superb !!
I am looking to buy a reasonably cheap series 3 that has a 200tdi engine fitted (sacrilege?) - i found one from a Rolls Royce engineer that’s been doing pretty much everything mechanically on it. No beauty queen but honest car w solid chassis and bulkhead.
i love the idea of a 2.25 petrol but 45mph top speed might be a bit tricky.
The only thing that needs attention on the car is a leaky gearbox... I am hoping it’s nothing £500 can’t fix.
I was looking at a super 1959 Series 2, but the Diesel engine put me off... and that non sync gearbox might make it difficult if I want to use the car to commute every once in a while
Non synchro box isn’t that hard it’s just a different way of driving.
The 200tdi conversion was a pretty popular mod more power than the 2.25 petrol and more economical than the diesel. It’s a pretty rough engine though even for a diesel. Leaks can be due to missing the bottom flywheel housing bolts as they don’t bolt up directly. You want to make sure the glow plugs have been wired too.
Mine would sit at 55 with the 2.25 petrol. It’s a lovely smooth engine. TBH you probably don’t want to be going faster than that in a series LR. And hearing is more the limiting factor.
Series 3 aren’t supposed to be as well built as the earlier ones but that was 50 years ago now and I just think it’s a bit of BL snobbery.
watch for chassis rust though it can be tricky to see especially on the top of the chassis.
most problems are just from poor maintenance eg the heater.
Van tops have issues with condensation in cold weather.
steering gear needs to be in top notch condition
Go drive one see if you like it.
