Just an observation

[merlin617]

Hi All,

I have just been wandering through the forum pages and looked in the tech pages other than Landy ones to see what other chaps with different vehicles get up too and noticed many posts where people tell of  the prowess of there particular make of vehicle off road.

The comments which took my interest were the ones saying perhaps "its better than a Land Rover" or "it'll go anywhere a Land Rover will" or "we got further than a 90 that was stuck up to its axles" You know the sort of thing.

Now, I have a Landy, but have no problems with others who like other 4x4s but what I found amusing is that even the people who dislike the old Solihull machine still compare their own vehicles to it.

I realise that there are probably far more old landys mud plugging out there than other makes but it still gives me a nice warm feeling that after 60 years they still appear to be the benchmark that others try to equal.

I must try to remember that fact next time something breaks or drops off mine.

Like I said, just an observation

[Eeyore]

Good point, that man!

In the 'mine gets further than yours' debate, folk often forget one thing - the driver can make an aweful lot of difference to the performance of a vehicle, regardless of which nation built the thing.

Take challenge events. There are guys doing them with portal axles, immense suspension travel, planet sized tyres and super-fandango v8s. All the gizmos. And they still get panned by a dude with nowt more that a 2" lift and some canny driving. Which makes me smile. 

It's about the nut behind the wheel, more than owt else, so in the ol' arguement, my stock answer is 'drive a mile in my tyres, then we'll discuss'.

......as long as I get to choose the mile!  :lol:

[V8MoneyPit]

I had the bonus of actually being able to directly compare for a year or so. I had a modified Samurai and a V8 110. Both great fun, but in very different ways. As the right honourable donkey says, driving style makes a huge difference. If I drove the Sammy the way I drove the 110, it would get stuck within yards. When I drove it like I stole it  :twisted:, it was amazing! All it took was a change of driving style........ and to switch off the fear button  :shock:  :lol:

[Rich_P]

Take challenge events. There are guys doing them with portal axles, immense suspension travel, planet sized tyres and super-fandango v8s. All the gizmos. And they still get panned by a dude with nowt more that a 2" lift and some canny driving. Which makes me smile. 

Or in some cases, said vehicles are out done by a decent driver in an old bog standard leafer that's nearly as old (or older sometimes!) than the driver.  :lol:

[Eeyore]

Ahh, that'll be the good old 'trials' event. I once watched a single seater special getting beaten by a S1.  :dance:

Mind you, I've seen SJs do a good job of wiping the floor too, but they're pretty much the same thing!  :lol:

[strapping young lad]

you'll find this kind of thing in any walk of life...

mountain bikes, games console (always bore me this one), pc power (another yawner)

even the car you drive to work in is inevitably going to be compared to others...

ive been quite lucky in that sense cos for the last 7 yrs ive owned uncommon cars, well insomuch they are the only one in the car park.

disco with all the bits
and now the galant.
but my next one is a company car, a 1.4 golf gt ;) which has loads in the car park but only mine will be black interior and black exterior

pimp!

[Mark_Solesbury]

Iv got a Golf GT, Black is defiantly the way to go :)

[strapping young lad]

due to the banding i can only get the 140 model not the 170

bummer

i get leather interior which is a new option not done before :)

[Disco Matt]

If I'm honest, it's one of the things I like most about mine. People see a near-standard Disco on all terrains and think it'll get stuck at the first sign of mud, but it doesn't. I've taken it through stuff that gave modified Defenders pause for thought, now the plough is gone from the back end it should be even better. No lift kit, 235/70 R16 A/Ts and it still has the anti-roll bars!

I call it the two Ts. Tyres and Technique. The right tyres and a bit of skill will get a standard Disco pretty much anywhere.

[freelanderpx54]

Ok, I have to admit that when the alternator on the Disco packed in and I managed to flatten the battery, I had to get my to come out and give me a jump start in his










































Suzuki Jimny.



OH the shame  :P

[kizz81]

i got dragged out of a swamp by a suzuki the second ever off - road trip i went on  :oops: :lol: in all fairness my tyres were worn and the swamp was very big and deep  :lol:

[freelanderpx54]

My battery was completely flat and lifeless. I bet your swamp was 20 foot deep and 3 miles wide (work with me, I am trying to generate some sympathy for us landy owners)

[V8MoneyPit]

My battery was completely flat and lifeless. I bet your swamp was 20 foot deep and 3 miles wide (work with me, I am trying to generate some sympathy for us landy owners)

What are you talking about? Aren't swamps *always* 20 foot deep and 3 miles wide?.... but only if you get stuck in them  :lol:

[Lincs niva]

You see it alot on ebay (this will go where landys wont)Quite frankly a load of crap..

We all no landys will go anywhere without mods it's common knowledge..I like to think my niva is quite capable but i no i cant always go where landrovers go..Yes ive pulled landys out and they've pulled me out all in the fun...

Cheers Gav

[datalas]

In my experience the vehicle is usually more capable than the driver,  I've often found myself in a situation where I've though "on balance, I wish I'd got stuck back there, since I'd know to to get out of this if I'd got stuck back there"

Climbing back down a large hill at Calendar is but one example, I'd really rather the motor hadn't managed to get to the top of it :)

[666]

The comments which took my interest were the ones saying perhaps "its better than a Land Rover" or "it'll go anywhere a Land Rover will" or "we got further than a 90 that was stuck up to its axles" You know the sort of thing.

While off roading at Woodlands in Kent a number of years ago i managed to get my near standard Frontera hung up and bellied out, while a friend and myself were recovering it a small crowd had gathered. in that crowd one women uttered the words "what do you expect, its a frontera should have got a landrover!" Unfortunatley, at the time she was standing next to my wife  :lol: :lol: :lol: She in turn replied (very loudly) "well i dont see any effing landrovers attempting it" at which point the crowd dispersed!

After we had recovered a chap came along in what looked a standard disco, he attempted the same obstical as i had failed, he didnt get as far as me and was gratefull when we recovered him.

Unfortunatley, in off roading there are far more landrovers about than anything else! And a lot (not all) seem to think that to get anywhere off road you have to have a landrover, nothing else will do! Ask most non landrover drivers they will confirm they have had snide comments at there chosen vehicle from landrover owners.

This is in my oppinion why most people will refer there own trucks ability to that of a landrover!

Now please dont take offence at this, and it is aimed at no one here as i have not met many of you but if some landrover owners got of there high horse and accept that some of us dont want to drive landrovers and have very capable machines with different badges on, then we wouldnt have to set a benchmark of what is/isnt a capable machine off road!

So i hope i have not offended anyone, and i am not a landrover hater! I grew up around landrovers and range rovers and do have a great respect for them! It dont mean i want to own one though ;)

Cheers

Mark

[morson4x4]

I agree about the technique in driving not the vehicle as such mods just help, 1 guy I go out with in lanes and bogs he has a standard disco with road tyres and all in fairness he's gone where some of the pluggers have got stuck and made it thro admitantly I thought id try this and failed i was so stuck it took 1 recovery disco back to back pushing and a 110 with 7 guys in it attached to a dozen ropes to get me out thank god they did or I wouldn't of got home  :doh:

[Lincs niva]

I think 666 Mark has hit the nail on the head there :D

Cheers Gav

[robert francis]

 what ever 4x4 you have its down to the driver in most cases not the motor.but i wouldnt have anything bar a landy, its just my choice, easy to fix and cheap on parts

[666]

I think 666 Mark has hit the nail on the head there :D

Cheers Gav

Thanks,

Not often i get it right :lol: :lol: Especially off road :oops: :oops: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cheers

Mark

[Discopoo]

It's horses for courses, it may be a bit cliche but it's true. I drive a Disco but in my other club we have everythjing from Zukes to Toyotas and all are very capable.
I drive a Disco becuase I fit but don't like Rangies but my brother won't drive anything else, also he doesn't like Diesels and has to have a V8 where as I like Dag dags. Evan in the lanrover worls we all have our preferences .

Maybe next time we have a meet we should do some chop and change so we can get a feel for some different makes ?

[tenpolequint]

As a Frontera owner (my first 4X4) I dont kid myself that it will go anywhere a landy would. No way. Well it might do if a landy was towing it.

[666]

As a Frontera owner (my first 4X4) I dont kid myself that it will go anywhere a landy would. No way. Well it might do if a landy was towing it.

In that case, you just aint tryin hard enough ;) :P :P :P

Cheers

Mark