Defenders

[Bigfoot]

Would love to have one but can't justify the use or indeed, the time to give one the sufficient amount of TLC needed

I am aware that there are buyers trawling the European market and bringing them back to the UK for restoration and resale. Part of the reason why prices are going up here - the ones I have seen restored (or modded) are absolutely top notch and are selling for premium prices.

Maybe Santa will be kind this year

 

[Frase]

I've had several great cars super reliable if well maintained easy to work on and parts availability is brilliant, my present one 2003 110 I've had for 8 years worth the same now as what I paid for it.
15fbpicL1008267 by f4saregreat!, on Flickr

 

[Herbalist1]

I've had many land rovers from series iii onwards. Great vehicles and loved them all but also had a couple of discos which are just as capable for the most part and a much more comfortable family vehicle. Unfortunately there's a lot more to go wrong, electronically and on an older one like mine, it can get expensive.
I'd still love another defender but now that production as stopped, the price of decent second hand ones has rocketed. Hard to justify when you can get a much newer disco for a lot less money. Discos used to be known as 'the thinking mans defender' - don't like the new ones that though. Past series 4, Land Rover more concerned about style than substance. But then I think that Land Rover have sold out their heritage and chosen that route across the board with their newer vehicles.

Saying all that and being a real Landy fan, a Nisaan Terrano II was one of the best vehicles I ever had. Ok it was basic, had a bit of an agricultural feel on the road ( though still more comfortable than a defender) but it had plenty of power off road, good ground clearance, proper transmission (transfer box and diff lock) and the fact that it had selectable 4wd meant that on road in 2wd it was a bit more frugal than a defender too. Unfortunately major sill rot spelt the end for that car!

 

[mowerman]

If anyone is interested, I am selling my j reg 1991 defender 110. 200tdi
It has 6 seats with belts and 2 additional benches in the back so you can fit 12 people in if you are off road.
It has about 10 months MOT and is mechanically perfect. Serviced every 5000 miles and gearbox, transfer box and axle oils changed every 10000 miles.
New cam belt and water pump at 110,000 miles and now on 143,000
I have owned it for about 6 years and it has been our daily driver, wife's car, works van and holiday vehicle.
As I say mechanically it is A1 but cosmetically it is in need of some TLC.
The chassis and bulkhead are showing signs of corrosion and the second row doors will need either major refurbishment or replacing within the next few years.
I wasn't going to advertise it until later on in the year because it is booked on the isle of Wight ferry for our annual October half term holiday but if someone wants it now then they can come and pick it up.
I'm looking for around £4500 but would rather see it go to a good home than argue over a couple of hundred quid.
Drop me a PM and I will sort some photos out and may even wash it beforehand.

 

[mowerman]

Just found a photo from a couple of years back when my 300tdi van had broken down and I used it to tow the mower to work.
It really is an ace bit of kit.
I am a decent mechanic but do not have the patience or inclination for cosmetic work etc.

 

[srod]

Nice looking truck!

 

[mowerman]

Cheers mate. I will shed a tear when it goes but unfortunately it is time to move on.

 

[Scotty Von Porkchop]

Bloody awful things: leaks, misting, slow, badly engineered.... Still the greatest and most cherished vehicle I've ever had. It's like a retarded dog: cute/cherished but doesn't half drive you mad

 

[Janne]

xxxxxxxxxx.

 

[MartiniDave]

The biggest downside is the toe-rags that think they must steal them. I think if anyone is caught doing this it should be permissible to chain them between 2 defenders and very, VERY, slowly, using the low gears, pull them in half!

 

[Janne]

xxxxxxxxxxxx.

 

[Madriverrob]

Good anti theft protection is a must. I used to have a kind of 'boot' that locked the pedals

Clutch claw it's called ....

 

[MartiniDave]

I use a Clutch Claw and a Disclock which completely covers the steering wheel. Clutch claw can be a faff when you boots are muddy though.

Dave

 

[Tonyuk]

Defenders are money pits, even if maintained correctly.

Tonyuk

 

[Janne]

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[MartiniDave]

I have to say my current one - a 2004 td5 - has been with me for just over 2 years now and has been no trouble at all. And yes, it does get used in the muck and has to carry loads, do towing etc. I dread the day comes when I have to get something else instead.

 

[srod]

Defenders are money pits, even if maintained correctly.

I think think every car is a money pit!! Overall running costs have been much the same as any other car I have had. Plus, as maintaining it has become something of a hobby, the money I would previously have spent on garage labour costs I get to invest in my tool collection!

 

[backstop]

As the owner of a Defender or two, I'd agree with pretty much everything that's been said about quality, fuel economy, maintenance costs, comfort and reliability. None of them stack up in absolute terms to other vehicles of similar type BUT none of those can be customised, re-built, re-invented and generally mucked about with like a Defender. The near-90 degree angles and flat surfaces all over it make it an ideal base for a bespoke vehicle, designed by the user. Even basic carpentry skills will give you a custom built truck that'll pretty much take you anywhere. And when you get to Anywhere, and it breaks - as it surely will - the technology is so basic that if you can't fix it yourself there'll be a Bush Mechanic around the next bend who can probably do a pretty good job.

We're on our second "tailored" 110 and we've never had as much fun with anything we've ever owned before. We're constantly improving it, mostly in tiny steps just to see what works best or was just a "good idea" that doesn't stand the test of practical use. We can live in, on or off it in practically all weathers and it's great just to be able to live "off grid" whenever we choose. For us, the "the dream of far off places and overland adventures " has become a reality just because we own this noisy, leaky, thirsty, poorly engineered box-on-wheels. As you can tell by now, we're converts!

 

[Barry Rowland]

I would absolutely love to have a Defender! Here in the States they are a rare breed, and pretty pricey.

 

[daveO]

Well my defender just breezed through it's MOT again (maybe a few advisories ). I have to make a tricky decision now whether it's going up for sale or not. We need a campervan more than the landy but with prices going the way they are I dont think I'd be able to replace it in the future if I wanted it back. Maybe I'll keep it for the winter and see how I feel next year...