Buying Series 3

[Gardiner]

I am now keen on a series 3 SWB and was just wondering how expensive are their day to day running costs and does much tend to go wrong with them. This one has a land rover 4 cylinder original motor. And what r their servicing costs/parts cost?

Thanks

[Rainbow Warrior]

I am now keen on a series 3 SWB and was just wondering how expensive are their day to day running costs and does much tend to go wrong with them. This one has a land rover 4 cylinder original motor. And what r their servicing costs/parts cost?

Thanks

If you are a fanatic go for it, but if you want a tough capable 1st 4x4, go with a Landcruiser, Hilux, Sierra or Patrol.

Landy parts are rare and the driveline is a tad on the weak side if you want to push it hard with mods. MQ Patrol axles & gearbox is popular upgrade, might as well use aPatrol motor while you are at it.

I was a Landrover nut, but am fully recovered other than a slight desire to buy a cheap Rangie or Landrover if I see one

There's some Landrover stuff & info on Holden conversion etc on my webpage, look under Landog page, bottom left corner for Landog info

http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~mangey/

[F'n_Rover]

What Pat said - except the series landrover parts would be the cheapest and easiest to find of all the rovers.

[Mark2]

I am now keen on a series 3 SWB and was just wondering how expensive are their day to day running costs and does much tend to go wrong with them. This one has a land rover 4 cylinder original motor. And what r their servicing costs/parts cost?

Thanks

If you are a fanatic go for it, but if you want a tough capable 1st 4x4, go with a Landcruiser, Hilux, Sierra or Patrol.

Landy parts are rare and the driveline is a tad on the weak side if you want to push it hard with mods. MQ Patrol axles & gearbox is popular upgrade, might as well use aPatrol motor while you are at it.

I was a Landrover nut, but am fully recovered other than a slight desire to buy a cheap Rangie or Landrover if I see one

There's some Landrover stuff & info on Holden conversion etc on my webpage, look under Landog page, bottom left corner for Landog info

http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~mangey/

I tend to agree. If you are an enthusiast ( I suppose you woudnt be asking) or want to become one, go for it. I've had several series vehicles but wouldnt want one as a daily driver for the following reasons:

-lousy turning circle
-hot in summer, /cold in winter/wet in the rain/noisy all the time(forget about a stereo or talking to a passenger on the highway)
-relatively thirsty, yes even the 4 cylnder versions
-slow
-lots of oil leaks
-weak gearboxes, axles and diffs
-few safety features
-likely to have reliablilty issues with brakes, electrics etc unless in good condition and maintained by an enthusiast

If I havent talked you out of it yet, theres a number of checklists on the web regarding what to look for, but the main thing is chassis condition. And yes, most parts are fairly cheap.

BTW, they do have some good points.

[Woop]

Its far better if you do all the servicing on a series ROVER than giving it to someone else. They are easy to work on, but can be time consuming if anything other than general servicing is required. The 4cyl engine although rough and underpowered (ok in SWB) is reliable and will go forever if serviced properly. Series 3 transmissions can cause problems if abused--ie jumping out of 1st and 2nd on the over-run and worn syncro's. The gearbox can also suffer behind Holden motors. The last of the Series 3--81,82 transmissions seem to be the best ,although rare in OZ.. The Rover type diffs are ok in a SWB vehicle but can easily be upgraded if required. Lucas 'Prince of Darkness' can bite you if the electrics have been tampered with/modded.

Some things to look for :Rust in door tops,gearbox jumping out of gear on over-run,noisy rear diff,leaking swivel housings (large chrome balls on front axle), carby leaks, rust in footwells, worn spring/chassis bushes, excessive backlash in steering, rust in grill panel,sticking wheel cylinders. Oil leaks from the transmission are common but easy to fix. A bit of wine in top gear is also normal. They are low geared in 4th---5.4:1 so dont expect high speed.

Before moving up to a GQ Patrol, i had owned 3 Series rovers, but have just recently started restoration of a 76 Series 3 LWB. Good original Series rovers are unique and now getting difficult to find. I'm sure Ben--aka Isuzurover can add some things that i've missed..

Nick