mcspool Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Visited a friend last weekend who owns a Land Rover 110 (and a Discovery). I was surprised by the lack of legroom in the 110. I am 6'6" and long in the leg, and operating the clutch was not easy. I was amazed by the lack of room between steering wheel and door, as this is normally where my knee goes! Anyway, I do like Land Rovers as they seem a big Meccano set on wheels. Q: Can anyone tell me if the Lightweight has more legroom than a 110? Which Land Rover is best for leg/headroom? Thanks, Hanno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy FV432 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Hi All, Hanno, I think you well find none of the landrovers have any room in them at all (apart from the discovery). When you consider the type of people that are expected to use one, you would have thought the designers would have taken that to the drawing board. I work on a large electric utility companys 110s and they seem to live in theirs. They are all large burley blokes and they carry a lot of kit in the cab with them as they can be out for undetermined amount of time. You have to wedge yourself in and try and get the door shut before you burst out! As for a lightweight, there is even less room on a left hand drive. Mine was LHD and the best thing i did was convert it to RHD. And a 101, You would have thought you could swing a cat in there, but you can't! Regards Dougy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rambo1969 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I am a large chap, and when I had my lightwieght the best legroom improvement was a smaller steering wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Rambo is right I fear. We had S2A lightweights up at Chelsea and and I'm 6' tall so I had problems with the steering wheel. Mind you - that's the same on any Landy for me - more so on the LHD ones...... Problem with the smaller steering wheel is it gets harder to turn the wheel..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shatters Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I have no problem with legroom in my lightweight... as I only have short legs! However, my girlfriend's son (who has been Landie mad since he could talk) is only 15 but is 6' 1" already and has massive feet (size 12), we may have problems shoehorning him into the lightweight when he's 17 and raring to get out on the roads! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz76 Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 (edited) Well there are a few options really, but no land rover has been designed with passenger comfort in mind. I'm the same height as you and possess a racing snake 21 stone figure with size 14 clod hoppers. Long trips can be numbing to the nether regions and weirdly, the ankles.... It's a question of how much you love old landies versus how prepared you are to suffer a little discomfort. Don't even consider an 80" series 1. The 88 and 109's are ok for long distance travel. I agree with Rambo that a smaller steering wheel is a good start. On standard 7.50 tyres there's very little difference in effort to turn the wheel and I ran a series 3 109 diesel on 31/10.50/15's which you just get used to driving like that. You just have to get rolling before turning the wheel. The smaller wheel allows you to fit better, more comfortable(thicker) seats from later land rovers or just about any other car and still get your legs under the wheel. Companies like MUD UK offer diy fit MUD rails to lift the seat base slightly, allowing it to slide further back than standard and/or recline more. This only works if you have a Landy with no bulkhead behind the seats, otherwise chop it out and put a bulkhead removal bar in. BIG increase in comfort and you have more room for the right knee between wheel and door! The station wagon tropical roofs allow less headroom than a standard hard/soft top. Something else to bear in mind is that if you make the driver's seat too high, you continually have to duck to see where you're going under the top of the windscreen frame. Of course it goes without mention that you have to adopt the land rover driving position of elbow out the window to allow you to close the door and sit in front of the steering wheel. None of these mods will please the purists though. I admit to being into old land rovers more than the defenders, but if it's comfort you're after the series landy is not the place to start. :nono: Edited December 2, 2009 by daz76 text Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Burley Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Visited a friend last weekend who owns a Land Rover 110 (and a Discovery). I was surprised by the lack of legroom in the 110. I am 6'6" and long in the leg, and operating the clutch was not easy. I was amazed by the lack of room between steering wheel and door, as this is normally where my knee goes! Anyway, I do like Land Rovers as they seem a big Meccano set on wheels. Q: Can anyone tell me if the Lightweight has more legroom than a 110? Which Land Rover is best for leg/headroom? Thanks, Hanno Fitting a set of "Mud" rails will solve all your problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 (edited) Dougy, Rambo, Neil, Phil, Daz, Burley, Thanks for the responses! And a 101, You would have thought you could swing a cat in there, but you can't! I tried a 101 for size once, did not even start to try to drive it. . . Hanno Edited December 2, 2009 by mcspool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poptopshed Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Unfortantley Mud rails will be useless in a Ltwt. Ltwt seat backs hang off the rear bulkhead so cannot be moved back which is why they are so cramped. The best bet is a S3 109 as these have the bulkhead further back so the seat has more room to move back and rails could be used to move them further back still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 Well there are a few options really, but no land rover has been designed with passenger comfort in mind. I'm the same height as you and possess a racing snake 21 stone figure with size 14 clod hoppers. Long trips can be numbing to the nether regions and weirdly, the ankles.... It's a question of how much you love old landies versus how prepared you are to suffer a little discomfort. Don't even consider an 80" series 1. The 88 and 109's are ok for long distance travel.I agree with Rambo that a smaller steering wheel is a good start. Ok, thanks for the tip. I'm not after comfort, but after a practical military vehicle. Land Rovers and parts are for sale everywhere, and the weather protection is better than other jeep type vehicles (in Holland it rains as often as in the UK). I´m not too concerned about having to alter things to make it more practical or dependable, but it should be a HMV. In my opinion the Lightweight is the most military of all Land Rovers. Hanno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 Unfortantley Mud rails will be useless in a Ltwt. Ltwt seat backs hang off the rear bulkhead so cannot be moved back which is why they are so cramped. The best bet is a S3 109 as these have the bulkhead further back so the seat has more room to move back and rails could be used to move them further back still. Thanks, that was my next question. I looked up it up and found the mudstuff.co.uk website. They mention "MUD Rails are available to fit all ages of 90, 110, 130, SW, Double Cab and NAS Defenders". I like the combination of their rails + bulkhead removal bar. So maybe I should be on the lookout for a ex-RNLMC Defender 110? Hanno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz76 Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Hanno- I think that if you're looking for an HMV land rover that's as good a place as any to start! Let us know what you get and photos please! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volvoc303 Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 im 6 3 i own two light weight and i 110 disco td5 as for leg room my old two door disco was the best plenty of leg room the 110 with the bolt out of the runners goes back more the hand brake can be tilted towards the gear tunnel i have put earlydoors on mind with sliding windows for more room i can drive my lt wt with out a problern my 24v ltwt with radio table and kit is a bettet ride than 12v gs ex raf one they are what they are very basic we have a brand new 110 at work and with all my kit on i cant the door but it still leaks in water when it rains that progress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 (edited) Hanno- I think that if you're looking for an HMV land rover that's as good a place as any to start! Let us know what you get and photos please! :-D Daz, You mean an ex-Netherlands Marines Defender 110 is a good place to start? Problem is they seem to be thin on the ground and therefore command high prices. Here are a couple of Leightweights on offer by various MV dealers (pictures from their sites). Most of them seem to be ex-Netherlands Army LHD diesel engined ones. I'll go and have a look at some of them during the XMas holidays. Hanno Edited December 2, 2009 by mcspool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 (edited) i can drive my lt wt with out a problern my 24v ltwt with radio table and kit is a bettet ride than 12v gs ex raf one they are what they are very basic Hi volvoc303 (do you own one of these too?) Did you have to carry out any mods (like swapping the steering wheel) to fit your 6'3" frame? Or is it a matter of squeezing in and taking it like a man? Thanks, Hanno Edited December 2, 2009 by mcspool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Burley Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Ive had a few LtWts. I would say go for a 12v G.S model. The 24v FFR versions are fitted with heavier duty springs. And unless you have the extra weight of the radios in will give a bone jarring ride. Here is the last one i owned........... And one that i had 20 years ago that was my daily driver for 5 years......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rambo1969 Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Cut the bulkhead out with an angle griner, fit a bracing bar and a set of defender seats, job done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Batchelor Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I'm 6'3" and 16.5stone, all my landrovers are series 1, from 1950 80" to 1957 88" and I can fit in and drive all of them (totally standard inside seating steering wheel etc), longest trip from hampshire to derbyshire in the 80. Anything with wind up windows ie most of the 90/110 machines are hopeless, the newer they get the more cramped they are. Had to by a 1980's range rover as a tow vehicle, loads more room and half the price!! The series 1's have a flat handbrake close to the floor, if you're big its no problem to reach down to apply it but the later upturned ones stick in your leg. Also seats are so minimalist (not great for comfort mind) that they dont take up any space so giving you maximum room. The newer stuff with padded backrests and fancy seat runners just take up space! Just my 2 pennies worth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 Cut the bulkhead out with an angle griner, fit a bracing bar and a set of defender seats, job done! Ah yes, I can see what you mean . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volvoc303 Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 yes i own a 303 h top and a six wheeled version and i fit ok foot soon get usedto angle and im a ruby prop so im not small depends if you need to use it every day they were built for a work vehicle the first lt wt did not have heaters or washers or hazzard lights and your combat jacket caught on the door handle and the door would fly open the first one the unit had was 37fg37 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 There's never much room in the footwell of an LHD Series Rover. Advantages are that you can't inadvertently kick the fuel changeover tap and you don't have cold feet in the winter. Fitting a smaller steering wheel might mean that you never enjoy the full experience by thumping your elbow on the door when the steering snatches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 Thanks all for your comments! I did ride in one nearly 25 years ago when they were still in service with the Netherlands Marines, but never had the chance (yet) to drive one. It seems it is really a case to see for myself if the Lightweight "suits me". I'll let you know about my findings. Regards, Hanno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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