Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
He was not trying to sell it to me! He was trying to point out how you could keep them on the road if you looked after/fettled them. It was the dealership toy.Complete. What people do, instead of replacing the VCU, they simply drop off the rear propshaft and this puts it into Front Wheel Drive only, or Mondo mode as it's often called. Fairly easy to put back into 4wd, but whether its worth the expense is a different matter.
There are some other issues though, and the main one being that your insurance could be invalidated as the car is type approved as a 4wd, and making that change is classed as a modification. You'd need to tell the insurers, to be sure. Many don't though.
There are some very sneaky tricks that people do too to get around it. The IRD takes the power from the gearbox and sends it to the front wheels and back to the VCU via the front propshaft. Missing that, or the rear, propshaft is a dead giveaway. So, you can now buy IRD's that are a shell only, you fit all the propshafts but they are for show only.
Freelander 1 Transmission Repair Products - Bell Engineering
Bell engineering - Landrover Freelander transmission specialists. Freelander IRD and VCU supplied and fitted.www.bellengineering.co.uk
I liked our Freelander 1. It was what it was. Very comfortable and very reliable. We only ever had one issue with it and that was quick to fix. Of course, not all are like that.
Weak points? Check the rear tool box/cubby box. That may well be full of water. Fix? drill a hole in it to let the water out! You'll almost certainly never find out where the water is coming from.....
Deffo, they will all run for ages if looked after.
The only time I've seen 4's with the body off were when they were having the engine rebuilt after the snapped crank. Apparently, LR don't want to know and cranks weren't even available through LR Parts. They just want to sell you a complete engine.
Who’s your independent?
Now that LR did do with the classic. It seems that the early Detuned V8's for them had problems with the webbs. Result I had a cracked crank on mine. Fortunately it was Old tech even then so a slightly later model of the engine had fixed it. But the last time they fitted the BM/Buick V8's was in the SD1 before their upgrades. But the 5B's 6's and SD;'s were fine. It seems the problems were down to low resonances on the detuned ones were throwing the the crank out of tune with the webbs. A Cross bracer bolt in the Webbs fixed it. No Body off for that one- just a straight easi(ish) swap
I found this today on FB marketplace in Perth, Australia. Actual location is a paddock 400km north of Perth.
Just over 100 quid for a restorable Series 2.
Very little rust here due to the weather and high temps.
