tweetyduck

They are willing to make it into a hard top. It seems pricy but its done. Would need the wheels changng. Isn't this also a 300 conversion? 84 is too old for a 300. Comments Welcomed. 1984 DEFENDER 300 COUNTY STATION WAGON (DIESEL) In Trident Green With A Black Soft Top Conversion, Re-built On A New Galvanised Chassis, Poly Bushed, Stainless Steel Exhaust, New Tank, Snorkel, Alloy Wheels, Checker Kit, Just Serviced, Timing Belt, 12 Months MOT, Picture.

Thats two people now, who have warned me....i'm being extra super specially suspicious of this guy now....... pm's welcomed.

Just called him again and he's told me to go to a place i went this morning. They have a few hardtops in their barn. Very dirty and i didn't have time to crawl under any so i'm going to go back next week. I'm off to Taunton next week and have three SWs to see at landroverman. Trying to figure out if a hardtop is better. Is there much difference in floor configuration between a SW and hardtop. If the rear seats in a SW are removed are the footwells the only difference?

Already done that guys. I've just called him again to make sure he knows i'm serious.

Its sold. back to the search.

Found one in preston for £6200 private. Should get it under £6k if its not sold. Still looking. May view it this weekend. Its exactly what i want and is pretty clean from the photos. Long way to drive to see it but i'm not going to jump over the cliff yet. Plenty of time as my learned Admin states. A Yorkshireman and is money aren't easily parted! I suppose if i completly cock up i can throw some money at it and put it down to a very expensive mistake (made a few of those, just ask Northern Rock). I don't want to do that though. I want to feel like i've made a good purchase. Is that possible with used cars.... Lots of time yet. Not leaving for over a year....or two. Thanks for the links. More reading. Busy next few days as i have to work to fund the dream. Next Viewing.

not at all bothered about dents and paint. Spotting the good one under it though, for me, is a challenge.

Still looking. I get the feeling they get more expensive everytime i look. I've looked at all the ex-util, ex-forces, ex-whatever and not found one that suits yet. I'd be all to happy to buy one for £2000 with quie a bit needing doing but spending 8000 and for it to need something doing immedialty is more than i can stomach as a Yorkshireman. Of course now my plans have changed i need a 110 TDi 300 SW. I might just take our fiesta. I'd actually pay £15k if it was already pristine and done up (outside and under bits) as long as the book price was lower for the carnet. That would just leave me to get all the bits inside done. Another £10K probably.

Not an expert. It was a drip thats all. Not sure what everything looks like but it was there. If someone points me at a pic of the under parts i'll photoshop where it was. The reason i didn't do the full once over is considering it wasn't mint i'd decided £8000 was too much for it. We both had a pretty good poke around though. I wiggled, banged and crawled under as much as i could (or knew how to).

Ok so I went to see it with a mate’s dads friend who’s a series guy and owns a 90 200. He's really clued up and has rebuilt loads. The price was just too much for me considering it wasn't mint (as described). For £8000 I wouldn’t want this. It had a back door that was going at the bottom. steel frame underneath. Door 2 and 3 foot well had a bit of corrosion. Doors seemed OK though. Slight bubbles but nothing. Back cross member was starting to look a bit dodgy on the inside ends Three different tyres. Front two same and back two different. No spare attached to rear door. Allegedly in the garage. Slight oil leak on the seal joint under the front transfer box (Mate didn’t see that but I did. At the Bell housing? Is that the right term) New standard fuel tank for some reason Paper work not available. Most worrying thing of all. Couldn’t tell me if cambelt had been done due to not having paperwork It was pretty OK to drive. No clunks or bangs. The gears seemed OK and all gears were easy to get. Clutch felt like a normal heavy Defender. It did wallow a bit but that might just have been me. Never checked the roll bars and all the chassis but confident it was OK (only OK, not mint!). Steering had normal feel and no excessive play. Started immediately from cold with no glow plugs and exhaust looked fine. Did spit out some black oily stuff. Not sure if that was worrying or not. For the price I wouldn’t put up with that. I would at least expect decent tires, all the paperwork and none of those issues. Am i being unreasonable? I’d actually expect a half decent unscheduled service to send me on my way. I know they have some old age issues but for £8000 I should be in middle age. Continuing to try the specialists as recomended.

Thanks. Did consider one post. Convinced myself to do two. Sorry. I've found a expert to go with me and with all the instruction i've just had off Ridgeback i should, sort of, do OK. Ridgeback spent an hour on the phone. Thanks to him. I'll let you know if i buy or not. Indications are (as you've all said) expensive. Let see if its as good as the dealer says!

Thanks guys. I'm taking this all onboard. I've got the number of a local VW guy that will come along probably. I'm also waiting to hear from a LR series guy....I really hope he can come! Still looking for offers if anyones local. Willing to pay of course. So far if i can't get anyone. I'm looking in footwells under carpets Bulk head which presume i can see (top and bottom) at the back of the engine bay crawl round under it and look at the chassis. Check oil. Lots of smoke on revs. Should i jack and check wheel barings? i.e wheels have play. Any other novice tips that i can perform without much knowledge?

Agree completly. Really need some nice person to come with me to the garage to see it with me.....don't really want to waste £300 on the AA or RAC...make that £400 for the RAC. Golly!

Seemed to have been main LR dealer owned and driven by their director. Evidentially its clean and should have lots of evidence its been looked after. Off to see it later. Problem is it was already sold once and the guy changed his mind for a 90 so i need to move quick. Do i put a deposit on it pending a good inspection. Lot of money.....hmmm. "Buy in haste, repent at leasure"

Of course. Using in the UK was never in question.

Not sure i really want to start this argument again. SORN is illegal now. Period. "Criminal" is another matter. Would i do it....not sure now. The foreign authorities have no way of knowing your vehicle is SORN'd or not. The EUCARIS database some EU countries use (not all the EU are online, in fact only a few) does not hold this info (as far as i know). So although its illegal to SORN and take away (due to the change law and as I understand this came into force when the perpetual licensing law was applied) its unlikely that anything could or would be done. You could in reality take this to court and would have a good chance of it been judged unreasonable if you've made all efforts to ensure your vehicle is legal in the countries its driven in. It would be impossible to export and remain even vaguely legal so the position is this. Take the DVLA advice and export and remain completely illegal or SORN and remain partially legal. If you do the online export you can keep you V5 (as far as i know) and you also get proof its actually not registered. Bonkers....I wish they'd sort this out. Its the bloody "costa del" people that have caused this mess with them taking cars abroad and not taxing them, ever. Previously SORN was legal and actually the better way. Now its been made illegal. You could do the below. I recon its possible to get 23-24 months of semi legal travel although with no MOT for 12 months. As long as your insurance covers you with no MOT (which is actually a Geneva Convention obligation as far as i've been told) your completely safe travelling back to the UK all the way across Europe in the last two weeks back to the UK to get your MOT. Even that’s bending the rules but to be honest what other choice do people have? No court on this earth would find someone guilty for trying to stay inside the law. If its impossible to do so, so how can you? With this method you'd have TAX 100% and Insurance 100% of the time and MOT for 50%. Careful timing of the start of each is required and some foreign online/family mailing of disks is required. I don't want this to start up again. If you have any problem with the above then call your solicitor followed by you MP. I'm not advocating either as they are both flawed. If you want to stay out of the UK for more than 12 months legally, you really can't. Register your car in a country that has reasonable laws and not here. There are a few in Europe that should you register there make it very easy to leave for as long as you want. The bloody MOT is pointless on so many levels and to be honest has nearly made me give up on the idea of the trip entirely. There was talk of notes on files at the DVLA and all sorts of stuff however this now can't be done. You have a singular choice if you want a legal life. Never leave for more than a year. Life sentence.

No pictures yet but what’s everyone think to the price? Would (considering my novice status) you recommend an AA inspection? OR Anyone in Derby area want to do the dirty for me and give it the once over? I'm willing to pay for a legitimate offer of help from an "expert". You'll have to meet me there tomrrow of course between 5pm and 6 or earlier if you want. I can skive off for the right offer! p.s. I've tried all the places people have mentioned and nowhere seems to have anything. (anything decent anyhow) AND If anyone sees a 110 300 5 door for sale i'm greatfull for pointers. I'd like low (ish) mileage. <<<<<<<>>>>>>>>> 1997 R LAND ROVER DEFENDER SW TDI 5 Door Well i am so pleased to offer this real beauty of a defender 110 station wagon direct from the main dealer and owned by a personal friend of the director this really is a fantastic find. the car is in excellent condtion throughout with history only covering 74000 miles from new the bodywork in great as is the the inside seat covers all round to protect it from the elements i.e kids dogs etc!!! the car drives great seats eleven full roof rack a real lara croft machine these are really becoming rare so please be quick at this price it wont be repated and as an added bonus NO VAT!!!!!

LOL...i think i'm heading the same way. Unfortunatley the wife didn't get made redundant this time. Fingers crossed. off over the read Mikes post on spares now....You know for someone thats never read a book i do an awful lot of reading. OK i've read two....both had pictures.

I've read all you posts and followed up on most of them with sincere thanks. I've acted on a lot, followed up on lot and researched about 200 hours now. This is all I’ve done for the last 5 weeks solid. Well I did go to Belgium for three days. One of which was spent on this. Its amazing what you can learn in 5 weeks so although I knew almost nothing 5 weeks ago I do know something now. I've never been condescending or rude and am grateful for everyone’s help. I really am. The reason I was presuming I’d need a chassis is all the ones I’d seen were carp. I've now seen a few with decent chassis and now I’m thinking about a 110 there are lots more to choose from. I've current called two dealers (no reply from either). Ones recommended I might add (not by you) I'll call your suggestions Monday or Tuesday and see what happens. I'm now almost certain what I’m going to do with the vehicle. It’s just the money and logistics of getting it done. Why are all the good manufacturers of interiors not in the UK? Do the distributers really have any experience of fitting the kit they import? Am I better doing it myself? All questions I have that I need to answer. Can you point me at the url for the suppliers you mentioned. Think I’ve found them but I’d rather check as there’s quite a few with similar names. And their all called Mark ! Mike, I’ve not rubbished what you’ve said. I have corrected things that were erroneous. I would expect the same and in fact you all have pulled me up on things that were ill advised or wrong. You mentioned carrying a spare clutch. Is this really what you do? Do you think a full Engine strip with gearbox etc would do any good from a reliability point of view? I’m prepared to spend some money trying to prevent the inevitable breakdowns. How far would you think is reasonable? Any advice on clutch longevity? Or even the gearbox for that matter.

Re: Post #15 this thread. I have since gone back over the MOT situation and form v890 is now out of date (sort of). The vehicle, according to the new legislation, has to be SORN’d in the UK and kept in the UK. However you do not have to tell them where it is. The V5 document should reflect the owner address but the vehicle could be anywhere in the UK.

Thats a pretty good point. I was presuming i was going the get a real dog and just spend the money on replacing stuff. The ones i've seen are pretty good and you're correct no reason why its not going to be fine. I'm by no means intent on anything as you guys have the habit of making me reconsider. I've seen a nice 110 that i may go to see, although its a bloody long way. Trying to find one nearer as i'd rather get it locally just in case of problems.

OK so the leading contender now is. Its significantly cheaper than the Azalai. A bit less functional but only requires me to get a 110 station waggon. Picture of interior Movies of LR with conversion Available Modules Any thoughts?

Yes i did,,,, What an idiot! Thats all i need to know. Cheers. 100% answered.

When they say Tdi does this mean its likely to be a 200 or 300. Its a 54 reg so it seems strange. Noob question. Link to ad for the 110