L Series advice

Dirttrack

Forum Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2012
Messages
2
Location
Adelaide
Hi all,

I am new to the 4wding game and was wondering if I could get some thoughts and opinions on the L Series as a beginners 4wd? I dont know a lot about the L Series other than they seem to be unbreakable and look tough with a lift kit and mud tyres :).

Is there much of a difference between the late 80's or early 90's models? ie any engine issues to be aware of. What are the things I should look out for when buying? Should I buy manual or auto?

Ill be using the car for weekend surf/camping trips and a bit of town driving during the week.

Thanks
 
G'day Dirttrack & :welcome: to ORS.
As for choosing an auto or a manual, it's probably better to answer that question by asking what you prefer (feel more comfortable with) driving :iconwink:

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
I think any car you don't mind getting minor damage on is good for a beginners 4wd, but one with cheap spares is probably your best choice ;)
My L series has taught me a lot and forced me to be more careful than, say my friend with an old lifted patrol as he just plants his foot through most things rather than taking care and planning more, which is what I have to do to kinda keep up haha. I must say everyone is very impressed by my L when it gets to places without getting into trouble, so be prepared for the comments before hand but expect the praises to come afterward
 
G'day Dirttrack :welcome:

L-series Are a great Subie with lots of fans on here. The manual has an excellent low range (1.59:1) compared to late model Subies (1.19:1). Cant comment on the auto or different engines in them though...

For an interesting discussion, look at Which is better - NA dual range Foz or L Series? . It has some great info & opinions on the L-series, even though it does go off-topic a bit lol ;)

Also, it might help to add some info bout yourself such as location in your profile, do this in the User CP page
 
Welcome! The L Series is a great beginners car; get a dual range if you can; but as Mr T said, whatever you are comfortable driving - remember that usually only a small percentage of your time will be offroad so also consider what you want to do with the car on a daily basis. Suzukis are also a great beginners car and generally more capable than an L series but lack space.
 
Gidday DT

A warm :welcome: to the ORS, mate.

As others have said - get a car you don't mind/can afford to break ...

Depending on what abuse you are prepared to subject your car to will depend on how capable it can be.

Some here consider anything to be a challenge.

Some (myself included) take a different view. At my age, the challenge is to continue to survive. Therefore I tend to use my own vehicles to take me where I want to go, avoiding what is avoidable, and which is likely to incur damage or excessive risk to myself or my vehicle.

Some seek thrills; I have had more than enough "thrills" to last me for the rest of my life, thanks.

Both approaches are fine (IMO), just different.
 
Ratbag said:
Some (myself included) take a different view. At my age, the challenge is to continue to survive. Therefore I tend to use my own vehicles to take me where I want to go, avoiding what is avoidable, and which is likely to incur damage or excessive risk to myself or my vehicle.

Some seek thrills; I have had more than enough "thrills" to last me for the rest of my life, thanks.

Both approaches are fine (IMO), just different.
Click to expand...
Very true & well said Ratbag :)

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
Kevin said:
Suzukis are also a great beginners car and generally more capable than an L series but lack space.
Click to expand...

They also lack a 6 star badge lol :iconwink:


But yeah, if I was to get a non-Subie it would have to be a Suzuki, maybe a Jimny.
 
Welcome to the forum!

Kevin said:
Welcome! The L Series is a great beginners car; get a dual range if you can; but as Mr T said, whatever you are comfortable driving - remember that usually only a small percentage of your time will be offroad so also consider what you want to do with the car on a daily basis. Suzukis are also a great beginners car and generally more capable than an L series but lack space.
Click to expand...

I agree with Kevin here.

I have both an L-Series and a Forester. Both are great and for a beginner I would choose an L-Series. They are just that bit older, cheaper to fix and can handle abit more of a rougher beating. All of that is what you want for a beginner :iconwink:

Taza
 
L series would probably be easier to work on as well being a bit older and simplier. when off roading you need to be reasonable at doing some repairs yourself so if you aren't very capable the L series might be a better place to start learning.
 
Biesel said:
L series would probably be easier to work on as well being a bit older and simplier. when off roading you need to be reasonable at doing some repairs yourself so if you aren't very capable the L series might be a better place to start learning.
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very true working on my brumby is far easier then my forester...
also remember if your going offroad the l series are now an old car and things are going to break and also subaru's arent the strongest of cars so if you plan on doing some serious stuff could be better off with a different make maybe even a suzuki just my 2 cents
 
thunder039 said:
very true working on my brumby is far easier then my forester...
also remember if your going offroad the l series are now an old car and things are going to break and also subaru's arent the strongest of cars so if you plan on doing some serious stuff could be better off with a different make maybe even a suzuki just my 2 cents
Click to expand...


I agree. The L-Series is 3x easier to work on than a newer Subie. It's like chalk and cheese :lol:
Seriously though they are easy to work on and easy to repair if something breaks, especially when your offroad.

-Taza
 
Thanks for all the responses!! I don't think my 4wding will be too aggressive. I'm definitely more of an avoid the obstacle at all costs rather than trying to crash through it :)

Are there many differences between the late 80's or the early 90's models, or is it a much of a muchness?
 
The touring wagon seems to be more sought after, recognized by the high roof. One of the later models had a digital dash but I always kinda thought it was pretty ugly :puke:

Waiting for Bennie (El Freddo) to chime in :poke:

Remember they are all 20+ yrs old, so a thorough check by your motoring organisation would be essential IMO. I think RACV charges ~$130 for a very comprehensive check
 
I agree with NL. The later the model the better.
Get it checked out very thoroughly.

These cars are getting seriously old now (like me ... ).

One of the reasons I sold Roo1 ('93 Impreza) was that it was 18 y.o. with 234,000 kms on the clock.

I could see things with big dollar signs on them coming over the horizon; and it would still be 18 y.o. ...
 
^
I have to disagree. I find the old L-Serries cheap to fix compared to a newer Subies. There is muxh less to go wrong too.
Get a L-Series between 1989 and 1994. He touring wagon has electric Windows, the higher roof and power steering as an extra. I have a sportswagon which has no power steering but that eoesnt bother me.
Fly over and buy it if you want :) mechqnicqlly its healthy with low km and has had over $600 spend on services and maintenance :)
 
Nachaluva said:
The touring wagon seems to be more sought after, recognized by the high roof. One of the later models had a digital dash but I always kinda thought it was pretty ugly :puke:

Waiting for Bennie (El Freddo) to chime in :poke:

Remember they are all 20+ yrs old, so a thorough check by your motoring organisation would be essential IMO. I think RACV charges ~$130 for a very comprehensive check
Click to expand...

i believe you may be mixed up here with the MY wagons and the l series wagons. the MY wagons were early 80's then come the l series which continued from then till the 90's
 
Gidday Taza

taza said:
^
I have to disagree. I find the old L-Serries cheap to fix compared to a newer Subies. There is muxh less to go wrong too.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree!! :iconwink: :lol:

Old technology cars are a piece of p*** to fix compared even with my Impreza!

What I was referring to was that my Impreza needed a reconditioned gearbox; the engine was old, and tired; and far more importantly, the body/paint integrity was starting to show signs of deterioration. Rear brakes needed shoe replacement (at least); front brakes needed new pads (at least); and the air-conditioning could no longer keep me cool enough in hot weather ...

When I was your age, I could, and would, have done most of the work myself. However, I gave all that up when I turned about 50 y.o. ... Still have all the tools - cannot afford to hurt myself now - just too dangerous.

Start totalling the costs of that up!
Not one cent of which expenses (around $5~7K) would have added one cent to the value of a car that never really suited me as well as even the earliest Forester would have (much as I was very fond of Roo1 ... ).

So it was time to bail out into something newer that suited me better.

Roo2 does.

Same deal with the Camry and RonnyRoo.

Just too much dough to sink into a car that no longer suits one's needs.

With my health issues, I also need to have as reliable a car as possible. Waiting for a couple of days to be rescued wouldn't have phased me when I was your age. These days, it would literally kill me.
 
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