The Rover-Landers of BC

I was have allways been a die-hard manual gearbox fan in my past Land Rovers, if anyone tried to sell me on the automatic I would quickly state things like "yeh but you cant bump-start it", "it uses more fuel", "exspensive to repair", "real off-roaders dont have automatics'......but....
Since running my RRC with the bullet proof ZF auto box I have to admit I would find it hard to go back to the manual shift box.
The pro's off the top of my head, It has a great Low 1 position for crawling down steep hills with out using brakes, you can have one foot on the throttle & one on the brake for delicate manouvers, the PARK position is great on steep hills!, The left foot doesn't have to be constantly working out on long rough runs, smoother gear changing, no regular clutch maintenance!! etc...

What does eveyone else think...pro's & cons???

My next dilemna is if I stick with the auto box & want to get a diesel engine installed...ummmm There are lots of diesel autos running in the UK, Anyone out there have experience running a Diesel auto? I'm thinking RRC 300TDI with auto box??

Your thoughts???
Cheers,
Andy

I suppose it depends on how technical you want your off-road challenges to be. I have to admit that taking the Disco II on some of the tougher trails, such as Green Mountain or the Whipsaw, it has been far more relaxing than the Series IIa ever is. Not only the automatic, but more comfy seats, air conditioning, ABS, ETC, HDC... which, by the way konked out at Whipsaw earlier in the month... Keith is monitoring it.

But back to the topic at hand... automatic or standard?

I think the automatic, combined with all the other off-road features of a rangie (or disco) turn the 4x4ing experience into more of "point and shoot off-roading" -- similar to using a point and shoot camera as compared with a manual SLR. No need to take as much care selecting your route up a rocky slope, no worries about doing the 3 pedal dance so you don't roll backwards on a steep grade, the automatic really makes these things a lot easier. You might say it flattens out some of the rough spots.

I would be very tempted to go with an automatic behind a turbo diesel. Now that I'm running a diesel in the Series truck, with series III standard gearbox -- I really love the power, but every shift, you have to spool up the turbo again. With an automatic it shifts along while you hold your foot on the throttle and maintain the head of steam (boost) that otherwise takes precious seconds to build again after shifting. At least that's the theory. Phil had a 300TDI with automatic in his yellow truck and he (or the new owner of it) may be able to shed a bit more light on the topic.

Hey Andy you old hornswaggler. Everything you and Dave have said about the differences between auto and manual I would agree with except the hill decent issue. In my humble opinion nothing holds a run away truck like a manual 1st gear low range decent. I know that on paper the auto does more or less the same thing but in practice the engine braking and auto box just don't do as good of a job. All that aside autos are a lot like automatic hubs, hill decent control electrics, electronic traction control etc.--- they're all great while they work. In other words I just don't think they lend themselves to being miles from nowhere with only a rudimentary set of repair tools. In the case of the auto transmission, it in itself is pretty bullit proof but a dead battery or the need to tow the vehicle can turn into a real headache out on the trail. Maybe its just my Ludite attitude but luxury just adds complication which in turn adds service issues that can make or break an off road excursion. Of course Andy, as you have pointed out, the proof is in the pudding and if, like you, one is able to successfully complete dozens of trips without the need to be repaired or rescued then who cares. :roll:

My current ride, an 88 RRC is the first rover I have had with an automatic. I have to say... I like it, alot! It shifts smoothly, the hold-back in 1 is very good, smooth power application, etc. What has really sold me on the automatics was a few years ago when I had a chev 3/4 ton diesel snowplow truck. It had a 4 speed manual and was pretty frustrating to operate... lots of wheel spin, lost momentum when shifting and not enough hands to steer, shift and operate the blade. I then switched to and automatic and found it was great - I could apply power slowly and evenly, the power kept going as I sped-up and I could steer and operate the blade without worring about shifting - it was a much better scenario for me. Something else to consider is the predominance of them in the off-road, agricultural and commercial applications... most of the big modern oilfield trucks I have seen are all autos now as they are far safer to operate - the drivers have much better power application control so less wheel spin and clutch jerk. Most of the big tractors are shuttleshift or hydrodrive. My dad drives Cat and Volvo 6X6 construction trucks... all autos with incredible hillholding capability (admittedly the jake brake helps too) . The autos have come a long way over time and the RRC tranny I have found to be amazing and has a very good reputation as well. I like standards too, my car is a standard and if I was to get another series I would be happy with the standard but there is something great about having the RRC and the auto... maybe "point and shoot" isn't for everyone but I sure like it!

Just my 2 cents
Rob
88RRC