limited slip up front and ARB locker in the rear well before the V8. The Salisbury got installed after I had broken seven rear ten spline axles. I'd had more than enough. The limited slip and air locker got installed because I often go through icky, gooey and loose stuff that would leave me stuck with one wheel on each axle spinning.

A 109 front brake has 2 leading shoes and no trailing shoes. What this means is that it stops well in the forward direction and really poorly in the rearwards direction. I upgraded to front disc brakes because I could not press the brake pedal hard enough to keep my 109 stationary in a steep nose up attitude. Disc brakes work equally well in both directions. I consider it a safety improvement on 109s that find themselves trying to keep stationary on a steep nose up attitude, just like I consider going to the Defender anti burst door latches, adding seat belts and a dual speed single motor wiper system to be safety upgrades.

Everything done to the drive train was in response to me trying to exceed the 109's design parameters on a regular basis. They extended the vehicle's parameters to meet my driving locations and style.

My suspension is basically stock because I don't do gonzo rock crawling and mostly do not exceed my truck's suspension design parameters. I use the V8 power, front limited slip and rear locker to get my truck through the icky stuff that I normally encounter.

Now my truck's interior is an entirely different matter. Us girls want to be comfortable, stay warm and dry. Esthetics are important too. My porta pottie is as important as my air locker. Maybe more so when camping with a bunch of guys. My curtains are green with white daises that compliment my British Racing Green with white top exterior colour. My Dormobile interior has every comfort I could fit in there. And when earlier this year I decided that my cracked front upholstery had to go I converted to cloth faced heated Defender seats. More attractive, warmer in winter, lumbar support and the cloth does not stick to my legs when driving in shorts or my bathing suit.

My truck has Defender door seals because they seal better and Defender door tops because the front pane slides open and the incoming air doesn't muss up my hair like the rear pane does when it is open.

Everything done to the drive train is because I exceed vehicle design parameters and expanded them to fit the way I drive and where I drive. If I didn't exceed parameters on a regular basis stock would have been fine except for those #@*#!!!! rear ten spline axles.

The interior, well that is because I like to be comfortable on long range camping trips. And stylish is important. The gray vinyl on my new Defender seats goes very nicely with the elephant hide interior door panels and I had my centre seat cubby box recovered to match the gray on the new seats.

Next changes? I'm thinking about replacing my cracked rear elephant hide jump seat with a new one that matches my new front seats and Exmoor Trim has a new kit out for the kick panels and seat box matching the original factory coverings. It would look nice to renew those. I'm also giving a thought to replacing the anemic electric horns with air horns. it would be nice if someone actually could hear the horns farther than 15 feet away.

My truck is just a plush comfortable mobile home that is modified just enough to go where I tend to go without breaking something.

[cousindave]

working on a hot engine in 90+ degrees and working on the tranny or suspension in the snow

[LR Max]

"Vague" steering is what someone gets if they don't maintain their truck properly.

Boom. Lay down the law. I have a touch of slop in my steering, but its on the list of things to sort out (which is getting shorter ).

What does owning a series rover mean for me? Driving around with my hat on, my sunglasses, wearing my gloves and smoking a cigar. The guys driving the minivan want it, the kids in the back want to grow up with it.

For a while when I'd take a girl out on a date, I'd say, "Oh crap! The gauge cluster! Could you be a darlin' and hand me that screwdriver? Don't worry. This is an in-flight repair. We won't be late"

[ivarra]

It means putting a smile on your face when you have to do a chore like taking the recycle bin from the kitchen into the garage. But the Series is in the garage, so you see it and smile.

Then you wonder what improvement you can make while you are there no matter what the time is. You then spend another 30 minutes to an hour 'taking out the recycle bin'.

[westcoastkevin]

Owning a series means ..... that when looking at houses, a 3 bedroom house is viewed as an optional addition to a good garage for working in.

[TeriAnn]

Owning a series means ..... that when looking at houses, a 3 bedroom house is viewed as an optional addition to a good garage for working in.

Kinda like owning livestock and looking for property ... You look at fencing, pasture quality and capabilities, a good barn, any other outbuildings, storage for hay, other feed, a shed for the tractor ... Oh and a house would be nice too once all the other stuff is there and acceptable.

[onecross]

Driving a series means... going off road when making u turns