Friday 28th September 2012

SOTW: Range Rover LSE

As the new Range Rover debuts in Paris Shed's eye is caught by one at a more attainable price...

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What’s the best off-roader, the Land Rover Defender or the Range Rover?

Many would snort with derision and say “Defender, of course”. But if you ever find yourself at a serious offroading venue, seek out that quiet Jack Palance lookalike who (it turns out) was a member of the original Darien Gap LR team. His answer to the question may surprise you. For such leathery types, the Range Rover will always be the beast of choice, simply because it was designed to take all the aggro out of off-roading.

A grand, for all that? Engage denial...

But an LSE will never have been anywhere near mud, you may say. And that’s precisely what we’re banking on for this week’s Shed because, let’s be honest, the reliability of the Range Rover never quite matched up to the design. The further away from the nasty stuff it’s been, the better.

Sucking ruminatively on the PH meerschaum, we’re deducing that black would never be a colour chosen by farmers, so we’re going to ignore that ’89 Mercedes CE Garlick wanted and plump instead for this denizen of the not-dirt.

Yes, the upper corners of the body are a bit frilly, but that gives it a certain rough charm. Yes, it’s got a lot of miles, but that should mean all the bits that fail or wear out will have already been replaced (sucking hard now).

In classic car circles this is called 'patina'

Look on the bright side, It’s MOT’d till May, comes with the nicely worn-in (and practical) dead cow interior, and has a Tartarini LPG conversion to keep your 4.2 V8 running costs a bit closer to sensible (though not much). Tartarini is a good name in LPG conversions. In fact, it’s a good name full stop.

Ownership of this black beauty will allow you to shuffle absently into the pub in your battered tweed jacket and pre-soiled wellies and pretend you’re landed gentry, the old money sort who would never waste cash on the latest RangeRover as that’s clearly aimed at soccer players and flashy city types. You can live this life for a thousand pounds. 

Advert reproduced below.

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LAND ROVER RANGEROVER LSE AUTO 1994 (£1,000) 4.2 LSE , Tartarini LPG Conversion, Auto, 171,000 Miles, Service History, Black with Black Leather, MOT until May 2013, Full Details: Land Rover Range Rover Classic 4.2 LSE 1994 / L Black 4200cc V8 Automatic Power Steering Service History MOT (Expires: May 2013) 2 Former keepers Interior Soft Dash Model Aircon Full Leather Electric Windows Electric Seats Heated Seats Cruise Control CD Player (Bluetooth) Driver Airbag Passenger Airbag Alarm Central Locking Sunroof Engine / Exterior Electric Mirrors Tow Bar Air Suspension Tartarini LPG Dual Fuel System Front Spot Lights

[ADP68]

A cheap winter runner if it goes, so you can keep your pride and joy in the garage and sell this in Spring.

[MJK 24]

Timeless

[CliveM]

The seats (pics in original ad) look incredibly clean for that mileage??!?

[X5TUU]

Looks incredibly clean inside and out for the age and mileage ... Just wish I could afford the juice (or even LPG) to run as a daily driver!!

[Shaw Tarse]

I really like this.

[Rockatansky]

I loved my classic RR, mine wasn't a soft dash though.

TBH I prefer the regular 100" model, the LSE never looked right to me.

I'd love another, but I suspect I'd need to become a pretty competent welder to keep one going now.

[Strawman]

Amazing amount of metal for the money, wouldn't the LPG conversion cost more than £1k ? Doesn't appeal to me though.

[300bhp/ton]

Best thing about the LSE is the 4.2 motor. Unless you want a limo the LWB Rangie is inferior in everyway to the regular model (bar the engine of course).

Good shed though, surprised it's so cheap. In fact the 4.2 on it's own is probably worth as much.

[Steamer]

Yer I'm in!

Wheres my plus-fours and flat-cap?

As the years roll on, I love this shape more and more.

Fetching (or should that be 'asking') some silly money now:


1992 LHD Overfinch HSi
http://www.graemehunt.com/motorcar/105/1992-range-...


1970 model.. a snip at 72K
http://www.graemehunt.com/motorcar/135/1970-land-r...

[Prawnboy]

YES! good choice, bring on the winter.

[Limpet]

One of the best looking cars of all time, IMHO.

[Bash Brannigan]

"What’s the better (edit) off-roader, the Land Rover Defender or the Range Rover?"

I saw a late 90s rangie drag a stricken defender out of the mud a few years ago and have wanted one of these ridiculous things ever since.

[kwak]

My dad used to have one of these, he sold it because of terminal rust, but would have another in an instant.
Awesome bit of kit, lovely engine, ridiculous amounts of legroom in the rear, and when he took it offroad, a lot of people were surprised at what it could do on road tyres!

Love it!

[Trusty Steed]

Here is mine... Cost a little more that a Grand, but still a timeless quality piece of kit ;-))

[GranCab]

Timeless but they did have a habit of rolling over and killing their occupants occasionally ...

[richardxjr]

Top shed!

Possibly best ever? I don't really want to live in it though, so I better hold back the short trip up to Cobham to buy it.


Here's my old sub-grand VogueSE doing one of the many things it did brilliantly

Edited by richardxjr on Friday 28th September 10:22

[Rockatansky]

Trusty Steed said:

Here is mine... Cost a little more that a Grand, but still a timeless quality piece of kit ;-))

Possibly an ex-LR car with that number I guess, *VC was a Coventry reg IIRC.

[Trusty Steed]

Rockatansky said:

Trusty Steed said:

Here is mine... Cost a little more that a Grand, but still a timeless quality piece of kit ;-))

Possibly an ex-LR car with that number I guess, *VC was a Coventry reg IIRC.

YEs, Its Ex Land Rover, I think it was the UK MD's car, but not 100% sure

[Krikkit]

Nice bit of shed right there, I'd have that! Get that rust boil over the headlight looked at, then waft away in extreme landed gentry-type comfort. The respect commanded in country pubs round here in a tweed jacket, some wellies and a labrador would be worth a bag on its own!

[B'stard Child]

Hmmm - looks great in the pictures - any particular issues/rot traps underneath cos to my mind when the upper body starts getting a little frilly the underside is going to be horrific but they may just be a warped viewpoint driven by years of owning Opel/Vauxhalls?