can anyone point me to some info on what countries had licenced manufacturer of land rovers. recently in El Salvador C.A. and drove a land rover (1973) labled manufactured in santa ana s.a under licence of land rover u.k..
gas 4cyl eng. and stated on id plate 88" (inch).

sorry I don't know much about land rovers, kind of a toyota person here in the states. but looking to buy a land rover for my place in El Salvador.

they wanted $1500 for it but the steering was dangerous and it shfted like crap. and who knows how many Km on it, although the engine hummed like a sewing machine.

Santana LR's are legit. Pics?

Sketchy steering can be a can-of-worms. I bet you can find better if you just start looking. You will probably see a lot of Santana's (Spanish Land Rovers) down there.

http://www.brucehopkins.co.uk/santana_4x4.htm
google tem, Santana's get written up by the English mags as well.

google CKD and land rover

Don't research it. Research implies the desire to make an informed and rational choice. That very concept is incompatible with Land Rover ownership.

Don't worry about crap steering - you'll want to change all that anyway. A Toyota power steering box (mine came off an 80's Cressida but they were used in some light trucks and vans as well) will bolt in to the inner corner of the front cross member and otherwise leave your steering gear intact. Other options exist. Even if you keep the manual box, dodgy steering could be worn ball joints or slack in the box that can be taken up - it doesn't necessarily mean a bad box. In any event, they don't corner like they're on rails anyway.

The main things you want to check on are whether the chassis and bulkhead are in decent shape and the local availability of spare parts. There are loads of Santana LRs in Costa Rica and, with the customs union, no duties, so if there's nothing local and you can find a spares place in CR that you can deal with, you're okay.

Get underneath the thing with a screw driver and poke hard all around the chassis. The rear cross member is probably paper thin. No big deal. But check around the spring hangers, dumb irons (the bits to which the front bumper connects to the chassis) and the outriggers especially. If the chassis is rotten, don't buy it, there'll be others around. If the others are rotten and you really want it, take the price way down and find a good welder. Then check the bulkhead, especially around the windscreen corners. If there's a lot of bubbling under the paint, again, this is a worry. The footwells will either be rotten or have been replaced, but they're not a big deal either. Next, check the chrome balls/swivels on the front axle. They should be reasonably smooth and rust free. If they are fairly pitted and/or rusty or dry, they will need replacing and they can be expensive if not readily available locally. That shouldn't be a deal breaker but should be worth @ $ 250 off the price in negotiation. Provided there's no clunking or other particularly inapproriate noises coming out of the axles or transmission and you want the thing as a runabout rather than to seriously wheel it, then you're good to go.

You will break rear halfshafts (axles) running it in the mud in ES. This is not a big deal. Keep a spare either side and learn how to change them - not very difficult - there are even some guys in the UK selling an extraction tool for the annoying end bit that gets stuck in the diff (X Engineering UK - on the interweb). The SIII gearbox (if a period Land Rover item) is weak but unless you do something to pump up torque should be fine for quite a while unless it is making particularly unpleasant noises now. The 2.25 engine is reliable if uninspired. You may or may not have a Zenith carb, which can be problematic. There is a Weber replacement which, like the engine, is relaible but uninspired. The brakes can be finicky to adjust and bleed but that's really only a matter of patience.

The SIII, including as as manufactured by Santana at that time, was designed and built for the purpose you seem to intend it for - an agricultural runabout where offroad capability is required. It is a very basic vehicle and if you learn how to service it and do so regularly, it will be a reliable vehicle that will surprise you again and again with its capabilities.

Good luck.

thanks for the info!!! some more info about the truck is solex carb I believe, and the tropo roof i assume thats the metal on the roof providing fresh air without the rain.
sorry i did't take photos of it, i had left the camera at the "casa".
the the drag link, i believe thats what it is called on lrs, looked like crap.
well next year when i go back to El Salvador i will have this researched and know what to look for. meanwhile i enjoy reviewing this part of pirate4x4.
although my money as of now is tied up on a 85 toyota 4x4 here in the states
lrs are looking good fo C.A.

I don't know how much a $ buys in central America, but if it's anything at all like it is up here, $1500 for a running, driving Series truck seems pretty good to me-Ike is the only one who gets better deals in the US :flipoff2:.

RPR said it all, I couldn't have done better myself.

PT

thanks for the info!!! some more info about the truck is solex carb .

Bin it and fit a S.U. (less to go wrong)

the tropo roof i assume thats the metal on the roof providing fresh air without the rain.
.

no ....no ....no.......... the tropical roof is there to provide fresh air with rain :D