Series 2 advice
Discussion
I've always had a soft spot for old Landies since my Dad came home in an old series 2 diesel in the early 70s and we had them all through my childhood. At the time it was awful and slow but cool and I've always wanted one. Thinking of spending up to £4k on a solid, usable car to take me to the train station and back (3 miles each way). Am I right in thinking prices are going up and if I'm going to bite the bullet I should do it now? Is this a crap idea?
For that money you want to be looking for one with a galvanised chassis and if not galvanised, a repaired and solid bulkhead.
It depends on wether you want something perfectly original or use able and your not worried by a few deviations from standard spec. More original is worth more now and will be worth more in the future. But keeping a series land rover perfectly original can be very expensive!
Mechanically they are as simple as the come, the series 2 has one fuse for example, a water pump is about £8. The standard engines will do about 17-25 mpg and will run up until the point that they die. I had one that had no piston rings or compression left by the time I got round to stripping it down and I was doing 40 miles a day to work and back!
You may also want to consider a series three as well, they haven't gone up in price as much as the series 2 yet but they are mechanically similar.
It depends on wether you want something perfectly original or use able and your not worried by a few deviations from standard spec. More original is worth more now and will be worth more in the future. But keeping a series land rover perfectly original can be very expensive!
Mechanically they are as simple as the come, the series 2 has one fuse for example, a water pump is about £8. The standard engines will do about 17-25 mpg and will run up until the point that they die. I had one that had no piston rings or compression left by the time I got round to stripping it down and I was doing 40 miles a day to work and back!
You may also want to consider a series three as well, they haven't gone up in price as much as the series 2 yet but they are mechanically similar.
wormus said:
I've always had a soft spot for old Landies since my Dad came home in an old series 2 diesel in the early 70s and we had them all through my childhood. At the time it was awful and slow but cool and I've always wanted one. Thinking of spending up to £4k on a solid, usable car to take me to the train station and back (3 miles each way). Am I right in thinking prices are going up and if I'm going to bite the bullet I should do it now? Is this a crap idea?
I know of one that might fit the bill? Where are you and this one is in Wakefieldtight fart said:
You'll do well to find a solid S2 that could be used as a daily driver for 4k.
Well.....I've found one for 4.5k that's not cosmetically perfect (which is fine) but looks solid with lots of new oily bits. At this stage I'm trying to work out if this is a good idea. Don't really like parking my D4 at the train station as morons keep damaging it and think this could present a fun alternative, and a hobby for my son and I. Just want something tidy and reliable.The oily bits aren't really the main worry with these as it's just a big meccano kit.
Corrosion is. Be very very thorough checking it & keep a good look out for filler on the bulkhead. Whilst there are companies that advertise new bulkheads the going rate appears to be around £1500 http://www.pegasusparts.co.uk/ourshop_90073/cat_37...
Corrosion is. Be very very thorough checking it & keep a good look out for filler on the bulkhead. Whilst there are companies that advertise new bulkheads the going rate appears to be around £1500 http://www.pegasusparts.co.uk/ourshop_90073/cat_37...
Just to add if you do buy, don't buy someone else's 'project' or one that's been faffed around with. They are best when left alone. Mine is pretty much totally original, it was a farm truck used on the odd occasion, kept in a barn for all of its life, 33k on the clock with no cancerous home brewed wiring all over the place and a patchwork chassis. I paid 550 quid for it around 8 years ago now and I can't see myself ever selling it.
LewG said:
Hi wormus, have you absolutely got your heart set on a Series 2? I'm based in Bedfordshire too and you're more than welcome to come and drive my early Series 3 for a bit of a taster if you want. I go to work in mine twice a week usually, weather permitting.
Hi Lew, thanks for the kind offer, I may well take you up on that 
Can anyone recommend a good source for tidy series 2 & 3s? Ideally want a. 88 inch with solid chassis and bulkhead, don't really care what it looks like.
wormus said:
Hi Lew, thanks for the kind offer, I may well take you up on that
Can anyone recommend a good source for tidy series 2 & 3s? Ideally want a. 88 inch with solid chassis and bulkhead, don't really care what it looks like.
EBay and LR forums. People who put them on autotrader seem to want too much. Can anyone recommend a good source for tidy series 2 & 3s? Ideally want a. 88 inch with solid chassis and bulkhead, don't really care what it looks like.
Have you actually driven a series LR? I have a S3 and if I decide to sell it, I'm not sure I would just let anyone drive it. They are nothing like modern cars to drive and there would be a good chance of someone crashing straight into the back of a car when the brakes 'don't work'!
As someone else has said, bodywork, bulkhead are the key areas to check, but I would also advise checking the following:
Gearbox:
Its crude and noisy. Check that it goes up and down all the gears. You need to go down a hill, litch the clutch in second or 1st and it should stay in gear. If it doesn't then, its arebuild job and not just the spring change, which is what the internet will suggest first
Getting the gearbox is hard work and rebuilds are expensive. Budget £500-£700Steering:
Lots of ball joints and usually a decent amount of play as standard. Some can be adjusted out. Ball joints can be a pain to remove and usually require a lot of heat to remove them.
Seat Belts:
S2s might not have them. I personally don't want a car with out them, so budget for getting them fitted. Only £50-£100 and a bit of DIY. All depends on how many fittings you have.
Engine:
Don't buy the diesel. Its crap, but expect to pay more for the petrol engine. Don't be scared of 200/300tdi conversions.
General:
Try and avoid a farm owned vehicle if you can. Ask me how I know.
Buy ASAP, as Defender goes out of production at the end of the year and prices are rising for S2s and S3s. Anything tax free will be north of £3.5k and expect competition when trying to find a good one. Also, you will have to travel.
Brakes:
Not great and getting the drums off is a right Pain.
Suspension:
If its running on the original leafs, chances are they will be seized solid, so budget for decent parabolics and new shocks. Roughly £350 all in and about two days back breaking work
LRs are cool as f
k though. Best of luck. I am in the process of fitting proper seat belt mounts to mine I don't think you'll find a good source of these, you'll just have to look about and see what you find.
Don't get over concerned about galvanised chassis. Sure it's a nice thing, but that means it's had a rebuild, so you need to inspect how well it's been put back together.
The key thing is a solid chassis, unless you plan to replace it yourself.
Bulkheads aren't always so bad, it's the footwells that rot out. But these can be replaced without removing the bulkhead. Bulkhead replacement is a pretty big job.
And honestly, there really isn't a busting amount of difference between a Series II, IIa and III. So I'd be broad in your search and buy on condition, rather than exact model.
Things you might want to consider are. Does it have a heater, not all do. And S3's have better wipers. If you plan to use this daily, things like this might make a difference.
Door tops rot out, but can be replaced, but something else worth checking.
Don't get over concerned about galvanised chassis. Sure it's a nice thing, but that means it's had a rebuild, so you need to inspect how well it's been put back together.
The key thing is a solid chassis, unless you plan to replace it yourself.
Bulkheads aren't always so bad, it's the footwells that rot out. But these can be replaced without removing the bulkhead. Bulkhead replacement is a pretty big job.
And honestly, there really isn't a busting amount of difference between a Series II, IIa and III. So I'd be broad in your search and buy on condition, rather than exact model.
Things you might want to consider are. Does it have a heater, not all do. And S3's have better wipers. If you plan to use this daily, things like this might make a difference.
Door tops rot out, but can be replaced, but something else worth checking.
The other thing tI consider is by and large they need the odd bit of maintanace here and there, more so than a modern car, to get the best out of them. Although they will run and run without looking at them all you are doing is setting yourself up for more work come not time! I like to think of it as my land rover managing my time for me!
But on the plus side even jobs which on a newer car would be completely out of the reach of someone at home can be completedone by ANYONE with a basic set of tools, right up to changing an engine or gearbox. There are guides on the Internet, books you can buy and if you get involved with a club or a forum, people who will come round and help.
But on the plus side even jobs which on a newer car would be completely out of the reach of someone at home can be completedone by ANYONE with a basic set of tools, right up to changing an engine or gearbox. There are guides on the Internet, books you can buy and if you get involved with a club or a forum, people who will come round and help.
300bhp/ton said:
I don't think you'll find a good source of these, you'll just have to look about and see what you find.
Don't get over concerned about galvanised chassis. Sure it's a nice thing, but that means it's had a rebuild, so you need to inspect how well it's been put back together.
The key thing is a solid chassis, unless you plan to replace it yourself.
Mine had the rear quarter replaced along with outrigers and the standard of welding was much higher than other vehicles that I looked at. Agree on not focusing on the galvanized chassis. Don't get over concerned about galvanised chassis. Sure it's a nice thing, but that means it's had a rebuild, so you need to inspect how well it's been put back together.
The key thing is a solid chassis, unless you plan to replace it yourself.
[quote/]Door tops rot out, but can be replaced, but something else worth checking.
Drivers footwell on mine is fine. Passenger side has been patched and top of the bulkhead has been repeaied too. Should be alright for several years
I bought mine about 8 years ago now when I was doing a lot of work on the house and didn't want to keep on hiring skips. I planned to move it on when I'd finished, but I liked it so much that I couldn't bear to part with it. I fitted a 200tdi when the petrol engine gave up, then range rover diffs and an overdrive, which work really well together. The point mentioned above about the springs is spot on though and they're next on my list of things to upgrade.
I use it every weekend, for picking up logs, taking crap to the tip or pretty much any local trip as the dog likes to sit up front. Costs have been pretty negligible and the fun factor is high - especially with the roof and door tops off in the summer
If fact get a soft top if you can - I've found that hard tops are noisier and draughtier in the winter. You can even get heated front screens through the Series 2 club, which are well worth fitting to keep the screens clear in winter.
For the use that you've described it will be perfect
I use it every weekend, for picking up logs, taking crap to the tip or pretty much any local trip as the dog likes to sit up front. Costs have been pretty negligible and the fun factor is high - especially with the roof and door tops off in the summer
If fact get a soft top if you can - I've found that hard tops are noisier and draughtier in the winter. You can even get heated front screens through the Series 2 club, which are well worth fitting to keep the screens clear in winter.
For the use that you've described it will be perfect
smn159 said:
I bought mine about 8 years ago now when I was doing a lot of work on the house and didn't want to keep on hiring skips. I planned to move it on when I'd finished, but I liked it so much that I couldn't bear to part with it. I fitted a 200tdi when the petrol engine gave up, then range rover diffs and an overdrive, which work really well together. The point mentioned above about the springs is spot on though and they're next on my list of things to upgrade.
I use it every weekend, for picking up logs, taking crap to the tip or pretty much any local trip as the dog likes to sit up front. Costs have been pretty negligible and the fun factor is high - especially with the roof and door tops off in the summer
If fact get a soft top if you can - I've found that hard tops are noisier and draughtier in the winter. You can even get heated front screens through the Series 2 club, which are well worth fitting to keep the screens clear in winter.
For the use that you've described it will be perfect
Are they the delux high back seats?? If they are, they are quite rare and go for decent money on the bay.I use it every weekend, for picking up logs, taking crap to the tip or pretty much any local trip as the dog likes to sit up front. Costs have been pretty negligible and the fun factor is high - especially with the roof and door tops off in the summer
If fact get a soft top if you can - I've found that hard tops are noisier and draughtier in the winter. You can even get heated front screens through the Series 2 club, which are well worth fitting to keep the screens clear in winter.
For the use that you've described it will be perfect
Reading this thread has encouraged me to go and look for new bits for mine. I fancy a V8. The 200tdi engines are becoming very expensive these days
bakerstreet said:
Are they the delux high back seats?? If they are, they are quite rare and go for decent money on the bay.
Reading this thread has encouraged me to go and look for new bits for mine. I fancy a V8. The 200tdi engines are becoming very expensive these days
They're from Exmoor trim but they seem to have discontinued them now - the ones on the website have separate headrests.Reading this thread has encouraged me to go and look for new bits for mine. I fancy a V8. The 200tdi engines are becoming very expensive these days
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