One For The Lovers (Not) Of Landrovers

[Mike JD]

Yesterday I happened to be in the town of B****************** that the Met Office insist is in the East Midlands.

There was a minor traffic jam on a hill leading out of the town. By its head was a police Freelander with blue lights flashing and two smartly dressed police constables directing traffic. Up rolls a recovery truck which with much arm waving from the constabulary is signalled to the roadside where it and its driver go to work............... recovering the police Freelander. Brightened my day nicely, that did.

Much funnier than that new head to head Landie poster. Is that Series One really there to pull the Evoque out of a muddy car park at a boot sale?

[Merseyshark]

on a forum mainly dedicated to "Help - my RAV has fallen apart" - that's a bit cheeky

[Davrav]

Yup, we all have the odd issue, and there are some persistent ones too, but when was the last time you saw a RAV on the side of the road with the bonnet up or on a recovery truck?

[Tech01]

Yup, we all have the odd issue, and there are some persistent ones too, but when was the last time you saw a RAV on the side of the road with the bonnet up or on a recovery truck?

Couldn't put it better !

Chris

[Merseyshark]

M60, junction 9 last Saturday afternoon (approx 13:30) being hoiked onto an RAC low loader

Same silver as mine, 55 reg

[Davrav]

M60, junction 9 last Saturday afternoon (approx 13:30) being hoiked onto an RAC low loader

Same silver as mine, 55 reg

S' that theory shot then.................

[anchorman]

We just play at LR bashing. It keeps our minds off our problems.

[webleymk3]

My brother has an old Defender, which he bought in a bad way and has been steadily restoring.

Just had the paintwork done...

A couple of days later and the prop shaft shears.... Now before you laugh and sneer, consider this. If that happened on a Rav, how would it cost to repair? You'd need to remortgage your house! It cost him £60 - job done!

That's the beauty of the older Landys, they are basically a 1:1 mechano set. I have to be honest (and don't throw me out for this), I love it! It's fun to drive - especially offroad. Would I have one, damn right.

[firemac]

My brother has an old Defender, which he bought in a bad way and has been steadily restoring.

Just had the paintwork done...

A couple of days later and the prop shaft shears.... Now before you laugh and sneer, consider this. If that happened on a Rav, how would it cost to repair? You'd need to remortgage your house! It cost him £60 - job done!

That's the beauty of the older Landys, they are basically a 1:1 mechano set. I have to be honest (and don't throw me out for this), I love it! It's fun to drive - especially offroad. Would I have one, damn right.

Good point, well made.

[three5]

My brother has an old Defender, which he bought in a bad way and has been steadily restoring.

Just had the paintwork done...

A couple of days later and the prop shaft shears.... Now before you laugh and sneer, consider this. If that happened on a Rav, how would it cost to repair? You'd need to remortgage your house! It cost him £60 - job done!

That's the beauty of the older Landys, they are basically a 1:1 mechano set. I have to be honest (and don't throw me out for this), I love it! It's fun to drive - especially offroad. Would I have one, damn right.

I drove nothing else ( home or work ) for about 25 years. In that time I had one breakdown that stopped me at the roadside - it was an Fairy overdrive unit on which the splines stripped, so not a LR part or design. I'm fairly deaf now and am guessing that driving up and down the M1 in an '88 and later a '90 was a significant contribution to the problem. So for Motorway driving, the RAV every time but, as Jim said, off road ( of which I did a lot at work ) definitely a LR. It got through a fair amount of consumable spares ( brakes, track-rod ends, suspension bushes etc ) but they were all fairly cheap. So the difference between a LR ( as it was then ) and a RAV is that with the LR it is like having a small hole in your pocket that continually leaks your small change, with the RAV you just get mugged for your wallet occasionally if you are unlucky! As the man said: You pays your money or you don't have a car ;)

[Big Kev]

My brother has an old Defender, which he bought in a bad way and has been steadily restoring.

Just had the paintwork done...

A couple of days later and the prop shaft shears.... Now before you laugh and sneer, consider this. If that happened on a Rav, how would it cost to repair? You'd need to remortgage your house! It cost him £60 - job done!

That's the beauty of the older Landys, they are basically a 1:1 mechano set. I have to be honest (and don't throw me out for this), I love it! It's fun to drive - especially offroad. Would I have one, damn right.

Good point, well made.

You ok Jamesy ......? Letting somebody praise a Rove Lander, and not sending The Boys round.....?

[firemac]

My brother has an old Defender, which he bought in a bad way and has been steadily restoring.

Just had the paintwork done...

A couple of days later and the prop shaft shears.... Now before you laugh and sneer, consider this. If that happened on a Rav, how would it cost to repair? You'd need to remortgage your house! It cost him £60 - job done!

That's the beauty of the older Landys, they are basically a 1:1 mechano set. I have to be honest (and don't throw me out for this), I love it! It's fun to drive - especially offroad. Would I have one, damn right.

Good point, well made.

You ok Jamesy ......? Letting somebody praise a Rove Lander, and not sending The Boys round.....?

I'm confused (not dot com). There's a met white Audi Q3 S-line in the drive belonging to my daughter (who defected from Toyota last week) and her intended has just bought a met white RR Sport, blinged up to the b*ll*ox. Our poor RAV's have taken to wearing sunglasses in the drive such is the glare off these two posers.

Seriously though, if LR could give me the same confidence in their reliability that Toyota has over the past 13 years then I would have one - if they weren't stupid prices, that is.

[Parts-King]

I met a Brummy Plod a few years back at the Autosport show, we had a conversation about LR and the like, he used to drive a Freeloader as a marked motorway car, only trouble was everything on the motorway would overtake him when on an emergency call, the thing would do about 85 downhill with the wind behind him.........he hated it

Kingo

[dave.m]

You lot should hang your heads in shame :nono:

Just the job: Jaguar Land Rover doubles new plant's staff levels to 1,400



6 Mar 2013 00:00

The luxury car maker confirmed plans to double the size of its unfinished engine factory near Wolverhampton

PA

Britain’s flagging economy got a boost yesterday when Jaguar Land Rover upped investment at a new plant to £500million.

The luxury car maker confirmed plans to double the size of its unfinished engine factory near Wolverhampton.

The latest move represents an extra £165m worth of investment at the site.

It will also create an additional 700 jobs, taking the total number of people employed at the plant to 1,400.

The expansion comes on the back of booming business for Jaguar Land Rover.

The firm, which is owned by Indian conglomerate Tata, saw sales soar 30% to 357,773 vehicles last year.

The new state-of-the-art engine factory opens later this year with the first engines coming off the production line in 2015.

JLR
boss Dr Ralf Speth said: “Jaguar Land Rover’s new engine manufacturing
centre in the UK is a clear demonstration of our business strategy
guiding our investment plans.

“Not only does it bring our engine
supply back to our production doorstep, but it gives us significant new
resource as we continue to innovate with new products and markets.”

The new facility is the first in the company’s history to be entirely designed and specified by Jaguar Land Rover.

At
almost 100,000 sq m, the Wolverhampton i54 plant will include an engine
testing centre alongside the manufacturing and assembly halls.

Unite
general secretary Len McCluskey said: “Having lobbied JLR and the last
Labour government to set up a new engine plant in the West Midlands,
we’re delighted that this state-of-the-art facility is going to be
expanded.

“This is a fantastic boost for manufacturing. JLR is
going to build its own engines and it is going to manufacture them here
in Britain.

“This is a massive vote of confidence in the skills of
the UK workforce. JLR’s investment will generate quality jobs in the
West Midlands and is a much-needed shot in the arm for Britain’s
struggling manufacturing sector.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Jaguar Land Rover has added almost 9,000 new jobs at its UK sites over the last two years.

“These
additional 1,400 jobs at the Wolverhampton engine manufacturing centre
are more good news for UK manufacturing by boosting exports and creating
new apprenticeships.

[Davrav]

Well, no wonder they get a bad press if they are fitting unfinished engines

[atkiman]

I'm no great lover of LR's but i was very happy to bet a geezer with a series1 landy thet he couldn't pull my empty 44 tonne scania up the 'the slough' in Redditch after i had got stuck on the ice, boy was he up for the challenge and that was me out of there!!

[anchorman]

A couple of days later and the prop shaft shears.... Now before you laugh and sneer, consider this. If that happened on a Rav, how would it cost to repair?

When did you last hear of a RAV prop shaft shearing?

[Big Kev]

A couple of days later and the prop shaft shears.... Now before you laugh and sneer, consider this. If that happened on a Rav, how would it cost to repair?

When did you last hear of a RAV prop shaft shearing?

Only when some Willy Top never tightened up Rambler Jamie's and near killed him to death !!!

[rambler]

A couple of days later and the prop shaft shears.... Now before you laugh and sneer, consider this. If that happened on a Rav, how would it cost to repair?

When did you last hear of a RAV prop shaft shearing?

Only when some Willy Top never tightened up Rambler Jamie's and near killed him to death !!!

Remember that very well indeed Kev...........Was'nt the best day of my life

But.....that Defender 90 is very very nice indeed,But..could i drive one every day.....nooooo wayyyy,off road with superb fun all the way.....ooooooh.....yessssssss.

Now........could i drive a Land cruiser...every day ,on & off road....ooooooh,yesssss,indeedyyyy

[anchorman]

I'm no great lover of LR's but i was very happy to bet a geezer with a series1 landy thet he couldn't pull my empty 44 tonne scania up the 'the slough' in Redditch after i had got stuck on the ice, boy was he up for the challenge and that was me out of there!!

I once saw a series one pull a loaded Seddon 16 tonner out of a ditch

[voyager t180]

Must admit I have a soft spot for the old defenders..they never die.
They make a great project for someone with the time,the tools and the know how.
But as said a new one costs a small fortune.

[webleymk3]

A couple of days later and the prop shaft shears.... Now before you laugh and sneer, consider this. If that happened on a Rav, how would it cost to repair?

When did you last hear of a RAV prop shaft shearing?

I wondered how long it would take until someone said that.... That is true however, the fact is it only cost £60 for a new one!

I can't talk for the new ones as they are more electronic however the old ones are great fun for a day out up the hills - as long as there are two of you - one to drag you home if you die (the car that is!)

[DjRav]

A couple of days later and the prop shaft shears.... Now before you laugh and sneer, consider this. If that happened on a Rav, how would it cost to repair?

When did you last hear of a RAV prop shaft shearing?

I wondered how long it would take until someone said that.... That is true however, the fact is it only cost £60 for a new one!

I can't talk for the new ones as they are more electronic however the old ones are great fun for a day out up the hills - as long as there are two of you - one to drag you home if you die (the car that is!)

Couple of things-

I had a 2.25 petrol 1973 SIII Landrover and I actually spent longer fixing it than driving it FACT!

They are great when they're running, just a shame that's not more often.

Also had a 1983 12 seater 3.5L V8 defender- lovely car, once pulled a dirty great 4x4 tractor out some slurry it got stuck in. NB Two weeks after I sold it- chap had to put a new engine in it.

Current LR, had it 10 years and it'd actually be quicker to list what HASN'T gone wrong with it! Prop shaft? Yeah, had one if them go last year (mine cost £200 though, but that's a series 2 Disco not a Defender?!). I have a long list of jobs waiting to be done on the thing!

Current LR forums advise Discovery series 3 and 4 are great, but don't own one without a warranty!! (Non DIY cars)

Dave

[anchorman]

You can buy them for £60 webbers because there is a multitude of aftermarket suppliers tapping into the vast spares market.

The early LRs were agricultural things. Yes they lasted years but that is because the body is aluminium. The chassis would rot and fall in two along with all the mechanics so running one was an ongoing "Fourth Bridge" type project. You can guarantee if you see one from the 70s or earlier, it has had a new chassis, a new engine, a new gearbox and clutch, most new electrical parts like starter, alternator and light units....oh and a full repaint of their corroded body.

I consider them iconic like Routemaster busses and red phone boxes but as far as a gem of engineering prowess goes they were actually disasters and as the basic design is carried through to 90s, 110s and Defenders or whatever name they hide behind, they are only marginal improvements. They've had about 10 goes at different engines and they are still rubbish (we are quick to have a go at 2ADs too often).

If you want great british engineering then look at Concord. Not so much as an ipod in sight and if it wasn't for a bit of junk that fell of an American plane they would still be going.

[jolly-friar]

My other half's "current" project is an ex MOD soft top 90..

Great fun off road, and to go top-less in when the sun shines..

Yes, it does leak oil... but it is 28years old.

I still prefer my RAV, but it keeps him out of mischief..