Chicken Drumstick

Its a good simple unit used in 100's of different vehicles and well proven. It is no power monster, although back in the day it was pretty good compared to contemporaries. I currently have 3 of them and have owned more of them. They are a nice way to get 200hp and a smooth running awesome soundtrack. These days though you can have another 100 Horse Power+ and as good or better mpg from a more modern V8. In the USA it would be easy and cheap to pick up an LS/LQ Chevy engine for very low cost. Or even a 5.7 Hemi from a Dodge/Chrysler. But getting a 4.0/4.6 RV8 over shouldn't be all that hard being as they were sold there too. Which would make for a more factory and "Rover" setup.

Auto box I agree, I'd personally prefer a manual. But a V8 goes with a 110 like butter goes with bread. The factory even sold them with V8's fitted

I would too. I think the top spec is about 60k Aus$, which would be about £32k here.

Looks to be more than I thought. https://shop.cummins.com/SC/product/cummins-r28-turbo-diesel-crate-engine-5467036/01t4N0000048ikGQAQ For the UK/EU it'd be a really nice engine bar the price. In the US I can only see it making sense if you plan on doing big miles each year and need to watch the mpg. But anyone spending this kind of money on an engine is unlikely to be fussed about mpg and general running costs I'd have thought. Looks like an LS3 crate engine has gone up in price, but still half the cost of the 2.8 Cummins.... I would think a 5.3 cast iron block LQ engine from a junk yard would be a nice engine and likely the cheapest route. Only real issue is what you do about the transmission. There are a few LT230 to GM auto options, but not much choice if you want a manual. Doesn't look like the op has come back though

The Tank looks great, some good Oz coverage of them. Didn't think they were available in the UK though?

Isn’t the Cummins something like $12-15k? And would still need loads of parts and adapting to fit in a Land Rover. A crate LS is I think around $5-6k. But tbh you’d just go to any junk yard and pick up a running 4.8 or 5.3 for $1000 if you are in the USA.

I had Rough Country shocks on my leader above and no complaints. But I used to run +2 ProComps on my coiler 88. I forget the exact model, got them from Llama4x4 iirc. They lasted well, never leaked. Did rust a bit, but not quickly. Only replaced because I eventually pulled the eye off the top of a rear one. Replaced with Britpart Celluar Dynamic. The Britpart handle way better with loads less roll. But ride quite a bit harsher.

Lift will depend on which springs, brand, spring rate and how saggy your current ones are. I'd suggest some good modern gas or twin tube shocks. If you move the upper mounts you can get a much longer shock and more flex too. Although you may wish to do some other supporting mods too. Not sure on brands these days, Heystee used to have the reputation, although I couldn't get on with them when I went to buy, so I bought from Rocky Mountain Spares. Biggest thing I'd say is, don't buy high spring rates unless you need the loading capacity, it'll ride rock hard and bouncy otherwise. Soft springs will give a good ride, but reduce how much you can haul without lots of suspension compression. Softer springs will give more body roll too. Really miss my leafer.....

Not sure how standard it is. Looks shiny and tidy for ex mil. Guessing those pics are of it in the U.K. as it doesn’t look much like Fl. It does look nice though. You’ll probably want to change the tyres too. Those “Security” remoulds aren’t great on road or off road. I think most NaD diesel Military 110’s have the 1.6:1 ratio transfer box. You may want to bear this in mind as it’ll give super short on road gearing and a low top speed due to gearing.

No idea why you’d want a turbo diesel if you are in North America. The only reason turbo diesel was popular in Europe was down to the fact we pay considerably more for fuel. The petrol (gas) V8 was better in every regard other than mpg. It’s not as if the diesel units are comparable to a Cummins 5.9 or a 6.6 Duramax. The diesels are unrefined, small displacement, noisy and down on power and performance. Don’t get me wrong. I have a Tdi Land Rover myself. For the U.K. it is sort of ok, but access to much more affordable fuel and I’d personally think you’d be utter mad to want to fit anything like a Tdi in it. As for suitable engines. Depends what you want to do with the vehicle at the end of the day and what you are planning on doing with the transmission and driveline. Land Rovers are not designed for huge Bhp. You could swap out the axles, gearbox and transfer case for non LR items, but by the time you’ve done this and swapped the engine. You’d have to ask why bother having a Land Rover if you have nothing really left of it? If you want to keep it "Land Rover" swapping in a 4.0 or 4.6 Rover V8 from a p38 Range Rover or a Discovery 1 or 2 should be fairly straight forward.

You really need to crawl under and take a look or maybe take a photo and post here. In theory I'd guess it probably would have had a drum equipped Salisbury axle, but it is possible that it has a basic Rover axle. As you just don't know what has been done to it in its lifetime. you might also want to check the front diff. It isn't unheard to find out people have fitted a Range Rover/Ninety 3.54:1 to only one axle, ignoring the fact a Series would be 4.75:1 as standard. Which then often results in breaking one diff or another.

https://www.flatdoguk.com/disco-2-std%2Fhd-1~456

In the past lots were made from soft cheap metal and would wear a groove in, messing with the fuelling and making them worse than not tampering at all. Also, you should be able to see the gains just by using the stock pin and changing its position, but you need to spend time setting it up. The modified one is just more of a generic setting. So yes, they can work. But could come with longer term risk of performance dropping off. And ultimately are a bit like applying a generic map to an ECU controlled engine. Meaning with a little more effort you can probably get better results not using one. All IMO and others may have different views.

That is a very challenging read, the tone is dreadful. Had to close the tab in the end.

Its quite simple, things like gearboxes have a surcharge. If doing this online, you pay the surcharge, but once you send them your old unit, you'll get the refund on the surcharge amount. Its this way round, as historically people just wouldn't send in the old unit or it wouldn't be of the expected condition. I'd recommend phoning them up if you are unsure or maybe even come and visit. Should be easy doing there and back in a day from Wiltshire. Dave is very good, my Uncle knew his Dad Ian Ashcroft. They are only down the road from us. So I'd highly recommend them as a business.

Swapping over should be quite easy and perfectly DIY'able if you have tools, space and a mate to help. Or look at swapping the internals over. If you get somewhere to do either job it is at max 1 days effort, but really more like 1/2 day. So don't let them overcharge you on labour. Any half decent mechanic should be able to do, nothing specialist about the job. Although if it is an LR place doing it. Then transfer box and new one in should be more like 1.5 -2 hrs.

I'd guess the only risk with a 1.3:1, you could go to the cost and expense of buying and fitting, only to find it is a halfway house and doesn't solve the problem. A 1.4 would normally be a lot cheaper to try out. Discos would have had something like a 235/70 tyre or equiv, all about 29" tall. A 265/75R16 is 31.7" tall with the same gearing would be over geared. I'd guess the 1.4 would bring them pretty close mph per 1000rpm. I'll have a look on the Ashcroft gearing calculator now. .... The Ashcroft calculator only shows one gear set for the ZF 4-speed auto, so I'll assume they are all the same. 235/70R16 - 1.2:1 - 60mph = 2172rpm 265/75R16 - 1.2:1 - 60mph = 1987rpm 235/70R16 - 1.4:1 - 60mph = 2528rpm 265/75R16 - 1.4:1 - 60mph = 2313rpm I'd image a 1.4 would drive a heck of a lot better than the 1.2 with the only trade off being slightly more noise at motorway speeds. 50mph is only just over 1600rpm with the 1.2 and big tyres, so right on the boost threshold or just off boost, so no wonder it struggles to maintain speed at this rpm.

What sort of exhaust are you after? Cheap mild steel, stainless, quiet, loud etc? btw you shouldn’t have noticed any power loss with a broken exhaust. Probably the opposite as most exhausts are restrictive.

Certainly not saying don't consider condition. But as you can buy all the bits relatively easily to repair, I'd probably opt for a tatty Td5 over a tidy Tdi if they were the same money and both solid vehicles. But it does come down to your longer term plans. Which I admit for the op may be less of a concern if it is a first vehicle. Few people stick or get to keep their first vehicle, although many wish that they had! But a for instance. You can fairly easily swap a Td5 (or even something like an M57) into a 300Tdi. But it is still a fairly major project for most people and will come at a cost that typically involves 4 figures. It would also be a modified vehicle. A Td5 should go well in 100% stock form and as mentioned, if you plan to off road, the traction control is quite a game changer in some situations.

The Puma (also known as a Tdci) is still very much a Defender to drive. But yes, they are a step on again. And generally are more refined and go better stock for stock. The obvious differences are the dash and you don't have the traditional vents that open up to the outside. Plus the 6 speed gearbox and Ford Transit based engine. The Puma's go well and can be tuned for a similar 150-190hp as the Td5's. The 6 speed box is a mixed bag. 6 gears are good, but the gear change is very clunky and jerky compared to the older 5-speed transmissions. In reality you can't go wrong with any. And if you plan to keep, Defenders are easy to mod and swap different or later engines into. Personally I think the Td5 is the sweet spot. I like the older dash and vents. But you get a good blend of performance and refinement. Also, if you plan to off road, the traction control is quite a game changer in some situations. Note, traction control was optional on a Td5 though, so not all have it. Condition is important too and tidy vs tatty or solid vs rotten might also play a part in any decision. Although worth bearing in mind, you can replace every single part on a Defender. Which is a rare thing compared to other cars. This means that no matter what is broken, worn or corroded, it can be replaced and normally is a fairly easy job to do.

While both vehicles look similar, there are some evolutionary differences. Lets take a step back. The 200Tdi and 300Tdi are very similar, so if thinking of one, worth considering the other. The 300Tdi is IMO a more productionised (aka cheaper to build) version of the 200Tdi. As the Discovery and Defender had slightly different variants of the 200Tdi. The development of the 300Tdi let them have a single engine type for both vehicles. There where some advances with the 300Tdi being a serpentine belt. But power, torque, mpg and performance are pretty much the same (technically the Defender 200Tdi was less powerful than the Discovery variant, the 300Tdi has the same specs as the Disco 200Tdi engine). In practice however, I'd say a 300Tdi seems to be a little more refined than a 200, but it is very close. The only difference is the gearbox. The 200Tdi uses the older LT-77 5-speed, while the 300Tdi uses the R380 5-speed. In theory the R380 is stronger and reverse is in a different location. In practice there is very little real world difference. And I've driven more nicer shifting LT-77's than R380's. Overall a 200 and 300 are both good vehicles. I had an L-Reg 300Tdi hard top as my first vehicle way back in 1997. The Td5 brought in a number of changes. The Td5 engine is more powerful (although the standard tune for the Defender sucks, the engine goes a lot better in the Disco 2 in standard tune, but lets come back to this later). so the Td5 is quicker than a Tdi and has more tuning potential that the Tdi will never match. However by modern car standard both vehicles are pretty slow. The Td5 uses the same R380 5-speed as the 300Tdi. Other changes include things like a digitally controlled speedo instead of cable, optional traction control (for off road use to simulate limit slip differentials, it isn't a road bias stability system). And the likelihood to find factory air con and central. All in all the Td5 is dynamically a better vehicle. Faster, more refined and maybe better specced. Downsides. Well as you've said, a Td5 might cost more to buy. And I think the thickness of some of the body panels was reduced. So a Td5 is more prone to panel damage and corrosion. Not a major thing, but something you might notice more so when looking at examples. Such as corrosion around the rivets on the side of the rear tub. Something you'd see less often on a Tdi model. The chassis also underwent some revisions on the Td5 with an ever so slightly larger tank at the rear of the vehicle instead of under the drivers seat. Think it is only a gallon or so bigger of usable capacity. The Td5 engine is a lovely engine and arguably one of the best "Rover" designed engines. It has a few quirks, but overall is a solid and reliable engine. They also sound lovely with an aftermarket exhaust and can quite easily get to 150-190hp with a few mods (that you'd need to declare insurance wise). A Tdi is good for more like 120-135hp mod for mod. But there is a difference in how they drive. The Td5 has less low end and a strong mid and more revs. A very noticeable boost threshold and arguably more laggy feel to it. A Tdi pulls like a steam train off idle, but won't rev the same. The Tdi's can sound nice too, more gruff than a Td5 and not as musical. Really the biggest difference is refinement or lack thereof with the Tdi's. Good stout engines, but a Td5 should be more refined at any and all speeds. MPG wise. I'd say neither are likely to be great. It'll depend how you drive and where. I'd say a sensible expectation would be 25-28mpg with either engine. Although both can see over 30mpg and both capable of nearer the teens if modded. Overall I'd probably say the Tdi is the more frugal. But really too close to call it. As for maintenance/complexity. They are pretty similar, the Td5 you might want a code reader, while the Tdi is purely spanners. But both are simple and easy to work on. Not sure if that helped or not. I'd say try and grab a drive with both engines and see what you think. Might be worth checking some insurance quotes too, as I don't know if they will vary between engines. As a conclusion - A Tdi & Td5 are similar enough that either would be as good as the other for almost anything. So it may not matter which you went for. But both carry advantages and disadvantages depending on budget and what you want from the vehicle and what you plan to do with it in the future.

I really like the idea of a PS-10. However when I looked at them a number of years ago. The brake discs were no longer available. Being something bespoke by Santana. For overland this might be an issue unless there is now a supply (I haven’t checked for ages). I’d guess with work and money you may be able to adapt to Defender brakes, but didn’t investigate this enough. The PS-10 is also based on the Series 109. So you may want to check some dimensions against a 110 as they may differ slightly if you wanting to try and retro fit body parts.

50mpg sounds very high for an RRS. A quick Google is suggesting a lot less, so I wonder if 50mpg is not correct?

if you want to learn about offset, Google is your friend... But essentially ET means from the rim centre to the front face in mm. A negative ET will move the rims outboard and a positive more inboard. e.g. If you had a 8" wide rim with 00 offset you'd have a 4 inch dish on the front and back. A 7" wide rim with 00 offset would be 3.5" dish either side. While an 8" rim with say a -25ET would have a 5 inch dish on the outside and a 3 inch dish on the inside. In this case making the rim stick out the arch an inch further than 00ET. A 255/85 is design to fit a 6.5 - 8.5" wide rim. So any will work bar the 10j rim. Although IMO an 8" wide rim does make this size tyre look a little stretched. A 7" rim would probably be more ideal. As for offset. Factory rims are 16x7 or 16x6.5 normally with an offset of +33ET, so quite tucked in the arch. With the 16x7's above you say you can get them in -20 and -25? tbh I've never really looked at these rims. But 5mm difference is going to make no odds at all and you'd never tell by eye. Odd that they offer such similar offsets. Either should work fine.

I believe they slightly adjust the pump timing to inject the fuel slightly earlier to get a longer/better burn. i.e. more fuel is turned into power and less wasted out of the exhaust. Years back places like Jeremy J Fern used to tamper with the engine timing, I think this was trying to achieve something similar but before these boost rings existed as a concept. I can't say for certain, but I have a stock turbo modded 200Tdi that runs pretty well in an 88 coiler. A mate has a dyno verified 190hp Td5 90 and in a straight line he is quicker, but not quick enough to over take if he is behind me. I'm no way saying the Tdi is this power level, it most certainly isn't. But it does run rather well. Did a bit of a fun drag race last summer in a field (0 to about 70'ish mph) against an EFI 3.9 86 coiler and an 88 3.9 comper. I beat both of them. My 200Tdi has a tweaked pump, slightly tweaked boost, free flow exhaust dual inlet manifold and a boost ring.