LR Freelander as 2nd car/gun bus/dog car...talk to me
Discussion
Hi guys,
Looking to get a 4x4 to act as my weekend gun bus/dog carrier/general load hauler, budget as close to a grand as possible.
Think disco's and jeeps are out of my budget but have seen there are lots of freelanders about . Now, if my memory serves me right I seem to remember these being a bit of a disaster for LR and having head gasket issues?
Anyhow, are they any good/is the above true? What do I need to look out for? Will it suit what I'm looking for?
TIA
Chris
Looking to get a 4x4 to act as my weekend gun bus/dog carrier/general load hauler, budget as close to a grand as possible.
Think disco's and jeeps are out of my budget but have seen there are lots of freelanders about . Now, if my memory serves me right I seem to remember these being a bit of a disaster for LR and having head gasket issues?
Anyhow, are they any good/is the above true? What do I need to look out for? Will it suit what I'm looking for?
TIA
Chris
We just bought a 100k 2005 td4 freelander for on the farm whilst the L200 gets a serious overhaul.
Its in minty condition and is generally better than what I thought it would be but my god is it slow with an auto box. It makes the L200 feel like a space rocket. Handling feels worse aswell but not by much.
Good for an semi offroad snotter for dogs etc but I couldnt deal with it on a day to day basis. Suspect manual would be better but petrols are (from what I have read) meant to be glacial too.
Its in minty condition and is generally better than what I thought it would be but my god is it slow with an auto box. It makes the L200 feel like a space rocket. Handling feels worse aswell but not by much.
Good for an semi offroad snotter for dogs etc but I couldnt deal with it on a day to day basis. Suspect manual would be better but petrols are (from what I have read) meant to be glacial too.
leginigel said:
Looking for the same sort of thing the Jeep Cherokee keeps popping up nice size,good diesel engine I also want a auto and there's loads of them on ebay,just most are a little over the £1,000.
Not sure if I should direct this to 300bhp as he seems to know his stuff when it comes to Jeeps....what should you look out for with these yank tanks? I'm open to all suggestions but don't really want to spend more than £1500.Can't sleep at the mo - so will oblige with some info. Don't take the following as trying to put you off. I was pretty happy with mine; the only reason for selling it was a) too many Land Rovers on the drive and b) I needed a bigger, heavier Discovery for load-lugging/towing.
- 1.8 Petrols are the ones with head gasket issues. Even if it does go - generally it costs less than £100 in parts and will take a mechanically minded person a couple of hours (including tea breaks) to swap it over. K series engine is otherwise stupidly simple and easy to work on - not much to go wrong really aside from the dubious original HG. Do the job properly and it'll last the rest of the car's lifespan.
Only issue I found with my 1.8 was fuel economy (25 mpg ish) - otherwise I bought it for £450 with a suspected HG failure. Fixed it for £100 and ran around in it as a winter hack - no complaints there. Cam-belt driven. If you don't do the miles - £1000 will buy you a decent petrol one compared to a knackered diesel one.
V6 petrol versions are auto only - JATCO auto boxes will either run forever or give up after 100,000 miles. I have the same engine (2.5 KV6) in the MG ZT - it's pokey and generally reliable.
Old L-series Diesels are un-killable and are happy with little more than basic servicing and maintenance. They just don't die and more TDI units should be like them. Yes, really. The trade-off is that they sound like tractor units and don't really offer much 'grunt' for the weight of the car. Cam-belt driven.
TD4 diesels are basically the unit out of the BMW E46 320d. Pokey, easily chipped to produce 135ish BHP and pretty reliable. Timing chain - so no worries in that dept. Some have issues with crankcase ventilation and blowing oil seals as a result. Not common by any means - but then again neither are K-series HG failures.... You may struggle to find one close to £1000 - they hold their value.
- Drivetrains are unique to the Freelander compared to every other Landy - LR never used that design again so read into that what you will. Basically, the front transfer case (IRD) is connected to the rear axle by a viscous coupling unit. These couplings can often stiffen up with time - causing a form of transmission wind-up and thus grenading the IRD, the rear diff, or both if the vehicle is feeling particularly generous. Hence the reason why so many of them run around without 4WD.
New viscous coupling is around £200 and should be treated as a service item (70K miles is one figure that is banded around) - then again some people are still running around on the original one at 150K miles. You can tell if the coupling is letting go - if reversing tight round a corner the tyres begin to scrub or it feels like the handbrake is on. Some mild resistance is normal; but it shouldn't feel overly 'tight' when moving on full steering lock.
Window electrics/regulators can mess around and ABS/TC/HDC systems can sometimes throw tantrums. No different to most Land Rovers from the late 90s to the early 00s. Land Rover's patented 'permeable sunroof' is often also an issue - so get one without a sunroof and you'll have no bother.
In many ways, a Freelander is actually better screwed together than a Discovery of the same age in my opinion - they don't rust half as badly thanks to decent factory undersealing/waxing. Most of them spend their lives on the road - so aren't generally subjected to the same abuse as a Disco. Compared to a Jeep Cherokee (KJ) - a Freelander is cheaper on fuel (in petrol or diesel form) and much cheaper/easier to source parts for. They are popular for a reason and you still see lots of older ones still going strong. Compared to most Land Rovers of that age - they're pretty good value and don't have any more issues than any other 4x4.
- 1.8 Petrols are the ones with head gasket issues. Even if it does go - generally it costs less than £100 in parts and will take a mechanically minded person a couple of hours (including tea breaks) to swap it over. K series engine is otherwise stupidly simple and easy to work on - not much to go wrong really aside from the dubious original HG. Do the job properly and it'll last the rest of the car's lifespan.
Only issue I found with my 1.8 was fuel economy (25 mpg ish) - otherwise I bought it for £450 with a suspected HG failure. Fixed it for £100 and ran around in it as a winter hack - no complaints there. Cam-belt driven. If you don't do the miles - £1000 will buy you a decent petrol one compared to a knackered diesel one.
V6 petrol versions are auto only - JATCO auto boxes will either run forever or give up after 100,000 miles. I have the same engine (2.5 KV6) in the MG ZT - it's pokey and generally reliable.
Old L-series Diesels are un-killable and are happy with little more than basic servicing and maintenance. They just don't die and more TDI units should be like them. Yes, really. The trade-off is that they sound like tractor units and don't really offer much 'grunt' for the weight of the car. Cam-belt driven.
TD4 diesels are basically the unit out of the BMW E46 320d. Pokey, easily chipped to produce 135ish BHP and pretty reliable. Timing chain - so no worries in that dept. Some have issues with crankcase ventilation and blowing oil seals as a result. Not common by any means - but then again neither are K-series HG failures.... You may struggle to find one close to £1000 - they hold their value.
- Drivetrains are unique to the Freelander compared to every other Landy - LR never used that design again so read into that what you will. Basically, the front transfer case (IRD) is connected to the rear axle by a viscous coupling unit. These couplings can often stiffen up with time - causing a form of transmission wind-up and thus grenading the IRD, the rear diff, or both if the vehicle is feeling particularly generous. Hence the reason why so many of them run around without 4WD.
New viscous coupling is around £200 and should be treated as a service item (70K miles is one figure that is banded around) - then again some people are still running around on the original one at 150K miles. You can tell if the coupling is letting go - if reversing tight round a corner the tyres begin to scrub or it feels like the handbrake is on. Some mild resistance is normal; but it shouldn't feel overly 'tight' when moving on full steering lock.
Window electrics/regulators can mess around and ABS/TC/HDC systems can sometimes throw tantrums. No different to most Land Rovers from the late 90s to the early 00s. Land Rover's patented 'permeable sunroof' is often also an issue - so get one without a sunroof and you'll have no bother.
In many ways, a Freelander is actually better screwed together than a Discovery of the same age in my opinion - they don't rust half as badly thanks to decent factory undersealing/waxing. Most of them spend their lives on the road - so aren't generally subjected to the same abuse as a Disco. Compared to a Jeep Cherokee (KJ) - a Freelander is cheaper on fuel (in petrol or diesel form) and much cheaper/easier to source parts for. They are popular for a reason and you still see lots of older ones still going strong. Compared to most Land Rovers of that age - they're pretty good value and don't have any more issues than any other 4x4.
Edited by LandRoverManiac on Saturday 24th December 00:41
LandRoverManiac said:
Can't sleep at the mo - so will oblige with some info. Don't take the following as trying to put you off. I was pretty happy with mine; the only reason for selling it was a) too many Land Rovers on the drive and b) I needed a bigger, heavier Discovery for load-lugging/towing.
- 1.8 Petrols are the ones with head gasket issues. Even if it does go - generally it costs less than £100 in parts and will take a mechanically minded person a couple of hours (including tea breaks) to swap it over. K series engine is otherwise stupidly simple and easy to work on - not much to go wrong really aside from the dubious original HG. Do the job properly and it'll last the rest of the car's lifespan.
Only issue I found with my 1.8 was fuel economy (25 mpg ish) - otherwise I bought it for £450 with a suspected HG failure. Fixed it for £100 and ran around in it as a winter hack - no complaints there. Cam-belt driven. If you don't do the miles - £1000 will buy you a decent petrol one compared to a knackered diesel one.
V6 petrol versions are auto only - JATCO auto boxes will either run forever or give up after 100,000 miles. I have the same engine (2.5 KV6) in the MG ZT - it's pokey and generally reliable.
Old L-series Diesels are un-killable and are happy with little more than basic servicing and maintenance. They just don't die and more TDI units should be like them. Yes, really. The trade-off is that they sound like tractor units and don't really offer much 'grunt' for the weight of the car. Cam-belt driven.
TD4 diesels are basically the unit out of the BMW E46 320d. Pokey, easily chipped to produce 135ish BHP and pretty reliable. Timing chain - so no worries in that dept. Some have issues with crankcase ventilation and blowing oil seals as a result. Not common by any means - but then again neither are K-series HG failures.... You may struggle to find one close to £1000 - they hold their value.
- Drivetrains are unique to the Freelander compared to every other Landy - LR never used that design again so read into that what you will. Basically, the front transfer case (IRD) is connected to the rear axle by a viscous coupling unit. These couplings can often stiffen up with time - causing a form of transmission wind-up and thus grenading the IRD, the rear diff, or both if the vehicle is feeling particularly generous. Hence the reason why so many of them run around without 4WD.
New viscous coupling is around £200 and should be treated as a service item (70K miles is one figure that is banded around) - then again some people are still running around on the original one at 150K miles. You can tell if the coupling is letting go - if reversing tight round a corner the tyres begin to scrub or it feels like the handbrake is on. Some mild resistance is normal; but it shouldn't feel overly 'tight' when moving on full steering lock.
Window electrics/regulators can mess around and ABS/TC/HDC systems can sometimes throw tantrums. No different to most Land Rovers from the late 90s to the early 00s. Land Rover's patented 'permeable sunroof' is often also an issue - so get one without a sunroof and you'll have no bother.
In many ways, a Freelander is actually better screwed together than a Discovery of the same age in my opinion - they don't rust half as badly thanks to decent factory undersealing/waxing. Most of them spend their lives on the road - so aren't generally subjected to the same abuse as a Disco. Compared to a Jeep Cherokee (KJ) - a Freelander is cheaper on fuel (in petrol or diesel form) and much cheaper/easier to source parts for. They are popular for a reason and you still see lots of older ones still going strong. Compared to most Land Rovers of that age - they're pretty good value and don't have any more issues than any other 4x4.
Thanks LRM, that's really useful for me. Appreciate it.- 1.8 Petrols are the ones with head gasket issues. Even if it does go - generally it costs less than £100 in parts and will take a mechanically minded person a couple of hours (including tea breaks) to swap it over. K series engine is otherwise stupidly simple and easy to work on - not much to go wrong really aside from the dubious original HG. Do the job properly and it'll last the rest of the car's lifespan.
Only issue I found with my 1.8 was fuel economy (25 mpg ish) - otherwise I bought it for £450 with a suspected HG failure. Fixed it for £100 and ran around in it as a winter hack - no complaints there. Cam-belt driven. If you don't do the miles - £1000 will buy you a decent petrol one compared to a knackered diesel one.
V6 petrol versions are auto only - JATCO auto boxes will either run forever or give up after 100,000 miles. I have the same engine (2.5 KV6) in the MG ZT - it's pokey and generally reliable.
Old L-series Diesels are un-killable and are happy with little more than basic servicing and maintenance. They just don't die and more TDI units should be like them. Yes, really. The trade-off is that they sound like tractor units and don't really offer much 'grunt' for the weight of the car. Cam-belt driven.
TD4 diesels are basically the unit out of the BMW E46 320d. Pokey, easily chipped to produce 135ish BHP and pretty reliable. Timing chain - so no worries in that dept. Some have issues with crankcase ventilation and blowing oil seals as a result. Not common by any means - but then again neither are K-series HG failures.... You may struggle to find one close to £1000 - they hold their value.
- Drivetrains are unique to the Freelander compared to every other Landy - LR never used that design again so read into that what you will. Basically, the front transfer case (IRD) is connected to the rear axle by a viscous coupling unit. These couplings can often stiffen up with time - causing a form of transmission wind-up and thus grenading the IRD, the rear diff, or both if the vehicle is feeling particularly generous. Hence the reason why so many of them run around without 4WD.
New viscous coupling is around £200 and should be treated as a service item (70K miles is one figure that is banded around) - then again some people are still running around on the original one at 150K miles. You can tell if the coupling is letting go - if reversing tight round a corner the tyres begin to scrub or it feels like the handbrake is on. Some mild resistance is normal; but it shouldn't feel overly 'tight' when moving on full steering lock.
Window electrics/regulators can mess around and ABS/TC/HDC systems can sometimes throw tantrums. No different to most Land Rovers from the late 90s to the early 00s. Land Rover's patented 'permeable sunroof' is often also an issue - so get one without a sunroof and you'll have no bother.
In many ways, a Freelander is actually better screwed together than a Discovery of the same age in my opinion - they don't rust half as badly thanks to decent factory undersealing/waxing. Most of them spend their lives on the road - so aren't generally subjected to the same abuse as a Disco. Compared to a Jeep Cherokee (KJ) - a Freelander is cheaper on fuel (in petrol or diesel form) and much cheaper/easier to source parts for. They are popular for a reason and you still see lots of older ones still going strong. Compared to most Land Rovers of that age - they're pretty good value and don't have any more issues than any other 4x4.
Edited by LandRoverManiac on Saturday 24th December 00:41
Have found a few v6 2.5's which look interesting but think ill prob hunt don't a td4.
Will keep you posted.
If you come by any you think might be of interest, could you give me a shout? You sound like a man that has a few fingers in a few LR pies!
Chris
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