Land Rover 109 Series III Buyer's Guide?

[earlymb]

Hi all,

 

are there any specific points to check if looking at a series III 109? Or anyone know of a website that has them? I may be looking at one soon (1979, LHD, 2.3 diesel, civilian 3-door), but I don't anything about these vehicles.

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Greetz

 

David

[Tony B]

Check chassis, especially just in front of rear springs, for rust, and bulkheads and door tops. Also front hubs for pitting on the swivels. Contary to blurb Landys do rust.

[rambo1969]

Stick with a pertol, diesels are sloooow.

Check the chassis and make sure 4wd works.

Other than that they are easy to work on and easy to get parts for.

[mike65]

Check chassis, especially just in front of rear springs, for rust, and bulkheads and door tops. Also front hubs for pitting on the swivels. Contary to blurb Landys do rust.

 

If swivel hubs are hidden behind gaitors it is probably best to assume they are pitted, the gaitors are known to trap water.

 

Remeber to sheck hi and low 4WD.

Tapping chassis with a metal object should help determine its condition, good medal gives a nive metallic ring.

 

Oil leaks - Land Rovers leak oil, it is a fact of life. However they should not be large.

Check thinks like transfer box output shafts and axles. Not expensive to DIY.

 

Brakes should be solid on the pedal, they are not as bad as some people make out.

If master cyclinder is leaking out of seal at servo end the fluid may not be visible from under bonnet. Tends to run down the support btacket beneath and off the chassis. At least mine did, was only weeping and did not seem to affect the braking.

 

Mike

[earlymb]

Thanks for all the advice guys! The more the better of course. I read somewhere to also check the chassis crossbeams and forward bulkhead for rust?

 

As for the engine, economy and reliability are more important than speed. My main reason for looking for a classic 4x4 in this class is to pull a loaded car trailer, but if it really is too slow even for me I might be looking around for a replacement engine that drops in easily, like a 2.5 turbo diesel or something. Anyone know what conversion kits are available?

 

Greetz

 

David

Edited October 27, 2010 by earlymb

[Tony B]

Unless you have a wild desrie for a Series 3, if the main job is pulling a trailer. Look at a 200tdi Discovery or an early Range Rover. Lot faster, unbelivably more comfortable.

[rbrtcrowther]

For me it's got to be a diesel every time as i like to off road alot an the torque and controll even from the old 2.25 is much better than the petrol. I have driven a petrol and to be honest apart from being smooth and quiet it was pretty rubbish. Alot of people are afraid of the diesel as the work on black magic and voodo aparentley. The petrol is great if you want to fiddle with the points and carb all the time and like to work out how many miles to the gallon your not getting. I used to tow a large hobby caravan to dorset twice a year and averaged 27.7 to the gallon with an overdrive at full throttle most of the way. bloomin slow though we dropped into 1st over the berwen mountains!:red: but the old diesel carried on plodding:D Got a daihatsu fourtrak 2.8 turbo in my series 3 now and it's transformed it! Much better than anything land rover ever made, Only 101hp but soooo much torque and it will out pull any 200 or 300 tdi defender. It even kept up with a brand new lwb td5 up to 85mph then the gaiter on the front propshaft shredded:shake: Conversion and precission do the kit and there is no chassis welding it drops on the old mounting points but if you want to fit the turbo engine you will need to cut the passenger footwell to clear it.

As for rust.....yes lots, on top of the chassis rails. all the out riggers ,rear end front panel,under the windscreen, door pillars, bulkhead mounting points, road springs.

Gear boxes are pretty tough but often leaky but very easy to rebuild. Often jumping out of top on overrun but this is normally down to the nut being loose on the back of the box. seals are cheap to stop the leaks. Oh the biggest load of crap people will tell you is that land rover brakes and steering are terrible. Steering is a tad different but should feel nice and in controll ( you should be able to drive with your finger and thumb only down a good straight road as fast as it will go):laugh: The brakes are drums all round and if in good nick are as good if not better than a new car. Happy hunting any questions post them up don't buy the first one you look at

[rbrtcrowther]

 

just to wet your appetite a bit of fooage from last year pulling a fully loaded twin axle ifor williams through Capel Curig last year. the whining you hear is the transfer box cos it needs a bit of love. Hope it snows this year :cheesy:

[earlymb]

Thanks again for all your help. It will mainly be used as my daily driver, and perhaps once a year to trailer our Willys slatgrill MB jeep to Normany or Beltring or the like. We just want a car that can do it if needed, and a Landi sure can. For tax reasons it must be just at least 25 years old. As a student I can't afford my own car yet so my father is willing to buy one for me, but he insists it must be able to pull that trailer as for some reason he refuses to put a hitch on his classic Mercedes... :-D

 

rbrtcrowther, thanks for that nice vid! Can you post some details on the engine conversion you did? Did go straight in with only the footwell to modify or do you need a conversion kit? This is a LHD (I'm in the Netherlands), so that might be a problem.

 

I figure I can always join the lease-Audi gang later, as I'm still in the age group to enjoy a non-sensible, uncomfortable, silly, Fred Flintstone-ish car, and -I think I can admit it here- I've always liked land Rovers...

 

Greetz

 

David

[rbrtcrowther]

http://www.engineconversions.co.uk/fitting_dai.html

 

This is the web page for the conversion. It costs about £250 and you get a cast aluminium adapter plate. engine mounting plates and rubbers that fit on the engine and line up with the chassis mountsand a spigot bearing for the flywheel.I sent the flywheel of to him to drill it for the clutch and it cost £20. I bought a fourtrak for £100 which gave me all the bits so the conversion cost£370 i think.

The passenger footwell needs narrowing up to the bulkhead support bracket. So basically the edge of the footwell where the accelerator would be on a left hand drive landy is moved left about 2 or 3 inches. someone with a left hooker could shed more light on this me thinks

[rambo1969]

If your going to buy a seris and put a diesel in, I would go for the 2.5 normally aspiarated land rover diesel.

It's a straight swap and a good strong engine.

[earlymb]

Thanks again for all your help. First I need to find a good vehicle, then I'll see further about the engine, but it is good to know what the options are and the cost involved.

 

I hope to have a look at this 1979 109 coming sunday. These are the only pics I have and they are very small and probably pretty useless, but if you do see any red flags or positive points please let me know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetz

 

David

[Tony B]

Military front bumpers can't make out if it is square rear cross member. Did you have a good poke at the chassis? If its free of rust everything else looks OK.

[Rover8FFR]

Hasn't got square rear cross member, but is wearing either deestone boots or extra tractions!

 

There were some military 109's with civi cross members.

[Tony B]

True, mind you at some stage it may have had a new one fitted. Not that it maters as long as it it is on properly. Form the photos I'd definitley have gone and had a look at it. Take a scraper and have a scrape at any rust points on the chassis. If it is surface rust, no problem. Thick underseal can hide a lot of problems so be carful.

Edited October 29, 2010 by Tony B

[mike65]

It appears to have a 6 way switch.

Ride hieght loooks good for ex-mil along with headlights.

Not a bad looking truck if pictures a a true representation.

I would check under that lovely carpet at the footwells.

If it is a real Landy the carpets will be soggy.

 

Mike

[Tony B]

Yeah but carpating does mean you can here yourself think! :-D Check the foot wells from outside for rust.

[earlymb]

How can I see if this Landy is original civilian or ex-military civilianised? Any typical features only found on the military stuff? With this type of hardtop and rear door (no tailgate) I think it is a civilian model.

 

Greetz :-D

 

David

[airportable]

How can I see if this Landy is original civilian or ex-military civilianised? Any typical features only found on the military stuff? With this type of hardtop and rear door (no tailgate) I think it is a civilian model.

 

Greetz :-D

 

David

Nato green paint in nook's and crannies under the bonnet, a little bracket under the rear tub that would poss. have had a convoy light fitted, would have faced forward to shine on the rear diff. Only a poss. military wiring looms mostly have very distintive wiring connectors/bullets.

Back to the point about chassis, after my recent buy. At home I was able to check a lot more throughly with a small hammer!! Knew the rear cross member rotton so wanted to be very sure of the rest before ordering a new rear 1/4 section. Not too hard a blows , both front dumb irons went through, both bulk head out rigger bottoms totally rotten, and the bottom,s of the side rails gone to forward of the rear axle. Being a little heavy handed will have saved me throwing cash at a rotton chassis. With a new galv. one ,will know that it will outlast me.

Andy.

[chevpol]

there should be a data plate (giving landrover mil reg if it is ex military) on the drivers side seat panel unless it has been carpeted over

 

Mark

[earlymb]

Thanks again all for all your advice! I hope to see this vehicle tomorrow, and I've packed a small hammer, some screwdrivers, a small sharpened rod, an adjustable inspection mirror and a flashlight to check the chassis. And also of course a list of all the points stated above.

 

To be continued (I hope).

 

Greetz :-D

 

David

[Willyslancs]

fingers crossed mate , had ours over 10 years , was a good landy ....

[Tony B]

Happy hunting!

[rbrtcrowther]

Don't forget to ask before you go pokeing and hammering on his chassis. a good scrape and poke is ok but try not to knock seven bells out of it, :-D

[antarmike]

Thanks again for all your help. First I need to find a good vehicle, then I'll see further about the engine, but it is good to know what the options are and the cost involved.

 

I hope to have a look at this 1979 109 coming sunday. These are the only pics I have and they are very small and probably pretty useless, but if you do see any red flags or positive points please let me know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetz

 

David

 

Its got Carpets! Real Land Rovers don't have carpets, they take to long to dry out after wading!