parking attendants

[the invisible man]

Hmm, not sure about this. I'm not convinced they are mammals, not even any kind of sexually reproducing creatures. Let's face it, not even a mother could could love or bring up one of the hideous snarling brutish creatures, could they? I think they crawl out from under stones or something, so sterilising individuals would have no effect. We need to locate the nest and stamp them all out...

As for you Beki, steady on, I'll have you know not all 4x4 drivers are inconsiderate organ-substitute oafs - only those with silly Japanese chelsea tractors...... nothing wrong with good British vehicles....

We owe the dead nothing but the truth.

[Post-Med Potterer]

Actually real farmers use Subarus and Toyotas. Its only the urban elite that use Discoveries and BMWs.

Go to Australia and once you get out of towns you won't see a non-Japanese 4x4 anywhere. It is because they have mastered what the British car industry never could - reliability! Most old Landies you see have had a new Nissan engine and several rebuilds.

[the invisible man]

Have to diagree I'm afraid. Almost all farmery types round here have Defenders of varying vintages, a good number of them have Discos. I haver never seen a farmer - or anyone doing any real work - with a BMW. Lots of builder types however drive Jap pick-ups.

The TDi and TD5 engines are about the best diesel engines of the class there is. Some people do fit other engines into Landies but certainly not "most" - unless you are referring to Oz,which I wouldn't know about.

We owe the dead nothing but the truth.

[Post-Med Potterer]

Well perhaps things are a bit different in the west midlands!

I agree, a lot of Defenders are still to be seen on country roads. The old Landy 2.25 litre engine was diabolicasl, but Nissan transplants are common in Oz (not sure about the UK).

I would still buy a Toyota over a Landy any day, I'm afraid!

[the invisible man]

Has to be admitted that was perhaps not the best power plant ever produced..... the middle production range Series III had a woeful quality record it's true (but there are still plenty of good old workhorses around) but with complacency added it really let the overseas producers in. Even with the poor quality there was still a customer loyalty factor - people just wanted a Land Rover because that's what you had. LR abused this loyalty with ludicrous delivery times - they would let you know if you could have one - then as you say the damn thing didn't work when you got it... The Invisible Sister lived in Botswana at the time - fortunately theirs was ok and got them around the bush on daily basis, but a lot of people had given up and bought Land Cruisers.

Defender and Disco I and II have their foibles but are superb off-road veheicles. I've had no problems at all with my Disco II (that's put the mockers on it...). Not sure what Disco 3 is all about though, I think Land Rover/Ford have missed the point again... and as for Range Rover Sport, what the hell is it for?

Anway, that's quite enough hi-jacking the thread to ramble on about Land Rovers.... I've got to go Christmas shopping.... err, in a 4x4...[:I]

We owe the dead nothing but the truth.

[Hugh]

Peugeot diesel engines were another common swap in Australia, which is probably why Pug now design Fords small and medium sized diesels. Could be that your Disco has a Pug engineered engine under the bonnet, just like my beloved 205 I wonder what future archaeologists would make of these massively different cars having more of less the same engine?

[Post-Med Potterer]

My 1990s Saab has an engine which is basically derived from that in the 1960s Triumph.

The Rover V8 is the classic - designed for a 1950s Buick, used in the old P5 and P6 rovers and still in use today in the Range Rover and various TVRs.

'Vehicle archaeology' is an interesting subject to which I shall return in the new year (insert smilie for 'cryptic wink'!).

[deepdigger]

The SAAB bit is not strictly true!
the early ones were, but the later engine was pure SAAB!

deep