Scartwr777 Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Hi. Read a few forums and decided to put a toe in the water to buy an old defender. It’s really for my son, honest, who wants a defender as starting life at 17 as a tree surgeon... anyhow, have seen a 1985 C reg that has been off the road since 2010, but has MOT record from last MOT in 2011 showing steering corrosion, suspension corrosion, chassis corrosion etc original engine, 131k miles ... now, I know it’s not an easy conversation, but as a novice, if I get a new chassis and subsequent work, is it worth the cost walk, as it’s on offer for £1500.... welcome anyone’s thoughts and advise all.... cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 How mechanically adept are you & your son? Can you weld? Do you have a workshop? For a working vehicle, a rolling restoration project might not be the best choice - a cheap transit tipper might be more practical. Your £1500 is going to snowball by the time you've done the chassis, most likely the bulkhead, doors, etc. too, and for a C-reg it'll either have a really asthmatic engine, a thirsty V8, or some sort of conversion of unknown quality. Got a link or any pics of the thing you're looking at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan D90 Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 If this is really for your lad then have you checked the insurance? Insurance quotes were around £3k for my 18 y/o! Like you i am new to defenders, however I think getting something that needs a lot of work to get it on the road for your first defender is a bad idea. if you do all the work yourself then you might break even cost wise by the time it is finished, if you/ your lad do not lose interest by then. Maybe have a think about how much you want to spend in total, as Fridge said that £1500 could turn into £5k+ very quickly. Better to get one with a MOT, something like this would be better IMO: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defender-90-200-TDI/233218954441?hash=item364ceed4c9:g:GrMAAOSwktJc0E9I At least you can enjoy it while you are spending money on it! I have easily spent over £2k on my just fixing lots of small things and if your lad is going to be driving it you will want to make sure everything is working perfectly or you wont sleep at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scartwr777 Posted May 8, 2019 Author Share Posted May 8, 2019 Hi both, thanks for your advise and links... much appreciated so thank you for taking time out to respond. A realistic approach, so will take your advise and spend a bit more and enjoy whilst doing bits and pieces.... Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 These days there's no such thing as a cheap Defender - an old Disco or RR is as capable and half the price, but you'd better own a set of spanners and a sense of humour. And probably a welder. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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