new2defenders Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Hi there! This is technically my second post on here as i screwed up my first, i hope it to be a more frequent occurance now that im in the defender buyers market. Hoping to get one in mid april and spend between 7 and 10,000 being my top budget. I've looked at a few and there seems to be a few factors in the price, bearing in mind i can get back windows and seats put in by a local independent landrover specialist does anyone have any guidelines as to what i should be looking at? I was hoping either dark metallic green, darker blues like oslo blue or black. Any help would be highly appreciated, oh yes and i will be wanting to be doing some offroading but nothing hard as it will be my first adventure off the beaten track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zulublue Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Hi there! This is technically my second post on here as i screwed up my first, i hope it to be a more frequent occurance now that im in the defender buyers market. Hoping to get one in mid april and spend between 7 and 10,000 being my top budget. I've looked at a few and there seems to be a few factors in the price, bearing in mind i can get back windows and seats put in by a local independent landrover specialist does anyone have any guidelines as to what i should be looking at? I was hoping either dark metallic green, darker blues like oslo blue or black. Any help would be highly appreciated, oh yes and i will be wanting to be doing some offroading but nothing hard as it will be my first adventure off the beaten track. Welcome to the world of the ever open wallet, and LR4x4 You first need to decide what you will be using the truck for, I take it from the price you are looking at a family car? for the off roading side any landy will provide a good Day's entertainment, first thing to check would be the tyres and make sure you have a happy medium of on road and off road tyre. If you decide to like the off road life, have you considered a nice on road truck for £7k and also get a more off road prepped truck for fun day's and green laning? I think before you buy, if anyone local to you could take you on a play day or green laning it may help you decide the way to go. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
draper40 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 There are loads of considerations when buying a defender and I will breifly go through a few: 90 or 110? Clearly the 110 is much bigger and so would be better for family and also is the favoured car for expedtions due to the increased size. 90's on the other hand are better off road ( there's not a massive differnce though) but more importantly you can fit them in garages and car park spaces etc where a 110 may not fit. Engine At your price range and if you aren't going to do serious off-roading then the TD5 will probably be the one. For your budget you should be able to pick up a very nice example, especially with prices reducing due to the credit crunch and also more are on the market. There is also the 300tdi which is the earlier engine and is not as refined as the TD5 but does lack some of the electronic control which the TD5 has, arguably making it a better serious off-roading engine (but who can beat a 200tdi ). Style From the sound of your original post you will be after a station wagon-the ones with rear windows and seats, and it would be easier just to buy one in this style as opposed to getting it converted. Off-road toys Don't be too attracted by lots of off-raoding goodies and these don't add much to the value of the car and signify that it has probably been off-road, so may be worse for wear underneath etc. Instead buy a standard road defender and then if you feel the need add your own selection of goodies and melt your credit card! When looking at your perspective car make sure to have a good look around the chassis for any patches of rust. The engine should start up with minimal smoke and pull away smoothly. check that it's been serviced regularly as well. I'm sure you'll get lots more replies and I hope this helps Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveG Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 There is also the 300tdi which is the earlier engine and is not as refined as the TD5 but does lack some of the electronic control which the TD5 has, arguably making it a better serious off-roading engine tut tut :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
draper40 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 tut tut :rolleyes: arguably being the key word! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco tony Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 especially with prices reducing due to the credit crunch and also more are on the market. I have spoken to a few dealers/enthusiasts locally and this seems to be NOT the case, in fact, defenders at local auctions are fetching above book price!! I was told this is probably due to people not buying new, making the second hand market even more bouyant than ever. Could be a good time to buy a defender? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantd5 Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Welcome N2Defender.... Newer models are quite sound in engine (Arguably) but one annoying thing is the FOOTWELL...If you don't want to be wallowing in a pool of water check that area out!! PAS Box dripping oil is another pain in the past. I leave the rest of the headaches to gurus around!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new2defenders Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share Posted March 5, 2009 Wow thanks guys never expected so much good info, well we are definitely getting a defender 90 as thats what my dad wants, I'm personally only 18 and i have the intention of a lot of on road use as well as starting the off road life, i play rugby and intend to take up as many people with me as poss as well as kit, maybe even a roof rack wanted for a journey or two down to cornwall. I like the idea of getting a standard model and then popping some off road mods on as obviously im not even sure if i will be completely useless and have no abilities off the road whatsoever, my dad intends to take it on his fishi..ng trips instead of hiring an offroader everytime (he goes to some pretty isolated rivers) although im pretty sure the economy of going from essex to scotland and back would make that decision hilariously pointless. The last driver who well, i'm afraid to say is my 19 year old sister intends to use it just for gym, going to town etc... thats why we have to keep the exterior looking nice as well, daddy's little princess. If anything i feel for him, i would hate to have to compromise on my dream as he has always wanted a big green off road machine with no frills such as cd player and all that junk. But there you go! We have recently discovered that we can get some of the best off roading tyres for just 40 quid a pop as my uncle is a bit of a 4x4 junkie. That and some standard off road rims and i guess that will be that problem solved. A question, how would i check for the little mechanical things as i have no experience in this field but neither do any of my relatives, so how would i check that the pas is leaking etc? all i know is handbrake, power steering itself and a few other things i picked up from a car health class. Thank you guys so much for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Best advice - find & join a good local Land Rover club, there you will get advice on everything, probably find several people selling vehicles, and be able to learn off-roading (all the above assumes it's a good family club not some random bunch of nutters as some can be!). I have to say the advice of buying a shiny Defender for a family car and a £1000 off-road toy is an eminently sensible one, if you *need* the car Monday morning you don't want to be working on the car through Sunday night just to make it roadworthy after off-roading. Granted if you're behaving yourself it's unlikely to happen but some people manage to have four or more Land Rovers on their driveway and still have to take the bus to work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
draper40 Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 If you put your location in your profile someone from here may always come and help you take a look- or why not take your uncle? Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Jenkins Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Well for that sort of money you should be able to get a very tidy truck. I am 25 and have had LR for 3 years now so thought you might like my experiences. I started with a 90 which I used for offroading - a mix of pay and play and green laning. I have just replaced it with a 110 which I am taking around Europe this summer with a gang of mates. I also use it as a work van for transporting lighting and sound equipment, and as I work for a school it is also a minibus for the kids! If you don't need the space in a 110 then get a 90 and have fun in that! But 110s are very useful for slinging loads of people and gear in (mine is the crew bus for several festivals this summer!) Tyres are the key if you are going to do offroading - BFG All Terrains's good all rounders, or treat yourself to good quality road tyres and a set of mud tyres for the weekend if you are that organised! I have moved from a 90 on Insa Turbo Special Tracks (great in mud but noisy as hell on the road) to a 110 on 750 R16 All Terrains and it is so much quieter that I can now hear myself think! Everything else such as winches and suspension can come at a later date. Keep us posted! Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new2defenders Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 Yeah we thought about the 110 but that was quickly discouraged as it wount fit lengthways into our drive without its arse on the pavement and i doubt theres a permit you can get for that. I think we are going for a family truck now as opposed to a dual ability landy, i feel a bit bad as i've seen so many posts about how they should only be used as workhorses etc, i just like the defender 90 for what it is. Plus its different! I think after we've gotten used to it and my sister leaves for australia we might start to mod it and get the off roading side on the go. If anyone has an on road only used landy for around 8000 message me please that would be cool otherwise i'll keep searching! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.