WCMatt Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Hello List! Here's the question: Does anyone on here have any experience with both the American M151 series 1/4 tons and the British Land Rover airportable light weights? How do they compare? I've owned & driven a few M151s ( one A1 & two A2s) and I'm currently restoring a LR Lwt (series III) but have no wheel (real) experience with landies. It would be nice to hear from MVers who've owned/operated both designs and read their opinions. Regards, Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Hi Matt, I'm not really sure what information you are looking for... I have owned and restored both a Series 3 Lightweight and a M151A2. I sold the Lightweight a few years ago, but still have a few Land Rovers. One reason for selling it was that it spent most of it's time sitting in the garage, it was not as useful as the 110s as I couldn't get as much stuff in the back. The M151 spends just as much time sat in the garage, but it is at least a bit different when I take it out and about. Both suffer from rust, but the Lightweight is easier to fix as you can get the chassis sections and repair it fairly easily. The M151 requires a lot more effort to fix and mine had to have new floors etc. In the UK at least Land Rover parts are cheap and easy to obtain, restoring the M151 over here cost me a small fortune in shipping and import duty alone. Over your side of the pond the opposite will no doubt apply! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCMatt Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Sirc I guess what I'm looking for is how did the two vehicles compare in terms of on road performance, reliability* and ease of maintenance? LR parts over here are a little on the pricey side but no where near as bad as ferret parts. M151s while kind of rare when compared to other Military jeeps are pretty easy to get parts for. Biggest thing to watch out for when buying/looking at an M151 is the unitized body tub. They tend to rot out. I've found that they are also easy to maintain/repair and are pretty reliable. I understand that XMOD LRs are very common over in the UK but that is not the case with them over here. While there is a large LR following over here, it isn't in the HMV community which I find kind of strange. * I understand that reliability has a lot to do with how well something is maintained but with all things being equal, how reliable is the lwt? Regards, Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Matt, I never broke down in either the Lightweight or the M151. I did lots more miles in the Lightweight and the only issue I can think of is when the brake warning light came on. That was solved with a new rear wheel cylinder, it was still fitted with the originals at that stage. I have had no issues with the M151, but then I replaced nearly everything on it when I built it! You have to remember both are old vehicles so you're more likely to have problems with old or worn out parts than anything else. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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