What do you think of these vehicles?

[Eightpot]

As fridge and a couple of others have suggested, I'd also favour going down the route of a cheap base vehicle, i.e solid chassis and bulkhead, decent panels. couple of grand should get you something without too much effort.

if it hasn't got a TDi, throw £500 at one give it a thorough service, and if the gearbox feels a bit loose you should be able to get a recon one put on for a grand with a new clutch.

You then have plenty of budget left to replace stuff like master cylinders, bushes, radiator, bearings, springs, shocks etc with good brand new stuff that will see you round. Then spend a few hundred quid on a set of seats and tidy up the trim.

and by the way ^^ thats the fun bit!

if you spend £6k+ on something, you will in all likelyhood end up replacing much of this anyway, so why pay the premium.

also as mentioned, you will have a cheaper carnet and in a slightly less glamorous motor maybe not such a target for grandioso payola at checkpoints/borders/ferrys etc etc

there seem to be some very cheap TD5 LWB ex utility trucks at the moment - I think for the price i'd be a bit tempted to be fair?

[eds]

My advice if i may would be

When you want to buy anything in life you can't find it as everybody else wants one too.

And when you want to sell one nobody wants to buy it and there are hundreds of them on the market!!

Take your time and allow a few months to watch the market and learn more about what it is you are buying.

Rushing is an excitement thing and rarely pays off.

You can buy a really pants Defender so easily for all different kinds of money.

Sometimes buying the cheapest one you like and spending your own money on doing it up and doing it right gets you further and more knowledge than just buying the finished product.

That's all!

[bishbosh]

From someone who lives not very far from the Landroverman I would advise you to look very very very very carefully at any and all vehicles you view. I won't say anything further to avoid getting the forum into potential hot water, but if you want to visit the south west to buy a land rover I wouldn't be shopping there personally.

[tweetyduck]

From someone who lives not very far from the Landroverman I would advise you to look very very very very carefully at any and all vehicles you view. I won't say anything further to avoid getting the forum into potential hot water, but if you want to visit the south west to buy a land rover I wouldn't be shopping there personally.

Thats two people now, who have warned me....i'm being extra super specially suspicious of this guy now.......

pm's welcomed.

[tweetyduck]

As fridge and a couple of others have suggested, I'd also favour going down the route of a cheap base vehicle, i.e solid chassis and bulkhead, decent panels. couple of grand should get you something without too much effort.

Finding this very hard....not even seen any under £3K-£4K

if it hasn't got a TDi, throw £500 at one give it a thorough service, and if the gearbox feels a bit loose you should be able to get a recon one put on for a grand with a new clutch.

You then have plenty of budget left to replace stuff like master cylinders, bushes, radiator, bearings, springs, shocks etc with good brand new stuff that will see you round. Then spend a few hundred quid on a set of seats and tidy up the trim.

and by the way ^^ thats the fun bit!

somewhat agree. I do not have the expertise though.

if you spend £6k+ on something, you will in all likelyhood end up replacing much of this anyway, so why pay the premium.

same answer. I'm hearing you.

also as mentioned, you will have a cheaper carnet and in a slightly less glamorous motor maybe not such a target for grandioso payola at checkpoints/borders/ferrys etc etc

Agreed. Carnet especially.

there seem to be some very cheap TD5 LWB ex utility trucks at the moment - I think for the price i'd be a bit tempted to be fair?

Yep. Saw a lovely one today. ex MOD...super all over. Never looked like it had been anywhere but on base. But even looking at the LCD odometer scared me

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

OK

My 3p worth

You are at the moment making life more difficult than it either needs to be, or has to be, your probs of not narrowing down means your looking at too many LRs, being sidetracked and not focused on what to buy, a classic person to end up with a lemon

1st thing - slow down, you can only spend you money once, theres plenty of LRs to buy, make sure you buy the one that the one that you want, it right for you, and in the condition you wnat, if not Foxtrott Oscar and onto the next, sod the seller, your buying a LR for prob a long time and for a fair amount of money just because they don't have what you wnat need doesn't mean you should even consider it, that where things go wrong.....

So, what you DO NEED to do is narrow your search, be 101% EXACTLY what you wnat ie

90 or 110 ? - that narrows things

200 / 300 / V8 / TD5 / Puma - mabe 1 or 2 and defo not the others ?

Truck cab, Hard top, County Station Wagon ? - one 2 or which ? decide

Bog standard or with mods ? - if so what mods are OK and what are not

Condition - More here re bodywork, Chassis etc has to be 101%

Colour ? - is there any colour you do NOT want ?

Age - OK now FORGET AGe - its all about condition, condition and condition, so what the budget ?

Least £s and Most £s and be sensible ?

Anything else it MUST have ie Air Con, Auto, forget naything that can be added )towbars roofrack steps etc)?

Now, from the list above decide WTF you wnat, write it down, and then state to anyone thats what you are after

DO NOT look at other LRs that the seller says "Ooooh lookey at this mate etc" as it shouldn't be of interest if not on your list

Then before you go looking study the list / LR you have, what are the options, what probs do these particular models / engines / varinats have ?

research and then and only then look, find out what they go for in differing conditions, make yourself and espert in a few evenings - but ONLY on exactly varinats YOU wnat to buy

Get a shortlist - then take your expert - and don't forget that whilst it IS a buyer market sh*te will be there for ages, and the really decent stuff will go for top dollar to those who understand what qulaity is and leave the "Bargain" SH*te" to others who will repent for ages

HTH

Nige

[Godlykepower]

^^^^^^^^^ Yeah Boy. Well put Nige.

90 or 110 ? - that narrows things

200 / 300 / V8 / TD5 / Puma - mabe 1 or 2 and defo not the others ?

Truck cab, Hard top, County Station Wagon ? - one 2 or which ? decide

Bog standard or with mods ? - if so what mods are OK and what are not

Condition - More here re bodywork, Chassis etc has to be 101%

Colour ? - is there any colour you do NOT want ?

Age - OK now FORGET AGe - its all about condition, condition and condition, so what the budget ?

Least £s and Most £s and be sensible ?

Anything else it MUST have ie Air Con, Auto, forget naything that can be added )towbars roofrack steps etc)?

Pay particular attention to this paragraph. Maybe take a couple of days to digest the above, and come up with your own definitive answers.

As exciting as trip planning is; get it wrong now & you will regret it for a long time to come. Dont just buy the first thing you THINK you want/need. You seem to be hovering somewhere between a 110 or a 130? Make sure NOW that you know which one will suffice on your trip. Only YOU know what your requirements are from a vehicle, and we can only offer advice. But make sure you get the right vehicle to begin with, even if it takes you a few weeks to get it.

For what its worth, it took me six MONTHS of research/phone calls/viewings to get my Defender - and I got it 110% spot on first time round.

Take your time mate, you wont regret it.

Martin

[RustyNissanPrairie]

"Trying to figure out if a hardtop is better. Is there much difference in floor configuration between a SW and hardtop. If the rear seats in a SW are removed are the footwells the only difference?"

Few windows to protect from breakage/theft with a HT, lighter, floor is flat throughout back of a HT. Cheaper than a more desirable SW. If you havn't got or are taking children with you why bother with a SW?

Another option is a german imported Mercedes G_wagon. I've worked on my friends 2.3 petrol-massively overbuilt, tank like strength, very solid trucks, ultra reliable. Hold their value far better than LR, Toyota etc, but are lower price in Germany and are allready LHD.

Check mobile.de

[Eightpot]

Station wagons are good as you can easily store heavy stuff like fridge/water/extra jerries centraly and be able to reach it easily.

van bodied 110's are cheaper, lighter but you will have to delve through gear to get to whats at the back and possibly end up putting heavy gear in the least ideal place. good if you want to sleep inside as well though.

I think a nice compromise is the ex utility 110's that have side lockers and either a roller shutter door or lift up hatch built into the rear side panels. they look pretty cool as well.

Was a place near me that was selling a couple of ex-electricity board ones a while back for about 5k which would have been great - a bit like this one (photo nicked from defendercentre website)

[FridgeFreezer]

"Trying to figure out if a hardtop is better. Is there much difference in floor configuration between a SW and hardtop. If the rear seats in a SW are removed are the footwells the only difference?"

With a SW you gain twice as many points of entry for a thief and twice as many doors to go rusty you pay a higher price because they're more practical family vehicles but you gain a row of seats and easier access to stuff in the back. There's also the consideration of whether a full hardtop is classed as a commercial vehicle for things like tolls and border crossings - some places you really don't want to be in the queue of trucks for the border.

We remade the rear seat mounts into a box in my 109 to gain a load of under-seat storage which has been brilliant. Pictures here.

[mmgemini]

FF I've always said that is the way to go for the second row seats. Lots of fairly secure space under there.

I hadn't thought of doing it that way.

For those of you who've seen my truck. We work from the left side. The fresh water tank is on the floor in the back, 35 litres. The fridge sits where the middle seat should be. Both other seats are generally removed on a trip. The left side being taken upwith a Wolf box with tinned and other food in it.

I agree. A SW has more points of entry. For us Margaret needed a SW to allow her easy access. Those who are young and fit could use a three door. Swings and roundabouts. I see the advantages/ disadvantages of both.

mike

[tweetyduck]

They are willing to make it into a hard top. It seems pricy but its done. Would need the wheels changng.

Isn't this also a 300 conversion? 84 is too old for a 300. Comments Welcomed.

1984 DEFENDER 300 COUNTY STATION WAGON (DIESEL)

In Trident Green With A Black Soft Top Conversion, Re-built On A New Galvanised Chassis, Poly Bushed, Stainless Steel Exhaust, New Tank, Snorkel, Alloy Wheels, Checker Kit, Just Serviced, Timing Belt, 12 Months MOT,

Picture.

[Holyzeus]

"Seems pricey"

Well it is a Simmonites vehicle, that said i have no idea on their reputation

[LandyManLuke]

How much are you paying for something that isn't what you want?

How much would it cost to make it what you want?

Is that more or less than actually just buying what you want?

If you're seriously looking at a soft-top vehicle, haven't you ignored most of the good advice already given?

Yes, it's a 300tdi conversion, quite possibly with a 300tdi chassis, since it's new. The 300 wasn't around until 94 ish.

[Godlykepower]

Neill, that certainly would be a transplanted engine in there. Do you mind me asking how much it is for the base vehicle as shown, and how much to convert it to HT? PM me if you like.

Your right about changing the wheels too....I always feel that alloy's on a Defender, although they vaguely look alright, never seem totally right.

A new set of steel wheels with decent rubber will cost £500 ish if you but a set from one of the advertisers in the mags, or go to a show.

Simmonites have been around for ages, and as far as I'm aware have a good reputation. At the end of the day, if you are happy with the vehicle, and the price, then go for it. If there is the slightest inkling of doubt, then just wait a bit longer, you will find thye one you want soon enough.

Also just noticed, that the reg number is like your surname!

Martin

[FridgeFreezer]

They are willing to make it into a hard top. It seems pricy but its done. Would need the wheels changng.

Isn't this also a 300 conversion? 84 is too old for a 300.

http://simmonites.com/vsale.htm

HOW F**ING MUCH???? £12k for a 1984 110

It's very smart but for 12k it bleedin' well should be. Simmonites don't have a reputation for low prices.

So let's examine the maths:

Straight but crusty '80s 110: £500-2k ish

2/300 TDi Disco donor: £500-1k

Galv chassis: 2k

...and then a load of tarting up which may or may not be what you need. A shiny coat of paint is useless if all the mechanicals are in poor nick & just covered in a layer of chassis black.

I'd be interested to know how much they are willing to find a hardtop for & spend the hour or so it takes to undo some bolts & do them up again.

[Godlykepower]

£12995.....thats absolutely brilliant!! Surely nobody would pay that for a vehicle that old?

Neill, now I know the price, walk away. You can get a LOT better than that.

[reb78]

What are you doing?! You can pick up a good base vehicle for a third that price (one that is already a hardtop for a start).

Scroll down this page (about 2/3 of the way down)

http://www.4x4web.co.uk/4sale.html

theres a 110 200tdi camper for £4200 - might need some tlc, and no mention in the ad of the chassis condition, BUT it has a load of equipment you'll be after anyway. Mileage perhaps a little high - but not if its been looked after and you'd have £9000 left to make the vehicle right from the 12 you want to spend on the vehicle above!!

[Godlykepower]

Or there is a nice Pinzgauer in that link to consider.........

[Happyoldgit]

Thirteen grand all bar a few coins for what is basically a kit car

You're bouncing around all over the place. Do yourself a favour and take a break from looking on the net and get out and look at some local private vehicles for sale. Check out ads in the local press plus the motor, agri, equine, trade ads.

Get out and look at as many real vehicles as possible not with a view to buy but with a view to gaining experience in what's what. A few months of that and getting your own hands dirty and you'll stand a much better chance of making an informed choice. You said yourself there was no rush.

[reb78]

Or there is a nice Pinzgauer in that link to consider.........

which is also tax exempt - that'll sort out an earlier problem!

[Godlykepower]

which is also tax exempt - that'll sort out an earlier problem!

Exactly. My line of thinking precisely.

Neill, have you thought outside of the Land Rover box at all? As much as we all love Land Rovers around here, and many of us already use them as expedition trucks; we are also aware that Land Rover is not the only vehicle capable of being used for your intended purpose. G-Wagen, Unimog & Pinzgauer coming immediatley to mind.

[Happyoldgit]

[mod hat on]

Oh crickey don't start suggesting a load of others otherwise this thread will probably turn into and endless general discussion of the merits of any vehicle anyone cares to mention ...which of course has been done many times before and is certainly NOT what this section is all about!

Lets keep the Defender section focussed, after all it is supposed to be about Defender technical queries.

[/mod hat off]

[tweetyduck]

I've looked at other vehicles. I'd love a Mog but too pricy for anything decent. Also can't ship it easily. Went to look at some Pinzgauer yesterday. Also droped in on the Mog dealer on the way past. The Tax thing would be nice

Still think the 110 is the way to go. Suits what we are doing and how we are doing it. I typed a long post yesterday and accidentally closed my browser about why an what we are doing. All based on the questions and comments from the other day.

I'm not bouncing all over the place. I know what i'm looking for and the one i've just posted is what i'm looking for once the roofs been put back on. I agree its too much and the maths doesn't stack up. Quite correctly pointed out that i could do it myself for less.

I've now found a coachbuilder to do the insides. I have a ball park quote and they are local. They make camper vans and do a really nice job. They will build to my spec and will do almost all the inside work including the pop roof. This includes the electrics etc.

I'm looking at all the ones i can find. Just to see whats what. No intention of jumping in with the checkbook for anything even vaguely wrong for me. I know I need a 110 TDi 300 SW. Might settle for a Hard Top if one comes up in the right quality. Main objective is the get a 110 SW. The equipment i need will go in either a HT or SW. I would have to get alpines put in the HT and possibly side windows. Rather not mess around doing that so the SW is the one for me.

[Holyzeus]

Foleys then?

http://www.foleyspecialistvehicles.co.uk/index2.htm