AndyLandy46 Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Hi All, I'm about to take my first steps into the world of defender ownership. A friend of a friend has offered an extremely well maintained 1991 defender with a 3.5 v8, mileage is currently 250k'ish. The chassis looks free from rot, so happy with that but how long would these engines typically last? Would appreciate some advice from the experts! Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad_pete Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Servicing is key, but I'd expect it to a bit tired at that millage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco-Ron Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Depends if it's the original engine, is it an original v8? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLandy46 Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 It's the original V8, service log shows the oil has been changed every 4 to 6k miles from 150k onwards. A private company owned it before that so no service history from then. Anything in particular I should look or listen out for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Like I told you already, you need to put a Diesel in it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frax Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I would not buy a V8 with half that miles unless it has had a lot of work done on it. The cam will be worn - not trying to put you off - as said a Diesel with that miles would be OK. Drive it or even better get someone who knows about V8 Defenders drive it and see what they think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I wouldn't worry, a replacement V8 from a rusted-out RR or Disco will set you back all of £250, and the bigger ones are getting cheaper too - 3.9 gives a nice torque boost over the 3.5. Also, any RR or Disco lump will have more power than the original de-tuned Defender spec lump. If the rest of the vehicle is solid I would say definitely go for it. Although bits do wear out (camshafts especially) they're very easy to work on / rebuild and parts are cheap enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8Pete Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 As they're detuned and unstressed engines they will last just as well as the diesels as long as they're serviced regularly. They run well even when they are pretty worn out so can be hard to tell. As FridgeFreezer says, the camshafts can wear out quickly (often around the 80K-100K mark) but they're easy to replace. Key thing is to check the compression and listen for rattles on a cold start up that don't disappear within a few seconds. Carbs might need a bit of fettling at this mileage but, again, none of it is complicated. The advantage of a high mileage engine is that it is likely to have done few cold starts and spent less time in stop/start traffic, both of which are bad for engines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLandy46 Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 Thanks for all the advice guys, like you say it would cost me more if the doors were rotten! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallfry Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Like I told you already, you need to put a Diesel in it!!! Just ignore him, hes obviously a bit misguided I would imagine the engine is a bit tired though, but of course you do not know what has been done to it. A mini rebuild is cheap enough, as is a replacement engine, athough having said that, it will likely be tired too..................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewHorsfield Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Have you considered the fuel consumption on a V8 compared to a diesel? You might get 13mpg if you are lucky. You will probably want to convert to LPG if doing any miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLandy46 Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 You all make a very good point, 2 rotten doors would probably cost more than another engine. If it sounds decent and the rest of it is not rotten then I'll think I'll have it! Mpg isn't too much of a problem, it may well get gas or a 300tdi lump if I find one at the right price (mav??) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Have you considered the fuel consumption on a V8 compared to a diesel? You might get 13mpg if you are lucky. If you can drive as slow as if it had a diesel you can nudge 20mpg if it's in good fettle. That said, if you really try you can get it into single figures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewHorsfield Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I didn't need to take my socks off to calculate mpg on my old V8 Disco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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