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From: jp@lanl.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Rover reliabilty
Message-ID: <26089@lanl.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 20-May-85 00:53:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: lanl.26089
Posted: Mon May 20 00:53:17 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 21-May-85 04:08:19 EDT
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Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
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> 
> 
> Yesterday evening I went and saw the GODS MUST BE CRAZY.
> 
> Now, one of the heroes of the movie is a rather abused Land Rover. Being of an
> inquisitive nature, I was curious about how reliable they really are.
> 
As a long time Land Rover owner, I am able to speak with some authority on
this subject.  The principle virtue of the LR is the ease with which it can
be repaired.  Only when delving in to the very inner regions of the engines
transmissions or differentials does one require special tools.  Even then 
a little common sense and some luck will serve you well.  As for crossing
the deserts of Africa, I recall an article in the Atlantic magazine many
years ago describing a journey across the Libyan desert to some oasis in 
the depths of the Sahara.  They took three Land Rovers, two to carry the
personnel and one to carry the spares!  On the other hand my personal
experience has been that parts don't often fall off and the transmissions,
etc. are well protected from getting creamed by the normal hazards of the trail.

I used to be in the habit of recommending Toyota Land Cruisers as a 
reasonable 4WD vehicle until I met an owner of one who carried a large can
of nuts, bolts, and misc. in his vehicle.  When I questioned him about it
he said that the can was for pieces that had fallen off and when it got
full he would stop driving it and repair it.

All of the LR's that I have are the long wheelbase (109") one ton variety.
All are series II.  The one in the movie "The Gods must be Crazy" is a
series I (circa 1957 or earlier).  The series II 2 1/4 liter four is
a pretty forgiving engine.  I have one that was parked for 12 years without
being run.  After a little oiling of the cylinders to try to prevent scoring
them on startup,  I stared the engine with the help of some ether.  It ran
on the 12 year old gas (It sure smelled like varnish.) that was still in the
tanks.   On the other hand the 2.6 liter six cylinder engine lived up
to its reputation for burning valves at the least excuse.  I have given up
on it for good.  Then I have one that has a Ford 289 (with overdrive).  The
only use for Low range is to prove that it will twist off the axles at the
slightest provocation.  The axles make a pretty expensive fuse.  I am 
still dreaming about a shear pin elsewhere in the drive line.  On the other
hand I have never heard of a LR breaking a front axle shaft.   

But, it's true.  Land Rovers are for afficionadas only.  The resemblence
of the Land Rover in the movie to my Land Rovers (as seen by my wife) was
enough to cause her to laugh hysterically and roll in the aisle at its
every appearance.  (And my wife does know how to double clutch on both    
upshifts and down shifts.)

I am not a purist.  If anything breaks, I try to replace it with American
parts.  The four has a 70 Amp Leese-Neville alternator in place of the
Lucas junk.

I'd be happy to swap tales with any present or former LR owner.

Jim Potter   jp@lanl.arpa