90 vs 110 - serious questions needing serious answers

[Dunc]

either of those should serve you for many years, just give whichever you go for regular oil & filter changes.

Thanks Ralph, i'm very grateful for your help.

Fingers crossed, one way or another we're hopefully about to get sorted!

[Happyoldgit]

I've just PM'd you a heap from the Autotrader site, some you may have seen, some you may not.

[western]

Thanks Ralph, i'm very grateful for your help.

Fingers crossed, one way or another we're hopefully about to get sorted!

no problem, just hope you find a good one.

[Dunc]

no problem, just hope you find a good one.

Looks like this is the candidate.

Very simply, we can't find a Tdi 110 (worth owning) within our budget and i don't really want another Disco.

Like i said, fingers crossed!

[Stonehead1]

I've just worked my way through the thread and one thing I haven't seen mentioned is towing - or more correctly, reversing with a trailer. I have a dual-axle Bateson livestock trailer, which is manageable with our 110, and an absolute breeze to reverse with a 90 or a tractor. But anything smaller behind the 110 and it's a pig to manoeuvre into a tight space around a corner.

If you're having to reverse a trailer into a confined space a lot, then a 90 with a longer trailer is a much better bet.

As for the snow question in the first post, I've used our 110s to haul a loaded dual-axle livestock trailer up a 1-in-8 hill through two-feet deep snow over ice on several occasions. But, tyres are also a big factor - BF Goodrich Trac-Edges, then Commercial Traction T/As. Finding tyres that are just as good and long lasting is not proving easy, but I digress.

Muddy fields? I'd give it to the 90 in small, tight spaces but otherwise would go for the 110. I've used our 110s to cross chewed up fields without a problem.

I'd go for the 110 in flood waters - I've been through water up to the floor without a problem (taking obvious precautions though!).

As for engine choice, I'd go for a 200Tdi every time. I don't have a problem with the Td per se, but what are the chances of a finding a good, properly maintained one after this long? A one or two-owner one with full service history and lots of TLC would be fine, but almost all will have been through half a dozen hands by now and have patchy histories at best.

While I wouldn't describe a 200Tdi as bulletproof, it can take more neglect than a Td. Fuel consumption is also good - we average 31mpg in our CSW and got 30.5 out of our 110 hardtop.

My wife has had Disco TD5s and 300 TDis but the former was too complicated for both me and the agricultural mechanics/engineers I use. The 300 Tdi wasn't bad (especially once I bypassed the EGR valve) and was more refined but fuel consumption was worse than the 200 TDi in the Defender (28.5mpg). No other differences for me - except cost and that's always critical!

One upgrade I would strongly suggest regardless of what you buy is an uprated, alloy heater matrix. When the original matrix went in our hardtop, I narrowly decided to go for an upgraded matrix although it seemed a bit expensive. It turned out to be by far the best upgrade I've ever made to a Land Rover and when we bought the CSW, a new matrix was one of the first things to go in. There's hot air within two miles of setting off on even the coldest day (down to -15C or so here at times), the windscreen demists fast and there's no need to wear thermals in the Landie any more.

Replacement seats, upgraded suspension, upgraded intercoolers, bigger wheels, better tyres etc etc are all very nice but I can say from experience that upgrading the heater matrix was absolutely the best thing I've ever done to any Landie!!!

Good luck with the hunt and, if it's any consolation, it took four years to find our 90H CSW (which had been left standing under cover for six years by its elderly caravanning owner and then outside for a further 18 months by his motorcyclist son!).

[Dunc]

Good luck with the hunt

Thanks very much for the reply, especially the info about the alloy matrix.

We're hardy folks (?!!!) and have run Series 3's all year round before, but i'd not heard of the alloy matrix. Where did you get yours from?

From our search we've decided that we simply aren't going to find a 110 we can afford, so will settle for a 90 for the time being. When we can we'll get a 110 because (very simply) it's what we want and will best suit the jobs we want it to do.

Found a TD 90 in Gloucester we're also going to go and have a look at.

[Dunc]

Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to inform you that some form of conclusion has been reached.

(and it's not a renault)

Just after 14:15 today, our offer was accepted on our new truck.

As our protracted conversations on here have shown, we couldn't find a 110 Tdi in our budget.

We expanded our search to look at 90s as well and we now have our 'K' reg 1993 Tdi 90, with warranted 91k miles and history, tax and MOT, on budget.

Handbrake doesn't work, the interior light wont go off and the windscreen washer jet thingy needs replacing but that's it.

Happy? Oh yes.

Now, where are the best places to get...

[western]

Hurrah looks tidy, right get onto Si @ X-eng & fit a X-brake [see my thread in thech archive] that takes care of the park brake, if you do go for one of these order via the link in his signature

interoir light may be a duff door switch or duff light unit, front washer jet change is a dash top rail off job.

[Dunc]

Hurrah looks tidy, right get onto Si @ X-eng & fit a X-brake [see my thread in thech archive] that takes care of the park brake, if you do go for one of these order via the link in his signature

interoir light may be a duff door switch or duff light unit, front washer jet change is a dash top rail off job.

The x-brake... that's the disc conversion for the hand brake isn't it?

Both door switches are cheddared so Dad's going to get me 2 along wit the washer nozzle doobrey. Not thrilled about taking the top of the dash off though!

Found the metal tube snorkel at Paddocks for £59 + vat so that'll be ordered by the end of this evening.

We're now trying to decide on Tangiers Orange (my choice) or Alveston Red (the wife's choice) for the respray.

[western]

Yes, to X-brake question

I think it looks fine as is in white, you could have fun being mistaken for a police vehicle

dashtop is fairly easy, take the end parts off, hand grab on left, prise out the LR badge & 1 screw under it, 2 into lower dash tray, right hand end 3 screws holding heater control on, don't loose the spacer inside, remove the screen vent surrounds 4 screws total, the 3 large screws right next to windscreen, on the return edge at bottom of the vertical face there should be 2 or 3 more screws remove these, then with a rolloing towards you motion remove the dashtop rail, the screen wash tubing & jet connection is in the centre, IIRC you'll need a 10 or 13mm spanner for the nut.

make sure Dad gets the washer jet with the long tube on it, short tube one is for the rear washer. should be AMR3025

[Dunc]

Yes, to X-brake question

I think it looks fine as is in white, you could have fun being mistaken for a police vehicle

dashtop is fairly easy, take the end parts off, hand grab on left, prise out the LR badge & 1 screw under it, 2 into lower dash tray, right hand end 3 screws holding heater control on, don't loose the spacer inside, remove the screen vent surrounds 4 screws total, the 3 large screws right next to windscreen, on the return edge at bottom of the vertical face there should be 2 or 3 more screws remove these, then with a rolloing towards you motion remove the dashtop rail, the screen wash tubing & jet connection is in the centre, IIRC you'll need a 10 or 13mm spanner for the nut.

make sure Dad gets the washer jet with the long tube on it, short tube one is for the rear washer. should be AMR3025

Thanks mate.

Dad will deffo get the right bits, he even makes me give him part detail, chassis number and engine number when i buy EP90...

[Stonehead1]

Thanks very much for the reply, especially the info about the alloy matrix.

We're hardy folks (?!!!) and have run Series 3's all year round before, but i'd not heard of the alloy matrix. Where did you get yours from?

I did try to post a fairly detailed reply with most of the sources I know, but my web browser crashed and I lost the lot. Anyway, shop around as prices go from around £130 up to £293!!! They include the Gear Shop, Simmonites, Brunel, Rimmer Brothers (who were very expensive) etc

Prices have gone up a lot in the past two years or so - when I bought my last one it was about twice the price of the standard matrix. Even the cheapest upgraded matrixes are now at least three times the price of the OEM ones - must be down to rising aluminium prices. But aluminium should last longer and it's brilliant having a demister that works. No more wiping the windscreen every few miles. (The leg warmth is just a bonus!)

If you do go for an upgraded matrix, make sure you get the right one. Early matrixes have curved inlet/outlet pipes while the later ones have horizontal pipes that emerge from the side at the top. When I bought mine, early genuine replacement matrixes were more expensive than the later ones but that seems to have switched now.

And I know what you mean about 110 prices. We've just sold an N-reg Disco, but when the bloke who bought it saw our 110 CSW he offered us £5000 for it on the spot. Okay, it's well cared for and low miles but it's still a 90H 200 TDi!!! I told him no as I like it too much.

[Gromit]

Handbrake doesn't work

Congrats on the new truck

I'd love an X-Brake, but I can't afford it. I've recently refurbished my standard handbrake and it works very well, as long as it's not full of water/mud.

[Yostumpy]

Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to inform you that some form of conclusion has been reached.

(and it's not a renault)

Just after 14:15 today, our offer was accepted on our new truck.

As our protracted conversations on here have shown, we couldn't find a 110 Tdi in our budget.

We expanded our search to look at 90s as well and we now have our 'K' reg 1993 Tdi 90, with warranted 91k miles and history, tax and MOT, on budget.

Handbrake doesn't work, the interior light wont go off and the windscreen washer jet thingy needs replacing but that's it.

Happy? Oh yes.

Now, where are the best places to get...

HMM!!! nice little truck, Question? if you were tight on budget i.e couldnt find a 110! Why are you going to spend loads on this one? ie snorkel, respray?? None of my business, but just curoius as to why your throwing your money, that you are short of, on something you didnt want? anyway happy motoring. Wats its name then!! doesnt that wheel cover say "hereford renault centre" Only joking Dunc! cheers stumpy

[western]

Thanks mate.

Dad will deffo get the right bits, he even makes me give him part detail, chassis number and engine number when i buy EP90...

good man your dad, bit much just for ep90 though

[Dunc]

HMM!!! nice little truck, Question? if you were tight on budget i.e couldnt find a 110! Why are you going to spend loads on this one? ie snorkel, respray?? None of my business, but just curoius as to why your throwing your money, that you are short of, on something you didnt want? anyway happy motoring. Wats its name then!! doesnt that wheel cover say "hereford renault centre" Only joking Dunc! cheers stumpy

Valid question; It's because we can do jobs like that on drip feed whereas buying it needs a lump sum. Plus, it'll make it more me whilst we have it. The wife has already said she'll forego a lightweight and we can keep it for a while.

She also told some friends this evening that we don't need a 110 because she's decided we'll have seats in the back and if people don't like them they can walk... She seems to like it!

It drives nice, jumps around a bit more on corners than my old 110, but there's more room in the back than i thought.

We'll see how we get on. Entirely possible we'll be '90 converts'!

Put a genuine parts liner in the back today as well as fihting the handbrake. All stripped and rebuilt now.

Noticed the N/S/R whel bearing is a bit sloppy so i'll attack that with the torque wrench tomorrow. Good old taper rollers!!!

[Dunc]

She seems to like it!

Just an update for you chaps.

The wife came home yesterday after her first day of properly driving the 90 and getting some miles in. She had what can only be described as a huge grin and declared that she, and i quote, "absolutely loves driving it".

Looks like it's staying.

[BigSi110]

Well, that's the biggest result so far. Mrs-Acceptance.

Wifey loves my 110. Refers to it as a car that has to be driven, rather than simply puting our Merc in gear and not worrying.

Nice 90. Very clean.

You need a set of black wheels....

[Dunc]

You need a set of black wheels....

Funny you should say that, i've been looking at the 7" x 16" black modulars at Paddocks with a set of 235/85 A/Ts on.

[Pete Attryde]

I have These which I am open to offers for! Could be persuaded to split if the tyres aren't what you want.

Pete.

[manic]

my pup gsd 5 months old there .

[Dunc]

my pup gsd 5 months old there .

Cool.

My baby is going in for an operation tomorrow so it'll be a while before she can check the forum again...