I want a defender, I want a defender!
- Thread starter johnnytheboy
- Start date
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As I said - if its for a toy, have fun with it, they are fun to drive - I passed my BORDA exams in one. So long as its not a serious means of transport, have at it.
18 and a half actually! But it's been a real good six monthsWhat Vizsla hasn't told us is that he's only 18 and a half now.
Oh hell yeah :thumbup: my mate has a new one .....and another has a full size, one.....70 on the M1 was scarey , but not as scarey as it was for the car infront lol. Off road.....FIERCE
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TurboGirl
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Unimogs are amaaazzzing, hubby bought me an instruction morning in langdale forest in one for breeding him a son, so much better than chocolates and flowers! But stick with the LR for fuel economy... Gosh, you don't hear that often!
We used to take our 101 FWD controls on traveling holidays, they're great for car camping but the LWB Lannies are ok for 2. If you have commercial auctions near you, they can be good to pick up van/ crew cab variants affordably if budget is tight and you're willing to spruce it up yourself but of course there's no chance of testing and us traders use them to move on stock that isn't commercially viable to retail
We used to take our 101 FWD controls on traveling holidays, they're great for car camping but the LWB Lannies are ok for 2. If you have commercial auctions near you, they can be good to pick up van/ crew cab variants affordably if budget is tight and you're willing to spruce it up yourself but of course there's no chance of testing and us traders use them to move on stock that isn't commercially viable to retail
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Nomad
Guest
Same goes for my 1994 LR Defender 90 - and bought off ebay at that! Just gets serviced at the right intervals and worked pretty hard, then it gets me to and from work every day too.
I've had a 1990 Defender 90 200tdi for just over a year now and I have to say it's a total guilty pleasure, I use it everyday for commuting and also playing at the weekends. The boost has been tweaked on mine and the fuel pump has been turned up so it pulls well but is TERRIBLE on diesel, talking between 15-20 mpg not even driving at 60 mph :-/
Overall mine hasn't been too bad but I wouldn't like to put it into a garage every time something breaks. The parts are dirt cheap if you go for standard but the labour would cripple you unless like me you do it all yourself then it's very managable. I would say you have to spend maybe a good day or two a month tinkering to get by but it's worth it.
I thought about selling mine up until a fortnight ago, we were at a bothy and it snowed quite heavy and it was just the perfect car for the job, had a few 'Defender Moments' lol. Another bonus is that other Defender owners (With the exception of farmers) give you a flash and a wave
I woul say if you're quite handy then get one but if you're the type of person who hears a noise coming from the car and sticks it in a garage then I wouldn't bother lol.
Overall mine hasn't been too bad but I wouldn't like to put it into a garage every time something breaks. The parts are dirt cheap if you go for standard but the labour would cripple you unless like me you do it all yourself then it's very managable. I would say you have to spend maybe a good day or two a month tinkering to get by but it's worth it.
I thought about selling mine up until a fortnight ago, we were at a bothy and it snowed quite heavy and it was just the perfect car for the job, had a few 'Defender Moments' lol. Another bonus is that other Defender owners (With the exception of farmers) give you a flash and a wave
I woul say if you're quite handy then get one but if you're the type of person who hears a noise coming from the car and sticks it in a garage then I wouldn't bother lol.
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Nomad
Guest
Another bonus is that other Defender owners (With the exception of farmers) give you a flash and a wave
Yep, and it's known as the "Defender wave". (Also extended to Series drivers.)
Not just farmers, but most folks that drive them as part of their job don't bat an eyelid. Everyone that isn't getting paid to drive one didn't pick it for its fantastic fuel economy, nippiness in town, motorway cruising speed, or silent and refined luxury - and we all know this, and acknowledge it in our fellows. (It's like bikers giving each other a nod as they pass.)
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Nomad
Guest
I've always just thought it's the 'I share your pain' wave
That's the positive message the Defender drivers give to the Series drivers, who don't wave back, because they're too busy steering it in a straight line.
Here here, had Landys for a number of years now, had series, freelanders, disco's, ect, the 200 and 300 tdi great engine, mine only let me down when I had a rear wheel bearing go on me after a long day playng in a sand quarry, only time I did not manage to limp home...
Cheap parts, easy to fix... and loads of mods to make extreme off roading better,
Stay away from as many electronics you can if your doing some serious off roading where water is involved, most my mates say that the wish they had not got the Disco ES spec....lol
And as form MPG look at 25ish on average with a deiseil tdi lump if its less then 22mpg it needs some work and if they say they get over they need to drive it....
I drove a Landrover once on a public road; it belonged to a friend and I have no idea of the model.
Steering play? I'll say!
Do they all do that?
Steering play? I'll say!
Do they all do that?
They're not the best at steering in a straight line. When I got mine it was a nightmare as the steering box was really worn so I replaced that and it got better but not brilliant
The problem lies with the amount of components between the steering wheel and the wheel, there are 2 UJ's (Universal Joints), a steering box which can wear, 4 ball joints and 2 bearings in each hub. There are also 4 bushes in the front and 2 in the back that can influence the steering so a slight but of wear in each of these components equates to a big difference in tight steering.
I thought it was probably just a function of the mechanics; I nearly hit someone turning out of their drive because the steering lock was so useless.
They're not the best at steering in a straight line. When I got mine it was a nightmare as the steering box was really worn so I replaced that and it got better but not brilliant
The problem lies with the amount of components between the steering wheel and the wheel, there are 2 UJ's (Universal Joints), a steering box which can wear, 4 ball joints and 2 bearings in each hub. There are also 4 bushes in the front and 2 in the back that can influence the steering so a slight but of wear in each of these components equates to a big difference in tight steering.
Steering!, I always thought of it as vague pointing. Always reminds me of the old black and white movies where they're "driving" along to a back projected background stirring the steering wheel.
Arrrrgh, what an evil thread 
I've had several series and defenders and, after a bit of a break, now have a disco 2. It's lovely, refined driving, comfortable, reasonable mpg, quiet(ish) and still damn good off road. HOWEVER, for some reason i still hanker after another 110, don't ask me why, i know all the pit falls, the costs and the hardships that they give yet there is something quite addictive about those Solihul monsters.
So thank you Johnytheboy, thank you alot :aargh4:!!!
I've had several series and defenders and, after a bit of a break, now have a disco 2. It's lovely, refined driving, comfortable, reasonable mpg, quiet(ish) and still damn good off road. HOWEVER, for some reason i still hanker after another 110, don't ask me why, i know all the pit falls, the costs and the hardships that they give yet there is something quite addictive about those Solihul monsters.
So thank you Johnytheboy, thank you alot :aargh4:!!!
My 90 TD5 Heritage is 12 years old. I've had it 6 years, before which it had two owners and a fairly tough life. Under my ownership, it never put a foot wrong, cold starts after standing for weeks, etc, until I decided to pay for a full respray and really pamper it, after which I had a whole succession of things - gear linkage, fan, coolant pipes, battery, all fixable. New steering linkages restored the steering to pretty good standards. Got them all fixed and now it's better than ever. Goes like a train and looks like new. Corners very well with the standard anti-roll bar. I think most of the unreliable wrecks you hear about have not been looked after. Despite the tough image, they are quite vulnerable to rusting and abuse, and accumulated acidic farm mud is deadly.
Overall - as reliable as any car I've owned and much more fun.
Overall - as reliable as any car I've owned and much more fun.
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