Not knowing **** all about them its sounds like a bargain to me !
Series III Lightweight 1980, petrol 2.286 litre, 12 months MOT. 6 months tax.
Soft top, NATO green, 24 volt. In reasonable condition but has been standing – needs a bit of tidying up and some TLC. Engine has recently been replaced – she starts and runs well. The seats have also been replaced making her slightly more comfortable to drive.
£1,250 ono
Ooo, an old Land Rover with a petrol engine, just what you need as the price of petrol rises.
'Puddle jumpers' (Lightweight LRs) are great fun to drive off-road though.
Heavy on fuel and uncomfortable on long journeys, especially motorway driving.
Great vehicles if your going to use them off road regularly. Otherwise why do you need one?
I have a neighbor who has had 3 in 12 months, they seem to be as addictive as crack.
PuddleJumper with LPG conversion...nice!
With the 2.3 petrol? May as well just set light to a few fivers!
OK for fun or work but not as a day to day vehicle.
I don't know for certain, but I don't think they have power steering and might be normally aspirated.
as a hobby or weekend vehicle, fine, but you'll have to really love it to use it every day as main transport.
much as I like Land Rovers, I wouldn't have one as it is miles from what I need in a car. Fortunately I have one at work, a great big 130 at that, which is used as intended.
I live in the sticks, ride to work...
Its ideal for getting upto the village and taking the dogs out for walks.....
None of the lightweights I've ever driven have had power steering.
Remember to keep those thumbs outside the wheel when driving off road, less the wheel flick back and crack one.
Get it! who cares about the price of petrol? Old Landrovers are great fun. (I had a 3.9 petrol Rangie....now that was expensive to run....but worth every penny!
Anyone any idea what tax and insurance is like on these ? I would only do very limited miles in it.
Would you pay tax on something that old?
Insurance could vary a lot...depending on age and previous history...
has it got a snorkel though... needs a snorkel... but I guess as its petrol it would drown anyway.
Would you pay tax on something that old?
Yes. Only vehicles registered before 1 January 1973 get free VED.
Rather similar in many ways to owning an Alfa. I've owned both 
Horribly uncomfy, noisy, use loads of petrol (my 2.5Petrol used to do 15mpg I think).
Have a yearning again. It doesn't have to make sense.
Check the chassis very carefully for holes and the bulkhead is narrower than a standard Series 3 (from memory?)so if it's knackered/rusty will require a bit of metalwork rather than outright replacement. Sounds pretty good otherwise
Have a look on some landy forums for common problems, I'm more up to date with newer models problems, but if it looks good at that age then it probably is. If you take it for a drive make sure that all teh gearbox functions work.
I've always wanted one, and have been in loads, there dog slow (with std engines, unless it's V8) very uncomfortable (we used to travel from burm to London everyday for 6 months in one - very very uncomfortable), break constantly (everything, especially if you go off road).
I love the look and still want one, though I'll never have the spare cash to afford one.
When I was 17 (20 years ago) I went to a local farmer and asked what his experinces of Landy's were, he said buy a Toyota Hi-Lux! (for all of the reasons above)
crawl under it and see if the chassis is sound. if it is and you still want it then swap your GT85 for WD40!
oh and ask here: http://forum.difflock.com/
Was in a defender offroad over the w/e, had to dig it out twice on Sunday when stuck in big ruts
buy a Toyota Hi-Lux!
Yes if you want reliability and cheap running costs...
If not, get the landy. You will regret it and spend a fortune on it, but you will love it more than your family....
my first car was a 1959 series II
perfect for a learner (no powersteering, drum brakes without servos, steered like a barge in treacle!) but it had a full canvas tilt - and was to me way cooller than all of the VW's that my mates had
totally impractical, costly to run etc. but if you want one, and get use to driving slower than everyone else (but with a bigger grin)
I've got a Series III ,1973 2 1/4 petrol engine .It's great fun ,chuck dogs /bike in the back ,after off roading jet wash it outside AND inside !
Fully comp insurance is £88 this year ( yes £88 ) ,tax is £185 --I missed exemption by 10 months ,oh well .
There are loads of forums ,make sure chassis is ok ,but you can buy replacement ones /part chassis replacement .
Mine is pretty original and I paid £1100 18 months ago .
You won't believe how much fun you can have off road at 15mph or less ,although on road the driving experience is akin to steering a boat !
Wrong in every way. My mate was a farm manager and had one free as part of the job but he never drove it anywhere except off road because he said it was the worse vehicle he had ever driven on the road. I borrowed it because I needed a tow bar and he was right.
Adrian Flux is cheap for insurance - classic car, limited mileage.
As has said before, chassis and bulkhead are the main issues. Check bulkhead with a screwdriver - particularly around the corners and door hinges. Check chassis with a ball hammer. Don't worry too much about the outriggers they can be replaced relatively easily.
As for the engine, let it get warm and check the oil pressure light - may be a dodgey sensor or may be that it needs a new half engine.
Simmonites are good for parts alt.fan.landrover used to be the place to hang out forum wise.
You may as well go for it, because if you don't get on with it, you will get your money back.
My old money pit - gone but not forgotten 
....oh and if you want to be really silly. This is the answer:
sounds fine for what use you'll give it
a landy with an MoT is worth a grand as a starting point usually
obviously not that quick or refined, but it will get you a to b
as for the jap stuff, it's better on road, but it's off-road where we use these things and the jap trucks just haven't cut it, no point having all these luxuries if we have to leave the vehicle at the bottom of the site
I had a '62 series IIA. Dont buy one unless you love diy. It's never over with a Rover. Parts are super cheap fom Paddocks. I used mine to tow a tipping trailer to the peat hill to collect winter fuel. It could go virtually anywhere. Had green water over the wings without a snorkel, floor panels werent screwed down and had a sinking feeling, but made it through. I swapped the petrol engine for a Perkins 4203 tractor engine. Max torque at 1200 rpm.
Replaced it with a Discovery which was ok but rusted like hell. Bought a cheap Shogun a couple of years ago for trailer towing duties, its been very good too.
I'd love another series IIA though. I was up on Speyide last week and saw an original unrestored '62. The same as mine with oxidized matt grey paint, a perfect bulkhead and chassis. 23k on the clock. The owner inherited it from his father. Been on a highland estate all its life. A peach.
I suppose its an itch everyone who was a young boy has to scratch (why does that read wrong?!).
I'd say go for it- if the replacement engine isnt a snotter.
I drove a mates- cramped driving position, wallowing like crazy (felt like I was turning a ship through a swell), noisy etc.
Still.
I've owned several. I still love them but don't currently own one.
All Landrovers will cost a lot to run:- Money or time, your choice
Older ones (60's and 70's) are slow but have a real charm when you drive them
More modern ones (80's 90's) are much more civilised
I've never owned a recent one but friends Disco's are like modern cars but will still cost a fortune to run.
Buy one. Drive it till your an addict or fed up. Restore it or sell it. You won't regret it. (No guarantees given or implied)
It will rust, or worse electrolitically disappear.
They're thirsty, slow and handle, well, like a 30-year old ex-military vehicle. The roofs leak and the heater is a joke. Every journey is an adventure: in the "what will my Alfa do today" vein.
It will cost a fortune.
They are so unbelievably endearing though. Want one. That or a 101 radio van.
Do it!
Seems a good price for an Airportable, but they are money pits. If the bulkhead is crusty, ecpect to spend lots on fixing it, as 'normal' Landy ones don't fit. All the specific body panels for the lightweight are hard to find, running gear is cheap as chips. Bear in mind the 24v electrics on that one too.
The 'lightweight' is fun as hell to drive off road, or in the summer with the ragtop and doors off, but it's slow, noisy and thirsty. Driving it is like taking a labrador puppy for a walk, it's all over the road thanks to it's short wheelbase and cart springs. No power steering in any of them either. If you're set on a lightweight, look around, definately don't buy the first you see. If it's been standing take extra care inspecting the bulkhead, chassis and check the fuel tanks for leaks, they are pricey and model specific. most of the running gear epert from driveshafts and some suspension and breal parts are 'normal' series, so easy to get and cheap to boot. Dutch army 'lightweights' are deisel, so a bit cheaper to run although not by much! It's a bit like owning a splitscreen VW, more of a love affair kind of thing rather than a genuinely useful type of vehicle. They are a peice of wee to look after other than welding though, clutch change on my own took 3 hours, without dropping the engine.
Just replaced my S3 lightweight with a 90 2.5td. Still thirsty, noisy and slow but a bit more useable and still only cost me a grand.
If it's your first Landy I'd say look at a 'normal' S2a or S3, there will be hundreds at that sort of price. Avoid ex military, simply because you'll pay a premium over civvy stuff. I was lucky with my 90, the owner didn't know it was mil, even with the pioneer tool fittings on the back door and the military ID plate!
how about an orange rover?
Had a 95 300 tdi 90 , always problems and motorways were painfull , but i still loved it and miss it , best as a toy
"what will my Alfa do today"
Kinda disagree. Not sure on Brants own experience but apart from electric's and the servicing/cambelts needing to be done religiously the Alfas arent a hit and miss vehicle- talking to some owners on a Alfa/Piston head forum.
(I fancy a GTV)
Not sure on Brants own experience but apart from electric's and the servicing/cambelts needing to be done religiously the Alfas arent a hit and miss vehicle- talking to some owners on a Alfa/Piston head forum.
Of course enthusiasts always paint a great picture of their vehicle. And you are looking through Rosso Red coloured glasses.
Don't get me wrong - I'm loathed to drive another brand, and have owned a 75, 145, 147, GTV*, 156 Sportwagon*. But they've all been far more of a nightmare than any other car I've owned. Cutting out, pricey servicing (head off, regulator, cam belt, etc every 30,000).
Love 'em to bits though.
* Still got in various states of repair.
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