WTK Military Land Rovers

[MikeOneSix]

I agree with all your points Matt. The desire to drive something diffrent is a powerful one, and every built up Landie I've ever seen has become an object of lust in my imagination (at least for a while - until I consider the amount of money and hours that went into it to make it that way).
That's it! I drool over images of a LR defender sporting the WMIK roll cage stripped down and festooned with gear. If I just keep on keeping on, I'll ge through this. Hey, every now and again I also get bit by the 5 ton bug .

As for imports meeting DMV requirements, it wasn't to hectic (up here in Canada anyway). California or someother strict state might be a different story.
I think this is one of the areas where I can say "Advantage, Canada!" As our brothers to the North can also import the diesel pinzies (716 & 718) and we can't down here. I believe it's either an epa thing or something to do with highway safety requirements for the year built. I'll check with my local DMV agent about that (more out of curiosity then anything else). The civi LR Defenders were only imported for a short while before they couldn't be imported anymore something to do with side impact protection?


Its also a known fact that driving a capable vehicle on the trail leads challengine more difficult trails. The aftermarket tapped into this type of thinking long ago, and now we are all hooked...

Matt

[SOTVEN]

I HAVE SEEN TONS OF LAND ROVERS IN GREECE, WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN QUITE POPULAR, AND AT VARIOUS TIMES THE GOV'T HAD THEM, (POLICE, FOREST WARDENS, NATIONAL ELECTRIC COMPANY) IN MY OPINION, THEY ARE VERSATILE AND BUILT TOUGH. I HAVE NOT SEEN ONE YET THERE THAT HAD CORROSION ISSUES, BUT APPARENTLY THE GREEK CLIMATE MUST BE THE REASON FOR THAT. ONE ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE ON THEM IS THE HYDRAULIC PTO THAT COMES OUT THE BACK ON MANY OF THEM SO ONE CAN USE IT AS A FARM MACHINE(AND THAT IS WHAT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE LANDY'S WERE IN GREECE. I HAVE SEEN THEIR OFF ROAD ABILITIES (SERIES 2, DEFENDER 90 AND 110) AND I WOULD SAY THEY ARE UNSTOPABLE. A FRIEND OF MINE WANTED TO BUY A USED ONE AND NONE WOULD SELL, OR THEY WOULD SELL AT PRICES THAT HE WAS BETTER OF BUYING A NEW. ON ROAD ABILITIES HOWEVER, THEY LEAVE A LOT TO BE DESIRED. THE 4 BANGER IS FOR THE BIRDS, AND THE DIESEL BARELY MAKES IT TO MOVE WITH DECENCY (GOOD MILAGE ON THE DIESEL HOWEVER) THE 3.6 V8 AVAILABLE IN THE DEFENDERS IS THE BEST WAY TO GO, BUT STILL NOT TOO FAST. THE RIDE IS NOT AS SMOOTH AS THE M37 ON ROAD. WEIGHT CARRING CAPACITY ON THE LAND ROVERS, I HAVE SEEN POLICE V8 110, WITH ABOUT 20 PEOPLE STASHED IN THEM!!! (YES TWENTY. DO NOT ASK HOW THEY FIT IN THERE). RELIABILITY RECORDS I DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT, BUT THEIR PARTS WERE BY FAR CHEAPER AND INEXPENSIVE THAN ANY JAPANESSE 4X4 ANY YEAR OF MANUFACTURE.
PINZGAUERS, I HAVE ONLY SEEN THEM MOVE OFFROAD, AND THEY ARE IMPRESSIVE OFF ROADERS. YET I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THEIR ON ROAD ABILITIES, OR COST OF OWNERSHIP AND MAINTANANCE. HOWEVER, IMHO, PINZGAUER PICTURES SHOULD BE IN THE DICTIONARY NEXT TO THE WORD "UGLY" AS EXPLANATION OF THE WORD .
UNIMOGS, ARE MONSTEROUS OFFROADERS, AND CAN CARRY LOTS OF WEIGHT WHEREVER THEY MAY GO OVER. THEY ARE OVER BUILT, AND NICELY BUILT, (I AM TALKING ABOUT MODELS BUILT IN THE PAST 20 YEARS, NOT THE SMALL ONES THAT IF YOU ARE OVER 4 FEET TALL YOU HAVE TO DRIVE THEM WITH A REMOTE CONTROL FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE CABIN LOL) HOWEVER, THE UNIMOG 5.9 WAS $250.000 TO BUY NEW IN GERMANY A COUPLE YEARS AGO!!!! IN MY OPINION, IF YOU GIVE A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS AND A BEAT UP M37 TO CHARLES, JOSH, OR MASTER YOTA IN THIS FORUM, I AM SURE YOU WILL END UP WITH A 4WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE, THAT NOTHING COULD COMPARE TO IN THIS UNIVERSE. AND YOU WOULD HAVE SOME CHANGE BACK... JUST MY TWO CENTS

[MikeOneSix]

SOTVEN
Man, you didn't write a reply, you wrote a book! . Thanks for your insite into Land Rovers. As of now, I'm over my "Rover fever" and back into my ferret and M37 projects. Maybe I can do up my M37 as an LRDG inspired truck? Something to think about I guess.

As an aside, I looked really hard at the (710 & 712) Pinzgauers and 404 (gasser) Unimogs back in the early 2000s. The pinzies are ugly but, it's an ugly that grows on you . And the only 'mogs that were in my price range were the older 404 gas engined beasts (1.5 ton cargo cap.)surplused out from both the Swiss and NATO stocks.

I test drove both trucks side by side on the road and IMHO, the pinz was the better on road vehicle. It was easier to get in and out of, had more pep (I drove the 712-6X6 model) and more creature comforts (seat belts turn signals a fuel gauge)......Great now I think I've got a mild case of "Pinzitus" .

Matt

[SOTVEN]

"A BOOK"... HAHAHAHAHA , WELL, I WOULD BE EQUALLY HAPPY WITH WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO GET. HOWEVER, IF IT IS THAT EASY FOR YOU TO GET OVER "WHEELED FEVERS", THEN PERHAPS YOU SHOULD WAIT A WHILE. PERHAPS YOUR "PINZITUS" MIGHT GO AWAY AS YOUR "ROVER FEVER" DID, AND YOU MIGHT SAVE SOME MONEY IN THE END, LOL .