Series III daily driver/short trips?

[SeaRubi]

Gore Ranger, my 94 LWB had bun warmers. Aftermarket would probably work better, admittedly. Retrofitting a heated front windshield would also help a great deal and let you put whatever warm air is to be had on your feet. Not sure when they first came out, but my '91 had one. fwiw ...

 

[Gore Ranger]

True, I do have a heated front screen. I've thought about seat warmers but it seems like a lot of $$ and work. At the end of the day, the design of the heater just isnt that good on the older trucks. Maybe they improved it throughout the years though until 1995. For instance, you can only have heat to your feet (which doesnt do a whole lot) or towards the windscreen. Heat will not come out of the AC vents which are the ones pointed at you. Instead of dumping more money into the Rover, I just decided to buy a 265 hp, manual shift, fun as hell to drive, WRX that comes with a 6 year warranty for everyday duty. Not to take anything away from the Range Rover which I love, but I also love my Subie, and they too are great cars for snow country.

 

[Wander]

Have you mastered the Swedish flick yet Gore Ranger?

 

[cabell]

I used an 88 as a DD for a couple of years, logging about 30k a year. For your short commute I'd get rid of the subaru in a second. Carry a set of points, a starter solenoid, some axles and go anywhere in confidence. In 27 continuous years of series land rover ownership I have never had to call a tow truck.

 

[discotdi]

why not give it a try. I used to live in Laramie which gets pretty darn cold as well and had an old RR that worked out well. I also had two old FJ40's which are very similar to the Series Rover as far as heating goes and they were fine too. Don't wear your flip flops and shorts in the winter and you will be fine. If you want a Series Truck now is the best time to get one. You have a short commute and live in a town which is easily traversed by foot if need be. BTW a Series truck will not break down any more often than an old LC. I have had both. There are plenty of folks living in cold climates with Series trucks. check out the Rovers North newsletter, Jeffrey Aronson the Editor drives a Ser. 11A all over Maine. cold and wet, at least WY is dry.

 

[justfred]

Minor consideration: if you do decide to get a Series truck, consider a IIa instead of a III. Slightly older, but also somewhat simpler. I prefer the flat metal dash of the IIa to the plastic foamy one in the III. It's probably easier to find a IIa, and possibly cheaper.

If you were really crazy you'd be considering a Pinzgauer.

 

[Gore Ranger]

Have you mastered the Swedish flick yet Gore Ranger?

Probably not, since I don't even know what that is!

 

[Wander]

Probably not, since I don't even know what that is!

It's a rallye drivers cornering trick where you come into a tight bend fast and flick the wheel inside the corner to get the back end loose and then quickly counter steer to the outside of the corner to drift it around which allows you to straighten the wheel just prior to the exit and accelerate from the corner quicker, you're driving the perfect car for this trick.

To the OT (sorry for the digression) is the subie the only other car in the home or is there something else to take in case the Rover is down and your waiting for parts or something?

 

[JackW]

I've been through several periods where my daily driver (and only running vehicle) was one of my Series trucks. In your situation I wouldn't hesitate to get a Series - they are simpler and far less likely to break, easier to get parts for and easier to fix unless the transmission fails than almost any other vintage car. A good electronic ignition kit will fix the single most likely trouble spot (my 109 is a diesel so thats not an issue) and there are disc brake kits that will fix the other main problem. It will be slow, slightly or desperatly uncomfortable depending on weather conditions, noisy, rough riding and more fun than any car you've owned.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

I had two cars when I was in college, a Volvo Wagon that was my reliable road trip drive-any-where important vehicle, and a '73 Series III '88 Wagon as my around-town car. Burlington VT is just as cold if not colder than Jackson. I would definitely do it... This sounds awful too but I definitely got laid at least once or twice because of the cool old rover too


So the answer is, definitely do it.. Don't look back at all. Really the only thing that majorly sucks about them is the 50-55 mph max speed limit, meaning it takes a few extra minutes to get between Wilson and town...


For everything else there's gloves and good ski clothing... Your dog and all your other junk will love the big wide open rear door also... And your buddies. 9 people easily fit in the smallest Rover...

 

[riverguide]

It's a rallye drivers cornering trick where you come into a tight bend fast and flick the wheel inside the corner to get the back end loose and then quickly counter steer to the outside of the corner to drift it around which allows you to straighten the wheel just prior to the exit and accelerate from the corner quicker, you're driving the perfect car for this trick.

To the OT (sorry for the digression) is the subie the only other car in the home or is there something else to take in case the Rover is down and your waiting for parts or something?

I love drivin' my subie in slick weather, doesn't get any more fun than that!

My wife has a vehicle provided by work. If worse came to worse, I could manage I'm sure.

Thanks for all the replies! It's cold outside...3degrees or so at 2pm so I know where you guys are comin' from when you say cold! You all have given me a nice break from the day and lots of wonderful honest info to read on my lunch break.

Thanks again!

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Also the answer is yes keep your Subaru also. If it's a nice new fancy one then sell it and buy a '96 for $2G or something with 100K and use that for important road trips. You'll find you'll drive the Rover 90% of the time around town, they are reliable, they are the ultimate around town vehicle. I've thought a lot about getting one for rallying around Park City for the same reason. Anything less than 30-45 minutes is a great drive in it, just takes 5-10 minutes longer as I mentioned... They can park anywhere because they are so small, and the 4WD system works great. And finally they have tons of old class and quirks..

 

[greenmeanie]

9 people easily fit in the smallest Rover...

Make sure the 9th one that sits in the front center seat is petite & pretty as if you want to do anything other than drive in 1st gear your going to be getting intimate. If you plan on getting into 4wd she's pretty much going to be one of the couple that Dieselcruiserhead had fun with.

There are some good threads on the RN board about buying a series. Search is your friend.

 

[stevenmd]

You're still reading this? You should have bought her by now...

 

[czenkov]

Everyone is right - they are great about town trucks - I love driving mine when it is up and running. Currently my Rover drama consists of some nut in the transmission that can come loose and cause the transmission to implode, and too much vibration from a mount somewhere, and a gas gauge that isn't working, and the drivers windshield wiper motor is loose, and the screaming heater fan, and..........well before I get one fixed others decide to join the party, (first on the list is I have to pull the pto plate to see how wiggly everything is in there as that is the only thing keeping it from being drivable - the rest can be managed). It is impossible to drive one of these without a smile on your face. Oh, and they climb like a goat. I have a buddy that does not hesitate to drive his IIa anywhere so it is very do-able.