Hi gents, hoping to steal some wisdom from the collective minds on here.

Just arrived back at home from a while away and have been seriously considering getting into some touring with my old man, as such i have been doing some serious research into it and would have to clarify some technical issues with some of the more experienced lads on here.

I love Land Rover as a brand (although have never owned one) and want to just use it as a vehicle that would go out for a a long weekend every 2 months or so (so not worried about fuel consumption)and whilst I recognise that a lot of custom fab work will be needed with snorkels and bars as such, fabrication is what i love doing with my father. I have considered other vehicles is this price bracket ~20-25k Lexus, Crusier Sahara, LR 3 and the sport i found them considerably lacking in comfort and sense of occasion not to mention lack of full independent air suspension and the sport just being the sport however I would be willing to spend more if you guy reckon the following plan is plain stupid.

Thus far i have settled on using a BMW era L322 with the 4.4 V8 and ~120k km as i have been told they are reasonably bulletproof vs the diesel and jaguar engine models however how do cars of this age fair reliability wise is there anyone on here with this age vehicle that could update me on what to look out for and upcoming maintenance issues with these sort of kilometres. Also what sort of abuse will they stand up to with ~32" tires and a 2" Johnson lift, i.e. if i drive sensibly offload will i still be snapping CV's all the time?

Additionally I have read up on outrageous RR dealership maintenance fees and parts but it's serviced by a good independent and my own mechanical maintenance using refurbished parts how will i fair compared to these horror stories? Look forward to hearing your comments and banter. (if it all goes ahead ill be posting up a build thread)

Kind regards,
George Don't let school get in the way of your education

Have a read of this mate
http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic24082.html

cheers mate, that answers most of my questions, just got to sort out the engine and technical stuff  Don't let school get in the way of your education

There are a couple of members on here from down under who have used their FFRR off-road - there is an Australia section from the main forum index which will be worth a read

http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic32806....=australia

And a tale of a slightly less successful trip...
http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic26117.html 2007 Zermatt Silver TDV8 Vogue SE - now sold but was a great car!

Just had a flick through those, a shame about the shocker failing and that was a brilliant build on the green one. Wondering just about reliability after that hahaha but seems pretty doable considering he did 16k miles with a set of 32". Cheers for all the posts Don't let school get in the way of your education

Ross has already directed you to my build thread...

You won't break CV's unless you are very brutal, mines had a fair bit of abuse as well as being drowned and it is still fine, nothing has broken off road...

The real weak spot is the underside, needs some decent protection, don't bother with Johnsons rods, a total waste of money, either make you own out of a bent coathanger or get an IID tool and you can program three different settings, one for road, one for off road and a spare....

 Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

^^^you will NEED an IID tool anyway for such a (fantastic) project indeed, worth it weight in gold if you breakdown in the bush! l=Oo\________/oO=l l:OolΞΞΞΞΞΞΞloO:l

Current
RANGE ROVER Vogue 4.4L SDV8 - 2013 - Indus Silver, on Almond.
RANGE ROVER Vogue 4.4L V8 - 2002 - ex-2003 G4 Challenge Event Vehicle, Stage 3: Australia
RANGE ROVER HSE 4.4L V8 - 2004 - one-of-one Overfinch
RANGE ROVER P38a 4.0L V8 - 1999 - ex-2000 TReK Event Vehicle: South Africa

Previous:
RANGE ROVER Vogue 4.4L TDV8 - 2012 - RANGE ROVER 3.6L TDV8 x3 - RANGE ROVER Td6 x1 - RANGE ROVER Classic 3.5L V8 x1

I think if it's an off road toy as Pete's is you'll be fine. I made the mistake of using a TDV8 as both an off road toy and daily drive. Whilst doable it wasn't cheap. The main problem I've had is tyres but then the TDV8 has Brembos all round so some want limiting on tyre choice.

However, the benefit you do get of the later vehicles is the Terrain Response. Over the last few weekends I've been building a long stretch of fence on my parent's farm and the 110 was down one week and the FF for two. This weekend was particularly soggy. Wet grass isn't usually the forte of an FF, but now that I've learnt to turn off the DSC when Terrain Response is engaged it's enlightening. Genuinely surprised how well it manages with the rather pathetic Goodyear Wranglers I have fitted. (Bearing in mind I'm comparing it to a Defender with 265/75R16 BFG KM/2s and a tractor with, well the small tyres are something like the equivalent of 500/45R20)... Ed

Ed, I run mine as a daily driver, done 34,000 miles in it in 2 1/2 years, run the last few months on muds, just need to turn the volume up....

Had this in mud you couldn't stand up on when I had the A/T's, and as you say, turn off the DSC then the traction only works, it spun up all four tyres and got me out no bother..... With these Maxxis it's unstoppable anywhere...  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Pah, try 25k a year and that wasn't using it all the time.

I suspect the problem with me wasn't necessarily the vehicle, nor me but rather work getting in the way of repair time.

I would stand by it though that the 322 (particularly with TR and DSC off) will demolish a Defender off-road I unless it's pucker up time. However, the Defender is a damn site cheaper to repair. I don't doubt the prices for the 322 will drop, they're just not quite at the same level or number of choices yet.

Well serviced and maintained I don't think there's much in it reliability wise. But in 3 years of FF ownership I've been recovered 3 times. In 12 years of Defender / Series ownership I've never been recovered, and they've been neglected service wise and pushed far more off road than the FF. The newer LRs are very good at alerting you to problems before they happen, the trouble is when things go wrong they tend to go wrong big and aren't usually a side of the road fix. Whereas on my purely (well excluding lights, starter and this wierd thing called a radio) mechanical 110 with a set of sockets amd hammer you can pretty much do anything on the side of the road if it does happen.

If I were doing, or as I have been building up to, expeditions or bigger offroading trips then I'm taking the 110. I've had the FF about long enough now I've gotten to know it and might contemplate it. But I'm young and short so dont find Defenders that uncomfortable. And courtesy of miggit the 110 may eventually reach the same levels of comfort  Ed

thanks haylands, i will go for the programmable IID then, i don't plan on being rough at all and i will be following that snorkel build very closely so i don't drown mine either. Just as note I would be lucky to put more than 3k miles on it in a year. Any other recommendations in terms of choice, iv heard the V8's are more reliable than the TD6 both in gearbox and engine

Sako, I'm pretty young as well mate, as in sub 25 and i reckon my hearing and back will go if i shake up a early defender off the tarmac hahah. Not to mention hypothermia from that useless heater. Don't let school get in the way of your education

Given the gearbox issues you're probably wise to avoid the Td6. Although I don't know what's on the 4.4 - I'm guessing a ZF box?

My only thought would be keep one that you can fit 18" wheels on, 19 doesn't give you much room for sidewall without having to start modifying bodywork. And that is the one Achilles heel of the 322 I feel, particularly here in the UK where most lanes etc. have been made by Defender width vehicles. I found I was rubbing both sidewalls quite a lot of the time and the lack of sidewall depth means that there's very little in the way of reinforcement of the sidewalls which meant they took a beating.

Quote:

Not to mention hypothermia from that useless heater.

Yeah it has a ZF box, if all goes ahead ill actually go for something a bit smaller in the 16" range (custom built if need be), In australia we don't have trails quite like yours from what i hear, and the width of lancrusiers and patrols running 37"making trails arnt uncommon down her either. Don't let school get in the way of your education

You can't fit anything smaller than 18" wheels as the brakes and calipers are too big...

I recon you could possibly fit a 17" steel but I tried a 16" steel and it hit the brakes..

There are a few vans around that have the correct PCD and even the offset doesn't look too bad but I haven't tried any yet...

Later post BMW FF's have bigger brakes again and 19 is the smallest...

Go much bigger than 32's and you will have to raise it soo much you will run out of suspension drop...

I am having a look at dropping the front, middle and rear subframes and do a 2" "chassis" raise at the minute but it's not straightforward... steering will need modding as well as a few other bit's but it's not impossible... then stick 35's on and change the diffs for TD6 ones which will help with the gearing...  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Your a blessing mate, just a wealth of info, theres a couple CNC places here that reckon the can can make a concave set for 16 inch that can clear the big brakes (that was my original plan) but if i get the truck ill tell you how that goes. Unfortunately whatever it ends up costing ~2k aud ill probably just do it as its kind of necessary down here because the sidewalls is a must when airing down on the sand and thick stuff.

Do you mean a subframe lift? or spacers on the air suspension, i was planning on 32" or 33", if i go 33" then i might try a TD6 diff now you mention it.

But please tell me how that lift goes and what it takes. Don't let school get in the way of your education