What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?
- Thread starter dave
- Start date
Currently reading:
What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?
No denying it is clever, looks good and has loads of high tech gadgets.
Not totally sure it is a spiritual successor to the original Land Rover though. Will probably be a favourite for the urban school run.
Can't see myself changing out my old 90 for one though. I have not treated it kindly, e.g. leaving it in a shed for 3 or 4 years and then just jump starting it and expecting everything to still work. But it did.
Then again, the most high tech gadgets on mine are the driving lights, as they have fuses AND relays (mounted up high to avoid problems when wading, of course).
Oh, and it has an interior mirror. Not self dipping, or able to turn into a TV screen at the touch of a button, but it does allow me to see behind perfectly well.
Had Discos, Range Rovers and Freelanders at various times, and they all went wrong in new and inventive ways in line with their complexity. Usually electronics. Always expensive to fix. And none were able to go anywhere the 90 couldn't, even when they were working properly.
Ah well, each to their own...
Not totally sure it is a spiritual successor to the original Land Rover though. Will probably be a favourite for the urban school run.
Can't see myself changing out my old 90 for one though. I have not treated it kindly, e.g. leaving it in a shed for 3 or 4 years and then just jump starting it and expecting everything to still work. But it did.
Then again, the most high tech gadgets on mine are the driving lights, as they have fuses AND relays (mounted up high to avoid problems when wading, of course).
Oh, and it has an interior mirror. Not self dipping, or able to turn into a TV screen at the touch of a button, but it does allow me to see behind perfectly well.
Had Discos, Range Rovers and Freelanders at various times, and they all went wrong in new and inventive ways in line with their complexity. Usually electronics. Always expensive to fix. And none were able to go anywhere the 90 couldn't, even when they were working properly.
Ah well, each to their own...
When I first saw the new Defender, I thought, new Discovery. School runs, horsebox towing, etc.
The original Land Rover was very versatile, with power take-off options, and simple to use and maintain. That got lost a long time ago. Few owners ever used much more than a bit of off-road capability, and most have gone pickup by now, so the original market is different. You'd think Land Rover might build a pickup, but as they try to move the range more upmarket, that would drag it downwards.
At least the driver can keep his elbows inside with the new one.
The original Land Rover was very versatile, with power take-off options, and simple to use and maintain. That got lost a long time ago. Few owners ever used much more than a bit of off-road capability, and most have gone pickup by now, so the original market is different. You'd think Land Rover might build a pickup, but as they try to move the range more upmarket, that would drag it downwards.
At least the driver can keep his elbows inside with the new one.
According to a couple of offers I've had for it recently, my 90 is in danger of becoming worth double what I paid for it back in the 90s, when it was young and in good nick.
Can't be the battle scars or the galvanitic corrosion. Or the wheezy pre-TDI turbodiesel engine.
Could be the snorkel. Or the driving lights...
Makes me think that maybe there is still a market for a simple "mechanical" Land Rover (or Land Cruiser, etc.) rather than a box full of clever electronic gadgets. Just not for the school run.
Can't be the battle scars or the galvanitic corrosion. Or the wheezy pre-TDI turbodiesel engine.
Could be the snorkel. Or the driving lights...
Makes me think that maybe there is still a market for a simple "mechanical" Land Rover (or Land Cruiser, etc.) rather than a box full of clever electronic gadgets. Just not for the school run.
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2009
- Messages
- 19,492
- Points
- 3,294
In all honesty I think if landrover ripped out all the gimmicks and concentrated on a car that can simply go off road and do it well then there would still be high demand for them.
It wasn’t that long ago that a new defender (old model) could be bought for under £20k I think a basic new one in the mid 2000s could be had for around £15k which is all people want if they are driving off road for work and lugging tools about. Who is going to pay £50K+ for something they know is going to get scratched and beaten with the wheels kerbed and the light lenses cracked. Something they are going to throw a load of dirty tools in the back and also clean out once a year if it’s lucky?
Landrover would be stupid to think that workmen are buying this car that was primarily always built to do work. Yet now the only places I am seeing these new defenders is outside the local private schools picking up kids or parked outside the financial advice business just down the road.
Of course Land Rover know who is buying these cars, and they are catering to the people who might go out and buy a G-wagon, while pretending it’s still a ‘Defender’ at heart.
Last edited:
You could be right Andy. Up here in Edinburgh it's exactly as you say, Posh 4x4s - Land Rover brand being but one such - outside the private schools (and some state schools too!) and causing us mere mortals "agro" in supermarket car parks to say nothing of spoiling line of sight to us in our "plebemobiles" stuck behind them in traffic jams. Have you noticed also how annoying the brake lights are after dark in traffic jams or at lights where they hold the car on the brake pedal, probably because it's an autobox? with the lights very annoyingly right at eye level for us in more modest lowly transportation?
Every now and again I pop down to my brother's in the border country - what I still think of as "home" - where most of the farmers are running around in battered old Japanese 4WD pickups which not so long ago would have been series 3 Land Rovers. Very different to the city. A lot more money in selling to the urban "set" though I'm sure? and they'll want all the "trimmings" which ups the "anti" and profit!
Got an interview for the job I'm not entirely sure about...
Of course I did...so we'll see how that goes as well.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Another project that walked out of UK after we decanted from the EU. p till that point I was interested in the possibilities, but I don't think its not enough of price reduction to take many buyers from the LR product which can be had in a stripped out form for industrial use for a similar cost to proposed Grenadeier.
Reversing van squeaker noises outside. Medical equipment van has stopped opposite and is reversing towards the only parked car there.
Opens rear doors, drops a long folding ramp, which ends about 18" in front of the parked car.
Down the ramp he comes with a large wheeled contraption, and does not have enough room to roll it off the ramp, so struggles heaving it off the ramp edge.
Pure genius.
Then rolls it 50 yds down the road, where he could have parked outside the recipient address.
He is at least wearing gloves and a mask, but these are the same gloves he was driving with, so probably also used at the previous delivery. And of course used to remove and replace the mask.
At least it is likely that the person he is delivering to has been vaccinated, although the daughter and her two sons, maybe not.
Opens rear doors, drops a long folding ramp, which ends about 18" in front of the parked car.
Down the ramp he comes with a large wheeled contraption, and does not have enough room to roll it off the ramp, so struggles heaving it off the ramp edge.
Pure genius.
Then rolls it 50 yds down the road, where he could have parked outside the recipient address.
He is at least wearing gloves and a mask, but these are the same gloves he was driving with, so probably also used at the previous delivery. And of course used to remove and replace the mask.
At least it is likely that the person he is delivering to has been vaccinated, although the daughter and her two sons, maybe not.
Just completed our broadband/phone package renegotiation. Previously I've had lengthy conversations with the first representative which just wastes time before you are handed through to someone who can really negotiate with you. So this time I started straight in with "Look, I mean you no disrespect but I'm here to negotiate a significant saving on my account so if you can't do this can we just cut to the chase and get me transferred through to your retention people" There was a brief pause before the voice said "Ok" and I was put through to a very helpful lady who took about 20 minutes to search multiple options for me and eventually came up with a reduction of approx a third over the figure they were asking. In effect this means an increase of just under a fiver per month over my last 18 months bills which I think is not too bad. Originally they had inflated the price asked by nearly 50%.
But why do we have to do this silly financial "dance" every 18 months. I've been with this provider for 20 years now and, as you might guess, I'm very pleased with the service they supply. Every time I do my research first so I know what a reasonable charge with other providers might be then ring and negotiate with my provider. I'd have no hesitation switching if they didn't satisfy me but they always manage to come up with a figure which makes switching just a waste of time. Surely, by now, they must know I'm going to stay with them if they give me a good deal so why not just sort me out without all this sillyness!
But why do we have to do this silly financial "dance" every 18 months. I've been with this provider for 20 years now and, as you might guess, I'm very pleased with the service they supply. Every time I do my research first so I know what a reasonable charge with other providers might be then ring and negotiate with my provider. I'd have no hesitation switching if they didn't satisfy me but they always manage to come up with a figure which makes switching just a waste of time. Surely, by now, they must know I'm going to stay with them if they give me a good deal so why not just sort me out without all this sillyness!
That reminds me, need to renegotiate mine.
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2014
- Messages
- 4,579
- Points
- 828
A few days ago, I placed a bid on a load of CDs on Ebay, based on the description. After I'd placed my bid, the seller put up a load more pictures, revealing that most of the CDs weren't good sounds at all! Thankfully, someone outbid me. Relieved isn't the word, lol!
Today I swapped car with my son
Punto twinair for punto diesel
Bad day for it ..a wet and windy 2 hour trip.. the twinair is too light- crosswinds are a nightmare
Survived the experiencd.. but saw LOTS of accidents.. spinning out mainly
Scariest was 15 mins into the trip..on the 1st 70mph stretch
5 police cars and 2 ambulances .. couldnt see why..
Then I spotted the Abarth 500 ..
with NO FRONT WHEELS..!!
thankfully it appeared to have tobogganed upright
One side of the Dual Carriageway is the Police Crash Investigation Centre
Opposite it a new A + E Hospital
Punto twinair for punto diesel
Bad day for it ..a wet and windy 2 hour trip.. the twinair is too light- crosswinds are a nightmare
Survived the experiencd.. but saw LOTS of accidents.. spinning out mainly
Scariest was 15 mins into the trip..on the 1st 70mph stretch
5 police cars and 2 ambulances .. couldnt see why..
Then I spotted the Abarth 500 ..
with NO FRONT WHEELS..!!
thankfully it appeared to have tobogganed upright
One side of the Dual Carriageway is the Police Crash Investigation Centre
Opposite it a new A + E Hospital
May....
Not November...or December or January..May
Not November...or December or January..May
Golfs are cool all year round
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2014
- Messages
- 4,579
- Points
- 828
Golfs are never cool, lol!
Golfs are cool all year round
Attachments
Last edited:
