Range Rover Classic - Rackspace Hosting

I have to admit that I’ve become a fan of the Land Rover automatic
for both on-road and off-road driving. The electronic ignition system
has never let me down. The power assisted disc brakes come
with an antilock feature for safety in ice and snow. The coil spring
suspension with the anti-sway bars assures additional safety in all
weather conditions. My Discovery has great road manners, helped by
the wider 58.8” track. It’s been great right out of the box in off-road
situations, too, and there are plenty of off-road options if I want to
upgrade the vehicle.
Finally, the Discovery has all of the creature comforts that have
become necessities for a modern daily driver - multi-speed wipers
and windshield washers, truly effective heater and defroster systems,
rear window wipers, door locks that lock, doors that shut tight, quiet
and calm interiors, inertia reel seat belts and air bags.
No - I’m not busting on our beloved Series I, II, IIA, or Series III.
They all do their truck chores with ease, are mechanically simple
(except those damn drum brakes - simple yes, just not easy for me!),
and are supported by every upgrade you can think of. Well - not the
aerodynamics package of course!
But as we upgrade our Series to a Disco I (or to Range Rover)
specs., why not get a Disco Why not They are plentiful, relatively
cheep, lack the modern computer problems (well - most of the problems...),
and are driver friendly on long trips and around town.
This was my thought process when confronted with this difficult
choice. Mind you, I loved my beautiful 1967 Series-IIA 109” 5-door
SW. With a new galvanized frame, it had a sweet-running 4-cylinder
with overdrive and a capstan winch to boot. But the 109” was not fully
up to the task I had in mind for it. Sure, it would hold many paying
customers, their canoes and gear piled onto a trailer, but not really at
highway speeds and certainly not up to contemporary safety expectations.
So, the more I thought of all the changes required to upgrade
this beautiful old ‘67 Series II-A, the more I realized it was loosing its
unique character. The reality that there would not be much left of the
original truck by the time it met my expectations. So the seven seat
Disco appeared to be the solution with its ability to carry seven, travel
at 65 mph, go off-road, and leave the 109” original.
The Discovery, like the 109”, had to perform dual roles of onroad
transport and off-road trail tours - which it did with ease, in
stock form. The only place the Disco fell short was inevitable. It just
did not look the part of pure “Safari” as the 109” did. But then again,
what vehicle does look African Safari more than a 109” station
wagon
The Discovery, when purchased, was locked out of low range as
many of them are - as it was a “grocery getter” in its previous life, low
range had never been engaged. One sun roof would not move from
the “shut’ position, but it’s fixed now. Otherwise, it’s been a great
investment. I’ve left it fairly stock except for a home made bumper
bar to hold the “High-Lift” jack, pull line, etc., a ladder and 2/3 roof
rack, and a tad bit of black paint - Camel Trophy style! It 3may be in
for some tweaks by the end of this summer, as its last trip had the
front spoiler being used as a “dirt scoop” on the trails.
In these days of nearly $4.00 premium fuel, gas mileage can
become depressing. My Discovery’s EPA rating is 16 mpg highway, 13
city. That’s about the same as my Series II-A 109” used to get, too. The
average 2007 small four cylinder pickup with DOHC engine and
numerous other efficiency enhancing features is only rated at 18/21
mpg city/highway. So our older 3.9 liter push-rod engine does not
look that bad after all – and the pickup will not seat as many people.
As the consummate people-hauler, as an excellent tow vehicle, as
a superbly competent off roader, and a brilliant daily driver for contemporary
use, consider the Discovery as the logical successor to the
classic Series Rover. If you have the choice, you might keep your classic
Series Rover closer to original (with a few tweaks of course!) and
accept its limitations on the back roads, and have a Discovery for
everything else.
_______ ________
49