Thread: Why should I buy a Defender 110?

HI Armani,

Parts availability is nothing to be afraid off. If you are travelling to remote areas carry some basic spares & tools (no matter what car you have) and sort out the problem yourself.

If the repair is going to be anything major, then even if you're in a country town with a dealer, they're going to have to freight the item in. I lived in a country town in WA where there was a lot of farming and mining. Toyotas used to crack the diff housing on a regular basis, but the local Toyota dealership, which had workshops, always freighted a housing in for each repair, and never kept any stock. So as long as parts are available in the country, then availability will always be an overnight express freight airbag away.

Land Rover parts are pretty cheap, there are plenty of small suppliers, or you can import from the UK or buy on ebay.

The Defender has less parts, so there's less to break.

If you get a modern car then it's worth investing in a scanner, so you can read faults direct off the ECU. I drive a Tdi, so the only diagnostic tool I need is a multimeter. Either way, get a workshop manual.

I drive a Defender everyday, and I find in comfortable and capable. My wife drives a Range Rover (classic), but finds the Defender comfortable, even after 10 hours of driving. I have three kids in the back, and I can see that the back seats might be a bit cramped when they get older, but for now it's all good. The seating position in the Defender is not plush, but it is ergonomic and supportive. Whilst in many 4WDs you sit like in a car, with your legs out in front of you, in the Defender (and Range Rover and Discovery) you sit more upright. This puts much less strain on your lower back and allows you to drive all day - on my last trip I did 1,250km in a day without ever feeling cramped or sore.

Your family holiday photos will be part of your family's heritage in years to come, and the Defender is by far the most photogenic 4WD you can buy.

It's not usually the car the disappoints, but your expectations. So just be sure of what you expect out of a Defender. It won't disappoint in it's off-road performance, on winding roads it will outperform most sedans, on the open road it cruises well, it's not going to overtake like a Subaru, but I find that if I'm accelerating from 110kph while overtaking a car, I'll get to 120kph as I overtake, which I figure is fast enough for a diesel brick. The things people complain about are water leaks and leg space for the front passenger. There's a water ingress manual available on this website (published by Land Rover) that goes though all the potential leaks and lists the fixes. Leg room on the passenger side is reduced by the underdash A/C, but you can raise the seat rails about an inch, which gives more leg room and allows the seat to go back a bit more. MULGO (site sponsor) make a product to do this, so do MUDSTUFF in the UK, and some people here have made their own.

TD5s had some issues, already alluded to. If I were to buy a TD5, I'd get a later one. The ECU changed at some stage, someone who knows more could tell you what year. The later ones were easier to fit cruise control to.

If you don't want traction control and ABS, or even an ECU, then consider a late 300Tdi.

- Michael

I'll sell you my 95 model 300 TDi Def! Hey, wait a minute, what was I thinking! No, I won't - ha! Get one from someone who's a fool for selling it. Like I said on another thread - it'll become another family pet. Both you two and the kids will love it. Mine's called Boofy, my kids (24, 22 and 18) even call it Boofy (number plate was BFY79Q so that's boofy in our books). Even if the man of the family is not really mechanically minded, coming to this forum and a bit of study will see you feeling reasonably confident about your ability to fix most problems that occur. As for watertightness, none of them are, not even Toyotas and Nissans. In Defs, you just get your feet wet faster. But, with kids in the back, a stock standard Def will take you to far more dangerous situations/positions safely than you think you would want to take your kids. You'll be scared, the kids will be squealing but the Def will just slowly take you there safely. Gods honest truth and I'm not even religious Get one, you won't regret it. Even if you change your mind, you won't have trouble selling it

For TD5

Go late Model

02 - onwards

Better Engine (New Resdesigned head, fuel valve thing on rear of head and injector loom problem gone)
Better Dash 02 - Onwards (They changed the Centre console to an updated more userfriendly type, Aircon updated)
Steel Rear Door (Stronger
Pressed Steel door frames (Better fit and feel more solid)

WHY GET A DEFENDER?

Because you can and you know you want to.

If I could part with my Disco there be no other car on my list.

What are you waiting for. A brilliant blue 02-02 model in the market section here right now.

Just do it. The parts story is just a myth told by toyota drivers to make themselves feel better. There might be more toyota service centres but on many occasions they still wait weeks for parts to arrive.

I live in Rocky and if the local guy doesnt have the part then he has it the next day and the price is usually pretty good.

Finding a defender is the hard part. Those that have them don't want to sell them. I bought my 2000 110 a year ago and was lucky enough to pick it up for $16500. I saw it in the shopping centre with a for sale sign in the back window rang it and was lucky enough to get in first. When handing over the keys the owner admitted I got a good buy and that he should have put another $10000 on it and advertised it more. He probably would have gotten it too (but not from me).

I definitely wouldnt pay that much for the 110 extreme in the ad link especially when you have to travel to Brisbane to get it. Keep your eyes open and the right one will come along.

One great thing about this type of vehicle, wether it be a Defender, County or Series is you can really 'use' them and not worry. For example, my County is my pride and joy, and although I try not to damage it if I can help it, if I do get a scratch or two, or even a minor dent, it's not the end of the world. If I had a nice shiny Disco, Patrol, Cruiser etc, I probably wouldn't want to get a scratch on that shiny metallic paint.
Just use them and enjoy your trips.

Murray

Its been pretty much said.. but 25k for a '99 with no service and 190k'ks sounds suspicious to me.. there was one recently for sale here same year same model, kitted up to the hilt with all the fruit... nice example, but no service history. The reason? the dealer hid it as it had cracked its head and it had been welded up as a temp measure.. i did the research, found the history, and walked away. Unfortunatley someone else didnt and it was back after 2 months having the head put right.

I paid 1.5k more than the one you were looking at and i got a 2002 extreme with 100k k's on it.. all standard, with full service, even that was expensive for what it was.

there was (dont know if it still is) a nice 2003 in the market here... not far off the money..

as for whether you should buy one.. i did and i'm very happy.. just going through getting things right, stopping the leaks (water) and spending a few dollars on accesories.. but its down to you at the end of the day..

Steve

Originally Posted by rijidij

One great thing about this type of vehicle, wether it be a Defender, County or Series is you can really 'use' them and not worry. For example, my County is my pride and joy, and although I try not to damage it if I can help it, if I do get a scratch or two, or even a minor dent, it's not the end of the world. If I had a nice shiny Disco, Patrol, Cruiser etc, I probably wouldn't want to get a scratch on that shiny metallic paint.
Just use them and enjoy your trips.

Murray

Hear Hear!
Mine is not much to look at, I don't think there is a panel without a dent or scratch, but it is maintained (mechanically) in perfect condition by a LR specialist regardless of cost (which is no more than a Jap). The upshot is I take it where I wouldn't take my old Landcruiser and I know it will get me there and back. Then when I do get back, cleaning consists of opening the doors and giving everything (and I mean everything) a good hosing.