LtFuzz
Explorer
My 2004 has a bad 4.6, unfortunately -- 3 days before I was planning to use it to move to WA -- and needs a new shortblock. It's sort of a long story and one I have strong feelings about, but I don't want to get into all that business here. Funny that my 1995 6.2L keeps humming along despite my shredding nearly every major component in the engine bay. It gave me 22 mpg @ 65 mph over the 110 miles I covered today -- with a roof rack that's 14" tall.
So anyway, after learning that a $10k-$12k truck is now worth about $2k, I did what any good Land Rover idiot would do, shrugged off the thousands of dollars lost, and turned around and picked up a 68k mile 2006 LR3. I didn't get a particularly good deal -- I paid blue book for it -- but I was in a rush and had to buy the truck on the spot in order to get my butt up to WA this weekend. I'm not crazy about the color, but it's growing on me and the truck is clean. It also has a well articulated service history from new. I guess I've been driving sloppy old Discoveries for so long now that to me 68k miles is basically new. :sombrero:
There have been a number of great discussions on the LR3 here that I've enjoyed, but I know there are still quite a few of us out there that have considered making the jump to an LR3 now that they're in the sub-$20k range and so I thought I'd offer my take on the general (even boring) things not necessarily related to the 4x4 component:
Having spent about 3 hours in the truck my initial impressions are VERY positive. The power is night and freakin' day from a 4.6... the two aren't even in the same universe. Same with the handling and rigidity of the body. Nothing squeaks, creaks, or rolls about. It's completely air-tight -- and this LR3 isn't exactly a spring chicken. At 90 mph on the interstate the cabin is absolutely silent, even eerily so.
My favorite thing about Rovers has always been the seating position. I'm tall and lanky and nearly always uncomfortable when sitting for more than 30 minutes. I absolutely love the LR3 cabin -- when you raise the seat to its max height, I feel as if I'm driving an exaggerated version of the D1. You float above the interior of the truck with the window sill at your hip, and instead of looking up and over the dash (Jeep anyone?) you look down and out as if you were standing at the helm of a yacht. It's a driving position that's utterly unique. I love it.
Anyway, will post more tomorrow and over the coming days/weeks/months as I learn more about this truck and bolt more crap to it.
I have the D1 to bash around in the mud/rocks, so this build will be pretty basic. Getting that spare tire out from the under truck will be a priority.
Here's a crappy picture for ya:
So anyway, after learning that a $10k-$12k truck is now worth about $2k, I did what any good Land Rover idiot would do, shrugged off the thousands of dollars lost, and turned around and picked up a 68k mile 2006 LR3. I didn't get a particularly good deal -- I paid blue book for it -- but I was in a rush and had to buy the truck on the spot in order to get my butt up to WA this weekend. I'm not crazy about the color, but it's growing on me and the truck is clean. It also has a well articulated service history from new. I guess I've been driving sloppy old Discoveries for so long now that to me 68k miles is basically new. :sombrero:
There have been a number of great discussions on the LR3 here that I've enjoyed, but I know there are still quite a few of us out there that have considered making the jump to an LR3 now that they're in the sub-$20k range and so I thought I'd offer my take on the general (even boring) things not necessarily related to the 4x4 component:
Having spent about 3 hours in the truck my initial impressions are VERY positive. The power is night and freakin' day from a 4.6... the two aren't even in the same universe. Same with the handling and rigidity of the body. Nothing squeaks, creaks, or rolls about. It's completely air-tight -- and this LR3 isn't exactly a spring chicken. At 90 mph on the interstate the cabin is absolutely silent, even eerily so.
My favorite thing about Rovers has always been the seating position. I'm tall and lanky and nearly always uncomfortable when sitting for more than 30 minutes. I absolutely love the LR3 cabin -- when you raise the seat to its max height, I feel as if I'm driving an exaggerated version of the D1. You float above the interior of the truck with the window sill at your hip, and instead of looking up and over the dash (Jeep anyone?) you look down and out as if you were standing at the helm of a yacht. It's a driving position that's utterly unique. I love it.
Anyway, will post more tomorrow and over the coming days/weeks/months as I learn more about this truck and bolt more crap to it.
I have the D1 to bash around in the mud/rocks, so this build will be pretty basic. Getting that spare tire out from the under truck will be a priority.
Here's a crappy picture for ya:
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I drove the 130 Tdi to Co, and the LR3 back- talk about shocking differences.
