Series III being picked up tomorrow
Discussion
Hello all,
My brother just bought this
and I'm picking it up for him tomorrow from Sussex and driving it to Edinburgh.
Any tips re what speed I should travel at? I was thinking 50mph tops. Also, does anyone know what the best fuel additive is to use (it has soft valve seats)?
The vehicle itself is a 1979 model, saw service in Northern Ireland and has covered about 49,000 miles. It's in great condition with a lot of work having been done by the previous owners. A bargain at £3k.
Wish me luck for my very long journey!
My brother just bought this
and I'm picking it up for him tomorrow from Sussex and driving it to Edinburgh.
Any tips re what speed I should travel at? I was thinking 50mph tops. Also, does anyone know what the best fuel additive is to use (it has soft valve seats)?
The vehicle itself is a 1979 model, saw service in Northern Ireland and has covered about 49,000 miles. It's in great condition with a lot of work having been done by the previous owners. A bargain at £3k.
Wish me luck for my very long journey!
that is madness. 
I really would look at the costs for trailers to move it.
When I bought mine I never gave the journey too much thought. I did once started the seven hour journey from Kent to Manchester. 50 mph is like driving your normal car at foot to the floor throughout the whole episode. I know the engine smokes now more than it did before I bought it.
A positive is that when you use the motorway you have little to worry about. Everybody and that includes the lorries will overtake you. Sit back and watch the road unfold.
Your journey will take two days or one 16 hour stint (no breaks have been included in this calculation). Let us know. write a diary, you will no doubt have some stories to tell....
I really would look at the costs for trailers to move it.When I bought mine I never gave the journey too much thought. I did once started the seven hour journey from Kent to Manchester. 50 mph is like driving your normal car at foot to the floor throughout the whole episode. I know the engine smokes now more than it did before I bought it.
A positive is that when you use the motorway you have little to worry about. Everybody and that includes the lorries will overtake you. Sit back and watch the road unfold.
Your journey will take two days or one 16 hour stint (no breaks have been included in this calculation). Let us know. write a diary, you will no doubt have some stories to tell....
Edited by softtop on Wednesday 3rd August 18:13
Some might say it's madness, I say it's a mini adventure.
No time or suitable vehicle to arrange for it to be trailered so driving it is!
I think I can do it in around twelve hours. Sixteen hours sounds excessive and two days is for wimps.
Not sure how many stories I'll have to tell though.
"One hour has passed. Everything is overtaking me. It's slow and noisy."
"Two hours have passed. Everything is overtaking me. It's slow and noisy."
"Three hours..."
You get the idea!
No time or suitable vehicle to arrange for it to be trailered so driving it is!
I think I can do it in around twelve hours. Sixteen hours sounds excessive and two days is for wimps.
Not sure how many stories I'll have to tell though.
"One hour has passed. Everything is overtaking me. It's slow and noisy."
"Two hours have passed. Everything is overtaking me. It's slow and noisy."
"Three hours..."
You get the idea!
Well i will stick my oar in. I've had a number of LtWt,s over the years and done big distance,s in them. A trip like yours i would do in two legs. With a stop over over night. You could do it in one go. But you will worn down by the whole experiance. LtWts especially if 24 volt FFR ride harder than a standard S3 and the tyre noise at speed can be very tiresome after a while. It will do about 70 mph at a push. But 50 mph is an acceptable speed to preserve the sense,s
Ditto. Spend a night in a cheap Travelodge or something (cost of which won't add a significant amount to your fuel bill, assuming you don't follow it up with 14 little chef breakfasts), and enjoy the experience. You'll arrive the following morning as opposed to late the previous night, and are less likely to never want to go in the car again! My old petrol series 3 would do around 70mph (with overdrive) but it always felt quite cruel doing it for long. 50-60 sounds about right, and the car is in good order at least so it should run well at that. Take it easy and enjoy the journey.
Spend a bit of time making sure that the tilt is correctly fastened and as taught as possible - It'll make a significant difference to the amount of air being blown around the cab and flapping noise.
You could do it in one hit at 60-65mph (remember to take ear plugs, and assuming it will do such speeds!), or you could wind it back to 50-55 and spend the money saved on fuel on a bed for the night.
My Series III 88" does about 23mpg if you keep it below a genuine 55mph, but as soon as you try and maintain 65-70 it drops to 15-17mpg.
You could do it in one hit at 60-65mph (remember to take ear plugs, and assuming it will do such speeds!), or you could wind it back to 50-55 and spend the money saved on fuel on a bed for the night.
My Series III 88" does about 23mpg if you keep it below a genuine 55mph, but as soon as you try and maintain 65-70 it drops to 15-17mpg.
That looks a little gem !
I remember in the mid 80's looking at a demobbed one painted in marine blue with a white hard top but could not afford the £3500 at the time... oh how I wanted that lightweight and hankered after one ever since !! [says the man with 4 land rovers]
Get your ipod charged ... get loads of butties & snacks and enjoy yourself.... I would do the trip in one go..as I would be too worried to leave a soft top outside a Travel Lodge etc.
Best of luck !!
I remember in the mid 80's looking at a demobbed one painted in marine blue with a white hard top but could not afford the £3500 at the time... oh how I wanted that lightweight and hankered after one ever since !! [says the man with 4 land rovers]
Get your ipod charged ... get loads of butties & snacks and enjoy yourself.... I would do the trip in one go..as I would be too worried to leave a soft top outside a Travel Lodge etc.
Best of luck !!
Well, I made it in one piece and so did the Land Rover. It was, quite simply, awesome. Slow, noisy, leaky (it poured of rain for the first few hours), windy (the soft top doesn't quite meet the frame properly) and uncomfortable but I absolutely loved it.
The whole trip took a smidge over twelve hours and, no word of a lie, I was ready for more. I did not want to stop. It sat at 55mph pretty much the whole way there and never missed a beat. 21mpg too which I didn't think was too bad at all.
The only problem is now I'm really hankering after one of my own but have neither the space nor the money so it'll have to remain a long term ambition for now.
Still, a tremendous experience and glad I did it. Thank you all for the advice and comments, much appreciated.
The whole trip took a smidge over twelve hours and, no word of a lie, I was ready for more. I did not want to stop. It sat at 55mph pretty much the whole way there and never missed a beat. 21mpg too which I didn't think was too bad at all.
The only problem is now I'm really hankering after one of my own but have neither the space nor the money so it'll have to remain a long term ambition for now.
Still, a tremendous experience and glad I did it. Thank you all for the advice and comments, much appreciated.
Glad you enjoyed the trip! And that you listened to most of the advice here about not trying the journey in one day and ignored it completely!
You might not get a tidy ex-army lightweight, but if you're after something similar for yourself then £1500 or so should get you a perfectly decent "normal" 88" series 3. They can take a bit of looking after but find one with a galvanised chassis and there's not a lot to worry about and a lot to enjoy.
Ruari
You might not get a tidy ex-army lightweight, but if you're after something similar for yourself then £1500 or so should get you a perfectly decent "normal" 88" series 3. They can take a bit of looking after but find one with a galvanised chassis and there's not a lot to worry about and a lot to enjoy.
Ruari
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