Rich_P

I'm not convinced. If there's no market for the vehicles then the vehicles won't be made any more. So gov would have to pay a fortune to get them built, and organisations like Coast Guard, Mountain Rescue etc. will have to go without because they couldn't afford them? Then there's businesses like agriculture as you mentioned. Tree surgeons, and many other lines of work that need 4x4s but don't have masses of money for them, while at the same time I don't think a company would see it as a big enough market to sell like they do now. But I may be wrong on all this. I just don't like the way the world is going.

I can't, particularly if we get regular winters like the past few. The existing infrastructure can't cope as it is. What would organisations like the mountain rescue use?

In fact, here we go. http://www.vca.gov.uk/additional/files/enforcement-and-research-activities/tyre-noise/replacement-tyre-noise-enforcement.pdf

Anyone got a link or more information to this legislation? Who is it by? EU or UK?

Banned from what exactly?

Are these engines very difficult to get working without the rest of the donor car and stuff? Or is it a bit like EFi-ing a Defender using RRC/Disco bits and one ECU?

What about an Audi Quattro? A4 2.5 TDi V6?

I'm going to assume you are about 17 or 18 as you've not mentioned your age. The non-standard engine could prove to be a problem in getting insurance. Some insurance companies may be okay with it, others are not. I'm with Footman James and they have a restriction of a 25% power increase over stock for 21-25 year old drivers. I do not know if it applies to 17-21 as well. Reliability of a Series is entirely down to its condition. They are all very old now, and most were used in a commercial environment for years. This means many are fecked or have been put back together badly (e.g. poor workmanship or quality of parts). But even in a very tired and worn out state they are generally okay providing you are happy to work on it as and when needed. That may mean for the first year of ownership you could be working on it every week to keep it going, with it gradually getting better as you fix all the previous owner bodges and parts that have expired - or you could have a trouble free year of motoring with mild maintenance if you're fortunate. You can change body types as you wish too. So you can fit a hard top as you would like, and you can fit bench seats with relative ease. In my own opinion the vehicle you've linked to on Ebay looks pretty horrid on the surface, but I guess if that's your thing. Oh and don't get drawn into the shiney paintwork and bling - there are lots and lots of Land Rovers that have been tarted up but are still a turd.

Good point.

You can still buy black and silver plates.

What about the D1 then? It seems you don't get much Defender for what a good one of those costs...

But so do all Land Rovers?

And not only that, I don't think it's possible to use the later crank seals if it is a 3-bearing engine.

I know I don't post on here much, I'm a mere lurker. But I am puzzled as to why Defenders and their Ninety/OneTen predecessors carry the price tags that they do for basically ****e? It's constantly bugged me why they have what I regard as an over-inflated price tag. Is this brought about by numptiness of people in general who think dat dey r da bestest eveeeer or is it something completely different? Is it because they're still in production and easily recognisable? Yet to the average person in the street a Defender is the same as a Series? Sorry for my mild questionable rant.

I'd like to say similar comments have been raised about me and my Series, after that Countryfile program. It seems even an old Series will not save you from comments from the massively deluded public.

It's been done, but I think you'll be in for some fabrication work.

Is it? Don't forget it's a design that exceeds 50 years now in age. For it's time I think it was more than economical enough. My 2.25 Petrol (when it was fitted), returned 18-22mpg normally.

I never thought I'd see that said about the TDi.

I'm reckoning on it being a typo.

I'll assume that they, in Mike Brewer fashion, polished a turd like they normally do for these programs?

Mine's a late 2A, but even a 2 shouldn't differ much to a 3 in economy. Problem is, mine's only a short one so you may decide to ignore this. Anyway, I get 27-35mpg out of my 2.25 Diesel. I don't know what a 109 would be like with the 2.25 Diesel, other than end up going a bit slower than an 88 would up some long climbs.

Very active.

How many models do they want to try to flog? I thought they would have enough in both brands by now.

It'll be doing just a nudge over 50mph. You may find this a handy calculator. http://www.solemnwarning.net/transmission/? I think it's super cool that you're going to have a go at fitting the Volvo engine. Is it the older four cylinder from the 7 Series?

Only place I know where you could get one is from another Toro Overdrive.