Landrover 130 dualcab diesel! Opinions Please.

Hi Nigel,
Many thanks for the comments my friend, nice to see' the Drover' still likes to please, even with it's niggly faults (We all have those!)
The others may 'look good' but when the poop hits the fan eh!
I have pulled out of a lot of tight spots with my old Drover and its diff locker!!
Cheers mate, Tom.

Hi Truckster,
I would have to agree, they do leave a little to be desired in the comfort stakes!
The large centeral 'arm rest' needs 'slimming' and the seats widening, then it would be much better.
I think this could be done OK and you would be left with a great tough go anywhere, no frill's vehicle.
Many thanks for the feedback, Regards Tom.

Hi Steve,
Yep yer probibly spot on mate! although I think the engine noise is much better now than it was before 1995!
As for ergonomics well what can I say!! It's no pritty painting for sure BUT it does have it's own querky style!
It was designed as a 'farmers' vehicle, tough as nails, practical easy to work on and ain't changed much since then!
The panels may dent easy BUT they don't rust, big plus, anyway you can easy knock alum out!
Gearbox's problem's do seem to crop up a lot though! but I hope that would be sorted after 1996!
Cheers mate, regards Tom.

Hi Eric,
Nope did not know about the timing belt problemo! will watch out for that one!
I have had a couple of 110 (old one's the newest being a 1985 model!)
but had nothing to do with the newer 130 beasts, they look ideal for a family trip and room for the kitchen sink!
Cheers Eric, regards Tom.

Hi Nugget,
Thanks for the feedback mate, much appreciated.
I used to own a '92 patrol, always seemed very much like the landrover in many ways only the Jap's styled it a lot better!
The landy do have something though, not quite sure what but!
Look's like you will have to take 'the Minister' out, wine and dine! you never know!
Thanks for the 'look out for tips', will write it all down for inspection!
Cheers Mate, regards Tom.

Hi Jack,
Thanks for a lot of positive info. it all very interesting when you look at the comparisons!
Maybe it's says something about why little has changed in the basic design, maybe the pom's had a good setup from square one!
I did here that the Army was using 'crusers now instead of 'drover's but it seems the 'drover is still in favour, bigest, toughest and best eh!
Looks like I will have to start planing for a landrover 130 hunt! It is the most covenient for family,camping, farming and firefighting, a good all rounder!
I hope to keep this one for a good while and maybe upgrade the internal comfort a little!
Cheers mate, best regards Tom.

Old Jack,
just a few comments on the Army LR 110s..It was a political descision to STAY with the Landrovers and was not by merit in any respect, alot of old soldiers had a say in it!
They Army versions of the 110, ie 3.9 Isuzu, 4 speed trans and not a sway bar to be seen, are VERY capable off road its only the on road that tends to sour them. Extream amounts of body roll caused the army to retrain ALL the drivers for the introduction of the 110, they lean but dont tip unless the driver panicks!
It may be the army drivers?? but I have replaced endless diffs, axles tcase output shafts, tcase third diffs and hub drive caps. Could be driver error, ie centre difflock engaged and run on bitument, axle wind-up snaps everything!!!!! literrally!!!
The LC the army have are fleet (DASFLEET) so they HAVE to be rotated every few years! The Rovers are owned and they just keep getting rebuilt and put back out there, so you cant compare that as a reason to staying with the Rover!
All our rovers have open centre diffs, only a few out there have lockers and they are in the West with the Long Range Patrol Vehicles! These rigs have trialled everything from ARB lockers to Detroit! Personally..Love the detroit very easy to accustom to road use even in the constant 4x4 of the Rover!

There is heaps more out there about the Army Rovers, good and very bad, but due to the different configuration and the driving habits of the Army drivers it is very misleading when you try to compare these to Civi Rovers.
Tomic, if you are happy with what you have heard about Rovers and you descide to go with the tractor then great and I wish you all the best with many km of happy driving but please dont base any of it on the Army varients, they are chalk and cheese.

Goodluck, Matt.

Many thanks for clearing that up Matt, I thought a little politic's may be involved somewhere!
But never mind, still a very capable vehicle, as good 'off road' as the rest but cheaper to buy!
I would have thought a shear pin device would have been used to prevent serious drivetrain damage with the difflock (mind you if your dumb enough to drive on solid ground with it engaged maybe you deserve to do repairs!!) not that that help's the mechanic's who have to repair other people's stupidity eh!(I know all about that being a electro-mechanical engineer, underground coal mining trained!)
Which of the big boy's is easiest/cheapest to run! any idea:o)
All the best to you mate, keep on rockin!
TomIC

Hi Matt,
I understand that the the older 110's are differant to the standard version(also got galvanised chassis as well ?), and yes to can keep rebuilding them. there is a batch of new LR being supplied (100 of them?) of the standard production line with custom modifications in Australia. Will be intesting to see how they go...

intersting about the detroit lockers with the constant drive , had them in the rear end of 2WD utes in the past + drag car's & have been very impressed.