1983 Land Rover Series 3 109 SW review from UK and Ireland

Whats gone wrong with her, well not much considering shes 20years old.

In 1999 I had to replace the primary clutch cylinder. Which meant I could continue to change gears.

And in 2002 I replaced the gearbox with a reconditioned one for £400 and added new suspension all round. (Not that they were broken, I just wanted Parabolics which has improved the ride and handling of her substantially.)

Besides a few problems tracking a vibration (I tend to be picky) which meant new front prop and UJ's nothing has gone seriously wrong with her. A good servicing every year will ensure all things mechanical stay in good working order, anything else is just cosmetic.

A superb vehicle on and off-road, besides hitting a car and a wall, literally no damage was done to the Landy, there that strong. Parts are readily available and as long as you don't go to dealers, relatively cheap.

Some of the reviews out there are very biased as people expect them to handle like normal cars, but a Land Rover has one thing above all else... An Image, that no other 4x4 has got. Expect 17-19mpg if you add an overdrive and electric fan you can squeeze an extra 1 or 2 more. It should sit comfortably at 60mph and can sit at 75mph all day. the fasted I've been personally is 85mph, but this greatly depends on the condition of the engine.

Like all cars there are "lemons" out there and if you get lumped with one, they can drain the wallet. but spend a little extra and get a decent starter and you'll not regret it.