Posted by Mark in OZ on October 26, 2000 at 02:41:14:

In Reply to: newbie buying Land Rover posted by STELLA on October 26, 2000 at 00:56:15:

Before I start, I don't claim to be an expert at this. I have only been at it for about 1 year with my series III. I am sure that people will correct me if I get something wrong. I am however in a good position to tell you about all the traps of buying and old landrover.

The first thing to do is to get a restoration manual for the series landrover. ( if the series is what you are after) There is a good book that features the guys from Dunsfold landrover in the UK. It covers the restoration from top to bottom. They also have some good tips for buying a land as well.

If you don't want anyhting fancy you probably want to look at a series landrover. obviously the older the car is, the more problems it going to have. The late series IIA and all series III had syncromesh gearboxes. A big plus if you don't want to double clutch all the time. Having said that, I believe that it becomes second nature after a while.

When I bought mine I did not want to be forever fixing rust/rot in the chasis. So I found one that had none. This is probably the best place to start. I can't tell you where the common rust spots are, however I do know that they sometimes have problems around the outriggers. I am sure some forum member will be able to tell you?

Other problem that they often have is in the front end and the steering. The first is in the pin and swivel housing. On my 1973 the pin and bush where had excesive ware. if you pull on the top of the left or right front wheel and have someone watch the hub and the steering arm if it moves excessivly then it means the pin and bush need replacing. There should not be any movement at all in the front swivel hubs. If the wheel bearings are loose you will also feel sideways movement in the wheel. Usually this can just be a matter of adjustmant.
Have a look at the front tires. If they are balding on the inside then there is a good chance that the swivel hubs need work.

Another one to check is the steering. Things that go are the steering relay unit. this is located next to the radiator, and drops through a hole in the chasis. It has a shaft down the centre that usually begins to move sideways instead of in a circular motion. These are a real swine to replace. It took me three days and alot of work to remove mine.

Have to go.. I suggest that you get that book. I will put the name of it on here later.

Mark