Going to get me a Defender ... Need some advice : )
Discussion
Well it's been on the cards for many years and I am now going to do it ... and soon. Please bear with me for my long winded post.
We are rejigging our cars at chez Cloth and I will be in the market shortly for an early 5 door 110 (need the forward facing rear seats for child seats). As a first time Landy buyer I am pretty bewildered by the array and more importantly the price variances out there, have always kept half on eye on Landies so know a little but it's time to get serious. My budget is pretty small, we are going from 2 to 3 cars and have already bought number 3, now need to get rid of curr number 2 (Lexus RX300
) so that I can downsize it (financially) into the 110.
The car I am looking for will be in some capacity used for family transport (inc dog) so needs to be fairly reliable, new car number 3 will however bear the brunt of transporting family, esp. where comfort is required; I do want to learn to use it for getting muddy when possible (BiL is a farmer in Scotland so can take it for a play) and also it might have to tow a trailer with car on at some point. Budget is upto about £3.5-£4K - am I about on target with this or will I be buying trouble. I was initially looking at Disco's (or even the boxy shape Cherokee's) which seem much cheaper (i.e. get a much younger car for the money) but I need to scratch the Defender itch - my first car was a Daihatsu F20 which I loved, it was meant to be a Landy but was talked into a smaller car by sensible parents back then. (see my profile for a pic, try not to laugh, it was a while ago now
)
My £4k looks on occassion like it might get me around a J-K reg but probably a tatty one, I have also just seen advertised a lovely looking B reg V8 (
) which is being sold by a Land Rover specialist as having had "major refurbishment" and looks in good nick from the pics, it is on at just over £3K which would leave some money for backup/niggles. Is it like buying a Tvr, where you need to try to ignore the age and buy on condition alone, I am struggling to get my head around a 21 year old car but at the same time I guess they are just big mechano sets where pretty much everything can be replaced or repaired - I have seen some with monster mileages advertised so guess they will just run and run if cared for or just new engines popped in - I also would like to use it to increase my limited "man skills" and learn to do some work on the car where I can.
So what's the real question here? Well I guess it is, is a 110 defender in this price range realistic, should I up the budget to £6K (I can but would rather not). Am I mad to look at one from a dealer, am I just paying over the odds - being a first timer I like the idea that they wouldn't have taken it in if it's chassis/bulkhead was a pile of poo. Answers and advice please ...
We are rejigging our cars at chez Cloth and I will be in the market shortly for an early 5 door 110 (need the forward facing rear seats for child seats). As a first time Landy buyer I am pretty bewildered by the array and more importantly the price variances out there, have always kept half on eye on Landies so know a little but it's time to get serious. My budget is pretty small, we are going from 2 to 3 cars and have already bought number 3, now need to get rid of curr number 2 (Lexus RX300
) so that I can downsize it (financially) into the 110. The car I am looking for will be in some capacity used for family transport (inc dog) so needs to be fairly reliable, new car number 3 will however bear the brunt of transporting family, esp. where comfort is required; I do want to learn to use it for getting muddy when possible (BiL is a farmer in Scotland so can take it for a play) and also it might have to tow a trailer with car on at some point. Budget is upto about £3.5-£4K - am I about on target with this or will I be buying trouble. I was initially looking at Disco's (or even the boxy shape Cherokee's) which seem much cheaper (i.e. get a much younger car for the money) but I need to scratch the Defender itch - my first car was a Daihatsu F20 which I loved, it was meant to be a Landy but was talked into a smaller car by sensible parents back then. (see my profile for a pic, try not to laugh, it was a while ago now
) My £4k looks on occassion like it might get me around a J-K reg but probably a tatty one, I have also just seen advertised a lovely looking B reg V8 (
) which is being sold by a Land Rover specialist as having had "major refurbishment" and looks in good nick from the pics, it is on at just over £3K which would leave some money for backup/niggles. Is it like buying a Tvr, where you need to try to ignore the age and buy on condition alone, I am struggling to get my head around a 21 year old car but at the same time I guess they are just big mechano sets where pretty much everything can be replaced or repaired - I have seen some with monster mileages advertised so guess they will just run and run if cared for or just new engines popped in - I also would like to use it to increase my limited "man skills" and learn to do some work on the car where I can. So what's the real question here? Well I guess it is, is a 110 defender in this price range realistic, should I up the budget to £6K (I can but would rather not). Am I mad to look at one from a dealer, am I just paying over the odds - being a first timer I like the idea that they wouldn't have taken it in if it's chassis/bulkhead was a pile of poo. Answers and advice please ...
I guess the first question is What millage will it do? and can you afford the fuel in a V8 at 12ish mpg(would be my choice tho), if not you should be looking a a 200TDi for that money. As always buy on condition not age, a solid chassis and bulkhead is always a good thing!
Is the v8 the one here second to last one? if so very tasty!!!
Is the v8 the one here second to last one? if so very tasty!!!
Edited by seaton on Monday 10th July 17:11
seaton said:
I guess the first question is What millage will it do? and can you afford the fuel in a V8 at 12ish mpg(would be my choice tho), if not you should be looking a a 200TDi for that money. As always buy on condition not age, a solid chassis and bulkhead is always a good thing!
Is the v8 the one here second to last one? if so very tasty!!!
Is the v8 the one here second to last one? if so very tasty!!!
Edited by seaton on Monday 10th July 17:11
Yes should be able afford to run with a petrol, have been running the current Lexus and my Cerb as our only cars for a while now and neither really crack 20mpg
- Car number 3 is an Alfa 156 and this will take up the family role so for longer journeys etc it will be used. The landy will be running around locally, down to Nursery etc to pick up kids etc when my wife is off in the Alfa as she will use that get to work. V8 also appeals as I had a Chimaera before the Cerb so feels kinda right to have the old V8 back in the family, albeit in a different guise. Yep, you have found the one. Looks smart doesn't it.
4k will get you a niceish 200Tdi 110, steer clear of the TD it needs lots of TLC to stop it going bang. Take your time and wait for the right one top come along there's thousands of 110's tens out there and quite a few donkey's!!! If you can wait for the major shows Billing etc you could pick up a bargain, last year saw a galv'd 110 double crew cab go for 6kish.
To throw a spanner in the works have you thought about a disco? They're cheep plentiful and a more civilised than a Landy IMHO.
To throw a spanner in the works have you thought about a disco? They're cheep plentiful and a more civilised than a Landy IMHO.
greenlandy said:
To throw a spanner in the works have you thought about a disco? They're cheep plentiful and a more civilised than a Landy IMHO.
LOL, yes the head is screaming at me to get a Disco, but the heart says Defender. I fear that I might just need to get a Defender out of my system, if it is not right and I can't live with it then I will just move it on after a few months and get a Disco - will probably love the Disco all the more for its comfort and cosseting afterwards. If I do follow my head now though, I will forever look at the Defenders and think about what might have been
seaton said:
Doooooo it, get a V8 make sure the chassis and bulkhesd are solid! every thing else is a nut and bolt job to change!
Spoke to the garage on the phone about the one above, they said that the outriggers need some attention but the rest was good and bulkhead fine. They would be sorting the outriggers out for the sticker price and sticking it through the MOT, they were holding off doing them in case someone able and willing to do these themselves would want to take it (obviously for reduced price). Think I would let them do them, don't want that steep a learning curve
Hopefully going to see it tomorrow. Edited by Touching Cloth on Monday 10th July 18:58
Cool, dont be all dazzled by the new looking paint! check the door pillers and around the fresh air vents with a magnet, all the out riggers cross members and main chassis rails for rot. Panel fit will probably be bad, most are. Cam rattle from cold is common so is sludging of the top end, look in the oil filler for this. Gear box will feel vague compared to most cars, as long as there is no crunching on changes it should be ok, there will more than likely be a bit of play in the drive line showing as a clonk on take off, But this could also be bushes. The stearing will feel very "differnt" to the cerb, s will the aceleration and brakes which should pull up smooth with no grabbing/snatching on the rear drums 
Touching Cloth said:
greenlandy said:
To throw a spanner in the works have you thought about a disco? They're cheep plentiful and a more civilised than a Landy IMHO.
LOL, yes the head is screaming at me to get a Disco, but the heart says Defender. I fear that I might just need to get a Defender out of my system, if it is not right and I can't live with it then I will just move it on after a few months and get a Disco - will probably love the Disco all the more for its comfort and cosseting afterwards. If I do follow my head now though, I will forever look at the Defenders and think about what might have been
LOL that's why I brought a Landy.
Really be carefull from who you buy from... I've been around most of the dealers and so called pro builders in east anglia and beyond and they mostly sell shite. I've seen 130's with rear beds out of allignment by 2 inch's (that bad by Landrovers standards) and one 90 which looked great...but the trained eye could tell the rear buck was mostly filler.
The 90 and 110 became 'Defenders' around 1990 or 'G' plate. This is when the 200TDi was introduced. The Turbo Diesel (or TD) before this was much less powerful and not so reliable, hence these cars are always cheaper (unless someone is trying it on - I've seen planty of earlier cars advertised as Defenders!). I think the cars are basically the same oherwise (ie coil springs etc) but not all of the earlier ones had power steering. The V8 is fine but IMHO has more potential for headaches - ie you effectively have 2 engines so a smokey exhaust for example could potentially be doubly as tricky to diagnose and fix. I an going through the same thing at the moment and have a good Disco and want an off-roader - I have virtually decised to go for an early Disco 200TDi as you get all the luxury and reasonable off-road capability for a little as £1500! If you can live with a V8, a Rangy or Disco would be even cheaper. The Defenders (especially 90's) aren't much cheaper as V8's because they're popular for trialling.
I hope this helps!!!
I hope this helps!!!
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