Freelander as an overland vehicle?

[Michael Slade]

Maybe he is totally in love with his Freelander and won't sell it for anything, so no amount of rational argument is worth anything.

Then TeriAnn writes:

The important thing is that the owner is happy and following his dream. Not what we may personally think about his dream or level of sanity.

I think that the idea of questioning a Land Rover owner about their choice of vehicle being related in any way to real-life rational thinking or practicality is a waste of time. To do so is fun, but futile.

Good luck with the Freelander. You'll have fun with it.

 

[Antichrist]

Maybe the owner wants to be more associated with the "look" while doing some camping at park campgrounds.
snip
It has taken me a long time to get to this philosophy of drive and let drive.

That's my philosophy as well. But when a person asks about lift kits, protection, larger tires etc., I'm going to reply with the assumption they are planning trips where they will actually need those things. That they aren't just going for the image. That's where I'm coming from. You don't need those things driving dirt roads to camp grounds. Obviously if that's all he wants to do, he'll toss out my advice. Who knows, he may toss it out even if he's going to Tellico.

I think that the idea of questioning a Land Rover owner about their choice of vehicle being related in any way to real-life rational thinking or practicality is a waste of time.

Couldn't be truer. I have 6 and have been driving nothing but land rovers for about 35 years. I'm living proof of the lack of sanity.

 

[Nonimouse]

Don't get me wrong - I do like the mag. You have to like something you pay $75 for five issues. The articles about places and trips are damn good reading, the pictures are awesome. Generally the product stuff is okay - limited but okay.

Take the winch article in the last issue - very entertaining; but where the decent value for money winches? Where was the TDS, the EP9 and the Outback? All proven to be as or more reliable than anything on the test and for a damn site less money; two have external brakes, all are lighter and use less juice... Get my point?

 

[Crookthumb]

Hi, I am the coworker Beowulf is talking about. I currently have a Freelander that I am going to sell to finance getting the disco. I think I can get around 5k for the Freelander so my max for a disco would be 6k. I have seen some '02's around that price but not any '04's. Is there anything I should lookout for on the '02?

I am very new to the overlanding and 4x4 world so any help is very appreciated.

Cleb

Looks like he has changed his mind. Thread finished, lock it up.

 

[emmodg]

Ditching the Freeloader was a good move and a money-saver in the long run.

 

[clebert]

OMG! So I finally read this whole thread. I will be taking this thing into some pretty nasty stuff hopefully. After talking with Beowulf about some of the things mentioned here I have in fact decided to ditch the Freelander and I am currently putting feelers out for a nice Disco1 to mod. Thanks for all of the suggestions and reasons behind them

Cleb

 

[OneTime]

You Rover guys are a tuff crowd.

 

[FlexdXJ]

OMG! So I finally read this whole thread. I will be taking this thing into some pretty nasty stuff hopefully. After talking with Beowulf about some of the things mentioned here I have in fact decided to ditch the Freelander and I am currently putting feelers out for a nice Disco1 to mod. Thanks for all of the suggestions and reasons behind them

Cleb

Good Idea man! You'll be happier with a real rover!

 

[TeriAnn]

Good Idea man! You'll be happier with a real rover!

A REAL Rover is a Defender or Series, not an effete Disco. Geeeeeeezzzzeee

A Rangie or Disco gets to be 15 or 16 years of age and people can't tow them off to wrecking yards fast enough. Real Rovers just get better with age.



Ah my first morning cuppa tea is ready. :coffeedrink:

 

[Antichrist]

A REAL Rover is a Defender or Series, not an effete Disco. Geeeeeeezzzzeee

Defender? Real Land Rovers have a metal dash.

Surely you remember the turmoil on the LRO list when the coilers started coming to the States. lol

My D90 is in process of getting a 300Tdi and the remaining electrics made simple.
My Discovery gets manual controls and or simple electrics installed as the posh computerized crap fails. It'll get a simple diesel probably this year or next.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I thought "real" Land Rovers are center steer, and painted with green aircraft cockpit paint? Land Rovers with headlights on the fenders don't qualify.

 

[FlexdXJ]

Oh sorry i forgot "real" Rovers were originally based on Jeeps!

j/k but a disco is way more capable and cooler than a freelander. The defenders are just a whole different vehicle than a disco.

 

[TeriAnn]

I thought "real" Land Rovers are center steer, and painted with green aircraft cockpit paint? Land Rovers with headlights on the fenders don't qualify.

Only a single prototype had steering in the centre. If you guys insist, the metal instrument panel and headlamps in the radiator bulkhead works for me.

Is British Racing green close enough?
​

I'm still half convinced that roll down windows are just a passing fad. Both of my cars have side curtains with windows that slide horizontally. And both have starter buttons. I see that some new car advertisements are making a big deal of having starter buttons. So I guess they are on their way back in.

Like I mentioned previously, I've been working real hard on developing a drive and let drive attitude. I'm just not real good at it yet and some mornings I'm just a bit feisty before my first cuppa tea. I hope you don't hold occasional brief lapses against me.

 

[TeriAnn]

Oh sorry i forgot "real" Rovers were originally based on Jeeps!

I've even heard that the original prototype even used a surplus Jeep frame. Surely not a heritage either marque should ever be ashamed of.

... The defenders are just a whole different vehicle than a disco.

That has been my whole point all along. I've never completely understood why so many people take exception to that observation. That observation as got me into a lot of trouble over the last 15 or so years.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Is British Racing green close enough?

Nope. It's gotta be real surplus pea soup green Hurricane cockpit paint. Anything else is just a fraud.

That has been my whole point all along. I've never completely understood why so many people take exception to that observation. That observation as got me into a lot of trouble over the last 15 or so years.

Because it's very elitist, an anachronistic snobery, and also very wrong. Is a Disco or Defender *different* than a Series? Yes, absolutely. Is it not a "real" Land Rover? That's silly. It's a new model made by the same company. A new generation in a very direct lineage. Is a Disco a Series? No. But it sure is a Land Rover.

What makes you feel you have the right to define some arbitrary breaking point in that lineage? Anybody could do the same. Other purists could claim your truck is not a real Land Rover because the wheelbase is too long, or the roof is cut off, or the steering wheel is on the wrong side.

Do Toyota and Jeep people keep having these same arguments?