Was it you? I saw my first 'real' Series in what must be 20 years...

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

Was it you?

I take it all back. In a prior post I bemoaned I've not seen a Series on the same patch of road as me since I don't know when? It's so long ago, I wouldn't have realised it was my last. It might be 25 years since??

I don't mean a 'poseurs will pose' August bank Holiday' Series, I mean, yesterday -  February 6th when it's not so amenable. Whoever you are, I saw you yesterday in Hemel Hempstead, heading towards ( I think) Warner's End? In February, yes... February. You were a way off, too far to be sure... you were running what looked like a tidyish S2 or S3 109 CSW in Blue? Used in anger. At the current rate, doubtful I'll see another in my lifetime, yet I saw you. It warms my heart to see.

 Well done.

[biloxi]

I once asked a bloke "was that you I saw last week......" in the presence of his wife. Lesson learnt.
.W.

[Alan Drover]

There used to be a number of Series Land Rovers around.my area but they've all disappeared apart from mine. The last time I saw another Series was outside the nearby Tesco a few months ago now.
Even real Defenders aren't so prolific now and the imposter version is slowly becoming more common. I've seen more imposters than I saw Series last year (discounting the Series at Newbury Sortouts).

[GHOBHW]

I know of 3 dailys in my area - a 2A, 3 and a lightweight, sadly the series 3 got stolen about a week ago and not sure if its been found or not.

hes had that as long as I remember too

[whitehillbilly64]

Several 1,2's and 3's around my Area.
Know most the owners.
S3 SWB Ute back pulled over by Cops in town yesterday. Flashing Lights, bells and whistles.
This is a day after a mate said, you will never be pulled over by a cop in a Series land Rover. We can be bothered.
Yes he was a Cop.
I went past in my S3 SWB Daily, soft top rolled up, door tops of tooting my loud horn, waving.
I knew the owner, who waved back, as did the 2 cops.
Quick call later, he had been pulled over to check his Historic Rego vehicle logbook had been filled in correctly, which is a condition of using it.
And Breath test, as most series land Rover owners drive, weaving as if they are Drunk.....
All was good, they thought his Land Rover was very Cool.

whitehillbilly

[Gareth]

There's a few around here. A very tidy S2 88 lives around the corner. Never seen it move though.
Nathan Glasgows old S3 is 150 yards away.
There's a couple of others, including a Gypsy running around the area.

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

It's good to hear there's some, just maybe not so much in the South East? Glen A says he punts his about.  I do 8-9000 a year, thus by my calculation, either I drive with my eyes shut, or... I've done 160,000ish miles and not seen another. Until yesterday. I know where heaps are parked, they never move.

It would appear that it's me that's the oddity here. I mean, I own a vehicle and I drive the thing. Ummm... I truly don't get it. Are Series LRs poisonous - if so, why has no one said?

Is it me, am I the idiot?  Have I been putting to public road what I think is a vehicle, when really, it's a stamp-collection?

[Larry S]

This year marks my 20th year of owning Grover.  During this ENTIRE time I have as yet to see a Series Rover of ANY kind driving along a road, track, trail or field.  The ONLY series Rovers I've seen with my own eyes within the 5 State area have been scant. I've seen 1 derelict in a field, 1 in a professional shop, 1 in storage (non working), 2 as static displays at a zoo and a Forward Control firetruck on its way to Moab.  I know there are others out there, but as I said above - in the past 20 years I have as yet to see one on the road.

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

Yeah, only come on, what you have is fair reasonable. I think I'm right in saying that'd be because the aren't any. Over here, we like to pretend S2/S3s are somehow precious and rare, only any summer-fete/ steam rally/ classic turn-out, and along with MGBs & Minis, you can bank on two or three.

[Old80]

NoBeardNoTopKnot
You need to get out more! 😉

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

I take your point, only whilst not my profession, I'm near a professional driver in that I'm doing 25-30,000 miles a year all-in. Two thirds of that business miles in a eurobox. Mostly within 140 miles of London, that's a helluva lot of road-time. Used in anger, I'm not seeing a Series outside of summer, and I'm not sure why. It's not as if they're rare.

It's near 11am as I write this, and 107 of us (and I'd assume most own one) have a login, that's just today. What do I not understand?

[Wittsend]

Can't say this bothers me ...

Series 2s now are very much in the "classic car" realm. The vast majority are NOT daily drivers, gone are the days when owning a Series 2 was a back-door, cheap way to start motoring.

And so, I am not at all surprised that you don't see so many on the roads these days.

 

[GHOBHW]

maybe its just the area, I see a lot more series land rovers in west/north yorkshire than I do in my area. same for around birmingham, always saw a lot there when driving around.

and also what Wittsend says, I'm sure fuel prices play a part too, plus these days if you damage the land rover it isn't as easy as grabbing a spare part from the scrap yard for 5 pence. parts are still cheap enough, but not as they were. or of the same quality.
Not sure how it is with other people, but drivers aren't exactly top notch anymore, amount of times people try get past me in insane places, expecting me to be able to do 10mph at most (its a 2.25 diesel but come on!) so it all plays a part...

though my dad always said the best land rovers were ones in constant use as its sitting what kills them. (water settling, seals etc)

you'll be pleased to know mine still carries sand, concrete slabs, timber and whatever else I can throw in the back on a near regular basis.

I lined my tubs bed with aluminium plates that I can easily remove + a thin galvanised metal sheet over the tub floor. I enjoy using it to carry a lot of heavy stuff, but don't want to damage the tub as you can't just go grab a tub from anywhere now, tubs are getting quite rare and pricey now too..

I'll end my insane tangent here or I'd be writing all day

(pic of mine putting in work last year, the tub, gearbox and axles are the only original parts remaining!)

[biloxi]

My suspicions are that very few people these days are capable and or confident enough to drive a car with a non synchro gear box, 
under all road and traffic conditions. As I've said before, spending  heaps of money on a so called restoration and then not drive
the car because of the price of petrol does not make sense to me.
.W.

[Wittsend]

Quite ...

There has been a big shift in the usage patterns of Series Land Rovers (and other classic cars for that matter). Used now as mainly weekend secondary (or tertiary) vehicles - to go cycling, fishing, dog walking, tip run, logs. Brought out when it's dry and sunny (which is odd as Land Rovers were/are designed for all weathers and terrains). 20 mpg focuses the mind. Running these things is not cheap, a hobby for the elder generation (retirees) who many have spare cash to spend on a hobby.

As I posted - fewer and fewer Series are being used as everyday drivers, and there's nothing that's going to change that trend - except maybe ULEZ exemptions. But if everyone jumps on the classic car wagon the robbers councils will remove the exemptions for Historic Vehicles. Be careful what you wish for!