Thread: best defender to buy?

how long is a piece of string......what do you define as off road?

i have a 95 defender that i think is pretty capable (twin lockers, MT tyres, PTO winch, standard suspenion) other would think otherwise

engine performance could be a factor that you need to consider first

300tdi
td5 or
tdci puma

Thanks, weeds, I think engine performance would be important, I am leaning towards one with minimal electronic black magic, one that can be worked on by the average punter.Fuel consumption is important, as is reliability . If I was to buy one, it would be used for trips to the cape, the gulf, and bush trips where I would not lose any sleep over minor body damage. A PTO would be a consideration - good thing or not? Bob10

You have just described an isuzu county. One with a hairdryer attachment.

Originally Posted by ScottW

You have just described an isuzu county. One with a hairdryer attachment.

availability is low for a isuzu county, tdi's are easier to come by

i have a tdi which has no electronic, can be worked on by the averager punter and can be tweeked a little for better performance

i would head off in any direction confidant i would get back without major mechanical issues

pto winches are hard to come by

if you have never owned a defender pop across the hi-way if you want to have a look at mine if you like

My Tdi has been everywhere but then so has many Td5's,either is good.I would buy whichever model you find in the best condition. Pat

Your budget would be a good place to start. No electronics means a Tdi 300 or earlier. They all seem to use a similar amount of fuel (except for the V8 Counties) and are all pretty much reliable as one another. It will mainly come down to how well it was looked after. I looked at a few cars, and in the end bought the best one I could. It just so happened that the isuzu I looked as was in much better nick than the tdi's, but not too many are.

300tdi would be my pic, can fix it yourself, no ecu, reliable, and has a distinct sound

There is also another possibilty, V8 Counties are very cheap, IF you can find a good one, a Tdi conversion is a good option. IMHO the early 110's, 1985 etc, are made a little stronger in the body etc and are full of character

Of course a Isuzu 110 would be ideal, but hard to find a good example now.

JC