Need an off road beast, considering a Landy...
Discussion
Evening Chaps 
I've never posted in this muddy corner of PH land before, but I hoped you could give me some ideas and inspiration.
We bought a Shogun a couple of years back for towing the horses around, and it's been absolutely faultless. A really good buy...
I could probably do with an off-road beasty to tow the odd car trailer, bugger around at the beach (I intend to start surfing after the house move, we'll be near a great beach!) and cart stuff around without worrying about dirt or damage too much.
I want it to look cool and be a 'proper' off-roader if you like, a bit OTT and to look like I've driven it through the amazon and back would be perfect!
Whats the best model to go for? I really like the idea of the air transportable model as they look a bit different. I don't know a lot about them though, can you get one with a V8 for example?
and can you kit them up with snorkels, bull bars, winches and the like? It won't be an only car, or even a daily driver so I'd like to go to town on it. Can you raise them up into mini-monster trucks or are they better left alone?
I know there was a black air transportable kicking around PH that looked the bollox but I can't find the link. It was on a 'what first car' thread a few months ago IIRC.
Aside from that, if anyone can give me any tips or help that would be excellent. I think the main theme of this post is to see how much fun you can have with a tarted up landie as opposed to a hilux or summat!
Oh, and have a pint on me
I've never posted in this muddy corner of PH land before, but I hoped you could give me some ideas and inspiration.
We bought a Shogun a couple of years back for towing the horses around, and it's been absolutely faultless. A really good buy...
I could probably do with an off-road beasty to tow the odd car trailer, bugger around at the beach (I intend to start surfing after the house move, we'll be near a great beach!) and cart stuff around without worrying about dirt or damage too much.
I want it to look cool and be a 'proper' off-roader if you like, a bit OTT and to look like I've driven it through the amazon and back would be perfect!
Whats the best model to go for? I really like the idea of the air transportable model as they look a bit different. I don't know a lot about them though, can you get one with a V8 for example?
and can you kit them up with snorkels, bull bars, winches and the like? It won't be an only car, or even a daily driver so I'd like to go to town on it. Can you raise them up into mini-monster trucks or are they better left alone? I know there was a black air transportable kicking around PH that looked the bollox but I can't find the link. It was on a 'what first car' thread a few months ago IIRC.
Aside from that, if anyone can give me any tips or help that would be excellent. I think the main theme of this post is to see how much fun you can have with a tarted up landie as opposed to a hilux or summat!
Oh, and have a pint on me
The airportable or "lightweight" as it's known is good for a laugh but very, very basic. If you want to fit a hard top it will overhang the body by 1/4" at the sides, but for summer fun you can strip them right down to basically a glorified chassis very easily!
V8 is a common conversion and on sheer power to weight ratio a good laugh, but in my experience the quality of conversion does vary greatly.
V8 is a common conversion and on sheer power to weight ratio a good laugh, but in my experience the quality of conversion does vary greatly.
Hard-Drive said:
The airportable or "lightweight" as it's known is good for a laugh but very, very basic. If you want to fit a hard top it will overhang the body by 1/4" at the sides, but for summer fun you can strip them right down to basically a glorified chassis very easily!
V8 is a common conversion and on sheer power to weight ratio a good laugh, but in my experience the quality of conversion does vary greatly.
V8 is a common conversion and on sheer power to weight ratio a good laugh, but in my experience the quality of conversion does vary greatly.
Thanks mate.
So I could get my mechanic to bosh in a Range Rover V8 and autobox then? Or if I found an RV8 running on carbs that would surely be easier?
Think mini-Bowler Wildcat / Humvee looking thing... Good base or not?
Lightweights do look hard, but they have VERY limited space inside,For your needs, I reckon an early 110 with V8 would be my choice.
Like all Landys, its very customisable, but the 110 should be able to take a surfboard internally.
For ideas on bolt ons, see here
www.scorpionracing.co.uk/
www.johncraddockltd.co.uk/
And Finally, my old 90........
Like all Landys, its very customisable, but the 110 should be able to take a surfboard internally.
For ideas on bolt ons, see here
www.scorpionracing.co.uk/
www.johncraddockltd.co.uk/
And Finally, my old 90........
Edited by Furyous to add more stuff
Edited by Furyous on Saturday 17th February 21:23
Funnily enough I just bought my 110 off a surfer dude . Still got a little surfboard airfreshner thing hanging from the rear view mirror and a few "Fat Willys" stickers littered around it 
I do think it is a 110 you are going to want if you need a bit of space for carting stuff.
Here's mine
. Still got a little surfboard airfreshner thing hanging from the rear view mirror and a few "Fat Willys" stickers littered around it I do think it is a 110 you are going to want if you need a bit of space for carting stuff.
Here's mine
I have to say a Disco is really good value at the moment. Looks wise I still think they are just miles in front of everything else out there bar a Defender (especially the facelifted 300), and you can make them "well 'ard" with winches, snorkels and all the bits.
I've just taken the plunge myself, picking mine up next weekend. I want it for towing my boat to the coast, off roading, and I am planning on turning it into a very basic camper by removing one of the rear seats, and having the ability to wind the front seat right down and install some kind of folding camp bed thing running the length of the passenger side. I'll use some pieces of foam sleeping mat velrco'd inplace to blank out the windows and keep it warm at night (did similar on my old 109" and it worked fine). You can also get commercially availaible roof top tents but they are dear and might interfere with your surfboards if on a roofrack.
The disco is great on road and the TDi figures are fairly frugal for a big vehicle, however if you are doing long runs in a lightweight beware, they are slow, noisy, not very secure when parked. You cannot sleep in them and as they are so short they tend to wander around the road on a motorway much more than a longer Landy. For a good one, you will also pay much more than for a older but servicable Discovery.
Anyway, enjoy, and I'll post some pix of my Disco soon!
I've just taken the plunge myself, picking mine up next weekend. I want it for towing my boat to the coast, off roading, and I am planning on turning it into a very basic camper by removing one of the rear seats, and having the ability to wind the front seat right down and install some kind of folding camp bed thing running the length of the passenger side. I'll use some pieces of foam sleeping mat velrco'd inplace to blank out the windows and keep it warm at night (did similar on my old 109" and it worked fine). You can also get commercially availaible roof top tents but they are dear and might interfere with your surfboards if on a roofrack.
The disco is great on road and the TDi figures are fairly frugal for a big vehicle, however if you are doing long runs in a lightweight beware, they are slow, noisy, not very secure when parked. You cannot sleep in them and as they are so short they tend to wander around the road on a motorway much more than a longer Landy. For a good one, you will also pay much more than for a older but servicable Discovery.
Anyway, enjoy, and I'll post some pix of my Disco soon!
so something a bit rotten with a bad temperament will most likely be right up my alley 
Buy mine. It even has a shower
KingRichard said:
Nah that looks like it really has been to Africa and back 
How much? I think I want some kind of suspension lift on it and big
off tyres.
How much? I think I want some kind of suspension lift on it and big
off tyres. It has a 2 inch lift on heavy duty springs. It looks standard height when fully laden (like the second pic) and a fair bit higher when empty. The tyres are 235/85 16 which is pretty much as big as you can go without messing about with the lock stops/spacers. IIRC they're 31.5" diameter.
As far as price goes, it depends on what kit you want with it. It's a £5k landy with £7k (obviously now 2nd hand and cheaper
) in mods and kit
KingRichard said:
but that lightweight is calling me 
im guessing you know this already, but the best times to go surfing and or windsurfing are rarely the kind of times that youd want to be in a lightweight ie, shit weather.
If your serious about getting wet, youll not want to get seriously wet afterwards too. Im always thankful for doors, windows, seats, heaters and comfort when im demonstrating the first things of hypothermia.
Mechsympathy, should be picking the Disco up next week (whoopeee!!!) and I'm considering the lift kit. Would you recommend it based on the following?
2nd car, not daily driver. Planning to do some offroading at playdays etc, has side steps at the mo, would like to keep on if they afford some degree of protection, don't fancy splashing out on rocksliders until I have at the very least a winch and snorkel. On road stuff will be some local driving, and longer trips from the Midlands to coastal venues for sailing events. Towing a boat that weighs next to nothing, 100kg max on an unbraked trailer. Appreciate it's a Land-Rover but don't want to totally ruin on road manners.
Sorry about the threadjack but I guess your response may be useful to our potential newbie too!
2nd car, not daily driver. Planning to do some offroading at playdays etc, has side steps at the mo, would like to keep on if they afford some degree of protection, don't fancy splashing out on rocksliders until I have at the very least a winch and snorkel. On road stuff will be some local driving, and longer trips from the Midlands to coastal venues for sailing events. Towing a boat that weighs next to nothing, 100kg max on an unbraked trailer. Appreciate it's a Land-Rover but don't want to totally ruin on road manners.
Sorry about the threadjack but I guess your response may be useful to our potential newbie too!
HD, my Tiger 90 ^^^^ had a 2" lift and was on 33/12.50's, and I used it as my daily driver for 3 years without any probs.Once you get thehang of setting it up before a bend its fine.
Oh, I wouldnt waste money on a winch these days either.Put an ARB locker in the back axle for £600 and you'll pretty much never need a winch.Of course, nobody can see the ARB.
F
Oh, I wouldnt waste money on a winch these days either.Put an ARB locker in the back axle for £600 and you'll pretty much never need a winch.Of course, nobody can see the ARB.
F
Gassing Station | Land Rover | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff