Land Rover : Other Basic in Land Rover | eBay Motors

My nearly 15 year old son wants a fixer-upper that we can work on together so he can have a car by his 16th birthday. I have never owned a Land Rover.

If I buy this, then go to New Orleans to drive it home to Indianapolis:
What should I expect to break down on the way?
Would trying to drive it back be a bad idea?
Does this one look like a decent vehicle?
What else should I be asking?

Please advise.

Thanks,
Rob

 

get AAA platinum. thats 200 miles of towing right there. you are down to 619 miles to drive.

i would bring or pick up the following, multimeter, open-end wrenches, set of 1/2" sockets and breaker bar, ratchet scewdriver, duct tape, wire, zip ties, epoxy resin, bottle jack, plug kit, spark plug remover, pliers, and a propane torch. a few relays, engine oil, gear oil, brake and clutch fluid, a fan belt, and a tow strap and d ring.

some preventative easy parking lot maintenance might help you make the trip a successful one. I would go straight to the closest auto store and change and check all the fluids and purchase the tools i needed for the drive back. expect a slow and noisy ride, might have to stay off of some of the highways just because you won't be able to keep speed unless it's been re-geared.

 

That's kinda what I was thinking - except for the epoxy and torch...

 

epoxy will come in handy if you blow a hole in something metal. torch to heat up any nuts or bolts you cant bust loose with a breaker and some penetrating oil.

 

I like the JB weld stick weld putty for roadside repairs.

The last Rover I bought I did the fly and drive. It was one of the best road trips I've ever made. I had just gotten home from deployment and it was a beautiful way to remind myself of America. Seeing it at 55mph with the windows down in a Rover.

It would cost a bit more but I would take your son with you it will give you both a chance to bond and cuss at the Rover at the same time.

 

Has the potential for a cool trip, and you're sure to come back with some stories. But 55 miles per hour in a four cylinder petrol Series 3? More like 35 miles an hour. Make sure you bring plenty of flashers for the trip. You may burn a few out.

 

Top speed on that thing without a overdrive is 60, and I mean TOP SPEED.
For a first car, no way, get something else, get a old Oldsmobile, Ford truck, etc.
He is gong to smash it, it is a right hand drive, hes new at driving, its hard enough to learn to be a good safe driver let alone doing it from the wrong side of the car.
I bought my oldest a 1985 Dodge Ram 3/4 ton, with a 3-speed auto, 318cid and a 2-bbl carb.
We worked on it together, you had to let it warm up in the winter time or it would not run, he learned to wake up early for school, he learned to work on cars, he learned patience.
He used to freak his friends out by lifting up the rubber mat on the floor so they could see the road wiz by at 40mph.
The truck was so bad on gas he could not leave the city, it was $500 and lasted a year.
I also taught him how to read a map, a actual paper map, and how to fold one.
He is now a light wheeled mechanic in the US Army, during basic training when it came time to learn orienteering...he was head of the class.

 

nothing will teach you patience like a series land rover. you can't speed. i use to speed everywhere in my parents honda and even their ford mini-van. not to mention when the kid gets fed up with it you can take it for yourself and at that point nearly all the resto work will be done.