WHEN DID IT ALL CHANGE?

[willco]

I owned a Series 2 for a number of years and really had a lot of fun with it and enjoyed the simplicity of construction. In view of that I thought I'd try and go back to recreate that enjoyment. I purchased a 1997 Disco which apparently has a lot of similar components to the old Landy's. Jeez! It was like an electricians nightmare, power this & power that, warning lights for this & that. You needed an engineering degree in electronics just to do simple trouble shooting. It strongly reminded me of a Jaguar XJSC I had, where the wiring harness would inexplicably burst into flames. Anyway due to more health issues I found I had to sell the Disco anyway so no great loss. Just thought I'd share my thoughts on the original intent of the "Landy" being a simple, utilitarian design has been lost in the past and the vehicle nowadays has become a status symbol of hi-tech, hi-priced SUV like 20 other makers out there.

[binch]

LOL...have you looked at the new defender yet?  ::)

[Matt H]

It all changed in 1970 with the introduction of the Range Rover. It was better than any any off road vehicle of the day while providing a car like ride and outstanding level of on road performance.
It was also much more technologically complex and surprisingly desirable.
Fast forward to the 90's and you have 'lifestyle' SUV's a plenty all competing to replace regular sedans and minivans in the average driveway.

A 1997 Land Rover Discovery is quite simple next to a modern vehicle from any manufacturer. It was actually rather backward even in its own time being based on the original Range Rover architecture and drivetrain. Yes they are more complex than a Series Land Rover but they do have a few more features.....like heat, light, seats for humans (rear jump seats not withstanding) and the ability to achieve highway speeds.

If your looking for a true Series 2 experience in any more modern vehicle then you are going to be disappointed.

[ugly_90]

If anyone was hoping for salvation in the new Ford Bronco, they might not find it there. I've attached a photo of the octopus of wiring and tubing under the hood. No fun there. Independent front suspension as well.

[B-Red]

We have to consider all the new environmental regulations in place to justify all the electronic controls.
Oxygen sensors, fuel efficiency to name a few.
The Bronco wiring may look complex, but very serviceable if you can get hold of the maintenance manual.
Even on a new Defender. The new tool to add to the box is not the Hammer. It's a digital multimeter accompanied by a modern code reader. That's what fixes modern cars.

[alany]

We have to consider all the new environmental regulations in place to justify all the electronic controls.
Oxygen sensors, fuel efficiency to name a few.
The Bronco wiring may look complex, but very serviceable if you can get hold of the maintenance manual.
Even on a new Defender. The new tool to add to the box is not the Hammer. It's a digital multimeter accompanied by a modern code reader. That's what fixes modern cars.

A generic code reader may not do the trick. To read the modern LR's, the code reader you need might be a bit/a lot expensive.