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Which Land Rover for Modifying
If you are in the market for a new 4WD. City, Touring or 4WDing. The latest Land Rovers are a absolutely beautiful piece of machinery but the biggest downfall is the number of electrics and computers on-board. Little own the complexity of the software. A list of vehicles suited for heavy off-road and touring are noted below. Please not these are our beliefs and not every bodies so you are welcome to disagree.
RANGE ROVER
2 door RR.
OK but getting a little old, poor wiring and with a larger family 2doors, you’ve got to be kidding! Also getting old and want an automatic.
4 door RR 82-84
Well have the door but still a touch old, poor wiring, 3.5 carbie engine and comfort OK but not quite what we want. Size of vehicle not bad.
4 door RR 85
Comfort level pretty good, Engine still too small 3.5, Automatic 727 torque flight is a great box but consumes too much power.
4 door RR 86-89
4 speed automatic that have proven to be reasonably reliable, 3.5 V8 not good, interior and drive line not too shabby at all. Possible donor with engine transplant.
4 door RR 90 to 94
OK auto good, Engine better 3.9 V8, The weaker viscous transfer case, small CV joints, Interior is what we want. Later ones having air suspension and ABS not great. Pity about EAS, ABS and the drive line but can be strengthened and modified.
HSE 1995> RR
Not in your life as a serious 4WD. Miles too many electric’s and general poor quality build plagued with issues.
Sport and Vogue L322
Although we have travelled with Range Rover sports into remote locations this is not a vehicle we strongly advise for long distance remote trips. As a road based tourer they are not bad, but are very limited with internal space. Please bare in mind they are extremely high tech and if you develop a problem there is not many workshops who could manage the issue. Simple issues can hinder this vehicle. Highly recommended to carry a code reader that can also clear codes. These cars are really a soft 4WD.
DISCOVERY
1992 Disco
2 door not an option, 4 door not bad, 3.5 V8, bugger!, 200 TDI maybe but power output a touch small maybe with mods could be OK. Interior level on par with the 1986> RR, Auto good, LT230 transfer case good, small CV joints, and the size of the car a little small. Possible
1995 MA>-Disco
4 door, great new interior, 3.9 V8 or 300 TDI, ABS, small CV joints, still smaller body and SRS. Possible.
1999-2004 ser II Disco
Very nice vehicle, 4.0 V8 and the new TD5 diesel Love that, larger body on par with a classic RR, interior nice and comfortable. Up until recently this model has been unable to be modified legally and some of the electricals were proving to be a problem. Les Richmond Automotive is pleased to advise we have been able to solve all issues regarding the construction of the Discovery 2. We are now able to build this vehicle in modified form making it now one of the best models to build from for both touring and for the more serious off road use.
Discovery 3-4
Although we have travelled with Discovery 3's` into remote locations this is not a vehicle we strongly advise for long distane remote trips. As a road based tourer they are not bad. Please bear in mind they are extremely high tech and if you develop a problem there is not many workshops who could manage the issue. Highly recommended to carry a code reader that can also clear codes. These cars are really a soft 4WD.
LAND ROVER
1985> County or Defender
Owners of these cars are normally a bread of their own. They are an excellent vehicle for both touring and heavy off road work. there are many accessories on the market to increase their ability and the newest Land Rover is still current with most of the earlier accessories. They have a heap of internal space which unlike many other vehicles is short of plastic trims giving nice square areas to pack into. The wheel base is also great, been longer than both the Range rover and Discovery by 10 inches makes the long distance driving, Sand driving and especially hill climbing much easier and stable. The big drawback for this vehicle is the limited turning circle which can make navigating the bush a little harder, that said still better than a Nissan GQ. The economy of the 300Tdi and Td5 are excellent due to the manual gearbox, but on all models without the 6 speed gearbox the transfer case ratios need to be changed to the Discovery 1.2 ratio. The biggest issue for most owners is the driving position. Too close to the steering wheel with limited adjustment, especially if you are of the taller variety. The seats are lets say "crap" very uncomfortable for both front and rear passengers. The rear seat in close to the front seats so if you have tall children they will struggle. The dash, air cond, heater, nearly everything that makes a car comfortable seems to be lacking. The driving position lacks vision out of the smallish windows and to me the drivers "B" pillar needs to be 4" backwards. They are however a strong robust vehicle. The latest Land Rover has addressed some of the issues with better seating, dash and on road ratios. They are not for everybody. Also there is no automatic option which in this day and age seem to be the choice for most 4WDers.