Defender Specialist near Canterbury

[Defendern00b]

Hey folks.

Firstly thanks for the wealth of info here. I've been lurking around and finding answers to most of my questions!

I've just picked up our first defender (1991 90 csw, 200tdi) and am looking for a recommended defender specialist in or around Canterbury, Kent.

Any recommendations you can share?

I'd like to get someone with the experience on these beasts to check it over and give me a to do list that I'll tackle myself, or get help when it's past my limits. 

Cheers

[smallfry]

I know a couple of independants.

Landmark Services on the Challock to Charing road, and Pegasus Garage at Newington near Rainham. Details on the web.

Not any sort of recommendation though, its many years since I used either, and I believe both have had a change of ownership since then. 

[Defendern00b]

Thanks. Are there any further afield in Kent you might be able to recommend?

Or a friendly forum member that I could pay a visit and call on their knowledge to give our defender a superficial look over for work that needs tackling?

I'm going to give it a routine fluid and filter service, but there's welding needed (not something I'll take on), plus a few leaks underneath that I could do with help pinpointing.

Cheers

 

 

 

[monkie]

Start off by giving it a service as you suggest. Do you know when the timing belt was last changed? If not, I would strongly recommend getting that sorted sooner rather than later. 

Getting yourself a Mig welder and teaching yourself how to weld would be a wise move to save yourself money on paying other people to do it for you. 

[Defendern00b]

Thanks. Timing belt was changed 2 years/4000 miles ago.

The mig welder idea sounds great although the interwebs took me down a wormhole of welders. Could you suggest a welder that would suit a total beginner?

Cheers

[monkie]

2 hours ago, Defendern00b said:

Thanks. Timing belt was changed 2 years/4000 miles ago.

The mig welder idea sounds great although the interwebs took me down a wormhole of welders. Could you suggest a welder that would suit a total beginner?

Cheers

Yes, I recommend the Clarke 135TE for a beginner DIY Mig welder available from Machine Mart. It's a great little welder for occasional DIY use and a good one to learn with. 

It can weld steel upto 5mm thick which will easily cope with all DIY jobs on a Land Rover in terms of chassis repair etc. 

I have even welded aluminium with it by switching the Mig wire and gas. 

Linky

 

[Defendern00b]

Thanks Monkie. A trip to machine mart always gives me complicated man feelings! I'll pick one up and start practicing. I'll stay clear of anything structural for a little bit though...

[simonr]

On 8/29/2021 at 8:29 AM, monkie said:

Getting yourself a Mig welder and teaching yourself how to weld would be a wise move.

That's a rabbit hole!  That's where it all started for me - with a Clarke welder too!  I was at University with a rusty Series 2 and no money.  I have a feeling that buying a welder was the start of a life of building & inventing stuff!
The garden of the house I rented was full of scrap metal - old busted garden furniture and rusty lawn mowers which had last run when God was a boy.  I learned to weld by welding it all together into a fairly large cube.  20 years later, said cube was still visible on Google Earth 😮.  In the last 10 years though it has vanished - I guess somebody decided to remove my 'Sculpture'.  (appologies if you bought a house with a DIY Borg-Cube in the garden )

I would go for it - now, 35 years on, I wouldn't change a thing!

Si