Quote:
Originally Posted by JDNSW
There is no "magic mileage" for Defenders. Some are going great, little more than run in by 200,000km, others on their last legs. It all depends on how they have been treated, so the service history is much more important than the actual mileage.
Specific things to watch for :-
Rust - bulkhead or chassis, particularly rear cross member. An inland one is likely to have no rust, one that has done a lot of beach work or lived right by the sea could be beyond economic repair.
Engine has been overheated. Particularly with the TD5 engine, this can mean very expensive repairs.
Tdi engines - when was the timing belt changed? Neglect of this can be very expensive, if there is no proof of when it was done, do it as soon as you buy it.
Less important, but bargaining points:-
Suspension bushes worn, steering box leaking, check rear axle drive flanges. With Td5, oil in the engine wiring harness.
Any relatively high mileage car you buy will have some faults, so you should keep some money to cover them rather than buying right up to your limit.
And of course, there are all the things that apply to buying any second hand car.
John
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A LandRover - in particular a Defender will go for as long as you choose to fix it. Mechanical bits are relatively easy to fix and fairly low cost if you do it yourself. For me, cosmetic issues such as bad paint or rust will be very hard to fix, and would turn me off.
Lift the Floor mats, and look at the floor panels - Are they wet? If so then this is a factory installed rust creation device. The leaks are hard.. impossible to fix.
Rear Axle Drive Flanges - These only seem to last 70-80k's. You'l notice this because the gear changes will start to become clunky, the car starts to feel old and worn out. Not a big deal - very easy to fix. But buy hardened after market flanges. I bought a set from Paddocks in the UK , cost $200AUD landed. Made a HUGE difference to my Defender, became a new car again!
TD5 Radiators are also now a wear item - seems 100,000ks is old for these. Dealer $$$$. You can buy these for much less from the alternative parts places.
Check the play in the Engine Fan. Any play at all, replace ASAP.... The Viscous unit sits on a bearing located in the timing case. If the fan starts to wear out, or the viscous bearing gets noisey, then replace it before the bearing in the timing case is shagged. Don't ask me how I know... The official fix is a new timing case - which is a head and sump off event. You can do the bearing in situ if you find someone to do it.