NicTheOrange90 Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 I am down to only one Landy at present, I sold the off roader last year and got a 'sensible' car for work (Volvo that does 50mpg). My current Defender 110 station wagon only gets used occasionally and when I took it out the other day I realised just how soft I had become in my driving needs.... Dont get me wrong the Defender has all the kit (alloys, AC, decent stereo and nice G4 seats etc) but I get to drive a D3 at work and Im toying with the idea of getting rid of both the Volvo and the Defender and getting a D3 TDV6.... I cannot run the Defender with its mpg, and the D3 has probably the same fuel consumption, but its Sooooooo nice to drive... Please help me see reason.... The Defender looks the business, but having a vehicle sat around for 95% of the time just doesn't seem right.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Go out and play on some lanes - take in some amazing views and challenge yourself on the routes - perhaps then you'll think 'nothing else could do this' and 'I should do this more often' ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51bigG Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 I am down to only one Landy at present, I sold the off roader last year and got a 'sensible' car for work (Volvo that does 50mpg).My current Defender 110 station wagon only gets used occasionally and when I took it out the other day I realised just how soft I had become in my driving needs.... Dont get me wrong the Defender has all the kit (alloys, AC, decent stereo and nice G4 seats etc) but I get to drive a D3 at work and Im toying with the idea of getting rid of both the Volvo and the Defender and getting a D3 TDV6.... I cannot run the Defender with its mpg, and the D3 has probably the same fuel consumption, but its Sooooooo nice to drive... Please help me see reason.... The Defender looks the business, but having a vehicle sat around for 95% of the time just doesn't seem right.... so you've turned into a 4x4 couch potato? sad, very sad, make some time, get out and get a life in some lanes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 use the 110 a bit more instead of the boring volvo tin box. a couple of days a week use on the 110 will keep it in good shape & you'll remember how much more of the road is visible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alantd Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 I agree with the above. However, you're right - if it's just going to sit there then you should replace it. I guess it really depends what you want out of it right now. If you're not going to be scraping down narrow greenlanes but want to be able to be more selective about some more open lanes then the disco might be the right choice - especially if you end up driving everywhere in the Volvo and then discovering somewhere interesting to explore, having left the LR at home. Also, running 1 car and not two will ultimately be cheaper. However, it might be worth using the LR a bit more before you commit. Chuck some carp in it; take it to the tip; remember what its like not to have to worry about every slight knock and noise; and draw smug satisfaction from the simplicity of the experience. Our Defender is the family car. Given that I will tell all around me that the D3 is probably the best car on the road at the moment, my wife volunteered that we could sell the 110 and get a Disco if I wanted. I thought about it for all of a nanosecond and declined. I still enjoy every moment in the Defender. I love that it is held together with bolts; if I engage diff lock there is a thunk somewhere beneath me; it's slow, noisy and rubbish to park. In a world that is increasingly soft - where people are losing perspective - it, and my wellies, keep me grounded and I wouldn't swap it for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Or maybe cash in? If the Defender is hardly getting any use then sell it and spend a small amount of what you get on a Range Rover (original shape). You can have a nice V8 for peanuts, either get one with LPG or set some more of the funds from the Defender aside to feed its thirst for liquid gold. You get the comfort, it'll be way more fun on the road (not as much as D3, but then it's going to cost you a fraction of what that would), virtually zero depreciation (because it's already done pretty much all its depreciating) and if it ends up sat around most of the time at least you don't have much money tied up in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR90 Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Know the feeling well. The 90 sits there and with windows that no longer wind all the way up I'm faced with a cold, noisy start to the day, a slow journey with poor mpg, and the seat's waterproof cover has only served to collect the blown in rain water. Does make the euro box seem very attractive. But, bite the bullet and just drive it and it feels so good And that's the answer. Every time you wonder why you have a landrover, just drive it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Warman Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Hi, Just to add my ha'pennies worth, I don't drive much as I work in central london and cycle weekdays. However when it comes to weekends I have a choice of 2 cars, a brand new renault scenic or a 20 year old 90 that smells, runs a bit lumpy and is no way as comfortable as the renault but it's the one I choose all weekend if i could. Even my 1 1/2 year old son prefers it as he can see out a lot better and sits up front with me and my wife with all 3 seats across the front. The car cost a fraction of the new one but I can't see myself ever being without one now and I think the only change I would make is to get a 110 so my son and his mates can crash around inside all they want when I have to transport whole rugby teams (safely of course) I think you would be made to get rid of it Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelr4x4 Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 IMHO, I think people get hung up on fuel economy a bit. My Defender is not as efficient as my 'family' car, but then I don't cover the same amount of miles, it was a lot cheaper to buy, and the little extra I pay for fuel far outweighs the amount of rustic pleasure I get from travelling around in the Defender. I just factor it in as the price I pay for the enjoyment. I've not done the figures but to buy a more efficient vehicle would be a lot more money and I presume it would take a lot of miles to recover the cost of the extra efficiency. Just my 2 cents, Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West4x4 Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 you've got an everyday can so your landrover can be a "toy" maybe sell your pimped new one and get an older replacement so no worries about depreciation and just use it for weekends and playing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 As has been said above, use the 110 more and enjoy it. What the real cost of little pleasures? Oh and not to mention the practicality... I have the daily choice of RRC or the 90 for my 15 minute trip to work. They're both old but reliable and tidy, both thirsty V8s, and no huge sums tied up in either. At first I tried to use one car one week, then the other the next week. Then the weather would turn cold and I would enjoy the superior heating and comfort of the RRC for a while and rather forget about the 90 After two or three weeks I would think to myslef 'I must use the 90 more', so out come the gloves, hat and scarf, and the ice scraper. (Outside 5 minutes earlier in the morning for the scraping too). Once on the way I begin to realise how much I enjoy the 90, and may have actually 'missed' driving it. Yes it's noisier, drafty and far less civilised, but I still like all that. Only those that drive a Landrover will understand this feeling. If I ever had to sell one of them there would be no question which would go. You'll loose out on so much if you go soft before you need to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiki Al Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Again just use it. Just over a year ago i sold my 90 in favour of a "normal" car as i was doing a lot more motorway milage, economy didn't really come into it as i sold it in favour of a 4.0 Jag. Very comfy and very fast and ate up the miles with ease, but i wasn't happy in it and wished i'd never sold my 90. I've since ditched the Jag and am now the proud owner of another 90, yeah it's noisy, drafty, slow, and will need constant tinkering, but it's fun and an experiance every time i get in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicTheOrange90 Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Thanks for all the comments The tip run would be great for the 110, but Kent County Council decided that if you have a taller car then you must be trade waste, so put height barriers on all the tips in Kent. (dont get me started on that one, you can park up outside and use their trolley, but not drive in)... so we have to take one of the cars and a crummy trailer to dispose of stuff. The lanes in Kent are quote scratchy and narrow, and its a 60 mile round trip to get to the nearest one that's more that 1/2 mile long. I also dont find I get the enjoyment out of laning so much now. So many of them have been damaged and are so heavilly rutted you need a winch just to get through (which is OK on private ground, but non IMHO on a 'road'). I do think lanes should be shared by all, including those on foot, and some of them are just being lost for the rest of us by a small majority. One of the reasons I like having a defender is (or was) to spend time outside working on it, I love working on them (and let's face it you always get the opportunity with a Defender), but with 3 kids, and 3 jobs (one voluntary) I am finding time short at the moment. I know a D3 would probably be the end of the work that I would be doing on the landy (Id like to service it myself) and as I have a trade policy for insurance the only thing that's extra is the road tax (the Defender will be the same as the D3 when the so called government bring back in the stealth tax). I think for now Ill be content with driving other peoples D3s at work and will drive the 110 now and again to work, but I have had my Volvo since November which is a record for me to keep a 'car' .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happyoldgit Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 You might change your mind when it comes to insure a D3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat_J Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 I'm becoming soft, I've been driving the stilo round for the last week the the water pump is gone on the defender, I've got the parts but haven't had the time. Its so nice to drive and really comfy but every time i see another defender on the road i want to be in mine, they look pretty confused when a guy in a suit driving a stilo waves at them too. At the moment its hard to justify having the defender on the road but at the same time impossible to take it off the road or sell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Soft? Your Landy has carpets, trim, a heater, power steering, soft springs... If you're not enjoying it then sell it rather than let it rot and move on. If you enjoy it then what's the odd gallon of fuel when you're having fun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxtherotti Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 where as i want a defender instead of my soft disco and whats mpg???? rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 60 mile trip for some lanes is nothing at all! Stop being lazy - plan a local 'expedition', get your family, food, a camping stove in the back. Plan a long days worth of driving to take in some beautiful lanes and great views. If at the end of that you still don't know why you want the Defender..... then, as FridgeFreezer said, sell it and move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicTheOrange90 Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 I think it is time to move on with the Defender, I just have a couple of jobs to do to get it in fine fettle then its going on Eblag... Wife and family dont share my enthusiasm for laning and as I said in earlier posts the ones in Kent are so kn*ckered or scratchy. and Ive been driving Landys for long enough to not get much of a buzz any more from it. This one has been a brilliant vehicle and the new owner wont be disappointed, but I dont want to leave it sat around for most of its life. As to the D3, well I'll leave it for now, it will be the first time in quite a few years that I have not had a solihul product on the driveway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirkthe1 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 you could always start a vapour build-then you'd at least have a landy in spirit. maybe buy a few bits of tat and leave them in a pile. it might ease the pain a little! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicTheOrange90 Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 I took a hired trailer up to Birmingham last week to get some bits for Mrs's horses. I realised what its like to drive a Defender again, and have decided to shelve the disco3 idea for the time being. Ive a few jobs to do on the 110 but it looks like its going to remain in the family for a while yet, I think I would now sell the V70 and get a D3 if I still want one! Now where did I put the list of jobs that need doing on the 110 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 good man, the 110 will be a lot more useful, especially when Mrs Orange90 needs horsey gear shifting & you know the 110 will take everything in it's stride with no bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicTheOrange90 Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 I am going to enjoy myself with the spanners soon; Central locking & lecky windows all round (kids find it almost impossible to wind front windows up and down as wider is soooo far forward Bigger Intercooler from Messrs TD5Alive Improved rear seats (current are bench seats) New swivelys on front as OS is pitted and leaky New halfshaft on NS front (did the rest a few miles ago) Fit the full length roof rack thats been lying by the side of the garage for 18 month Mud Stuff ashtray replacement console thingy A full service and fluid change Apart from the intercooler, the other items are in the garage waiting to be fitted. With the money I save from not getting a D3, Im going to get a front mounted towbar, and keep looking for an OEM style winch/bumper.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmm Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I thought it was time to sell my 90 as i hardly ever used it. Hadn't been off-roading for ages and done about 600 in 8 months. Took my wife's classic rangie off-roading and have decided to claim that as mine. I am going to sell my 90, but i know i'm going to miss it and probably regret it. Meanwhile the Rangie is getting a make-over. Good luck with your Landy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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