WORK IN PROGRESS
LAUREN EATON, SELF-EMPLOYED, NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME
How did you find this project? I sold my Discovery 2 and needed a Land Rover in a hurry. It was for sale down the road and so I went to take a look at it. I wanted a manual five-door Freelander as it suited my Land Rover needs. I did a good haggling job (I think) and successfully found a replacement for my D2. I am over the moon with it.
So what have you used it for so far? It gets used all the time just like a Land Rover should be. I have driven it all over the UK and it has also been abroad. I have taken my Freelander greenlaning and overlanding. It has also attended various shows and events. Then I have driven it off-road at an altitude of 10,000 feet, which was a memorable experience. Last summer I even drove to northern Spain to attend the Land Rover Party at the Les Comes Land Rover Experience. It was great being there to celebrate Land Rover’s 70th birthday with people from all over the world.
How long have you owned it? It’s been two years now. Time flies when you’re having fun in your Freelander.
How is the engine running? These Td4 Freelanders are really bulletproof and I don’t have a bad word to say about the reliable engine as so far it has served me very, very well. Long may it continue. If any of your readers are looking to buy a Td4 Freelander then I would definitely recommend one.
What are your plans with your project? I will continue to modify it for overlanding and greenlaning purposes. There are small things you can do to improve what is already a great and capable Land Rover. Then I definitely need to address some of the rust issues before they get any worse. So that is the next big job.
What have you done so far? I have a very long list of all the jobs I have done so far. These include: clutch, slave and DMF, new brake assemblies all round, front and rear driveshafts, wishbones and prop rebuild.
What about improving capability and making it expedition-ready? Good question. I installed a camping unit that I built. Much cheaper than buying something. Then to help me when off-road I installed rock sliders, light guards, CB radio, tool carrier, interior storage and a 40 mm lift. I also upgraded the cabin. Definitely not your standard off-the-showroom-floor Freelander, that’s for sure.
What are the next jobs you will be doing on it? Replacing the fuel tank cradle, cleaning up the rear subframe and fitting a new set of all-terrain tyres.
What’s the hardest part of this project? Trying to juggle working on it while using it at the same time. Replacing the clutch, DMF and the slave on the road outside was pretty interesting, too.
When will it be finished? It’s a Land Rover – so probably never! There’s always something to do or improve on it.
Anyone helping you? No, I’m doing it all alone. Land Rovers are my passion and I love working on my vehicles.
Any other projects on the go? Another Freelander which will hopefully help fund my secret Series I. Then I’ve got to finish renovating my house. I would not mind adding another Land Rover to the collection. You can never have enough of them. So lots on the go for me. See you at the summer shows or on the lanes.
Anything to add? While I didn’t buy it as a project it has certainly grown on me and definitely turned into a project of sorts. What I love best is that I can take it to the sort of places where most people don’t expect to see a Freelander. It raises a lot of eyebrows.