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Landrover Defender/L200 Warrior

I sold my Defender 90 TD5 recently. Couldn't fault it as a fishing wagon. It would go through anything and with the low range and the diff lock it would go up and down the steep, snow covered hill to my house with ease. The only reason I had to sell it was down to the fact that I do the school run every day and it didn't seem fair having water pouring onto the little ones heads from the sun roof and roof lining in the winter months...I do miss it.

Things I don't miss are useless 'heater', water from the roof and scrapping the ice from the inside of the windscreen.

The only mechanical problem I had with it was with the clutch. The rod went through the clutch housing meaning new clutch and fly wheel at well over a grand!!! Just before I sold it too.
 
I often wonder why Land Rover repeatedly fail to install a correctly functioning sunroof that doesn't leak. The vast majority of other manufacturers manage it!
Our Td5 Disco used to leak like a sieve from the sunroof..... I ended up sealing the whole thing and making sure wifey didn't try to use it!
I do miss mine though, there was something about them. Character. Or Character building......
 
My next car will be a Freelander 2. Used my mates and it was superb. Comfy and spacious too. The New shape Defenders look great too. Whenever they arrive.
 
Mentioned this topic to a mechanic pal, who at one time worked at a Land Rover dealership. The Freelander was apparently referred to as a "threegrander", that being the average cost of repairs.
 
Perhaps your mate only saw them when they broke down !
They are not invinsible but do seem to offer decent service and value.
 
Freelander 2 isn't a bad wagon from what I hear, no better or worse than the average SUV, although it's one of the few Land Rovers I've not had. Freelander 1 however is a bottomless money pit in my experience and I was glad to get rid of both of the 2 I had. (I didn't learn hard enough the first time!!)
 
Tom Herbert said:
A life long friend who owns two garages would not sell an L200 to his worst enemy, they have cam belt issues along with head gasket issues.

He would however recommend a Hi-Lux, he reckons they are the best of the lot.
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I had a L200 Raging Bull for 3 & 1/2 years and did 120,000 miles in it, it wasn't too bad, I now have a VW Amarok, knocks the rest into a cocked hat!
comfort, capability and 2 piece rods will fit in the bed, albeit diagonally and the bed is HUGE compared to the others......brilliant truck!
 
Had a freelander TDi for 7 years and apart from a knackered clutch probably caused by the previous owner towing horse boxes out of muddy fields , and a very dodgy garage replacement, was a good motor for me.
The warranty company designated what garage I took it to, and the twots forgot to tighten up the bolts on the transfer box, so the following day after collecting the car when reversing out of my works car park I heard an 'orrible thud underneath and was alarmed to see the drive shaft and transfer box lying in a pool of oil underneath my pride and joy !!:eek:
Needless to say I got another garage to fix it after a very long phone call to the insurers.
It was a top of the range model and was great for driving across muddy fields on work party's but a bit agricultural to drive long distances
Have now got a Honda CR-V and although not as good off road is still great in the snow and mud and more comfortable to drive.
 
All this talk of trucks and things reminds me of an incident a few years back. Then I had a Mitsi L200 Pick Up for work, it was the stick shift with a bench seat and was very basic. But I loved the thing, anyway I collected my three young boys from somewhere and they were all strapped in on the front seat with the single belt.

I was driving along a small road along the top of the Cotswolds when out of nowhere came a horse galloping towards us on the wrong side of the road :eek: As it passed I noticed it had a harness and a saddle but no mount, thinking the obvious, I did a quick 'u' turn to try and head the horse off before it collided with something.

I got to a speed of possibly 60 plus in the old girl and spotted the horse still galloping in front of us, I got up alongside and the vision of the kids with fear etched on their faces and the horse alongside the door window is still with me.......but I gained some distance between us and stopped by a gate in the road, hopped out and feared the worse, this horse wasn't stopping, all my flapping waving arms seemed to startle it to a halt though, just before cleaning me out!!

I managed to secure a very frightened horse to the gate.

A short time later a young lady appeared and without so much as a word mounted the beast and was on her way.

In my young son's eyes that day their Dad was a hero :p

It soon wore off:rolleyes:
 
Well done Neil, i wouldn't have put myself in front of a runaway Horse,no way:eek: I probably would have wondered where the rider was first though:D

Stephen
 
Not that I'm in the market for a 4x4, but has anyone used a Toyota Surf, based on the Hi-Lux. As the Taliban seem to mainly choose Toyotas they must be really reliable and would tick all the fishing capability boxes, being long wheelbase, fully enclosed security wise, and 4 wheel drive, diesel and fairly cheap.
 
Bit late on parade here chaps, but I have had a Landrover 2a 88 since 1980 and I rate her as the best fishing vehicle available. In 1991 I bought a Discovery Tdi which was splendid for towing our horse trailer and long distance fishing trips.

If you are going for a Japanese vehicle then there is nothing better than a Toyota Hi lux, many of my farming friends use them .

As most of my fishing trips are within ten miles I shall remain loyal to our family member, the 2a.

Oh, by the way, the dogs love it !

As ever,

Hugo
 
Bought a Nissan X-Trail last May .Very comfortable on and of road . Loads of room in the back with the back seats folded down and had no problems with it .
 
Peter Robinson said:
Not that I'm in the market for a 4x4, but has anyone used a Toyota Surf, based on the Hi-Lux. As the Taliban seem to mainly choose Toyotas they must be really reliable and would tick all the fishing capability boxes, being long wheelbase, fully enclosed security wise, and 4 wheel drive, diesel and fairly cheap.
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Do you get many Taliban down your way Peter ? :D

Dave
 
David Craine said:
Do you get many Taliban down your way Peter ? :D

Dave
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Dave,
We've got Taliban,shoe bombers,hate clerics the lot down here.The point I was making was that whenever the vehicles of fanatical groups are featured in news items on tv, invariably they're always Toyotas, and I doubt they've got the time to be messing about with blown head gaskets and broken cambelts etc.....but then you knew that you tease:D
 
Has anyone considered a normal van for fishing,was thinking of a Transit Connect or a wee Combo type of thing? The 4x4's sound really good, but are they necessary? Would love to fish some of these places where they are, and hunt "Bear" at the same time:D

Stephen
 
Stephen Whyte said:
Has anyone considered a normal van for fishing,was thinking of a Transit Connect or a wee Combo type of thing? The 4x4's sound really good, but are they necessary? Would love to fish some of these places where they are, and hunt "Bear" at the same time:D

Stephen
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Ha! yes it's been my main wheels a Combo for the last few years, the last one blew up last August in a field nr Stratford On Avon, luckily Joe Fletcher was there fishing (not in the field but the river!!) but sometimes I think he may as well :D.... and gave me a lift home, I got £100 for the thing from the local scrapper :(

But the problem I have with vans is they offer zero grip, and often have to walk, which defeats the object, currently looking for a 4x4 but the tax and mpg is horrendous.

But I am afraid if you and I want to fish Bear country we will have to man up :)

Come to think of it, Stratford On Avon is Warks, and whats the county emblem?

A Bear :eek:
 
Stephen Whyte said:
Has anyone considered a normal van for fishing,was thinking of a Transit Connect or a wee Combo type of thing? The 4x4's sound really good, but are they necessary? Would love to fish some of these places where they are, and hunt "Bear" at the same time:D

Stephen
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I quipped once to a colleague that his newly acquired huge Jeep was like a Taliban Taxi, he took offence and never did get another ride in the thing :rolleyes:
 
Neil Smart said:
Ha! yes it's been my main wheels a Combo for the last few years, the last one blew up last August in a field nr Stratford On Avon, luckily Joe Fletcher was there fishing (not in the field but the river!!) but sometimes I think he may as well :D.... and gave me a lift home, I got £100 for the thing from the local scrapper :(

But the problem I have with vans is they offer zero grip, and often have to walk, which defeats the object, currently looking for a 4x4 but the tax and mpg is horrendous.

But I am afraid if you and I want to fish Bear country we will have to man up :)

Come to think of it, Stratford On Avon is Warks, and whats the county emblem?

A Bear :eek:
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Neil you have been in my X Trail and you know how comfortable it is :D
The road tax is steep but the mpg is good . Mines a diesel and the mpg is better than my old VW 1.6 Golf
 
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