 | Home > My Defender > Series III (+ apologies enclosed!) |
 
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| MuddyMarky Member Since: 01 Feb 2010 Location: Oxfordshire Posts: 548   
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Right, firstly a couple of apologies.... to Martin, as I wasn't sure where I should put this, and to the rest of you, for asking the following questions in this particular forum
I'm looking at replacing my DC thats just about to go (tomorrow morning  ) with potentially, a little series III. I'm not looking at a huge amount of money, probably upto a couple of thousand (if that!).....my question is because I dont have any experience of them! Rather than look a complete, errr, fool when I go to look, I thought I'd ask you clever lot.
Ok - how do free wheeling hubs work/whats the point, etc? Finally, anyone know of the weak areas to look at? I assume the usual suspects, ie bulkhead, etc but any others? I don't suppose anyone has one I could have a peek at first do they by any chance?
Cheers chaps! 
PS, I'm keeping an eye on this one at the moment: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1977-LAND-ROVER-...2431104809 *edited to remove the question about the levers! Mark 2011 110 XS DC Stornoway Grey |
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17th Jan 2012 2:55pm |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324
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Ordinary Series Land Rovers are two wheel drive as standard and the yellow knob controls access to high range 4-wheel drive. You simply push it down until it locks in position. This can be done whilst driving. To revert to 2-wheel drive the vehicle needs to be stationary, the red knob is pulled backwards and then returned to its original position. The yellow knob will automatically pop up again. The red knob also has a central 'neutral' position.
To select low ratio gears the vehicle must be stationary and the red knob pulled towards you. This automatically selects 4-wheel drive at the same time. To disengage low ratio then the red knob is pushed away from you, but again the vehicle must be stationary. In summary, the yellow knob can be operated on the move but the red knob cannot. If there's a fourth, extra lever next to the main one then it has an overdrive. Treat it like a fifth gear, including use of the clutch. Freewheeling hubs are fitted to the front wheels to reduce the mass of moving parts when running in 2-wheel drive by allowing the wheels to move freely and independantly of the driveshafts. They are intended to reduce where and tear on those components and, in theory, they reduce fuel consumption. It's pretty marginal though, and I wouldn't be worried about them not being fitted. As for stuff to look at, rust to the chassis - particularly the rear crossmember, front spring hangers and the fuel tank outriggers (if a SWB), rust to the door tops and bottoms, general oil leaks, splayed or rusty springs. Check that it sits reasonably square on its' springs too, but don't expect perfectly level. 2.25 engines, gearboxes and the rest of the driveline are all pretty bullet proof. If it starts and runs easily without smoke, whining or clunking then there shouldn't be too much to worry about. There are a host of other minor things, but they're light years away from the complexities of a Puma, so it'll all be pretty obvious when you start looking Darren 110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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17th Jan 2012 3:45pm |
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| ken Member Since: 18 Aug 2009 Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !! Posts: 4328
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2 1/4 derv for me used to drop the heat shieds but it went 55mph uphill down hill loved it must scan a pic in soon
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17th Jan 2012 4:17pm |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5013
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Not keen on the Ebay one, no idea of mileage, top hinges look like bubbles coming through, painted horrible colour, bad window in hard top, haven't even replaced the rear badge....There are loads around like this, everyone has had a play with it bla bla. Why is he selling it so quick, usually people fall in love with their landies for at least two years....It could be fine but it could be a major cost getting it sorted. You could easily spend £1500 in a garage getting it sorted and that's all it's worth!
It would be better to go on a forum like the Series2 club and ask for one and put up what you find on there, the guys really know their stuff and will put you straight. They will usually go out and look at it with you to help you. Always someone in the area. Someone might even have one. 2's are better build quality and no tax, more in demand but higher in price. General thinking on FWH is may look nice but more trouble than worth. Effctiveness is negligiable and they are mostly negelected so give problems. I have seen some shocking Series that people have bought, unroadworthy some of them, like a Defender the more money you can spend the better motor you will get with less problems and costs. £1500 doesn't get you much! 3-4K will get you a very nice Series that you won't get stuck with if you want to sell on. I would go for a cheap van for £1500 depends on what you want it for! Contact Dan 200019A or whatever his forum name is, he has a LWB Series 2, lives near Oxford and knows his stuff You will be shocked how a Series drives   |
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17th Jan 2012 4:18pm |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5013
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Diesel OK but VERY slow, petrol 2,25 sweet little engine 18 MPG maybe on an old petrol engine.
What do you want it for? What type of use? |
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17th Jan 2012 4:25pm |
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| MuddyMarky Member Since: 01 Feb 2010 Location: Oxfordshire Posts: 548
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Just pottering about, towing my enduro bike upto the Ridgeway etc, so doesn't really matter about.... Reason I don't want/have the £3-4k to spend is that I'm about to buy a house which is going to take up most of the available money, otherwise I'd be spending more, don't worry
I quite like the colour of the ebay one myself  .....didn;t notice how short a time he'd had it though, so good spot Zag. I did ask for opinions, etc though, so thanks fellas may well have a look at the series2 club Mark
2011 110 XS DC Stornoway Grey |
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17th Jan 2012 4:44pm |
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| Gareth Member Since: 12 Dec 2011 Location: Woodford Posts: 1107 
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I love my S2a. I have a lot of cars at my disposal, D3, TD5 90, Boxster, but 'Betsy' has been with me for 16 years, has been fully rebuilt in that time, and she will be the last car out of my collection to go -if ever she does.
There is something special about the driving experience that is totally addictive. Having said that, I would have to think twice before using her as an everyday car, despite her been the most reliable car in my collection. Mine is 2.25 petrol, and drinks like a thirsty fish! Get as original and unmolested as possible, but if you can, get a galv chassis. Its all grown up meccano really. Pic courtesy of Lee Ent on Disco3 
 Click image to enlarge 2021 Defender 110 X-Dynamic HSE D300 MHEV 1966 S2a 109 aka Betsy |
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17th Jan 2012 4:56pm |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5013
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You put it in a nutshell Gareth - you think a Defender provides character and enthusiasm try a Series
 It's the best fun in the summer with the tilt off  Mine has been 100% reliable as a daily drive for 3 years now and it is seriously neglected
Mark go here for the complete low down http://www.series2club.info/forum/index.php |
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17th Jan 2012 6:39pm |
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| MuddyMarky Member Since: 01 Feb 2010 Location: Oxfordshire Posts: 548
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Cheers fellas!
Mark
2011 110 XS DC Stornoway Grey |
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17th Jan 2012 7:01pm |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324
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Honestly, in this day and age it'd have to be the petrol. The diesel is an unburstable plodder but is painfuly slow in modern traffic. The petrol isn't exactly sporty, but it's a lot more useable and, when in fine fettle, is very sweet. Like a Singer sewing machine on steroids
Dumb irons are the front projections of the chassis that the bumper bolts to. The front spring hangers are mounted on these dumb irons and are very prone to rust as they are very exposed and less likely to receive a coating of any leaking oil! I don't think the one in the eBay auction is as bad as Zag makes out. The mileage is given at just over 58k, which is very good for a 35 year old vehicle, and there's a suggestion of a major overhaul 11 years ago. I'm not sure about the colour - in some pictures it seems darker than the interior but in others it looks like it matches, so it' difficult to know if it's original or not - and the greenhouse-like windows are a bit wacky, but you're going to be a long way from concourse for this sort of money. If it's mechanically and structurally sound, then everything else is cosmetic and you can decide how far you want to go with improving it. I reckon that with a bit of fettling, something like that could be a very useable toy. Convert it to rag top for the full experience. However, if you like your vehicles to be mint in every detail or polished to OCD levels of shiny-ness, then you'll never be happy with any decades old Land Rover that only cost a couple of thousand. Darren 110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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17th Jan 2012 10:01pm |
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| MuddyMarky Member Since: 01 Feb 2010 Location: Oxfordshire Posts: 548
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Well, I'm certainly not after/expecting concours as you said, but just a fun, useable toy....I think the huge windows are kind of cool in an odd way. I assumed the paint was fairly original by the colour/condition etc, and by the sound of the rebuild etc, could be the sort of thing I was after, possibly not needing too much to stay on the road for a while. Mark
2011 110 XS DC Stornoway Grey |
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17th Jan 2012 11:16pm |
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| dnorrishill Member Since: 15 Jul 2011 Location: Hampshire Posts: 615 
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I seem to remember that the earlier series diesel engines only had a 3 bearing crank, which meant they fell apart rather rapidly - no idea how you tell or whether they are any still going?
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17th Jan 2012 11:20pm |
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| Gareth Member Since: 12 Dec 2011 Location: Woodford Posts: 1107
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Earlier Petrol and Diesel engines were 3 main bearings. It changed at some point in S3 production and went to 5 main bearings. You can tell 5 bearing engines because they have reinforcing webbing cast onto the outside of the block. 3 bearing is smooth casting.
3 bearing is prone to crank knock under power, but it doesn't break. The rear crank seal can leak on either version of the engine! I rebuilt my 3mb engine and they are dead easy to work on. Just effin heavy! 2021 Defender 110 X-Dynamic HSE D300 MHEV 1966 S2a 109 aka Betsy |
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18th Jan 2012 7:58am |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5013
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It maybe OK but I would keep looking, you can get a lot better!
The mileage is unknown, the paint is not original and I have seen many terrible rebuilds that take a lot of work/money to go through and make right, some blimmen dangerous, your trusting your life to an unknown DIYer. If you can do the work yourself fine but if your paying Ouch! These are not low maintenace vehicles, mine had just gone through an MOT with work on the brakes for £700 Just before I bought it. Be careful!!
They are not all like that but best to get one of the forum guys to look at anything for you. He may have bought it for instance last October to tart up, roller on some paint, cover everything up, whack it through an MOT and push it on for a profit - who knows but it's not one i would want. For 1.5 - 2K on a Series3 you can get a nice one that hasn't been messed about with, even some service history, original paint and proper hard top or SW top. Tilts are not cheap to buy but you may find one with one already on Keep looking, loads of nice S3's about, they are not in great demand .
I sold one 2 years ago for 1K, it was one owner, 38,000 miles, totally original but had been left standing for 6 years. The buyer spent roughly £250 on it to get it back on the road as he did the work himself and now he has a sweet, original, untouched S3 as a reliable runaraound. I looked at a load of rubbish before I bought mine but after a month found it, sweet 2.25 you can only just hear running, original chassis, bulkhead, never been messed with not even a radio put it. Scruffy bashed and used but untouched and not messed with...they come up be patient Paid £2300 for it. Two S2 88" have recently sold through the forum, well sorted vehicles by forum members, VERY cheap £900, Cinstone on here bought one, ask him how he is getting on with it, he loves it and has done megga miles already |
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18th Jan 2012 8:01am |
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